Well, Diane is back from Vegas-
There isn't a lot of poker content here, so you purists may want to just skip my rambling.......and go on to the next post.
Hubby Tom (non-gambler) and I went for a long Las Vegas weekend 9/22-27 as previously noted here to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary timed to some races at the LV Motor Speedway with friends. My poker playing/traveling companion Karen also brought her non-gambling husband, Ken, along.
Thanks to "Creepshow" we requested a strip front room at Bellagio and got a great one on the 20th floor overlooking the water fountains. Front row seats from our window for the synchronized show. Pretty neat. (I appreciate that tip, Gary!)
Service was outstanding at Bellagio from Valet checkin, to twice daily maid service. We wandered around a bit the first day getting the lay of the land, and when we asked a security guard about the restaurants, he left his spot walked us around to each of them and explained the different menus to us! Never had that before. Rooms were huge and tastefully elegant. Loved that deep tub and big, big bathroom.
Checked in with Karen VanHorn of the poker room office and was given my player rating card. I had played several times previously, but had never stayed in the hotel before. Karen explained that as a first time hotel guest, I needed to be rated to get the casino rate. Even though I had been rated for years at Mirage poker room....I still needed to do it again at Bellagio. Per Karen I needed to average 6 hours a day for each hotel night's stay. Since I normally play 16-18 hours a day, I wasn't worried except for the time I would be with my husband. He was a honey, but I still didn't get as many hours in as I would have liked. But I faithfully presented my card each time I checked in and out for games. Now that I am "rated" I don't have to mess with it again, so at least it is done.
Casino rate is $99+tax during the week and $129+ tax on weekends. Lots more than I usually pay during a poker trip, but rooms were worth it. Usually Karen and I share a room for $25 at Horseshoe Tunica ($12.50 each) so this was a BIG adjustment for this cheap poker player.
Played about 40 hours total during the trip and ended up +$2200. Not sure if I covered all my husband's shopping purchases, but think so. Between airfare for two, cost of room and some very expensive (but great) meals I think I did crack that nut.
Games at Bellagio were typical to what I had found on my 3 previous trips since they opened last October. Heavy concentration of working regular players and a few tourists. Generally 3 games of $15-30, 1-2 of $30-60 and then lots more lower limit and 2-4 tables going in the high rent section.
I stayed strictly within $15-30 the entire time. I was tempted a few times by the relatively weak line-ups I was seeing in $30-60 to dip my toe in the water but I declined. It was tempting as I watched the "fish" move from $15-30 to the $30-60. I swear I saw some people salivating they were so glad to see them show up!
Each time I considered getting on the $30-60 list, I hesitated because reality set in that I just wasn't ready to sit down and buy in for a grand prepared to play it like $3-6 (since they play with $10 chips) I hate playing when I feel that the money is a worry or feel out-classed in terms of poker skill. My natural style is fast and aggressive. I would like to say that I play "selectively aggressive" but I can't. I am honest enough to admit that I am not as selective as I should be. I have the speeding part down fine, I just can't seem to find the brakes when I should. I know I should play the same regardless of chip denominations, but I am just not ready for the hurdle. Some day....... Karen kept encouraging me to try higher game, but she had the confidence and I am the one who was still looking for it. Maybe in January during the Carnivale.....
As I hoped (and predicted) I did play at Razzo's table on a couple of the days and yes, he did push me some pots, quite a few matter of fact. Last time he and I were chatting quite a bit to the consternation of John Carr who was in the #10 seat at the time. I have played with John for years and *love* his gracious wife Shelley, but John is so grouchy all the time. He was quite critical of Razzo talking while dealing even though Razzo still kept good control of the game..............John should just lighten up a little and enjoy life more.
I was pleased that Karen and I did get a chance to meet Gary "Creepshow" and his wife in the poker room. Gary heard Karen and I talking and walked up and introduced himself.....not sure how he knew it was us? I guess my description of "loud-mouthed, etc" did the trick from earlier posts? We chatted only briefly and then saw each other again at the tables. Found out that Valerie is the one behind the "Creepshow" handle. She is a big Stephen King fan (so am I) so we chatted about that a bit also.
To be honest there aren't any real memorable hands that stick out in my mind to satisfy those of you that stayed with me and this post this long. I tend to forget hands instantly after they are over. Probably because I play so many hands.......my starting hand requirements are generally lower than most people. But boy, can I run good! When I hit the "zone" I am unstoppable. I had a bit of the "zone" this trip, but no major gains. More steady than spectacular.
Floor staff and dealers at Bellagio were great and welcoming. Easpecially enjoyed graveyard with Bruce M and Leah working the floor. They were friendly and helpful with my many questions.
Games generally went all night. Sunday and Monday morning $15-30 was down to one table each day, and then 1-2 tables of $30-60. All other tables had broke down. I tend to stay on Midwest time in Vegas, so I go to bed early and then get back up at 4 a.m. or so. It is important to me to have confidence that if I get up in the wee small hours of the morning that there will be a game. I was not disappointed at all. However, seeing how the games were at Bellagio with generally short lists all weekend, made me wonder what was going on at Mirage? Was there enough red chip and green chip action to keep games at both places? Probably not is my guess. Reinforced my decision to stay at Bellagio rather than Mirage like previous trips.
Bellagio was slower than my 3 previous trips. But I attributed that to the fact that all the other times I was there it was timed to a major poker tournament in town that brought me and many other players in. This past weekend it was just the regulars and a few random visitors. Reinforced for me to skip Vegas unless there is something special going on. I don't want to play with just the regulars. I can hold my own......it is just more work/less fun than when more tourists and loose money is in town.
Ran into "Swannee (sp?)/Steve" from Iowa who I hadn't seen in years, so that was an unexpected pleasure. He came over and commented that he had seen the Mike Sexton article in CP about my adventures so we chatted about that a bit and caught up on other midwest players that we hadn't seen in awhile but both knew. World is pretty small when you are talking about mid-limit midwest players. I guess I know most of the WI/IL/MI/IA bunch after this time. But then I always meet new ones and that is great too!
Next on the agenda for me is Reno October 21-30 for the Peppermill Tournament. Wonder if I should warn them like I did the Vegas bunch before I came? Hope to see some of you there. Last few times I have only been able to stay for a long weekend. This time I am there for the whole tournament. Poor Billy V, Jocelyn, and Margaret.....they are stuck with me for 9 days. Even I get tired of me after 9 days.
I forgot to include in my long rambling trip report a couple of *interesting* encounters I had while playing my $15-30 games at Bellagio last weekend.
Saturday night 9/25 playing $15-30 with a full table. Huck Seed comes over and spends quite a bit of time talking to a young, pretty, Eurasian girl who is playing at our table. Seat opens up....Huck "jumps the list" sits down and buys in a rack and starts playing. New player who has been called for the seat comes over, sees no seat and goes back to brush. Brush comes over, sees Huck in the open seat and looks to player he sent over "Mr Seed is just going to play a round or two and then it will be your seat". Huck continues to play and talk to girl, "first up man" watches for awhile, and then wanders off to eventually get placed in another game. Huck stayed at least one more hour and then I left. He raised about 80% of the hands he was dealt and mucked 20%. He NEVER just called. Pump or dump was his style. He was down about $300 when I left. When I mentioned it the next day in another game about being surprised to see WSOP Huck in my game--some other person commented that the Eurasian girl is NOT his girlfriend, but merely a good friend of his girlfriend and they were just visiting......
Same trip I had two different sessions playing $15-30 with Brad Daugherty. Each time we played together for 2-3 hours. We chatted quite a bit because of playing together previously in Reno during the Peppermill tournaments. I got the impression that he was in the game by choice as opposed to just "killing time". Very pleasant to play with, though he did show some frustration when drawn out on.
Same game on Sunday afternoon had both Mike Laing and Brad Daugherty in it. Brad left about 6:30 pm saying he was going over to the Orleans for their evening tournament. MIke talked about going with him, but stayed in our game, blew off several hundred dollars and then finally left about 10 pm.
Only other celebrity/WSOP I had played with live action was Jack Keller down in Tunica. We played $10-20 Holdem over Labor Day weekend. NOt sure why he was in that game. His two sons, Jack Jr. and Scott had played in game previously, but weren't still there at the time. He was very much the quiet gracious player that he has the reputation for being. Never really talked or commented much about hands and took the usual "bad beats" with grace.
I guess this was noteworthy enough to mention all three encounters because of the limits involved. I have played with poker greats before many times in satellites and tournaments where they have no *choice* but to be seated with the peasants. However, this seemed odd to me that they were choosing to play live at those limits.
Diane from Green Bay
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