Hope to keep this short and sweet. I apologize for typos, grammar errors, etc., in advance. I will break it up in the sections, but not chronologically because it’s all a blur. Partially due to lack or sleep, partially due to alcohol. Flights/Hotels Went out August 4-7 with a group of 7. The 7 of us flew in from 3 different airports on 3 different airline and all arrived within 45 minutes of each other, so that was nice. Wife and I had a Strip Suite at Planet Hollywood. My brother and my buddy A and B (yes, that’s the 1st letters of their name) had a standard room at PH on the 28th floor. My buddy K had a standard room at PH as well which he upgraded into a Fountain/Strip View w/ 20 bucks. My buddy C and his wife M stayed at Paris and upgraded w/ 20 bucks to a Fountain/Strip view also. The Strip Suite was very nice. Something like 850 sq. ft. with a massive bathroom, tub, vanity, sitting area, and a decent view of City Center construction/Strip. Strip Suites are right in the middle of the Hotel, so they’re angled slightly south or slightly north. Ours was angled slightly south. We checked in at about 9am. A/B’s room was ready, K’s room and my room weren’t ready, and so up we went to A/B’s room to drop our stuff. Gaming -Poker – Played the 2pm at PH. The ‘Grinder’ played in it as well. He was at a different table and got busted out fairly early. I played decent poker. The structure is pretty good for a while, and then it gets wicked. $60 buy in, 4000 chips, 20 min levels; break every 3 levels for 10 mins. At the 1st break, I was at $13,300 in chips and chip leader at my table. One hand to note during levels 1-3 was the following: I look down at K/J off and limped. Flop comes Kc, 8c, 8x. I raise to 1500, 1 caller. Turn is a Jc. Check, check – I was certain he had the flush and was slow playing it. I don’t know what told me he did, but something made it certain. River comes and it’s a Kx!! So I think for maybe 30 seconds and check. Bam, he raises me all-in. I called and asked if he had 8’s, he said nut-flush and flipped over A/Q in a joyous manner. I showed my K, and he pot came over my way. He’s pissed and storms out. Oh well, he shouldn’t have given me a free card. During rounds 4-6, I couldn’t do much. Mad a pre-flop call of an all-in w/ K/Q suited which was the correct call because he had J/7 off. He caught a J on 4th and I doubled him up. That was crippling, but I fought back to 9000 at break #2. Back to action and it’s time for a new table, they broke ours. Blinds are now 1000/2000, so it’s an all in fest at this point (before this the blinds seemed very manageable). I am right after the BB for the 1st hand, and get rags, so I chunk it. In the BB, 5/3 off. 4 all-ins in front of me, and I considered going since I had 2000 invested and pot odds were good, but naaa, fold. Now SB, 5/3 off, again, did she shuffle?? A few all-ins in front and I folded away my SB. Now on the button, I look down at A/K of hearts. Time to throw down. 1 all-in in front of my, so I go all in (I was covered) and the BB calls us. I was against Q/J and 9/9. I had a chance. Flops reveals a Q in the window, and 2 blanks on the turn/river. Bye bye 60 bucks. K and C played in the tourney as well and I collected 10 from each of them for a last-longer bet. I also took $25 off C the day before playing golf. So in that sense, the tourney only cost me $15 because C paid up right after I busted out. 2 cash sessions, both at 1/2 NL didn’t do much for me. Made 45 or so at IP, most on one pot when I was trying to bluff off some $10 raises with a $40 raise. There were 3 in at $10 when I raised to $40. 2 folded, one raised all in. So for my remaining $29 bucks, I went with my 6/8 of hearts. I flopped an open ender, 8 on the turn, and hit the straight on the river. He mucked, so I didn’t see his hand, but he was livid. Kind of wish you had to turn ‘em up in cash games, but rules are rules. 1/2 session at Luxor on Sunday was no fun. Won one hand when I flopped a straight. It was a rough session. Had JJ with a $15 raise in front of me, went all in for my remaining 45 or so. Called by QQ, no one improved, so -100 for that session. -Pai Gow – Pai Gow Gods weren’t so good to us. Biggest winning session at Pai Gow was probably 50 bucks or so. Hit quads once at PH with the bonus, so that was nice. Wifey hit a straight flush with a bonus as well. We don’t always play the bonus, just when we’re “feeling it”. My brother, wifey, and I were playing a fun $10 Pai Gow table at Mirage on Sunday or Monday (can’t remember) and a lady came up. Bought in for $320 and instantly bet 300 of it. She bought the Dagon Hand for another 300, and lost both with crappy Pai Gows. Dealer had a weak hand, but hers were weaker. She bought in again for $2000. Put it all in the circle. Lost. Bought in for $4000 and was banking (on our 3 $10) hands at times. When she wasn’t she was betting massive amounts. She ended up winning quite a bit over the next few hands. This lady looked so depressed or something. She must’ve been in quite a hole I guess. Who knows. She made the rest of us miserable though. She only stayed about 20 mins though. -Black Jack – BJ was pretty good to us. Played $10 single deck at Planet Hollywood several sessions. Played a few $5 and $10 sessions at Bill’s. Still has the BC feel, so that’s good. Also played BJ switch, but got up and moved to a single deck table because of the lady next to me. I was in position 2, and she was in 1. She was bitching about EVERYTHING. If 3rd base took a card that would have busted the dealer, she bitched, if 3rd base took a card (one time, 3rd base had an 11, dealer showing a 10, so 3rd base took a hit, and got a 10 for a 21, dealer turned over a 6 from underneath and then drew a 5. Sucked, and the lady started bitching about 3rd place taking the dealer’s bust card…WTF…sure, she’d have busted if he stood on 11, but whatever, that lady was miserable). -Hold ‘em Table Game – There are a few versions. We played the one where you make your ante bet, if you want to play, you be 2x your ante bet. Then turn/river is the same amount of your ante bet. Took a decent profit on one session and broke even on one. Only played 2 sessions of it. -Slots/VP – I only played the big WOF one with the wifey and a bit of video poker on a nickel machine with 4 hands, but you gotta win the 1st one to move to the 2nd one, and the 2nd to move to the 3rd, etc. Lost a bit on slots. I don’t really like them. -Craps – Only got in 1 session of craps on the last night. Waiting to eat at Bill’s in the Victorian room. Played about 30 mins and made a smooth $75 bucks. Woohooo. Food Didn’t do anything at all fancy food-wise. Had Planet Dailies once. Expensive coffee shop, but good food. Split the nachos with the wifey which were $12.50. Had Hooters once, O’Sheas food court a few times, Ellis Island pizza once, Bill’s cheap breakfast once, Ocean One in PH once for breakfast, Salsa Cantina in PH for breakfast once, Spice Market Breakfast buffet. That’s all I can remember food-wise. Randomness -The Age of Love show was at PH one night. The guy was there and also the final 2 girls. What a crowded mess -Table limits were good. Always $10 single deck at PH, always $10 Pai Gow at PH. $5 single deck at Bill’s. -Sorry I didn’t make the meet. 4 of us were trying to figure dinner out and of course no one had ideas, and when I’d mention something, no one wanted it. We ended up at Ellis Island (were gonna do Bill’s prime rib in the Victorian room, but a big wait). Didn’t leave Ellis until 9:30 or so and I was afraid I’d miss yall. -Ellis Island sucked. Hour wait on the place with cheap steak, but starting at 9pm, they would only have a little menu due to construction, which of course didn’t have the cheap steak. Their only single deck games were ‘Super Fun 21’, which I have all the rules of, except double with any # of cards. -Going with a group had ups and downs. Being in Vegas with buddies was great. Planning food together was tough a few times. More ups than downs for sure though. -I drank a lot of beer. -Mirage had good pineapple juice. -My brother was the big winner of our group, congrats to him. -PH is far and away my favorite casino. Hip, not too upscale, not a dump, good music, good gaming limits, and a lot of fun. Drink service was good as well (not old school BC good, but pretty good usually). -My last hand of Pai Gow for the trip, the dealer for a Royal Flush. That bitch -Lost a bit gambling. Wife lost a bit more. I had enough when I got home to buy a 46" DLP HDTV - score! The $$ I take the Vegas I consider gone, so I usually get myself something fun when I get home. -May not go to Vegas for a while. Going to Alaska on a cruise with the family next summer, so we need to save up for that. Pictures of the suite to follow tonight or tomorrow.
Me (white aTm shirt), bro(black shirt), wifey(only female). If pic doesn't load: http://pic40.picturetrail.com/VOL396/2254934/8028381/270572368.jpg
here are some links to room pics: room http://pic40.picturetrail.com/VOL396/2254934/8028381/270574933.jpg http://pic40.picturetrail.com/VOL396/2254934/8028381/270574926.jpg http://pic40.picturetrail.com/VOL396/2254934/8028381/270574915.jpg sign - you can see the dot where the room was http://pic40.picturetrail.com/VOL396/2254934/8028381/270574811.jpg bathroom http://pic40.picturetrail.com/VOL396/2254934/8028381/270574806.jpg http://pic40.picturetrail.com/VOL396/2254934/8028381/270574803.jpg http://pic40.picturetrail.com/VOL396/2254934/8028381/270574797.jpg
Nice report. Thanks for posting. Sorry about the lady at the Pai Gow table...I hate it when someone like that seems to suck the fun out for everyone. At least BJ was good to you guys. Cool pics too. I like the set up of the bathroom.
Very nice Suite! It's always fun to go eat with a more than 3 people. Glad you all had FUN..that's what counts!
I NEED to get those sunglasses your brother is wearing - seriously. Thanks for the TR and pics. I really like your philosophy about the gambling money being "gone" so why not spend whatever is left over. I should to employ that.
Money spent, abundant food and drink, fun had by all. Sounds like a successful trip. I need those glasses for my corporate picture. I will be there Labor Day week. Where can I find them?
shop in the PH mall. they also had some fart sound making stuff. it was awesome. i shoulda bought the glasses, but oh well. there were a lot more fun ones too.
Aggie, I just got back home from Vegas a little while ago. I couldn't make the meet either. I too liked PH - it looks great!! Great music playing in the casino.
Yeah, no doubt. It's a hip place without being swanky. I think it's my fav. strip casino easily. Well set up, good tunes, great vibe and atmosphere, and table limits are reasonable.
Sounds like you had a great time. Were the $10 PH BJ games 3 for 2 or 6 for 5?Same question for Bill's $5 game? Thanks
Hey, Great TR, great pics. We actually made to the meet. We hung around for an hour donated $60.00 to the remodel the Luxor campaign. I think we may have been the only ones there. I asked a few people it they were there for a meet. Got some strange looks and comments so decided to just stagger back to the bar.
All the single deck I played was 6/5 everywhere. Didn't play any shoe games. but they all appeared to be 3/2. Don't know that 3/2 on single deck can be found on the strip at low limits.
Great report! Sounds like a good time was had. The eating with large groups is occasionally a pain, but it can work when you all just decide ahead of time that you don't have to eat every meal together.
No doubt. I was fine with that, but the 4 of us who usually ate together, one was my wife, and 2 were vegas virgins. Harder to ditch your wife and/or 2 virgins./ K, who was also w/ us quite a bit, has been several times, so he'd go off on his own a lot more.
