Vegas: Jan 26-29, 2006

[Pablo Sanchez]

The Black Widow and I are headed to vegas to play some cards at the end of this month. I figured this would be a nice starter post for a trip report.
We're going out for a freeroll into a Harrah's 2day tournament. If its lame, we'll likely ditch it and attack the cash games. Probably spend most of the time at the Wynn poker room.
We're anxious to try some of the new rooms, though, like Ceasars, Stratosphere, MGM, Paris, etc.
We'll also likely make the rounds downtown, since H has never been to Binions or the Plaza.
I also want to try the $500 daily tourney at the Bellagio.
Any favorite poker rooms in Vegas?
Any favorite restaurants? (i've made reservations at Nine Steakhouse at the palms)

[Quads]

Stratosphere?
Make sure you cash out before you leave. They have been bankrupt for some time. No other casinos take their chips when you walk out the door.

I'd check out the MGM, Ceasars and of course the Wynn. Remember the Wynn also holds $300 and $500 tourneys, both with morning satellites.

Look forward to your trip report.

[Ace-in-Space]

I will be in Vegas the middle of Feb. I will be staying somewhere around Bellagio end of the Strip. I plan to play some poker between meetings.

I always like the buffet at Bellagio (3 years ago I got a full comp for it by asking the poker room manager when I played there, last time they reduced the comp to $15.) I saw somewhere the Mirage is also good (better value).

[araymond]

Olives at the Bellagio is nice, especially if you can get a seat near the "lake" to see the fountains go off. If you want to sit outside they don't take reservations, but you can show up when they open at 5 and make reservations for later that night. Also, the VooDoo Cafe on the top floor of the Rio - good seafood and a great view in a fun atmosphere. Downtown the Carson Street Cafe at the Golden Nugget is good for a quick meal. I wouldn't recommend the Binion's coffee shop - I ate there once and it was awful!

[Pablo Sanchez]

Black widow and I played alot of poker over our 72 hour trip to Vegas. Played mostly cash games ($1/3 NL and $2/5 NL), only 1 tourney. Ended up about $2500 between the two of us.

One crazy hand took place at the Ceasar's $1/3 game. I bought in for $200. By the time this hand started, i had about $350 in front of me. I'm in middle position. UTG limps, I limp with pocket 4s. A tight player on the button raises to $20. Small blind folds, big blind (loose, passive) calls, UTG calls, so I make a questionable call due to odds i'm getting. Flop comes 4/5/7 rainbow. Check, check, I check, then button (preflop raiser) bets $50. the two checkers fold. I put him on a high pocket pair (Js through Ks), so I say "make it $150". Button thinks for a while, then finally says "I don't think i can lay this down" and calls. I start worrying that my bottom set might not be good. I start to wonder if he could have a bigger set. I knew he didn't have the straight b/c he wouldn't raise with a 6/8 or 3/6 preflop. Turn comes a 2. I immediately go all in for my last $175. Button again thinks for a while, then calls. Neither of us exposed our cards before the flop. Flop comes another 4, giving me Quad 4s. I do my typical "well i've only got two pair, fours and......fours!" Button looks crushed, but mucks his cards. Claims that he had flopped top set of 7s. I should have asked to see his cards, but i was too shocked by the quads. If he really did have the top full house (7s over 4s), then I pulled an awful suckout! One-outers hurt! I was nearly drawing dead.

The day before that hand, i was also playing at a $1/3 NL game at Ceasars at an interesting table. On the opposite end from me were a Husband and Wife pair from south africa. Husband was establishing a pattern of buying in for $500, then losing it fairly quickly, then yelling for a rebuy. I saw him go through $2000 at the $1/3 table in a few hours. His wife was actually a worse player, though. She wouldn't fold a hand preflop, even for a raise. When I say never....I mean never! In the 6 hours I was at the table, I saw her muck only one hand out of hundreds! I saw her call several $40 preflop raises with 10/4 off, 3/6 off, Q/2, etc. She was a straight calling station. Also, it was funny b/c she thought 2 pairs was an unbeatable hand. There could be 5 suited cards on the board, but if she had even a small shitty two pair, she was ALL IN.
I got into one fun hand with her husband. I limped UTG with jacks. Husband raises to $15, one more caller, then I smooth call to make three of us. Flop comes J/10/3. I check, Husband bets $40, other guy calls, i raise to $140. Both call. Turn comes a blank, i go all in for another $150. Again, both call. Top set holds up and I drag a $950 pot. Husband had only a pair of tens. Other dude had a flush draw. Nice.

I can't wait to get back out there. Makes me want to quit my day job.

[Hagar]

Glad to hear you guys had a profitable and fun trip. Flopping sets sure makes the game easier as does rivering quads over somebody's bigger set!

(Was I in vegas last weekend? Sounds like something that would happen to me.....)

[Ender]

There's no way the guy had a flopped set of 7's there. If he did, he would have come back over the top on the flop when you raised, or else would have made his big move on the turn. His disgust (and his play) sounds to me like AA or KK and he made the rookie mistake of not being able to let the monsters go.

Congrats on your pull in Vegas. I will still be heading up to Reno in late Feb/ early March for the Peppermill Spring tournies... Quads might be coming and you and BW should also make the ride up.

-kid

[Ace-in-Space]

1. Congrats on the good haul. Looks like you both had a nice fishing trip.
2. Did you play at Caesar's only? I am going to be in Vegas in about 2 weeks so I would like to have a fishing report. (I will be staying at the Flamingo.)
3. Agree with Ender that the guy didn't have 77. Since you are already all in on the turn if he had that hand he would call in an instant (there is no need to Hollywood since he can't bluff you out of the hand.)

[Pablo Sanchez]

Sounds like maybe my read of AA or KK on that guy was right. In hindsight, I should have asked to see the cards.

Ace, as far as the poker venues there, you otta check out http://www.allvegaspoker.com Great site with tons of reviews and info. I played at Ceasars, Wynn, Harrahs, Bellagio, Mirage, and a few others. All of them had very beatable $1/2 or 1/3 tables (except Bellagio which has no lower NL than $2/5). They all also had $2/5 tables, although the quality of player was much higher (still totally beatable, but definately better players).
My fav poker room in Vegas is the Wynn. Ceasars and MGM are nice too, but don't rival the "feeling" of the Wynn and Bellagio rooms.

I didn't play any limit on the trip. Tried to get on a 15-30 table at the Wynn, but my $2/5 seat opened up first. Game looked good.

[Ace-in-Space]

Thanks for the information. Have not been to Vegas for about 3 years but last 2 to 3 times I was there I played pretty much exclusively at Bellagio ($15/$30 mainly). I think I will be playing mostly $2/$5 on my upcoming trip. Might check out Wynn.

[Ace-in-Space]

Scoot, of the rooms that you played, where do you think has the most beatable $2/$5 game?

[Quads]

$20 bucks says he replys with the Wynn!

[Ace-in-Space]

From the website Scoot supplied I might start at MGM Grand first.

[shiz]

From the website Scoot supplied I might start at MGM Grand first.

the 2/5nl game there is my normal game. It is a very solid game but very easy to beat. I'm not a big fan of he wynn only because the people in there have waaay too much money to gamble with... so the play ends up a little out of control sometimes. If your big hands are holding up that fine, but money has no respect on that table so your bound to take some pretty bad beats. (atleast thats been my experience the few times Ive been in there.)

[Quads]

From the website Scoot supplied I might start at MGM Grand first.

the 2/5nl game there is my normal game. It is a very solid game but very easy to beat. I'm not a big fan of he wynn only because the people in there have waaay too much money to gamble with... so the play ends up a little out of control sometimes. If your big hands are holding up that fine, but money has no respect on that table so your bound to take some pretty bad beats. (atleast thats been my experience the few times Ive been in there.)
On the $1/3 table I'd agree with that, but I've found the $2/5 game to be a pretty solid game and not a shove fest. Although I haven't played the MGM $2/5 game much, so I have little to compare it to other than my sessions at the Wynn.