Live TR: Aug 8th-20th - Poker and Pic Heavy
08-07-2017
, 05:55 PM
Hey LVL!
Long time lurker and Trip Reports are for sure my favourite reads. Time to contribute my own.
This will be my 4th time in Vegas, 2nd with the wife and 1st TR.
Today is my travel day and we have our first sweat of the trip. I am flying on a staff ticket (90% Discount) and have been put on stand by. 1 hour to go before we get the result. There are 10 business seats available and 3 Economy. With 15 staff tickets on stand by. I have no idea how they prioritise but I do know they bump passengers up to business to accommodate as much as possible. So by my math that gives us an 86.6% chance. Too early to ask for some run good?
I am flying out of the Middle East and the first destination is JFK. A 14 hour flight. Then will be getting the best available connection to Vegas. Flying Solo as the wife is coming in from the UK and arrives Thursday evening.
We are staying at the Encore for 10 nights from when the wife arrives. So depending on this flight situation I may have a few days alone before she gets there. I will stay at another property for that time but have nothing booked yet.
Anyway, enough about travel. So what can you expect from this TR?
1. A lot of Poker. Last year was my wife's first time so hit all the standard attractions and time at the table was limited. Now that she knows the score we are free to hit that 10 day tourist grind. Will play mostly 2/5 and PLO but may take a shot at 5/10 And the wife has learned to play now so wants to get involved so will play some 1/3 or maybe a tourney. I actually haven't played a hand since I was there last year due to living in a country that may chop your hands off for considering gambling. But have been playing for 10 years and have had a few fairly successful years some time ago. Also some not so successful years. So expect some rustiness to begin with haha.
2. Potential Degeneracy. The pits are calling. 1k swings were not uncommon last trip.
3. Food. Will be making a point of hitting some top spots as often as possible and avoiding fast food/garbage. (Unless hungover)
4. Fitness. We both partake in a specific reebok sponsored functional fitness program that shall not be named. And will be working out most days either at the Encore gym or some of the local boxes.
5. Clubs. We are not huge party people but plan to hit 1 night club and 1 pool party. Right now it's looking like Calvin Harris at Omnia and Chainsmokers at EBC.
6. Getting out the desert. Will take some time out in the middle somewhere and may head for red rock or lake mead.
7. Lots of pictures
Will be working with a seperate 5k Poker/Pit Roll for the trip so will update the status with the hope of running it up but may just be a story of how I punted it all off.
Will also be on the lookout for some of our vloggers and will get in a game with them if we can.
Hopefully you guys can follow along and enjoy the trip like I have done so many times with others. Now that all the WSOP TR's have been and gone hopefully this can fill the void for a while.
Any pointers to improve the TR or the trip in general are more than welcome.
Would it even count without this. Shoe roll combo
Long time lurker and Trip Reports are for sure my favourite reads. Time to contribute my own.
This will be my 4th time in Vegas, 2nd with the wife and 1st TR.
Today is my travel day and we have our first sweat of the trip. I am flying on a staff ticket (90% Discount) and have been put on stand by. 1 hour to go before we get the result. There are 10 business seats available and 3 Economy. With 15 staff tickets on stand by. I have no idea how they prioritise but I do know they bump passengers up to business to accommodate as much as possible. So by my math that gives us an 86.6% chance. Too early to ask for some run good?
I am flying out of the Middle East and the first destination is JFK. A 14 hour flight. Then will be getting the best available connection to Vegas. Flying Solo as the wife is coming in from the UK and arrives Thursday evening.
We are staying at the Encore for 10 nights from when the wife arrives. So depending on this flight situation I may have a few days alone before she gets there. I will stay at another property for that time but have nothing booked yet.
Anyway, enough about travel. So what can you expect from this TR?
1. A lot of Poker. Last year was my wife's first time so hit all the standard attractions and time at the table was limited. Now that she knows the score we are free to hit that 10 day tourist grind. Will play mostly 2/5 and PLO but may take a shot at 5/10 And the wife has learned to play now so wants to get involved so will play some 1/3 or maybe a tourney. I actually haven't played a hand since I was there last year due to living in a country that may chop your hands off for considering gambling. But have been playing for 10 years and have had a few fairly successful years some time ago. Also some not so successful years. So expect some rustiness to begin with haha.
2. Potential Degeneracy. The pits are calling. 1k swings were not uncommon last trip.
3. Food. Will be making a point of hitting some top spots as often as possible and avoiding fast food/garbage. (Unless hungover)
4. Fitness. We both partake in a specific reebok sponsored functional fitness program that shall not be named. And will be working out most days either at the Encore gym or some of the local boxes.
5. Clubs. We are not huge party people but plan to hit 1 night club and 1 pool party. Right now it's looking like Calvin Harris at Omnia and Chainsmokers at EBC.
6. Getting out the desert. Will take some time out in the middle somewhere and may head for red rock or lake mead.
7. Lots of pictures
Will be working with a seperate 5k Poker/Pit Roll for the trip so will update the status with the hope of running it up but may just be a story of how I punted it all off.
Will also be on the lookout for some of our vloggers and will get in a game with them if we can.
Hopefully you guys can follow along and enjoy the trip like I have done so many times with others. Now that all the WSOP TR's have been and gone hopefully this can fill the void for a while.
Any pointers to improve the TR or the trip in general are more than welcome.
Would it even count without this. Shoe roll combo
08-07-2017
, 07:38 PM
08-07-2017
, 07:51 PM
I found what can only be described as the slot machine of the airport. And it seems we were all playing the same game.
This is where stand-by passengers (i.e. Me) find out if they were "onloaded" or "offloaded".
You find out exactly 1 hour before departure and the 7 minutes I stared at this glowing pillar of hope felt like 7 hours. It rotated flights every 10 or so seconds and had around 25 to cycle through.
And when JFK rolled around at 1:17am with 58 minutes to go before departure...
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
This is where stand-by passengers (i.e. Me) find out if they were "onloaded" or "offloaded".
You find out exactly 1 hour before departure and the 7 minutes I stared at this glowing pillar of hope felt like 7 hours. It rotated flights every 10 or so seconds and had around 25 to cycle through.
And when JFK rolled around at 1:17am with 58 minutes to go before departure...
Spoiler:
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
08-07-2017
, 09:59 PM
After getting bumped off the JFK flight we managed to bink a seat on the LA flight a mere 5 hours later. Only managed a 50% discount this time but I'd say it's we still come out ahead due to the 1 hour Vegas flight compared to the 6 hour NY.
So stayed in the airport for a few hours and we are now checked in and ready to go. No sweat required.
Been awake now almost 24 hours which included a 13 hour work shift, 2 hour workout and last minute packing and I'm now staring a 16 hour flight in the face. Tidy. Then a 3 hour layover in LA. Another 1 hour flight and we are in the promised land. Easy game right?
No option to pick a seat on this flight and being that I'm 6'4' I'm really hoping to luckbox some leg room or extra seat.
Anyway, off to charge some electronics and book a flight from LA.
See you on the other side.
PS. I took this same flight last year and opted to drive to Vegas. Terrible idea. Don't ever do that.
So stayed in the airport for a few hours and we are now checked in and ready to go. No sweat required.
Been awake now almost 24 hours which included a 13 hour work shift, 2 hour workout and last minute packing and I'm now staring a 16 hour flight in the face. Tidy. Then a 3 hour layover in LA. Another 1 hour flight and we are in the promised land. Easy game right?
No option to pick a seat on this flight and being that I'm 6'4' I'm really hoping to luckbox some leg room or extra seat.
Anyway, off to charge some electronics and book a flight from LA.
See you on the other side.
PS. I took this same flight last year and opted to drive to Vegas. Terrible idea. Don't ever do that.
08-08-2017
, 10:36 AM
08-09-2017
, 02:10 AM
Thanks for the subs guys! Total travel time door to door was 38 hours and included 2 missed flights and getting detained by border control. Sweet. Will fill in the details later.
Booked into Paris for 2 nights and after a quick shower and change we are at the table within 2 hours of getting here.
Sleep should obviously be a top priority right now but who has time for that. It's Vegas right!
Jumped into the first available seat at the Bellagio which was 1/3 and on the list for 2/5.
In for 300 Let's go.
Booked into Paris for 2 nights and after a quick shower and change we are at the table within 2 hours of getting here.
Sleep should obviously be a top priority right now but who has time for that. It's Vegas right!
Jumped into the first available seat at the Bellagio which was 1/3 and on the list for 2/5.
In for 300 Let's go.
08-09-2017
, 03:52 AM
So far so good. Up around a hundred after winning 3 or 4 pots. No showdowns yet. Vision starting to go due tiredness haha. Need to call it quits soon.
Only notable hand was one in which I was not involved. Thankfully. 44v66. Hero flops set of 6's. Villain turn 4 and river 4. All went in on the flop too for around a $900 pot.
Also spotted Huck Seed and Benyamin (sp?) probably standard viewing at the bellagio but still pretty cool for the casual.
Only notable hand was one in which I was not involved. Thankfully. 44v66. Hero flops set of 6's. Villain turn 4 and river 4. All went in on the flop too for around a $900 pot.
Also spotted Huck Seed and Benyamin (sp?) probably standard viewing at the bellagio but still pretty cool for the casual.
08-09-2017
, 06:00 AM
And we're done at 2:30am. And the thought of walking to Paris right now does not fill me with happiness.
Played an extra hour after I decided to quit as 3 guys turned up and tried to buy In for $20 a piece. They eventually settled $150 each. Hard to walk away from that haha. But alas, no big pots to be had and if anything they slowed the game down to the point it was unplayable. Especially when I was already running on fumes.
Tomorrow will be official day 1 and will get better reports up with some hand histories. This was just a bonus arrival session.
But we did start with a winner.
Out for $425.
For a $125 win on the night.
Few pics from today
Paris room view
LA to Vegas
Hellmuth featured at the airport
PS. 2 ladies on mobility scooters in CVS. One behind the other in the line to checkout. Scooter one spots the toothpaste I'm holding and yells back to scooter 2 to see if she had remembered toothpaste.
Her response......"Ah ****, no I forgot to pack it" then looks over her shoulder to where the toothpaste is and is clearly agonising over the thought of having to pull off a 3 point turn in the scooter but eventually makes the call that "nah forget it, I've already spent too much money" of course she is holding 2 large bottles of soda and 3 bags of candy. Sugary snacks > toothpaste I guess. Nice one America.
Off to catch some zzzz
Played an extra hour after I decided to quit as 3 guys turned up and tried to buy In for $20 a piece. They eventually settled $150 each. Hard to walk away from that haha. But alas, no big pots to be had and if anything they slowed the game down to the point it was unplayable. Especially when I was already running on fumes.
Tomorrow will be official day 1 and will get better reports up with some hand histories. This was just a bonus arrival session.
But we did start with a winner.
Out for $425.
For a $125 win on the night.
Few pics from today
Paris room view
LA to Vegas
Hellmuth featured at the airport
PS. 2 ladies on mobility scooters in CVS. One behind the other in the line to checkout. Scooter one spots the toothpaste I'm holding and yells back to scooter 2 to see if she had remembered toothpaste.
Her response......"Ah ****, no I forgot to pack it" then looks over her shoulder to where the toothpaste is and is clearly agonising over the thought of having to pull off a 3 point turn in the scooter but eventually makes the call that "nah forget it, I've already spent too much money" of course she is holding 2 large bottles of soda and 3 bags of candy. Sugary snacks > toothpaste I guess. Nice one America.
Off to catch some zzzz
08-10-2017
, 07:34 AM
Day 1
Managed to get about 6 solid hours of sleep and was up around 8:30. The order of the day was Breakfast, workout, poker.
Hit up Hexx in Paris purely for convenience and it looked decent. Got sat outside which was actually great. Surprised I hadn't ate there before because sitting directly on the strip for breakfast was pretty cool.
Went for some egg platter type deal
Only ate the eggs and bacon as I knew I was going to be working out soon after. And the potatoes were deep fried. Not good for my insides. Hard to go wrong with bacon and eggs but I'd say a 7/10 overall. Extra points for location but minus points for the coffee tasting like ass.
Over breakfast had a catch up with the wife as she prepares to travel later that day. And booked a workout at the gym suggested above by Leon. Super easy to do online. Sorted in 5 minutes.
Grabbed a lyft down to the gym which only took around 15 minutes.
Gym was first class and all staff, coaches and other members were very accommodating. $20 for the first session and $15 for every one after. I've travelled to a lot of countries and visited several different Crossfit facilities and somehow it never ceases to impress me just how nice everyone involved is. Regardless of ability or background. Always kinda feels like a home away from home.
Workout was a leg killing combination of sled pulls and rowing. And was exactly what was required to blast out the jet lag. Will be back for sure over the course of the trip.
Got back to the hotel around 2 and got shifted. The workout and travel was definitely catching me now though as I could have easily passed out after a shower. No time for that though as we had some punting to do. Also wanna try and get on some sort of regular schedule.
Checked out Bravo and decided on Aria. Always been my 2nd favourite room after the Wynn. Decided to walk and grab a Starbucks on the way. Large Black is my only ever order. Don't get involved with mocha frappicino spice soy latte nonsense.
Waited what felt like an age for a seat at Aria. Was on the list for 1/3 2/5 and 1/3 PLO. Got the seat we wanted at 2/5 and off we go!
Played for around 2 hours with no significant hands. Max stack was 600. Min stack was 400. And to be honest I did not feel excited to be playing at all. Maybe it was just my particular table or maybe just the room at that time on a Wednesday. But it was dire. Almost zero chat at the table. 4 sets of headphones. And every man just staring at the felt or a phone. I know this can expected at the bigger rooms. It was borderline depressing. And I've never felt like that at Aria before on any previous trip.
We are on the button with 9c10c. Stack ~430
MP limps. We raise to 20. BB Min raises to 40.
MP folds. We make the call.
Flop 8cJcKs
BB bets 100. We make the call.
Turn 4d
BB shoves. We call.
Another brick and BB's AK holds.
Stack = Punted.
Result -500
Off to a bad start but don't feel like continuing at Aria. I head over to the Burger bar for a bite and to formulate a plan. Had a standard burger and fries and was pretty good. 8/10.
Probably play the majority of the trip at Wynn once we move over there tomorrow. So decided to take a punt at Planet Hollywood for a very different type of game.
In for $300 @ 1/2.
Few hands in and already chatting it up with some guys and my mood changes quickly. I appreciate both types of games and both have their merits. Suppose today I just wasn't in the mood to do the solitary grind.
Ran pretty **** for the first hour or so and then the hands started coming thick and fast. And when our opponents love calling down with top pair things were always going to be good. The player turnover rate at PH is also rapid which keeps fresh cash coming in and table dynamics constantly changing. As opposed to Aria where in 2 hours no one came and went.
This was a nice one
All went in on the flop for ~350 pot.
Chips are flying and we are running hot.
AA>KK Pre for chunks.
$10 button straddles are now par for the course.
Lots of 50-100 dollar pots where opponents were more than happy to fold on the river after missing draws.
We are now approaching 3am and a 6 hour session. The game is winding down and we are 6 handed.
I call it quits just as the wife texts to tell me she is boarding her flight in the UK.
Out at PH for $1350 (+1050)
Trip Puntroll = $5675 (+675)
The wife arrives tomorrow evening and I need to check out of Paris and into Encore before she arrives. No idea of timings but I assume check out for 12 check in for 3.
Just to note. I booked Paris in a hurry and have never stayed here before. Fairly impressed for the price point and would probably consider staying here longer on a future trip. Room is tidy. Location is good and total walk time from elevators to strip is very short. Also the convenience of having breakfast on the strip at hexx is pretty nice.
Alright I'm out for day 1. More tomorrow.
Managed to get about 6 solid hours of sleep and was up around 8:30. The order of the day was Breakfast, workout, poker.
Hit up Hexx in Paris purely for convenience and it looked decent. Got sat outside which was actually great. Surprised I hadn't ate there before because sitting directly on the strip for breakfast was pretty cool.
Went for some egg platter type deal
Only ate the eggs and bacon as I knew I was going to be working out soon after. And the potatoes were deep fried. Not good for my insides. Hard to go wrong with bacon and eggs but I'd say a 7/10 overall. Extra points for location but minus points for the coffee tasting like ass.
Over breakfast had a catch up with the wife as she prepares to travel later that day. And booked a workout at the gym suggested above by Leon. Super easy to do online. Sorted in 5 minutes.
Grabbed a lyft down to the gym which only took around 15 minutes.
Gym was first class and all staff, coaches and other members were very accommodating. $20 for the first session and $15 for every one after. I've travelled to a lot of countries and visited several different Crossfit facilities and somehow it never ceases to impress me just how nice everyone involved is. Regardless of ability or background. Always kinda feels like a home away from home.
Workout was a leg killing combination of sled pulls and rowing. And was exactly what was required to blast out the jet lag. Will be back for sure over the course of the trip.
Got back to the hotel around 2 and got shifted. The workout and travel was definitely catching me now though as I could have easily passed out after a shower. No time for that though as we had some punting to do. Also wanna try and get on some sort of regular schedule.
Checked out Bravo and decided on Aria. Always been my 2nd favourite room after the Wynn. Decided to walk and grab a Starbucks on the way. Large Black is my only ever order. Don't get involved with mocha frappicino spice soy latte nonsense.
Waited what felt like an age for a seat at Aria. Was on the list for 1/3 2/5 and 1/3 PLO. Got the seat we wanted at 2/5 and off we go!
Played for around 2 hours with no significant hands. Max stack was 600. Min stack was 400. And to be honest I did not feel excited to be playing at all. Maybe it was just my particular table or maybe just the room at that time on a Wednesday. But it was dire. Almost zero chat at the table. 4 sets of headphones. And every man just staring at the felt or a phone. I know this can expected at the bigger rooms. It was borderline depressing. And I've never felt like that at Aria before on any previous trip.
We are on the button with 9c10c. Stack ~430
MP limps. We raise to 20. BB Min raises to 40.
MP folds. We make the call.
Flop 8cJcKs
BB bets 100. We make the call.
Turn 4d
BB shoves. We call.
Another brick and BB's AK holds.
Stack = Punted.
Result -500
Off to a bad start but don't feel like continuing at Aria. I head over to the Burger bar for a bite and to formulate a plan. Had a standard burger and fries and was pretty good. 8/10.
Probably play the majority of the trip at Wynn once we move over there tomorrow. So decided to take a punt at Planet Hollywood for a very different type of game.
In for $300 @ 1/2.
Few hands in and already chatting it up with some guys and my mood changes quickly. I appreciate both types of games and both have their merits. Suppose today I just wasn't in the mood to do the solitary grind.
Ran pretty **** for the first hour or so and then the hands started coming thick and fast. And when our opponents love calling down with top pair things were always going to be good. The player turnover rate at PH is also rapid which keeps fresh cash coming in and table dynamics constantly changing. As opposed to Aria where in 2 hours no one came and went.
This was a nice one
All went in on the flop for ~350 pot.
Chips are flying and we are running hot.
AA>KK Pre for chunks.
$10 button straddles are now par for the course.
Lots of 50-100 dollar pots where opponents were more than happy to fold on the river after missing draws.
We are now approaching 3am and a 6 hour session. The game is winding down and we are 6 handed.
I call it quits just as the wife texts to tell me she is boarding her flight in the UK.
Out at PH for $1350 (+1050)
Trip Puntroll = $5675 (+675)
The wife arrives tomorrow evening and I need to check out of Paris and into Encore before she arrives. No idea of timings but I assume check out for 12 check in for 3.
Just to note. I booked Paris in a hurry and have never stayed here before. Fairly impressed for the price point and would probably consider staying here longer on a future trip. Room is tidy. Location is good and total walk time from elevators to strip is very short. Also the convenience of having breakfast on the strip at hexx is pretty nice.
Alright I'm out for day 1. More tomorrow.