STARTPOST TITLE: Vegas Trip Report AUTHOR: Damian DATE: 8/01/2006 11:19:00 PM ----- BODY:

Vegas was HOT HOT HOT! Both the weather and my poker play. I had a total of 5 poker sessions, 4 times at The Wynn and just once at The Paris.

Session 1:
Played with actyper the first night. Managed to build be up for the first 3 hours then I re-raise a guy when I'm holding JJ all low cards on the flop. He puts me all in and I'm pretty much committed now so I call another ~$120 into a $450 pot. He did hit his set and that had me down to the felt. I re-buy and made back a little before the night was over. Not a way I'd wanted to start off Vegas. At around 2am Shannon Elizabeth (American Pie) and Boston Rob (Rob & Amber from Survivor) sit at our table. Shannon played pretty tight and Rob busted out his entire $500 buyin. She's even hotter in person.

The next day actyper and I hit up the Rio to see the WSOP festivities. I got lots of free stuff. I definitely picked up more clothes than I brought. On the way back I play some single deck BJ at Imperial Palace and manage to finish slightly ahead there too.

$50 SnG - Treasure Island
This one was like a super turbo with blinds going up every 10 min. I didn't catch any cards at all and by the I did catch pocket 3s some guy pushed all in over top of me so I had to fold. He later told me he had a big pair. The next hand I played I was forced to go all in, so I did that with A3o and didn't survive that one. Finished 7th.

Session 2:
After seeing Love, which is a cool show at the Mirage, I went back to the Wynn. I don't remember many hands except the last one. I was up almost 3x my buyin making up for my first night disaster. The very last hand the BB convices me to play my hand blind, so I stradle. BB calls so I blind raise to 4xBB. He calls and flop is 7-7-9. BB checks so I bet another 4xBB blind and he folds. I flip over my blind hand 57o.

Session 3:
I spent a few hours at the Mirage with dlk9s who's covering the WSOP action for pokersourceonline.com. We played some single deck BJ and I win some more money. That makes 2 +ve BJ sessions this trip.

Later in the evening I go to The Paris to check out their games. I really don't like poker rooms right in the middle of the casino. This was one of them. I was almost felted here by losing some close hands where I was simply out kicked. In the end I managed to pull to a little above even before I called it a night. 4am. I had been averaging about 4h sleep a night.

The next morning I played $25/hand BJ 4-deck. In a couple hours I was up $400. That makes 3 BJ sessions and still way up! I did dump more than half of that back into the slots. I know.... stupid, but it was fun.

Session 4:
We had the PSO party at Hooters and I finally got to meet some people who I've been talking to online for over 2 years. Nice to put some faces to the names. After the party I head to The Wynn where I've decided is the only place I want to play. MikeJ and Kugr played at the Wynn as well but left early.

I doubled my buyin with in a couple hours. I had flopped a set and I check raised all in and was called with AK since her she hit her A on the flop. There was another girl who bluffed me big time... I really don't want to get into it, but she missed her draw and pushed all in. I just couldn't call with 2nd pair. I did finish the night with 2x my buy in. This night ended for me at 5am.

Funny thing is it ended almost like the last time. I stradled, but didn't play blind this time. BB raised so I called with 57o. Flop 2J5, BB bets, so I call. Turn is 7, BB checks so I bet about 1/2 pot. He calls. River is 5 making my full house. BB checks, so I bet pot here telling him he can't call cause the bet is too big. He thought for a long time and I actually convinced him that I was trying to buy it. He called but mucked what I believe was A9.

Session 5:
Kugr met me a The Wynn for our final poker fix before our flights. Within the first orbit I get AA. I bet $18 and get called by 3 people. Flop QT8. I bet $40 he calls. Turn A making my set but also putting a straight out there. I bet $90 and he calls. I'm thinking crap he made his straight. River is J. We both check and he shows Q9. Not sure how he makes that turn call, but that's poker. I did manage to make it back and finish even. One hand that helped was 82s when I stradled.... I figure it worked for my twice before. flop was A2x I bet pot trying to steal it since I'm heads up. He called. Turn was a spade now giving me a flush draw, so I bet half pot now, and he calls. River is a 2. Thinking he was on a missed draw I just value bet and he called. Showed AT.

While walking to catch our ride to the airport we stopped to play some BJ. Kugr played some BJ switch and I played single deck BJ. We both finished up making my BJ run 4/4 and capping a nice run in Vegas.

So only 1 real session where I lost money and what seemed like impossible to lose at BJ. Excellent outting and can't wait to go back. actyper played the WSOP ME. He's got updates on his blog. Hopefully next year will be my turn.

----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:  Curatio DATE: August 9, 2006 at 5:49:00 AM EDT BODY: Nice report, sounds like you had a great time. With all that luck, though, maybe you should have been playing in the Main Event!

Just curious, what exactly does "stradle" mean in poker? I looked it up, but didn't fully understand it. It doesn't seem to be an option that is offered in online games. ----- ENDPOST