Day 2
I wake up @ 9AM. I’m a bit groggy from the night before. My sister (a Las Vegas resident) is scheduled to pick me up 11AM for lunch with her and her husband. I decide to get up and go purchase a small gift for the wifey. I’m walking back through the Fashion Show Mall when my sister calls to inform me she’s running a bit late and won’t arrive until 11:30. I take my time in the mall and then head back to Trump to put the wifey’s gift in my room and grab a Grey Goose Bloody Mary @ the hotel bar.
My sister soon arrives. We head to the West side of Las Vegas to look @ her newly purchased home and pick up her husband. He is working on the home as they get ready to move in that weekend. We have lunch at a great little Greek place. Her husband is quite immersed in Ultimate Fighting. He is an expert in Muay Thai, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, and MMA. He knows most of the Vegas fighters like Forrest Griffith, Wanderwei Silva, Mike Whitehead, etc. He offers to take me to the gym and meet many of them. However, as we are finishing our meal his son (who joined us for lunch) starts having extreme back pain. With the extra work and his son not feeling well, I decide it may not be a good time to take him up on his offer:(

We head back to the Strip. I ask my sister to drop at Aria. However, I phone Corey and they are at Fuente’s Cigar Shop @ Caesar’s. I have my sister drop me at Caesar’s. I catch up with the boys about the night before. We enjoy mojitos as they draw on their cigars. We discuss where to head tonight. Their friend is has a vehicle and is planning to pick them up. We decide to head to the Hard Rock.

With the Hard Rock “Poker Lounge”, I wanted to be sure I hit it on this trip to Vegas. We walk into the Hard Rock and they are jonesing for BlackJack. They convince me that I need to play……I explain that BlackJack is “The Devil’s Game” and I cannot win. They attempt to convince me to throw down $100 and they would assist me. I acquiesce and put up my $100. We order drinks including JagarBombs. I promptly lose my $100 even before the damn waitress returns with my drink and shot. BlackJack is THE DEVIL’S GAME! I explain that I need to find the poker room and make back the $100 I just lost.

Session 3: Hard Rock
Game: $1/$2 NL
I walk into the Hard Rock poker room. I am immediately seated at the only game going a $1/$2 NL game. This game is not deep. Most of the young twenty somethings have less than $150 in front of them. I take a small Pot from one of these “young guns” when he bets a dry Pot on the River and I call him with A high. I spend the next hour and a half treading water waiting for the right opportunity to bust one of these young guns (they all think they are the best poker players ever…just ask them). Shortly into my session, the same old man that caught a set of 9s in my Wynn session the previous night sits to my immediate left. He’s wearing the same Hard Rock hat. He starts talking to another player about where he lives in Vegas. I chat it up with him and state that I remember him from the Wynn the night before. He states that he’s never been to the Wynn and certainly has never played poker there. Really..? I asked if he had a twin brother. I suggest to him that perhaps he’s getting too old and can’t remember things from the night before. WTF? Why lie to me? He played the exact same way…..basically tried to flop a set and stack his opponent.
Another player at the table was a local pro who I could have sworn had a blog @ on AVP. He denies it and seems like a nice guy. However, he’s playing terrible: Very defensive and weak tight. In my time there I see him burn through nearly $600. I run over him a few times when I raise pre-flop and then make him fold to my continuation bet on the flop. Selective, Earl Campbell poker works well at this table.
Shortly into my session, a new player arrives and he overplays each of his hands. Mr. Aggressive manages to go from $300 to nearly $800 in no time. I sit and await my time to slice into him. It didn’t take long. I am in the SB with 8,9os. He raises to $15 UTG +1. There is one caller and I call from the small blind. Flop is 2h, 5s, 9h. I lead out for $30. He calls. The other player folds. Turn is 5c. I bet $50 and he calls. (I’m convinced he will try to bluff on the River regardless of what falls.) River is 8h. I check. He bets $75. I call. He looks at me and says, “You’re good, I think.” He shows AQos. I roll my two pair and drag a nice Pot.
Unfortunately, it’s rolling up on 6:30PM. I need to make it back to Trump to change for my reservation at SW Steakhouse tonight. Shortly after, I get up and cash out.

Comments on the Hard Rock:
The room itself is awesome. It has a great feel. It’s very nice and drink service was good. The entire room seemed to suffer from a lack of players. For most of my Friday afternoon session, this was the only game being spread. Most of the table was twenty somethings that acted like teenagers. It was rather annoying. Hard Rock also has a button straddle called a “Hard Rock straddle”. Your button straddle gives you uber position as you act last in every round. I asked the table when you wouldn’t place this bet. I found no reasonable answers. The only one I could think of is if the Pot is continuously raised and re-raised pre-flop (this action forces you to act in turn). Otherwise, I think this should be a MANDATORY straddle for all AVPers.
Result: up $175

I head to SW Streakhouse for a great meal with CaliBen. The meal was good at SW but not that memorable. The service was impeccable! My Grey Goose Dirty Martini was PERFECTLY mixed. In fact, I might say it’s the best Dirty Martini I’ve ever had. My steak was perfectly cooked but not that memorable. Being from the Midwest, I’ve had my share of excellent steaks. I’ll be back simply because of the great service.

We phoned Corey and they are playing blackjack at the Rio. They are planning to go to the Voodoo Lounge tonight. CaliBen and I cab to the Rio. When we arrive, they are still playing blackjack. CaliBen and I head to the poker room…..errrr “area”.

Session 4: Rio
Game: $1/$2 NL
I sit down and the action is fast and furious. However, the entire table seems to be locals that know one another. Dealers are extremely fast and personable. I am down slightly most of the session. I can’t get anything going. I am dealt QQ in late position. A local thinks of raising UTG but simply calls. I raise in late position. The local moves all-in for $85 more. I call. He tables KK and I sigh. I hit quad Qs and take his money. Later, he sucks out on me when we get all-in on a Q high flop. I show KQ and he shows QJ. He Rivers a J. The Rio poker area is located very near slot machines next to the sports book. The incessant dinging and noise is something I cannot stand. I feel think someone his banging a sledge hammer on the inside of my head. After a couple of hours the boys are ready to head up to the Voodoo Lounge.
Comments on the Rio:
This was my worst poker experience of my trip. The incessant dinging of loud slot machines is something I cannot stand. It made it impossible for me to focus in the poker “area”. I will never play the Rio poker room until it is changed. The dealers were extremely fast and courteous. Play was generally poor and waitresses did not exist.
Result: down $105

We head up to the Voodoo Lounge. It’s located on the 51st floor of the Rio. If you haven’t been there, IMO it has the BEST VIEW of the Vegas strip from the outside bar/dance area. There was a little female DJ playing excellent hip hop music (this coming from somebody who’s not a hip hop fan). After 45 minutes, it’s decided CaliBen, Corey and I had enough of this scene and we head to the Wynn for another poker session.

Session 5: Wynn
Game: $1/$3 NL
I’ll preface this by saying I played the best session out of all my Vegas sessions (by this I mean making the correct decision). I even called down Corey with A high in a Pot late in the session. However, it started off rocky. All of the players at the table are average to above average. I am in the BB with T,9os.
Player UTG raises to $15. He is called by the Cutoff and I call from the BB. The Flop is Qs, Th, 9h. PERFECT! Not wanting to risk a free card dropping off, I bet $40. UTG player raises all-in. The Cutoff thinks for a bit and moves all-in too. He immediate states, “ReBuy!” and pulls out $200. Damn! I sense that the Cutoff is not acting and likely to hold a heart draw (although I’m a bit worried he has K,J). UTG has KK or AA. It’s $135 more for me to call. I decide that I am winning. I call and table my T,9. Cutoff tables Kh, Qh. UTG does not show. The Turn is a heart and River is a brick. Cutoff drags a nice Pot. Shortly after this hand, I get all-in with a player on a J high, 2 suited flop. I hold AJos and the other player has AQ and is drawing to a flush. He Rivers a Q to double up through me. Although I lost both of these hands, I think the Villains made entirely reasonable decisions to move on these Pots.
I bust the UTG gentleman above shortly after. I Rivered a straight and he can’t fold his two pair. From here I simply play extremely well. Bluffing in the right spots, picking off bluffs, inducing bluffs, and getting the best value from my hands. It’s nearly 3:30AM and I’m up over $500 in less than 3 hours of play. I’m extremely tired and elect to call it a night.
Comments on the Wynn:
See Trip Report Day 1……..
Result: up $507

Stay tuned for the final day: Day 3