Vegas Trip Report (long, mostly poker)

[DocMartin]

The final installment.

I get very little sleep but Wife, Dad, the kids and I head to the Barbary Coast in the hot Vegas sun to catch the shuttle to The Orleans for some bowling. When we get there at 2:30pm we find out that all the lanes are taken up for leagues and won't be available until 6pm. Strike one. Ok, so we see the signs up for a magic show that looks like it would be great for the kids that starts at 4pm, cool. The boys want to play at the huge daycare center they have so we drop them off and I throw my name on the long waiting list for poker. I mean REALLY long, since I am about 20 deep and all the dealers are busy working a tournament. Strike 2.

After I finally get seated I call a small raise with QJs in the BB after a couple of callers. Flop comes KT5 rainbow so I checkraise a weak $10 bet that the other two players folded to, up to $40 after which he goes all in and I have to fold. I get moved to another table right after that hand and continue to get pummelled. Once again when I raise a draw and get pounded out of the pot, and another time where I have a draw and get checkraised out of my seat after I called a flop bet and then fired at the turn when it was checked to me. I didnt do so well with draws. I didnt do so well with AA either as it got outflopped twice although I did manage to check a street each time to keep the size of the pots manageable. Ordeal at the Orleans, -$300 +4 Sammys. (+$100, +66 Sam Adams, 11shots, 8 Grand Marnier, 3Baileys, 3Caesars, 2Paralyzers)

While I am playing I am informed that the magic show doesn't start until Monday, Strike 3, foiled again. That was where the strikes stopped however because I am NOT a good bowler. The kids eat at Subway and we head off to bowling. My score was 17 after the first 3 frames and I am getting crushed by my 5 and 4 year olds who have the benefit of those cool gutter-bumper thingies. I pull it together and finish with 137 and get bragging rights over the boys but Wife nails a 138 since I can't manage to get that extra ball in the 10th frame. Me and my 5yr old go at it again as Mom gloats in victory. We get home around 8:30, the ladies go hit the slots and I play playstation with the boys. They don't get back till almost 12 so I forgo the pokering and get some sleep.

Monday: Wake up refreshed, and watch Return of the Jedi with the boys (big Star Wars fans at the moment and love Lego Star Wars on Playstation). By the end of the movie I notice from the window that one of the cars on the top of the parking garage is smoking at bit. A couple of people show interest and it looks like they are using their cell phones to notify someone. I dont pay a lot of attention to it but a little later it is smoking more and then flames start to rise out of the hood. A couple of NYNY suits apply some extinguishers to it but they back out quick since it must be pretty hot and it didnt look like the extinguishers were doing much good. Now the flames start coming out a little higher. There was a small explosion and the flames are really noticeable now. I hear the fire engines so we pull some chairs up to the windows to watch the show. Flames spread to the car on the left and get it going a bit but then the wind changes and the flames spread to the car on the right. Fire Dept is there now but it doesnt look like the 8 story parking garage is fire engine friendly so they pull a hose up the side. The original car is nice and crispy now burning from the inside while the car on the right is in full on flames as well. The guys get it done with lotsa powder, water, axes and crowbars opening up windows/hoods/doors. Some reporters, some more suits and some satisfied fire dudes shaking hands and calling it done. They pack up and then it looks like the car owners/renters are checking things out and making calls. How inconvenient to have your car explode while you are vacationing in Vegas. I also feel sorry for the people in line for the NYNY roller coaster who probably had to wait over an hour since the track went right by the fire.

The whole crew Wife, kids, Mom, Dad, and Dean went to the rainforest cafe at the MGM which the kids always dig and I had some delicious steak and shrimp. Dad and Dean rented a car and left for Arizona and I hopped in the poker room for a few hours. Ran poorly at first, but rebought and ended up around 100 before the weak players were mostly gone and the table was getting tough. Hung out at the room and put the boys to bed and when wife and Mom got back from the slots, wife and I head over to the Excalibur. I had run horribly there for the most part and this session started off no different. I fail to hit flops, make draws, or bluff successfully and have to add $100 to my stack a couple of times. Then two big hands I took a beating on.. I have QQ and I pop a $12 raise up to $40 and get three callers. The flop comes J85 with two spades and I go all in for $160 and get called in two places. First guy had KJ and the other has 76 for an open ended straight draw. Donkey with KJ spikes a K on the river and I go ahead and rebuy. A little later I call a $12 raise with K[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]J[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] and 4 of us see a flop. The flop is a beautiful Q[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]T[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]5[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] giving me the open ended straight flush draw. Raiser leads for 35, gets 1 caller and I push for about 120 more. Fold, Fold, and some sheriff makes a hero call with T9 since he thought I was bluffing. I dont catch any of my 21 outs (Any King, Jack, Ace, 9, or any heart) and have to rebuy again. Fortunately I actually win a few hands when I am a favorite after that (sheriff keeps making hero calls and goes from $1K to broke) and end up cashing out for $800 and a monster profit of $200 and +8SA. (Grand Trip Total: +$400, +74 Sam Adams, 11shots, 8 Grand Marnier, 3Baileys, 3Caesars, 2Paralyzers).

I was fairly happy with the trip, although I did expect to win a little more $. The rooms were all fine (the one at NY NY was a little loud because of the roller coaster) and a good time was had by all. It was fun keeping track of the drinks and interesting to find out just how much $ I take off the table in drink tips for a trip. I've already booked flights for June!