but when are you going to lose?

Enjoyable read. Nice pics also. Keep it coming!

WTF, how come I never see hookers playing poker? Guess I have to play at PHOe.

Hooters girls were mediocre compared to the Hooters norm.

Nice report, looking forward to updates.

Session 4: 1/3 NL at Aria, Friday 12AM - 5AM

After finishing up at MGM I wandered up the strip and entered into Aria. The poker room was busy, no suprise as it was Friday night.

I buy in for $300 and get seated at a table full of young guys all around 25 years old. This was by far the toughest table I played at during my trip.

Within the first few orbits I get dealt small pairs at least 4 times and raise pre but am met with the combination of multi way pots and high card wet flops to which I do not even really attempt to taked down post.

I hovered around even until a new player sat at the table. This guys was spewing like mad, playing big pots with any two cards, trying big bluffs post.

I get jacks in position and this new guy is the only caller. Flop brings two kings and a 4 and this guy donks out for a fair size bet. I call. Turn is a blank and the action goes check check. River is another blank, forget the card but there were no aces or queens on the board and no straights or flushes. The kid threw a crisp $100 bill into the pot for about a pot size bet. I called pretty quickly as I have massive show down value against this maniac. He shows complete air, like 9 2 off or something like that and I scoop the $300 pot to put my stack up to about $400.

I get dealt pocket 9's in position and raise pre with one caller from the blinds. This guy had been calling most of my raises and was even starting to make light 3-bets pre against me. Flop brought 3 cards all lower than my 9's: 7,4,5 I believe. I get check min raised and I call the raise. The turn is a 9 which he leads out and I call. The river is a king or ace I believe and he leads out again. I make the call and he shows 7,4 for a flopped two pair which is no good to my 9's. He does a minor rant with his headphones and hat on about me catching a 5 outer. I say 2 outer you mean while holding two fingers in the air.

This same player moved to the open seat to my immediate left and put a few 3bets on me pre. One hand I opened with AJ of diamonds and was met with a min 3-bet from the same player. I called as we were both deep enough with over $300 each. The flop brought two diamonds: 8, 5, 2 I think. I checked called. The turn brought a king. I check called as his bet was rather small on the turn. I blanked out on the river and the action went check check. He showed 7, 8 of diamonds. Oh that diamond would have been sweet.

Final hand against this player, I raise 10 J suited and he calls with position. Flop brings two aces and a 10. I c-bet and am met with a call. Turn is a blank and I check to which he bets. I think I can still be good here so I call. River is another 10. I check call again and he shows the ace.

With the table getting a little easier with the arrival of a few new players to my right in addition to the attractive chinese girl two seats to my left I am able to play a few decent sized pots against some of the new players that I am able to float the flop and take them down with some turn bets when checked to in some good spots. This was my second time playing at Aria including last year and both times a drink has been spilled on the table. Strange that they don't have cup holders.

I cash out a $500 rack at 5AM for a decent $200 profit considering this table almost resembled a typical 1/2 NL table on Poker Stars...mostly thanks the the maniac during the first hour.

Trip profit now sat at $1.5K with one more day to go.

Pic of profit at Aria:



Final session at Venetian to come.

Cool report. Not to be a nit but wouldn't hitting a 5 in the 99 hand give you a better 2p also?

Love it. Can't wait. 4 days left. Wheres your favorite room so far?

Are you planning to go to the new Venetian room tomorrow?

You don't include the amount of the bets/raises, but it seems just from the number of bets/raises--along with the fact that he still had $200 left behind after the river bet--that you are not betting nearly enough. You should have been able to easily shove the river. Nice TR, thanks for sharing!

Why didn't you ship the 99 hand on the turn or the river ? It seems like you're taking a very low variance approach and are missing tons if value. That AJd hand I felt you underplayed as well.

I am really enjoying this report and living vicariously through you as last week I was in Vegas and I ran the worst I have ever run.

Ha i bet it pissed him off even more that you thought it was a two outer

Little sand in the wound.

I read the TR from the above day and instantly knew that this would be the first thing hit on.

I'm already gone home.

When I played at Venetian the poker room was actually in Palazo.

I actually really liked MGM. The drink service was great and the room was extremley spacious with just enough views of people walking by. I'm not sure if this is their permanent location or not?

The rake at PH was higher than the rest. Aria is alright, a little cramped I find and tougher competition. Bellagio was nice too.

Venetian was probably my 2nd fav or tied for 1st with mgm but their tables are 10 handed which makes a tight fit. It was busy and I thought they could have used a few more waitresses, but the ones they did have were smokin hot (sexiest outfits of all rooms, there is a young blonde one there with huge cans), as well as the massage lady who I got a rub down from at the table.

Yeah my #'s might be a bit off. You might be right though. How much is your standard raise pre in a 1/2 game in an unopened pot with no limpers. Mine was $6.