jesus... that place looks dead

I haven’t been to cash area before, but certainly not full. I never say 10 2-5 games running and kings room (5-10 plus) only ever had a few running.

A couple weeks later, still really enjoyed the trip. Surprised at how much I liked having a car, even driving the strip some. I’m not much of a partier (tips cap to foatie), especially with the wife. Would rather eat than drink my calories. My annual trip for March Madness is different though.

For me a poker trip that had car rental + VRBO >>>> no car + casino hotel. Was able to grab a few nice meals but for most utility eating was MUCH easier staying in condo.

The wife did give me clearance to head back and with work, was looking at next weekend (first wkend Nov). Tried rallying a poker playing buddy but he wouldn’t bite. While a short poker trip definitely could be done solo, not sure I’d want to do so. Guess there’s a big convention in town (CES?) that weekend so lodging is a premium.

Will check flight and lodging today and make a call to see if it’s worth a 48-72 hour swing.

CES is usually a week or two after New Years. SEMA is typically in early Nov, one of the bigger conventions in Vegas, but I don't know if it's on or not.

Believe SEMA is on Nov 2-5, and foreign travel reopens Nov 8.

I did make it happen. Flying out in a week, 11/3 and return Saturday evening 11/6. Will be solo, friend can’t go. Trying a studio at Palms Place via Airbnb (Hopefully not a mistake, but reviews good and pics nice). Will have a car.

Plans so far:
Pop by Rio for maybe a cash session or two, walk by tourney area as Main Event day 1s go then.
Cashgames on strip, mostly Wynn but seeing Resorts World and also get to aria or Bellagio
possible.
A good sushi meal, off strip fine. I’m no expert, just looking for a good meal and will read recs in the dining threads.
A good breakfast.
Workout in the mornings Thursday and Friday.

Pretty simple, likely 2 poker sessions per day (don’t really like the long 7+ hour grinds).

Look forward to hearing about the Palms Place rental.

Looked at a few for week during WSOP back in June 2019 but ultimately ended up with one ~opposite the Rio.

Wife and I stayed at a vrbo condo (flamingo?) just south of the Rio a month ago, was OK and there was a 24 hour gatehouse. 2 BR place roughly $200 per night.

This studio seems nice from pics and reviews for about $133/night before fees. Not a ton of smaller places on Airbnb and VRBO, likely due to SEMA convention in town. I’m just not sure on Palms property in general, but will find out in a week.

Still subbed. GL!

Getting excited, leave in 48 hours. Starting to piece together the roll.

Had to audible on Airbnb, assumed once I requested it’s be confirmed. After 24 hours went back to square 1. Found one at Club de Soleil, looks ok…not as chic as the Palms Place unit but in some ways will be easier in and out since not a casino and high rise.

Was considering a stab at Venetian $600 deep stack NL one of the days, but read cashes don’t happen until midnight (13 hours In) and don’t think that’s my thing. Not sure I’d have it in me to grind for 12 hours with nothing to show. Good thing there’s cash games instead all over. May try a WSOP STT just to say I did, or maybe a WSOP nightly with what will be worse structure…but I’m checking a tourney box so why not?

Any sushi recs welcome, willing to drive a little off strip maybe a late afternoon lunch. Also massage place (not that kind &#128127 off strip to keep the cost in half.

Just about any tournament that claims to be deep stack will be the same.

FWIW - the Aria Fall series $400 MTT that starts at 11:00 will cash around 7:00 to 8:00. The event will go into the wee hours of the next day but with ~350 runners you can at least ITM at a reasonable time. The structure is faster than some of the others.

Well, didn’t update this report at all….as often happens this trip is a blur. Leave tonight after my 72 hours here. I appreciate the story telling of many other TRs, mine will be just the facts.

Today’s agenda after checking out is to shop for the family (maybe Fashion Show Mall or whatever that’s called across from Venetian), lunch at Umiya for some sushi, asked a few locals and that had good reviews. Not sure if just as an AYCE but they said value is good, glad to find a spot that works with the schedule. Then probably more poker at the Wynn until time to fly.

Haven’t sun run this trip but still doing well, up a bit strictly at 2-5 NL. Have played all at the Wynn, with one session Thursday at aria, which i haven’t played in years. Not blown away by aria at all, game quality bit great and seemed to have more backpack grinding pros than Wynn. For a brief time there were 5 of our 8 that I’m sure were there for their occupation. I recognized a couple from my time there years ago. I was ready to move but a few of them beat me to it.

Managed to to grab breakfast at the Peppermill early Thursday morning after my work out. I can’t remember if I was there once many years ago, but last month my wife and I tried to go in there was a two hour wait.



My fresh toast, egg and sausage combo. Good, fast service - a bit overvalued due to cost ($33 with tip, only water).



My accommodation i’d give a 6 1/2 out of 10.The place is clean and seems safe, but driving down Tropicana Avenue kind of sucks. I don’t think it took that much longer to get where I wanted to go but some of the stop lights out here are forever long. And much more traffic volume than even off flamingo in front of the Rio. I was surprised about that, but I also know nothing about the Vegas area traffic. It was about $400 less for the three days than the other condo I was looking at I was closer to the Rio. So I guess as a solo trip I’ll take it.



One of my other agenda items was to get a massage. The last time I took the convenient route and had it done at the Wynn, but figured with a little planning I could try something different. I’ve never had a Thai massage, and thought that would be something to do. I did go out to read reviews and check out websites to make sure it wasn’t one of THOSE places, not that there’s anything wrong with that if that’s your thing. I did burst out in laughter when walking up and seeing the door. My wife definitely laughed as well. Massage itself was good, I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect and definitely some unique aspects like being walked on but in general I feel much better afterward and that’s the goal.

Will sweat a couple college football games but I have bad parentheses too lazy to go to the book and just using my home bovada account. I do also have the William Hill account set up, but never took the time to go fund it as this trip is much less about sports betting than it is about the poker.

A solo trip is definitely unique and I did enjoy it. I still would’ve preferred if a friend or two was able to come out but the one that also likes to play poker come out this time of year just couldn’t pull it off.

I did meet up a A couple times for a quick cocktail with one of my friends it was out here with family and another couple. They brought their two high school boys and did a lot of the tourist stuff: mob museum, downtown Vegas, flew over the Grand Canyon to name a few.

Will put a cap in the next couple days once I’m back and provide any exciting updates. Decided even on the plane on the way out here that I wouldn’t do any of the tournaments. I saw the feedback from a couple of you on length of time, and while I wanted to check the box and say I played in a big tournament this time out just didn’t feel like potentially involving that much time only to run out dry regarding the money. I didn’t trust my stamina to sit and be forced to play poker for possibly 12+ hours.

Next planned trip to Vegas will be for March madness. Not sure where my cruise going to stay, I’m going to push to rent a nice big house again and do it up like we did last year with a bunch of TVs and betting on the apps. Especially with the still unknown mask mandate here in a few months and not known if they will have the big room set up for viewing, but would guess that would happen.

Any sports fans, my next trip is the end of the month to go down to Alabama for the iron bowl. And for you non-sports fans that’s when Alabama and Auburn play in their annual football game. It’s been on my bucket list and our families are out of town and the last couple years for Thanksgiving we haven’t really done much so now we’re going to take a quick drive (just three of us ) down to Alabama. We’re going to do a cave tour the day before the game and then of course go to the game that Saturday.

You should try one and find out, you might be surprised. I'm old as dirt and in terrible shape, and not particularly tough. But I find I catch a second wind around 1 or 2 am, and can go until 6 am without much issue. The only bad thing is it pretty much wrecks the next day. I end up sleeping till mid-afternoon, so there's no way to play an event that day.

Daily Deepstacks are cheap enough, try one to test yourself.

Yesterday was a good getaway day. Small snafu where Airbnb ended up being booked thru a reseller (reviews were good) who asked me day before departure to not check out and say a friend was arriving Saturday. Place wanted to keep my card on file (??!!)….yeah, no that won’t work. Did get it resolved.

Went to Fashion Show Mall, found a sweatshirt for my 13 yr old son (Attack on Titan). Was considering a sweatshirt that had Cookies on it, but as a 50 year old white guy figured I’d Google to get a better understanding and top 2 items: slang for crack, term for going down on a woman. Passed on that. Was in and out in 20 minutes, right after they opened.

Did the nostalgia trip to Rio - played cash their numerous times a month ago, didn’t set foot until today.



Figure one of those is Negraneau’s WSOP RV.







Some pics - was 11AM so quiet, other than 1 idiot in line to reg without a mask who apparently was coughing and when someone asked him to put on a mask he acted like he was ready to fight.



Went to Umiya, was not disappointed. Arrived as they opened. Had a couple tuna sashimi, crab roll, Alaska roll and one other half. Maybe could’ve eaten more but left plenty satisfied. I’m no sushi expert but was glad I went and would go back. See that as a place to go with a couple others to taste more items.

Played at the Wynn for the afternoon until catching the flight back. Ended up a slight plus of $800…win is a win. Never had a huge win or loss in a session, although was up about $800 yesterday at peak before giving it all back in 2-3 hands.

My game has improved in the following ways: bet sizing (use of down bets), almost never limp when entering pot, not afraid to 4 bet a non AA, KK hand (4 bet AK like 4 times and worked each time to pickup $ without a flop). I know the least is ‘of course’ for some I do play 2-5 or 1-3 games, so that’s not automatic in games I play.

My game also needs lots of work, making sure I don’t miss value on hands among other things. I am starting to track my sessions since just prior to October and with 2 Vegas weekends and maybe just 1 other session at home. Certainly up $$ and feel as long as I play 1-3 to 2-5 level I should have a profitable hobby,

nice.

there are like 10 of these places within walking distance of where I work. But I'm much too shy to ever go to one. Sounds like you had an OK experience though.

Sure isn't the little one, based on what he had a few years ago.

The Airstream that was parked up there is gone. Anyone know who's it was?

I booked online and showed up at scheduled time. Not a high end experience (thinner walls, less fancy table, sheets nothing special). But for 30-40% of cost with tip of Wynn (which was very good) the massage was good. I don’t always need the bathrobe and lemon infused water to feel good. No rashes have shown yet and figure 3 days later I should be safe. I go to a local massage place ideally every 60 days and I’d say the finishes of Thai place were slightly less but not dramatically so. I workout a bit, am older and am on computer or tablet a bit so massage is maintenance for me.