3rd trip to Vegas, first TR for 2+2. Reading TR’s has been such a pleasure over the past couple of years, I consider it a luxury to be able to add to the canon.

Hero: Classic Canadian MAWG. Astonishingly similar to every other MAWG you’ve ever come across at a nitty 1/3 game: body like Adonis, intellect like Sophocles, humility like Mandela. Wardrobe almost entirely Old Navy (Black Friday sales rack edition).

The trip: 7 nights broken into 3 acts (just like Sophocles, what did I tell ya?!). The first three nights (arriving Tuesday) are solo, staying at Planet Hollywood. Leaving tonight, baby! On Friday a couple of non-gambly friends are flying down, and we’ll stay with a cousin and see her perform in Le Reve (The Dream), an aquatic show at the Wynn. On Sunday I’m back on me own, the last two nights at Bally’s. Somewhere in the middle of all this, a friend is flying in from Michigan to make for a slightly less solo experience.

Shows: With much thanks to all the generous posters in the “Old School Kitchy Vegas Experience” thread, I’m planning on seeing The Rat Pack Is Back, as well as Wayne Newton: Up Close and Personal. The reviews in that thread were stellar, so I am super excited for both these shows, even though I don’t really know who Wayne Newton is! And there’s the aforementioned Le Reve, which promises to be enrapturing.

Pokerz: Hero is an internationally recognized low-stakes crusher. In 2018 I balled out with an hourly winrate that soared past minimum wage...almost! Hold ‘em treated me fine the past couple of years, but why stay with the tried and true when PLO was giving me the eye from across the room? 200 hours of that tease of a game to wrap up 2018 wrecked my hourly, but I keep flirting with a chance at The Big Score, so anyone looking to make money should call Aria and get on the waitlist immediately. (Actually I’m a complete ****ing nit, you’ll have to pry my 2nd bullet out of my cold dead hands. Or just get there on the river, they always do.) But why concentrate on one game when I can spread myself thin, like butter scraped over too much bread? So I will also crash the 2/5 pro-wannabe party at Bellagio, battle with the homeless and/or toothless at the Golden Nugget, and play in my first ever live O/8 game at Orleans. I don’t think I’ve ever played a game of O/8 with blinds higher than 25 cents, so this promises to go swimmingly. When the fatigue sets in, or if I’ve been drinking and don’t want to risk or think too much, there’s always good ol’ 1/3 at my hotels.

Other achievements I’m hoping to unlock: fancy cocktails; two gym sessions; Fremont Street and maybe the zip line (I’ve been to Vegas three times and I’ve never made it north of the Wynn); Irish music at McMullin’s; brunch at The Peppermill; one craps session where I actually bet more than $10 at a time; a Trader Joe’s run (I’ve gotten all my friends addicted to the Thai Lime and Chili Cashews, as well as the Coconut Cashews); not going blasted; and surviving the trip with me legs (and BR) intact.

If anyone is up for a drink or a show either Wed-Fri or Sun-Mon, send me a PM and we’ll see what we can do. The real me is almost as charming as the pixelated one.

Run good, my friends. Thanks for reading!

sw

The real test is whether this semi-Luddite can upload the requisite photos:





And while it's highly unlikely I can start a new tradition, it's a freeroll to try. My idea of hell on Earth is being trapped somewhere for 20 minutes with nothing to read, so for a one week trip I need at least 2 books:



Hemingway is obviously a classic, Becky Chambers is sci-fi; if you liked Firefly you'll love her series. I've read both before, so I know they will fit the trip like a cozy sweater. (I have no problems reading a great book multiple times, don't @ me.)

Very promising start. Have fun, run good, and post lots of pics.



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Also, as a fellow avid reader of classics, might I suggest “Three Comrades” from Remarque. Only gets better upon multiple readings.


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This TR seems promising.

Yes, 100x better prospect than that other thread , the one started with a Rounders quote....

Yeah, I agree. That other thread didn't have a shoe pic.

First Session: Eeeeks!

Check in, drop the bags, head straight over to the Aria for some PLO. Nothing like diving in head first! I just wish someone had told me there was no water in the pool.

Three hands of note. I welcome any feedback but idk how much there is in either direction with them. I sit down at 1/2 ($5 bring in), max BI is $500 which I obv do, and I immediately cover at least 6 of the 8 others. The first two orbits, we’ve got two MABG sitting next to each other, obv here together, with less than full stacks. The one to act first is raising about 75%, and the next to act 3 bets somewhat frequently. I’ve also seen them take this bet, iso raise next to act line otf a couple of times. To complete the picture, they’re talking about how maybe they’ll go play 5/T at the Wynn, and all I can do is think to myself that neither of them even has a full stack in a freakin’ 1/2 game. Apparently they're from Brooklyn and one is showing the only lady at the table his tats of the Statue of Liberty. She looks about as impressed as the Statue herself. Anyway, I’m in the HJ with a sooted BW rundown, make it 25 over 2 limpers. V1 in SB pots to 90, V2 in BB almost snap shoves for about 220. V1 started with about 320. Against different V’s I would feel pretty icky here, but in this spot I don’t really see the point in getting away from this hand given the dynamic, so it’s just going to be a high-variance night. On the off chance I have any FE I shove over the top, nope, we gii 3 ways. I’m up against V2’s 4! shove with T664, and V1’s OOP 3! and a call with a raggedy sooted AK. They both make a pair while I whiff harder than Aaron Judge. I then gotta listen to V2 chirp at me for a couple minutes about my play, as if I was the one who 4! with pocket sixes. I think my play was fine given all that info, though I hate playing high stakes bingo like that. Naturally both guys would get felted and leave, but I didn’t get a piece of any of it.

Hand 2/Bullet 2: I’m in LP with KTT9 sooted to the K. It’s opened to 15 by the previous V1 and we go 5 ways. Flop QT4ssx, I’ve got no spades. V1 pots, there’s 2 calls (V2 and a MAWW, seems competent but not much of a read, she's the only player at the table with significant chips) and it’s on me. I could raise but I elect to call and see a turn. Comes out an offsuit Q, and it’s checked to me. V1 I suppose could have QQ, but he could have anything tbh, and I would have thought QQ from a field caller would have raised the flop. So I figure I’m almost assuredly ahead, checked to me, I have slightly less than a psb left so I let it rip, MAWW had QQ. The lesson here is don’t play PP below JJ, which I almost never do. It was just the fact that V1 and his buddy had been in almost every hand, so I came along for the ride, got run over. I felt like the game warden in the original Jurassic Park, looking at the raptor in front of me before getting eaten by the one on the side. Clever girl.

Hand 3: the table has mostly turned over and the action has mostly tightened up. There’s an UTG straddle, 2 limps (one by a woman who had to be told by the dealer the “2 cards in your hand/three on the board” rule), I’m in CO with QJT8ccc. I pot 55, we go 4 to the flop. Q84ssx. Checked to me, 2 of the V’s have less than PSB remaining, the other guy has about 400 left. I think this is an obvious c-bet, though any spade draw is getting the right price. Anyway, I do bet 220, one of the V’s calls AI, while the one with 400 hems and haws before making the call. Turn is a spade ofc, and he donk shoves for about 175, I fold, he turns over the nuts. Sigh.

Other than that, I missed every flop I saw. If I had ever wanted to walk around naked in Vegas, tonight would have been the night, because despite the weather, I couldn’t even catch a cold. I won literally one pot all night, QQ66 in a limped pot where I turn a 6 and can only call a small bet before the board got uber scary on the river. I clock out early (by Vegas standards) at 1AM, -$1200. Not a fun start to the trip!

I’ve got a few random thoughts I’ll put up tomorrow. I also took some (probably terrible) night photos that I’ll look through and see what came of them. But I like to record my hands right after the session, so I might as well post this now.

And ty for checking in guys! I just glanced at the Rounders guy thread, man I should have read his system before I sat down. Maybe I'll see if I can catch him in the lobby....

Thank you for the TR. I hope you run better today but appreciate you sharing either way!

Subbed. You’re off to a good start, well at least with the writing. Don’t forget lots of pics.

You better fade that man unless you want to end up $10k in the hole. He's the Bellagio Assassin.

I love PLO HH's; good luck. I am looking forward to the next update.

Definitely go see Wayne Newton. If he's still alive?
Pro tip, Get the cheap seats. It's a really small venue.
It would be an added bonus of his cousin is in the audience again.
She's really beautiful and does look like Pocahontas!
I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you!

I have faith in your upcoming comeback. GLGLGLGL.

Photo bomb from last night. It was freezing so I wasn't spending too much time on little details, like making sure the camera was straight. :P









The first shot is walking back to Hollywood from Aria. The next three are from basically right outside my hotel. P-Ho is perfectly located if you're aiming for Aria/Bell action. I also am reasonably happy with the room. It's their new(ish) "Ultra Hip" room, the hip part apparently being wannabe edgy art on the walls, half of which is oversexualized females. YMMV. But it does have two kick-ass amenities. First is a soaker tub, was awesome to sink in it after last night's session. Second is a fridge, which at this price point (same as Linq et al) is totally baller.

Made my Trader Joe's run this morning, for the uninitiated TJ's is a cult-like grocery store that I am happy to worship at. It's like NXIVM, but instead of the sex you get kale. Anyway, I stocked my fridge with a bunch of their to-go salad bowls as well as hummus, fruit, crackers, and green juice. (Yes, I'm one of those people.) I'm a vegetarian, and vaguely health conscious, so not having to eat the usually depressing salads found outside of hippie circles is great. For lunch today I noshed on fresh veggies and hummus while obsessively reading NBA rumors; this is my idea of heaven. (Though in my heaven Kyle Lowry is noton the trading block; We The North will not stand for this.)

Is Remarque the All Quiet on the Western Front author? I remember not minding that book when assigned it in high school, which is high praise coming from a churlish 15-year old. (In that regard, I was an exceptional 15-year old.)

Wayne Newton is on the docket for next Monday, my final night in town. Assuming both he and I are still alive by then! Thank you for the pro tip, I def would have paid for the pricy ones.

Ubering to TJ's earlier, my driver pointed out that we drove past his palatial estate Shenandoah. It's like 5 city blocks wide and has a massive wall blocking out the peasants from viewing his abode. But I will still try and shake his hand!

Most of my life I've had an awesome photo-taking strategy: hang out with people who like taking photos. Flying solo is stretching the limits of my photo-ing, as well as the limits of a phone that has 8GB memory and still runs Lollipop.

Random thoughts from last night:

1. I've been around enough--more than some, less than many--but I'd never played at Aria before. For low-stakes ballers like me, I imagined it to be slightly glitzier than my local scene. What-eva. No lie, the very first two hands I see, dealer misread the board both times. We had another dealer who couldn't pitch or spread a board. Vaguely disappointing, like trying to get an autograph from your favorite player, just to find out he's a prick. Ah well, it actually helps me move on from PLO, since I want to see a bunch of rooms anyway.

2. Run it twice should not be allowed for any hand less than 200BB. ****ing took forever, plus the whole point of PLO is to find players who stupidly fire multiple bullets into the air like Yosemite Sam. For example, last night there was this one clown from Canada who just kept reaching into his pocket for more money.... (But srsly, **** RIT.)

3. Immediately upon entering both P-Ho and Aria, I was taken aback by the smoke. It's one of those things that intellectually I remembered, but man it's bad.

4. Also something I remembered only in the mind, but forgot the emotional needle that it is, is the hustle for every dollar that everyone around here is running. At the poker table I ordered the veggie burger, server tells me it's 10.95 plus tax, when the menu clearly states it's 9.95. "Oh yeah," not even a sorry. Who knows if the even charge tax? Anyway, I give her 13, a few minutes later she brings the burger, and is standing around waiting on another tip? STFU.

I believe that's most of the clouds that needed to be yelled at. They're lucky I was here to oblige.

So today after my heavenly 'hummus and NBA' lunch, I was wondering if a short session of 1/3 here at the hotel would be a good way to get back on track. But after some shockingly mature thought, I decided a better way to wash last night's taste from my mouth was Sensodyne toothpaste and heading to the gym to lift heavy things. The gym was better than I expected, it's spacious and had every apparatus I wanted except a cable row. It was good to spend an hour in a room where my grunting, groaning, and swearing is a sign of manliness and not tilt. Here's a selfie I took after my workout:



*Objects in mirror may be fatter than they appear

Pro tip: When the day comes when an impossibly young and beautiful dental hygenist has an earnest conversation with you about gum recession, start using Sensodyne toothpaste and buy yourself a home gym. I promise you this will help.

Yep that’s him. Penned three masterpieces imo (“Arch of Triumph” on top of the two already mentioned”) then the rest of his works become repetitive imo.

Great start, just run better now.

(Don't want to derail an enjoyable thread but PLO is a post-flop game and you want to flop much stronger than you did in those hands before stacking off).

End derail.

Edit: Misread the hand with set of T's so ignore that bit!)

Session 2: Panning for Gold

Last night I met up with my friend J and we headed downtown to the Golden Nugget. We were a bit crunched for time to get J registered for the 7pm tourney while I got on the waitlist for 1/2 (the only NL game they spread), and I forgot to take a stroll around! So I still haven't seen FSE, and there's no photos from DT. But the streets didn't seem busy at all, almost no one walking around outside, and it was way too cold to pretend I was going to ride the zipline anyway.

Quick aside: I've only been to LV in the spring and summer, when everything is a mob scene 24/7. This is my first winter trip, and the town feels so dead. I'm sure it doesn't help that it's (relatively speaking) cold af. I know, most of the continent just survived a coldpocalypse, and there was snow on the ground when I left my fair city, but no one plans a winter escape from Canada to end up with almost-freezing temeratures. Yeah, I know, it could be worse, at least we can still walk around without getting frostbite, but still.

All that was a long-winded way of saying what a great urban philosopher once said: Nobody gives a f*** about a 40 degree day.

Anyway, back inside the smoky confines of the Nugget, the place is hoppin'. Compared to the warehouse-sized casinos on the Strip, this one is cramped, low-ceilings, no grand walkways between areas. But I kind of like it: it is a nice change of pace, and if you prefer the feel of a slightly frayed at the edges experience, it's a fun detour from the anodyne Strip.

The poker room is also cramped, and only has drink service at the table, no food, but it was in many ways what we sometimes are looking for. I didn't table hop so we have to note that the data set is N=1, but overall there seemed to be less nitty MAWGs who don't spew, no bro-tastic bachelor parties, no buttoned down conventioneers. (The 7pm donkament probably siphoned off some of the older folks.) My table was mostly bad locals and non-studious tourists.

The real draw to this poker room (for crushers like us) is that the buy in is uncapped. I'm called to a newly opened table, and I think 8 of the 9 seats bought in for at least $300, which seemed promising. One jag off 20's WM bought in for about 2K and definitely had the look of a kid who thinks he's the best player in the room. (You're sitting at a 1/2 game, kid.) I thought about covering him but that would have seemed equally stupid, so I settled on starting at $500 and quietly adding on throughout the night in order to cover The Reason For The Season, the drunk local in seat 1: friendly, fun, and downing at least 2 brandys an hour (plus whatever head start he had before we sat down).

There's an old WPT video where it's down to 3 players, including Eric Lindgren and Scotty Nguyen, who's drunk as a skunk and really obnoxious. Naturally Scotty busts Eric, who laments, "Sometimes you just can't beat a drunk," and that was a bit how I felt last night. I mean, I did cash out ahead, but I was mostly card dead, while Mr. Brandy took me for a ride a couple of times. At least my guy was friendly.

There's no real HHs to speak of. Depending on where you are in your poker journey, you may understand me when I say that 1/2 almost never has anything intellectually challenging or even interesting about it. Make hands, bet for vaule, and when you're against a guy like Mr. Brandy (preflop stats prob 67/50), you flop TP and hope it holds up. There were two younger males who kept it spicy with some big bluffs; entirely predictably they both left down. Mr. Brandy was the table's big winner, and also the only real source of entertainment, so it was all good. He left up quite a bit; predictably I cashed out soon after he left, just after midnight with $1136, which sounds awesome for a 1/2 game until I reveal that I kept topping up until I was in the game for $1K. So it was respectable without being earth-shattering, which may someday double as my epitaph, minus the respectable part of course.

The only other interesting thing of note is that at GN, $100 bills play. I suppose this gives it a more fun vibe for people who still watch Poker After Dark reruns. Mostly it saves them needing to employ chip runners, and personally I found it annoying, as it can be pretty hard to tell how much someone has. (It did mess me up in one hand.) The advantages are that I could discreetly top up as needed, and that anything that makes it easier for a fish to get money on the table is something we should welcome.

I did remember to grab a chip (which I forgot at Aria), but I spaced out and didn't get a chipstack porn shot. Which is sad, as Bluffy The Poker Clown loves having photos of him on a mountain of chips (and bills in this case).

thx for the update; MOAR PLO plz