Bachelor Party with lots of poker, booze and other Vegasness! (LONG)
Arrived Saturday, August 1 early afternoon. Checked into MGM Grand, this is the place my brother always stays at. We got some great rates on the rooms and he likes the poker room here the best! After checking-in 4 us sat at MGM for some 2/4 LHE. I enjoyed this room, good vibe, comfortable, good drinks. A couple guys bailed after an hour or two, I played for about 4 hours, +45. After a few more guys arrived and a few drinks, returned to the poker room for some 1/2 NLE. Played for about two hours was up $30-40, when the following hand happened.
I'm in BB and see a limped pot, 6 or 7 players with 87o. Flop comes J 10 9 rainbow. I check, villain who is UTG raises $15 into $12-$14 pot, one fold, another guy raises to $30, folds around to me. Here I'm thinking villain maybe a J and wants to drive people out. Guy who raised to $30 maybe an overpair, two overs, maybe A-J and wants to get rid of draws. So there is ~$60 in the pot, I have ~$130 in front of me, villain and $30 raiser have similar stacks. The pot was already fairly large, so I raise all-in wanting to win the pot right there. UTG calls, raiser to $30 folds. I turn up 87, he turns up KQ for the nut straight. So did I play this right? Looking back I still don't know that I would play it differently, I think I lose all my chips here regardless. Maybe I don't go all-in there but I think my chips end up in the middle one way or another. Got up at this point -60 for the trip.
After some bullshitting, went to Excalibur for some more 2/4 LHE. Played for a couple hours, bounced up and down, got sucked out on a lot, but to be expected. One guy was hot, spun the wheel three times in probably 30 minutes. Poker still at -60.
Sunday ended up going up the strip, doing some sports betting, drinking, etc. Ended up at TI for some more 2/4 LHE. Management was great there! No real memorable hands in a 4 hour period. Finished up $45, so poker for trip was -15.
Now to downtown, after getting kicked in the jibs at the BJ table at the Fitz went upstairs to check out the poker room. A $35 NL tourney had begun a bit before I got up there. Decided to buy in, did $15 add-on at the break. It was a fun and well run small tourney. Was chip leader when condensed down to final table. No super memorable hands, when there was 4 left we all had similar stacks and decided to chop, each taking $204! Poker for trip +189.
After some degeneracy at El Cortez (I know, don't ask), played some more 2/4 LHE at Golden Nugget. A very friendly game and a great looking room, played until I felt alcohol starting to knock my game. Finished session +41, poker during trip at +230.
Cabbed back to MGM, played drunken plastic horses until about 5am before hitting up some McDonald's dollar menu, score! If you're hammered and at the MGM, play plastic horses the most fun you should never have, it's plastic horses for God's sake!
After some beer pong at O'Sheas on Monday afternoon (highly recommend). Went back to TI for some food and more 2/4 LHE. Played for about 4 hours and had a very card dead session where I bled away $100, I think I maybe scooped 2 or 3 pots the entire time. Poker trip +130.
Got back to the MGM and four of us decided to hit up some 3/6 LHE. A new game started and we got underway. Got a cocktail to steady the hand (it was a crazy weekend). Nothing memorable, made a couple lay downs that, IMO were good lay downs but would have hit the next card and won some decent pots. The other three decide to call it a night after about two hours of play and I'm pretty beat with an early flight so rack up, down $60. Poker trip ends +70.
The saddest thing about all of that is how much cash I dumped at the blackjack tables. Oh well it was a fantastic trip, lots of free drinks, lots of poker, very good times! And the beer pong was a blast!
i want to know about the degeneracy at the El Cortez......
Great trip report. There is never anything wrong with a Bachelor Party in Vegas. I had a quick question regaring MGM. I to like their room, however the times that I have been there only once was there a 3-6 game or higher (go every year for 10 days durring wsop.) Just curious on how often they had the 3/6 game going while you were out there at MGM. In my opinoin, the 3/6, 4/8, 10,20 game are hard to find unless you play at Bellagio (4/8, 15/30), Venetian 4/8, Wynn 4/8, or Mirage (3/6, 10,20.) Just curious.
Thanks, it was a blast! On Saturday I don't think they had 3/6 going, but I really didn't check.
When we stopped by Monday evening ~10pm there was 5 or 6 on a 3/6 LHE interest list. So we decided to play 3/6 and they got the game going right away.
So I don't think your rare observations are off, we just happened to stop by when there was a few interested people.
I too want to hear about the debauchery. However, as far as your all in goes, I agree all my chips are hitting the pot one way or another. Your best shot at taking the pot down right then and there is to go all in. Nice play, but that's poker!!!
Regarding the all-in hand, the stack sizes do make it tough to get away but there are a couple things I wanted to add. First off, BE VERY AFRAID OF A MIN-RAISE. In a weak 1/2 NL game, it very often signifies a very strong hand. Secondly, players aren't raising much with just a pair on that kind of board in these games. Most of the time you're going to see 2 pairs, straights, sets, pair/draw hands...all of which are drawing pretty live against your straight. The spot itself is very tough, but with only $130 behind it'd be tough to get away from.