T8urmoney

Played this, I think if you treat it as a $660 tourney, in which you need to play 2 day 1's....it's not so bad. Rake is pretty standard 10%, just treat as a higher buy-in.

I'll give a quick rundown on how it went:

Arrived at Bellagio about 11:30 Friday to register. Go into the poker room, and they advise that you need to register at the main cashier cage. So wonder around for a bit trying to find it......last two wickets on the left were for the tourney.....but wait, they don't take cash? Have to go to the other line to get casino chips first, then go back to get a seat!!

Got my seat, and only a little tilted to this idiotic proccess. My ticket shows an alternate, go back to poker room, give to a suit....he tells me to hold on (grabs my ticket, and a few others). About 10 minutes later, get a new ticket with a seat number on it (t32-s5). I locate said table, and go for some unhealthy air.

Get back to my seat right at 12 (start time).....there is a stack in my seat, along with a different ticket, and the 32-5 is handwritten on his ticket? I'm like, wtf? Grab a suit, get seated at another table (this happened to the guy I was down there with as well, we get seated at the same new table).

Starting stack was 10k with 40 minute levels.....Play was a mix of good and horrid players (my buddy doubled 3rd hand against a guy on a flush draw). I busted after about 4 hours....was a little dissappointed to here they shut it down early (about 5 or 6 pm), and gave everyone left a buffet (ffs).

Decided against playing day 1b, but Lee (my buddy) had made day 2 on day 1a, so he was playing 1b to try to get an additional stack. He didn't do too well on day 1b.

Sunday comes, Lee is 31st out of 126 left after 2 days, paying 100 players (out of just over 600 entries?). Lee said he didn't see many seats that had 2 bags (ie. made it on day 1a and 1b).

Went to rail Lee when there were 2 tables left (had 10% of him). He made it to 6th ($5500) when his AK could not run down A7 aipf.

Bryan Devanshire went on to win, and was by far the best player left. Actually talked to his wife on the rail, they're apparently moving from Vegas to some southern local (Costa Rica or such, they hadn't decided yet).

__________________
President of the Beration Nation

westside8

That sucks about the run around you got from Bellagio, but I'm sure the large field made up for it.

Trip Report

Coles Notes:
Westside got a dud SIM card and couldn't get in touch with Johnnie/moose
Won at craps with high rollers
Broke even at pokers
Got first live royal
Successful and profitable trip
zOMG it poured in Vegas again

Monday
So my SIM card totally failed me as I couldn't get in touch with Johnnie/moose at all the entire time (although I had no issues with data and even calling back to Canada), so I ended up playing quite a bit of poker. Got in around 1230 on Monday, checked in, room wasn't ready at Monte Carlo, dropped bag off at bell desk, walked to Aria, played about 3~ hrs of 1/3 NL and was up a green chip. No big pots, just a bunch of small pots that I won/lost here and there. Went over to Earl of Sandwich at Planet Hollywood for dinner, and spent the remainder of the night watching baseball at the Aria sportsbook with a couple of friends that I bumped into that I knew were there (but had no means of communicating with them as they didn't bother with a temp sim card - not that it made a difference anyways)

Tuesday
Started with playing craps at the Wynn which I posted about, locked up a win of just shy of $1K when the shooter shot for about 45 minutes and tables filled up with regulars/high-rollers that the box man knew each one by name. 3 guys came in with $10k~ worth of chips/markers, and 1 guy was in for $50K. Wynn (and I later discovered at Aria as well), they introduced a new "features" bet. Basically you can bet on 3 groups - small (2, 3, 4, 5, 6), tall (8, 9, 10, 11, 12) or all (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12) and payout is 35 to 1 for small/tall, and 176 to 1 for all. The idea is that you are paid out when all the numbers within the group are hit - the rolls count regardless of whether the point is on or not, except when a 7 is rolled (even when it's the come out roll), the features reset. Anyways, back to the roll, the guy didn't make too many numbers, but he kept making points which made everyone alot of money.

Went over to Venetian and late registered the noon daily tournament. Got in towards the end of level 2, and basically folded every hand til level 4 at 100/200/25. Villain in MP raised to 600, I reraised to 2100 with AQ with just under 4000 behind, villain calls. Flop AT3, he checks, I shove with essentially a PSB and he calls with AT and IGHN. Went over to Aria and was going to late reg. their daily, but they had an alternate list so I decided to just play 1/3. First big hand was a guy I recognized from previous trip where I know he hit/runs (first was I heard from other regulars, then I witnessed for myself in July). I'm in the SB, and there was a straddle and he raises UTG+1 to $26, 2 callers to me and I see 99, thought about 3-betting but decided to call instead. Flop 7 5 2, I check, he bets $55 looking nervous, 2 folds and I check-raise AI thinking he doesn't look confident, and don't enjoy getting stacked. He tanks for a good 2-3 minutes and calls with TT and I reload. He makes a show about how it was a great call and guy besides me says "yeah you're a big shot playing 1/3". As expected he walks away for 3-4 hands, comes back, racks up and leave. I commented loudly "afraid of losing the money back" and he just walks away. Whatever.

2 hands later I raise in LP to $11 with A6ss, villain calls in the BB. HU to flop of 6 5 2 rainbow, he checks, I bet $18, he calls. This is a villlain that I have picked up a tell on where if he has a big hand, he bets/calls a certain way (hand shaking, splashes instead of stack the chips - this was when he flopped a set), where as if he perceive his hand to be marginal, its the opposite. Turn is the A, he checks, I bet $35, he raises all-in for $200~, I snap call and hold against his A2.

Next "big hand" came against an older gentleman that just got moved to our table which I played REALLY bad. 2 limpers and I raised to $18 with red JJ in the CO, villain calls, 1 of the limpers call. Flop 9 8 x (I think deuce or trey) all spades. Check to me, I bet $45, older gentleman call, limper fold. Turn Qd, check, bet $95, he moves all-in for $130, I have to call and loses to his AA (no spade)

Last big hand of the night, EP raises to $12, 3 callers to hero in either CO or OTB with 77, call. Flop 6 6 10, checked around, turn 7. Original raiser bet $25, 1 caller, I raise to $95, original raiser fold, caller calls. River K, check, bet $160, calls and angrily mucks.

A couple of medium sized pots to end the night +$100~

Went to Lagasse to watched the baseball games, now 1 for 4 in sports bets this trip.

Wednesday
Woke up, checked out of Monte Carlo, moved stuff to Caesar's just cuz I had a comped room so I had a place to change/shower whatever before my flight out. Shot craps at Caesar's, -$100, went to check out Bellagio, decided not to play, made my way back to Caesar's, registered for 3pm $70 bingo, gambloood at Blackjack Switch, -$50

Caesar's Palace 3pm $70 bingo as I wanted one last tourney fix that would guarantee to finish before my flight. 3000 starting stack, 15 mins level, turbo tourney. Ended up with I think 28 runners with $560 for first paying top 4. Started off really well first 4-5 levels chipping up to t9000 without really going to showdown. Real friendly table on my side and it was loose passive as expected. Basically was in cruise control and up to t14000~ without much happening. In level 2 I had my first ever live royal flush. Flopped nut flush with AQd on K T x all diamonds, turn Jd. Got paid on flop and turn but villain folded river.

We were down to 11 at 400/800 when this hand happened. UTG limped (t8000~), 1 folded, button limped (t4000~), SB completed (t6000~), I check BB (t15000~) with 34o. Flop K 3 4 rainbow with 1 spade. SB check, BB bet t2200, I raise AI, UTG snap calls, SB thinks for 30 second and calls, BB says "I'm going to need alot of help" and calls.

SB: KTo
BB: KQss
Hero: 34o
UTG: 33

Turn 9 of spades, river J of spades. BB basically quadriple up, UTG got about 4K and I still have about 6K at the final table. Somehow I draw the BB again for the 2nd straight hand, folds, shoved a couple of hands to steal the blinds (which were 600/1200 by then, avg stack was about 8K.lol). Shorty shoved for t2500 with QJ on my bb, I call with 78, flop 6 9 Q, turn 6, river 9. Down to 4000, next hand shoves T9 into BB's QQ and IGHN.

At the end of the day, trip was a success. Came home ahead enough to cover flight and expenses thanks to my skill at craps (aka coming in at the right time for the hot shooter). Weird it poured again on Wednesday of this trip, first 6 trips I was in Vegas it never rained, the 2 most recent one (this trip and the one in July) both had time of downpour.