How lucky i am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard
A.A Milne
Day 8 - One Last Time Around
I wake up, sleep schedule back on track and the feeling of it being the last time i will wake up in Vegas hits me, its time to make this last day count and get of to a good start. I decide to just head out the room no real plan of thought on where to eat yet, just walking wherever i feel like walking. I eventually decide on visiting EoS at PH, after walking in i spend literally 20 minutes trying to remember where it was, i somehow managed to walk past the same shops a few times before finally managing to locate it. I place my order, the Caprese i think, or something similar sounding.
the cheese was sooooo strong
I enjoyed my sandwich and also stopped off at the Nestle Toll House bakery in the miracle mile also to get some nice cookies, all good so far. I then decide to head on over to the Bellagio to get back in the action there, this session can't possibly be as eventful as my previous session here can it? Nope. I arrive at the front desk and ask to be placed on the 1/3 list and the lady asks me for ID so i show her my old provisional driving license i have in my wallet, then she notices its out dated - calls some other guy over. Guy explains i need to provide ID even though i told him i played here recently etc, asked him how old i look to him and he says "I would say around 30" which i very nearly am - SO WHY WONT THIS MOTHA'F LET ME SIT AND PLAY. I dont like carrying my passport with me, so after him just telling me i cant play i just rage and get out of there, not being taking a copy of bluff magazine from outside their room for some reading material on the plane ride back home.
Tilted, i decide im going to head back down to the Wynn/Encore and see if they will let me play some poker.
viva las vegas
Its very shortly, and still very clear in my memory, the seconds after taking the above photo the most over whelming feeling of happiness of where i was and where i have been spending my time for the past week. Just glancing around up and down the strip as i crossed the street really made me feel good, and eventually i arrived at my destination - the outstanding Wynn.
This place grew on me
Good news, they allowed me to sit and play some poker. Table 18 Seat 8. There is often a question asked on these forums about which casino in vegas has the softest or best NL poker and the prevailing opinion is that it depends. This table i sat and and the table i played at my first time at the Encore poker room are perfect examples of the fact its not the room that makes the game, its the players at your table. There are certain things which you just know signals the game will be good. Things like a young foregin lady constantly asking if its her turn to act, a older lady who just refuses to fold and will insist on calling all bets and the guy in seat 1 who brings his dog with him.
he failed to guard his owners chips
Before i have even played a hand though there is a dealer change. As the dealer is moving his chair back to get up it must of caught the dogs foot because it screeched so loudly it made me jump. I felt so bad for the dog, and wondered why its owner thought it right to make him sit around watching him bleed money. First hand of note for me is K
K
and i raise the one limper to $12, he is the only caller and he check jams on me after i have cbet a flop of A77r - well played sir. Then something odd happens, the old POW lady decides she wants to move seats and also wants to top up her stack, so she moves and chip runner announces she is $200 behind. After the hand is over and she loses again, the chip runner returns with her money and then the table starts to realise she has been playing the stack of a player who was not even at the table - bit of confusion but eventually its sorted out.
why cant i play in a game with no drama?
Also, soon after this hand the floor staff picks up the players chips who was awol from seat 9 which allows me to move into my favourite spot and settle down and start the all out attack of the table. The old lady from above raises to $12 from UTG and i call on the BTN with A
10
, blinds fold. Flop A
3
5
and i check call a pot size bet. 9
on the turn and she checks and i check back (bad check i know) river brings an off suit K and now she bets around $70, i eventually call and mhig - as she was mucking her cards i saw two paint. Next hand of note sees the 4 limpers to me on the BB and i have 25h and decide to make it $20, only the SB calls after thinking about it for a while seeing the others fold. Flop comes 10 10 10, he checks and i bet $30 and he quickly calls. Turn is a 3, he checks once more and i try to convince him again with $100 bet - this time he takes longer but eventually calls. River is the K
and he checks, i immediately go all in and to my surprise he immediately folds 99 face up. He could well of had quads there but this is my last poker session and im not here to dog anything.
The very next hand brings me 10's in the SB. There is a mp limp and the btn raises to $20 which i call and the limper calls also. flop 10
9
6
and we both check to the raiser and he bets $50 to which i call, other player folds. Turn pairs the board with the 9
, i check once again and he just jams and i immediately toss in a chip and call. River is meaningless and i scoop after showing my hand.
progress..
An older guy from South America joins the table to my right, buys in quite short i remember. I pickup QQ's and raise two limpers, eventually im HU with him to a flop of undercards, he bets more than the pot around $50 so i just go with it and move all in and somehow he folds. Nice little side note with this guy is that he and i decided to see a flop and check it down all the way blind vs blind. Board ran out AKQ79 and i say to him he must win and he says that no i must win, we both flip pocket 3's. He was a really nice guy, but still im here to win them moniez. At this point in the game i have been very active, playing most hands and raising a lot, bluffing a lot and every player knows this at the table. History which proves crucial in the next hand. There are two limpers, then a solid deepish stack player in mp raises to $18, folded to me on the BTN and i call with A
5
and one of the limpers calls also. Three handed to a flop of K:heart 2
3
. The limper checks, the raiser bets $60 and its on me. The pre flop raiser is the tightest of the players at the table, seems quite solid and does not get out of line. I still have a ton of equity against his range though, so i decide to raise and i make it $190 total. Limper folds and its back on him and he calls after trying to stare into my soul. Turn is the 4
- JACKPOT. I take some time and check it over to him, my reasoning is that i wanted him to think i was on a naked flush draw and trying to see the river for free, i prefaced it with some shuffling of chips and so on and really thought he would go for it but alas he checked right back. River is Q
and he immediately checks whilst looking at me. There is around $400 or so in the middle and he still has around $390-$440 left from eye balling his stack and i cover. "Im All in". He sighs loudly, takes a very long time and for the first time on this trip someone calls on the clock on him. Eventually i here those lovely words and he calls, i table my hand and its good of course - he didnt show.
the aftermath
There were other hands played in that session, one towards the end where i 3 bet bluff pre flop with 9
5
against some young quiet player who jammed on me, that cost me a $100 or so but who cares. Immediately after that hand i thanked the table for a good game and racked up to cash out. In for $300 and out for $1185 - a very very fun end to a great poker trip.
leaving my new favourite Vegas poker room
I decide to make a quick pit stop at Secret Pizza again for a few more great slices and then just like last trip i decide to end this trip with one more visit to the fountains of Bellagio. Always a special moment to watch the fountains, i got so close i actually felt the drops of water on my hands as i enjoyed this one last time.
I eventually arrive back at my hotel room, climb into bed knowing that my time in Las Vegas had come to an end......for now. Tomorrow i go home.
Day 9 - AKA Tomorrow
Im up and awake before my alarm which is a good start. Packed and leaving the Linq was not a good feeling, no matter how much fun you have in Vegas its never a good feeling walking past the people just starting their holiday. I get a cab to the airport and after getting through security i need some food so i go to Carls Jr, which was ****ing terrible tbh this time. Spend some time just browsing through all the photos i took on my phone during the trip and letting them bring a smile to my face and soon after its boarding time. As the plane starts to fill up i once again become the luckiest man on earth to see that the seat next to me in empty again so i can stretch out and get comfortable, and before watching some films i get one last photo of my home from home.
thanks once again for having me...
And with that i settle in to watch some movies, thinking to myself how lucky i was once again to be able to live.my.dream.
Trip summary
Well that was a lot of fun to relive and type out, looking at the photos suddenly puts me right back in that situation whatever it is. Before the trip i got super lucky with the royal on the video poker, i got super lucky with the empty seats on flights there and back also. I said before leaving i would be very happy to break even money wise overall, i did one better and counted $5006 in cash when i landed back in the UK which is just superb. All through the trip it seems lady luck was shining down on me and i definetely ran good in all areas overall something which i will always be greatful for. What im most happy about though is simply the fact that i have now been to Las Vegas...twice. It truly is a unique place that just pulsates with energy at all hours and i
love it. Will i be back? Yes. When will that be? Who knows. But places like Las Vegas are not built on winners, so i will make sure Sin City gets another chance at emptying my pockets one day.
Thanks for following.