Bucabears 2008 Vegas Adventure
Bucabear’s 2008 Vegas Trip Report – Part I – Sunday and Monday
Sunday, July 20 - Wake up 4:10 AM EDT (Ouch, I know) to drive over to my buddies Troy’s house to meet our 4:45 car service for the flight out of Newark. Get to the airport with no problems and our flight leaves on time at 7:35 AM. Arrive in LV five our later at 9:30 AM Left coast time and make my way over to Caesars to check in.
Lady at the check in desk tells me it’s too early to check in so I decide to drop off the bags and look for a game before I meet Troy and Jeanina for lunch at 1:00 p.m. I stick my nose in the Caesar’s room to see if I can get seated in a game; unfortunately there were only two tables going at this time and the 1/3 NL game had a list of 3 already. Being I didn’t want to stick around to see if anyone left, I walk over to the IP as I remember about the Aces / Kings cracked promotion.
Get to the IP and sit in at a 2/4 HE game as it was the only one available. I’m a little disappointed as I thought the A/K cracked promotion went until noon but it stopped at 11:00 a.m. so I made that for one hand – damn! I’m playing for a little bit and look up at the monitor and see that the Infamous Sunday mixed game already has six names on the list – Degenerates! Anyway, I play for about an hour and half and manage to donk off about $50 as Limit really isn’t my game. No complaints as I had about 4 Bacardi and diets in the process
Walk over to the Mirage for lunch at the Carib Café – had the baked Mac and cheese, reminded me of the kind my grandmother used to make. After lunch, walk back to Caesars to check in and grab a quick nap – which was needed knowing what the evening was going to bring.
Moving forward, I walk over to TI to get in on the 1/3 NL action and register for the Head Hunters Tournament. As always, the best service on the Strip from management and got to see a few familiar faces in Danette, Troy (Talon) and Kurt (Boffer). I met Michelle and Megan for the first time and they were total pros – but do you really expect anything else from this room? Unfortunately, my game wasn’t as sharp as I would have liked as I lost about $175. Two main hands were my K high flush beat by an A high flush (both of us were holding two clubs) and my straight got caught by a boat on the river. In the Head Hunters, I more got slightly unlucky as I lost at least 3 coin flips in the attempt to grab bounties which eventually crippled my stack. I finished in 7th out of 21 runners and at least had one bounty to cash in on so the donation for the tournament was $75.
After I get knocked out of the tournament, I cab it over to the infamous Peppermill Fireside lounge to meet my buddies for our annual first night drink. I always get the Scorpion – lets just say this thing is a belly bomber! While there, my buddy Won from D.C. has landed from his flight in and we decide to meet up at the IP for the mixed game. I leave the Peppermill around midnight and decide to walk it over to the IP – true mistake #1 for the weekend as my feet still hurt from that hike with sandals on. Make it there around 12:30 a.m. and meet up with Won who’s already about 3 Heinekens deep. Shoot the shit with him for a while and decide to buy in to the IP Mixed game. LVM was hosting and it was good to see him again. I have to say the game is an interesting experience as I dropped $100 in about 15 minutes, but manage to regain my composure and play at least half-way decent for about 2-3 hours. Leave down $100 but had a blast. In reality, I would have stayed longer but Won was getting his ear talked off by some woman at the bar (no, not a lady of the evening, her husband was playing in the 2/4 HE game) and he was good and drunk by this time and needed a pillow. Make it back to Caesars at 4:00 a.m. and crash.
Monday, July 21, 2008
Wake up around 9:00 a.m. (I can never sleep in this town) go downstairs to the Café at Caesars with Won. For a buffet, food was slightly above average but it did not blow my doors off; overall I’d give it a 7 on a scale to 10. After breakfast we walk over to the Venetian to play in the noon tournament. We get there around 11 AM, register and decide to walk around the casino until the tournament starts. We get to one of the craps tables and notice somebody is playing $500 a roll at a $10 table. We take a second look and realize this guy is none other than Mr. Phil Ivey! LOL – What a degenerate! So we get our celebrity moment for the trip and head to the poker room (praying at the same time Phil isn’t playing). Nothing to memorable about the tournament other than the fact I made one very loose call thinking a guy was bluffing at me and it turns out he had the nuts on the flop – yikes. Crippled my stack and it was only a matter of time before I became a railbird. Negative $150.
After the V-Tournament Won and I decide to go our separate ways and get some rest as the Walk of Shame is this evening. On my way back to Caesars, I decide to buy into the 1/3 NL game in their poker room. Buy in for 300, and for the first 90 minutes I’m totally card dead or any time I catch a hand someone has a monster. I get down to about 225 and I catch AK in early position, bump it, three callers and the flop is K – rag – rag. I bet, get one caller from the button that I have no relevant read on as he sat down 5 minutes earlier. Turn is a blank, I fire 40, get called. River is another blank, I check, villain bets 80. I go into the tank and make the call as I can’t see how he has me beat and sure enough I’m right as he has KJ – Nice. Two hands later on the button I wake up to AA, bump it to 15, get three callers. Flop comes A Q 8 rainbow (sweet) and all three players check. Turn is the 7 which puts two hearts on the board. V1 in early position checks, V2 bets 40. As I don’t want to see runner-runner flush, I make it 100 on top. V1 insta-folds, V2 goes into the tank and then shoves all-in. I of course call, show top set. V2 mumbles and shows his set of 8’s. I avoid the one outer and take a massive pot – SHIP IT! Stick around for a few more hands and eventually cash out for about $530 profit.
Went back to the room, took a quick nap and proceeded to the Walk of Shame. I won’t get into the dirty details here, but let’s just say it was prematurely ended by the time we got to Harrah’s due to “Domestic Issues” between Troy and Jeanina. So, I decide to head over to IP to get some craps in. Quickest $200 I ever dropped. Keep waking back and I decide to hit the Flamingo for a little 1/2 NL action. I will admit here I had no business playing do to my inebriated condition but I did manage to walk out with a $100 profit in about an hour. Yes, I caught cards and got very lucky on one hand, but I’ll take it. Once again, make it back to my room at 4 AM.
Good read and sounds like you really packed it in during those two days, WOW!
That was a good read, nice little run you had at the end there, minus craps. Did you ever find out if Ivey was playing the tourney at Venetian?
BucaBear's 2008 Trip Report - Part II - Tuesday
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Actually sleep in a little bit this morning and wake up around 10:30 to the sounds of “housekeeping”. Damn it woman, it’s not even 11:00 a.m. yet when people would be checking out! Grumble out of bed and take a shower, come back to see Won sent me a text and wants to grab breakfast / lunch. I agree to meet him at Bally’s where he is staying. We grab some food at the 24-hour café; I had a French Dip that wasn’t too shabby. Won wants to play in a smaller stakes tournament so I suggest the 2:00 p.m. at Planet Hollywood. We stroll over there around 1:00, sign up for our player’s cards, register, and roam around the casino a little. Manage to let the electronic ATM’s known as slots take $40 of my cash while waiting for the tournament to begin. Le sigh.
As for the tournament, another poor showing on my part. Got into it early on a board that read 10-7-7-7-2 as I was holding 10-9, only to get beaten by the villain with JJ. Grrr, I know better but couldn’t lay it down as I was only thinking “does he have the case 7”? So that crippled the stack and I busted out shortly after. Donation - $80. However, Won has managed to build up a nice chip stack at his table so I decide to go throw craps as I’m waiting to see how he does. Talk about a roller coaster craps run. I buy in for $200, blow through that fairly quickly, buy in for another $100, down the drain, buy in for another $100, start to get some momentum but run out of chips while I have the board covered. Buy in for the last $100 just so I can make a bet and boom – monster roll here we come. An hour later, I’m up a whopping $50 at the craps table but considering where I could have been – I’ll take it.
Walk back over to the poker room to see that Won just got crippled by a bad beat and he’s steaming. He eventually busts with about 11 runners to go, which bites considering he had such a massive stack. We walk out of P-Ho and start walking north on LVB when we the “Deuce” bus heading to downtown was staring right in front of us. We look at each other, say wtf, and head to the land of deep fried Oreos and Glitter Gulch.
We do the standard downtown stuff, walk around, buy some cheep souvenirs and eventually decide we need more poker. I told Won the only games worth playing was either the Golden Nugget or Binion’s and we eventually decide on the Nugget. I’m glad we did as I was surprisingly pleased with the casino / hotel – I guess that $100M renovation the Nugget performed paid dividends. Walked around a little bit before hitting the poker room and saw the pool area with the water slide that goes through the shark tank – now that’s freaking cool. I may have to stay at the Nugget the next time I’m in Vegas just to go on the slide!
Anyway, as for the poker I managed to have a profitable 1/2 NL session of about $100 after 3 hours of play. Nothing to significant about my table, pretty much basic ABC stuff with a few local rocks and a few tourist donks. We left downtown around 8:30 p.m. and got back to the strip around 9:30. Won and I decided to head back to our hotels, take a quick nap/shower, and meet back at the Harrah’s Carnival Court at 11:00 p.m. for a night of alcohol consumption.
I didn’t feel the need for a nap, so I quickly showered and headed towards Harrah’s around 10:30. I decided to walk into the IP for a bit as I had a craps itch, but I decided not to play as I didn’t like the vibe at the table. I take the escalator up to the third floor and walk into the Karaoke lounge. I’m not there for 3 minutes when I decide to text Won immediately and tell him to meet me there – this place was priceless entertainment. Hang out there for about an hour and head over to Harrah’s for a beer. Nothing too much going on there so we slug it to Casino Royal as I’m now really itching for a craps run. CR changed their $3 minimum to a $5 minimum but they allow 20x odds so that’s ok. In about an hour, I catch some sick runs and manage to walk out with a profit of about $570 – nice. Won’s looking at me in amazement and saying “you really need to teach me how to play this game”. I laugh and remind him of how quickly I was down when I was playing at P-HO earlier and he’d better be able to handle the swings!
But here is where the night really gets interesting – and no, it doesn’t involve Ladies of the Evening (LOE’s from this point further). It’s now about 3:00 a.m. and we’re walking back to Caesars / Bally’s where we decide we want one more beer and walk into O’Sheas. At this hour, only the back bar by the beer pong tables are open so we head back there and order two beers. I look up to see the beer pong action and who is back there than no other than Mr. Boffer, Mrs. Boffer and Megan all of TI Room fame. Won and I walk over to say hello and sure enough, we’re involved in a game with the Boffer’s not too much later. We play for about an hour and then Boffer has this wonderful idea of playing the Texas Holdem table game over at the Flamingo. Sure, why not! Well, another $200 later down the drain for this move but good times was had by all! Stumble back to Caesars at 5:30 a.m. and notice I have 5 emails on my blackberry from work back East. I laugh and pass out!
Buca, so far so good. You still have 2-3 days left to go. I'm waiting to read about the sick run you had at the craps table.
great report so far....sucks that the WOS ended up in a domestic, but hey that happens.
Boofer is a Bpong ringer, and I have no clue how but that guy can turn a profit on the ultimate Texas Hold'em table game, I am still not sure he does it.
Keep 'em coming!!!
@obiwon
For the record all, obiwon is Won from my reports above.
Wednesday will be posted tomorrow. I've be more tied up with work than I would have liked and havn't had much time to write.