Trip Report 6/19/2011-6/23/2011

Arrived in Vegas 2:30pm. Got to IP approx 3:10pm. Huge line at check in. Had the wife and daughter stay in line as I wandered to Casino Royale for the first $1 Michelob's of the trip. Brought one back for the wife. Finally got checked in and to room. Went to O'sheas for a bite to eat. Had a couple slices of pizza. First pizza I recall having the sausage on top of the pepperoni. Seemed odd to me. Got into the the 7:00 tourney at the Mirage. 37 runners. Several LAG players at the table and 1 Nit. One of those that wouldn't raise with big hands but check and called to the river. First hand of the tourney I limped with pp7's and only one caller in the BB. Flop was 878 rainbow. BB bet I call. turn is a 4. BB bets I call. 7 on river BB check I bet 1/2 pot get called. Not much of a pot but hey I got quads. Pretty much card dead for the tourney. With the Lags I couldn't limp much without paying more than I was willing to see a flop. First big hand played I had pp10's UTG + three, blinds at 150-300 with 9bb left in chips. UTG raises to 900, I shove all in. SB comes over the top all-in. Folds to me. V has AQos vs. my 10"s. A 8 A on flop. Hero stands up to get ready to leave. 10 comes on turn. Hero sits down. No A on river. No more hands of note. after break and blinds at 400-800. I was surprised how early the antes started. Shove 2700 in early pos with QJ diamonds. Nit calls with AK on the button. CYA. After that got another two Michelob's at Casino Royale. Went to IP, No seats available in mixed game. Played boring 1/2 game. Nobody talking. Just playing cards no fun. No hands of note lost $25. Went to bed. Down $90 for the day.

Monday 20th- Caught shuttle from Bills to Orleans. Had breakfast buffet with a coupon $4.95. Pretty good. Used some match play coupons for slots and Black Jack. Made $50 on some slots. Broke even on Black Jack. P O'd a couple BJ players drawing too many cards. Oh well. Played the Noon Omhl tourney. First Omaha Hi-lo tourney I ever played. I did ok. Lots of regulars. I'm 47 and was one of the younger players in it. Lots of old guys. 70 players and I went out about half way through when a guy caught a two outer on the river to bust me. Played a couple few hands too tight and folded winners for low and one high. Left Orleans and met wife and daughter at IP pool. Had me a 32 oz. margarita and a cigar. Good stuff. Wandered around that night. Eventually got in a 1-2 hold em game at Flamingo. Had fun. Big stack at table was a little Laggy but wasn't catching many cards and lost about half his stack while I was there. Mostly tourists at the table and I played well. Lady on my right was a teacher from Arizona and we had fun talking and stuff. On my left was a couple young guys from Switzerland. They were fun to talk to too. Played a couple hours. My biggest hand came with AKdd and raised to $11 from HJ. 3 callers along with the blinds. JAQ raindow on flop. Checked to me and I bet $23. Got check raised by SB all-in for $49 total. BB calls I call. 10 on turn BB checks I go all-in BB folds. SB had JQ ship it. After that I played laggy won a few pots with no showdowns. Left up $220.

Tuesday 21th- PLayed 1/2 cash game at Mirage before Caesars noon Megastack. Ran 99 into JJ on a 8 high board and lost my $200 buy in. Was thinking the guy missed a flush draw on me because he just called my bets into him. Went all in on blank river and he called after tanking a little bit. My bad. He probably would have checked the river. Rebuy for $200. Made up some ground when players fold to me in HJ and I raise $11 with A6 off. BB called. 345 on flop. BB bets $20 into me and I smooth call. Turn is an 8 and BB bets $30. I call. Bingo on river and 7 comes, BB checks I value bet $35 BB calls and mucks to my str8. Left Mirage down $135. Went to Noon mega stack at Caesars. I played loose in the beginning and lost about 4000 before 1st break. Had a table with decent players and wasn't getting much for hole cards and few drawing hands I had didn't hit. Finally caught pp10's two hands in a row and got back above my starting stack. One guy a few to my left wasn't very good but was catching the big hands he is the V in this hand. He was chip leader at table by far. I raised an early position raiser with AKos to 2400. V is in SB and doubles my bet. EP folds and I call. K on the flop and V checks and I bet about 2/3's the pot to see where I am. V calls so I know he has KK or AA. Turn brings blank and check check. River brings a second 6 on board and V checks. Don't know why he didn't put me all-in. I check and he has boat with ppKK. So I lose over half my stack and never really catch any more hands. Got to second break. After second break I win a few smalll pots but again can't keep traction and end up short stacked. Last hand nice Italian guy to my right raises from HJ. I'm in BB with KK. I'm all in Italian guys says he has to call me. I nod that I understand. He has A 7 with 7 spade. I have no spade. 569 spade on flop. I go "oh no". turn is a 10h. 8d on river I'm done. Italian player is nice and apologizes. I'm not upset and say no problem thats how it goes.

My girls are at Luxor so I wander down the strip with my 2 $1 Michelob's to Monte Carlo. Tell the girls to meet me there when they are done at Luxor. Get into 1/2 nlhe game. Mostly tourists with two young guys to my right. They are good players. Couple woman at table including a husband and wife from Texas to my immediate left. I catch a few AA and JJ hands during this session. Take down some pots but nothing big. Had fun talking to young guys and Texas couple. Played almost two hours and leave up $105. Me and the girls wander over to Paris and try La Burger Le Brasserie. Pretty good stuff. I order the turkey burger with bacon, cheese and fried egg. Loved it. Wife and daughter were happy too. Wandered to flamingo and IP looking to get in a game. Tables full and I don't feel like waiting. Go over to Harrahs and they open a 1/2 game as I walk in. I give it a shot and find myself in the laggiest game I ever got in. Guys shoving in any position and ATC. Loud fun drunk guy from Tennessee comes over and promptly takes down about $800 in about 20 minutes. AA, KK AK he has the goods every time. Amazing. I end up losing $95 and get the H out of there. I don't deal well with loud drunks. Stupidly put $60 in a machine at IP and go to bed.

Wednesday 22nd- Get up early. My internal alarm clock does not allow me to sleep past 6 am when I'm in Vegas. I eat breakfast at buffet at Paris. Decide to play 9am tourney at Caesars. I play well and catch some big hands to knock a few folks out. Caught quad J once and boated a few times. No real good players. So I outplay some and catch some playing marginal hole cards. I think there was 18 players and we get down to final table before noon. I outplay the third place finisher and me and the last player chop for first and second. I take $20 more for being ahead a bit in chips. After buy in and tip I'm up $300. I played well and hit some big hands. Felt good to finish well. Decide to come back for 4pm deepstack.
So mess around that afternoon played a a few hands of 1/2 at Bally's win $45 then decide to catch the shuttle to check out WSOP at the Rio. Wanted to eat at the Irish pub there but they don't open until 4. Wander around a bit but the tourneys with the big names aren't playing yet, Did see Dennis Phillips in the hallway. Eat at BK burger bar. Go back to the strip and enter tourney at Caesars.

I'm running good from the beginning and build up a decent stack by the second break. Catching nice cards and good draws take a few folks out. I'm in 6 seat and guy in 4 seat starts catching cards before second break and takes over the chip lead. French tourist guy in 1st seat is living good catching ppQ's 5-6 times and winning big pots early. After second break I'm card dead and blinds and Antes end up eating me up until I'm at 10 bb or less. Take a few pots pre to hang in there but still about 20 bb's. French tourist guy decides he's bored and starts going all in blind. His buddy's want to go party. Of course I get AK and call his all-in and his 87 sooted catches two sevens on the board. Now I'm less than 10 bb. Great. Thanks a lot French guy. 3rd break comes and French guy keeps doubling up. Finally he gets knocked out, but I don't recover my chips. I win a few blinds and antes to get a ray of hope again. Tight nit woman in 3 seat raises all in pre. I know better but call with my A6. Of course she has JJ and cripples me more. Couple hands later I have A9dd late position and go all-in with no action before me. BB calls after thinking a little bit. Of course he has A 10. Board gives me a gut shot need a 9 or 7 to double on river but not to be. Proud of how I played and made it through 2/3's the field but bad luck and few cards did me in.

Go back to IP and had a some tacos and beer comped on my rewards card. Tacos were disappointing. Taco bell would have been better. Decide to catch some1/2 action at IP before bed. Have to be up at 4 am for flight home. Some good players at table and I win a few pots from a loose player. Then a really loose player joins the table raising with crap and pushing until showdown. He loses his first two buy ins and I take most his third, I call his button raise with A3hh. Couple other players call. Flop comes with an A and two cards for a gut shot. I check he bets everybody folds but I call. 4th heart on the river and he checks. I bet $40 and he re raises to $90. I call. River comes with an A. Miss my flush and str8. He shoves I go all in. He has 2 6 off for a pair of deuces. I doubled up and won a few more pots but start to lose momentum and call it a night up $190.

Didn't keep accurate records for the trip but between poker and a few machine wins/losses I lost about $200 for the trip. That includes tip money and odds and ends that were bought.