VEGAS: 19th August (Poker)

Day/Night 3: Friday 19th August (Poker)

SESSION #4
Luxor
$1/$2
Bought In For: $100
2PM-2:30PM
30 Minutes




While in the area, I thought I'd have a short 30 minute afternoon session at the Luxor just to tick the Luxor box. I was seated immediately at a full table and decided to play safe by buying in for just $100. All players were in the 21-26 age-range and bantered away in their own way and I think a fair few were mates. Judging from the regular and aggressive preflop raising most players seemed confident and knowledgeable about the game and I think I was right not to hang around for too long. Tight, ABC poker was the order of the day. I got paid off $15 for a turned flush but pretty much folded or limped the rest of my hands. I walked away with $102.

Profit/Loss For Session: +£2

Profit/Loss For Day: +$2

Profit/Loss For Trip: +$179

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SESSION #5  
Bally's
$1/$2
Bought In For: $300
1:30AM-3:30AM
2 Hours





I don't think you can really fix the "soft" label to any particular poker room in Vegas but I'd read a lot about Bally's being a bit of a fish-tank and after this particular session, the evidence suggested that this was indeed the case. Preflop raises of about $12-$15 with 3 or 4 callers was a regular occurrence and I saw a couple of loose players show K4 and K5 after calling a short-stack's, first-into-the-pot, preflop all-in of $26! Personally, I had a successful key hand after about half an hour and then just nitted it up while waiting for the opportunity to pounce on the fish.

Key Hand #1 
We're about 30 minutes into a session at a table of terrible players. I look down at KK in early postion and raise it $15 knowing that I'll get one or two callers. Yep, I get two callers - but then get the icing on the cake when a chap throws the rest of his $35 chips into the middle for an all-in! I clarify with the dealer whether I can go all-in myself and then put all $300 chips into the middle. The preflop callers fold and I'm slightly perturbed to see an ace hit the flop. I ask the villain if he has the ace but..... wait for it..... he shows JQ!!? I scoop a handsome pot of around $70 but, as I say, decide that rock-mode is the best strategy after this.

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I'm given no cards to trap with for the entire rest of the session and get blinded away a bit for about $20 before upping and leaving with a small profit.


Profit/Loss For Session: +£52

Profit/Loss For Day: +$54

Profit/Loss For Trip: +$231

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SESSION #6
MGM
$1/$2
Bought In For: $250
4:15AM-5:45AM
90 Minutes

I wander down to MGM and settle into a little $1/$2 table which seems to have its fair share of competent players. We're at the first hand:

Key Hand #1

I put on a bit of the old-man/stupid Brit confused routine and look down at AK in early position. I don't feel like getting tricky so just limp. Yep, it's the first hand and I think it best just to limp with AK in early position to see what the flop brings. Mr Wild Hair, on the button, possibly sensing weakness from my play just limps as well but then the frisky big-blind player gets in on the act and makes it $15. I elect to call this as does Mr Wild Hair on the button.

The flop comes K 5 x. It's checked by Mr Frisky and I awkwardly and cautiously throw in about a half-pot bet of $20 which is called by Mr Wild Hair on the button. Mr Frisky folds. The turn is another 5 and I check, intending to call a raise if it comes but it doesn't. The river is a blank and I ham up the uncertain and cautious body language as I sense Mr Wild Hair thinks I have zip and tastes blood. So I check, suspecting that my wild haired friend will try to take the pot away from me with a bluff. He throws in $40 which I insta-call, and I ask if he has the 5. I'm pretty sure he doesn't but for some reason I still wanted to project the image that I was a bit unsure and timid about the game.

Anyway, it was all good as he announced he had "nothing" and so I showed the AK to take down a nice $90 profit on the first hand. 

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After this, I'm forced into rock-mode as it turns out that the three guys to my right are actually as frisky and as fearless as fuck! At least one of the little blighters consistently raise it $10-$15 preflop and although I have position on them a lot of the time I find no reason to tackle with them and decide to fold my junk to them pretty much 100% of the time. 

The table consisted of good players and although it was fairly quiet, the players were respectful and there was no hostility. I had a nice little chat with the two French players next to me on my left about the state of poker in France and it was a pleasant experience overall. The poker room itself is a fairly dark comfortable brown with black outer walls but it has soft lighting which creates quite a calming effect. The dealers were ultra-efficient, direct and to the point but also gave off a warm and friendly vibe.

Interestingly, at one point, a player got to his feet after an all-in and the dealer motioned gently but clearly with her hand, for him to sit down. I asked her afterwards why she insisted that he sit down and apparently standing up during a hand is against house-rules as it's viewed as an "intimidating motion." She was actually quite defensive about it and said that it shouldn't happen in a poker room and even bemoaned the fact that it's allowed on TV. She was quite adamant that it really shouldn't happen at all in a poker room.  

As my stack whittled down to around $320, after one and a half hours of play, and sensing that I don't think I was onto any more winners, I took my leave to a glorious and cool Las Vegas morning with the marvellous Statue of Liberty of the New York/New York casino greeting me in all her glory - marvellous!

Profit/Loss For Session: +£72

Profit/Loss For Day: +$126

Profit/Loss For Trip: +$303