NYC/Atlantic City trip report

[whiskeytown]

Well, I'm waiting for the parts store to open up so I can get my new taillight, so let's get the trip report in... [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

As may or may not be known, I went to NYC/Atlantic City last weekend to partake in the sights, sounds, and games of the east coast - Arrived on Wed after almost no sleep and managed to find my hotel in Jersey after about 20 minutes of calling the front desk twice - no problems there - took a 20 min. nap and met up with Luv2DriveTT near his place of work -

We went to our first club (which shall remain nameless in all details) where I sat down at a 3/6 game that was ENTIRELY populated by 2+2'er's - LOL - did ok there - no big wins, no losses - but since I can play 3/6 in Minneapolis, I wanted to do something different, so off to NL -

1/2 NL in NYC plays like Party Poker - it is a matter of pride to raise every hand to some of those guys - [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] - In the end, I was falling asleep at the table due to my bad schedule the day before, but not before cracking KK twice to put my profit up around 80 dollars.

Went home, got a good night's sleep and checked out NYC on Thursday before meeting up with NJChick, seeing the Chelsea Hotel, and snagging dinner - we went off to one of the newer clubs, but it was running a tourney, and I didn't feel like waiting an hr for it to get started, so I went back to the first club where I promptly dropped $100 in a rebuy 3 table SNG for lack of a better word.

Then back to 1/2 NL - this night was the bomb....my highlight was playing KQ, getting a QQ9 flop, and getting pushed all in by a guy with Q3 - I walked out of there with $540 (really a bit less counting the 100 I dropped in the SNG) - and left that night a bit sad that I couldn't get some more time in - but it was 1am, and I didn't know how much more poker I had in me that night.

Fri. - I had lunch with NJChick again (Corner Bistro - famous burgers...very good) - and walked Bleeker St. and Washington Square Park - ([censored]...couldn't find the chess players....damn) - hung out there, read one of the Alternative weeklys, and generally chilled while waiting for TT to get off work - then it's off to Atlantic City.

We're staying at the Trop. and right away, they [censored] up our reservations - some fast thinking on TT's part saved us there - well done [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] - and then down to the Tropicana, which is one of the biggest rooms I've ever seen, inside or outside of Vegas. This appears to be common in AC, which is cool - now I see why poker players go down there on the weekends.

Here is where what is known as the ass raping of Whiskeytown took place at 1/2 NL - nothing terrible - just $540 in two hrs. - Twice I flopped Set UNDER Set and ended up making full houses by the river, but of course, theirs were bigger (or quads).

I should point out this is in no way a bad beat story. Best hands won - but to flop set under set twice in one night - holy mother... - it's like someone stuck a barbed wire dildo on my chair and I sat down on it and wasn't looking...ow- I actually bailed early and let Maxpower, TT, and other 2+2'ers keep playing - I just had to take a break after that.

Sat. - we're up, do a couple hrs at the Trop. to get our room requirements in (poker room rate) - I get bored, and TT needs the experience for bunkfest, so we sit in a 2/4 Omaha H/L game where the players are better at reading the hands then some of the dealers - then off to the big game at the Borg.

I decided at this point I had about 1k left and I was gonna play some 10/20 - I feel my skill level was there, and I was sick of 1/2 NL - also, when you're making 20 bucks bets on average in NL, that's no different then the 10/20 game - just bigger stacks is all -

Wish I could say I bounced back, but I left again at 11pm that night down about $700 - not many good hands - very few wins, actually - [censored] happens. - or rather, poker happens. - Went upstairs and watched Runaway Jury.

Our trip done, all that was left was to navigate the public transportation back to NYC on Sunday for my plane ride (TT was staying behind to visit his bro and I THINK a new nephew - I know one was just born...LOL) -

Ok...the Bus stop at the Tropicana is the worst in the world - think of a person behind the counter who doesn't know when the buses come or how often - [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] I waited for a 7:15 one I thought I could bum on Academy but they were full pulling in, so I hijacked a town shuttle over to the Bus Terminal and bought a Greyhound tkt. for 23 bucks. - here's the list of things I did over the course of the first 12 hrs...

One shuttle from Tropicana Atlantic City to Bus terminal
One greyhound bus from AC to Manhattan
One Subway from Port Authority to the WTC site
One PATH train from WTC to Newark
One NJ Transit Train from Newark to the Airport
One Airtrain from the Airport stop thru 5 parking garages/terminals
One airplane from Newark to Chicago
One transfer to an airplane from Chicago to Minneapolis
One Light Rail from the Mpls. airport to downtown
One #17 Bus from Downtown to the place where I called in 10 min. before to get my chinese food
Walk two blocks to apt. -

(also, I missed two closures due to bomb threats right thru my line of fire by about a day...damn lucky cause I only had 90 min. when I got to my plane) I was getting the transportation done so well, I was starting to tell people when their stop was - My one big fuckup in this one was buying a tkt. for the NWK airport twice - once at the station, and then buying it again by accident at the International airport stop thinking I had to buy another one for the Airtrain...grrrr...

Lost my Credit Card in the Newark Airport after buying a book and it started getting charged, so I had to cancel it - no real harm done there. Made it home, and by 9pm, had fallen asleep in my recliner -

It's sorta like my first trip to Vegas - hard to believe I was there (I HAVE GOT to get a digital camera...[censored]) - memories of buildings and places are there, but they feel almost dreamlike - as if I fell asleep and was there asleep - I could see myself doing what some do, taking 3 weeks off from work, subletting an apt that'll be empty for a month, and just hanging out - get the atmosphere and the vibe - I loved it, although I also gotta admit, around day 2 in the Museum of Natural History that some of those forest scenes (esp. of my home area in Glacier Park) made me homesick for the woods/trees

Overall - a great trip even though AC was murderous to me - Actually, if/when I do it again, I'd probably just stick around in NYC a bit longer - the clubs are closed during the day, so I'd get to do some more sightseeing via Public transportation, which I FINALLY got the hang of by the 2nd day.. - Would have liked to have seen Conn. and some of the other states - - but that's the great thing about Poker - it can be an ambassador for me to journey to places I want to see that I might not have the nerve to do otherwise, and I'll know people when I get there. I can make a run up to the Mohegan Sun/Foxwoods anytime I want - or down to Tunica in Winter - all that good stuff...

Thanks again to Luv2DriveTT and NJChick for being such great hosts - to all the other 2+2'ers I met - thanks for being so cool (Wayfare has an awesome balcony view, though I dare say TT's may have been the best, esp. from the roof....holy [censored]) - and to all the folks I met in the clubs -

Some other very interesting stuff - you guys all have 2+2'ers you know you talk strategy with...I very rarely ever get to talk with others on my playing, and less so with good advice - I got some good tips from TT and Max on how I could improve my game (I don't value bet nearly enough on that damn river) - and my game obviously has holes in it, cause I dropped almost 2.5K this year - so I have to find some holes and plug them in - I plan on doing that, but first I think I'm gonna focus hard on my tourney game - the WCOOP is coming soon [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

please remember to tip your dealers well in NYC - none of that [censored] about them not getting paid enough, cause I think they only get paid what they're tipped in NYC - VEDDY important to nail them in the good hands with a 5'er or a 10'er. - Plus they charge a table charge which IMHO, is probably cheaper then a rake - so hell with it - grow up and be a tipper.

Good times, despite the losses - very cool city and I'll go back sometime - but for now, it's stay home and rebuild the BR, beat by beat....LOL

pax
RB

[Evan]

[ QUOTE ]
Washington Square Park - ([censored]...couldn't find the chess players....damn)

[/ QUOTE ]
I don't believe this. Did you go anywhere remotely near the west side of the park?

[whiskeytown]

that's the thing.....I didn't...LOL -

Got to the East side, did a big ass loop, and saw the west side, but didn't wanna go over there anyways...too hot - LOL

so I went back to the east side and sat in the shade...

I suck...ah well - I didn't wanna play speed chess anyways.

RB

[sfer]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Washington Square Park - ([censored]...couldn't find the chess players....damn)

[/ QUOTE ]
I don't believe this. Did you go anywhere remotely near the west side of the park?

[/ QUOTE ]

I would guess that, since drugs are sold along Waverly and in the center of the park, he didn't. [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]

[BottlesOf]

"Trees? Trees?"

[burningyen]

I thought it was "smoke smoke".

[steamboatin]

Seems to be less drinking in this trip report.

[whiskeytown]

absolutely none whatsoever -

blame a telephone pole and a cracked taillight from the previous week for that - I was punishing myself for being such a stupid dumbass the previous week - or maybe I just didn't want a hangover...or maybe I just wanted a clear head for one of the better experiences of my life -

I'm not saying I'm quitting, cause that would suck when I slip up again - but it's been about 9 or 10 days...

probably a good idea - with the heat/humidity out there in the day, had I done so, I could have dehydrated - almost did anyways with a clean system...

RB

[steamboatin]

After I sobered up from my 25th birthday, I was done. I hit it hard from 19 to 25 and that will soon be 20 years ago.

I had to practice up for quiting drinking. I started out just not drinking one weekend, then I might go a week without drinking and by the time my 25th birthday rolled around I would sometimes go a month without drinking.

I didn't really buyin to all that you have to quit immediately forever and if you take one drink you are a complete and utter failure. I figure you have to practice if you want to be good at something so those small sessions of nondrinking were just practice for the main event.

After my 25th birthday, I decided it was time.

PS. I didn't celebrate birthdays, I always said it was my birthweek, because there was no way I could drink enough in a day.

PS. When I was craving a drink, I would get unsweetened grapefuit juice, for some reason that helped quench my beer thirst.

[sthief09]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Washington Square Park - ([censored]...couldn't find the chess players....damn)

[/ QUOTE ]
I don't believe this. Did you go anywhere remotely near the west side of the park?

[/ QUOTE ]

I would guess that, since drugs are sold along Waverly and in the center of the park, he didn't. [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]

[/ QUOTE ]


smoke smoke?