Newbies first time in Vegas report-long

[KHALI]

Just got back from Vegas and thought I would share some thoughts about my experience. To put things into perspective this was my first B&M experience and my usual online play is at the $10 sng’s, $10 NL ring tables and $0.50/$1.00 limit table levels so I was tredding into unknown territory for me. I went with $400 that I was totally prepared to lose(obviously prefer not to) in order to gain the experience. I wanted to play some limit, the $100NL table at the Excalibur(from advice here) and a tournament.
My second night in town I sit down at the Flamingo and get right into a 2/4 game. A very friendly table that was passive preflop but after that there would be lots of capped rounds so pots being won were pretty good sized. The Flamingo has five betting rounds(one more than I was used to) . I found the room to be small, it only has seven tables, mostly 2/4 but usually one table of 4/8 and one for NL with a $100 minimum buy in $300 max with blinds of 2 and 5. The tables were all decent and the room seemed well organized and drink service was fast. They also run a daily high hand jackpot with top three hands getting cash each day. A couple hands that paid off for me were an Ace high flush that was capped on the turn with three players in(one guy had a set no idea what the other guy folded on the river) and in another hand quad 6’s. The play quality was fairly soft in my opinion with people playing any ace for any raises in any position and staying in the hand with sometimes no connection to the board. Usually the play was passive and straight forward. I ended my session up a whopping $7.25 and about 8 Coronas, but only after a few bad beats(runner runner flush beat my pocket Jacks and set of Aces beat by J7 hitting flush on river and a few others but I assume that is par for the course) and a few hands gone wrong. For example I was dealt J8 clubs in the big blind and check against four players. Flop comes 10,10, Q with one club. Checked to a late player who bets out, one caller so I decide to semi-bluff check raise(I don’t know why) and all fold except for one other who called two bets cold(uh-oh) and the two already in. Turn is 4 clubs which gives me a flush draw too so I bet out and only the original bettor calls(what did the cold caller have?). The river is a blank and I decide my only chance is to bet and if raised I will fold. The other player calls and turns up Q2 off. I don’t know what to say about this but I think it is a good example of the quality of player(and maybe me too?).
Highlight of the night was when a gruff older local and an Elton John look a like got into it and the “flamboyant” Elton threatens the big older guy with a “I’m gonna bitch slap you”. Anyways nothing happened but that line could be my favourite considering the older guy would have mopped up.
Next night I decided to hit the Excalibur $100NL table(with blinds of ½) and immediately I noticed the game to be a good game to be in. My very first hand I get AJ clubs in late position and decide to raise as there are no limpers. I raise it to $12 and immediately get reraised $20 more from the button, the small blind then pushes all in for an additional $56. I have no read on these guys so I fold and the button calls(I then say good choice to myself) the button turns up AJ off and the small blind turns up KQ off and the rag board gives it to the Ace high. Crap! But it did tell me that these guys will overvalue difficult big cards. Best hand of the night for me was QQ. It was raised to me by a player who I thought was pretty solid so I just called the $20 raise along with the button who calls after me. Flop comes back Jack high, the original bettor checks(read AK) so I bet out and both players call the $20. The turn is a blank and I bet out an additional $30 the button calls and original bettor folds. Last card is a King and I get weak here and just check with the intention of probably calIing and the button checks as well. He turns up AJ and my QQ’s are good. Original bettor said he folded AK. Anyways a decent pot for me. I played pretty weak/tight and didn’t get a lot of cards and some small pairs that didn’t improve cost me so I ended up $89 up after about three hours of play.
A few thoughts on the Excalibur are the room is well run with at least 20+ tables and the game I was in was pretty straight forward with one crazy who ended up calling all in four times and hit his river to win each time(full amount each time too). I figured he would have a huge stack but he also ended up busting out and rebuying three times while I was there so he was brutal. The tables were crap with no drink holders so you had to set your beer on a chair behind you which led to numerous spills. As always drink service was good. Their chips were disgusting and looked like they had been vomited on or something. All in all the game was very beatable. The room is a smoking room so be prepared to inhale a lot. I sat beside a hooker(not the classy call girl type either) on a day off who chain smoked all night. I don’t know if she was one but she was harsh.
My last night I tried to get into the Excalibur game but the line was too long and they didn’t open another table even though there were enough players who wanted to play so I went by Bally’s. I found out they have 6 tables 2/4,3/6, 4/8 and a NL with $100 minimum,$200 maximum and blinds of 1 and 2. I was placed on a list but within a few minutes the manager said they were opening another NL table. I only played for two hours and finished $50 up. Overall the game quality was a bit better at Bally’s than at the Excalibur but it was still beatable if you picked your spots. I lost a monster pot just before I left with two other guys all in with TPTK and a set of 10’s versus my flopped flush when the board paired on the river. Would have been nice to hang on there but what can you do. My highlight was on another Q high flopped flush out of the blind when I bet out $10, was called by two and then raised to $50. I didn’t figure I was beat yet but was worried about a hand like top pair with Ace kicker drawing to the higher flush so I decided to get at least the other two callers out and pushed in my stack for another $147(making my total bet on the hand $199). The raiser though about it for a long time and then finally folded his two pair. Even though I probably had the best hand my heart was pounding like crazy and I didn’t know if I wanted a call or not.
The Bally’s room was very small and although they say it is no smoking it doesn’t matter when somebody is three feet behind you at a slot machine chain smoking. This room wasn’t as smoothly run as the others I played in but the manager was friendly and did their best to keep things running.
All in all it was a great learning experience for me and the fact that I didn’t lose my shirt was nice too. My only real disappointment was in how weak my play turned at times. I was not nearly as aggressive as I can be online and felt very nervous at times as well but hopefully with more experience that will change. I feel like I learned a lot about playing in a B&M especially about my emotions and thinking about my money. I was definitely scared money out there this time and that really hampered my playing. I blame in on inexperience and playing at a level higher than I have done previously but I will improve in the future. Anybody who has reservations about playing there, all I can say is if I can do it anybody can do it. Can’t wait to go back.

[steamboatin]

Nice report

[Aces McGee]

5 betting rounds????

-McGee

[Lost Wages]

The Flamingo has five betting rounds(one more than I was used to)

[img]/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img] Could you please elaborate?

Lost Wages

[scotnt73]

good read.

[Lost Wages]

Ah, perhaps you meant that the cap is a bet and four raises.

Lost Wages

[KHALI]

Sorry for the bad communication. What I was referring to was that on each round of betting(preflop,flop,turn,river) they allow a bet and then four more raises after that making it five bets on each round.

[fyodor]

My only trip to Vegas (about 3-4years back) I played at the Flamingo. I barely knew how to play hold'em then (as if I do now) but I only lost about $50 over 3 sessions at the 2/4. What I remember was you didn't have to bet the max. ie on $4 streets you could bet $1, $2, $3 or $4. Looking back that seems very weird now.

I also remember that every dealer we got knew some of the guys at the table by name. I thought I was playing with real pros.

[Sponger15SB]

Yep, theres a pre hole card round of betting for those who like to gambool. I swear, couldn't make it up if I wanted to.

[M2d]

Nice report. I like reading first trip to vegas reports because they re-capture the magic of the city for me. I guess I'm a little jaded now.

anyway, one thing that I noticed (I know this isn't a strategy post, but I can't resist).
[ QUOTE ]
Flop comes 10,10, Q with one club. Checked to a late player who bets out, one caller so I decide to semi-bluff check raise(I don’t know why) and all fold except for one other who called two bets cold(uh-oh) and the two already in.

[/ QUOTE ]
usually, when i see a checkraise on a paired board where the checkraise isolates a late player, it screams "I don't have the trips". if you have a powerful hand and a big field, why would you want to shut most of them out? if you were hell bent on stealing this pot, calling then check-raising the turn would make it much more likely.