MuckPls & Whale - a March Madness TR part III

Holy crap I guess I was properly exhausted? After the bomb pot hand I sadly lost some back and ended the session down $262. Ah well such is life.

I went over to try out Howlin Rays hot sandwiches for the first time in Vegas and it was really good! I will probably go back there. Also love what they did with the food court.

Instead of glory hole we have:

After eating I felt absolutely horrible and went straight back to the room and feel asleep at 6pm and slept for 11.5 hours. Wow! Like I’m 15 again!

Today I have work meetings and then I’m planning a chill session at Venetian to grind hours.

Stats so far:

I'm going to have to find that Glory Wine! If it's in the food court, I missed it last time.

It’s in the food court right behind the Howlin Rays.

It's almost time to join 'MuckPls' in Vegas, just have to endure 10-11 hours of flying first:

We ate at Howlin' Rays! How did I miss it???

19 is my favorite number -- that's a good sign 😉

Home for the next 8-10 hours (hopefully):

I played last night, to at least get started on the 30 hours. I got 3 hours in, hit 3 flops total, 1 of which was just top pair, while the other guy hit a set. I actually got on the big hand promo board for 10 minutes, and not only got knocked off, but that guy got knocked off too. That's still closer to a big hand promo than I've gotten in the last 5 years. In the end I lost $200, which is the amount I'm trying to win in this promo. With only one tenth of the hours I need, I'm looking at a potential $2000 loss to win $200. I may have to pull the plug on this promo hunt early.

To make it worse, I just bricked my phone trying to charge it, so I can't even keep track of the time while I'm losing.

I’m on hour 2 today and down $1000. Just have to keep grinding.

Brag: got card of the month for $250

Beat: does not qualify for the high hand which is quad 7s

Variance and that’s after the $250 added:

Don’t have too much excitement to share, played a total of 11 hours at the V today without a break and lost $200. Was down $800 at the lowest so I’ll take it. Pretty crazy that I have made over 50% of the qualifying hours within 2 days.

Random chip stack and food pics:

Plan is to continue tomorrow where we left off after work meetings.

While 'MuckPls' was grinding 11 hours of poker, I grinded 10 hours and 15 minutes of flying from London over to Las Vegas. The flight was mostly very chill, a bit windy in London but otherwise fine. And the persistence eventually paid off, as I am now in VEGAS and have checked in to my room at New York New York:

We have a Premier King room, which looks really nice and spacious and I think I will enjoy it here until I am leaving next weekend. But that is all the action for tonight, as I am exhausted and need to get some sleep.

The plan is obviously to play a lot of poker the coming days, although there is also a certain someone (ref my previous trip) that would like to see me from time to time. So, I guess I have to sleep even less and combine my two passions (poker and women). I guess there are worse problems to have 😀

I really haven't thought too much about my goals for this trip, poker wise. It will be mostly cash games, but I do want to play at least one proper tournament as well (I know both Venetian and WSOPC have tourneys this week). Whether there will be any $2/$5 remains to be seen, but there is a decent chance although it depends a bit on results and mindset.

Of more obscure adventures, I also want to get in a session at Resorts World before they (sadly) close at the end of this month. And I also want to make the trek out to Green Valley Ranch (!) and play there for the first time now that they have poker again.

As always I am delighted to be back in Las Vegas, and I can't wait to get properly started tomorrow.

Dayum! I played 6 hours today, and moved hotels. So I'm pretty tired schlepping all my crap from place to place. I sure was envious of Muck being able to stay there at the Venetian, without having to go to and fro. I asked about the poker rate and they gave me some info. I'll check prices tomorrow. I know some people earlier didn't like the idea of being forced to play just at Venetian, but I have to do that for the promo anyway. It would prob be better for me, because I'd have to make sure I got my hours in every day, or have to pay any extra couple-three hundred a night.

Weirdly enough, I came out ahead one hundred and four dollars for the day. I even put a hand up on the high hand board again, although it only stayed there about two minutes before it was beaten.

I thought maybe I might have spied Muck in the room. Referencing the earlier pic, a bit follicaly challenged up top - check. Bushy beard below - check. Speaking a language I don't understand with another euro-looking guy - check. So I asked him, he's not from Spain, he's from Serbia. Oh well, close.

Hey, I've been meaning to ask, do you guys use any kind of post-flop analyzer? I've seen plenty of youtubes and charts about pre-flop. But if there's been some action, unless it's an obvious decision, I don't know what to do. Example, I raised in late position with A7 suited. I think there was a call, and then a 3-bet of a size that looked normal. I think I chickened out and folded. A7 suited is so easily dominated.

Well good thing you didn’t ask everyone with a beard as I shaved for the first time in 4 years only a couple of days before the trip [emoji846]

I have something called 'Solved 4 Live!' on my phone, which is a nice preflop app showing which hands to open from which position, and the response to 3-bets etc.

For example, if you opened A7s in the hijack and got 3-bet from the player in Small Blind, then A7s is a 4-bet around 15% of the time and a call the rest of the time. I assume playing in position is very valuable; I would have been doing some folding as well. This does however assume that both opponents are at least 100 big blinds effective, so watch your stack sizes!

I woke up at 5am today, which is actually not terrible for the first day in Vegas. So far just been relaxing with some video poker:

Back in my room now and the sun is up. I am going to find a poker game while I still have energy, although I probably need a nap later today.

Whale, seems as if you need to teach your friend how to play poker. Get both things done in one fell swoop.

Glad to hear you got here safely, now run good!

We are back at it. I have to take a work meeting at 12 so I’ll have to split this session into two:

Also fun story: I woke up at 4 am and went over to Harrahs for Starbucks, and on my way back I sat down to a $15 blackjack just to have some fun. I sit down and the dealer goes: Hey Kris!
It was one of the old time regs from Aria, didn’t even know he was a dealer haha.

LOL, psyching us out, eh?

I can't remember exactly but I think there were a couple limps in front of me and I raised to 25ish, 3bet was to 75. I think I had about 300, so I guess I could have called. I'd have to fold most flops though.

I have an old android at home, I'll see if I can get it re-activated again. It sure would've been nice to have an app like that.

Another 4 hour session in the books. Started out the exact same way as earlier session being down a ton:

Now work meeting, chill and then continue for another 6-8 hours

Here we go again:

Muck, how are you finding the games at V compared to Aria?

Also, how are you going mentally/emotionally etc? Are you feeling ok?

Room looks decent. I’ll be interested to hear you overall thoughts on NYNY - food options, any gym/pool action, overall vibe.

The action at the V isn’t comparable to Aria, the difference is HUGE. The V is extremely ABC, no or very rare for big pots, people don’t go mental.

I’m used to seeing people go absolutely crazy ar Aria 1/3, here it’s just a nit fest most of the time.

Example: I have 99 on the button, there is a $15 open from OMC which I 3bet to 45. Folds back to him and he just calls (!!!!). Flop is like K high he checks I cbet 70 he calls. Turn x check check. River x check check. He shows AA.

Mentally it isn’t easy, have a couple of bad hours here and there but focusing on the game helps.

My only issue is that I sold $12k + spent around $5k on shopping only to be hit with a couple of really bad days gambling and poker wise and I’m currently on fumes. Oh well, will turn.

Also the person who invented this security light should burn in hell. Room is lit up like crazy and I have a hard time sleeping