You would not expect Vegas to change too much in five short months – but there is a palpable hum in the air, which was sorely lacking during all my visits last year. My first clue was the humungous line up for taxis at the airport – last year I could just walk up to the taxi line and be the first guy in line.
The line up yesterday snaked for about 100 meters – and in that blazing sun I think I would have gladly paid for a limo or even a helicopter (!) to whisk me to the Venetian.
No such conveyances were available though, so I settled for the once-scorned tourist bus, which made approximately 17 stops enroute to the Venetian – but at least it was air conditioned!
At check in, the clerk advised me they have been at or near capacity for the past two months – which explains why they want to gouge me for $500 per night at the end of the trip after the promo coupon wears out! (Checking into a different hotel for that night)
This week there seems to be a big IBM convention at the Venetian so the place is crawling with blue shirts, short hair, and name badges.
I had no time for sins or vices; just get ready for dinner with the The Wolffs – Bobby and Judy – who have taken a shine to my writings on www.bridgeblogging.com – so we arranged a terrific get together for drinks and dinner.
We chatted our heads off for a few hours – and folks it doesn’t get much better than sitting with Mr. and Mrs. “Aces on Bridge” and being fed bridge hands and stories between the Caesar salad and veal marsala.
Anyway, whereas last year I had a host who provided me with VIP check in; airport limos; free access to the VIP lounge, and most food comped if on premises, this trip I am schlepping like everyone else.
Business was so sparse in Vegas last year, even my action was attractive to the hotel. But with prosperity how quickly they forget their friends.
Still, the play’s the thing – isn’t it? Never kid yourself that the amount of action they normally require of you to justify a free room is worth it. If the chip count is not going up, just fuggedabout it!
Anyway, last night I played a little (and I mean a little) blackjack at three tables, winning a modest amount each time. I had some energy to kill before bedtime, so I played some penny Spin Poker on a slot machine. Down $50 and rueing my decision, I got into a pressing situation, and was rewarded with a max bet down ( a grand total of only $6 or 600 units - it's a penny machine remember) with a Royal Flush (with a wildcard deuce) twenty times – resulting in a $120 payout and an eventual profit at the machine of around $76.
In bed by a respectable 11.30 pm (well that’s 2.30 AM my time but who’s counting), I was visited not once but twice by the shrill sound of a wayward bedside alarm clock which the previous joker in my room had set to 3 AM. Eventually ripping it out of the wall (couldn’t figure out how to switch the damn thing off) I got about 6 hours of sleep otherwise.
Downstairs for blackjack – a few short sessions before the daily poker tournament – they all went well till the last one – where I misplaced my customary discipline and patience and wiped out all my morning’s profits at one table.
For $150 I bought into the daily tournament – shoulder to shoulder with 90 other Venetian denizons anxious to claim a piece of the approx $4000 first place prize.
This ended too early for me. When the blinds were at the 7th level, I got all my chips in the middle against Mr. Super Stack. 1/3 of them pre flop when I raised large from the button with JJ to eliminate two limpers, but Mr. Super Stack in the big blind called me effortlessly.
With a hugely wonderful flop of J72 offsuit, Mr. Super Stack came out firing with a half pot size bet, and I (without too much evident enthusiasm) raised him all in. His stack had me well and truly covered 3-4 times over, so of course, he snap called with his KK.
The river alas was a cursed king, and instead of more than doubling up, I was out and on the rail. Ah well, such is the life of a tournament poker player. I ended up around 30th.
Earlier in the event I was in a three way pot with 66. I had raised to 3 times the big blind in late position; the button re-raised me, and the big blind came along for the ride. I was getting good odds to call, but I felt I was in a poor position with a low pair and not on the button – nevertheless I perversely called !
The flop was A 5 A rainbow. They both checked to me, and I looked down at a meager stack and understood my best chance to move onwards was to take this pot down. So I shoved all in – like a man with an ace or even 55 or A5. I wished I had more chips, since my all in was less than half the size of the pot - meaning they would get good odds to call me.
Can you believe what happened next? The button agonized and threw away a pair of kings, after an intense stare down. (He was in the middle of me and the next guy so you can see why he was reticent)
This left the big blind looking at his own pair of jacks, and at me for a hopeful show and tell. But I had my best deadpan look going, and after even more theatrics on his part, he also folded. They were quick to show the table what experts they were - making such big laydowns – so I could not resist – I turned over my 6’s.
This got a huge laugh and applause from the rest of the table – and had these two guys talking to themselves for the rest of the day. I guess they would no longer peg me as super tight.
Within an hour, Mr. Super Stack came to our table and put them both out of their misery on the same hand – when he spiked the nut flush on the river to oust their (tied) winning hands.
Anyway, I was out of the tournament, so I repaired to the blackjack pit to recoup my entry fee and get back in the saddle again. Me and the dealer – one shoe – I only lost two hands, playing two spots in a double deck game. And it was winning ugly. As is so often the case when “the press is on”, you win with hands you would not normally expect to.
Great ! Back up to a new high for the trip – and played a little longer until two jumpers came in and messed with my karma. I humored them for a shoe or two and as my chip stack was treading water, I said thank you and good bye.
Still, all in all, a great start to the trip. Viva Las Vegas!
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Day two in Vegas - May 6 2010
Last night I had dinner with old friends Sheri Winestock and Fred Gitelman – two transplanted Canadians enjoying life permanently in Las Vegas. From here they run the premier online destination for bridge play in the world – www.bridgebase.com.
It seems we have known each other for ever, but in fact they are both only in their early forties. Fred used to cut high school classes to come play at the bridge club I was working in to help finance my education. He always had a sharp mind for the game – so it was not surprising he blossomed into a world class player with numerous victories at the highest levels of the game.
Sheri is pretty damn good too, and is in fact preparing herself for the toughest event on the calendar – the US Open Bridge Championships being held in mid June in Chicago.
Dinner was at my favorite restaurant in Vegas – Sushi Samba – located in the Palazzo hotel. An eclectic mix of three distinct cuisines (with three different kitchens) – Brazilian, Peruvian, and Japanese.
We washed it all down with an elegant cold saki, and the drinks at the bar afterwards did not hurt either. Well that is until I decided to play some double deck blackjack after they left the hotel.
Three "donations" at three consecutive tables resulted in me giving back most of the goodness (read : profits) of the past twenty four hours. With tail between my legs, I slid off to bed, and vowed to be smarter in the morning.
To think I espouse treating blackjack play like a business, and then like a random tourist, I played when my senses were dulled.
This morning, I had a good long swim at Tao beach – wonderful – not so hot as yesterday, and played some highly disciplined BJ after the swim. I can report neither success nor failure though as all my play today has resulted in zero gain or loss.
The daily poker tournament got my attention again today – but I suffered a similar fate to yesterday. I am starting to resent the relatively small starting stack of $7,500 with a rapidly increasing blind and ante structure.
Luck still plays a huge role in the survival process – since you cannot just sit there and play your best poker – you always have an eye on your stack, relative to the table and the average left in the tournament – and you cannot afford too many unsuccessful moves.
My moves all seemed normal to me – but I batted 1 for 6 in the first few hours of the event and could not get myself over an average stack size all day. This was a table where limping was condoned – even encouraged. I rarely limp into a pot – I am a raiser. Each time I raised (or tried a squeeze play) I could not get rid of most of them – each time I had at least a three way pot.
Excepting of course when I was dealt pocket aces in the small blind. Now I was thrilled to be at this type of table. But on that occasion, everyone folded and I got no action – argh!
The hand I went out on was quite bizarre. I held J8 suited in spades in late position, and was able to limp into a multi player flop. The flop was 22J – giving me a respectable two pair. The flop included two diamonds.
I bet out around 2/3 of the pot after two checks, and got one customer, with the others folding, as you would expect with a dangerous board like this.
The turn was another two, giving me a full house with deuces and jacks. I decided to check. The other guy bet out about 2/3 of the pot and I raised him. He re-raised me and I snap shoved all in of course.
He went a little green but decided to call with his AQ of diamonds – quite foolish if you ask me. When we turned over our hands, he got up from his chair and was preparing his stuff to leave, when another deuce hit the table on the river!
Quad deuces on the table. He sat down, content to share the pot, but was blown away when all the chips went over to him.
You see my jacks had been counterfeited by the last deuce – my hand had improved to four deuces – with a jack kicker. His improved to four deuces with an ace kicker. So goodbye Ross.
Another 32nd placing out of 110 players. (Top 13 only get paid today)
I rarely complain these days about bad beats etc. but pleaze, cry me a river!
Probably the only person happy with these developments will be my bridge partner Keith Balcombe, since this means, for the third night in a row, even though I am here on holiday in Las Vegas, I am available again for practice on Fred’s website – www.bridgebase.com
It seems we have known each other for ever, but in fact they are both only in their early forties. Fred used to cut high school classes to come play at the bridge club I was working in to help finance my education. He always had a sharp mind for the game – so it was not surprising he blossomed into a world class player with numerous victories at the highest levels of the game.
Sheri is pretty damn good too, and is in fact preparing herself for the toughest event on the calendar – the US Open Bridge Championships being held in mid June in Chicago.
Dinner was at my favorite restaurant in Vegas – Sushi Samba – located in the Palazzo hotel. An eclectic mix of three distinct cuisines (with three different kitchens) – Brazilian, Peruvian, and Japanese.
We washed it all down with an elegant cold saki, and the drinks at the bar afterwards did not hurt either. Well that is until I decided to play some double deck blackjack after they left the hotel.
Three "donations" at three consecutive tables resulted in me giving back most of the goodness (read : profits) of the past twenty four hours. With tail between my legs, I slid off to bed, and vowed to be smarter in the morning.
To think I espouse treating blackjack play like a business, and then like a random tourist, I played when my senses were dulled.
This morning, I had a good long swim at Tao beach – wonderful – not so hot as yesterday, and played some highly disciplined BJ after the swim. I can report neither success nor failure though as all my play today has resulted in zero gain or loss.
The daily poker tournament got my attention again today – but I suffered a similar fate to yesterday. I am starting to resent the relatively small starting stack of $7,500 with a rapidly increasing blind and ante structure.
Luck still plays a huge role in the survival process – since you cannot just sit there and play your best poker – you always have an eye on your stack, relative to the table and the average left in the tournament – and you cannot afford too many unsuccessful moves.
My moves all seemed normal to me – but I batted 1 for 6 in the first few hours of the event and could not get myself over an average stack size all day. This was a table where limping was condoned – even encouraged. I rarely limp into a pot – I am a raiser. Each time I raised (or tried a squeeze play) I could not get rid of most of them – each time I had at least a three way pot.
Excepting of course when I was dealt pocket aces in the small blind. Now I was thrilled to be at this type of table. But on that occasion, everyone folded and I got no action – argh!
The hand I went out on was quite bizarre. I held J8 suited in spades in late position, and was able to limp into a multi player flop. The flop was 22J – giving me a respectable two pair. The flop included two diamonds.
I bet out around 2/3 of the pot after two checks, and got one customer, with the others folding, as you would expect with a dangerous board like this.
The turn was another two, giving me a full house with deuces and jacks. I decided to check. The other guy bet out about 2/3 of the pot and I raised him. He re-raised me and I snap shoved all in of course.
He went a little green but decided to call with his AQ of diamonds – quite foolish if you ask me. When we turned over our hands, he got up from his chair and was preparing his stuff to leave, when another deuce hit the table on the river!
Quad deuces on the table. He sat down, content to share the pot, but was blown away when all the chips went over to him.
You see my jacks had been counterfeited by the last deuce – my hand had improved to four deuces – with a jack kicker. His improved to four deuces with an ace kicker. So goodbye Ross.
Another 32nd placing out of 110 players. (Top 13 only get paid today)
I rarely complain these days about bad beats etc. but pleaze, cry me a river!
Probably the only person happy with these developments will be my bridge partner Keith Balcombe, since this means, for the third night in a row, even though I am here on holiday in Las Vegas, I am available again for practice on Fred’s website – www.bridgebase.com
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