Las Vegas 2003 - Trip Report - Cary

As most of you know, Dave Taylor and I went to Vegas for a few days. It was my first time in Vegas without the wife so I was finally able to experience a real Poker Room session without any distractions (shows, meals, sightseeing, etc.). Cactus Kev is the master of trip reports so this won't be anything grandiose like his, so just hit delete if you get bored. I won't mention much about Dave's adventures since I'm sure he'll put out a trip report himself.

WED April 9th:

We get to the airport and the ticket counter line does not move for a solid 15 - 20 minutes. We make it thru security and get to our gate and there's no plane, despite the monitor stating our flight is "on-time". The Flight is delayed 90 minutes for some reason. We finally board and after sitting for 15 minutes the pilot states we're waiting for de-icing. It was raining but was still only 40 degrees, but I guess better safe than sorry. We arrive at Mirage and poor Dave had to sit thru lunch with my parents who just happened to be traveling thru Vegas at that exact day. They both haven't been there in 40 years. We go to poker room where I sit at 3-6 Hold'em for 6 hours.

Outcome - Not too many bad beats, but one very memorable hand was I was dealt KhJh and it was a huge pot. I had top pair all along and got the flush on the river. I lay my cards down face-up and the dealer looks and then scoops them into the muck and declares 2-pair as winner for other guy whilst I'm yelling. Two other guys beside me are yelling also in my defense. Dealer says you're right you had flush and other guy knows it too but wants to screw me. He wants to call floor person but decides not too. I tell him he can check cameras or call floor manager if he feels like 6 strangers are plotting against him. He backs off and play resumes. Dave walked up at the end of it. I'm frazzled for 5 minutes and dealer apologizes profusely. After 6 hours I leave up +$62.

THUR April 10th:

We hit the buffet at RIO and gorge ourselves. I take Dave to 3-card poker table to teach him how to play. Just like you other poker purist's, he thinks the game is gay. I leave the table +70 and despite my best efforts Dave walks away pissed after losing -50. We go back to Mirage and join a $25 Satellite game for entry into the $120 tourney that night. It's just 1 table no-limit. I bust out early after being beat on River with my AK suited. Dave convinces me to join him at 6-12 hold'em, which makes me a little nervous. I'm holding my own when a couple hours later I get my dream hand and Dave was there to witness it. I have pocket AA on the button. There are 2 pre-flop raises to me and I try not to cream my pants. I casually raise it and we have 4 players. There's $99 bucks before the flop. The flop comes 6c 9h 8c. Guy bets and I raise. Everyone calls. The turn is Ad. Sweet Jesus, gotta control the breathing and hope my pupils don't dilate. Everyone cautiously checks and of course I have to punish them. We know have 3 players. The river is 4c. (Please god don't let them have a flush). It's checked around and I wait a minute and then bet. They both fold. The table is dying to know what I have and I wanted to sport them but decide to keep them hidden. One guy sports his pair of Queens and starts crying. The other guy says you're in 3rd place buddy. I had KK and the winner had AA. The QQ guy argues, but KK says I don't care what the hell you people think or say, he had AA. I asked QQ guy what the hell would "HE" 3rd raise with and he kinda shut up after that. After 7 hour session I leave +$83.

FRI April 11th:

We eat Harrah's Breakfast Buffet and hit the pool. The sights are outstanding and I'm not talking the Mirage decor if you know what I'm saying. We go down-town to Gamblers Supply store and then head back to Mirage. I wanted to try Omaha but can't get into a game. I sit down at 6-12 hold'em again. It's been 7 hours and I've never been up more than $20 or down $10. I have a female floor manager playing at my table and she's really good. The whole table is good. Meanwhile Dave comes by and tells me how many fish are at his table and how great it is. Some guys have all the luck. Anyways here's where my little winning streak hits a bump in the road. I lose 2 small pots on the river after having gone 1 hour and 15 minutes without playing a hand. I look down and I got AA again. I preflop raise and away we go. With 3 callers the flop is 3x 8x Jx. I bet and am raised. I raise back and it's now heads up. The turn is Kx. I bet and he raises. I raise back because I don't have him at KK. He calls. River is 9x. There's no flush but if he has 10 Q then he's got the straight so I check. He bets and with too much money in there I have to call. He smugly turns over 99. I flip my AA and smugly say "nice hand" knowing he's lucky and hope a similar situation arises again. The very next hand I get AsKs. I figure let them think I'm on tilt and I raise and act all agitated. I have 5 callers and the flop is 3h 7s Kd. Someone bets and I raise. There are now 3 of us. The turn is Ac. Checked to me and I bet. River is 8x. I bet and am raised. I call all-in and the guy flips over 88. I never understood how someone can go on tilt and let poker consume them psychologically and affect their game. Well now I understand because I'm REALLY steaming. I look down and my $200 stack is gone. I wisely decide to call it a day in poker room and decide to go play the tables. I Win $145 in Let it Ride and lose $100 on blackjack. I then decide to play my favorite 3 card poker and after having a great time I leave with a $500 chip and my 7 hour painful hold'em experience is mercifully behind me. Me and Dave got comped dinner and we had an awesome meal at California Pizza kitchen. I highly recommend the Kung Pao Spaghetti with Chicken & Shrimp. I go off to bed and leave Poker stud Dave to finish his 13 hour marathon.

SAT April 12th:

We hit Harrah's Buffet thanks to coupons left by my mom, and Dave gives me a craps lesson. I just watched while he made some money and got a good lesson and we had fun. We finally get to sit down at 5-10 Omaha which is what I really wanted to try in a casino. Dave gets 1st open seat and I join 15 minutes later. Dave is doing well and a local is talking sh*t to Dave and being a dick. I sit down and win the 1st hand. It's a kill game so that means anytime the pot scoop is over $75 for 1 winner then they post $10 and it becomes 10-20 Omaha for that one hand. Well I get dealt Ac2sKcKh. What's a boy to do but raise the kill. The old man almost stroked out and starts muttering to me now. Dave is off the hook. Well I hold up and win another big hand. I actually win the first 4 hands and I'm getting stares. I only had good cards for the first three and I basically pushed them off for the 4th. I know feel like Dave and I OWN the table. Dave ended up losing a bit and left for Hold'em. I continue to do very well and actually start talking sh*t back to the local who is now joined by another local in trying to intimidate me. I change my play now and start check raising instead of bullying and the old man has to leave the table. I guess check-raising isn't proper etiquette in Vegas or something. I look down and I'm way up and decide to have fun. I have respect at this table (which is a pretty good drug) since I'm hearing comments from people watching the game and dealer comments and such. A nice change from the Tuesday night bantering :-). at one point I'm up like $550 and consider leaving but have nothing to do for an before we leave so I stay. (bad move). I get involved in a monster pot and lost $150 on the river when the guy beats my Aces full of kings (had on turn) with his 4 tens(river). I can't complain though, it was a great run and I cash out +$378 with a great 8 hour Omaha lesson. We leave for Airport and my whirlwind 4 day excursion is over.

I ended up +278 for my poker room experiences (21 hours played) and around +$500 in my table games (4 hours played). I had a great time.

Noteworthy Comments:

In hold'em I had AK 14 times and I only won twice. Pushed once(against Dave) and lost the rest.

In Omaha, it seems like a lot more hands were destroyed on the river with 10 players then when I usually play with you guys with 7 or 8. I had to adjust accordingly.

In the Omaha game a guy sat down who had played Hold'em for 12 hours already, and we were heads up. I had the nut low all the way and got the wheel on the river. He mucked his cards as dealer was saying possible flushes, etc. He gets the look of horror on his face and the guy next to him says you just mucked 10d 3d for the river flush. He was so preoccupied with me hitting the wheel he didn't think, because he was going low the whole time. The dealer shakes her head and he says Damn I'm stupid. I think for a minute and I throw $40 of the approximate $100 pot to him. He thanks me profusely. The dealer states I'm a stand-up guy, blah blah, and the locals look at me like I'm retarded. I didn't do it for praise I did it because I'm convinced he wasn't just bullsh*tting because he and guy next to him are not friends. Just felt like doing it since I was up pretty big. Had it been one of the local nasty guy's I'd have just said."That's a shame" :-)

Cary