This is my first and only 2020 trip to the desert, fourth solo in three years, and second 2+2 TR.

I acknowledge I am an average poker player. I’ve played live for just a few years: mostly LHE in Vegas and low roll daily tourneys, a few bigger weekend tourneys here in North Dakota, a league that goes twice a week, and I play online at pokerstars. I take in a lot of poker content on streams, podcasts, youtube, etc. I absolutely love the game, it’s my favorite hobby. I enjoy lurking on these forums to live vicariously through your exploits.

To recap my trip last year, which was unique to say the least: I stayed at four different hotels in four nights, which was an interesting experiment. The trip was poker-centric, but I really ran bad and bad quickly, especially and surprisingly at limit holdem, where I did well in previous trips. At VP I used all my mlife points, a bunch of freeplay and still lost over $100 in a couple hours, and would have gone home with my hat in my hands until I shipped a tourney on my last day to break even and salvage my dignity.

This trip is and will be different in several ways.
1) It is planned around attending a Golden Knights game (my first NHL game)
2) instead of hitting the ATM first thing and throughout, I followed DaNit’s advice and saved and built up a poker budget (which I won’t reveal)
3) I am staying at one hotel the whole time, and a new one, Texas Station. I have a connection and got hooked up. It is not optimal, they obviously don’t have a poker room, it’s out of the way and I have no idea of any amenities and it’s probably near the bottom end of Vegas hotels, but it is free. also means no South Point stay for the first time.
4) very recently my facebook account got hacked and consequently deactivated, which means I lost access to my million MyVegas points (also Wynn Slots rewards). So not as many freebies as before. I’m the cheapest man I know, so this creates some personal challenges.
5) I don’t plan on playing any LHE. If I have time and the budget I’d rather play a cheap tourney instead. I learned Omaha in the last year and would like to dabble in that.

My poker plans are to play at Red Rock, check out the new Sahara, Flamingo for cheap Omaha (although the press release says Sahara may run it too), somewhere near T-Mobile Arena before/after hockey, and a tourney at one of the nicer rooms. I have Pearl MGM so I can park, but in general I’ll take the chance to play non-MGM this trip. I like downtown but will probably hold off on that neighborhood until next time.

I am limited by a smaller bankroll, which means I can’t take as many chances as I’d like. My wife still disapproves of me playing poker but will tolerate it as long as I don’t drain our savings account. She’s spending half the summer overseas visiting her family and I elected to stay behind and take a short getaway to Vegas instead, so I have a little freedom but my own conscience and cheapskate nature puts a limit on what I can spew. but I also don't booze or do much other gambling.

As always, this is vacation, a much needed break from work. Unfortunately, the dates a Golden Knights game coincided with a good flight deal was early March when it will be too cold to relax in the pool, there are no baseball or football games, and no playoff hockey or NBA games to watch for free nightly entertainment. So run-bad backup plans are limited. I’m up to the challenge. If I totally bust I will probably be at church Thursday repenting of my sins. Hopefully it doesn’t come to that.

Goals:
Play a good amount of NL poker from Monday through Thursday
Get money back in at least one tourney
In cash games finish over +$1
Be able to share at least one hand in detail
Eat a lot of good food

So yeah, no +$17K goal like some recent 2+2ers. I’m setting low expectations and hoping for better. I just want to have fun playing poker. And keeping a trip report will keep me accountable.

I was lonely last time and had wanted to take the wife to Vegas this trip but we have several other trips elsewhere this year. So another solo venture. Maybe in 2021.

Starting this TR early in case I have some questions or need some advice. and because I’m excited.

Subbed. Looking forward to hand histories. Good luck!

as a local the only reason I've ever gone there is for their movie theaters. they have a steakhouse, a buffet and a food court which probably is of most interest to u.

across the street is another smaller casino, the Fiesta. I haven't been there in years, since they got rid of their mexican restaurant which I liked could be worth exploring if u get bored sometime.

other than that, there is nothing you are going to want to walk to from there. you're kind of on an island. free parking at least!

If you are super cheap buy the American Casino Guide coupon book thing. It's like 9 or 12 bucks or some such thing. Have two stations casino buffets and you're paying for more than the book. Was just in Vegas last weekend and the wife used it at Palms AYCE buffet. Plus it has a bunch of other stuff in it.

Love Red Rock. Best overall casino in Las Vegas as far as we are concerned. But all the stations casinos I've visited I've enjoyed really. I'm into laid back though and sometimes the strip is a bit much.

My wife and I are frugal ourselves because it's part of the fun to us. $8 steaks taste way better than $100 ones when the $8 steak is great value (go to Ellis Island and find out what I mean). Also, Bruxie is right next to the Arena by New York New York and is delicious food for a reasonable price (~$15 per person).

I'll be paying attention to your trip. Hope you have a great time and sunrun at the tables.

one thing I forgot to mention is to sign up for a Stations Casinos Boarding Pass when u get to the Texas Station. It's free and you can get some discounts on food and obv $$$ towards comps when playing poker. Red Rock is also a Stations casino, if u didn't know.

Subscribing in epic bread.

GL OP!

Subbed. I'll be in town the same dates, solo as well. Mostly playing poker, maybe go downtown a night.

I will be going the following week. I also would like to play a few cheap tournaments. Will be interested to hear which ones you pick. I realize the payouts suck, but figure I would rather play a few tournaments at a cheap price than one higher limit one.

GL. Subbing.

Cool look forward to this one. When you say you dabble in Omaha is it O8 limit, PLO or both? Also lol I don’t remember what advice I gave you in regards to funds. Was it the take out $40 or so every time you going grocery shopping, pharmacy, etc?

Good luck, looking forward to it!

To prep for my upcoming trip and increase my bankroll I played in a local tournament. ND has a pretty good weekend tour, good structures and lots of good players. This one was $150, 20K chips, and there would probably be about 110 runners in this one.

My table had one villian, we'll call him Jimmy, he lives over an hour away, I played against him before. He's very good; he won that other tournament and another one here in the last couple years. He's kind of a menace though; his VPIP is probably like 90%. He was the only person at my table I was concerned about. At one point he called a preflop raise, on a T74 flop he called an all-in and beat JJ with 74. Another time he limped with KK, called an all-in flop and lost to a flopped two pair. he was up and down.

- Blinds 500/300, I've won several hands without showdown, I'm around 29K. I raise in MP to 1.6K with AQhd, Jimmy in SB calls, EP calls. Flop QcJs6s; I like it. Jimmy shoves all-in for like 18K, EP folds. I'm thinking 1) I would LOVE to knock him out of here and take a nice table lead 2) does he have a flush or straight draw? KJ? AT? 3) his range is pretty wide. I tank for a bit, make the call. he has Q6. I don't improve, he doubles up and I've got about 10K left. damn.
- a couple hands later, I'm in BB with 89o, I raise to 1.1K, Jimmy and UTG call. Flop is J63r. I bet like 1.5K, Jimmy calls. turn 6, river K, check check. he has 34o.
- a few hands later, I raise to 1K with AKo. Jimmy raises to 6K (bingo), I go all in for like 7K. he has 88. I don't improve aaaaaaaand I'm out.

So yeah, I busted by losing 3 hands during the same level to the one guy I was trying to either avoid or exploit. I could have re-entered but I would have had to likely finish in the top 8 to make money and I'm also cheap and want to have something left over for Vegas. Burned some steam at the gym. Wife laughed at me when I got home.

I've learned PLO in the last year, play a bunch for fun on pokerstars. I learned the rules of Omaha Hi/Lo but haven't played it.

This seems suboptimal

sure... I should have taken the pot anyway but a player called with 3-4 twice. that hand didn't cost too much, more an example of what I was going against than me killing myself

anyway, I wanted practice reporting hand histories. this activity helped

Jimmy is not very good. I like the thread though.

FYI: Ocean 1 Bar and Grille in the Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood. Lunch for $5. Quality food makes it worth while.

Nice distraction from poker rooms and Vegas asphalt.

oh yes, I'm well aware of that and left a glowing review last year

I only looked back one month . . .

I appreciate the recommendation/suggestion

I have a general question about strategy for tournaments.
what factors into whether you will re-buy/re-enter?
I chatted with some of my buddies, one basically said 'if you aren't prepared to use all three bullets, you probably shouldn't play in the tournament.' another said it depends upon the number of bb's you get.
I usually don't re-enter.
1) you are already likely at a significant chip disadvantage
2) along with that disadvantage, you would need to finish well above the min-cash to make up for the entry fees
that being said, the one local weekend tourney I did re-enter last year I had a nice finish.

what are your thoughts?

I don't like re-buys and don't use them even if they're available. Even if I bust on level 1, the psychological factor of getting even will affect me because as you said, even a mincash won't be enough now. I also feel like re-entering at a later stage puts me at a disadvantage due to the chip to bb ratio. If I enter a tournament, I like treating it as my only chance to win so it forces me to focus. However, I'm fine with having backup events to play in case I bust to a bad beat. But only if it was a bad beat and not a blunder on my part. Waiting for the next event helps me cool off as well.

To me, it depends on cost to enter, at what level I'll be coming back and the relative stack sizes, and my chances of cashing So, as with all things poker, it depends!

I will rebuy if everything lines up, though.

Different strategy must be implemented to properly play a tournament with re-buys vs a freeze-out tournament, imo.

the weekend of my trip, finally. I've had basically the same trip length (Sun-Thur) in each of my previous trips, and I'm now realizing that there is more that I want to do than I have time, despite the likely lack of time at the pool unlike previous trips.

- I get in real late Sunday. I imagine there will be no table action early Monday and Sunday night should be better than most. I'll whet my appetite and start right off the plane with a couple hours of late night 1/2 NL at Planet Hollywood before bedtime.
- I plan to do a tournament on Monday, which will be determined by how that quick PH session goes.
- After a lunch or dinner, which will probably be determined by how the tourney goes, I'll head to Red Rock for some cash game and/or their evening tourney.
- Tuesday is the Golden Knights, so that will be my day on the Strip, with another tourney and some cash games, likely some PLO at Flamingo.
- I'll go hiking in the canyon on Wednesday or Thursday. There are virtually no mountains or hills in North Dakota so it will be a welcome outdoor activity.
- I'd like to visit the new Sahara poker room, and I'll probably do that Wednesday or Thursday.

I've never met any 2+2ers, so if you are in town and want to meet up that would be cool. I'm a solo traveler and will likely be lonely. I'm not a drinker, although I like eating.

(note: shoe pic didn't work but I got it in the following post)