Las Vegas 2006 Trip Report

Onto my 2nd LV TR which details my shenanigans during my 2006 adventure, IDR in as much detail as my 2005 trip as although it wasn’t as long ago it also wasn’t as memorable as 2005 was my 1st visit & for my 21st (Even though 2006 was for my 22nd as you can imagine it wasn‘t as significant). Also 2006 was for 1 week rather than 4 day’s like my initial 2005 trip & large % of it was spent at poker table trying to win $$$ whereas 2005 was more about having a good time & celebrating my 21st regardless of how much $$$ it cost...so apologies in advance if it isn’t as entertaining but I’m sure as I write it things will come back to me & still make for good reading, so sit back, relax, & enjoy.

I had been away earlier in the summer for a lads holiday & everybody feeling the festive pinch meant I unfortunately travelled alone, which was disappointing but like I said earlier I intended to be at the tables the large majority of the time making some $$$ so it wasn‘t something I was overly concerned about. I travelled a day before my 22nd on November 30th as I didn’t have any restrictions on arriving in USA whilst I was still 20 & be stuck twiddling my thumbs until midnight which would have been the case if I left a day earlier in 2005...no free taxi ride this time round so I headed for “Newcastle Central Station” to catch the GNER 4:00am train service to “Manchester Airport” which arrived around 7:00am.


Which was in good time for my 10:30am flight w/American Airlines via Chicago & again had a safe journey & zero delays ensured I arrived “McCarran International Airport” for approximately 6:00pm PST on November 30th so I had a full night before my 22nd. I collected my luggage & jumped in a taxi to “Bellagio” where I had a “AAA 5 Diamond” king room w/“Lake Bellagio” views booked for next 7 nights, as you can imagine a big improvement from “Circus Circus” the previous year.


By 8:00pm I was showered/changed & decided I would spend my 1st night downtown on “Fremont Street” as I never got their the previous year which was a disappointment & I particularly wanted to see the world famous “Fremont Street Experience”. For those not familiar w/”Fremont Street Experience” it’s a complimentary nightly show in downtown LV featuring various forms of entertainment but predominately “Viva Vision” which uses the world’s biggest TV, 10,000,000+ lights, & 500,000+ watt sound system all under 1 roof encased in “Fremont Street” to bring hourly show’s 6:00pm - 11:00pm. So having arrived approximately 8:30pm I got a $2 Bud & watched some of the other complimentary entertainment including “Riders Of The Thunderdome” while I waited for “Viva Vision” to start & right on the hour 9:00pm I caught my 1st show which was “American Pie” by “Don McLean” which was absolutely mind blowing & if I wasn’t already bursting w/excitement I was now & couldn’t wait to get the holiday started. Below is a video from YouTube courtesy of CSLAC48 w/”Viva Vision: Don McLean’s American Pie”;

I then decided it was time for some poker & headed into “Golden Nugget” to see if they had any MTTs starting that I fancied but unfortunately I had missed the evening 7:00pm & wasn’t another until 1:00am which wasn’t a big deal as it was about 9:30pm now so I would just settle at the $1/$2 table while I waited. So I put my name down & went to sign up to “Golden Nuggets” FPP’s card scheme which is called “24 Karat Club” which allows you to earn comps while you play, I had done some research before I left & decided to sign up to every casino’s FPP card before any gaming to ensure I was enjoying any benefits from the off. So I got a seat shortly after returning to the card room & sat w/$500 250BB’s & decided I would camp out here for next 3 hours until the 1:00am MTT started & it was here where I met some awesome guy’s;

Henry Lau
Neo Dre

Both these were early 20’s, playing 200BB+ deep & playing very fast aggressive, & most of all were both 1st class kid’s who I had an awesome laugh w/& still know through facebook. Anyway really enjoying the table come 1:00am I decided to do a U turn on my original idea to join the MTT & stay on the $1/$2 because 1) I had increased my stack to around $700ish not playing any major pots but 2) & most importantly because the company was fantastic between 3 of us & as the more we drank the better the crack was as they all insisted on calling me “Newcastle” all night, LOL all good. Whilst at the table I saw both my 1st live “Royal & Straight Flushes” which received $$$ from the HH jackpot but IDR how much exactly. Anyway around 7:00am & Neo had left around 6:00am & only Henry & I left from original table as we’d been joined by earlier rises etc etc so after counting my $$$ & seeing I had north of $1000 I was satisfied after 9 hours of playing/drinking to head to bed & get suitably rested for the evenings shenanigans which will of course be my 22nd. I was telling Henry it was my birthday & I was looking for advice on where to celebrate & he insisted on joining him & his boy’s over at “Playboy Club, Palms” so I took his number & arranged to call him the following evening. Another night in LV over & although not quite as late as my nights in 2005 still awesome way to start my holiday & I was really excited about tomorrow evening so wanted to rest well.

So after crashing around 8:00am I woke up mid afternoon around 4:00pm Friday 1st December & my 22nd hung-over but nothing a bit food & few more beers wouldn't sort out, so I lay in bed watched a bit TV & ordered a snack from room service which was buffalo (chicken) wings which came w/buffalo sauce & cucumber dip & were spot on + some mint choc chip ice cream to finish. After around 2 hours of enjoying food, TV, & slowly getting ready I was showered/changed & gave Henry a ring who said they were all meeting in “The Lounge, Palms” for 7:30pm before heading upstairs to “Playboy Club” which was cool I only had just over an hour to kill so headed straight over to take a look around the place before I met them.


I had a quick look around but quickly noticed the poker room, or poker rooms if you will as it’s divided into 2 rooms...1 for NLH & the other for LHE & didn’t spread mixed games which IMO doesn’t hold much logic BWDIK. Anyway their was already a seat open at the $1/$2 NLH & as I was sitting for shy of an hour I CBA to go & sign up to “Palms Club” FPP card & also didn’t fancy finding a cool deck & dropping like $500 before the night had even started so just sat w/$200 & enjoyed the company & complimentary vodka redbull whilst I killed an hour. TBH I left w/$190 so taking in consideration blinds + couple of $1 tips for drinks IDK if I even played a hand but NVM, so anyway clock struck 7:30pm & I headed over “The Lounge” to meet w/Henry & Co ready for this evening & he introduced me to rest of the guys who were;

Neo
Allie
Adam
Johnny
Stu

Back (Left to Right): Adam, Johnny, Stu
Front (Left to Right): Allie, Henry, Neo

So Neo I had obviously met yesterday over “Golden Nugget” & IIRC Adam was w/Allie & rest were eligible young bachelors looking for some sexy girls. We headed up to “Playboy Club” via VIP queue jump & no cover charge necessary as Henry had reserved a table w/”Bottle Service” so after taking the elevator to the 52nd floor of “Fantasy Tower” we arrived at the world famous “Playboy Club” & WOW I was blown away, the views including LV Blvd & the “Bunny Dealers” were of the highest order & couple that w/1st class décor/company & a VIP table it really was 10/10 & remains to this day my most favourite bar/club not only in LV but in the world.

So 4:30am & it’s closing time so after a bottle of Grey Goose Vodka & several lagers between us I don’t expect the bill to be cheap but cest la vie I’ve had a great night & $$$ isn’t important as it’s for my 22nd. Anyway bill arrives & it’s $1300ish which TBF was around $170 each & cheaper than other places I’ve been to in LV & not had VIP service so as I’m getting out my $$$ to settle the bill Henry tell’s me "Put my $$$ away" as it’s my birthday & they’ll settle it up, I insist on paying my way & he say’s "that’s not how things are done w/them" & then pulls his credit card out along w/rest of lads (excluding Allie) & they play credit card roulette for the bill, I’m like WTF??? PMSL for those not familiar w/credit card roulette it’s a game of chance to decide who covers the bill…all the party contributes a credit card into a hat and the waiter/waitress removes one card at time & the last card removed is the winner (or loser for that matter) & pay’s the entire bill. Anyway fortunately for Henry he didn’t have to cover the bill & TBH IDR who did but I do remember his reaction being “M’EH” so I kind of assumed $$$ was a cheap commodity in this guy’s life, in fact all of theirs.


So by time were back on casino floor it’s around 5:00am & we’re playing a few small BJ hand’s while we decided the best COA, Adam & Allie decided to turn in & jump in a taxi home so then their were 5 all young single lads. I suggested “Spearmint Rhino” as I was there in 2005 but they disagreed & suggest a trip to “Sheri’s Ranch” so I’m for sure let’s do it & 1 of the lads call’s a limo & we head to “Palms” valet for 5:30am collection. So we took the 50 minute journey to Pahrump during which they all shared a number of lines of coke in the back of limo & offered me some but I politely declined as not my thing (omahaha you’d have been all owa it), so arriving 6:20am at “Sheri’s Ranch Resort & Spa” & 1st impression’s is it’s a lot more up market than any brothel I’ve known in UK & Europe w/1st class furnishings, swimming pool, tennis courts, luxury spa etc etc.


So we go inside & head to the “Sports Bar” while we take a look over the menu at what’s on offer, & I couldn’t help but LOL as I’ve never chosen from a menu before but “M’EH”. To give you an idea of what was on the menu below is a link courtesy of “Sheri’s Ranch” which details their specialties;
Sheri's Ranch Menu
I of course enjoyed the services they had to offer but I will leave the detail to your imagination as it’s not really appropriate, but I will say this don’t head out their w/o at least $500 & don’t expect to have much change. So by the time everybody was finished it was pushing on 9:30am & we still had to endure the 50 minute ride back to LV which wasn’t an exciting prospect, anyway we settled up this time individually as IDT any of the lads were keen on having “Sheri’s Ranch” appear on their statement if they played credit card roulette so we all paid in cash. Because of the high bill we were given a complimentary limo back to LV Blvd courtesy of “Sheri’s Ranch” which was sweet & after arriving back around 10:30am I decided I was heading straight to bed after all they were all fuelled on coke & I had been drinking for best part 15 hours now so was beat.


After 9hrs rest I woke around 8:00pm 2nd December & had to decided weather or not to spent the night out after all it was my only Saturday in LV or grind the $1/$2 & hopefully find some drunk fishy tourist to make a few of the $$$ back I had spent over at “Sheri’s Ranch” yesterday. As Henry was working & IDK anybody else to call I decided not to loiter around the bars alone & head out to play some $1/$2 NLH, so over both 2005 & 2006 I had played at;

Caesars Palace
MGM Grand
Circus Circus
Golden Nugget
Palms Maloof Resort

I was looking to try another card room for a change of scenery so after good reports I headed over “Venetian” which to give a quick review opened in 2006 so was brand new & beautifully decorated, very well run, the cash spread is mainly NLH & LHE from $1/$2 through to $10/$20 but they do run mixed games as well if the demand is their, daily MTT BI’s range from $110 - $550 which are very well attended & usually 3 figure players, in addition they run a quarterly VDSE (Venetian Deep Stack Extravaganza) w/BI’s from $340 up to $2500 for VDSE ME, so couple all that w/1st class atmosphere generated by good crack dealers & players it certainly rates as 1 of the best card rooms in LV Blvd to sit down & enjoy some poker.


So upon arriving I see they currently have a $100 (+$15+$5) MTT underway, the $15 is mandatory registration & the $5 is an optional top up of 2,500 chips but considering you only get 5,000 chips for $100 it’s mandatory AFAIC. I have until the 1st break (8:20pm) to register & it’s almost that when I’m arriving so I make a snap decision to play & hand over the $120 for my seat in the 100+ runner field w/$5000+ 1st place, MBN. IDR how the MTT went down but I went bust a little before 1:00am OOTM w/20+ players still running, IIRC I was SS for the duration of the MTT & never really found any hands to propel me into contention so I was 0/1 w/MTT’s but nonetheless had a great laugh & made a conscious effort to play a few more during the week. Determine not to let “Venetian” beat me I put my name on the $1/$2 NLH however as it was a Saturday evening the card room was really busy so I was told to expect half hour wait minimum whilst I navigated up the list, which was ok as I still hadn’t eaten since I’d woke up so I’d just go looking for some where to dine & waste a bit time while I waited. I found this awesome 24hr joint called “Grand Lux Café” & ordered the “Grand Club Sandwich” & finished w/"Oreo Cheesecake" which were both absolutely delicious & well recommended that took me to about 2:00am & I finally took my seat at the $1/$2 NLH.


I sat w/$500 IDR exactly how the table was but IIRC their was a couple of rich older bloke’s who didn’t have a clue & must have dropped about 6 BI’s ($200) each & just kept reloading which kept the table juicy. I set up camp & didn’t leave for approximately 13hrs until 3:00pm Sunday afternoon & TBH I only left because I had been on the phone to fellow NPFer & good friend of mine Rob “larfingravy”
Richardson who was also in town & I had arranged to meet him for a drink & a bit poker. I cashed out around $1300+ so was happy w/profit & TBH the drunks had turned in so the $$$ wasn’t as easy on that table as it was originally & taxied down to “MGM Grand” where I was to meet NPFers;

Rob “larfingravy” Richardson
Neil “H1LOYEAH?” Barron
Mark “MrNiceGuy” Cooke
Gary Hurst


IDT Gary is a member NPF but I briefly met him over the Grosvenor during 2005 & found out from H1LOYEAH? he’d moved out to Texas, USA…MBN. I arrived at MGM for about 3:30pm & their was a seat open on Rob’s table which was a bonus as that was the reason I’d travelled down the strip & started again w/$500 & began hour 19 of almost non stop poker, LOL. I sat for around another 3hrs catching up w/Rob sharing usual poker bad beats/cold deck stories as well how our trip had been thus far (of course I detailed my previous nights birthday shenanigans) before eventually after playing poker for almost 24hrs decided I couldn’t resist my bed any longer. IIRC I left w/small profit having not really played many pots but overall between Venetian MTT, Venetian $1/$2 session, & MGM $1/$2 session I calculated a profit of $800 which more than made up for the blow out I had at “Sheri’s Ranch” on my 22nd…so by the time I was tucked up in bed it was 8:00pm Sunday evening & I had been on the go 24hr+ & well ready for a good nights rest.


I woke up around 7:00am the following morning, your probably beginning to realize that time exists in LV only for the purpose of employees & residents because all tourists (well me anyway) lose all track of it but “M’EH” it’s no big deal as it’s a continuous 24hr city so IDM what time of day it’s you can do almost anything you want, I mean needless to say if you intend on sunbathing you need to set your body clock to rise through the day & the show’s have scheduled start time’s but anyway I’m sure you understand where I’m coming from. Anyway after a 24hr session on the felt the day before I CBA to play any poker today so opted for a chilled relaxing day, I stayed in bed for another couple of hours before finally getting up & strolling down to the pool to catch some rays. Below I will detail my day’s activities & give a quick review;

“Pools & Courtyard” at “Bellagio”
I was fortunate enough all it was December that “Bellagio” swimming pool was still open so spent best part of morning & afternoon chilling their which is divided in 5 different sections which all have easy access to “Pool Bar” however I strongly recommend you avoid this as I got a regular coke which cost north of $10, FML.

“The Forum Shops” at “Caesars Palace”
I absolutely hate shopping & only popped in late afternoon to see if I could pick up any cheap Christmas presents for friends & family, however that said I can see the appeal to anybody that does enjoying shopping w/150+ shops all set in ancient Rome theme w/Caesars statues etc all over. I didn’t last long before noticing how expensive most things were & before I was sick of my life I got out of there w/o any gifts to show for my troubles.

“Fountains” of “Bellagio”
A complimentary show put on by “Bellagio” using water, lights, & music all w/”Bellagio” in the background. From 8:00pm there is a different show every 15 minutes up until midnight & you really could just enjoy it all night whilst drinking a cold beer, anybody thinking of proposing romantically then look no further IMO…spectacular & a must see for any LV tourist. Below is a YouTube video courtesy of kuboshin1;

“Botanical Gardens” at “Bellagio”
Set in a conservatory adjacent to “Bellagio” check in lobby it’s basically a nature reserve that showcases all 4 seasons w/trees, ponds, plants, gazebos, & even a miniature “Bellagio” & miniature “Lake Bellagio”. Nothing to exciting IMO but it’s complimentary so worth checking out if your around, however they do have “Café Bellagio” inside it which I didn’t try on that trip but have since dined their & it’s tremendous so if you do visit “Botanical Gardens” be sure to eat at “Café Bellagio” whilst their.

“Mirage Volcano”
I caught this by chance on passing, I understand it erupts on the hour every hour from when the sunset’s until 11:00pm. It’s basically a water, fire, light, & sound show outside “Mirage” which is completely free of charge & since I visited in 2006 has had a $25 million make over so is now better than ever. Isn’t a must see but nonetheless an impressive 7/10 IMO & considering it’s complimentary is testament that contrary to popular belief you don’t need endless amounts of $$$ to enjoy the delights of LV.

“Sirens of TI” by “Treasure Island”
Another free evening show on LV Blvd performed by a musical/acrobatic band of pirates. Like the “Mirage Volcano” this isn’t anything special but it is complimentary so no room for complaints, my advice don’t go out your way to see it but if your passing & it’s starting then enjoy the show & make up your own mind up about it. Check it out over at YouTube courtesy of covo1984;

“Wynn LV Buffet”
I went for their dinner buffet on recommendation of MT’s friend Paul Ponton who frequents LV quite regular & I have to say I was not disappointed. Despite being the most expensive buffet in LV paying north of $35 the old adage “you get what you pay for” certainly hold’s true in this case as the selection, service, & quality is 1st class & 2nd to nowhere else in LV.

“The Comedy Stop” at “Sahara”
After reading reviews such as “comedy club of the year” I thought it would be nice to try something different so headed down to “Sahara Hotel & Casino“ & got my tickets for the show at just $20 which started at 9:00pm in the “Congo Room“. Well all I can say is what absolute nonsense, maybe it was me not getting the USA humour as the rest of the room found it hilarious but I just didn’t see what was funny, the show was scheduled to finish at 11:00pm but I left around 10:00pm after seeing 2 acts who were both as bad as each other, sigh NVM.

So after a disappointing show & now being on the go since 9:00am I decided some poker was in order & again looking to experiment in different card room this time I opted for “Wynn” mainly because it was just next door to “Sahara” where I was so I could walk but also because it’s got a good reputation. So by the time I’d took a slow walk down & I put my name on the $1/$3 I eventually got seated approximately 10:45pm & sat w/$500 & as usual began to enjoy the complimentary drinks & company, things unfortunately didn’t go as well here as around 3:00am I over valued AK on a A7x board after PF I’d 3BET upto $95 behind $6 straddle & $30 open from AGRO player which he called OOP & when flop fell he lead right into me for PSB & I went OTTAI w/TPTK to be shown 77 for middle set & found myself w/2%ish hand for $1000+ pot, FML. I was a little sick & disappointed in myself to get 170BB+ in w/1 pair so opted not to reload & write the day off as a loss as I headed up the strip to bed in an attempt to clear my head & get back on the variance train in the morning. Anyway on my way through “Bellagio” to bed I decided to take a look around the card room as I hadn’t yet played but fully intended on doing so before I left & noticed “Bobby’s Room” was occupied, for those not familiar w/“Bobby’s Room” it’s a glass walled room at the back left of “Bellagio” card room named after 1978 WSOP ME winner Bobby Baldwin & has 2 tables that play host to the HSP in the world commonly known as “The Big Game“ w/mixed games known to reach $4000/$8000. It had the following famous pro’s on show;

Doyle Brunson
David “Chip” Reese (1951 - 2007 RIP)
Phil Ivey
Jen Harman
Chau Giang

Among other not so famous players who I could only assume were extremely rich tourists. I unfortunately didn’t have a camera which was disappointing as Ivey was (& still is) my favourite poker player but not wanting to miss out on opportunity I waited patiently for about an hour until he needed the restroom & then politely asked if he would sign my diary which I had been using (& currently going through now to help get all this blogged) to keep a track of my holidays adventures but more importantly my poker ROI. Of course he did & I wished him GL in their to which he jokingly said “Yeh I’m gunna need it” so I maybe thing’s weren’t going to plan for my main man but NVM I’m sure he’ll pull things round after all he’s “Phil Ivey”. I spoke w/Jack McClelland who I now know is “Director Of Poker Operations" at “Bellagio” & asked if he knew when Ivey & Co would be back as I wanted to return w/camera for some memorable photo’s, he replied saying “It’s difficult to say but there’s usually something going on around 11:00pm - 6:00am most day’s” & suggested I try again tomorrow, so I wondered off to bed star struck about 5:00am over the moon after getting Ivey’s signature & completely erased the bitter taste of dropping $500 over at “Wynn” & finally tucked myself into bed.


So after a good rest I woke approximately 4:00pm Tuesday afternoon having been asleep for the best part of 11hrs & thinking 1st things 1st I went to the 24hr CVS/pharmacy for a $15 disposable “Kodak” camera which FYI is south LV Blvd next door to “Monte Carlo Resort & Casino” to ensure next time I met Mr. Ivey & Co that I had the equipment in place to capture the memory. So after taking a slow walk down the strip to buy the camera I CBA to walk back so jumped in a taxi & decided to go to “Planet Hollywood” as I hadn’t been in this year & had been refurbished since I visited in 2005 when it was operating under the name “The Aladdin” & check out the poker action their. I arrived around 5:00pm to see they were running a Hollywood Poker of Fame festival with a $80 freezeout starting at 7:00pm so w/2hrs to kill I played some $1/$2 & cashed out in time to play the MTT w/small $30 profit which I put towards my MTT BI, so although I try to avoid MTT’s whilst in LV as they commit you somewhere for a number of hours I was really in the mood so sat down for my 2nd MTT of the trip & w/20+ runners the prize pool was very poor & only just shy of $2000 sigh NVM. IDK if I played really well or the opponents were really poor but around 1:30am I found myself HU w/4-1 CL vs. an extremely attractive young Asian girl who BTW turned me on so much when we were talking & she said “I love your accent” LOL, only to be disappointed as her BF sweated her from the rail sigh NVM anyway by 2:00am I had her beat & collected just shy of $900 for my troubles, WOOHOO so 1/2 in MTT’s & an ROI of 400%, LOL a little misleading considering I only played 2 MTT’s but “M’EH”.

Note - Above photo isn’t the actual girl I beat HU just an attractive young Japanese girl I found courtesy of “Google Images” to help build the moment/interest.

So it’s gone 2:00am & I decided to head over to “Bellagio” w/“Kodak” on the ready hoping to bump into Ivey again & get a photo, & as I arrive approximately 2:30am I’m in luck as the same face’s are camped in “Bobby’s Room” this time joined by;

Minh Ly
Eli Elezra

So couple those w/5 previous mentioned players it certainly wouldn’t be a game I would be rushing to join even if I was a millionaire. So knowing I will have to wait until he leaves for a rest room break I set up shop in the card room but fancying something different I sit at the $5/$5 PLO which had immediate seating available & sat w/$1000 using my recent MTT profit, not optimal use of my BR I know but I wasn’t overly concerned & was $2000+ up for the week so far w/1 day remaining so I could justify it in a holiday budget sense but maybe not in a BRM sense, but yea NVM anyway I sat down & things went well. So whilst waiting I played a $1500+ pot OTB w/7s7h8s10h vs. KdKhAdQh which got AIOTF 7d9d2c to give me 777+OESD vs. KK+NFD & when I turned quads I scooped the pot & had taken my stack to over $1800, N1. So around 4:00am & I see Phil head to the restroom so head to “Bellagio Race & Sports Book” which is just outside the restroom & as he emerges I ask him for a photo to which he politely accepts & after 1 of his friends & fellow players take’s it who I didn’t recognize I thank him, shake his hand, & again wish him GL as he heads back to “Bobby’s Room” & I rejoin the $5/$5 PLO. Over the next 5 hours I add another $400 to my stack generally just playing POS & exploiting the players w/zero understanding who were coming in from the front OOP & taking L/F, L/C-C/F type of line’s & were spewing chips around the table. So yea anyway now around 9:00am & I cash out for $2200 & w/$2000+ total profit for the day including the MTT over “Planet Hollywood” & $5/$5 PLO session at “Bellagio” so delighted w/that & of course I’ve got the photo of Ivey which TBH was my main priority when the day started, LOL.

So although I’ve been on the go since 4:00pm Tuesday afternoon & it’s now 9:00am Wednesday morning I should really be heading to bed but bearing in mind it’s now officially my last day & I’m full of adrenaline after a good $5/$5 PLO session, I decided to do a bit of sightseeing outside of LV Blvd & earlier in the week I saw an advert for a return bus journey from “MGM Grand” to “Primm Valley Casino Resorts” which is about 40 miles south of LV Blvd & home to;

“Buffalo Bill’s Resort & Casino”
“Primm Valley Resort & Casino”
”Whiskey Pete’s Hotel & Casino”
“Fashion Outlets Of Las Vegas”

& I spent large % of the day casino hopping between these resorts using the complimentary shuttles & monorails put on & had a quick scout around the outlet’s to pick up some Christmas gifts & immediately notice the difference in price from “Forum Shops, Caesars Palace” & just how cheap everything was but TBH I CBA to do any shopping so although I had the best intentions of splashing $1000 & completely sorting myself for Christmas I just didn’t bother & because none of the 3 casinos had any MTTs or side game’s running I ended up playing BJ for couple of hrs until the bus back to “MGM Grand” was scheduled to leave at 4:00pm, IIRC I lost about $300 as nothing seemed to go my way & dealer must have found 8+ ace’s out front & turned them all into BJ’s w/faces in the hole, sigh NVM. Anyway I got back to LV Blvd after snoozing on the 50 minute journey home & all though not wanting to waste my last day I thought it would be better if I got at least a couple of hours power nap in to try & charge my batteries ready for 1 final graveyard shift so off I went & around 5:30pm by the time I got back to my hotel room & rang reception asking for a 7:30pm wake up call thus giving me 2hrs rest & still 10hrs to enjoy before I leave. I got my wake up call and decided I wanted some more MTT action, and with the soft field at Planet Hollywood a day earlier I thought I would down there. The field was almost doubled this time, and again I managed to run and play well to finish in 3rd for a little short of $500. I tried to negotiated a split which fell on deaf ears, so that was a little disappointing but whatever. During this trip & all subsequent trip’s I have been collecting $1/$5 casino chips from every casino I visit as a kind of memorabilia & currently have 70+ chips from different casinos around LV & the rest of the world, below are the 3 chips I collected from “Primm Valley Casino Resorts” set out like a map w/70 others in the background.


So right on time I get my 9:30pm wake up call & TBH I absolutely totally CBA to get out of bed but isn’t no way I’m wasting my last 10hrs in LV so force myself to jump in the shower to wake myself up & head out by 10:00pm. I go looking for a nice meal as the last time I had a good meal was “Wynn Buffet” on Monday evening & have since been living off McD’s & various other fast-food/snack outlets, anyway I remember a “Denny’s Restaurant” from my 2005 trip which is centre strip outside of “Casino Royale” so jump in a taxi & head their for a 11:00pm breakfast/lunch/dinner all rolled into 1. IDR what I ate but I know for sure I wasn’t disappointed & it certainly hit the spot. So after dining I take a slow walk back down the strip & by now it’s around midnight & I’m looking to do the graveyard shift & sleep on the journey home when I find myself in “Bellagio” card room & put my name down for the $1/$2, anyway after waiting patiently for a seat around 15 minutes later I thought WTF & decided to exercise some BR building rather than BRM w/my week’s profit which FWIW I do not advocate but “M’EH” I took a chance & joined the $10/$20 NLH w/$4000 (200BB) & it’s here I lost a 5 figure pot, I created a thread over the NPF in the “General Poker Discussion” entitled “Coldest deck of your life or worst beat of your life” which details the hand & fellow NPFers share their cold deck‘s/bad beats…check it out at;

Coldest deck of your life or worst beat of your life

But briefly I grinded up to $5100 after 4hrs w/standard small ball approach when I've applied $40 straddle UTG & looked down at Ad then to my delight I squeeze a nothing across heart only to see it’s the Ah GTFI & behind 2BET & 3BET w/$450 already ITM I 4BET to $700 & EPR then 5BET’s $1800, so when it’s folded around to me I have an easy 6BET $5100 AIPF & when called I find I have AdAh vs. the AcAs of who I now know to be LV “Bellagio” regular Thong Tran for a $10,480 pot. When the flop is all clubs my heart dropped & of course the inevitable 4th club hit the river for me to lose the biggest cash pot of my life, sigh FML. So I left the table w/damaged ego as I for sure wasn‘t reloading & CBA to grind the $1/$2 so I just headed to my room to pack for home as I nursed my wounds, I guess the flight home would have been made a little easier if I’d have been on the right side of the pot but cest la vie you live & learn & what doesn’t kill you make’s you stronger.


So after being packed by 5:00am & still a couple of hrs before I’m due to check in I head down to “MGM Grand” for 2 reason’s;

1) Catch up w/larfingravy & wish him a safe journey home as IIRC he was leaving later that same day.
2) Find Henry as he was working their at the time & I wanted to get his email address to KIT.

I successfully killed 2 birds w/1 stone as larfingravy had the same idea as me & was doing the graveyard shift before his flight home & Henry was working 1 of the BJ table’s & w/help of “MGM” card room manager I managed to track him down. So after sweating larfingravy for half an hour or so I headed off w/luggage in hand gutted to be leaving the place behind but knowing full well I would be back kept me going during the journey home. Again another unforgettable trip meeting 1st class guy’s that introduced me to a whole lot more than I experienced during my 1st 2005 visit, the trip was only soured when I arrived home to the sad news that whilst I was away my granddad had sadly passed away after suffering from tourette’s syndrome for the last few years of his life…RIP granddad.

Finally look out for my “Las Vegas 2007 Trip Report” featuring;

Rio All Suite Hotel & Casino
South Point Hotel, Casino, & Spa
Ford Chevy Colorado
Body English, Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Red Rock Canyon
Among many, many other misdemeanours I'm sure you'll all enjoy.

TY as always for reading, I hope you all enjoyed it.