Las Vegas 2001 - Trip Report - Cactus Kev
SAT, OCT 20:
Arrive on time, and decide to wait for Ron's flight to arrive. That way, we can cab it together to the timeshare. I grab a decent breakfast at an airport mexican restaurant, and then plop down near the baggage claim area to wait for Ron. Once he shows up, we ride over to the CanCun, and meet with Dennis and Brenda. We check out the digs, and then drive over to the Strip for some sightseeing. We eat at the Harley Davidson cafe (good chicken-corn chowder), and then head back for some sleep.
SUN, OCT 21:
The three amigos head over to the Bellagio for some poker. Play from 1000-1330, and I leave with +$89. things are starting off well!! Halfway thru the game, we find out that Dennis really shouldn't be playing, as they don't allow muscle-shirts in the poker room. (they were hurting for players when we showed up, which is why I think they let him play in the first place). Anyway, we walk over to the Mirage after lunch, but they won't let Mr. muscle-shirt in to play :/ so dennis heads back to the timeshare, and Ron and I play from 1445-1800. I almost break even, and leave this session at -$6. We take the free shuttle back.
MON, OCT 22:
It's off to the Hoover Dam, but we arrive and find that the tours are closed due to increased security. bummer. We pay four bucks to see an old 30-minute newsreel on the building of the dam. We leave and get some Pizza Hut pizza, and take some pictures of Ron in front of some old trains behind the restaurant. It's back to Vegas for poker at Mandelay Bay, but Dennis heads back. I lose $-35 playing from 1420-1720, so I decide to try the smokey Excalibur with Ron. We play from 2035 to midnight, and I win exactly one dollar. woo-hoo.
TUE, OCT 23:
Time to try a new casino. We hit the Luxor from 1100-1420, and I have ANOTHER losing session for -$21. Things are going poorly ever since my initial big win at the Bellagio. I'm thinking I should head back there because it's the only place I won so far, plus, it's the only non-smoking poker room in vegas. Well, Mirage is non-smoking too, but they have the slots machines so close that you pick up a lot of third-hand smoke. Plus, it's a lot more crowded there. Since dennis hasn't played Mandelay Bay yet, we head back there, and play from 1510-1835. Finally, I make some more bucks with a +$71 session. Dennis heads back to catch a show with Brenda, and I watch Ron play some PaiGow and Roulette. I try the Excalibur one last time, but after a 2130-0030 session, I leave at $-23. So as of tonite, I'm up $76 for all poker games so far.
WED, OCT 24:
Now that Brenda and Ron have left, Dennis and I are free to hit the 300-600 hold'em tables. :) Actually, I decide to enter the Luxor noon Hold'Em tourney for $25. We show up and play Stud from 1115-1200, and I promply lose -$69, ouch. Dennis leaves to play at the Exalibur, so he misses my great finish of 4th place (out of 19). They pay the top four, so I get $35 for a profit of ten bucks. I would have probably won 1st, but when we got down to five players, two of them went all in, and I look down and see pocket Queens. I'm all in, and wind up against pocket Fours and pocket Eights. The flop shows a Four, and no Queen appears, so I lose most of my money to the guy with the Fours, but beat the guy with the Eights. I'm still alive, but eventually bust out at 4th place. I leave to get Dennis, we eat, and then return to the Bellagio. I play from 1840-2300, and the poker gods turn very fickle and I lose -$120. OUCH! Got dealt rolled up trips TWICE during that session, bet it strong every round, and lost big both times. In fact, I got dealt trips five times during my entire week there, and NOT A SINGLE ONE OF THEM held up!!!! On one particular hand, I get (99)9. Guy showing an Ace raises. I see two other Aces get folded, so I raise. He raises, and I re-reraise. He raises again!! The guy obviously has two Aces, but doesn't seem to realize that all the other Aces are dead. I raise again!! He finally calls. I bet five and he calls every single card after that. We all get bricks for our up cards. My trip Nines have not improved. We get our final down card. Crap for me. Mister "Aces" gets a Trey for his last card. Gee, that gives him a Full House (A3A)3xx(3). "Nice hand, sir." Wash. Rinse. Repeat.
THU, OCT 25:
I decide to try the Luxor tourney again. I show up and kill some time at the Stud table again. I lose $50 in fifteen minutes. (yep, another set of Trips get cracked). I've had enuf. No more Stud poker for me the rest of the day. I enter the tourney, and wind up winning Second! woo-hoo! $90 bucks for me. (1st place gets $160). I decide to play lots of tourneys the next time I come out. I decide to leave Vegas on an up-note, so I call it quits for the day.
+ 10 4th place in Luxor tourney
+ 65 2nd place in Luxor tourney
-163 7-card stud ring games
=======
- 88 total poker losses
- 20 played $20 with Ron at the roulette table
=======
-108 total gambling loss
Two Memorable Hands
===================
They have Jackpot poker at Mandelay Bay. If you get a decent hand (Four of a Kind, or better), you win money. I was dealt the following:
(4h 5h) x 6h 8h Ah
I made the flush on Sixth Street, but I was REALLY eyeing that Eight-high Straight Flush. It was worth $432 in bonus jackpot money, but I got a brick. The 7h was definately live, as far as I could tell from other up-cards.
At Excalibur, which also has a jackpot, I got dealt:
(As 5s) 3s 2s
as my first four cards. The 4s was nowhere to be seen. I'm betting big time. I get a brick, then another brick. I get my down card but don't look. It's checked to me (I've been betting the whole way). I turn over another brick. I don't get the Straight Flush, I don't get just a regular Flush, and don't win the pot either. Oh, to add insult to injury, on the very next hand, I'm dealt the 4s as my first up card, and I'm the bring-in :/
While walking thru the casino one night, I was watching some guys play Let It Ride. The jackpot for a Straight Flush was HUGE. I'm watching a guy play, and he shows me 3s 4s 5s. He keeps all his bets. The dealer turns over the 2s. Holy smokes!! Either the As or 6s gives him the big bucks!!! I'm ready to high-five him, hoping for some free handouts should he win :) Sadly, he gets a brick (5d).
I did not see Phil Hellmeth (or any other notable poker player) at the high stakes Bellagio tables.
Saw at least TEN women deemed worthy. (or "lickable", as Chris would say). One was in the cab line with Ron and I. I was ready to dump Ron in order to ride with her :) then, there was a Mandelay Bay cocktail waitress with legs that went all the way up to next Tuesday. Wish I would have had my camera with me THAT day.
I think I will try the Hold'Em tables upon my next visit. The Stud tables are fine, and you get to chat a lot in between hands (I actually met a guy who used to work at Fort Meade during his Army days), but you just get too many suckouts for my taste. I may try either the 4-8 or 5-10 hold'em tables.
I'll bring the five poker chips from the five poker rooms with me on tuesday, along with the first batch of pics. Save me some pizza, since i'll most likely be late.
--cactus kev