Belated Vegas Trip Report (very long and boring)

[CCass]

Friday 6/30/06

At 4AM (2AM Vegas time) I get up, shower, and head to the Nashville airport for my 7:40 flight. At the airport, I get flagged at the security checkpoint because my TN driver’s license is messed up and my picture is very hard to see. My carry-on gets searched then they let me through to the gate. I was afraid it would be a big hassle but I think I actually got through the line quicker because I got pulled to the side. I arrive in Vegas at 9:30 and get to the Bellagio about 10:15 where I meet Matt Flynn as planned.

We head over to the Rio, as Matt is going to play the $2,500 NL 6-max event and I am going to play a couple of satellites for the Saturday $2,000 NL event. We meet Sunny (also playing in the 6-max event) at the Rio. The tournament starts at Noon, and the Casino isn’t starting any satellites until 12:30. I decide to play in a cash game until the satellites get started, and get seated in a 2/5 NL game. The tourney begins, Matt doubles up on the first hand when he flops a set of 4’s against another players AA, and is briefly the chip leader. The cash game is pretty good, I win $185 and I end up not playing any satellites. Matt and Sunny bust out and we decide to go back to the Bellagio and meet up with Felson and Boris. Boris and I shared a room on this trip, or maybe a better way to put it is that Boris’ luggage and my luggage shared a room. After the five of us grab a bite to eat, I get into a 2/5 game at the Bellagio.

This might be the “best” table I have ever been at. There is a super donkey (Donkey Dave, or DD) seeing practically every flop, calling and raising with any hands, and sucking out on people like crazy. 4 or 5 callers to a $25 raise pre-flop was fairly standard. At some point, a female named Vanessa sits down in the seat to my right, and before long I realize that she is 2p2’er flsxduck. I let her know that I am a 2p2’er, and she recognizes my name. Neither Vanessa or I could ever bust DD, and Vanessa is telling me about how badly she has been running, and that she is really down about poker (the WSOP event that she FT’ed started the next day). The 2 times I had good hands against DD, he woke up with real hands and felted me twice. Great, I am down $1K and haven’t been in Vegas 24 hours yet. I manage a decent comeback, and at 6:30AM having been up for 27+ hours, I go crash only down $515. Oddly enough, Boris is nowhere to be found when I hit the sack.

Saturday 7/1/06

Wake up around 11 and notice that Boris had appeared during my sleep. I go down to the poker room, and get in another 2/5 game. Post a nice $375 win and cash out to eat with Felson. After we eat Felson and I go over to Ceaser’s. WOW!!! I really liked their poker room. There is a waiting list for their 2/5 games, so Felson and I both get in the short-handed 5/10 game. I had never played 5/10 before, and only bought in for $500. As soon as we get in the game one of the other players leaves, and we are 5 handed. The 1st hand we get to see involves one very aggressive player (VAG) heads up with the young guy (YG) to his left, the VAG makes a fairly big bet on the flop which is called, turn is checked, and VAG makes a $200 bet on the river. YG thinks for several seconds, finally calls and flips over K high. VAG says nice hand and mucks. I knew then that I was probably not in the best spot. We play 2 orbits with me folding, when the following hand comes up. I am the BB with $475 behind. VAG limps, and Felson makes it $100 straight. All folds to me and I look down and find AKo. I announce all-in and put my remaining chips in play. VAG calls and Felson mucks. VAG turns over KK, I don’t spike an A, and go take a seat n a 2/5 game (where I belong…lol). So much for my stint as a 5/10 player. The 2/5 game at Ceaser’s isn’t quite as loose as the game at the Bellagio, but it is still a good game. I post a modest $213 win. I did have one memorable hand, I get 6c3c in the BB and see a flop with 4 other players. The flop is 333. I check/call the flop and the turn, and lead out for 1/3 pot size on the river and get 1 caller. It is always nice to flop quads. At some point, Felson and I head back to the Bellagio, and I find my way into a 2/5 game. I am in the 2 seat, and an aggressive player (AP) is in the 10 seat. AP goes on mega tilt when one of the other players sucks out on him, and proceeds to raise 3 or 4 hands in a row. About this time Matt and Felson show up to sweat me. I get AJs UTG, and raise it to $25 (with about $360 behind). All folds to AP, who re-raises to $50. BB folds and I call. Flop is A?? (it was an uncoordinated board), AP checks, I bet $100, and AP goes all-in. I insta call and he shows AK. Even players on tilt get good cards sometimes. When AP pushed, Matt told Felson that I should fold (this was the 1st hand Matt had seen), Felson lets Matt know how AP had been playing (he had seen several hands), and Matt changes his mind and agrees that my call was OK.

We go eat (its like 3AM) with Vanessa, Cero, and Sunny. After our meal (breakfast?, dinner?) Matt, Felson and I get in a 2/5 game. No memorable hands but Matt puts several people on tilt by running over the table with hands like 63o. I end up down $500 over both sessions that night. At about 6:30AM (we are still at the tables) my cell phone rings. When I look at the number I realize it is from my office. Something must be really bad for someone to call me at 8:30 on a Sunday morning from the office. The employee calling had gone into the office to get a few things finished, as he wanted to take the next day (July 3rd) off. I approve his leave, and as he is hanging up he says “what time is it in Vegas anyway?” I reply that it is 6:30 and he immediately starts apologizing for waking me up. I let him know that I was awake, and he asks why I got up so early while I was on vacation. I tell him I haven’t been to bed yet. He isn’t a degenerate gambler so he doesn’t understand. I finally go to bed about 8:30 and surprise….Boris is still out and about.

Sunday 7/2/06

Happy Birthday Matt!!! I get up about 1PM and wander into Matt and Sunny’s room. Boris has appeared during my slumber, but isn’t yet ready to face the day. Matt and Sunny are meeting with Ed to talk about the book, and I tag along for breakfast. I had never met Ed before, and he is a really nice guy. We talk about the IRS and sports betting while we eat. I head off to play more poker, while the experts get to work on the book. I play at the Bellagio for a while (2/5 NL) and am about even when Felson shows up. We decide to head over to Ceaser’s again, as they have a tourney starting at 7 that we both wanted to play in. The tourney is $100+$20 and you get 1500 in chips. Anytime during the first 2 levels you can add-on 3000 in chips for $100. Both Felson and I add-on immediately. The levels are 40 minutes long and blinds start at 25/50 so it is a pretty decent set-up. At the first break (after 2 levels) Felson is doing ok and has about 7K in chips, I only have about 4K in chips. Felson busts out about 3 hands in to the 3rd level (100/200 with a 25 ante), and I am down to about 2300 at that point. I double up with A5o and slowly build up to about 6K. Go card dead for awhile and have about 4K when the following hand occurs. I have QhTh in the BB. All folds to CU who raise to 600 (he had me covered). Button and SB fold, and I call. Flop has 2 hearts (no ace), I lead out for 1000 and CU re-raises to 2000. I push, he calls and flips over AA without the Ah. I don’t improve and am out.

Sit in the 2/5 game with Felson, and end up +$200 after being down for a long time. Busted a young cocky player (YCP) when I am in the SB with T6s on a flop of T62. I lead out on the flop for $15 (pot was $30 or so), YCP and a couple others call. Turn is a 6. I check YCP bets $~50, folds to me and I just call. River is a 9, I check, YCP bets $100 with about $200 behind. I announce all-in and he insta calls while showing 96 for the rivered FH. I table my bigger FH, and he gets pissed off and leaves.

I decide to return to the Bellagio as I think the games will be getting super good (it is about midnight). Play until about 6AM and post a nice $740 win. No interesting hands, but I had what can only be described as an epiphany while playing. About 4AM a very nice looking young girl (25ish) sits down to my left. I notice that she appears to be freshly showered and groomed (not a tourist that has been gambooling all night). I ask if she is a local and she says yes and that she gets up early to come play when the games are “best”. She seems to have a good understanding of poker and we have a nice conversation about the game we all love. While we are talking, I am thinking about what all normal guys think about while talking to a hot 25 year old, and it suddenly dawns on me what she probably thinks about me. Something along the lines of “he is pretty nice for an old guy”. I guess I am becoming a little to focused on my age as 40 approaches (I just turned 39).

Boris is nowhere to be found when I get to the room (6AM).

Monday 7/3/06

I get up around 10 or 11, and the Vegas “haze” is setting in. I am not sure what time it is, or even what day it is. I haven’t been outside other than to walk from the Bellagio to Ceaser’s since I arrived on Friday. Play 2/5 until time to go to Matt’s birthday dinner at Del Monico’s. Matt, Felson and I share a cab over to the Venetian where we meet up with Boris, Cero, and Sunny. Also attending is Larry (a longtime friend of Matt’s who is now a dealer at the Bellagio), David (another old friend of Matt’s, damn good limit player), and Lisa (old friend #3). We had a very nice meal courtesy of the 6 of spades. (Matt will have to explain that.) After the meal, Sunny, Cero and Felson decide to play some 1/2 NL at the Venetian. Being the “smart” player that I am, I know the games will be better at the Bellagio and head back over there. Sit down at a 2/5 table and there is an older English gentleman (EG) to my immediate right. He has about 2K in front of him and after seeing a few orbits, it is clear that he is a solid player and is catching good cards. I have about $450 when the following hand comes up. I am in the BB with Td7d. Young Asian (YA) to my left raises to $20 and there are 3 callers back to the EG in the SB. He calls and I throw $15 more into the pot as well. Flop is QdTc8d. EG checks and I check looking to c/r. YA leads out with a $100 bet and it is folded to EG who raises to $200. I didn’t think EG had a flush draw or a straight draw (he had only been betting made hands), and I am getting 2/1 odds with great implied odds. I figured him for AQ or maybe a set, and I would have folded to a big turn bet if the board had paired. I call and YA calls also. That scared me a little as I didn’t think he had a big hand. The turn is a non-diamond low card. EG bets $100 (he really likes his hand) which gives me 8/1 and I call with YA folding. River is another non-diamond low card, and EG announces that he is all-in. I have $125 left (EG easily covers me). I have 2nd pair no kicker and I am 99% sure that EG has a made hand. However, I am getting 10/1 and decide that there is a remote chance he is bluffing and call. He flips over J9 and drags the pot.

One other interesting hand comes up about 5AM. EG has called it a night with about 3K, and Felson has joined the game at this point. The table is pretty loose. I am in the BB with A5o (and ~$600 behind), someone raises to $15, and 6 of us see a flop. Flop is 234 rainbow. I check as does everyone else. Should have led out!!! Turn is another 3, and I decide to correct my flop mistake and lead out for $60. After a couple of folds I get a caller (seat 8) and then seat 10 raises it to $160. Thinking that he has a 3, I decide to win it right now and go all-in (I had seat 10 covered). Seat 8 thinks for a minute and then says he is all-in (he has both of us covered). Seat 10 thinks for several minutes and finally folds A3 face up. Seeing a 3 in his hand gave me a little hope, but it doesn’t last long as seat 8 turns up 34o for the turned FH. I decide to call it quits and go to bed. As usual I crash before Boris.

Tuesday 7/4/06

I wake up around 9 or 10 and start packing. Boris finally makes it in. He is going to crash until time for his flight home in the afternoon. I get packed up and go shopping for presents for the wife and kids. I meet Matt and Felson for brunch and head to the airport sometime after that.

I lost $780 on the trip, but the games were great and I think I played pretty well. I met Boris for the first time on this trip, and he is a great guy and I could see the two of us having more fun than my wife would allow if we spent too much time together. Boris needs to start playing NL, so he can lose his money faster and get more sleep that way. I met Felson last year in Vegas and had a good time getting to know him better this year. Felson is a very good NL player, and I expect he will only get better. This is the 3rd time I have made travel plans with Matt and Sunny, and I can’t say enough about these guys. I can’t think of any two players I would rather have writing a book about SSNL, and I can’t wait until the book is finished.

Chris

[Boris]

CCass -

Lucky for you I never found the exit door at Deja Vu. The ennui with the strippers/whores started to set in after the 4th day. Glad I made it out in time to say goodbye to you. We'll have to do it again next year.
[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]
Boris.

[Sunny Mehta]

great times as always CCass.....you forgot the Keno story....
or maybe you didn't.....

[img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

[LasVegasMichael]

Nice read. Read the whole thing. Not boring at all. Nice to read a rather poker/card room driven trip report that is not bogged down with Strip club and hooker stories.

Sorry you didn't walk away with a profit (thanks for not lying about that part). Despite that, sounds like you had a blast. Good stuff.

[Matt Flynn]

Hey Chris nice report.

In that breakfast with Ed and felson, I pulled out $6 for two keno games and marked a 4-way 2 and a 1-way 8. I am a world-class breakfast keno player. Literally no one has ever beaten me at keno. It was around 2-3pm so there weren't many tables busy in the cafe. There were three keno runners. They skip us as game right as 545 comes up - could not have made that game. A few minutes pass as does a keno runner without picking up my ticket. 546 comes up. A few minutes pass and the keno runners again don't bother to pick up my ticket. On my birthday. Game 547 comes up. The ticket would have hit 8 of 8 spots. $25,042 gone due to laziness.

But I'm not bitter.

Delmonico's made up for it with a Penfold Ash 2004 Oregon Wilamette pinot noir that was spectacular. I took everyone to dinner courtesy of a 7 of spades that fell sweetly on the river to make my 7-high straight the night before (I had the 6d3d on a T54 flop), which set up another double-through with second set an orbit later. The Bellagio floorman then broke our 10-20 game that was having 4-6 players see flops for $140-200 with literally about 100,000 on the felt, not because of a must-move but rather the other table that they thought of as the "main" game even though it wasn't main was down to 5-handed. Unbelievably bad floormanning. The guy should be caned then fired. I have never seen a floor break a game that stupidly. Anyhow, two years ago it would've been a big nl score. Now all the HSNL guys play 100-200 and tip maids more than I won.

[CCass]

[ QUOTE ]
great times as always CCass.....you forgot the Keno story....
or maybe you didn't.....

[img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

[/ QUOTE ]

Matt tells the Keno story much better than I do, so I left that for him.

[Jimbo]

Chris,

Not boring at all, reports like yours are the main reason I visit the B&M forum. Sounds like you had a very fun trip.

Jimbo

[metsm1234]

Good story makes me want to go back.

[Jago]

[ QUOTE ]
Chris,

Not boring at all, reports like yours are the main reason I visit the B&M forum.

[/ QUOTE ]

me too

[Preytar]

This was a great report. Thanks for taking the time to post it.

Brian