I have enjoyed the trip reports here in LVL, and i figured i give this a shot. I don't know how to post photos and definately wont be prioritizing writing the report during my trip. Let's see how it goes.

I am not a native English speaker and i am lazy proofreader. Please don't be a grammar police, i know my English is not perfect and maybe i am trying too hard. If i manage to make a deep run and if anyone who bothers to follow this figures out my name, i would appreciate if you keep it to yourself.

My flight is scheduled to arrive few minutes before midnight 9th and i will be staying until 16th. Mirage for first 4 nights, then treasure island for the last 3. This is my first trip to Vegas since 2010 when i managed to blowout a huge stack day 4 in the ME and busted out right before the money. I was supposed to return in WSOP 2020, and for this year original plan was mid-october but that wasn't possible due to travel ban.

Little background:
Started poker in 2005 or 2006, but didn't really put any effort to it before 2009 when i returned from backpacking. I peaked in tournament cadillac poker for a year and a half from spring 2009 to summer 2010. Won few sunday majors among others and had one decent live score for my standards. I really don't understand how easy it was back then, i mean i was not a thinking player. Played solid but creative preflop and had lots of **** you when playing postflop. It was enough back then. One thing i think i was doing ahead the curve was defending big blind. At some point it was considered fishy to defend bb against late position minraise with something like QTo. I defended and fought.

When i essentially bubbled the ME it wasn't the only reason i decided to quit. I had started to dislike poker months earlier. I didn't work on my game at all and saw my edge disapearing. The poker life was taking a big toll mentally too. I felt it was stressful and looking back i think i was sort of depressed towards the end. The highs of winning were surpassed by lows of beats and losing sessions. I didn't too many favours to myself either. Every weekend i partied like a rockstar and was way too generous to my friends. It's cringy to think how hollaballa i tried to be. Live and learn, huh.

The money i didn't manage to invest in partying and traveling i used next few years living overseas pursuing my dream surfing and studied myself a degree. I still suck at surfing. But it was good times and i look fondly back at those times. Played prolly 20-40 sessions of online poker after the main event tragedy and early 2013 and then quit cold turkey for 5 years. I would read some poker related news here and there but that was it for 5 years.

Back to poker:

Late 2018, during a work day i had nothing to do. For some reason i decided to deposit like 20€ to pokerstars. Won a 4.4usd HORSE tournament regardless of the fact that i really didn't know how to play. After that i would play Mixed micro tourneys here and there, even borrowed super system from my brother to read about these exotic stud games and triple draw. I enjoyed playing those games even though i didn't know what i was doing.
In January 2019 there was a 500eur HORSE tournament in a casino close to me. On the day i managed to persuade my friend (the only one who is still in the poker scene) to buy 50% of my action so i could afford to play it. I was awful but i was shocked that majority of the players were even worse. I mean i had several guys on my table that didn't even know the rules (i had managed to learn them by the time i entered). Busted early but i was convinced that i was +EV in that field.

I would play few sessions a month after that, but i had that same spark that i felt during the boom years. I was thinking about hands for days after those few sessions i managed to squeeze in. In 2019 scoop and 2019 wcoop i had deep runs in Stud8 tournaments. By the fall 2019 felt i had edge over majority of the field midstakes mixed tourneys and could hold my own even against the big names that i would happen to meet at my tables. Due to improved financial situation (new job), winning some money from poker and bribery, even the lady of the house would approve my newly found poker hobby and i got a green light to travel WSOP 2020. It got cancelled but i got to play quite a full schedule of mixed tourneys in SCOOP 2020 instead.

Today:
I am way closer to 40 than 30, busy with kids and work. Outside the series I play online poker on average 1-2 nights a week. I have done well online and the few live mixed tourneys i have managed to play. I feel like i am improving and think poker daily. I even have few trophies sent by pokerstars. I view this trip as a freeroll and i am so fired up to go! I ****ing love Vegas.

The plan if i manage to bust out every donkament 1st day:
-1500usd stud8
- 600usd horse Aria
-Satellite to 10k stud8
-888usd WSOP cadillac poker
-600usd FLO8 venetian
-Golden knights-Canucks
-Get high on edibles and go see a show
-Rhino

This is trip is for all my friends who have moved on from poker. This trip is to that heartbroken 26 year old-me. This is for memories and no regrets. Hope Dies last, hope ****ing dies last.

"Defeat, my Defeat, my deathless courage,
You and I shall laugh together with the storm,
And together we shall dig graves for all that die in us,
And we shall stand in the sun with a will,
And we shall be dangerous."

Good start. It was supposed to be bright lights, but I'm dim like that.

Subbed! Good luck OP!

Hey, great attitude. I look forward to seeing how it goes.

Vegas is a gambling town where stories are made. Take your shots. You might end up a champion or you might end up ass up in a drainage ditch with a bum going through your pockets, but either way you will have a story to tell.

Feeling anxious, days are feeling looong but feels good that the wait is shorter than the trip is going to last.

How much earlier should I get my ass to Rio for registration and getting my vaccination approved? Would like to be there pretty much from the first hand to settle the nerves before we start playing meaningful pots.

get there at least two hours before the start of the tournament to deal with the lines, take in the people watching and maybe grab some crappy food.

Fixed it. Good luck, I hope you make some deep runs.

Depends on what you're going for. Main Event? Take care of that crap the night before. Assuming you do the CLEAR thing you don't have to have anything approved unless you run into problems.

Reg line is unpredictable. It could be no line at all or a couple hours long.

Subbing. Good Luck! I look forward to living vicariously.

GL GL GL

I will be in town on Wednesday. GL and Good game.

After total of 18hrs of traveling we are here, checked in at the mirage. Had to go back to reception to change the room due to moldy smell in 1st the room. I have not slept in like 32hrs, but there is no way I can go to bed right now. It's either dispensary run or some plo cash before I crash. Let's shower first and see where Vegas takes me.

Also I was approached by 3 different ladies wanting to have fun during my quick run at the Wynn (bought some dollars from a friend of a friend). Must be my good looks.

Took a trip to dispensary and played 1-2 plo for an hour before venetian poker room closed. Profit was about 300usd for the session. Only mentionable hand: I'm utg+1 with KK92ds after button straddles, blinds call, utg pots it to 60, I call and blinds call. Flop 942 with two backdoor fds. Checked to me, I pot, folds to utg who calls with aces and I hold.

Registration for wsop stud8 was handled in 15mins. Got back to hotel but I can't sleep. Heading back to Rio soon. Let's go.

Blasted?

****ing dopeheads

Thread delivers.

RevengeTour ping us once you are out of the tunnels!

1500usd Stud8

Had a great table draw: i didn't recognize anyone and we had 2 completely clueless players and an old lady who wouldn't bet any low hand unless she had extremely strong high hand to go with the low. Unfortunately other fish was drawn to other table instead and he was replaced by John Monnette (didn't know who he was until reading pokernews later). There was no memorable hands before the first break. The starting stack was 25k, my stack was at the lowest around 23k and at the highest about 30k. I felt very comfortable from the very start, no jitters whatsoever.

The level of play i witnessed in the first levels was awful, hands were going to showdown with 3-4 players in the pot in most occasions. The fish who remained in the table managed to build his stack up to 60k within first 5 levels and i never had a clue what he was going to show up with for the showdown. Fish played about 80% of the hands and he just kept scooping or getting half of the pot (usually the high half) every single hand he was in.

The fish who managed to build a big stack created a strange dynamics for the pots, he was extremely sticky and clearly didn't understand anything that was going on. IE. i open with A23 with 3 showing. I get called called by the fish with T showing. Ok, great. I hit 6, fish gets J, he leads out. It was compeletely pointless to raise him until you made a hand. He wouldn't fold anything and he was very happy to get multiple bets in with very vulnerable holdings. I obviously went and bricked several hands against him.

I caught a break against the fish on the last hand before the 2nd break. Defended my bring in (58)2 against the complete from a fish with a 7 showing, 4th i hit 4, fish hits J. He checks, i bet. 5th i hit 3, fish hits K. He check calls. 6th i pair my 5 and the fish hits 4. He check calls. 6th were some blanks, he check calls. 7th i blank, he leads out, i raise and he reraises, lol. I'm like wtf and throw in the chips for a call. He shows KJ high and tells me he tought i had nothing. It was certainly possible that he had 7low straight given how he was playing. After that hand i peaked at 35k and then it was all downhill from there.

The next 5 levels, i think i managed split 1 hand when i made 64low on 5th and had board locked for a low. I bet every street from 4th street onwards and we had 4 players still in for the 7th street. Douche Monnette, who had compelted with a king showing proceeds to raise my bet on 7th and had one caller from a old lady from my right. I obviously pump it up, and Monnette folds, ok. Old lady calls me with a pair of kings which is good for a high half. I think Monnette was there with a 1 pair type of hand and trying to get folds from shitty 2pairs and then just ****ing folds. Well played everyone.

From level 7 to end of level 11 i got T for the window card for about 50 times. I just bled without playing virtually any hands. I don't think i have never had such a bad run of cards. Got 1 playable hand and lost the maximum of course. I had 2 pairs with split kings from the 4th street in a 3-way pot that included the clueless fish and some lady who seemed to play decently. Lady had quite clearly low hand made by the 5th, fish was in there with god knows what. Lady proceeds to hit a 3outer for a straight on 7th and scoops. That hand also busted the fish.

I busted at the end of level 11 1200-2400 (i think) when i complete with (A2)7, Monnette raises with a 6 and bring in puts in 3rd bet with a 6. I obviously call. I pair my Ace, lead out, Monnette gets K and folds after tanking for way too long. Bring in wants to raise after getting 4 on 4th. We click it in. He has 4364 with 3 diamonds. He hits a 6-low straight with next 2 cards and my aces and 75 low no good.

**** this. I uber to hotel, get some candy from mirage essential and get high. Also this Monnette person was berating the dealers constantly. What a dick.

There's a reason his nickname is "Angry John Monnette"