Still no idea!

Jack King, lots of love?

Thanks.

I know exactly how you feel. My first time at Wet Republic Daypool for Calvin Harris and I got charged $60 for 2 drinks wtf. But dayclubs is definitely the place to be if you have bottle service!

Saw that you went to Avicii, it was crazy packed but as long as you got presales there was no line at all!

My friends said that Marquee had free bottles of water... something to bear in mind for next time.


Day 9 (of 10.5) - part 1:
(pic heavy...)

Today my plan was to go to the other end of the strip, as I had never been to Excalibur, Luxor and Mandalay bay.

I broke the journey by sitting down at MGM:



Nice new tables, and one of the better ideas for a promotion.
Every time you table a winning hand flush or better, they give you a ticket. Every 4 hours or so they draw prizes ($50-$1000) for some of these tickets - but you need to be sitting at a cash table when they do the draw.

I was do to about $90 (from $140) and getting frustrated at the lack of cards and good flops, when the following hand happened:

In early position I raise to $7 with QcTc.
One other caller in mid position and big blind calls.
Flop 28T rainbow (one club) and BB checks.
BB check, I bet $15, MP folds and BB raises to $35.
I call and on a blank turn BB goes all-in.
I call and he tables pocket Jacks and it holds.

I think I should have folded pre-flop (but I am there to have fun!), and then should have folded to the raise on the flop.
Presumably others agree?


Anyways, I decide to get up and continue the walk.
Checked out Excal and Luxor, but I couldn't get in a game quickly (1 full table at each) so moved on to Mandalay Bay (lots of tables).

I bought in for this:



$200... pretty baller .
Mainly because I didn't have any notes < $100.

I liked the room, good atmosphere and right next to the sports betting.
My table was pretty loose, with lots of straddles and saw someone call down every street with 22 on a 88TQ7 board for a $200 pot against someone trying to bluff with AK.

I was down to about $180 when awful player UTG+1 goes all in for his last $21.
UTG+2 calls and it folds round to me in the BB.
I have AQo and decide that it's in decent shape against all-in and (based on how UTG+2 was playing), I could fold her out.
So I bet $80.
UTG+2 does fold and my hand is good.



(Even I decided to straddle most buttons... )

Next big hand was when I had QQ in the SB.
Button has straddled to $4, so I have to act first.
I call, awful player has reloaded for $100 in UTG and raises to $20.
Four callers and then I raise all-in.
Bad player calls and I win a nice little pot.
Chips now up to about $400?



Later on there is a UTG straddle, 4 callers and I have AA in SB.
I raise to $27 and 4 people call.

Flop is A37 rainbow.

Not sure what to do here in first position but I check (make it look like I have KK, QQ, JJ?).
Sadly the other 4 also check.

Turn is 4, so I no longer have the nuts but surely my hand is still good?!
I decide I can't afford another check so I bet $50.
Awful player has reloaded again and raises to $100.
Other two players fold and my hand holds (not sure what he has).


Stack now up to:



And just as I was taking this picture, that hand the guy to my right was dealt a royal flush on the flop (good for $400 payout):



The USA-Portugal game was going on as we played so that was pretty cool.
I enjoyed the Americans trying to understand (and some tryin to sound like experts) about "soccer".

Place went pretty mental when US scored, although probably as much to do with the betting as anything else!



Cashed out $559 in the end for a +$359 session (comfortably my best session of the trip).

Graph:

nice score. the joys off llsnl at the south end (mgm props) of the strip :P

Handgun and Thompson ammunition (same caliber) is about 40 cents each, give or take.

Rifle ammunition is from 60 to 90 cents each, depending on your skills as a bargain shopper, since there is a fair amount of military surplus on the market.

Holy crap! It finally happened - a situation where you might buy bottle service to get a $200 bottle of water!

That would cost two bucks at Safeway...

Nice run! Quite the juicy table you had there! The MGM poker room, or section, whatever you wanna call it didn't look too nice at all though. Basically it looks like the MGM just had extra space in their gaming area and decided to put poker tables there to fill up the space. Or am I wrong about where it is?

So the bullets cost ~ $50 for the package?
And they charge you $129?

That actually sounds pretty good to me.


Day 9 - part 2:

Random pictures of Luxor as I was walking back from Mandalay:



I had skipped lunch after another Grand Lux buffet breakfast (I have been there about 10 times over the last two trips), so I grabbed a Fatburger.



This had been recommended on 2p2 and I meant to go last year but that afternoon I was passed out drunk by the pool.
I learnt from my friends not to try the XXL though! Had the large.
Solid burger, a couple of grades above McD or BK but not life-changing.

As I continued my walk back to TI, I saw a $1/$1 at the Quad with one free seat.

Couldn't resist sitting down for a bit.
Min/max buy-in was $50/$100 so it felt like a bit of fun.
I bought in for the max...

To my right were two very "loose women".
They played almost every hand, but fairly passively (ideal!).
Unfortunately to my left was a young extremely LAG young man.
He raised to over $10 almost every hand and played like an absolute maniac.
He also was happy to get all the money in and gamble.

I decided to be patient.
After a while I got AQ in late position and re-raised to $21 after a couple of players had put in $5.
LAG called and so did one other.
Flop was all low cards so I had to give up (LAG doesn't fold very much so no point C-betting).
Sigh.

Remaining patient my next "big" hand was KQs on button.
I raise to $15 and LAG calls (obviously).
Flop is AT2 rainbow.
Check, check.
Turn 7.
Check, check.
River T for AT27T.
LAG bets $35 and I call. Looked massively like a bluff with that run-out.
He mucks...

As I remain patient it becomes clear that you can get all your stack in against him pre-flop and he'll call a wide range just for the gamble.
He wins far more of these than he should so his stack is up to about $400.
I have chipped up to $150 and see QQ, again on the button.
There are two limps and I also limp, expecting LAG to raise from SB 75% of the time.
He obliges and makes it $12.
Limpers fold and I go all-in.
He smiles and snap calls.
I show the QQ and he says: "low cards are bad for you".
Flop A27. He doesn't say anything.
Turn 4. He says "that's a bad card for you".
River T and he flips over 44 for the set.


This was the most frustrating moment of the trip.
Not because of the beat, but just because I had spent 2 hours waiting for this spot!


Still a good day of poker all-in-all. But could have been great.

I meet up with the guys for another meal at Canonita and then went to Paris piano bar with one of them who didn't have the energy for the last night of EDC.

As I turn in, I poke my head into the TI poker room.
Didn't stop to play but did see some cool stacks at what looked like a mix game:

You are not wrong about MGM.
I forgot to say how bad the atmosphere was.
Felt like in the middle of nowhere.

Yes, not a bad deal at all. Multiple factors the last couple years have skyrocketed the cost of ammunition. I don't notice it as much because I handload most of my ammo.

Looks like the famous 3/6 mixed game. I thought it had moved elsewhere. You should have played - they usually try to make it fun for rookies.

Day 10 - part 1:

My last full day in Vegas.
I decide I should really have a look at WSOP before I go.
Tried free shuttle stop at Bally's but waited for ages before giving up and taking a taxi from Caesar's.
Cost was $8 + tip so I think that's a no-brainer really.

Mandatory pic of the entrance:



I sit down for some $1/$3. In for:



The players were pretty aggro and with limping, it meant I was down to about $150 just by missing a couple of flops.
Finally got back to about even by semi-bluffing a perfect turn which gave me a straight and flush draw.

Then a 21 year old German sat down to my right.
Guy was quite funny.
First time he had been to Vegas, let alone WSOP and you could tell it meant a lot to him.

I re-raised one of his standard pre-flop bets of $17 to $50 with AA.
He called and then folded to my c-bet on the flop after tanking for a while.
He said he had QQ.

Shortly after I decided to cash out my $34 profit after a marathon 80 minute session.
Partly because I thought the table was tough and wanted to cash out a WSOP profit (I know that's sad).

I did a tour of the WSOP and found some famous players sitting at a $50k buy-in event (possibly the "players mixed event"?).
Some pics of pros:



Dan Neg and Doyle are in the pic above.
Who's the baldie on the left? I definitely recognize him.



...Elky and Juanda (behind dealer's head)



Hachem, Ivey and Duhamel.

Can anyone spot others? It's a bit like Where's Wally/Waldo.

Updated graph:

Err, that's the guy that won, Johnny "World" Hennigan. The guy that finished second is a 2p2'er named Oscillator, who posted a cool "trip report" in Poker Goals & Challenges that gives a great insight into his incredible WSOP run.

I will have to have a look, thanks.

Day 10 - part 2:

From Rio I shared a cab to Bellagio with a random Aussie.
I wanted to go to Bellagio before I left given its reputation, and I knew from previous nights that you have to get there early or it will be full.

In for:



The table was pretty comfortable for my style.
No one was raising too big, can't remember any straddling, and there was a husband and wife team to my left who seemed pretty bad.

As a result of this and some luck, I managed to book another good win:



+$161

I had a couple of memorable hands, one in particular I think I made a dumb mistake and missed some value.


Hand 1:

One off the button I limped with 9d5d (the blinds were two bad players so wanted to be in those hands - better players than me might raise?).
Button also limps.
The husband in SB raised to $6 - lol? Nice raise of $3 there.
BB, me and Button call.

Flop AT3 - two diamonds and a spade
SB bets $12, BB folds, I call, Button folds.

Turn 4 of spades, giving me a gutshot to go with my flush draw.
SB bets $15, I call.

River 2 of clubs, giving me the straight.
SB bets $45 with about $60 back.
I tank for a bit deciding between calling and going all-in.
For some reason my brain was not working and only found a call.

He tables AT for top two and I miss out on the chance of maybe getting the extra $60.
Terribad call from me.
HOW ON EARTH CAN HE HAVE 5,6 HERE?
He may have folded but either way he just can't have 5,6, so I'm basically not raising with the nuts.
Probably the most unambiguously bad decision from me of the trip (others may disagree!).


Hand 2:

I find 3d4d in the SB and three players have limped including the button.
I call the extra $2 and BB checks.

5 players to the flop ($15) which is KT5ddd - so I flop the flush.
I bet $11, others fold before the button raises to $30.
Button is a solid player (not nitty, just "solid").
I call the $30.

Turn is 8c - pot is $75.
I check, button bets $50.
I tank.
Not sure I'm good enough to fold a flush, but I'm sure button has something - either a higher flush or 2 pair / set or maybe Ad (but with what? this seems less likely).
Figure I can't fold here, and river could bring another diamond or pair the board so I go all-in for $160 total.
Button tanks, then folds.

Thoughts?
I got into another interesting spot with a small flush in London, thread here:
http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/17...-here-1457940/


Anyways, a very good result despite the missed raise in hand 1.
I head back to TI for one final pic from the room there:



Head downstairs to have dinner with the two friends who are still in Vegas before they head off to another night at XS!
They have done 3 nights of EDC, 2 nights of XS and 3 pool parties in 4.5 days... impressive stamina.

I decide to have one final session at Venetian.
In for:



Down $40 pretty quickly on a tough table, I change to a better one and get back into a small profit when I flop a set with 99.
Finally cash out for:



+$1 for my last session, which seems appropriate!

Final poker graph and stupid table below:



Poker profit $424.

Other gambling was about even, possibly a few dollars up, but I didn't keep track.

I appreciate that this trip hasn't hit the highs of most of the ones I have had the pleasure of reading, but hopefully it has provided some interest.
If nothing else, it might put the other chip porn into a bit of context.

Thanks for all the responses.
I'll wrap up my final morning tomorrow.

Did you visit the sex shop to the left of the Trump there?

No, I did notice it though. This was the closest I got:


Have you been there? Is it what the name suggests, then?

thanks for the TR enjoyed reading along in it. lol let me know if your want me to do a photo-feature on the sex store. :P

I've never been any closer to it than you have. It's just such a funny sight right nest to the Trump building.

I'm glad you enjoyed it and thanks for your comments.
Makes me realise that during all these months of lurking, I should have signed up just to put in the odd reply - it really makes a difference; otherwise it feels like I'm talking to myself / boring everyone.

Tempted to say yes to this one...
How bad can it be?!

Day 11 - the flight home:

Checked out and headed over to Grand Lux for lunch.
I went for one of the steaks (about $30).




Just time to bink $62.50 on video poker JOB:



Think this puts me marginally up on non-poker.
+$40 on BJ, +$14 on heads up poker, +$16 on Wheel of Fortune (thanks to this thread for the suggestion http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/10...-wsop-1450233/), probably about break-even on VP after that hit, and probably $25 down from random slots.

Got onto the flight on time:



Bye Vegas...

Sat next to a lovely old lady who would not STFU...
Resorted to watching movies and ignoring her continued chat.
Movie 1:



Grand Budapest Hotel
Was appropriately arty for the G&T in my hand but - though likeable - it was pretty boring. 6/10


This was actually the first flight I have ever been in premium economy - thought this was a nice touch:



Movie 2:



American Hustle - entertaining, if silly. 7/10

Sunset pics:





Last movie / documentary - The Armstrong Lie



7/10, fairly interesting.

And finally, back in England.



Thanks for reading...

Thanks for writing!

We all need our Vegas fix — sometimes vicariously.

You know it's based on a true story, right?

Thanks!

Yeah, but as presented it was pretty silly.
All movies and books are based on a true story to some extent.

nice pics/tr planning next trip yet?

Thanks.
Not specifically - but probably next year.

Great thread. Enjoyed the pics and the hand histories. Definitely looking forward to checking out battlefield vegas. That place looks sweet. Would you stay at the venetian again or is it worth trying out someplace new next time?

I would definitely consider going back to the Venetian.
Awesome rooms, great breakfast at Grand Lux, one of the best poker rooms.

However for variety, I might go to somewhere else next year.
E.g. Bellagio, Mirage, Elana - somewhere more central.