Good TR, I enjoyed reading it. This thread makes me want to go there even more...

Thank you. It's this forum that keeps me going in between trips so I'm glad I could eventually contribute.

Back in town!

Pretty devastated after a 20 hour journey yesterday but ready to nit it up at the tables later.

A few things that already warmed my nitheart:
Got a $9 daily breakfast credit at the Rio through the site I booked with and apparently dont have to pay resort fee (no in-room wifi though, but there are a few free spots around).

Unfortunately I wont be able to write any detailed posts here since I am already writing about this trip in German on my official blog, but will try to post some quickies and pics.

If a mod happens to read this, I would be grateful if you could replace the title dates in brackets with "Tripreports". Thanks in advance!

where are you writing about the trip in German? gonna follow that one then

Not sure if I am allowed to link it, but you can check my twitter (see my loc) or shoot me a PM

That Jinxed First Day...

...struck me down yesterday. I checked in a the Rio and immediately didnt feel all that well about choosing it. I was hammered by the long flight this time and probably tried to get into the rhythm too hard by forcing longer first sessions immediately.

My room is pretty spacious and the view is alright although its no strip view ofc:



Had to bet/fold all day long at the B and Wynn, but was very confident each time I made a good fold, so at least I am happy with how I played.

My run continued throughout the day and climaxed in a 3-way AI pre against a drunk and a tight lady who backraised with Aces after the drunk called my squeeze with KK. I guess I was too excited about catching the drunk. Well, turns out he stacks both of us by spiking a 7 and shipping that juicy 1,5k pot. I called it a night after that hand and went to catch some sleep.

Today its going better already after somebody openshoved into my Kings on Q53dd and they held up. Had to give back some of my profits when I got in AK to T9cc on a KK4cc flop after river brought a club.

After another long session at the B and a comped Burger I now made my way to Caesars and hope to get the 2/5 up and running there, waitlist is filling slowly.

Funny spot of the day:

I bet the river very small w/ A7 hoping to induce a bluff from a wild guy on an A T 8 2 3 runout and get snapraised. I look at him, he looks back at me, smiles and says "Im bluffing!" ...well, I took that as a legitimate reason to look him up and earned a muck together with a "Nice call"

Is there a specific reason why you keep switching poker rooms instead of making one your "home"?

Yeah, there's actually quite a few different aspects that I came to realize about me and my game.

One is that I cant keep up my full focus for longer than 2-3 hours. I really enjoy the walk or drive up and down the strip as well as a change of poker room scenery. Sort of "resets" my brain.

Then there's how my game and that of my opponents change with longer sessions, either after I have been winning or losing a lot for instance. I tend to get spewy in both cases (for different reasons ofc), some might get less inclined to pay me off or I might level myself into certain actions. Again, by "resetting" all parameters after changing rooms my focus is back 100% as I start forcing myself to watch all new players and pick up reads etc.

Those things may sound a little far from rational to some and I might pass up on some value in certain games for sure because of this I guess, but it has always worked out best for me like this.

I love getting out and walking between rooms when I'm in Vegas. I rarely play the same game for more than 6 hours when I'm out there, but I will regularly do it at games around home. There's something refreshing about walking around the giant buildings and through super nice stores for a little bit.

So much this, yeah!

Also, games in various rooms do play out quite differently and I try to adjust games I play to my current mood or mindset.

Recorded a few short clips about my typical Vegas morning routine and put them together with some app while nitting it up at the tables, hope you enjoy:



I managed to finally get into my live poker groove yesterday, picking up good reads and making good decisions based upon them.

I did insane stuff like openfolding AQ on a Q55cc board because I noticed villain trying incredibly hard to hide his excitement. He did indeed take down the pot with a 5 in the end. Checked back KQ on a K high board after my loose/passive opponent twitched on a J river and gladly forfeited the pot to KJ.

I wrapped up the day with a couple succesful sessions at the B and the Wynn yesterday after stacking someone's overpair with A 6 on an innocous 766 flop.

Back at the B right now but will soon be moving over to the Wynn again.

Very Nice, like reading your reports! Will def look up you report in German, shouldn't be too hard to read since we're neighbours countrywise :-). Good luck!

Very cool video. I don't know if was my connection or what but I had to reload the youtube page multiple times for it to finish playing.

Like the video lol! Funny that u were filming it with an iPad lol!

Thanks guys!

Video worked for me last time I checked, maybe just a connection issue. I only have my ipad with me and it somehow only offers me to upload in nonHD quality, sucks a bit.

Worked fine for me.

Awesome vid. Need one of adventure to the rhino (;

LOLFocus? How does it compare to the Euro version?

If you thought stacks were big at the Wynn, you should have seen it a few years ago. All games were uncapped. At times it was routine for people to buy into 2/5 for $2000. I was in a 1/3 game where this cocky guy would buy in for $1000, get stacked, re-buy, and get stacked again in 15 minutes. I sat at one 1/3 table where the big stack cashed out about an hour after I got there. It took him 6 RACKS ($3 chips) and a lot of his chips were higher denominations. I think it was about $2700. Second biggest stack was only about $400 smaller. The good ole days <sniff>

The walk into bellagio gave me the chills.

Nice TR and vid thanks. Did you forget where you parked or were you just showing us the view?

Also like your star destroyer chip stacks. I build mine the same way and always used to think of it as a pyramid but I like star destroyer way better.

I am so enjoying your trip report. Very well done. I'm heading to Vegas in July and your report is making me pine for July to come even more. I'm totally stealing the nouchebag tag. Thank you for such an entertaining trip report.

Sweet video. Really makes me wish I was playing right now.

Wow didnt expect that kind of great feedback for the vid, thanks all!

I'll leave that to others, but I do have a couple of ideas for more poker-related vids

Cant really compare, but I have to say I enjoy driving with automatic gear change

I enjoy the walk from garage to poker room a lot, has some sort of classic feel to it.

I tried to cover up that I had already passed my car by showing the view lol

Sadly, I havent been able to complete a star destroyer in a while

Love the video

Two comments:

1. Looks like you're in the Ipanima tower at Rio. IMO that's your mistake. The (renovated, and by now that's a good deal of them) rooms in the Masquerade Tower are far superior in terms of size and lay-out, in spite of having the TV and minibar/fridge in front of the windows.

2. Driving and filming? Really? Distracted driving is impaired driving, and impaired driving is the biggest killer of pedestrians in Las Vegas. Thought a German would be smarter than that?