Vegas Trip Report

[lwestatbus]

I'm in the LV airport waiting for my flight and thought I'd take the chance to post a trip report. Came out during spring break (I'm a professor) to visit the parents who live here and play poker. Finished the trip up $230 with about 20 hours of play at FL--not nearly as spectacular as many reports here but very satisfying to me.

I played three times at the SunCoast, a mostly locals peripheral casino near the retirement community where my parents live. Once (for quite a while) at Caesar's Palace, once for half an hour at Belagio, and twice at Binion's where I continued my trend of getting my ass kicked by little old ladies holding crappola cards and getting lucky. Also once at my favorite, the Golden Nugget.

I've never lost at the Golden Nugget and never won at Binion's. I went down $100 at Belagio but that game is beatable if you have more time and a deeper bankroll. I'd have been ahead and stayed longer if my AAQQ hadn't been trounced by a third diamond on the river and a little old guy who had cold called a raise with 94 of diamonds. But I nailed a nice lady the same way for a similar sized pot at the Suncoast when a third club gave me the nut flush to her AAKK--so it all balances out.

At all venues I was playing the lowest FL game offered (2-4 at SunCoast, Binion's, and Golden Nugget; 3-6 at Caesar's; and 4-8 at Belagio). In all cases the general quality of player was horrible. There were generally at least five players to the flop and in the second game at Binion's usually seven (watch for a post in Basic Theory forum on hyper-loose tables). Some games were tighter than others and one wacko at the table changed the character quite a bit, but there were always 3-4 very loose players at each table. Pairs were generally no good.

I didn't find the hoards of drunken frat boys I expected, just one at Caesar's who was loose and aggressive but competent. He did give me quite a bit of money when his AK flop of Kxx didn't hold up to my pocket aces. (And I took quite a bit of money on the next hand when I had pocket aces AGAIN and, wonder of wonders, they held up twice in a row with a turn set.)

The worst players were the old geezers, either tourists or locals, who were literally playing slot machine poker. But you had to be VERY careful because buried in the crowd could easily be one old guy who you realized was folding most hands, showing down only quality holdings, and generally playing very, very well. They had a natural camouflage by blending in with the other geezers (which, by the way, I am fast becoming).

Most pots had enough money in them to make calling down with almost anything very reasonable. I benefited and suffered from river flush cards.

This was my first experience with a Kill at poker. I actually did quite well on kill hands. Another first was the widespread use of high hand bonuses and the associated rake (watch for another post in this forum on this--but not until I get back). My performance on the trip might be discounted a little when I tell you that $150 of my winnings came from quad sevens at the Suncoast ($50) and quad tens at the Golden Nugget ($100).

With the exception of Belagio, all tables were very, very friendly. I had a really good time, spent an appropriate amount of time with the folks, and was able to joke with the other geezers that I had to leave because my mother was calling me for dinner.

[Bonzer]

Thank you for your report. This forum got the best up to date Las Vegas poker room data... The truth, the whole truth and nuttin but the truth aqui. True Dat