The latest poker trip started a bit uneasily this time. Harrahs/Caesars properties, which I mostly avoid for lots of reasons suckered me in for 5 free nights at either IP or Rio. That was trip dilemma #1. Do I stay at IP where I have never set foot in due to not really ever wanting to (this was trip #25 just for poker) OR do I go to Rio where I have stayed a few times and love the property? Ultimately I went with the IP and am glad I did. As unappealing as the place looks, it still boasts a great location on the strip in my opinion. I was in complete shock all week as the casino was PACKED 24 hours a day. Apparently several people like the place--a lot.

The main reason for the trip was to get out of St Loo for a week and not have to play the same pool of 400 or so people in our 4 poker rooms here. By the way, the St Louis poker scene is currently fantastic with 4 very very good rooms (Lumiere/Ameristar/Harrahs/River City). All have their own vibe, levels of play, and group of locals that pretty much stay at one or two of those all the time...Passing through on business? Come on in and give us a shot!

But, onto this trip, where I played at the V, TI, and yes, the IP for the first time ever. As soon as I checked in, I noticed the IP had a poker room right next to the main entrance. It is not a room so much as a poker area, but hey--it works. There was 1 or 2 1/3 games every night/overnight which was very profitable for me. I would get there at around 2am each night, and played until at least 7am. The max buyin was $300. A note about the staff: For a small room, the dealers and floor were really good. Ricky on the floor was one of the better floor people I saw during the whole trip. He kept control of several drunks, handled table questions, and treated me extremely well. It was also great to see Cindy (pokermuffin?? on AVP) after several years. She is as good a dealer as she is a person which is saying something! As far as the competition, go there for action! An old friend I had played with often in the past named Dave from KC and a local named Mike were the only people with experience at any given time in the room. They were easy to avoid and the rest were either very drunk or very easy to play. You will get paid with any hand as folding is usually not going to happen by at least 3 at the table each hand.

TI is still one of my favorite poker rooms in the country. Troy does a great job with the room and has kept exceptional dealers since they opened several years ago. It was great to see old timers Matt/Pedro/Jeff/etc during the week. Isaac is a great floor hire since I was last there as well. Rich-you are still great to hang with my friend. And--AVP's resident best writer/blogger Talon was in the house a lot as well. I have known him for years just from me popping in once or twice a year at TI and he is a class guy as most of you can probably tell through his writings on this site. As far as playing there, the 1/3 plays very loose aggressive (which at that level fits my style perfectly). I hear people say it plays like a 2/5 but that is not totally true. In my experience, in 1/3 games, the best hand wins most of the time. At most 2/5 games I play in, sheer aggression and power plays make it so the best hand wins much less of the time. The fact TI lets you buy in for $500 tho makes the table $$$ heavy which does LOOK like a 2/5...

I did not run as good as usual there and posted an overall loss in the room for the week. The tournies are well attended at TI but forgive me but the play is just nonstop brutal. On a side note, the pizza place next to the poker room is great, and I will put the TI steakhouse against pretty much any other on the strip. I did however witness THE HAND OF THE TRIP in a cash game:

Player xx has about $750 behind at the start of the hand. Player yy has about $650. I have around $500. The preflop raise by me is $13 and your hero has his usual 4/5 offsuit. I get two callers before yy makes it $30 preflop. She gets me and xx to play along and the rest fold for unknown reasons. The flop comes 7/8/3 rainbow. Usually this is in my wheelhouse to make a pretty good flop bet but I checked. yy made it $80 and xx snap called. I scurried away to thieve another day. The turn was a J. yy leads again for $100. xx pops it to $250. yy reraises all in. xx snap calls. The river is another 8. As the river hits, xx rolls over his 9/10 for the nut straight. He groans as the river paired the board. Ladies and gentlemen I have been playing poker for eons and I would have bet my house/kids/hockey tickets/ and even throw in my wife for free that the young lady who had been playing well up until that time rivered a boat (or possibly quads). But no, even as xx splattered a little vomit on the felt as he saw the board pair, the young lady says "You're good". WHAT????????????? She then flashes pocket aces, and mucks. And this is why some of us play poker.

Onto the V...if you are a tournament player. Come here. If you are a poker player. Come here. If you are a 2/5 player. Go somewhere else for an easier game. This is consistently the toughest 2/5 game I play anywhere competition wise. But I play it for that reason. Sick up and down swings at those tables during the week. The room was completely totally packed 24 hours a day which is great to see. They simply get it there and will treat you very well as a player. The tourney structure for the $340 deepstack, the $150 bounty, and the nightly basic $150 tourney were all and have always been THE BEST. I ultimately wasted several hours in each with no cashes which sucked bad as I was coolered in two of the three to get knocked out pretty deep into them.

On my way to hockey practice with my oldest so I have to cut this short. Briefly, the Mirage was good as always and it was good to see Chris for a few minutes who still runs a good room. My favorite sportsbook in Vegas along with the California pizza kitchen just feet away from the poker room make it one of the best to me.

Thanks for reading and may you all do well at the tables!

AceTenGuy