Part 2 of 3 from the May 23-29 trip. Also posted it into the part 1 thread, which can be seen here

http://www.allvegaspoker.com/trip_detail_2171.html

Session 8: Bally's Thursday AM 0230-0600
I hear from miamicane that TBC is at Bally's around 0215 so I head over there to finally meet the infamous TBC. Alas, he has left when I arrive at 0230. I sit down and promptly donk off about $60 of my $200 stack calling PF raises with small pocket pairs.
Then my new all-time favorite hand happens. Table is pretty loose, so I have tightened up when the following occurs. UTG raises $15, UTG +1 pops it to $45. A couple of folds and I look down at KhKd in the CO. I can either call here, and try to get away from an Ace high flop, or just jam, especially considering the type of table I'm at. I ship my $140. UTG+1 calls with AdAh. Cooler alert!
Flop comes A23, so I am drawing to the runner-runner kings. Turn comes a 5, and get ready for it ...... River is a 4 for the chop. Crazy. I decide the poker gods must be shining on me, so decide to stick around a little while longer. (Originally I had just come to find TBC, and would have left if I had lost the AA vs. KK hand)
About 15 minutes later, I am in the HJ with K10dd. There are a few limpers, including UTG guy who has no idea what he is doing. I pop it to $12, and get UTG guy and another limper to call.
Flop is KKK. Yahtzee, but how can I get paid? Check-check-check.
Turn is a Q. UTG bets $10 and MP folds. I smooth call, hoping he will lead out again on the river.
River brings a 10 and UTG checks. Figuring that I will not be getting paid with a value bet, I go for the overbet to represent the bluff. He has about $60 left, so I bet $60 into the $56 pot. He thinks for about 30 seconds and calls. Great, I have the nuts, and he tables J9os for the rivered straight on a KKKQ10 board. Awesome!
Two hands later, the dealer, Joe, deals the player on my left quads as well, when she flops quad jacks.
Joe almost deals the Club Royal (over $10000 payout) in the same down, when another loose German guy has KQcc and flop comes Jc10cX. It is checked down and he actually ends up losing the hand when the turn and river brick out.
I then hit my second straight flush of the night with Q9ss about 10 minutes later. I flop the OESFD and river the king of spades. Not only do I make $250 for the high hand bonus, but the V pays off my river bet of $120 with a 7 high flush. Woohoo!
One more notable hand occurs when I pick up 4c5c in the SB. Crazy loose German pool player bets $12 from EP. Nitty but nice French guy from Paris calls in MP, as does button. I figure this will be an easy hand to play, as I’ll hit huge or check-fold the flop if I miss, so I call the extra $11.
Flop is A45 with 2 hearts. Bingo! I lead out for $25, EP folds and nitty French guy shoves for $125 total. Button folds, and I am pretty sure that I am way ahead here. I only fear AA, but I think that even this rock 3-bets PF with AA. I tell him that I’m pretty sure he has AK, and call. Sure enough, he has AK and I fill up on the river for good measure.
Shortly thereafter, it is déjà vu, as I flop two pair on an A42 flop against the same V. I value bet the flop and turn, but miss a bet on the river. He has AK again, and I win. After nearly felting him twice, he goes to his room for the night. Interestingly, this same V will get me back a few nights later.

In a final, strange pot from this session, I have pp10 hold up. EP ($47 behind) bets $15, and I call in MP. Button shoves over the top for about $50 total, EP calls, and I call as well. (Only $35 into pot of $112)
Board comes AKJ94. I’m dead, right. I table my 10s, knowing any JQKA are good here. Both other players muck, and I cannot figure out what the hell they had.

All in all, end up +$612 for the session after having my stack up around +$850 at one point. Oops. Give about $50 in tips to the dealers because of the sick rungood.

Head back to my room and sleep for about 3 hours. Head to Lotus of Siam for lunch, where we get some Tom Yum, steamed sea bass with ginger sauce (the nuts!) and the grilled prawns (also great). We didn’t get the usual duck in cognac curry, (the second nuts on their menu), and I kind of missed not getting it.
Drank a 2007 Reinhard and Beate Knebel Spatlese, which was tremendous. Such a fantastic producer, only 7 acres in the lower Mosel, near Winningen. Only Dee Vine wines in California imports this producer, but you should seek them out if you are a Riesling lover.
Also had a 2004 Robert Weil Kiedricher Grafenberg TBA, which we got for a great price, thanks to Bank (wine director and generally super nice guy). It’s a TBA, so it was very primary and sweet, as expected. Neat experience though.
Then went downtown to go shopping at the Outlets for most of the day.

Session 9: V, 2000-2300
This was one of those sessions where big pairs and playing too loose really cost me. I made two ill-timed bluffs against the competent players at the table, and both called me down with medium holdings (eg. 2nd or 3rd pair). Unfortunately, the best player was directly to my left, and there was a pretty good baseball player guy on my right as well.
The remainder of the table was three tourists (2 from Paris, one from Iran) who bought in short, and played very tight. There was also a local uber-rock who played 1 or 2 hands in 3 hours, and got his aces cracked in one of them. HAHAHA!
A couple of big pairs also cost me in this session. Our table had just broken and re-formed because 4 players left, and I had moved into the #8 seat, directly to the left of the baseball player from Seattle. I am dealt pocket JJ in the CO, there are a couple of limpers and I pop it to $12. One of the blinds calls (new player who seems to be a competent young guy). We both have about $200 behind.
Flop is 776r. He checks to me and I c-bet $15. He raises to $40. This is a bit of a weird spot for me, and after thinking about it, I call in order to see what he does on the turn.
Turn comes a 10s, putting 2 spades on the board. He leads out for $50. I feel this is a very strong line, and this is his first or second hand at the table. The stack sizes also make it kind of awkward, and I feel my only two options are to shove or fold. Calling leaves me pretty much pot committed, and if he has a 7, I am drawing to two outs. I tank for a minute and fold. Comments on this hand are appreciated.

A few hands later I have QQ in the SB. A few limpers and I pop it to $15. Only caller is the baseball player on my right. Flop comes K high, and I c-bet $15. He raises to $30. This guy has been playing pretty tight, and I’m almost sure that I’m beat here. But, it’s only $15 for a pot of $60, so I call. The turn and river are checked down, and he shows a King for the win.
One more hand I lose with JJ on a K-high flop; I call it a night down $223 for the session.

Session 10: Bally's 0000-0500
Went over to Bally's to find some drunk action, and was sat at a super tight table, while wifey was at a super loose table. Must table change IMMEDIATELY.
I quickly donk off about $150 firing a 3 barrel bluff. I am called by an older guy who has J3os on a 9J795 board. Wasn't sure how he could call 3 streets with such a shitty kicker, but I guess maybe I was the donkey. Executed a nice bluff on him about 10 hands later though, which made up for it.
Finally I get moved to my wife's table, where the action is looser, and start building up the stack.
2nd hand at the table I am in the CO with KJos. Couple limpers to me and I bet $12. Two callers including one in BB and MP.
I had met the guy in MP the night before at Bally's. He was the nitty French guy who lost with AK to my 42 and 45 in two separate hands (above). Thus, he was well aware of my late position raising range, lol.
Back to the hand:
Three of us in the pot of $36 and flop is KJ5 all hearts. Great, but dangerous flop for me. BB and MP check, I bet $30 hoping to take it down or get a call with a weak flush draw. BB folds and MP insta-shoves. It is $98 more to call and I have him covered. I am kind of sick, thinking he may have flopped a small flush, and ask him if he has the flush. He genuinely says yes, so I ask him if he'll show when I fold. He says he'll show one card. He then says he doesn't have the Ace of hearts. I take that as a tell that he does not have the made flush, so I call.
He turns over K10 with the 10h. Turn 8d, river 2h. I guess he deserved that one after I had stacked him with such crappy hands the night before. At least I got my money in good, but would appreciate comments on the hand. Does anyone fold the flop in this spot?

Later in the night, a guy with a big stack two to my left is talking and asks the dealer if he's seen Tony? My wife and I both yell "TBC!!"
Sure enough, the guy 2 to my left for the last hour is DShapiro from VPN. We start chatting with him and the dealer about Tony, and eventually TBC and Miamicane come over from the Trop. Tony only gets in the game for one hand, where he raises PF to $15, gets two callers and check-folds a flop of J93r. He claims he had AK (which I believe is true), and then leaves the next hand with DShapiro (since DShapiro was Tony's ride).

I end up coming back from down $200 to cash out +$145, and wifey cashes out +$470.

We go back to our beautiful room at the Mandarin Oriental and have a great sleep. This is easily the best hotel we’ve stayed at in Vegas. Last trip we stayed at Encore, the trip before was Venetian, and Mandarin Oriental CRUSHES both of them. The bed is the comfiest I’ve ever slept in, the staff greet you by name, and there’s a bench to sit on while riding the elevator. It’s posh. I got a great deal on it (under $100/night), and will keep my eye out for something better than the usual $250/night for September’s trip. For $100/night, I’d live here.
The MO location is great as well. Much closer to the strip than Aria, and only a 1 minute walk to be right on the strip. (Unlike Aria, which is set so far back from the strip)
Have a great sleep until about 3 PM (MO rooms have those curtains that completely block all light, so you can sleep 24 hrs/day in total darkness) then wake-up to go play a little PLO at Aria.
I don’t remember the details of this session, other than playing premium hands where I had the nuts with re-draws to the nuts. It worked like the books say, and I won a couple of pots and cashed out +$378 in 1.5 hours.

Time for dinner at Joel Robuchon. This was another fantastic dinner, with one of the best courses I have ever eaten, “Les Oeufs” (Translation: The eggs). The problem is there is only 1 egg, but what an egg. It’s basically a whole egg covered in small slices of phyllo pastry, then deep fried to make a perfect soft egg. It is then plated on a creme fraiche base, with small (almost brunoise size) salmon cubes. Finally, it is topped with about an ounce of Osetra caviar and gold leaf. Just a bit extravagant. I won’t even say what it cost, but it was phenomenal. Wifey and I both agreed that we’d go back for egg and a glass of Champagne next trip. It was amazing.
We ended up each doing the four course tasting menu, and adding a cheese course. The bread cart was amazing, as was the mignardises cart at the end. The soup and cheese courses were the other highlights, and with 14 cheeses, the 3 best were all from Vermont (Bonne Bouche, Oma and one other) They were excellent.
Okay, I could go on and on about the intricacies of the food, service, etc. but this is a poker blog, so I’ll stop now. Overall, food was 4.5/5, service was shockingly poor considering the standards they should have, and I would go back in the future.

Now it was time for an extreme class switch. Mandarin Oriental and Joel Robuchon to … TBC and Bally’s, lol.
I showed up at Bally’s around 11 PM, and no site of miamicane, dshapiro or TBC. I got sat in a pretty good game, and 24fanatics informed me that TBC was over at Circus Circus, and would be on his way. TBC arrived around 1 AM and we had a pretty good session.

Here are my observations of Tony's playing style. Mostly Tony is just a major nit, and usually gets paid off when he has the nuts. I did see him limp AA and KK preflop UTG in the one hour I was there. He says he always does this, which is just super dangerous in my opinion. This type of play can set you up to win a small pot or lose a big one, I think.
Some highlights of playing at Tony's table:
1)Him perking up when two girls came to the table and asking me how to tell if they were lesbians or straight? He was worried that if he asked to hang out with them, and they were lesbians, they would kick his a@# because they are "militant dykes". I was laughing my ass off.

2)Eating at the table: He was hungry, so brought a milk, snickers, banana, bag of corn chips and sandwich to the table. He quickly munched his way through everything, and had crumbs all over his shirt and edge of the table. The glare that one dealer was giving him (Gianna) was priceless. She basically couldn't stop glaring at him for her whole down. It was hilarious, and I was pissing myself laughing.
Tony, if you are reading this, you need to wash your hands before and after eating at a poker table. Those poker chips are filthy, and like Mrs. Turd says, if you touch your mouth while playing poker, you are basically putting thousands of guys penises and balls all over your face. Tony was sticking his fingers in his mouth repeatedly with the chips, and never washed his hands once, so that's a lot of c$#k and balls, especially for someone who is so anti-homosexual.
Somewhere else in TBC’s blog there was a thoroughly disgusting conversation about eating at the poker table, where Tony basically said that licking one’s fingers is a perfectly acceptable way of cleaning your fingers at the poker table. Tony, this is so damn gross it’s not even funny. Considering mucous membrane (AKA hand-face contact) is the main way that viruses are spread (not droplet/airborne as most people think), I cannot believe you aren’t perpetually sick. The probable reason is that you are the ebola monkey, and the combination of eating at poker tables and living in all the dingiest hotels in Vegas has made you impervious to infection. You must have antibodies to every virus there is.

3)People catch on to the fact that you are a huge nit after you slowroll the nuts a couple of times. If anyone is paying attention, they would also realize that you have serious MUB (Monsters under bed) fears, and you are probably fairly easy to bluff.

4)It would greatly improve TBC’s game if he could not be so focused on how much he is up/down. You are constantly counting your chips (and arranging them in neat, color aligned stacks) and stating how much you are up/down for the session, day, life. Just focus on the game and worry about the wins/losses later. I know you won’t listen to this advice, but it’s pretty hard not to give it when you are saying “I’m down $57” or “I’m up $23” every few hands.

Alright, that’s enough for part 2. Final day of the trip, including meeting missingflops right as he was mid-spaz at Aria is still to come.
Daily totals thus far:

Harrah's, 30 minutes, -6
Venetian, 5 hours, -163
Venetian, 3 hours, +117
PHo, 2 hours, +31
Venetian, 4 hours, +193
Venetian, 2 hours, +700
Aria, 1.5 hours, -35 (PLO)
Ballys, 3.5 hours, +612
Venetian, 3 hours, -223
Ballys, 3 hours, +145
Aria, 2 hours, +378 (PLO)
Ballys, 3 hours, +238
PHo, 1.5 hours, +14

Totals to date: +2001

Part 3 still to come...