Trip Report
Firstly, I apologise now for the wall of text. I will put some amusing pictures in the post below when I get a chance.
Thursday
I arrived slightly later than planned about 6:40pm ish. The queues for immigration weren't that bad, and as I was over in the states in March last year, they didn't seem concerned with me, so just let me straight in.
A limo was waiting with bigwil2k, and off we went to the Platinum. I was pretty jetlagged, and it was not a nice flight, lots of turbulence etc, so it was very odd being in Vegas. Sort of like an out of body experience.
We had dreamt of going for so many years, and bigwil2k had actually played heads-up for a seat to the WSOP Main Event in 2009 and lost, so we decided that we would both go at some point. We had finally made it!
The Platinum gave us a nice reception, and Wil had checked in earlier that afternoon. He used the $20 trick to great effect. We were upgraded from their most basic room, a Solitaire Suite (which would still be awesome, I am sure) to a Strip View Princess Suite (their second highest!). It was enormous. I don't think I have ever stayed in a larger hotel room. In fact, I have lived in smaller places that that. It was massive, and the view was great. Balcony, huge Tv sofas etc, big open plan kitchen and bathroom was massive also. Dare I say the shower was almost too powerful?! I can't think of a single negative for the price. We really were looked after, and the staff were great.
While I am on about hotel rooms, at the end of the trip bigwil2k checked into a Flamingo 'Go' room. I think he paid $40 a night, as this was for a Mon & Tues night. He again did the $20 trick, and managed another upgrade. Moved to a very high floor he was given a superb view looking down the strip and onto the Bellagio fountains. He was also given early check in for free.
The room itself wasn't perhaps my style, very 'pr0n star'. White plastic padded headboard, electric curtains, see through bathroom shower door. It was a great size room, and good big Tv etc, and view made it. Really great value for what he paid, but as was said, took a while to get out of the place. Almost looked like an optical illusion stepping out of the room and looking down the corridor - absolutely massive place!
So Thursday night I just grabbed a shower and we headed straight out. We went to Caesars and tried to take it all in. One thing I would note, and this happened for the first couple of days, was that we both felt really odd inside the Casino's. Lightheaded and dizzy, when hangover, this was really noticeable, and I had to sit down and chill out a couple of times in Ari.a.
I noticed this especially in Ari.a and Caesars. I suspect this to be related to the Oxygen content being pumped into the Casino's to keep people awake. We even thought they may add other stuff in the air as well, but we had been drinking heavily, and so paranoia could have taken over.
After messing about till around 11pm, we went to Bally's for some cash games. We were both rusty, and oddly nervous. Poker can be intimidating if you let people get to you, and I think we did. I was purposely playing tight, and generally trying to feel people out. I generally liked to buy in for $200 on the 1/2 tables, as if I got felted, I could buy back in straight away.
Soon enough, this would happen.....I had picked up a read on a bloke, and he hit lucky on the turn to take my inital buy in. Wil followed suit, and bought back in immediately.
We then both got involved in a hand together, which Wil never likes! I had 55 and raised from late position and had Wil and one other caller. Flop came down AK4 and I wanted to squeeze, so raised 2/3 of pot as last to act. Wil called, other player folded. Turn card was 4. Wil checked, and I gave up, checking behind. River was a 5 giving me a very disguised full house. There was no flush on board.
I over-bet the pot to make it look like a bluff, and he called me down and mucked. We left soon after this, and caught up with some sleep. Generally I like playing pots with Wil, but he hates playing pots with me, and often will try and check it down, which in most cases I will not do. There is another hand later on, which caused some controversy!
Friday
Friday Wil had to go to his course until around midday, so got up around 6am (jetlag) and had a walk around the strip, took some photos, and went into a few of the Casino's. I was really impressed with Ari.a. The Casino floor was really nicely done, and staff seemed good. Streets ahead of Caesars, as we would learn.
I went into Planet Hollywood, and really liked the Casino floor there. Younger crown than Caesars, and a better atmosphere I felt. Staff were nicer, and waitress service seemed excellent. I played poker for 30 mins and left $70-$80 up. This was my new favourite poker room for $1/$2. Players could be run over, and there was very little re raising either pre or post flop. I led the play a lot, but didn't often play pots, and my tight image was rewarded a couple of times.
I had a wander around the shops, and tried to take it all in. Again, it felt as though I wasn't really in Vegas. You see it on Tv etc, and can't quite believe it when you get there.
For lunch that day we went to Taco's El Gordo, just past the Wynn. Amazing. Best Taco's I have ever had (not that I have had
that many). They were only $2 each. We had four each, and they were so good we went back to get another one each
Worryingly, there was a 'Crime prevention officer' wandering about outside with a handgun, and we speculated that Hispanic gang members may occasionally go in for food, meet, and have a shoot-out? Perhaps that's a bit far fetched...but, you never know.
After that we walked back down the strip and went into the Wynn for the first time. Amazing. In my view this has the best Casino floor on the strip. It is out of the way a bit, and I got a bus ticket ($6 for 4hrs I think) to get there. Clearly, a huge amount of money has been spent on the place. The shopping isn't as good as the shops in the Caesars mall I don't think, but the Casino floor wins by a good margin. We played on the gamblers, for a good while. The waitress service was notably excellent (we were asked if we would like a drink after being sat down less than a minute!). Although we noticed later on, oddly, that a lot of the waitresses seemed to be up the duff. Maybe Steve Wynn going round causing havok?
We then got into an epic session of Pai Gow. The dealer was really friendly, and time just seemed to evaporate. What felt like 5minutes, was more like 5hrs. We left the table in profit, but I have no idea how much. We had a great relationship with our new waitress who served us on the Pai Gow table, so we were, it is fair to say, getting absolutely smashed.
Wen then went back to Caesars to see the NBC National Heads up Tournament, and the casino floor suddenly looked rubbish compared to Wynn, Ari.a and Planet Hollywood. I'm not sure what we were expecting here, but I was a little bit star struck. We walked up to security and asked if we could join the audience, as we sat down we both instantly realised we were sat next to Daniel Negreanu, and opposite Huck Seed (who was playing). Then we noticed Doyle Brunson on the other table. WOW.
We both then noticed Gayle Beaumann, who was playing another gorgeous poker player: Liv Boeree. Liv is a lot more attractive in real life, and cut me a glance, and smiled. She came over to the rail during a heads up, and she seemed really nice, as they all did.
We should be on the Tv episode, as Huck Seed got a double up and we were right next to him when it happened. Just as we were leaving Caesars to go to the hotel, Chris Moneymaker appears! He was a really nice guy, posed for photos, and off he went. Nice bloke. We wished him luck for his second round match....he lost. Ooops!
We headed back to the Platinum for a shower and to get changed, then headed to see Absinthe. What a great show! Very blue in places, but hilarious. Great variety of acts and characters, and something for everyone. We were starting to sober up towards the end, which nobody wants, so we went straight to Planet Hollywood afterwards. We didn't leave PH till around 4:30am. We discovered an astonishingly attractive dealer (Ukrainian) on three card poker, and stayed there all night. I lost quite a bit here, but it was all good. Wil hit two high hands: 4 of a kind and a straight flush. He also hit a few other big hands, but they were the most notable. It is worth noting, he was actually playing blind when these hit (i.e. not looking at his hand, and just paying the Ante), which was hilarious, and made for some exciting moments! We had a reservation for dinner @ Del Frisco's, but time ran away and I ended up grabbing an Earl of Sandwich to take out just before leaving. This was the best drunk food I could have imagined, and we went back the next day for lunch, although it didn't seem to taste as good as the night before
Saturday
After lots of water drinking and pain killer taking, we went to Ari.a. This is where we both felt really light-headed and dizzy, so we sat near a door and cheered whenever someone used the disabled entrance (this happened a lot as American's are so lazy
. This opened two sets of double doors, and fresh air came flowing in. I imagine you wouldn't want to be sat where we were in the dead of summer! We were in here for a few hours, then went to Planet Hollywood to see 'The Earl'. They are decent sandwiches for the price, and fast, so you can get straight back to gambling!
We then had a decent wander around Ari.a, then went to Bellagio. We probably started drinking around 1pm. Generally played on the machines, and hit a couple of decent wins. I remember thinking we hit one decent jackpot (not progressive) so we ended up for the day. We went to the Venetian and had a mess around there, and saw something really odd. A bloke on a mobility scooter zipping through the casino being escorted by three secret service type security guards. It was bizarre. They were even in a triangle formation around this bloke, protecting him. Wil wanted to follow them, but they all had concealed handguns, so I advised against it
For dinner we went to Grimaldi's @ Palazzo which was really good value. Pizza was awesome.
Sunday
Sunday we wanted to play the $125 @ Binions, but we were far too lazy and just played the $70 donk-fest at Planet Hollywood. The structure was fairly standard at 20min blinds, but hard going. I was card dead for an hour only picking up AA and AQ. I tripled up with K9os, and then felt myself being blinded away and pushed with K9os on the button and went out.
Wil managed to get heads up, and chopped it up for approx $600. I was playing cash by this point, and if was a profitable game for me. I got very unlucky calling a guy's bluff-shove with QQ to his QJs. Of course, he made a straight
I did get lucky with KK flopping quads against AA, and everybody at the table stood up as it could have activated the bad beat jackpot ($360k). It didn't sadly. Glad I rebought, as I slowly got into beast mode and got to over $600. Some interesting characters in the game, and was a good experience. I got most of the people on the table drinking, which I always feel is an advantage for me, and once Wil collected his winnings, he sat down with $200. We then played another hand together... I raised with QJdd and Wil called on button as did another. flop comes 910x with one diamond. I check, Wil bets $25 and I repop it to $75 and he goes bonkers. What is interesting about this hand was Wil announced when betting $25 that he would bet no more than that, and wanted to check it down. Clearly there was no way I'm doing that with a draw. If I raise on the flop I can represent a set, and carry that on (whether I hit or miss) on the turn. There was no value with me checking it down, and if I hit, I want to be paid out. I felt at the time I would not play any different with anyone else. I had raised pre and made my intentions clear. It would have been a bit immoral to play differently and check something down (which I would never do) with someone at the table, just because I know them...
Monday
I was due to leave at 8pm on Monday, so we went for Taco's again, and had a wander around the Wynn, the Venetian, and finally the shops at Caesars. We then checked into the Flamingo and played a bit there before heading to Paris, where Wil's hot streak seemed to start! He won approx $150 from the first machine, $100 from the second, then went into Planet Hollywood and the machine went mental. It was fairly close to paying out the minor progressive ($46ish - it has to pay out by $50). He then hit a mad streak and hit all kinds of bonus wilds etc and replicating wilds, then dropped the $50 as a sweetener on top. It was a good day for him.
I flew back, everything on time, and I had a full row of three seats to myself again, so I could properly chill out and managed to grab 4hrs sleep which was good. There was also a medical emergency on board, so we flew straight into land, rather than being put in a holding pattern (the woman was fine, and conscious talking to the paramedics when I walked out).
Overall a great trip, and I would really encourage people to head over if they can afford to lose money gambling and enjoy a good night out. I ended the trip about $500 down, Wil was around $200 down when I left but that included all food and drink.
Finally - a huge Thank you to Rotty for all his help, advice and guidance. It certainly wouldn't have been the same trip without all your help, and probably would have been significantly more expensive, so thanks again mate - really appreciate it. Hopefully catch you over there next time
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