Since I enjoy reading everybody else's trip reports so much, I figured I would do a trip recap from my visit to Vegas last month. This was my second trip to Vegas, and my first solo trip. The main focus of the trip was mixed games. I can play NLHE whenever I want, so I told myself that I wouldn't play any of it while I'm there and would instead play all the other games that I don't get to play all that often. Starting bankroll was $4,000.

June 20th

I got to Vegas at about 8:00 AM. I stayed at Excalibur, primarily because I'm cheap and it was closeish to some of the other places I wanted to play. I was able to check in early, so a quick stop at the room to drop off my bag and cash and I was right back out the door. First stop: The Rio.

For some god forsaken reason, I was thinking that since I haven't been to Vegas in two years, I should walk there so I could see the strip again. I walked from the Rio to the strip last time I was there, so figured it wouldn't be too bad. Last time it was at 10:00 PM and not 9:00 AM though, so it was hot as hell. Big mistake.

Get there and jump straight into the 20/40 mix that was running at the WSOP. I'd read up on the games, so didn't feel that I was completely lost, but it took an adjustment. The game I sat in was very aggressive, a lot of raising and 3-betting, so the swings were huge.

Pretty early on, I forget the exact action but we were playing A-5 TD and I end up with a wheel for a pretty decent pot, about $400. I was the HJ and the BU kept betting every street, so when I hit my wheel on the third draw I checked to him hoping he would bet again, but he checked behind. Probably should have bet out there and probably would have picked up at least 2 more bets.

Later, and the hand that has given me nightmares since. We're playing Dramaha 2-7. I get dealt a 9-7 low in my hand, flop comes out and gives me three pair. I believe I had a possible straight draw as well, but for some reason I decided to break my hand, and I pair the 3 in my hand. Turn gives me four pair, it goes bet call call. River gives me quad 3's.

The board reads something like 3s5s7d6s3d. Guy bets in front of me, I think he has the 2-7 part so I call to draw in the guy behind me. The guy behind me raises, guy in front of me raises, I raise, last guy caps it. This was a kill, so we each put in $300 on the river alone, and my quads lose to a straight flush and an A low in hand The guy behind me had a full house, and main villain scoops about a $1500 pot.

End up busting out of the mixed game and head back to Excalibur to eat and some losing Blackjack, then head to the Orleans to play the nightly O8 tournament. Run extremely card dead in that, knocked out right after the break and rebuy period, and head back to the hotel to go to bed.

June 21st

Tonight, an old friend from the Air Force is picking me up and we're going to hit up Fremont street where his sister performs as one of the Dancing DJ's and has us spots in one of the patio bars overlooking the stage.

First things first, head back over to the Rio again for some mixed game action. No really memorable hands, but end up busting out again due to a combination of run bad and play bad. I went back to Excalibur and was thinking I need to find something to do to kill some time until that night. When I was walking by the poker area, a 1-2 NLHE game was just about to start, so I figured what the hell, cheap entertainment and a way to kill some time.

A combination of run good and a table full of fish made it one of the best NLHE sessions I've every played. I bought in for $300 and ended up cashing out $900 a little while later. I had one extremely memorable hand from the session.

Button has about 230, I have about 600. Button opens for 10, I 3-bet from the small blind to 30 with AKo. He calls, flop comes out T63 rainbow. I bet 40, he calls. Turn comes an 8. He has 160 behind, and I barrel and bet 100. He hems and haws a bit, trying to talk and get a reaction for me, and eventually asks the dealer if he can show his cards. She says he can as it's heads up, and he flips over QQ. Still no reaction from me, and after a few minutes he...FOLDS!!! I showed my AK, and his buddy on my left would not stop giving the guy hell for it. Turned into a great time, with many drinks had by all of us.

Finally, my friend picks me up and we had to Fremont street. Watch the show, and his sister tells us that her and some friends are hitting up some bars afterwards. We're all game, and we head to the first bar, where they don't let me in because I'm wearing basketball shorts. We end up bouncing around to a couple of different places before we end up at Atomic Liquor? East of Fremont street on the other side of the container park. Close the place down at 4:00 AM and head back to the hotel to pass out. Great time on Fremont street.

June 22nd

Once I stagger out of my bed in my hungover state, it's time to head to the Rio for the tournament that I came to Vegas for: the $625 mega to the $5300 mega to the $50k PPC. We get a whopping 17 entries for it (Chris Moneymaker included), so first place gets the seat to the mega while 2nd gets $3800. I felt I was playing ok, though I did absolutely butcher a PLO hand at one point to get very short stacked. Double up a couple of times in the Stud8 round, and we're down to 2 tables and 9 player left.

Playing NLHE, get dealt 78dd and open, get called by the button. Flop comes out Q97 with one diamond. I bet, button calls. Turn comes the 9d. I check, button bets, and I push. He calls and has KTo, 1 diamond. Hits one of his tens on the river, and I'm out in 9th.

Head back to Excalibur, and jump in a NLHE game again. Only memorable hand was losing with AA to T7s when he hit two pair on the river, and I ended up leaving up $100. Eat a little something at the food court and lose some more in BJ, end up just hitting the bar for a while that night.

June 23rd

The plan for the day was to play the other $625 mega, but I have a big problem: I only have $900 left out of my starting bankroll, so I need to build up a little bit. Decide to skip the tournament and go to the Aria to play the $2-5 NLHE game as a way to chase losses. Get to the Aria at about 10 AM and get a seat within 5 minutes of getting there. On the way there, I was telling myself that these guys will be better than I'm used to, so I need to stay disciplined and just play smart and I'll be fine.

I must have got the dream table draw, because everybody at the table was a rec. Later, there was one guy who sat down who I had pegged as a possible pro, but everybody else was very fishy and would call down a lot. The only hand that stands out was when I won a decent pot with KK against the possible pro, but all in all it was a pretty mild, fun session. Bought in for $500 (usually buy in for max if possible, but because I was so down for the trip went with less) and ended up cashing out for $1300, which I believe is my best profit in a NLHE session I've ever had.

Swing by Caesar's Palace to make a sports bet for a friend (Nebraska to win the college football National Championship lol) and hit Flamingo to play some PLO. Pretty unremarkable session except for the guy who was giving somebody else hell for calling a raise preflop with 3456ds, and cashed out even. Finally get back to Excalibur at about 2:00 AM and play some more blackjack, this time winning about 1k.

June 24th

Last day, and here's the situation. Came out here with $4k, at one point I took out another $500 because I forgot to grab all I needed out of the safe, so a total of $4500. I have $2k in my pocket.

I got all checked out, and could just hit the bar until I have to leave for my flight, or I can gamble a bit more and try and get closer to even. I end up hitting the blackjack tables again (I need to stay the hell away from blackjack, probably my biggest leak in a casino), and give back the 1k that I won the night before. After that, it was time to head to the airport and head home.

All in all, it was obviously not a profitable trip. I lost a total of $3500 while I was there, but had a lot of fun, and it was a nice little break from home. I'm taking that $1k and going to try and build up another little roll for another trip, definitely next year during the series, if not before. I think I'm going to target the $1,500 O8 tournament next year, as I've wanted to play it the last couple of years and it just hasn't worked out.

Pics next time bruh.

Thanks. Respect for taking the time to write up a TR you didn’t commit to when you didn’t run well.

5 days losing 3500 is only $700/day. Not ideal but hopefully not devastating to the life roll. Better luck next time.

Ditto. Thanks for sharing!

Thank you for the trip report.