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Trip Report Golly gee, I think I saw some poker pros.... Date: 03/06/07 Player: naturaldisaster For Rooms: Binion's,Golden Nugget,Imperial Palace,MGM Grand,Monte Carlo,Sahara,Venetian, Summary: First timers Vegas experience. A bit long, but you should read it :) Just scroll down to the bottom if you want the abbreviated version. Content: First and foremost, I have to say that this website is a gem compared to any other site I had found on the web about poker in Vegas. The site helped me immensely (as a first time Vegas trip taker) and so, I say "Keep up the good work guys!" Day 1 - Arrived in Vegas from Austin at 9 AM (operating on 2 hours of sleep due to be so excited the previous night). I took a cab to Imperial Palace and left my bag with the bellhop so I could make it over to the Venetian in due time to catch a satellite or two and try and get in the 2 p.m. tourney on the cheap. Played in the first satellite and had good hands all around. It was pretty fun as only 3 players at the table seemed to know what they were doing. Although, there were two incidents that irked me. There were three players left and I was last in chips. I picked up A9 o/s on the button and went all-in, guy in small blind calls my bet and the big blind folds. Flop come Jack, Jack, Ace. A King appears on the turn and then another Jack spikes on the river. The guy who called my all in flips over his hand (a pair of sevens) and says "Full house". I flip my hand over and say nice hand and get ready to leave. The dealer failed to announce that I was the winner of the hand. And, because I was so tired and it wasn't well lit in the salon room we were playing in, I didn't realize at that moment I had actually won the hand. However, the dealer didn't immediately turn all the cards over and I hadn't sent my hand to the muck, so I take one last look at the flop and then tell the dealer that I am actually the winner. The other player was pissed. So, two hands later, the same player has a about 1000 chips left and I go to put him all in, he thinks for a minute and then flips one of his cards (he had an 8 in his hand and there was one on the board. I actually didn't have him beat. The floor was standing nearby, saw what happened, declared the hand dead, pushed me the pot and penalized him for 5 minutes, which pissed him off. As he was standing out his penalty, the other player kept telling me "Just fold your hands, he will be blinded out". I didn't utter a word, but after I got my free tourney chip, the villian proceeded to tell the floor that we had conspired against him via collusion. The floor didn't buy it and told the guy so. I was elated that I won the chip. I entered the tourney and was doing ok and managing my stack within the average, but after 6 hours and a few mistakes, I bowed out in 68th place out of 291 total player. The tourney paid 22k for first and around 989 for 27th. All in all, I think I did well in my first ever live tourney. I split out and met up with my buddy who had arrived a few hours later then me. We grabbed a bite to eat at the Cafe Lux (poker room had given me a 15 dollar comp) and then went back to our hotel. We played a litte Pai Gow wherein I lost 100 bucks. I was determined to make my hundered bucks back plus some, so I took everyone's advice on here and hit the MGM for the cash game. I bought in for 200 and second hand in the game I get AA in the big blind. Guy in 5 seat raises 20 bucks, it folds around to me, I raise to 50, rest of the table folds and he goes all in. I call and I flip over the aces, his hand never materialized and I double my buy in. I played a few more hours, won a few, lost a few and walk out 140 dollars up. Head back to the Imperial Palace which is neither imperial nor a palace. Played a few hours in the cash game and lost about 100 bucks out of 200 to the tourist river chasers. I didn't care to play in the IP poker room anymore. It reminded me of a Motel 6 on the strip. Although, I have to say the crowd in there was funny to watch. I crash out due to extreme fatigue. Day 2 - Hit the other end of the strip at NYNY and have breakfast at the America Cafe. They serve a mean breakfast for a resonable price. I hoof it back to the Venetian for the Pot Limit Omaha tourney. I was hoping to play in a satellite, but didn't wake up early enough, nor did I have the energy the night before to continue in a late night satellite for a chance to win a chip. So, I just bought in for the full amount. I did ok for the first few rounds, bluffed a few pots. One notable hand I had was when guy in two seat went all in, was called by guy in eight seat and I raised the pot (accidentally I might add) from seat one. Guy in 8 seat thinks for a minute and lays down his hand. Flop comes, and all in player takes it down. However I win the side pot. I apologized to the guy in the eight seat and it was quite funny because I had accidentally grabbed two 1000 chips meaning to grab only one. Thus my errant raise gave me an extra thousand in chips. Most players at the table stated that they didn't know how to play well and I was able to last in the tourney the first 3 hours. After the break I was eliminated as I tried to make a steal. I hadn't received any workable hands and got caught making a push for some chips. I ended up in 77th place out of 126 total. Shawn Rice was playing in the same tourney and when I left, he had amassed a huge chip stack. Connie Kim was also playing the event, but she either busted out in the second round or had been moved to another table as I didn't see her for too long. (She's really hot btw). Prize for first was 10k and 18th was 875 bucks (I think). After that was over I dumped a bunch of money in the slots over at the Monte Carlo for a few hours, then decided to hit MGM again. Bought in for 200 again and wasn't really able to get anything going. Then it happened. You know, one of those hands. I limp in a pot with 46 spades (at the time, I was totally thinking the 'ol "What if this hand hits". Flop comes 23 spades, Queen. I get excited by the possiblities at my premonition. Turn - King and I pray for a miracle card. The pot was only at about 40 odd dollars. Well, out pops a 5 of spades on the river, I bet 50 bucks, guy behind me thinks a bit, says "I think you are bluffing" and reraises all in. I call and flip over my hand. Straight flush....yeeeeeee haaaaaw! I got a nice double up. About 3 AM, my buddy and I head back to the Imperial Palace and play some Pai Gow. Guess who walks in? Yeaaaaah Baybeee! Scotty Nugyen drifts thru the casino with a gaggle of guys and gals. I must say, he has an amazing mullet that is a sight to behold. My friend and I get a chuckle and proceed to lose 200 buckaroos on that dreaded Pai Gow game. We retire to the room at 5 AM. Day 3 - Hit the Sahara, and play some slots. I won 284 dollars on the 20 cent Monopoly Big Event game and hit a straight flush on first hand of video poker. Then, like a dummy, I sit down at Pai Gow with my buddy and dump all but 100 bucks back to the Sahara. I didn't really care to play the Sahara poker room, so my buddy and I decide to go back to Monte Carlo. I liked the poker room at the Monte Carlo, drink service was quick and the players were good. I bought in for 300 hundred, was up about 200 more, then my trip aces got rivered by a straight. I lost a few more hands, was down to about 190 and got up and left. Met a guy by the name of Jason who had just moved to Vegas and was grinding the cash game at the Monte Carlo a few nights a week. One of the other players called him out on a tell (which I had picked up on earlier in the evening). I didn't say anything specific, but indicated that I did see him give a tell and when I got up, the other player asked me about it and I told him (away from the table). He confirmed that was what he saw and that was that. My buddy and I went back to the Imperial Palace at about 2 AM and sat down for some more Pai Gow. This time, I actually made some money. I was running hot for about 3 hours. I got numerous full houses, trips, straights, a straight flush and quads all with the bonus bet. I leave the table up 700 bucks ( I only bought in for 60) tip two dealers (Mimi and ??) 40 bucks each and they didn't want me to leave. Especially since I had been placing bets for them practically every hand. The whole table was whooping and holler everytime I won a hand. I had so much fun at the Pai Gow table. Day 4 - I check into the Golden Nugget. I really like this place. Nice layout, food in Carson Cafe was good and the games were good. But, I didn't fare well in the poker room. I lost a total of 400 bucks here. I didn't much care for the room either, drink service was slow, the locals were bitchy and I felt cramped at the table. I also hardly had any hands to work with. Out of 8 hours of play I probably got 5 pairs, AK once and AA once. I was surely disappointed and just decided to retire to my room. I slept a few hours and hit Binion's later that night. I checked out the poker room there and decor was pretty much what I thought it would be. Antiquated. But, it had character and I made a promise to hit the room the next time back. I walked up and down Fremont and checked out the casinos. Most looked like dumps compared to the strip ones, but there sure was a pretty light show and it was cool. Day 5- Went down to the gift shop, bought a paper. Hit the Grotto for some lunch, which wasn't that great. They wouldn't let me order off the dinner menu so I had to settle for some Pizza when what I really wanted was some pasta. I ended up just chillin' out in my room for the last few hours till I had to catch a cab to the airport. Final Thoughts: MGM - Soft game, lots of tourist throwing away money. Nice place to make some cash. Cool vibe. Imperial Palace - Dumpy rooms, ok poker room. Good location, but I will pass the next time. Venetian - Excellent poker room, although I didn't play the cash game (my favorite on this trip). Good restaurants and good location. Monte Carlo - Nice poker room, some good players. Good drink service, nice layout. Golden Nugget - Didn't care for the poker room, pretty good food (except for the Grotto) and pretty good room. Great staff I might add. All in all, I took 800 out to Vegas and with the combined wins and losses in all games (Poker, Pai Gow, Slots and tourney/satellite buy-ins) I came back to Austin with around 250 bucks. Next time I go, I ain't gonna be playing anything but poker. It's just not worth giving all your hard earned money back to the Evil Empire on the -ev games. |
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