1) staying at The Signature at MGM Grand

2) schedule is

9th June - $1500 Millionaire Maker
10th June - $1500 Millionare Maker
11th June - $2620 Marathon
12th June - $1100 Venetian Doublestack
13th June - $3000 6 Max
14th June - $1600 Venetian 6 Max
15th June - $1100 Wynn NL
16th June - $1000 Double Stack
17th June - $1000 Double Stack
18th June - $1600 MSPT
19th June - $1600 MSPT
20th June - $1600 MSPT
21st June - $2500 NL Rio
22nd June - $10/$20 Bellagio Cash Game
23rd June - $1500 Monster Stack

3) Venetian and Wynn for tournaments. Cash games at Bellagio and Aria.

4) daily deepstacks and planet Hollywood due to rake and poor dealers.

1. 2 weeks at the beginning of June. Booked 6 nights at Main Street Station, then have 3 free nights at Suncoast in Summerlin and 4 nights in a Petite Suite at TI.

2. Trying to hit as many PLO tournaments as I can. Right now I’m looking at the Binions $365 on the 6th, Aria $470 on the 9th, WSOP $1k on the 12th and Wynn $550 on the 13th if I bust out Day 1 at the Rio. Also thinking of the $1600 6-max at Venetian on the 10th if things are going well, and possibly the $600 HORSE at Venetian on the 4th. I’m on the fence about the WSOP $565 PLO on the 8th, with unlimited re-entry it seems like the play could be pretty psycho, and I only have one bullet. Might try the Razz at Binions that day just to torture myself 😄

3. No idea right now. Might try to sit in a PLO game at Aria at some point.

4. Nothing I’m going out of my way to avoid, but I doubt I’ll be playing at the Golden Nugget at all despite being downtown for a week. I wasn’t impressed with any of their events in previous years.

I changed my reservation to the Flamingo as it was the cheapest on the strip for a CET property.

I noticed the prices can fluctuate a lot. When I was making my new reservation last night the price was $1350 for 10 nights spread between the RIO and Flamingo for the cheapest rates. I had trouble signing up online for multiple reservations though and had to call the reservation hotline. While I was on the phone the price they quoted me was higher than what was online by around $10.00.

While I was on hold I updated the rate calendar and the price did a nose dive. It went from $1350 for 10 nights spread between RIO and Flamingo to Flamingo being the cheapest every day. Ended up being only $800 after the nose dive which saved me $550 all while on the phone with reservations.

I would advise people who have already booked to keep an eye on hotel prices. Could save you a nice sum on money. It is easier to just cancel and rebook.

Concur...they are not as frequent as the airline fluctuations, but there is a fair amount of movement. At least with the hotels, you are not locked in and can more easily make a change without incurring some manner of fiscal penalty.

I've never really spent enough time to discern a pattern with hotel rates though...there is at least some consistency on when airline fares change.

Yep, I switched two nights ago to Planet Hollywood from Paris, which I am excited about. I selected Paris before but no Poker there for the times I want to play close to the room. Easier to Aria and Bellagio.

Paris is definitely closer to the Bellagio poker room than PH, but you'll be making a surprisingly long walk to either place from either hotel.

How did you manage that? Do you play there a lot?

Boyd’s been sending me mailers since my last trip to Vegas two years ago. I played a fair bit of VP at the Orleans. Had my choice of Orleans, Gold Coast, Suncoast or Sam’s Town.

1: Where will you being staying?
The Monte Carlo for the first few nights.

2: What tournaments will you be entering? What is your schedule like?
I am playing 1-2 bullets in The Giant, 3 bullets in The Colossus and 1-2 bullets in the $365 online event.

3: Are there are any other venues you will also play at other then at the RIO?
Possibly some Aria events and a lot of online stuff from the room.

4: Are there any tournaments that you will avoid during the WSOP?
Probably not playing most of the higher stakes ($5,000+) events this year unless I satellite into them.

Last year I missed out on some good tournaments because I did not know better. I was also very new at poker and during the last year I have gained a lot of experience. I hope to do much better this year.
Good luck!!!

1: Where will you being staying?

Orleans for first three nights that include a Friday and Saturday night. We often stay here on weekend nights, as we're not high roller enough to get weekend nights comped on the strip. Orleans isn't anybody's idea of fancy, but it's clean enough, and just a little bit of action will get you 2 free nights a month, which can be usually used on weekends, and no resort fees on comped rooms here.

Moving to CP for five comped nights. Two days might be added to the beginning of the trip, hotel undetermined yet.

2: What tournaments will you be entering? What is your schedule like?

6/1: probably Colossus satellites
6/2: $470 LO8 at Aria
6/3: Colossus Day 1C or Venetian sattys
6/4: GN $250 O8 mix
6/5: Colossus Day 2 or Venetian $1100 MSPT $3.5M guarantee or Aria satty
6/6: Aria $1100 NLHE or maybe just cash
6/7: Aria $470 PLO or Binions $365 LO8 or Venetian day 2

Obviously a lot of flexibility depending on satellite success, making second days, etc.


3: Are there are any other venues you will also play at other then at the RIO?

Aria, Venetian, Binions, Golden Nugget, Wynn, and Planet Hollywood all have big series and are all possible. Cash at Orleans while staying there for sure, and maybe a late night cheap lol donkament with a lightning fast pushbot structure (like the 10pm $50 at MGM Grand, that compares to online hyper turbos by the third level).

4: Are there any tournaments that you will avoid during the WSOP?

There are so many to choose from that you're sure to find something perfect for you. Nothing I've played the last two years stands out as particularly bad among the big series. Dailies can be bad, though, watch out (like the MGM I mentioned above).

Last year I missed out on some good tournaments because I did not know better. I was also very new at poker and during the last year I have gained a lot of experience. I hope to do much better this year.

Use the resources in this forum and really pour through them to find tournaments that may suit you. Like spacey's Google spreadsheet, or cocolegros' website.

Good luck.

10 or so minutes to the Bellagio Poker desk and maybe 15ish to Aria from PH poker room is not a long walk in Vegas in my experience. Going to take longer to walk to cab line. But to each their own I guess.

I remember Paris & PH being connected by their restaurants & shopping mall area.

I also recall using an overpass bridge that goes directly from PH to Crystals shopping area where you can walk inside to get to Aria next door or use the Tram to get to Bellagio.

While we are on transport topic; Does anyone know if Rio will have free shuttle service to Harrahs or Ballys just for the WSOP weeks? I know they shut them down over the last 2 years. Is the only free shuttle going to be Gold Coast -> New Orleans -> Linq?

Thats the only one as far as I know. Also the lady at Gold Coast told me when I booked my room to show my hotel key card to cut line and get priority on the shuttles but dont know how much they enforce it or if the demand will even be enough for that to be necessary.

The RTC is great--its more than just the jam packed Deuce. If you buy a 24 hour pass from a non-Strip bus/location it costs $5. The 202 runs right down Flamingo, has wifi and will take you 5 minutes from the Rio to the strip.

Paris and PH are not connected. However, its a short walk outside from Paris to PH. The nearest door in Paris is next to this establishment that used to be Sugar and then became Hexx and is now something else.

There is an overpass bridge more or less outside PH that goes to the Crystals Mall. I would say its close to a 10 min walk between PH and the Aria poker room by that route. If you're lucky enough to catch the cross light in front of PH, it probably faster to just take that and walk up LV Blvd, right into Aria.

To get to Bellagio from Ph I would definitely not go to Aria. Just cross LV Blvd at the light and head up the path to the left and around the lake. Once inside, take a right and look for signs for the Poker room. Alternatively, and it may be a shorter walk (this is why I mentioned Paris is probably closer to the Bellagio Poker room), go out of PH and head down LV Blvd past Paris and Ballys. Head up the escalator when you get to the Flamingo Blvd intersection and cross LV Blvd towards Bellagio. Once inside, just walk straight past the restaurants and shops for a bit. The poker room in straight ahead when you enter the actual casino from this street entrance. Ph to the Bellagio poker room is probably somewhat less than a 10 min walk by this route.

I live locally and will be playing events at the Venetian/Sands and Wynn with low buy-in and high guarantee opportunities.

Venetian
5/28 $600 O/8 with 100K guarantee (largest O8 guarantee that I'm aware of)
6/2 $200 satellite to 3.5M guarantee (MSPT event)
6/12 $600 Seniors w/ 600k guarantee
6/17 $300 satellite to 3.0M guarantee (MSPT event)
6/24 $300 satellite to 3.5M guarantee (MSPT event)
7/4 $400 satellite to 1.0M guarantee (summer saver 1)


Wynn
6/13 $200 satellite to $1M guarantee
6/25 $200 satellite to $1M guarantee
7/8 $300 satellite to $1.5M guarantee main event

The Wynn satellites are generally 30 minute structures vs. 20 at the Venetian.

1: Where will you being staying?
Fortunately, I was still able to get comped rooms at the Rio this summer thanks to (I assume) lots of play at the 2016 WSOP since my Platinum status didn't end until Jan. 31 this year. I'll be there from Sunday, June 24 thru Thursday, June 28. Short trip this year because the wife says I usually stay gone too long.

2: What tournaments will you be entering? What is your schedule like?
I ended up flying out of Nashville this year instead of Birmingham, both to save some of my Southwest Rapids Rewards points and to get there quicker -- my flight lands at 8:30 a.m. so I can play an event on Sunday. I'm thinking my schedule will look like this:

Sunday -- Aria $470 PLO8 or Golden Nugget $365 Big O
Monday -- Wynn $550 NLHE or Venetian $600 NLHE
Tuesday -- Binion's $365 LO8
Wednesday -- Speaking to the Wednesday Poker Discussion Group about my book, then probably hit a small local tournament for a little while. (I have to hit the bed early since my flight back to Nashville is at 5:30 a.m. Then again, maybe I don't go to sleep at all.)

Undoubtedly, I'll hit plenty of cash at the WSOP. I may play a satellite or two on Sunday, and if I do well I may play the $1,500 Bounty NLHE on Monday. I always advise folks to keep their schedules flexible that way.

3: Are there are any other venues you will also play at other then at the RIO?
Those noted above. I do like to roam. I love this town.

4: Are there any tournaments that you will avoid during the WSOP?
As with the poster above, I advise AGAINST playing the daily deep stacks at the WSOP. A) While the structure is good early, it's bad late when you're playing for the big money, and B) they end so late they kind of mess up your next day's plans unless you can get by on little to no sleep (that definitely doesn't apply to me.)

I will be a the Rio for 4 nights starting June 14. Definitely playing the Mixed Omaha bracelet event. (I took 9th last year in this one.) If I crash out I will play the Super Seniors the next day. The rest is up in the air. At the WSOP I enjoy the Deep Stacks, the SnGs, PLO and Big-O cash. I have also had fun and final tables at PH and Aria in years past. I have also had great luck on WSOP.com. I just wish I had more time. Usually I do 10 days to 2 weeks but lately I have been using some of my time off on non-poker stuff. Oh well.

Staying June 3 to June 10

Playing Colsss, maybe 1500 NL (if I bust Col obvs), PLO at end of the week

Staying Venetian

Cash games at Bellagio, Aria, Wynn & Venetian....maybe the Nugget to mix it up

Going to try not to play more than 2-3 tourneys - cash games are usually too awesome to pass up - even as a non-pro, amateur there is a lot of value...even with all my leaks! Ha!

Comped rooms @ Rio from June 22-29.

Will be playing the Friday 7pm at the Orleans. The Monster Stack on Sunday 24th, if I don't make day 2 I'll play the $1500 Bounty on Monday. After that just cash & maybe a couple of Daily Deepstacks @ Rio or play something @ Aria, PH or Golden Nugget.

Good luck to all.

I always stay at the Rio because you are in and out of the poker rooms so often it would be difficult to travel multiple times a day, although the Rio is definitely not the best of Vegas hotels.

The structure for the Giant seems to be much better than the structure of the Colossus despite being $200 cheaper

If you don't care about length of levels, this is a true statement. But since the Colossus has 30/60 minute levels vs the Giant's 20/40, this is only a true statement for the first couple of levels, after which the Colossus has a much better structure.

it looks like the giant gives more play for the first 4 hours only

after that it is surpassed by the colossus

it is up to the player to decide if they want more play early or late