Did laundry today. My pants were so musky/smokey/dirty from all the casino smells and smoke so it was nice to wear a clean pair.

On recommendation of housemates, went to Mandalay Bay today. Parked at adjacent Delano whose entrance was visually stunning. Bought in for max $300 at $1/$2 (their only game...small room). Early on I 3! an EP open to $12 from the btn to $38 with ATo. Raiser calls. Flop: K-T-3ddh. He donks $30. I call, putting him on a diamond draw. Turn: 6h. He bets $50 I call. River: 8h, completing backdoor flush but bricking diamonds. He jams $100 I tank call he has QJo. Nice pot.

Then check option with KJo and flop broadway no flush draw. Pot it $12, two callers. Putting them on two pair combos mainly. $26 on brick turn with backdoor spades, both call. Backdoor spade completing river but no board pair and I bet $60. Only Mr. QJo calls with flopped bottom two QT. Up around $250 at this point but I was only a couple hours into the session if that, way too early to leave. I certainly could have switched to Bellagio but the strip was still closed due to marathon.

Later I misplayed kings in horrific fashion, limping behind in MP, raising a QT3dd flop, jamming turn 4s. Same V who I stacked earlier had limped in with T-3o and flopped bottom two. I was kicking myself under the table hard for that epic fumble.

Many uneventful hands followed in which I'd raise and get out flopped. Eventually called a $6 LP raise with J9o on btn and flop 449hxx. Raiser cbet $15, I called. Turn Jh. I check called $30. River 6h. He bet $60. I was only beating Jx and bluffs as I struggled to think of what overpairs he'd raise to $6 with. Of course backdoor hearts got there too. I eventually made the call and to my chagrin he rolled over AThh. I was very close to folding this one.

Got 3! Squeeed by this older European dude playing $1,000 to $50 - both times he had AQo and I folded a pair. Very tough playing small and mid pairs to 3! when you are only playing 5x the 3! Size. Made life difficult. Very close to changing tables.

No food service in poker room (yikes!) so had to walk to a nearby restaurant where you can only buy whole pizzas. I used my comps and got it for $3. It was worth maybe ten cents. Way too salty; I didn't even bring the leftovers home - and I am a cold pizza fanatic.

Returned and won a couple small pots, then raised $16 over two limpers with AKo and flop A-3-4ddd. I have no diamond. V who limp called calls a $15 cbet. Turn: Qs. V checks and I bet $20. He c/r to $60 and I just let it go. Shortly thereafter I called it a night down $465 in 8 hours.

Just found this thread. Looks good so far, gonna follow.

Going to the Wynn today. Just woke up, drinking my morning diuretic aka coffee, then heading to casino (many thanks to Zefa for lending me the Civic).

Stopped by Jinya Ramen on my way to the Wynn / Encore. Good food. Then hopped in $1/$3 at the very swanky Wynn poker room. Actually, the whole Wynn property is super swanky. Walking around the place, I felt totally poor. As roommates said, the poker cocktail waitresses were the best looking.

Dumbo wasn't able to fly this session. Ran QT into KQ on AQQ and lost some to a shorty. Then 3! a loose shorty with JhJx and GII on 659hhh flop. He had KhTx and made the flush. Decided to play some PLO. We were short handed pretty quickly as soon after I showed up more people left. I stacked a shorty with QQ on QJ899. Up around $100 in PLO.

Then moved to $2/$5. A very deep game with $1,500 cap. Bought in for $450. L/rr KK to $250 in a straddle and a raise and call to $55. Took it down pre. 3! AA to $170 over an EP open and a call. Took it down. Players were loose gamboly types so I thought sizing up was a good idea.

Then called a raise on btn with AK and BB 3! to $90. We both called. I whiffed and BB, a solid player named Joe, ended up stacking btn on J33TA runout with AA.

Then opened JTcc and got one caller. Flopped top two JT7hh. Turn Ax and I check folded to a pot sized $50 bet. Too nitty? I went back to $1/$3 after this hand concerned that I was playing slightly scared.

No big pots at $1/$3 take two until I made the nut straight on A-2-8-9-3 runout with 54ss. (Flopped flush draw plus gutter.) V had A3. Made a good $200 that hand.

All in all ended down $82 over 15 hours. Best part of the night was the rigatoni and meatballs from Allegro. (Worst part: the pomegranate juice.) Oh, also slow rolled this extremely annoying short stack who at one point took out his chewing gum and showed it to us all, then went on touching the cards. It was gross.

Went back to Wynn again. Couldn't resist.

Started in short-handed PLO game where I missed every draw imaginable and somehow chopped AA v. QQ in huge 4! pot. Then got a little less stuck when I flopped the nut straight and V called my raise otf and jammed when he turned top set. We ran it twice (which you can do here; yippie) and I scooped. Still -$300.

Sat in $2/$5 for ten minutes until a $1/$3 seat opened up. Bought in for max $500. 1/3 was almost the polar opposite of PLO. Flopped a bunch of sets, but lost a big 3! pot where I raised $17 in CO over two limpers with AQdd, SB 3! $43, I call. Flop A-K-3cc. He bets $40 I call. Turn: 2s. He jams $125 I tank call he has KKK.

Then flopped bottom boat with 22 on 6-2-6cc. Pfr bet big on flop ($40) and turn ($80) so I put him on overpair. I c/r turn to $280 and unfortunately he folded.

Then rivered flush against a set but he folded to my river jam for his last $120. Still, up $376 in 1/3. Overall ended up a little over $70 in around 8 hours.

Wynn is my favorite casino so far. The poker room is pretty, the 1/3 players are fun and laid back, food is tasty, parking is free with validation from poker room. (Downsides: comps only $1.50/hr. compared to $2 elsewhere. No promos either.)

Tonight headed to the Westgate for Neeme and Owen's $2/$3 meetup game.

Oh what a swingy day.

Started at Westgate for Neeme and Owen's meetup game. Arrived five minutes to seven only to find out that people call in ahead of time and show up super early to get a seat. The floorman was very abrupt with me when I asked for a seat. He barked: "only people on the list!" Pretty unpleasant way to be greeted. I don't think they are used to a packed poker room at the Wastegate so he must have been a little overwhelmed. (Yes I said Wastegate. It's dingy inside and outside is not the best area in town.)

So I had to sit in the $1/$2 while I waited for a $2/$3 meetup game seat to open up. Sat down, asked the dealer if the casino pays comps so I could get a card. He didn't even answer my question. Maybe it was a language barrier issue? The players' chairs didn't have wheels on them. The playing cards were too thick. The bathroom was cramped and had only two tiny stalls.

The game itself was pretty soft. I started up $300 in the first hour then slowly bled down to +$50 when I was finally called for the $2/$3 (but only after I reminded the floor that I was on the list. They were pretty disorganized).

First table I'm with Neeme to my left. Drats! We are playing 72 and button game. I raise 33 utg and Neeme calls along with btn. We all check a QT2r flop. I bet an A ott and they both fold. DumbosTrunk: 1. Neeme: 0. (I jest. Kinda.)

Neeme was clearly tilted that I beat him that hand and so ten minutes later he changed tables....

Thankfully his replacement stacked off to me after I raised 22, he called with AJ. Flop: 22A. I let him bet all threee streets (including the river which was a magical J.) I check ship river he snaps and I win all the monies! Then I won the button game which had increased to $70. I decided to sit in $1/$2 for the min buy in ($50!) until I got paid for my high hand for quads which I got and then promptly left for the whimsical Wynn. Up $500 between the two Westgate games.

Started in PLO where I got stacked two hands in a row. First one call a raise with 6789 and flop 7TJ. I flop the nuts but am up against a wrap and flush draw so I'm actually a dog against both villains. We gii and of course one of them wants to run it once and of course I'm outdrawn by both of them. -$400. Then I l/rr AAQ3hh to $170 and gambler calls with KQJ3 and jams a K54r flop. I call and he wants to run it once and if course he rivers two pair. Fml. -$800 in 30 minutes. I left for $1/$3 while they all laughed at the fishy nutpeddler's misfortune.

The poker gods smiled upon me in $1/$3 where I won almost every pot I was involved in and ran it up from $300 to $1,000 in a few hours. Of note: raised A6cc, got 3! small, called because hey I'm stuck heaps and need to gamble, and gii on 5-7-8dd. I turn the straight against his KK. Also flopped two pair and held like five times including once in 3! pot against a shorty.

One of the players is someone I recognized from back home at MGM. She's actually a local Vegas pro who was visiting the East coast and recently took a shot at $10/$20 where she lost half her roll. She asked if I thought about moving to Vegas. I wonder....

To my credit I am getting very good at isolating limpers in position and taking it down on boards that favor my range. That alone has made me lots of money here.

Overall up just under $400 in eight hours. DumbosTrunk lives to fight another day in Vegas.

Another tough day. Went to Wynn $1/$3. Sat down, got chips, then thirty seconds later a player says he wants my seat. I begrudgingly oblige. Player to my right then says I didn't have to give up the seat since I'd already gotten my chips. I asked dealer if that was correct and he calls the floor. Floor says he can have the seat. Five minutes later floor returns and admits he was wrong but won't correct things now.

I ask for a table change.

New table is utter trash. I saw pretty much no mistakes the entire game. I lost $300 raising and missing. Decided to go to Bellagio for change of scenery where I was greeted with a strong cigarette smell wafting through the poker room. (This tends to happen there since the room is directly adjacent to slots and a bar.) Got stacked by some older British guy to my right when I called his utg raise with 77 and flopped K73. Turn 4. River 3. He jammed river I snapped he had kings full. He says "the way you snap called I thought you had quad 3s." OMCs....

Later we were five handed and I 3! AJo on btn versus competent young Asian dude. He called. Flop Q high. We checked 9 turn and on K river I bet $30. He c/r to $90. Very frustrating. I let it go wishing I'd taken my showdown value with A high.

Ran up second $300 Bellagio buy in to $550. Flopped quad aces but v had very little. Flopped two boats in a row but Vs again had very little. Then our table broke. Lost a few pots. I 3! bluffed 97hh in SB against a btn open and flopped wonderfully: A-7-3hh. I cbet and we checked bricks on the turn and river. I didn't improve against his AQo. Also 3! 40 y/o Danish guy three times in an hour - once with KQss, second time with AQo, third time with AKo. First time he improve to a pair and I didn't. Second time he open folded AQo. Third time he four bet one twenty and I tank folded.

Overall down just under seven hundred. Tonight will try Planet Hollywood then probably heading back to the Wynn. Hopefully the games will be better.

Started at Planet Hollywood (PH) tonight. The journey from the parking lot to the casino was long and windy. I had to walk through a strip mall to get there.

In short, PH is a casino for people in their early 20s who haven't gotten all the party out of them. Once inside, I was greeted by nonstop loud, bad, early 2000s dance music. The bars came equipped with chicks gyrating their hips in pink lace thongs on tabletop. The whole casino had a clublike feel; a club in the suburbs of New Jersey.

The poker room is more of an "area" than a room. No barriers separate the poker tables from the rest of the floor. I sat in $1/$2 where I bought in for max $300, raised a few times and missed. Bled down to $100 when I finally got AQo and made it $15. Six callers to a flop of A-7-9r. BB leads $55, I ship it, he has AKo. Switched tables where nothing happened. Between the cigarette smoke in the air and the sounds of "Gas Pedal" playing at full blast, I was getting a major headache. It was time to leave, down $300.

Drove over to ... yes, Wynn again. Ran it up around $260. Sat to left of a couple regulars who are buddies. One dude was Italian and 6'9", the other looked Philippino and was maybe 5'0". Quite the odd couple. The short guy said he wished he could play like me. Lol! Apparently he thought I was a pro because he'd seen me there frequently. Not the best image to have at a table, but I'll take it. Better than being labeled the fish.

Later raised A9cc utg got five callers flop 5-6-8cc. I cbet, French guy calls. Turn Kc. I check it to him and he takes the bait and bets. River is a blank and I check he ships I snap he has j high for missed gutshot.

Ordered pizza off the dine in menu ($9 service fee plus 18% gratuity) because Allegro was closed. $34 pizza minus $17 in comps equals $17 pizza. Unlike the pizza from Mandalay Bay, it tasted quite good and I will be eating the other half for breakfast cold.

Before I left this guy who'd been waiting for a seat for a while sat to my right. He's the same individual who demanded my seat the other night after I had sat down and gotten my chips. He was quite bossy about it then and he didn't stop tonight. As soon as he sat down he ordered me to give him five blue chips for one of his Redbirds. I said "if you say please," and he mockingly said please. I gave him his damn blue chips.

Then he asked if the uneaten pizza on the table between us was mine. I said no. (I had a feeling if I told him the truth he'd find a way to spill his coffee onto it.) Funny this exchange took place because soon thereafter the floor came by and asked why I hadn't started eating the pizza. I explained I was waiting for a to go box. Then the dude asked why I lied to him and I told him point blank that he rubbed me the wrong way because of how he asked for blue chips. He shut up.

I guess when you play at a casino that charges a bazillion dollars a night for a room you're bound to run into an entitled prick or two. I honestly hope I never see him at a poker table ever again.

Overall down $38 tonight. Two nights left before heading home. I'm looking forward to seeing family, friends, and the puppies. It's been a long f*cking trip.

Went to Venetian tonight on suggestion of host Zefa. I didn't want to go initially because the owner is against online poker. He said it was worth one visit at least.

It's a nice casino but honestly nothing special. Certainly classier than The Orleans and the downtown casinos. Spread $2/$5 and $1/$2. Sat in $1/$2 where I ran well. Raised QQ, got one caller. Flop 10-3-3. I bet $20, he calls. Turn: 5. I check he bets $50 I call. River: Q. I check, he bets $180, I jam he snaps with TT for the flopped underfull.

Later called a raise with QQ in SB and GII with a short stack otf. His nut flush draw missed. Didn't hurt than I improved to top set ott. At this point up $300. Raised and missed a couple times. Eventually I raised again and this young dude says "all he does is raise." That passed me off to no end. I told him not to comment on other players' play. I lost that hand and decided it was time to leave as I clearly was not welcomed at the table. Happy to take my money elsewhere. Left for Wynn up $260.

At Wynn, soon after I sat down two young $2/$5 and $5/$10 players sat down to my left and right. I was not pleased. Called one of their utg raises utg+1 with AKo. Flop K-8-3cc. He bets $15, I raise to $40, he calls. Turn: 7x. He checks I bet $60, he crai for my remaining $350. I snap folded wondering whether I'd just been pushed around by a better player.

Then I call a raise from an aggressive Swedish player on the btn with AQo. Flop Q-3-5ss. All check to me and I bet $30. He c/r $125. I folded again knowing he certainly had draws in his range.

I decided it was time for a table change. Called a raise with AKo in BB and flop K-T-3r. Checks around. I bet $25 ott and raiser calls. River: Js brining backdoor flush. I bet $30, he ships it for my remaining $200, I folded. Seems like I kept running into it tonight. Ended down $600 at the Wynn. So down around $340 overall.

Looks like this will be a slightly winning to break even trip. Beats losing.

Golden Nugget for last session this trip. Read elsewhere that it has the best games and tonight was no exception. Very juicy with one German whale keeping the game going all night. I left once he got short stacked. Unfortunately a fifty year old rock at the table stacked him flush over flush.

Ended up $252 in 9 hours largely due to making top set against an overpair. Got food at diner in the casino (Claim Jumper I think). Delicious hash browns with the omelette.

Off to airport in a couple hours, then back home. Made a meager $735 this trip, $200 from high hands, in 124 hours over 16 days. Basically broke even in cash games and what I won came from tournament play. So at least poker paid for the trip. I definitely have leaks in my game but at least I learned more here and will continue to work on plugging them. Will definitely be back soon.

Many thanks again to Zefa and his housemates for putting up with me. Couldn't have asked for a better host and company.

You should handle that better. If all it takes to make you tilt so hard you rage quit is a "all he does is raise" you'll have problems.

Sure it's a bit of a OPTAH violation but who cares? The funny thing is I've gotten comments ranging from "He's the tightest player I've ever seen" to "All he does is raise every hand". The geniuses have my game so figured out after a 30 hand sample that they can boldly proclaim to the table how I play.

Understand how that player perceives you (it's nice that he's tell you how he perceives you) and decide if that affects how the other players at the table perceive you (often they're not even paying attention) and go from there.

Good point. It wasn’t so much tilt as punishing the know it all jerk by taking the money off the table. (Although it didn’t help that I’d lost the last three hands I’d raised a row.)

Also, I thought I’d make some general comments on Vegas play.

As others have already pointed out, the games are tougher on average. People at the table talk strategy, about “bet-folding,” about twoplustwo (!), and other topics that indicate people in Vegas study the game. Complete morons are few and far between.

Along the same lines, players aggressively seat change, often multiple times per session - or per hour. And unlike back home, it’s not because they’ve been card dead, it’s because they want a strategic advantage over a good player or a big stack. It gets annoying
pretty quickly when a deepstacked pro takes the seat immediately to your left. This was a huge turn off that marked Vegas games in particular.

Tables are generally not as friendly. Most are marked by stone silence.

Dealers, many no doubt veterans, tend to comment on play after hands are over much more often than back home. Once I raised river on a 777JQ runout and after I was called the dealer said “that has to be quads.” Another time, I CRAI otr and the dealer announced “and the all in,” as if he anticipated it. Thankfully V called anyway, but his implicit commentary was not appreciated. Another time a player asked if he could straddle the button and the dealer said “it’s a huge strategic advantage” to do so.

Not as many people wear headphones. I think this is a good thing. I brought mine on the trip but did not use them for the most part. It’a probably pretty odd-putting to rec players.
One thing I’ll probably cut back on home too.

The rake isn’t as bad, with most casinos charging between $3 and $5. When games reach four handed, there is no rake.

Not poker related but I’ll mention it anyway: LV drivers are selfish as f*ck. Probably reflects the “me” mentality endemic to gambling.

For all the reasons you mentioned I love going off on Vegas grinders. If you come across as a tourist/fish/whale/rec player then fake rage quitting is a great way to teach those idiots a lesson.

LV’s take is probably the best in the country? I hate the 10% 5+2 rake back in MD live

Yeah back home now and I’m dreading the $5+$2.

Rake can be prohibitive at 1/2 and 1/3. However, when playing 2/5+ the increase in rake tends to be more than made up for by the softness of games outside of Vegas.

The "legal" card rooms here in Texas have very low take. I believe $10/hr plus a membership fee (which is $10/day, $30/month, or $300/year) is normal.

A little pre-Thanksgiving poker with a bunch of friends at MGM last night. Was finally well rested after my trip back (had pulled all nighter before flight). Played $1/$3 and was very thankful that we have such a nice poker room here. Beats most if not all the Vegas rooms in terms of game selection, spaciousness, and brightness (and, importantly, the lack of smoking).

Ran QQ into KK once, lost a flip AK v. 77 AI pre, and before long was in for $800 when I 3! KK on BTN over EP raise and LP call to $85 and they both called. Flop: K-Q-Jr. EP checks, LP jams $101, I hollywood and call, EP re-jams, I snap, EP has JJJ, LP has AK, I hold for a $750 pot. I'm about even at this point and had already signed up for the $50 bounty tournament. I busted twice. Lost my first AI pre AK v. 44, rebought, lost second AI pre AJ v. K8. $210 per buy in.... Stupid donkaments. Won't be playing one of these for a long time.

Down $460.

Good sesh, albeit rocky start. L/rr a LAG who was 3! with AK. We both lose to his K7 (trip 7s). Other dude had QQ. Then raised and called a small 3! with one other callers in between with J9hh. Flop flush draw (backdoor straight draw), threebettor and caller in between are AI otf, I call, I miss against overpair and top set.

Then build back up, first 3! KK and GII on 9-high flop against TT, I go runner runner quad Ks. Then I flush over flush same V with AQdd against her KJdd on 5-7-9ddd. Later I wake up with AA in BB over SB raise to $20, I 3! $95, he jams $280 with KK, I hold.

Overall up just under $400 in around 7 hours. Nice thing about this session is that I was introducing my buddy Jeff to the glamorous world that is live low stakes NL. His second session at MGM NH! :P

AA 3b size seems way too big and kinda guarantees we only get action from the top of their range surely?

I had a pretty strong read that the SB was very strong. He hadn't been very active since sitting down. And most people don't make it $20 limped to them in the SB without a premium hand. Seemed like good reasons to size up and get him committed.

Did free bar poker yesterday and took the night off from MGM. Was tired/not feeling it. What better reasons not to play. Besides, a day off to rest is always a good thing, no?

The past couple months have been difficult results-wise. October was a break-even month and November is in the red by close to $1k. My hourly has fallen well below its peak in the high $20s. Now I'm happy if I can stay close to $10/hr. Reversion to the mean I guess. While I fully acknowledge that some of this resulted from looser Hold 'Em play (and certainly playing more PLO), I can't help but think that much of it is simply not running as good as I did over the summer.

I guess in times like these it's important to remember that poker is one long session and there will be peaks and valleys along the way.

Now that my roll is not as healthy as it used to be, I have an excuse to tighten up. When my roll reached its peak, I likely became overconfident and deviated from the fundamentals. Also, playing live with Jeff should help with that too. Wouldn't want to set a bad example for the newcomer!

Heading back later today. Let's see what happens.

Not with AA. They are much more likely to "catch up" with a hand that you beat, like top pair, than they are to out flop you. With AA you want to raise to a size that they can call.

Last night was a Saturday. 'Nuff said.

Just kidding. I actually made money this time! Ran very good. Raised 33 twice, flopped a set both times (got paid once). Raised AA out of BB, got four callers, 66285 runout, Jeff flopped quad sixes, stacked a guy who turned top boat. I lost the minimum ($36), taking the hint when Jeff went AI otr for $500.

Called a raise with 22, flop 2-3-6ss, raised $25 cbet to $60, another dude jammed $150 with combo draw, I snap, and a 3s otr gives him a flush but fills me up.

Called a raise with QQ, called donk on KKT, turn J went check/check, river Q, got called by T9 for low end of straight.

Short stack 3! AI $65, I 4! to $100 with QQ, hold against shorty's ATss.

Limped pot, c/r A2dd to $40 with nut flush draw on K74dd, got called in one spot, bet $50 on 8d turn, bet $100 on Ks river, got called by trip kings. Not sure if I sized appropriately on this one.... We were $700 effective.

Missed one big draw in limped pot with A4cc, flopped nut flush draw, turned open ender as well, I b/b, missed and check/folded river.

Overall up $621 in 9 hours.

It's great to play with Jeff at the same table. We keep each other on our A game. He's a very good (nitty/nutpeddling) player. Reminds me of how I played when I first started. His presence keeps me from doing foolish things. I was so appreciative that I treated us to dinner at the nice Chinese place downstairs.

Thanks for the comps, MGM. But your rake still blows chunks.

Since you're the second person to comment that my 3! with AA is too big, it probably is. I'll size down a bit from now on. Still have to go big enough to deny setmining odds though!

Yesterday was your average raise/miss, never have the nuts, never get paid off, never cooler anyone, run-of-the-mill session. It added up to -$386 over 7 hours. At a table with a whale that kept the game alive (except that he left for an hour and came back with a friend whose presence likely kept him somewhat in check). Whale eventually went busto and I made the mistake of not table transferring at this point.

The only two "big" hands I was involved in, I lost. First, raised 66, get one caller, flop As-4s-9h. I cbet $15, he calls. Turn: 6s. I bet $25, he calls, river 2s, I bet $35, he jams, I fold.

Bleed down to comically short stack ($36), jam over EP open with 88, SB cold calls, original raiser calls, and they both have AJ and both flop two pair, chopping up my money. Rebuy for max. I'd had enough of this short stack nonsense for one night.

Then, complete SB with 67dd in six-way limped pot, flop JxT8dd. Short stack open jams $100, everyone folds to me (I know Jeff in BB is folding based on the way he is holding his cards), I call with my gutshot straight flush draw, V's JT boats ott and the Ad otr does me no good.

Later raise AK, get five callers, flop A-J-4dd (I have no diamond), I check once otf, BTN bets $55 into $60, SB calls, BB jams $250, I pretty quickly muck, BTN re-jams $600, SB tanks calls with nut flush draw and misses against both Vs' . . . AJ.

Only set I flopped was when the BTN limped, I raised $15 with AA, BB folded, BTN called, flop A-T-4r. I checked once, V checked behind, I bet $15 on J turn, checked a 5 otr and V checked behind. I was hoping he'd bluff at it, but I guess he had a T or J. Missed one street of value this hand. Probably could have squeezed another $25 out of him. Can't imagine I was getting stacks in by the river unless he had me beat. Sigh. There's always the next session.