Not a Complete Vegas Trip Report (but LONG)

[ThinkQuick]

you know, just stome trip comments..

Played 1/2 NL at Flamingo, Harrah's, Aladdin. Bellagio had much too long of a wait list while I was there, Wynn's 2-5 no max wasn't my game, and unfortunately didn't make it too 2+2 magoo @ MGM. All three were comparably soft games with a couple solid players and surprisingly few rocks.

These casinos compared to the Canadian ones I have been too:
1) At home, new tables very rearely start with less than 8 players, and all games are 'must move', i.e. people are constantly getting bumped up to higher tables if seats are open there and there is no waiting list. Games are usually broken by the time they are 5 handed. The vegas casinos started tables at 5 people (though both times I saw them do this they filled within 20 minutes), and did not request people to move. At Flamingo and Harrah's, I saw tables that had been started before mine broken and their players incorporated into mine. However, they broke at 4 handed, and only at the request of the players. It seems that the Vegas staff are much less concerned with maximizing player:dealer ratio then they are here, which felt nice.

2) This "laissez faire" house attitude was a problem in other areas though. I felt that the order and rules of the game were less strictly enforced then they are at home, and less strict then I would have liked. It did feel like it was a tourist-friendly "let them play" kind of thing, which may have been nice for some, but I would have prefered the floor or dealers to try to chastise people for acting out of turn, angling, and coaching. Players were constantly chatting and constantly showing their neighbours their cards after winning without showdown (With no enforcement of 'show one show all').

The individual casinos:

Flamingo:

Played here twice, very fun, very nice dealers, floor, and waitresses (mostly). The poker room is close to a casino exit and is separated by a rail from the slots and a bar; bathrooms were a bit of a walk. Players could smoke along the rail and still see/hear the table. I was a starter in both 1/2 NL games I played in, and both were started with 5 players. There was never really a list up, i suppose because they keep starting games, so there were often seats open. I didn't mind this, but it caused some interesting things to happen. For example there was one woman sat down, first hand got AK cracked (by my QKs turned flush) for half her stack ,second hand dragged a monster pot with 64o, third hand she invested a bunch of money and folded the river, and then she diassapeared with her chips, . Returned less than 30 minutes later (same amount of chips (I think)) and played a couple of rounds this time before dissapearing again. When she came back again without me noticing (she was to my immediate left) I started thinking she may be a real ninja. Additionally, it meant that players markers were never picked up, and people were able to leave for 1.5hrs +.

Flamingo floor decisions:
-Player A bet $50, player B said nothing and put in $90. Floor said that as the excess was more than 1/2 a bet, it is considered a raise. Player B was able to mke it 100 as he said he originally intended to.

-Woman sits down and plays over her husbands chips while he is smoking, takes a big pot of woman #2, who calls for the floor after the pot is awarded. floor says you can play over another person's chips here, so she goes looking for another guy who says the dealer has to announce it to the table. However, (of course) despite the fact that he didn't, woman2 accepted the action and since she could've won money, she could've lost money.

-button skipped a person. I noticed after 2 people had acted and mentioned it. Dealer apologized, called the floor, who also apologized but said that there was action so it stayed as is.

Harrah's:

Came in twice. Was much less busy than the others. Poker room is in its own glass area close to washrooms and exit. Again when there was no list and dropping players tables were not broken or shuffled,and markers not picked up. Floor was mostly busy sweeping and answering phones. Waitresses were a little too good, and some of the players were extremely inebriated. For example: Player A checks on a flop of KJT rainbow, Player B is a drunk maniac maniac maniac on my immediate right. He overbets the flop for 30bucks and Player A check raises 210 all-in. Player B flips his cards face up (this also happened in a similar situation at the Aladdin, and was also permitted with no floor ruling), which are 45s. One of his suit is on the flop. Player A stands up, puts his hands on the table as he leans in, and starts yelling "what is he doing? what the f* does that mean? Does he call? Does he fold? What is going on?" The dealer (Monica, who also appears in two stories below) says "No he hasn't called", after which Player B says "all-in". Dealer says "he called", Player A flips AQ for not straight, and runner-runner flush dosen't come for the drunkard. Dealer tells drunk guy he owes the 160, which he pays, then says "I can't beleive he called my all-in". Player A is still asking what happened and what he was doing, and the floor has still not come over. This was at about 5am and it's when I left.

Some floor rulings:

I had two $100 Ceasar's chips on the table because I didn't want them to fall out of my pocket. Maybe 15 minutes into her down, without even looking at me, the dealer called the floor over and asked whether the chips were in play and told the floor they were confusing. He said they were fine, and she continued to argue that players across the table would think they were something else. Player across the table says "no, those are two $100 chips from Ceasar's", and floor again says that they are fine. I took them and put them in the cupholder to be nice, but for some reason the dealer was mad at me. Note: After I left and crossed the street to Ceasar's, I had to run back and get the chips because I forgot them in the damn cupholder.

Same dealer, few hands later.. I had just been the small blind on a hand decided on the turn. When I look down during the next deal, the button is directly between me and the player to my right (Seat 6&7). Monica (the dealer) taps the felt in front of me and says "small blind". I say "I believe I am the button" and she says "small blind". I say "actually I know I am the button", and she moves the button to me, tosses the SB back the extra buck he put in, and asks seat 9 for the BB. I say "I believe this is a misdeal", and she turns to seat 1 (UTG) and looks at him, and he folds. I say "I know this is mideal" and yell for the floor. She looks at seat 2 and he calls. Then she turns to me and says "did you receive the last card" and I say "I'm sorry I don't recall, but I assume that since you thought I was the small blind I didn't." She says "well I recall, and you did". Floor did not here, did not come, and dealer did not call him. She continues taking preflop action. UTG says "hey I thought it was a misdeal" and the dealer responds with "did I say mideal? No."
Mmy options at this point were definitely to either shut up or leave the table, because the hand was already well underway. I'm surprised I stayed, and surprised I didn't complain, but I was enjoying the game.


Aladdin:

A nice room in the center of the casino , with large open entrances. Close to washroom as well. I went with a friend, and asked if we could sit together. As soon as I sat down I realized I didn't want to move, but was still surprised that the floor that promised me it was no problem he'd move me made no attempt to do so as seat after seat opened up. I'm sure a friendly reminder would have done it if I'd wanted to move. The dealers were efficient, but this was where I noted the nicer, no chastising, Vegas policy... There was a player constantly acting of turn, and the dealers constantly said "in turn, please", but that was all. At home I've seen the floor called to tell people they're going to have to leave if they keep disrupting the game like that, so Aladdin style was much 'nicer' but didn't solve the problem in any way. Additionally, two pots were awarded by players showing only one card, which I did not think was permissible. I saw no floor rulings.

Anyways.....all in all a great trip. Lots and lots of fun, I came out up 350 at about 20 bucks an hour. I'm really sorry I missed the Magoo fest but you know, dinner with family was still nicer, and we thought we were going to get UFC tickers at the Hard Rock as well.

[Spook]

nice report. some thoughts.

When the button skips a player, Roberts rules has the hand play out, and then the button jumps around for the next two hands so that everyone gets to play the proper placement. Just in a different order.

When there is confusion on a misdeal, loudly call "time" to try and stop the dealer from moving the action. Dealers want to get out hands per hour, because that is how they make tips - and will try to speed the action up without having to reshuffle. If two players act, then it is no longer a misdeal, which is what the dealer wants and the floor can't overturn. Thus call for time and then call for the floor.

And a similar story to yours about the black checks. I was at the MGM (4/8 limit), and had a hundred dollar bill 'playing behind'. After about 5 dealers, a new dealer sat down, and during the second hand called for players chips for me. She explained that the bill didn't play, so I said 'fine, if it doesn't play I will put it away.' They after the next hand she called for chips again - saying that I couldn't take it off the table, dispite it not playing, and had to get chips for it. durrrr. I called the floor.

[DeuceKicker]

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And a similar story to yours about the black checks. I was at the MGM (4/8 limit), and had a hundred dollar bill 'playing behind'. After about 5 dealers, a new dealer sat down, and during the second hand called for players chips for me. She explained that the bill didn't play, so I said 'fine, if it doesn't play I will put it away.' They after the next hand she called for chips again - saying that I couldn't take it off the table, dispite it not playing, and had to get chips for it. durrrr. I called the floor.

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I'm assuming the floor (correctly) ruled against you.

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Additionally, two pots were awarded by players showing only one card, which I did not think was permissible. I saw no floor rulings.

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Actually I am willing to bet that what happened here was that the other players on showdown mucked there cards when the player showed his one card. In that case the pot gets pushed to the only player with cards regardless of whether he shows or not.

[Spook]

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And a similar story to yours about the black checks. I was at the MGM (4/8 limit), and had a hundred dollar bill 'playing behind'. After about 5 dealers, a new dealer sat down, and during the second hand called for players chips for me. She explained that the bill didn't play, so I said 'fine, if it doesn't play I will put it away.' They after the next hand she called for chips again - saying that I couldn't take it off the table, dispite it not playing, and had to get chips for it. durrrr. I called the floor.

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I'm assuming the floor (correctly) ruled against you.

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Why? If it doesn't play then I was not ratholing. (The answer was, that it did play and I did not need to change it into chips - I could have it on the table as was my want.)