Ok. I know you guys want to hear legendary poker stories of great beats and big pots, but this isn't the case.
Since this was my honeymoon, (wedding at home in Cincinnati on 7/7/07... total hillbilled up.) I didn't get to play much poker. My wife wanted to see things out there, and So did I. This was, for both, our first Vegas Trip.
Ok, arrived at McCarran a little earlier than scheduled on Sunday at about 6:45. Hitched a ride shuttle style to the Bellagio to get checked in and $20 trick upgraded us to a smoking room 14th floor fountain view room... Super sweet. (paid for by relatives for wedding gift btw!) Bellagio is a very nice place. Not a big fan of the walk from our room to the strip. That's about a country mile it seems like to me. And the limits were a little high for our bankroll too, so needless to say, we didn't gamble much there.
After check-in, we chilled up there and got ready to go out. I LOVE watching the Amazing Johnathan. He's friggin hilarious. So, we strolled across thru Bally's and got on the monorail and kicked it up to the Sahara for the show. Since we took a while to leave the hotel, we got last minute tix but it's Sunday night. Not sold out at all. He did a great show, and it was a long show for the money. 1 hour, 45 mintues. Which means that the midnight tournament at Stratosphere was out of the picture. Grr. Wanted to play that one. My wife hates cabs with a passion so we couldn't walk there in time, I don't think. So we walked ALL the way back to Bellagio, stopping at Circus Circus for a bite.
*Side note: After 11 pm to 5 am they have a breakfast special for 4 bucks or something. Not a bad restaraunt there, but I dunno why else you'd be there.
After the long walk, and full bellies, and my wife's foot having a blister, time for shuteye.
Next morning, got ready and had breakfast at the Bellagio Cafe, Pricey. Walked around taking pictures and then back to the hotel after losing $300 at NY NY on slots and Pai gow (my worst run at paigow EVER!) But only 100 of that was on my pai gow run. More paigow to come later!
Went back to the hotel to get money and chill since it was hotter than a 3-peckered goat out there. Then, the wife said she'd try a low-entry poker tournament cause she'd be nervous getting in a higher one. So, we walked to Tuscany. Not too bad of a walk there. We ate dinner at the Tuscany Gardens, and had a GREAT Chicken Parmesian there. Michael's an Italian from New York. He's a great guy, classy all the way. So we go to the Donkament.
$22 entry, $10 rebuys for the first 3 15 minute levels. CRAZY!!! Most people in this tournament are locals that go over a few times a week after work to unwind, and LOSE! My god. The only bet from the get-go was all in. 5 tables filled up though, and it was fun. I played this tourney pretty tight, and only played premium hands. But I got a few. I didn't have to wait around long.
3rd hand dealt: BB Q/9d. OOP guy bets 300 and small blind calls, and I call. Comes out Kd 4d 2d. Flopped 2nd nut straight. SB checks, as does I. The OOP dude already showed crazyness to us so I let him just go all in on me. He indeed did as predicted, and SB called with his A/Ko and I call with my flush. All turned over and OOP has Ad 3c (Great preflop raise donk!) And 2 black nothing cards come out and I've swept. So they both rebuy double in and I'm sitting decent.
There were quite a few more hands that came out, But I know I caught Aces 3 times, and had to lay them down once with 4 Clubs out there and my red aces are now rags. Made a couple bluffs and after the rebuys were over I had 15,300 in chips. Sittin pretty. After the break, we all came back in and played. At this time the blinds were up high for most stacks, and people were still going all in like they could rebuy. Ok though. They all knocked eachother around and out and I was getting chips off of all of them.
I only dished one suckout. 2 on me but not for major money. But this one is legendary. I was running cold for a few minutes and I get K/Q of clubs. BB position. OOP guy raises like double the blind. Button goes all in for 5000 and I'm up to 27,000. I'm playing the chipleader role here and I call. OOP folds and we're flipping. He flips up bullets, flop is nothing. I pretty much said nice hand and he sat back down. Turn comes out K then Q. Major suckout on Aces and That took us down to the final table, and I'm going in with 32000 in chips.
Final table was boring, but there were 3 short stacks that were taking care of quick and I swept up a few pots but nothing major. Still sittin pretty though and my blinds weren't lost. Only went a couple orbits and we're down to 5. Director told us that there's 2500 total and a chop now would be 500. Chipleader doesn't like it so we worked out with chipstacks. He got 600, and it went 500, 500, 450, 450. I was one of the 500's and the chipleader was happy. So there we went. Cheapo tourney and made 500. Very happy with that, and to make a longer story short, we walked over to Bills Gambling hall and got PLASTERED and lost most of that money on Let it Ride. Band playing in there kicked ass and we just kept sucking down Bud Light Drafts like ice water. To the room!
Next day we met up with my buddy that was on his break day for the WSOP and eat at bills with some comps knocked off. He's still in btw. Root for Dale Michael! Anyways it's my Birthday that day. So I'm wanting to do some low-limit tables to hang out with them and my wife. (Poker's not a hanging out game. I love it to death but it's hard on a honeymoon with friends there too.)
We went to O'Sheas and played paigow and got drunked up. Then over to Casino Royale and that sucked but I broke even on 3 card poker and she won about 100 on a penny slot (sweet). My friend and his wife left there broke from blackjack (my LEAST favorite game) and she was way drunk from a big ole bong of pina colada from IP's street bar. So we leave and I stop for the $45 donkament at O'Sheas (BTW they have a 3 table, $45 tournament 4 times a day there, might wanna update on the site. No biggie though!) My wife went to play pennies and I played in this peice of crap. Only 3 tables and mine was the tight table with a couple of decent players. The others were crazy loose. within the 1st 2 blinds we were down to two tables, and I haven't played but 3 hands, one win scooping up 500 in chips (2000 to start btw). So, I get over to the next table, and 1st hand goes like so:
I get Q/J on the button with 2 limpers in front. I limp with them cause I'm not a big fan of this hand. BUT, I flopped Q/J and got check-raised by Pocket 4's after he caught the 4 on the flop also. Put me all in and nothing, nothing came out and I'm done. Let's go!
Here's the money-maker. Listen up.
Went over to IP. Both sat down with 100 at let it ride and got up with about 175 between the 2 of us, and I'm getting drunk in the process.
Over to paigow. Had a good time playing and a BRAND new dealer was being taught this game by me and my wife along with the pitboss. Had fun watching her struggle so we tipped her well, and the beer kept flowing.
Case hand.
I play the bonus every time, cause I tend to hit it. After about 2 hours of playing, I'm up about 150 and out comes my Royal Flush. SWEETNESS!!!
I had a 5 dollar bet on the bonus and it paid 150 to 1. 750. NICE! Between me and my wife, we cashed out with 1070 from there and this pretty much concluded the gaming. But why not? We were leaving the next day so it's all good.
Last day was scrambling to get breakfast in, and buy some souveniers, and then we forked over 70 bucks for a limo ride from Bellagio to the Airport. Classy. Had to to it.
Overall, had a great trip. Bellagio was a beautiful place, and I loved everything we did out there. I left disappointed that I couldn't play more poker, yet we went out there with 1900 bucks and left with 1400 or so. Not bad at ALL for playing, drinking, and having a great 3 days out there. I'm sorry this report was so long but I had to build up to the Pai Gow hand. That's big for me. Hope everyone enjoyed, and I read every single report that comes up on here. Let's all do the same!
PS
Play the bonus at Paigow. I'm a beleiver!!