blonde poker forum

Hi all!

After much indecision I have decided to write this blog! Partly so I can brag about being in Vegas, partly for some company and partly somewhere I can look back on after my trip for memories!

So! Lets get started!

About me!

For those of you that don't know me I'm Callum Morgan. Born in north west England in a chav tastic Warrington! The only plus side was that I lived in "the nice bit", therefore I  grew up wearing a track suit for sport and not as my going out gear. I got into poker at about 15 playing with friends and eventually after I aught my dad how to play I used to watch him play. I got into gambling very soon after my 18th birthday I had opened up a bet fair account an used to sports bet and play poker on there! I was hooked from the get go! When I look back on those times  now and how much I knew I don't know how I was only a small loser on that site back in the day! Must have ran great! I got my first taste of live pokers when my dad took me to china town in Manchester, we played on a table with 8 Chinese and then me and my dad... We both ended up up! Unbelievable when I think back to it now! Again I must have ran good :p

I went to uni after a year out... A year out where I dossed about and drank and gambled away every penny I earnt! Had a great year though! When I went to uni my flat was about 5 min walk from g casino and inevitably I started to spend more and more time in there! After about 5 months I was a little bit up and very happy! Then one night in my uni bedroom I binked the big 22 on stars and thought all my Christmases had come at once! Since then I have played live and online very regularly but mainly live as I just spew about online!

I moved to Nottingham last year for work and have been going to Dtd about twice a week since then. After moving to Nottingham poker started to flat line and then started to slip under the flat line! I was spending a fortune and not earning enough and my poker bankroll was going down and I was starting to feel a bit meh! So before I spewed of all my cash I decided to buy my car outright of my parents so I had an asset and also so I had no cash to spew! This was about November time last year and was a great decision for me! After this I started playing better poker and money started coming in again! I had a great Christmas back home and 235 in manchester was like a gold mine to me... I ended up making enough to book this trip...

The trip!

I set off for Vegas on Friday the 15th feb from London gatwick and return on the 1st march! Back home to Manchester!

(I'm writing this while waiting around in airports and on the plane and will post when I get wifi!)

I will be staying in the grad view hotel which is off strip not great location but room is huge and nice and I have paid £90 for two weeks! Not bad!

Good luck me!

Day -1!

I started the trip by heading to London from Nottingham the night before my flight. After a send off beer and a jager bomb with my mates I found myself on leg 1 of the trip! I was in the 21:28 East Midlands train service to London. And by midnight I was trying to enter the hippo drome where I got refused because of my luggage apparently it would take up to much room in there cloakroom and I wa not allowed to put it in the corner of the poker room! So it was off to the empire I went!

Summary

I sat with 100 and after 3 hours I was up to £350. I ended with 50!

Interesting hand in this spell was a hand where I had quads and didn't put a guy all in on the river thanks to him hiding £100 in his hand meh! Tilted me pretty bad as he had the but flush an would of have called. My night ended with a hand v the drunk on the table who shipped blind. The hand goes raise to £16 I call button calls and he ships in the straddle for £300 original raiser folds KQ and I call with 1010 he flips q8hh and he finds a queen on the turn meh! Would have given me a nice £600 profit on the night instead I was making the trip to gatwick £50 down before we had left the country! At least it's cheaper than a hotel!!

Day 1

I arrive at Victoria station at about 6:30 I'm a little tired now and was really struggling to find my train! When I found it it was an 8 carriage train with nobody on it also it was a train that was going to split in half halfway through the journey unfortunately I don't know which half way going to split and go to gatwick an which half not to gatwick! With nobody on the train to ask I hedged my bets and sat in carriage 4/8 thinking that I'd I needed to be in the back half not the front half I only have to move one carriage! Luckily enough the front carriage was going to gatwick and by 7am I had arrived! I had never been to gatwick but had seen airport a few times and fancied my chances with this airport!! When walking to the check in desk I walked past the West Indian cricket team!!! Lads! I checked in picked up my $$ and ended up having breakfast at 8 I'm cafe rouge, this was the only place showing the cricket (nz v England 20/20) so this had to be the place I had my breakfast! I was boarding at 10:30 so had about 2 hours to kill after England had smashed New Zealand and I had smashed my bacon butty! I had a big problem now I had been up for 26 hours had had 8 hours of work 6 hours of poker an q hour of 5 a side football! I was pooped! I also had no battery on my phone! Big problem I cannot set my alarm so I wake up or my flight this means I cannot sleep! Bollocks!! I end up sitting on the floor next to a plug so I can plug my phone in, I don't know if this is allowed and I highly doubt it was but it got me the necessary battery I needed to set my alarm which meant I didn't have to worry bout falling asleep! I didn't end up falling asleep in the airport but as soon as I sat in my seat on the flight I was gone. Out for the count! I woke up 6 hours in and watch looper and ted before the end of the flight! Was quite successful flight it went rapid! When I arrived at the airport things slowed. I queued for immigration, I had to wait ages for my bag, I ha to queue for a whole for customs and then I had to wait 20 mins for a shuttle bus! Fantastic!! Nearly 2 hours from landing to being at my hotel! Great! I arrive at the grandview hotel and they are great speedy check in loads of freebies including wifi which was supposed to be $50 a week! I think I was going to swerve that but free is free!

After check in I arrived at my room which was huge! It's great we'll chuffed with it had a bath little nap an then off to the strip! It's 7:15 Vegas time now and I'm on the shuttle heading into town! Think I'm going to play at the Venetian tonight but going to have a wander around some of the sights first! Will report back once I'm sat at the tables!

Good luck me!

In first!!

Love Vegas, and stories about it. Good luck.

Thanks!

For the first week I will be all alone! My mum and dad are joining me for 4 day in the middle of the trip (this will hopefully be a nice break for sightseeing after I have smashed the pokers) then the final few days I will be back on the poker! I have ended up at the Venetian I walked from the aria(where my shuttle dropped me off) down to the Venetian popping into a few casinos along the way to take in the sights! It's just as amazing as I imagined it! They also must be filing a new hangover film as it seems I cannot get away from the cast of that movie!

Poker update

Sat with $100 on a 1/2 at the Venetian hit the nuts 2nd hand and got paid what a life! Since then not much has happened and I'm back to where I started after a few missed flops not that much action on the table but also not that great a standard don't know if I'm going to post exact figures this trip or not I'm always a bit cautious of that invade people read from outside the poker world!

Love these blogs about vegas too. What will you mainly be playing? Any target on profit you wanna make? Do you play house games?

Have a great trip Callum
I've never been ...yet hopefully going next year for my 40th !!

Enjoy fella and be lucky

Good luck, ensure you pick your tournaments wisely as most are hyper turbos. As for cash, in my limited experience and not being a cash game player I found the tourists in planet Hollywood easy enough to make a few dollars. The biggest fish there was someone who posts on here!

Although there are a lot more qualified Vegas vets around here who will give better advice. Enjoy.

If you play tournies, try the Aria daily and Venetian ones are OK, other Casino's tournies are as described.

Any pictures?

Tip for cash, if you're at Venetian and table is nittish/ no good ask the dealer for a table change. They will get the floor to put you top of the list, as long as your table is full or near to full.


MGM is good for cash. Ballys too especially late night early morning and the view is good :)

Sighs. I just like to give action that's all, can't all be nits sitting their all day sipping diet coke.

MGM best for cash imo. Destroyed that place, thought they were going to have to borrow chips from another casino when I was last there.. Venetian for tournaments, DO NOT play tournaments in Mandalay, TD is a complete Nazi, price and structure is ridic, hate it.

Have a great time. Night helicopter over strip, helicopter to grand canyon, catch a show and avoid circus circus and stratosphere would be my advice.

$1 Straweberry Daquiris ftw.

Subscribed.

Aria had $100 comps at 1 and 7 when I was there last year. Always made good money for a one day comp and well worth playing.

Win big.

I just knew this had to be Milli lol confirmed

fml.

I imagine I will be playing mainly cash as I tend to bust comps after 2 hours often ;) my plan is to pick and choose comps but play mainly cash. Comps I will play between $100-300 I think may take some shots if its going well and the Venetian $2500 is on this weekend so I may take a shot at the $300 sat fr that which would normally be out of my roll. I have got enough to do about $500 a day! But I hope not to!!

Help in the pics! I will post but I don't know how! At 21 I should know! What's the easiest way to get from my phone to here?

The Venetian has been ok tonight I will try somewhere new tomorrow we have had lots of coming and going but not much action!

I'm playing the aria daily tomorrow i think which is a 1pm start it just depends if I wake from the coma I'm about to go into!

I was supposed to be going soon but my table has got juicer and I think I've missed the last shuttle! Taxi it is then but will only be $10 and this table is worth more than that!

I've been having a wander around here and there are some good sights that's for sure!

subbed

You gotta giv action to get action!! Think I will be doing most o that tourist stuff next week with the parents! I think we are 95% doing the helicopter stuff!!

I'm not a massive cocktail fan! Infact I don't think I will be doing much drinking I gamble to much when I drink and seen as I'm on my own I will feel to much of a loser! Might have some nights with me da especially next Saturday when the rugby is on!!

I've heard the $100 is getting like 125-150 runners which is my cup of tea! Means I can win a couple of bags then go out in the evening :p

I'd agree with Craig's advice about Planet Hollywood. Friendly games, largely fish infested. Other places. I enjoyed playing were the Venetian, MGM and the Aria.

Best of luck fella.

Agree with Tal here.  Played the evening one once, chopped it once for $1500.  Structure was good enough and chopped about 3am.

Thanks boshi sound like my weekend tbh! I want to try a few places don't want to get attached to one!! Also I'm not the kind of person to say I run well/bad there therefore I am/am not playing there! I'm not that superstitious!!

I played there and on the table next to me was a cash game with a few faces, one of whom was Jen Harman. They were playing 8 game (Ivey's Room had a monster 10/20 NLHE game in it) and each chip in their stacks was $100, so they were betting with units that were a single entry to the 8 hour tournament I'd entered :)

The locals don't seem to me (at least at the level you're playing - which is about the same as me) to be very aggressive. They like to call you down a lot and will back off if you keep the pressure on.

But if you like talking at the table, they're great fun, even if it means playing the "token Brit" and reminding them what "football" means.

Its a $125 buy in. On a Saturday it faces competition from Wynn's big gtd Tourny but still gets big turnouts, especially with end of the DSE at Venetian should boost numbers.

Have a great time buddy.. Soooo jealous..

Simon makes a good point: when you got on the plane, you left 10% juice comps behind.

In reality I think its a $97 + $28 as only about $97/$98 goes in the prize pool, pretty good value for Vegas tho, soft field good structure etc :)

Exactly. It's about finding the structures that give you play for your buck.

Love Vegas blogs, good luck buddy and I'll be following with interest!


Here is a few I put up about 6 months ago for someone, I checked and the only difference was the buyins had gone up which I've changed to be correct.


Aria

1pm: $125 $10k chips and a 30 minute clock (Daily)

7pm: $125 $10k chips and a 30 minute clock (Daily)

Bellagio

2pm: $125 10k chips and a 25minute clock (Mon-Thur)

2pm: $545 10k chips and a 40 minute clock (Fri/Sat)

2pm: $335 10k chips and a 35 minute clock (Sun)


Caesars

9am: $70 3k chips and a 15min clock (Daily)

12pm: $110 10k chips and a 20 min clock (Daily)

2pm: $235 15k chips and a 30 min clock (Sat/Sun)

4pm: $70 3k chips and a 15min clock (Daily)

7pm: $100 10k chips and a 20 min clock (Daily)

10pm: $80 7.5k chips and a 20 min clock (Daily)


Venetian

12pm: $150 12k chips and a 30 minute clock (Mon-Thurs)

12pm: $200 12k chips and a 30 minute clock (Sun)

12pm: $200 12k chips and a 30 minute clock (Fri) Bounty comp $25 pp

12pm: $300 12k chips and a 30 minute clock (Sat)

12pm: $500 15k chips and a 40 minute clock (First Saturday of the month only)


7pm: $120 8k chips and a 20 minute clock (Mon/Wed/Thur/Sat/Sun and 30 Minute levels after 3rd level)

7pm: $150 10k chips and a 30 minute clock (Tue) Bounty comp $25 pp

7pm: $300 12k chips and a 20 minute clock (Fri) Survivor tournament* 30 minute levels after 3rd level

*Tournament ends when there is exactly 10% of the field remaining. All remaining players will be awarded $1600 in casino chips. Any odd monies will be awarded as additional payouts.

Good luck mate

Have fun Callum

whats the standard rake in vegas? both in cash and tourneys?

also are drinks super cheap/comped in most placeS?

Drinks are expensive unless you're playing something, where they magically become free (although you customarily tip a buck or two if you want the valet to come back).

1c slots is probably the cheapest way to drink in Vegas.

this, gl fella!!
Can't wait for my first Vegas trip.....

;)

Just in! Way past my curfue and have 3% battery! Will reply properly tomorrow thing I'm up in 6 hours for the aria comp unless I feel like crap in which case ill go back go bed!

Poker summary ended up winng $70 tonight had 3 interesting hands which I will post tomorrow!

Night!

Take your parents to love at the mirage ,it's a great show have a great time keep the updates coming gl gl

Played cash at Venetian last night an it was 10% capped at $4 plus $2 an hour on a comp card considering every drink is free I think that's very good if your a big beer drinking then it will work out very cheap if you don't spew on the table at the same time!

I'm just waiting for the shuttle to go to the aria will write my end I day 1 update on the bus! Hopefully if there is wifi I will post at the aria!

Good luck with this Callum.

PS - Please stop posting with !!!!'s all the time!

This bugs me to. But for some reason on my iPhone I find it easier to do ! Then . But I will certainly try to have more....!

End of day 1

My table was slow to start at the Venetian very quite and not much action was considering a table move but generally it was quite easy money weak tight play and was thinking it was a nice start to Vegas nothing to tough for me to think about! The table livened up with a drunkern American young lad who was obviously a good player but was out for the night an having fun.. Good for the game. He annoyed a few of the Americans and a few actually changed tables because he was quite loud! It was nothing malicious and all good fun. I was in seat 4 he was seat 3 so even better for me he was raising a lot and I had direct position. We then had a lady sit down in seat 2 who was very nice and insisted on checking down pots with me so not to take my holiday money. Made it trickery when I wanted to bet but all in all it worked in my favour! This one hand for instance was weird an was the first time she did it!

3 limpers and I make it $16 on the button (with ks js ) 2 callers the lady and the drunk. Board comes as 6s 6c checked to me were I continue for  $33 the lady calls and the drunk folds. At this point she goes I have an ace if you want to check it down! I was like hmm this is wierd I think she is weak here but she is not going to fold if I bet anyway the turn brings a j it goes check check and the river brings another jack she checked and I just flipped my full house I'm not brutal enough to bet I imagine she would have called like $30-60 but in the long run with her I don't think that would have been a good move! Anyway was interesting she laughed and thanked me or being polite and we had a real good laugh the rest of the night I made a bit of her so it worked out in the end.

I was sitting on about $180 and was in for $350 when I got doubled by Michelle Bennett husband ( I didn't know who he was at the time but I went and chatted to Michelle later and she pointed him out! I was like I yeh I just played a big pot with him!) I cannot exactly remember the hand but it was pretty standard 3-4 ways to the flop which is q65 two hearts I have 66 an he has aq an it all goes in. I hold and am now sat on about $380 where I stay for the rest of the night ish. Tending to range from $300-$450 for the rest of the night the table was good but I did not get the spots to get involved

My final interesting spot of the night was when its a limped pot and I'm on the bb with kd2d flop comes jd 6d 3d bingo! I check and a guy bets 15 2 callers and I make it 60 (I'm playing 350 original raiser has 150 and other two callers have me covered ) the original raiser now ships his 150 and the second caller then ships his stack in so now I need to call 290 against a guy who has over called an then shipped. To me here he either has flopped the nuts or e has a pair and the ad but I think it's heavily waited towards nuts. I passed they both had diamonds and indeed the over caller had flopped the nuts. Was happy with myself here but thinking back i do think its pretty standard!

Anyway after I ended up in maccies with my $70 profit happy enough! I got a taxi home that cost $25 double what I thought it would be! Think I will be on the shuttle bus for the rest of the trip where possible. I should have left at 1 and not 3! Would have had about and extra $50 in my pocket. Ahh we'll we live and learn!

Anyway just arriving at aria now. Winning a comp on the second day would be nice... May play the Venetian deep stack sat tomorrow would be nice to say my way in to a $2500 buy in!

Still need some help with uploading photos.

What you guna say?

Sat! There you go an exclamation mark just for you

Two things I picked up on last night that would be nice to see back home. My table 95% of the time when it folded to the sb/bb they just chopped it up. I liked this it sped up the game a lot and I've never seen this in the uk.

Also the Venetian had power points under the tables so you could plug your phone/iPad in. This is a great idea in my opinion very often when I'm in a casino for like 5/10 hours my phone always goes dead towards to the end and it save you asking if the casino can charge it for you. Dtd I'm sure could install this on the cash tables.

I'm currently on an hour long alternative list for the aria and a 20 long list for the cash! Get more tables aria!

good luck with this. venetian was always the best for cash imo (so comfortable as well) but constantly hearing great things about aria and their mtts. be careful checking the nuts (ish) on the river even if it is a friendly game. some players might kick off and get the floor involved.

Day 2

Entered into the aria daily comp ($125) I was number 38 on the alternates list. As it was a 10 table comp it took like 2 hours to get in.
So as the degenerate I am I got on the cash list... O wait 26th on that also! Great I got on after an hour though it moved quite quick. I was sat for about 50 mins and made like $200 nice free rolling the comp now! I got in the comp towards the end of 100/200 level nothing of note really happened and I got it in with 15 bigs at 300/600 with asqs<adjd flop jxx 2 diamonds... No fun! I then decided to go on a wander had some food and ended up at the MGM I ended up dumping my profit for the day and a little bit more in there and went on a further wander. I've covered some serious miles already here I would be interested to see how many on a pedometer!

I ended up back at the aria after a wander around New York hotel as I figured I would play for a few more hours before getting the shuttle back.

Had the highlight of the holiday when a lovely Chinese dealer called Helen told me and a Scottish fella "English only at the table please" which sent me an him and a few of the American into laughter apparently we were speaking to quick for her to understand. Good job I'm not a Geordie, she would have had no chance.

My aria session ended down, so far I'm about 1 buy in down nothing to trivial. Tables were not that great today need some more banter tomorrow I'm thinking to play the aria  afternoon comp again and then walk back up to the Venetian popping into the belagio and ceasers on the way!

Haha, just walking around the MGM is enough to do you in... Good luck tomorrow m8!

Wiiii just spotted this have a great time pal

Good Luck Callum... Photos please and if your parents aren't reading, let's get some serious "single guy" Vegas stories going..

Everything on the strip looks like it's close, but everything is further away than it first appears!

+1

have a great time buddy,14 week a wnnseday i will be there also

Have a great time Callum.

Very Jealous - I have to wait until May for me next trip.

Will do will try an bring you back some monies to spew to you on onhahahaha!


The parents are not aware of this yet I will be careful what I post as I think you should be when you post anything on a public forum! But they wouldn't mind up to a line! I imagine most of the drinking stories will come when they arrive. When I'm going out for meals and shows with them and playing poker an blackjack with my dad!


Yeh it's actually quite away from aria to Venetian but I'm 21 and need to shift a few pounds so it won't do me any harm!

I'm up and about feeling good today had a little headache yesterday but feeling a lot better today!

Goals for today - win some money/ learn how to post pictures / take more pictures!

Of to the aria shortly!

underneath  bold....

insert youtube, flash, image.

it puts [img....] IMAGE LINKY YO [/img.....]  around the link without the full stops, just search for free image hosting to upload the photos somewhere.

The crib

(http://i1295.photobucket.com/albums/b633/callumm18/image_zps791a6ffb.jpg)

(http://i1295.photobucket.com/albums/b633/callumm18/image_zps4b90790a.jpg)

(http://i1295.photobucket.com/albums/b633/callumm18/image_zpsbc2d2c17.jpg)

(http://i1295.photobucket.com/albums/b633/callumm18/image_zps466cd314.jpg)

Thanks! Downloaded photo bucket app and its pretty easy from there should be able to liven up the thread now! Plus it has killed time during the first level of the aria comp!

Update

Up to 13k from 10k starting stack this French guy try to bluff me! Good try... my pocket 33s were good on the river.

The hand went something like this..

Raise to 150 frog raises to 300 I flat with 33 on the button original raiser folds :/ (I literally cannot think of a hand I would raise to 150 an fold to 300 with a 10k starting stack)

The board came 779 check from the frog check from me turn was a 2 he now bet 550 I called river j he bet 1k I called he flopped aq. I just felt like aq/ak all day here he may have got there with aj but there was in my opinion a lot higher chance of it being aq or ak.

Busted aria comp Jj>ak all in pre board j109....qx blurgh!!

Went looking for some cash action the 1/3 Holdem list was huge so sat on 1/3 PLO with $200 this is my first real degen move I love PLO but I'm still very much learning! The game is now a 2/5 PLO an in say with $500 we have a guy making it 15 blind every hand and I am 2 seats to his right! Bingo I am just limp calling limp/potting but shame is he is never folding pre! So there maybe a $1000 omahahaha flip coming up!!!

Missing in action....someone call the Rhino

Prob at the cops reporting the burlgary at the crib. Looks like it got turned over good and proper..

I'm alive! I was going to write my day 3 update on the bus in today as my phone ran out of battery last night. Instead I got chatting to a lady.. We chatted the whole way to the aria shame she was old enough to be my gran!

Anyway a little teaser of what's to come...

PLO.. Craps... Corona... PLO!!

Here was my stack just before I went to play the $250 Venetian comp

(http://i1295.photobucket.com/albums/b633/callumm18/1B055953-8B1B-4741-9AF2-16D480415486-2223-000002B2E33C78D4_zps1663e3fb.jpg)

Unfortunately here is my current stack in the bounty comp

(http://i1295.photobucket.com/albums/b633/callumm18/7EA98183-48C5-46EC-834C-7CCAA0EAD832-2223-000002B49589D2D7_zps174b28ea.jpg)

10 big blinds for the win!

Plus Sam razavi has offered me a drinking session when he wins the Venetian main event!

Come on Callum... Don't tease us then take it away...

Too much water not enough booze in pic 3/10 :)

1,2

Day 3 - small degen day!

I suppose it wouldn't be a trip to Vegas without a small degen day along the way! I started out with the aria comp again, unfortunate no good again when my Jj could not win a race against ak. I had a fun table within the first 2 hours I called 5 times with marginal hands and 4/5 times they were bluffing 1/5 he had the nuts. I have not yet called with a marginal hand on the cash table and been right.. Great.  I had a younger American lad to my left that was causing me some grief but it was all good fun the rest of the table were just laughing as we 3/4 bet each other.

After this I played PLO. The 1/2 holdem list was huge and I was looking for a change of scenery, I'm ok at PLO but certainly no pro. I sat at 1/3 PLO with $200 I prefer sitting shorter in this as I am not familiar enough with the game to know what to do when in say super deep. I managed to work my way up to $700 when I had the hand that made me decide to walk away. Board was j1083. One guy has bet all the way with me and another caller calling behind. I had a973 and was nut flush drawing on the river. I think my first mistake was on the turn I should have re potted. the river came a 7 which I didn't like really but afterwords realised it didn't change much. The serial potter potted the river and I tank folder due to the guy behind looking super confident and the potter looking pretty content. I just couldn't see him doing this without the nuts. Any PLO wizz's I would be great full for the comments...

Easier layout
Me cut off limp in (a973 double suited with a3 diamonds)
Button had already made it 15 blind.
Sb call
Bb call
Flop j108 1 diamond (pot 60)
Sb checks bb bets I call and sb calls. Turn was 3 again bb bet an me and sb call (pot 150)
River 7 bb bet $325 i think ish I fold sb calls.

I moved on with about $500 and went to wander around the ballegio and then ceasers I was going to play a comp at ceasers but got my schedule mixed up and ended up coming back to my hotel at 10. I decided to go have a wander around the casino next door to my hotel ( south point) i saw they had a card room and many cheap places to eat. Which is good to know and will spend a day there at some point! I ended up watching craps for about an hour when I plucked up the courage to play. I have played once before and never thrown only copied a friends bets. After serveral coronas I was $200 up and very chuffed I had three rolls and they were all long and fruitful it was great fun!! Good day!

Ha don't tend to drink and play! It's to expensive! Especially when the booze is free!

I used to drink all diet coke at the table but have recently started drinking more water and I really feel the benifits! Less headaches that's for sure!

Think I find the Fold button there, unless both of them are a bit wide, it is hard to play so strong on the end without the Q-9.

There will be plenty better spots than that, just sit quietly & be patient, no need to force it, let the situations come to you, no need to chase them.

Was your hotel really cheap? Sounds like your'e staying quite a way from the Strip? Looks like you did better at Venetian PLO though

Day 4

I arrived in town earlier today I got the shuttle at 11. I wanted to find somewhere to watch united. I ended up in the Venetian as I wanted to play the 3pm comp there. So that seemed to work. Small sweat in the united game but pretty comfortable in the end and the sports books are the dogs we need something similar in the uk!

I regged up for the 3pm $250 "big" bounty comp. the bounty was $25 not sure how this makes it a big bounty but hey ho. While I waited I sat on the PLO table, it was 1/3 but more like 55 as the being in was 5 and pot with no limpers pre was 15 I was confused by this at first. I managed to get up to $250 from starting stack of $200 when I had a nice hand where I had kkxx 2 hearts 2 diamonds. I hit top set on the flop, which was the nuts I bet and get two callers the turn brings a second diamond and I still have the nuts with top set the river brings the ad which means I now have the nut flush. What a life I get paid for nearly full pot on the river and I'm now sat with $700. After About 30 mins I'm 15 minutes away from the comp starting when I end up getting it all in on a 10852 board with 2 spades I had aa62 where I thought I had a6 spades I didn't I had a6 hearts. Oops. There was a large side pot ($800) and a large main pot $1000 ish. The shortie that was all in for the side pot I was thinking he might have a set / two pair and I was in bad shape but the side pot I thought I was in good shape the way he played the hand felt like a draw I was thinking he might have a straight draw and spades. He didn't he had a set and the other guy had a set and I binked the ace on the river! Boom!

I really butchered this hand and it shook me up scooping the pot! I didn't hit and run I stayed for like another 45 minutes before I left for the comp. I needed up having another $400 pot where I got it in in great shape with a wrap and flush draw v top pair and somehow I bricked! Love the game 2 outs in the big hand I hit and about 156 outs in the 2nd hand and I missed.

The big bounty comp was going ok I had an above average stack but it was quite turboey and I lost a flip asks v 77 :( board comes qj3 and the turn brought a 2nd spade and river brick. That was a 42k pot and I would have probably had a top 5 stack with 50 to go and $5k+ up top :( anyway think I'm going to play the ante only comp there tomorrow.

After the comp I went to the mirage to look at tickets for "love" the cirque Beatles thing as this is the show my mum has requested she would like to see. We are looking at that and a helicopter ride over the canyon.the tickets weren't bad like 125 each and then I get 30% discount with my student card. Nice. I ended up having a buffet at the mirage I was hungry and it was $30 it was great value for money I know there are better buffets but my issue is I'm quite a fussy eater when I go to buffets I literally just eat meat! Anyway here is what I had....

(http://i1295.photobucket.com/albums/b633/callumm18/285C6F1F-0690-4814-9EB5-933D3C04FD05-2541-00000301230B333E_zps26a5f47e.jpg)

(http://i1295.photobucket.com/albums/b633/callumm18/58101B38-9403-4110-A742-5C413CB7DCB0-2541-000003012D52868E_zpsbef8d37a.jpg)

(http://i1295.photobucket.com/albums/b633/callumm18/5B441E92-FB81-426D-A372-7A2D25017819-2549-00000301A8C2C70F_zps4a5dca70.jpg)

(http://i1295.photobucket.com/albums/b633/callumm18/504AD100-CEFF-4E98-926B-FFDD5201C2D6-2549-00000301C570F160_zps3aea62e9.jpg)

After ceasers I was so stuffed I headed for home! I had small spin on the cash tables to kill 30 minutes before my shuttle and now I'm back in bed ready to get up early ish tomorrow where I plan to go to the gym to work off my buffet!!

The hotel was dead cheap I've paid £90 to add on to my parents booking its not to bad it's 10/15 mins on the shuttle from Excalibur.

My mum and dad have used RCI points of which they have a shed load but its dead hard to find the right hotel at the right time. They wanna get out of the scheme due to this but dot want to bin there points.

Fold river? What do you think about re potting the turn? Or maybe raising the flop. I've flopped second nuts after all!

Well we have got ourselves to the River, so the rest is irrelevant. As played, I have to fold the River. We cannot change what happened on earlier streets at this juncture.

We could have potted the flop or turn, but he could easily have the flopped nuts already (the 7 does not change anything, as you say), & he may have checked the Flop for deception, as it is Rainbow & he has the lot.

For balance, I am the nittiest of nits, so maybe others would know better. Me, I'm a Fold-Junky. Move on, next hand, there will be plenty better spots, & we should not expect to win every battle of every war.

I've seen this man do a re-raise preflop with a 6 and a 2.

 Ahrt Aspades 6h 2s in PLO8, right?


Right???

To be fair, it was against you. I make special provision for hotpot kids.

brilliant stuff, i did this same thing as well! Good luck mate crussssssssssh it!!

Following :)

Good read.  Good luck with the trip!

Loving the reports, pics always make things so much better and I never remember to take them when I'm there... I definitely wish my degen days ended so well too :D

I am loving this thread - we need more virgun Vegas trip reports....brings back memeories from years ago (now nearly as old as Tikay).

Good work Callum.....got t try the Rhino at some point tho  ;popcorn;

Oh why oh why do people go to buffets in Vegas..

Because we are not all alike, & some of us love buffet food?

I would live on buffet food in Vegas if I could, but others prefer more traditonal forms of dinery. Each to their own really.

Haha I like lots of food you just don't get that in a standard restaurant! The Thai place at the aria has been good also. Will have some more meals out at restaurants when the parents are here. They struggle with large portions so when I go for dinner with them in america I end up with like 2 meals anyway!

Ha tbh... Sorry to disappoint but I'm not massively into strip clubs I've tried a few back in the student days and it didn't float my boat I tended to escape to the casino after 30 mins when my mates where on the 2nd trip to the cash machine although I may go once. When in Rome and all that!!

Thanks for all the good luck messages really does mean a lot to me. So many heroes in this thread so far. The blog has done exactly what I wanted it to do for me so far and I hope others who are losing their Vegas virginity can follow it to! I have tracked every $ I have spent on and off the poker tables and will post this after the event this my help people with budgeting more.

It's 6:30am in Vegas and my body clock is a bit of a mess! Plan to get up at 9/10 and go for a swim/gym.

You are on your own right? I admire anyone who can go away on their own.

One of the best buffets in Vegas is http://www.caesarspalace.com/restaurants/bacchanal-buffet.html

Try it Callum , you will not be disappointed.

The cash games in Ceasers are not too bad either , although it may not be a young man's place.

I know TK loves it there. ;)

The waitresses are right up his street.

Yes I'm on my own. Obviously I would rather be in a group but things never got sorted with poker mates or none poker mates. I could not leave it any longer I had the money to go so just booked it! I'm quite chatty at the tables and that keeps me going!

Keeps me focus also no distractions dragging me to the bar or the house games. I've come to explore Vegas and play poker. I've got plenty of years in me yet for weeks of crazy parties!


This is 100% on my to do list I went in the ceasers card room yesterday they have a wsop circuit event on there there I not seem so much cash action just comps though.

Loving the thread but needs more pics to make us jealous.

Lemongrass at Aria is superb.

Good read Callum, im a snobby Westbrook lad from Warrington, now living in the Midlands, Run good mate.

Good luck pal, well jealous! Every credit for going out there alone too, enjoy it.

You weren't one of the lads who used to beat me up every time I went the cinema at 15 years old where you?

I'm living in the midlands to in Nottingham still go back home a bit and have to go visit ikea west brooks biggest hit!!

I remember Friday nights being a right pain in the backside for us getting buses from culcheth to town the Westbrook we would spend more times on buses then in the cinema!

Really enjoying this, keep it going, please.

Day 5 - knocked straight back down to ground

Meh! What a crap day. I didn't sleep very well and was up at 6 after not being able to get back to sleep I went to the gym at 8 an stayed there till 9:30. I thought I better work off the buffet from the night before! My plan was to get the bus at 11 into town and go look at treasure island an the Wynn as I had not been there yet. When I got in after the gym and shower I fell straight to sleep and did not get up till 2:30. I ended up getting the 4pm bus into town. I went straight to the Venation for the $300 ante up comp. which I don't think ran as there was no body playing it when I got there. I figured I would play some cash then maybe play the 7pm $200 comp.

I sat on 1/2 Holdem while I waited for PLO. There was one 1/2 PLO game going which looked a good game and I was 2nd on the list. If my Holdem game was good I would stay there if not move to PLO. I sat for 30 mins with nothing until I pick up ajss in mid position I pop it up to 10 which I get two callers board comes 955 I continue and get 1 caller ( this guy is at a convention and has had a crazy time at the table 6 hands he sits with $100 busts it first hand he reload for another $100 an now is on about $500' what a life wish I took his seat... Anyway)  turn brings a jack. Bingo I figure he is going to have a 9 here a lot of the time and also a lot of junk. He may have a 5 but I have $100 and I ain't folding! When the jack came i checked and he bet 50 into like 50 and I had75 left I nearly passed but figured he could have literally any two he had turned over a lot of junk And got luck in his 6 hands so I get it in. The river brings an ace so I flip my aj and he slow rolls me with 99. Lovely!  During the hand my seat on the 1/2 PLO becomes free so I decide to switch tables.

I sat with $200 the table has 3 players I recognise from previous days. One maniac on good player and one weak tight player. The rest are unknown. After like 3 hands there is a lot of straddling going on and crazy play. Another great table! I sit tight for a few rounds my plan is purely to try and get in for cheap pre and then get it in when I flop big. Simples. I'm down to 175 when I pick up kkqj with the kj hearts its raised to 20 pre and I flat. I'm trying to take a low as possible variance route ( I know sitting short on PLO is quite high variance but you know what I mean!) board comes 1093 rainbow. We are three way s to the flop. Some young American makes it 40 then the maniac makes it 150. I ship and the American tank calls and the maniac has to call. No option to re pop and its like 10 more to call. Turn brings a 7 shit card for me when I have the high wrap as the low wrap just got there river brings a 3 to pair the board meh! The maniac had top 2 on the flop and the American had the low rap.

I reload for 200 and move seats. I moved to the right of two guys thy were straddling on the button I thought this was a good move as basically I had position to re pot all the time with a short stack. I had one pot which I made a bad call on. I had about 260 at this point. It's a limped pot and I have jd10d33 I call on the button and the flop comes 9d82 it's checked to me and I make it 25 . Two callers turn comes a qd checked to me where I bet 60 two callers now the river brings a 3rd dimond. First to act makes it 60 other guy snap calls and I call prginal raiser has nut flush and other guy has 2n nut flush... Meh should have saved myself $60.

After about 1 hour I get my spot. Straddled to 10 maniac makes it 30 3 callers I have akq10 double suited. I pot it ( allin) and get 2 callers. The flop comes 1098 rainbow with 1 of each of my suits the maniac pots and the other guy folds. He has 76 and It bricks and game over for me!

So I'm down $500 and been out like 4 hours I had a shit cheese sandwich with chips and I didn't know what to do. I ended up waking back to the aria. I had $45 in aria chips from the night before and figured if the evening comp had 60+ runners I would play. It had 65 so I took a shot! We got down to 40 players. Blinds 200/400 middle position makes it 1k and gets 4 callers I'm bb an ship 12k with 88. The 2nd caller who has 15k finds a call with a10dd and he binks an ace. Gg. Now I'm on the bus home where I need a good sleep gym tomorrow and then I'm going to cash a comp one time as so far they have gone crap! Mum and dad arrive Thursday where we are planning to go to the cirque Beatles show Sunday and helicopter ride Monday. Also have the six nations to watch on Saturday morning. Tomorrow will be a better day with better results and more pictures. Today was crap!

Also was going to write this tomorrow morning but figured I'd get it out of the way now. I have like 5 coronas so sorry if some of it don't make sense! I didn't want to depress myself tomorrow having to write about today.

Can we get a picture of the hookers in your hotel? Tells us a lot about where you are staying cheers :)

They don't like u takin photos ,they are usually black negotiations start at 500$ after a couple of sambucas u can get em down to 200/250$ for an hour in your room ,oops no that's in the nugget !
Good read this makes us all wish we were there gl Callum there will always be a losing day speshully at Omaha
Suggest the cirque de soleil show at the bellagio o to your parents as well that's pretty spectacular too
If u go downtown try the mob museum dinner at the triple George grill ,1/2 cash in the nugget is ok as well

lol. I was gonna say be careful taking photos but then I thought it might be fun if he walked str8 up to a couple and went click :)

Not me Callum, was in Dave Plucks bookies in Westbrook doing all my wages 15yrs ago lol

Today has started poorly also! I got to the Venetian at about 4 and played some 1/2 Holdem. I bought into the 7pm $200 comp and sat with $100. After about 30 mins the table looked pretty weak tight no major pots. I pulled up another $200 as the table seemed a pretty straight forward one. I've not seen many hands when at 6:30 I decide it would be a great idea to run a bluff. I'm sat with $260 and leaving for the comp in 30 mins the table are not aware of this though. ( I had not planned to bluff the situation just arose!)

I raise to $10 utg with 89 suited ( must have only been the 4th raise I'd done and certainly the 1st from utg!!

I get 3 callers including the small and big.

Flop is k83 rainbow. The bb leads for $25 we are playing similar stack sizes and I have him noted a weak loose he has played a lot of hands pre and got to the turn many times but given up when the betting go bigger. Everyone else folds so now there's $90 in the pot with effective $225 behind . Turn brings an a. Which I think is a gin card for me ak is a big part of my range here also sometimes kk and aa and also lots of kx's and ax's. he now leads for $20 at this point I smell fear. In my opinion he has like KQ kj and k10 here like 90% of the time and a lot of other random hands. So I make it $55 he tanks and then calls. River is a 6. He checks and I make it 150 effectively putting him all in. He tanks goes to fold goes to all looks at his chips all the usual moves and then. Calls. Bugger. I say you got me and he flips kj :(

This is like the first proper bluf I have ran here and believe I played it well. Any comments?


My thinking is I picked the player an the hand and some how he found the call.

(http://i1295.photobucket.com/albums/b633/callumm18/E9846619-DE34-4D03-BD36-A3C48E9A0704-1491-00000232D199A095_zps9c754188.jpg)

Guy with his hand on his mouth to the right shoulder of the dealer
Don't try to bluff this man

For those of you that have not been to the Venetian here is what the card room looks like

(http://i1295.photobucket.com/albums/b633/callumm18/C74C6C10-5988-4225-BA82-05FF0DF5D6E3-1491-00000229DB7EBA82_zps3ee1e222.jpg)

It's been super busy all week and the chairs are super comfortable. The waitress's are hot, not quite Dtd hot, but close enough!

Pretty sick trip report man, look forward to reading it start to finish tomorrow without the skimming.

Not gonna lie I'm pretty jealous right now

Glgl out there :)

Day 6 - I've wrote this twice!

What an idiot I have written this blog post twice and deleted it both times when I go to post what an idiot. Hating life right about now!

Anyway... Carrying on from my post yesterday after finishing playing cash I went and grabbed some food. I had a panini and it was pants :(. I arrived at the comp 10 mins late ($200 Venetian deep stack) I was the 6th player at the table. In The venetian your stack does not go live until you sit down and also your seat is held for you which is wierd as it can mean the play can end up very short handed at the start of the comp where everyone else is playing full ring. I was playing well and felt good I had a young kid to my right who seemed competent the rest of the table seemed quite passive. Lots of raising big with big hands raising small with middle hands and limping weak hands. I played quite a few pots with the young lad to my right we were the two most active plays at the table I had 3 bet him 3 times and he folded all 3. The 4 th time he opened and I 3 bet the button with k7 he put up some resistance and flatted. The kind of resistance I like... Not much! The flop came qj7 i continued he flatted turn k I bet he flatted river 9 I bet about half pot an he folded. Felt pretty confident I was winning all the way though I think he had a plan to play back if I showed weakness but none was forthcoming.

I had got myself up to about 18k from 10k and was chip leader on my table. I then had an interesting hand that was pivotal to my tournament.

Utg raises small blind flats I flat the bb with qj.
Flop q94 two spades I have the j of spades. Utg checks his cards then continues for half the pot. Sb ( young lad) now clicks it back to him. The utg player now looked ultra weak and looked happy for this hand to be over with I felt confident the the young lad was drawing or bluffing or a set of 9/4's obviously there are a lot more combos of the first two than the last one. I clicked it back again. Utg folds and the young guy ships it in. I was happy with this outcome he only had about 8k, utg had 15k an I would have passed to his ship. I called unfortunately he had 99 :( and I was drawing to runner runner! I was left with about 8k now. Blinds just went up to 200/400. 2 hands later I pick up Jj on the button. Mid position limps and young guy makes it 1500 I ship it in he calls and has aa :( I didn't catch up and I was packing my bags back to my hotel! It seems I won a lot of the battles but he won the war in the end

After this I headed back home for some dice games and beers! I got some snaps of the hotel and south point next door also


(http://i1295.photobucket.com/albums/b633/callumm18/276B5517-C1CC-47D5-9A20-3DF247948283-444-000000C1AE22C81F_zpsece8a890.jpg)

My hotel block I'm on floor 19

(http://i1295.photobucket.com/albums/b633/callumm18/749B59A1-C4B6-42E6-9042-52ADA787D6C6-444-000000C1DC445375_zpscf237836.jpg)

View from my room

(http://i1295.photobucket.com/albums/b633/callumm18/E60A0F5F-3193-44E6-B50B-B9AFC6BE6431-444-000000C1D21D75F9_zpsbbd01111.jpg)

The rest of my hotel next to south point. My hotel on left southpoint on the right.

(http://i1295.photobucket.com/albums/b633/callumm18/0B3EA3FB-361B-4088-8CEF-C117A820EACF-444-000000C1B8A5E467_zps227dde18.jpg)

(http://i1295.photobucket.com/albums/b633/callumm18/70AA6F66-0306-4FB7-941A-E8C36BDE6BE1-444-000000C1C4D02F61_zps48dd930f.jpg)

South point casino

(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UDyPB6sL8dU/UIGZ1HY8v8I/AAAAAAAABDA/HlLXAfdfxIQ/s1600/black+range+rover.jpg)

Just to clear my name I have never owned or driven or been in this car.

I was in bed at 4:30am.

Mum and dad have arrived and there I a shooting on the strip! All action day! Just had a Mexican next for (south point) an I played 2 hours of pole in there while mum and dad went for a sleep. The game was good, loads of limping loads of straddling better than the Holdem games I've played on the strip!! I ended up a small winner ... $5 woop. I'm about $150 down on the trip so far. That's including all food travel gambling and poker. Not great but could be worse. Hopefully play some 2/5 before the end of the week. That should get me into profit!

Nice report. Cheers.

If you ever feel a bit down over there just sit at the bar in the Grand Lux at the Pallazzo and have the Chicken soup and a Bloody Mary. Holy shit those pictures of the Ven card room are really making me wanna get on Virgin.com.

Do a win.

I find it best to not try and bluff weak loose players. jq hand is a fold.

$150 down is an incredible result. My losing figure normally has a couple more zeroes on the end. Keep up the good work and enjoy it.

Been pretty busy since mum and dad arrived done another lap of the casinos also Ben to see jersey boys had more gambling time an less poker time. Will post full update later but needed up in a fun 1/2 game tonight at southpoint I was up like 300 and sat with 570 now. 2 guys had me covered and all 3 of us are the only ones playing big pots. It's straddled to 4 and there are 3 limpers I make it 32 with 45 suited and three callers including the two guys playing big pots. Flop come a54 two hearts. I Cbet for 65 one fold . One big pot man call other guy shipped for 350. I re ship for 500 ish other guy snaps me off I thought now he snapped he had like a4 or a5... They Both had flush draws and bink heart on the river :( only about at 1600 pot :( pretty gutted was playing well. And now I'm home in bed! Up early for the rugby today I need a morale boost! Common England!

"It's straddled to 4 and there are 3 limpers I make it 32 with 45 suited and three callers "


Obv unlucky run out mate, but seems a little bit too loose of an open? Sounds like there's a lot of calling stations who are never folding and are mostly outflopping you here, gonna be -EV in the long run with similar plays. Playing ABC tight-aggressive, setmining/drawing for cheap - surely better if they're calling whatever you bet pre?

I agree to an extent but one of the guys had spewed 500 in like 20 mins considering the average pot before he joined the table was like $20 that's some going! I wanted to be in as many pots as possible with him. I make it so big so only the two whales call I don't mind them calling my hand is pretty easy to play post flop if it comes like 1052 it might get tricker but the majority of the time I'm going to have an easy time. Also they still think I'm very tight only shown one hand. And I had the nuts. It's pretty easy pre. Basically all the locals were going to get out the way unless they had a big hand. Noone was sat deep enough to just flat with mediocre, apart from me and the two othe guys. I also ha position so plenty of time to re evaluate post flop.

For me positives are deep stacked, with whales, with position, with a Hand that can be very well disguised.

Btw just to reiterate my point I got called by q8 and 62.

ha, fair enough, you got your money in good which is all you can do. ul

Yeh difficult one. With maniacs that I think are competent I definitely go this way. As they can make your life hell. But with me thinking these guys were bad I figured I was happy to play with them!!

Aye, as long as you can get away when you hit flops sideways etc. Any more tournies planned? If so hope you have a deep run mate.

Thanks fella no comps until my mum and dad go there not really the most sociable of things! Especially as we are doing shows etc.

I think there is a $400 comp on Tuesday at the Venetian that I will play! Decided I'm going to win the last comp I play here! Was going to win the first but thought best to end the trip on a high!

Ha, good decision! no point winning til the end either i reckon, far too much of a distraction if you won one at the start of your holiday ;)

Haha, I won at the end of my first trip in 2006, put my flight back a week and knocked the lot in :D

Luckily due to work I cannot delay my flight!

Back in the profit! Sorry for lack of updates again time has been limited with mum and dad here plying a lot les poker and not been sat on the shuttle as much as we have been getting cabs.

Anyway today we went aroun ti, Wynn, Venetian. Then had dinner at the lemongrass restaurant in aria. I love that place I'm a big fan of Thai food and it was like $40 each for starter main course and drinks. Not bad considering mum wa on champagne and dad on wine!

I completely forgot as I napped this afternoon that me and my dad came into town early and watched the me of the united game and then the rugby ( both big rugby fans) watching us eat the French in Vegas that wa great fun. We whatched at planet Hollywood as they put it on in the sports book for us. After the game we played for 2 hours at the aria. I ended up down.... 1 buck! And my dad lost a bit more but after dinner tonight we both smashed it I won like $700 he won like $400 so happy days!

Tomorrow mum and dad are getting a car'! Woop freer oolong trips to the strip for two days what a life!

We are going to the Beatles show love tomorrow an the. I think bellgio or ceasers for a buffet after.

Monday we are doing the Grand Canyon helicopter trip I believe. Mum has said they will give it me as my 22nd birthday present also which is a bonus ball! After that we are going to go free mount street thn mum and dad set of for San Francisco on Tuesday so it will be back on the grind. Some sick spins hopefully and I'm going to be playing some 2/5 maybe 5/10 if 2/5 goes well! Tuesday Wednesday will be big degen days and hopefully some sick spins. Hope I run good.

Get them to go to Fishermans Wharf Callum,Clam Chowder a must, and obv the boat to Alcatraz

Will recommend it. They are doing Alcatraz for sure. They are staying in some sick hotel in San Fran apparently and thn the bellagio when they get back here. Treating themselves for putting up with each other for 25 years. I call it spending my inheritance!!! Bastards who's money do they think it is. My dad is planning his life to spend every penny. I'm planning on playing him heads up for the last few days of his life I figured I'm on a win win!

So fkn jealous of this diary!

Its a great little diary. Everyone loves hearing about Vegas exploits.

Loving it Calum.

GL and get the world.

Callum my old mucker, it's been too long, let's get an update going with some pictures .....  ;popcorn;

i agree, i hope the silence is due to you currently final-tabling some $500 buy-in tourney, couple thousand runners or so... prudent to concentrate a touch extra if so ;)

If not... more pics please :)

Grazie

Long awaited update is coming with photos I promised in writing it now!

Days - unsure ive lost track of days!

I know it's Monday now though and I have 2 days left :(

Right what have I been up to.. I will start with poker and then move on to extra curricular activities!

Since mum and dad arrived ( Thursday) poker had actually been going ok. I've played a lot less and not played a comp probably why it's gone better. Been playing soley cash an short sessions 2-4 hours this has ranged from playing with my dad in town (1/3 aria mainly) and playing after mum and dad go to bed at the southpoint 1/2.

Since they arrived I'm about $400 up and I've only played about 10 hours pretty brutal also that in there I've lost 2 pots one worth $1200 and one worth $1400. The first one  was the 45 suited hand I first posted that it wa $1600 I think but have since been corrected when I went back in the southpoint although I'm not really sure! The next one was tonight. Decided to take a stab at 2/5 nl sat with 300 first to get a feel for the table. It wa pretty good lots of limping and raises to 20-35 and getting flatted in multiple spots. After about 25 mins I raised pre with kjhh ( I had about 280) I made it 35on the button after 3 limpers  and got 4 callers. Board comes 1093 2 hearts somebody Donks for like 60 one caller and then I re ship for 250ish the donk bet folds and other guy calls with a10 I do not improve and reload for 550. Most the table are stacking 1k ish so I'm still pretty short really. I then get 99 in on 9d10skd v a guy with adjd it's like 1.2k in the pot and he gets there with. Q on the turn. Bit brutal as he says I have 1 out now and I wanted the board to punish him for his lack o knowledge as I actually had many more but no biggest brick in the world the 2h dropped and I'm out the door after 1 and a half hours of 2/5. I was going to reload but held back as the next two days are going to be poker filled and I thought best not to go chasing. I'm going to play ( I think ) Venetian $400 comps today and tomorrow they start at 12 midday. I'm going to put up a staking post shortly for some comps over the next few days to give people a small sweat and also to lessen some of the variance these comps will be
2*$400
$250 big bounty
$200
And a $300 survivor comp. ( top 10% of the field get paid a flat figure back which I believe will be about $2700

Total but ins = $1550

I'm going to sell @ a rate of 10% = $180/£119

Which is about 1.16. I've tried to make the $ an £ figured round numbers so we are not messing with change. I have used xe.com rate as of today which is slightly worse than what I got my $$ at so if I cash you will get more bang for your buck. Anyway will save that detail for staking thread as this is a trip report!

Extra curricula activities!

Since my mum and dad have arrived I have seen jersey boys and the cirque de soleli show love. Both were great but preferred love as I new more songs plus the acrobatics in the show were simply spectacular never have I seen anything like it and in bit sure how the human body does these things! I would highly recommend seeing one of the cirque shows to anyone when they are here I got 30% off all 3 of our tickets as well due to me being a student! Also we got the mid range tickets the same as for jersey boys don't be conned into thinking the more expensive tickets are the best in both jersey boys an cirque the expensive tickets were too close in my opinion so best bet I ask to see a seating plan and ask the advice of the people on the box office!

(http://i1295.photobucket.com/albums/b633/callumm18/2915544B-5045-48C0-8133-0BAFE2AB7CEE-3761-0000061209E923AF_zpscc1fc2e7.jpg)

Yesterday we went to the outlet malls also but I was just not inspired to shop at all!

Part two coming!

Part two!

Decided to split it up so the post was not too long and as this will be filled with photos! Also did not want to tilt myself anymore by deleting another post!

Today we have been sightseeing topped of by the highlight of the trip. Helicopter ride! I'd never been in a helicopter before and didn't know how I would feel I've been in and out of small fears of flying (Fine at the minute as I tend to get on knackered and just sleep) but I was fine not scared a bit and the flight was super smooth. I would highly recommend to anyone it just seems like one of the things you have to do. We went with maverick and it cost just north of $400 we did a sunset flight with no landing at the canyon. Basically we were so indecisive about landing and decide we were not to fussed as it would cost another $100 I think and basically were advised it is amazing but most of the amazing views are from the helicopter anyway! If I did it again I would land just to see the difference but unless I have a lottery win in between now and then I won't be in a hurry! It was a big treat to myself. Here are some snap shots.

(http://i1295.photobucket.com/albums/b633/callumm18/838CA369-D38C-4CEC-889E-56414E4B9C55-3761-000006120FA29278_zps6343de5e.jpg)

(http://i1295.photobucket.com/albums/b633/callumm18/1FC06D08-6E1B-41E3-A65E-55C06260CCCC-3761-00000612135387CD_zps5ba12942.jpg)

(http://i1295.photobucket.com/albums/b633/callumm18/F5B2F6B7-6805-4A5D-9E09-46C5FCA0A496-3761-0000061216BD9D8F_zpsfbf68bde.jpg)

(http://i1295.photobucket.com/albums/b633/callumm18/FA332D9E-9556-4BAB-BF05-A126EEB7BDD1-3761-0000061219EDBAD4_zpsc9a22e84.jpg)

(http://i1295.photobucket.com/albums/b633/callumm18/F64DF317-9BB5-4C58-A591-CCC475BBDF15-3761-000006121CF0BCA0_zpsc9bf141c.jpg)

Sorry for the poor quality but these were all taken from a moving helicopter using an iPhone! Will try and nick some of my mums proper ones at some point as she has a " proper camera"

After the helicopter ride we returned to our hotel where we got changed and headed into old town Vegas or "downtown" I really wanted to go but mum and dad were sceptical as everyone we told that we were going there were like "are you sure? Why!" And just warned us not to venture of free mount street. We decided to have dinner in redwoods bar and grill inside California hotel. What a little gem! The hotel was quite seedy. Stunk of smoke and was a big change from the new Vegas. The restaurant was tucked away in the casino and we missed the door serveral times. When we got in we were apprehensive as we waited to be seated for 5 minutes, every other resturant we have been greeted straight awAy. We stuck with it though and once we were seated the service was fine. The food though, that was great. We were presented with fresh bread for starters. It was warm and was halfway between bread and a ciabatta, beautiful I could have eaten it all day. My mum and dad had lobster Thermidor and a 10oz fillet. I had a 16oz rib eye. It was probably the nicest meal I've had here so far and not stupidly priced considering what we ate. The bill came to under $150.

We then took a strip down free mount street what an experience with the covered electronic walkway it's like no other place I'd been to it felt like Blackpool on speed or Blackpool with money!!

We went in binions looked round the hall of fame and of course had this photo.

(http://i1295.photobucket.com/albums/b633/callumm18/09DF1E88-3D87-4CE2-ADDA-0E9D1DF1578E-3761-000006122D1FBCDB_zps77decaf3.jpg)

I wa a bit struck by the real cash in front of me and confused why they didn't have it in the bank!

Here are some snaps of the Main Street.

(http://i1295.photobucket.com/albums/b633/callumm18/5C09F638-9696-4426-A910-9ECC9843C629-3761-0000061221C95FE6_zps96f03349.jpg)

(http://i1295.photobucket.com/albums/b633/callumm18/F21D9289-F2FD-4AEF-B5E4-3C270DB0E1F5-3761-000006123A3CE258_zps3cb913ef.jpg)

(http://i1295.photobucket.com/albums/b633/callumm18/10D330B6-13CE-4F4C-8C5F-EA40F9B0D8EC-3761-00000612371E18F3_zpsd6776de0.jpg)

We ended up at the Venetian tonight were the poker went pants but I'm looking forward to the next few days for sure!!

Mum and dad leaving for Santa Barbra tomorrow morning and dumping me in town in there way!

excellent pics mate, thank you!

Cool blog, took me back to my trip there in 2011

http://blondepoker.com/forum/index.php?topic=60450.msg1727089;boardseen#new

More regular tourney updates in my staking thread made 2nd break in $400 middle of the pack with 10k up top.

Just chopped the $250 bounty vent at the Venetian 3 ways! Let hope I don't spunk it all on 2/5 or 1/3 PLO now! Probably playing till the early hours then to airport I fly in 14 hours mo point in sleeping!

grats!  Nice score indeed... 

(http://i1295.photobucket.com/albums/b633/callumm18/3C89D393-FC37-4B3F-B257-622FE2D2090E-6083-000009CA24028FDD_zps28576f46.jpg)

Woop woop! In profit for the trip I think I'm about $200 up including flights accommodation etc but will tally up later!

Played 1/3 PLO at aria and was up $200 when the table broke. Now playing 2/5 nl table looks pretty nitty not going to pay for an upgrade on the flight home on this table!!

Will do a full update when I'm in the airport/ on the plane! Then will wrap this up over the weekend until my next Vegas trip!

Best of luck on the upgrade punt and congrats on a successful trip!!

Thanks very much for doing this, it's been great to follow  :)up

BTB - i must protest!

I have really enjoyed this TR from the sidelines - but if you are up AFTER accom and flights - then that sir is a very successful Vegas trip!

Hope you arre flying home in "upper" after your 2/5 session!

Well done

Getting out with any money is a huge success :D

Thanks guys I'm $300 up plus change great success! So chuffed probs going to book another trip when I get home!

fkin awesome :D :D :D

Coming back from Vegas with money. WAFL. wpwp

Been an incred journey buddy, when WE bookin the next leg ;)

Awesomely done brah, been a great read, looking forward to following your next trip.. Ever considered of Africa...? 

Well done, BTB. Superb result.

Last-minute bink is always the correct play.

Safe journey home.

Incred, grats bud.

Home sweat home!

Sorry not posted earlier been a bit manic since i got home.

The last day was pretty epic, took me from around about level on poker to way up on poker and up on the trip which was always my goal. I think i played pretty well all trip i was also very happy with my attitude throughout. I got into poker through gambling and 100% i am a gambler before a poker player, i love the buzz and there is no getting away from that. Vegas was a pretty big test for me and i think i came through with flying colors. I didn't gamble lots in fact i didn't spend a penny on that game with the ball and the wheel! I had one night on blackjack and quite a few on craps. The main thing was though i enjoyed playing craps, my thoughts on gambling are you have to enjoy losing your money as you are always going to lose at house games so you need to make sure you are getting value for money. I ended up losing $400 gambling. i spend about $1000 on food and entertainment. All in all this was the most expensive holiday that i had ever been on and i came back with more money then i went with... a massive success! I didn't have any nights in the clubs or anything like that so i suppose next time i go that will add an extra cost but for sure that is a group activity not something to do when your alone.

On the last day i felt i was ready for home. It was a trip of massive ups and downs for me and i may not have portrayed that in the diary as im not one for express my emotions to much. I think poker has taken all emotion out of the surface of myself and kept it all on the inside, i dont tend to react when winning a big hand or when losing a big hand although on the inside im a mess. I had some low days, i found it hard when going into town and id busted like $600 in 1 hour and that was going to be my budget for the day, but im proud i stuck to it. When i did stuff like that i tended to go and walk around the casinos and then head home for a beer and a sleep. My thinking was always, there will always be a game tomorrow when i get up, i feel this was a big advantage for me of staying off strip. I didnt get suckered in to just going back to my room getting more money out and then going again. I started each day afreash and tried to make as much money as possible on each day by making the best decisions possible. It is definitely more difficult to make the right decisions when on a bit of a down streak so best to walk away and start again the next day.

I have already started planning my next trip its either going to be in June or September. I really want to go in June to be with all the other Brits at the world series also would love to go play some of the events etc, its the mecca for all poker players and why would i not want to be there! flights seem kinda pricey and it will be difficult playing the level i do to make money on a trip for a week when flights and hotels are more money. We will see though! If i can find a trip for £1000 for a week in June on strip thats kinda my price range. And it will be what i am looking for over the next few weeks.

Since i have come home i have pretty much slept slept slept! I went to watch example on Friday night and it was epic, ended up getting smashed with my brothers and was a great night. Sunday i came back to Nottingham my flat smelt kind of musty... it got worse in the kitchen... i checked the fridge all fine nothing gone off everything ok. I was confused about 30 mins later i checked the freezer for tonight's dinner. O shit! I managed to turn it off before i left and basically everything had been sat in luke warm water for 2 weeks you can imagine the smell. It was the worst thing i have ever smelt, off chicken and other meat products don't smell very good! They still dont smell good now. Obviously i chucked everything away and cleared out the freezer, i have emptied a bottle of fabreeze in there shit loads of cleaning products and it still stinks! Sigh! also i cannot go shopping to re fill the freezer until its clean and smell free meh! i imagine its going to be another week yet :(!

I am not going to keep this as a diary as much mabye somewhere to post occasionally but plan to open it back up if i ever hit vegas again!

Thanks for following! and for the support it really helped while i was away!

Have come back from Vegas with money, but 0/3 for profit.  Top bombing.

Exactly this.

Tbh the best bit is everyone in work... espically the ones that dont get poker, What you went to vegas and didnt lose all your money on gambling. They just dont get it! How many "you must be lucky" comments i have got is quite laughable! They dont understand how hard it is to hit a two outer! Fucking hard!

Lol

You and I have played at the same table at DTD a few times. I'll introduce myself next time and you can tell me the secret to getting those 25/1 shots.

Really enjoyed your blog and always good to see you won $ too as well as having a cracking time. You got to go in June rather than September tbh...WSOP (and all the other festivals on the Strip) has to be experienced :)

Sounds good to me! Plus that goes to other people who hav followed my blog please come say hello!

Thanks for my returns which turned up in the post today ,this has been a nice read well done Callum
Deffo June over September tho IMO

Glad you had a good time mat .....only one year one month to go for me to lose my Vegas virginity !

u will have an incred time it's as good as people say

Another night another third!

Went to DTD last night to play the Super 50 and some cash. Luckily i ran deep in the super 50 so manage to stay away from the cash tables! Wierd comp for me in that i had very little premium hands. I seem to do better when this happens i think its due to the lack of times you end up getting it all in pre. Anyway was a pretty standard comp for me up until about 3 tables out. Although on my starting table i had "Mr incredible hundred" Ian. I pulled the gascoigne check raise out of the bag! i had a hand where he raised late position and i called out of the blinds with KJ board comes J108 i check he bets i raise he calls. turn Q i check he raises i jam and he passes. I later laughed with him about hearing that it was his move so thought i would try it against him! On the last two tables i ran pretty well i was short with about 18 left and managed to go into the final table second in chips. Most of my chips were won through winning races which was nice but had another 50K when two shorties got it all in and my 77>AA&99. that was nice! When i got to the final table i think i played the best i have at a final table think i knocked out 4 players out of the 9. I was chip leader for a long time and when it got 3 ways the lead kept chopping and changing. We were pretty short but i had one guy all in dominated 3 times. AQ<A3 A10=A4 and AK<A5 was pretty sick. Once we chopped and 2 i lost. I then won a flip and then lost a flip to end up busting 3rd pretty frustrating as really felt like i was going to win it and £3k would have been a lot nicer than £1k! of course. But feeling good going into the Grand Prix on Monday. Have allocated myself 3 bullets for it so hopefully will get through to sunday with a good stack it will be the first grand prix i have played as i have always been unavailable on the week it was on. Really hoping to play grand prix, monte carlo and ISPT over the next few months. OI think one big bonus of not doing this as a living i can take shots at things and play out of my bankroll as long as i assign budgets for sat's etc.

Going home today for mothers day thinking of going Manchester 235 tonight as well love the games there and Christmas i had a field day there so should be good!

Were you in seat 3 on that first table ?. I was briefly in seat 9. Well done on 3rd place :)

Seat two I think table 12 was it? Not sure Ian gas was in seat 8.

Yh 12, grey hoodie? Trying to put face to name, I wasn't there long after break after the 3 wqay all in I came second in to Ace high :)

think it was a black hoddy. I cannot rememeber what you looked like always an issue with Seat 9! o yes 3 flush draws and river was a big fat brick with nobody pairing or straighting or fluishing!

235 is amazing!!!!!!!!! <3 abs love it there

Yep, 235 is class, really nice layout and atmosphere, lots of spewy cash tables too!

Just discovered your blog, was trying to find a vegas tips thread of best restaurants and bars n stuff as am going on a stag do of all non poker players who have mostly never been to vegas and I'm not sure what to recommend in terms of buffets, stag do type bars (ie anything in between Cut, a table at XS and a night in Saphs) but tho didn't get many tips of that kind here, loved your Vegas stories n pics, can't wait to get there again now. The lads also wanna play a day of cheap poker, 25 to 50 bucks, did y see any of them about that wouldn't be so quick they'd feel robbed (but not so deep they sit there all day trying to get knocked out).

Btw think u played the PLO hand with the low str8 fine, can fold turn, defo fold river, u obv mashed the aces hand but it happens and better to be lucky etc etc. Excellent result getting outa town in profit on the whole trip!!

Ahhh.. bumping my own thread!

Just re-read this as in a bit of a lull in life! Pokers going crap, didnt go Vegas in June and just had literally the best week of my life outside of poker last week! Have no desire to grind my roll back up apart from for Vegas June 2014 and that seems miles away :( so this thread will keep me going. Re-reading kind words has given me a poker boost - Thanks Blonde.

Im planning my next trip June 2014 and hoping to do a month during the world series and after i finish Uni. Will need to find some money from somewhere maybe a lottery win im not sure. Reading about people in Vegas over the last month has made me unbelievable jealous.

Ahhh take me back.

Ahhhh... Really craving Vegas this year so just re-read this thread to give me a kick up the backside to grind my arse off and get to the WSOP this year. im probably about 70/30 in favour of not going at the minute. Only reason is finances, its a tricky one as i could get the money to go no problem (loan) but i want it to be earned and my own money. Although a blow out after university for a few weeks would be immense then even if i blow the lot i will be back to work afterwords to repair the damage but remember the memories! ive got about 25% of the funds that i would need to go currently. If i get a first in my degree my parents said they would pay for my flight so that probably gets me to 40% of the funds and 55/45 in favour of going! I figure winning GPS sheff of UKPC would help me get there so that is the plan!

I got a loan to go, glad I did it, things might change in the future, if you really wanna go, do it.

As did I for my travelling.  Had the best time of my life, and I paid it off in no time (results orientated).  If its something you really want to do, make sure you do it and do it properly.  I had the best time of my life and wouldn't change it for anything.

I know I've let it slip a bit here with the trolling.

P.S.  Fuck you.

Ha cheers tom!

Ray I agree I will get one if u know I have a solid income afterwords if not I will wait a year and go next year! Or later this year but really fancy doing the WSOP I suppose I will just need to learn to run like tom.

(http://i1173.photobucket.com/albums/r600/leeethefish/1A64FDAF-5DDD-42D2-BB84-9D6280114A65.png) (http://s1173.photobucket.com/user/leeethefish/media/1A64FDAF-5DDD-42D2-BB84-9D6280114A65.png.html)

Get out lee!

I'll be honest mate, I'm not sure if you will have a solid income.

I have no idea in what your trying to imply there. So I'm just going to leave it alone!

I've booked it, even though I don't know if I can go!

I've got a few quid saved up anyway, and have some long term sporting positions that would cover most of my tourney buyins.

It's no fun going if you're under it though, so it will definitely be a decision nearer the time for me too*

*Unless I just think sod it and get a loan :D

pwned

O RLY

are you going vegas tom?... OHHHH DIDNT THINK SO

I mean he can probably get a loan as well met, and he got dat solid income thing.

He has solid expenditure as well. Food, Mrs, House. I bet my disposable is greater than his.

Did he not tell you he was sickest mofo in the room ? Obv he would just start dishing out ultimatums, oh wait...

He offered me the "opportunity" to give him head for £100 this week. Desperate times in the life of the grinder.

plz

First blog I've read on blonde. Great read

Thanks hopefully re opening in approx 3 months time when I head back out there!

Will try and pick up some hints as going myself for the first time

I've been toying with the idea if a Vegas blog as well as it would be good to look back on

I would say do it few reasons why I really enjoyed it

At the end of each day/ each morning I could look back on what happened yesterday and how to go about improving things
If I had a bad day there was often encouragement to keep going and especially as I was on my own it really helped as Vegas can be hard at times!
I love looking back on it now to get me motivated to get my arse in gear and get booked again, just remembering how excited I was just makes me buzz to get back there!

The more Vegas blogs the better! :D

I am shit at writing can I employ Jeeves ?

Smallll update.

Im like 95% going to vegas now, im going for the mentality keep telling yourself your going and you will go and it seems to be working. Although the online poker world has not been to kind to me the betting/life/livepokers world has been very kind to me and ive had just about the best two weeks of my life. I seem to be winning at everything topped of with Monday i became an uncle and yesterday got to meet the little wipper snapper and go to watch one of the best games of live football ive seen in a long time. Im also a lot further on with all my uni work than i thought and right on the border line of achieveing a 1st class degree at the minute and need to push on in my final assignments. Heres a little montage from yesterday.

(https://fbcdn-sphotos-a-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/t1.0-9/10151359_10154174541470107_1083822292_n.jpg)

So regarding Vegas im just hanging on to see if Virgin put up a flight sale in the next few weeks then i need to decide whether i do 2 weeks or 4 or somewhere in between. Could not be more excited, Uni finishs around the 23rd May i think and then i will have a month and then Vegas planning on going around the 17th June ish if i go for 4 weeks and a bit later if i go for 3 or 2.

Gratz on crushing life, keep it up.

If a few days makes no difference, fly out on the 22nd if you can, and you'll save a bunch on hotels that weekend.

However, if you want to get raving at EDC, ignore the above and fly out on the 17th ;D

I supose that depends on the next few weeks then whether I do the extra few days!

Come EDC imo, will be incred.

The baby pictures serves nicely to remind us all how giant you are.

Gratz on life upswing mate. See you in Vegas for some card upswings ;)

Good Luck mate!!! Keep crushing!!! On and upwards from now on!! ;)

How giant?!? you mean fat basterd! Was trying to follow in the footsteps of some of my nottingham heros.

Cheers its taken me 6 months to recover from 14 months in nottingham!

Hope macau is going well


Thanks Vinodh been quiet on the sats recently as im not able to get to DTD because of final year! Will be back donating soon!

booked a hotel!

Woop 24th June- 12th July.


Hoping to add another week before the 24th also and will be booking flights shortly!

All feels a little more real now!

(http://i1295.photobucket.com/albums/b633/callumm18/B6F1EFD3-3F3E-4926-8FC0-1BFD856CC856_zpsvvy0zf7u.png) (http://s1295.photobucket.com/user/callumm18/media/B6F1EFD3-3F3E-4926-8FC0-1BFD856CC856_zpsvvy0zf7u.png.html)

Wowzers!

Enjoy it, sir. A lot harder to get that kind of time off when you're at work :D

See you out there.

Ha, I am planning to go and work with my dad for a bit after uni and he was like what you work for 3 weeks then have 4 weeks off? Your sacked!

Going EDC?

had a look for tickets and seem to be sold out? Not sure really if i wanna go or not think i may just pick some club nights with people i wanna see rather than cooking outside!

Do many people tend to go? Is it worth it might go for a day or something!

You going?

Last year, a few of the bigger names had DJ sets at various places elsewhere in the week either side, but you're at the mercy of luck as to whether you find something you want.

The first sight of the festival goers, wandering around the strip in the morning wearing nothing but a shocking pink tutu, body glitter, neon green facepaint and novelty sunglasses is one of those seminal Vegas moments. If you're a young lad, it's engaging. If you're an eighty year old prude, all you can think is "what would her poor mother say?!"

No need to be rude about Tikay. He may actually enjoy spending time with me you never know ;)

If you see me wandering around the strip in a pink TUTU please dont take a picture.

Sadly, I was talking about me :D

The prude bit; not the tutu

I'll have you know I attend EDC every year.

Good luck in Vegas. You'll love every minute.

5 weeks to go for me! 9 days left of uni then 3 or so weeks to generate some funds!! exciting times.

Not had the best few weeks poker wise and the vegas fund has taken a big hit but thats poker and ive got time to turn things around! Luckily there is something for everyone out there at WSOP time and although i may not be bale to play $300+ comps every day im sure i can mix and match something up to try and win my fortune!


Probably should win a scoop this week that would help!

So just under 4 weeks to go now! 27 days in fact. Not fully sure of what im going to play at the minute while im out there.

Any advice for comps from people? What is the schedule at the Rio like for buy ins $200-$400 range. Was looking at PH and they have a daily $200 i think at 11 im hoping to play a comp most days in this buy in range and then maybe play 1 or 2 $1ks and have a day off comps the day before them. We will see need to get it sorted so i can put up a package, but going to worry about that after university is all said and done.

I can not wait im so excited for this trip its unbelievable. On the eve of my final university exam its still all i can think about! Must stop and get through this first! People from blonde that i have not met IRL or have but are not close friends feel free to add me on facebook/send me your skype/number on pm and we can get in touch if you are out there for some drinks/meals/nights out!

Think the PH tourneys were supposedly very bad, but Allan Kessler has worked through them with the cardroom manager, and it is now 'Chainsaw approved' :D

In short, supposedly it has the best structure of any 1 day tournament on the strip.

The Rio has their daily deepstack comps, which get massive fields, and can return a decent amount for a relatively small outlay.

$235 Buy-In No-Limit Hold'em tournaments nightly at  3 PM.
$185 Buy-In No-Limit Hold'em tournaments nightly at  6 PM.
$135 Buy-In No-Limit Hold'em tournaments nightly at 10 PM.

This has everything else nicely compiled by a good 2p2er https://bitly.com/WSOP2014
 
The only 2 bigger buyins I'll be playing are the WSOP $1.5k 'monster stack' (15k/1hr) on the 26th June, and the Nugget $1.1k (30k/1hr) on the 2nd July.

Good luck with the exam!

cheers marky these look ideal!

So one week to go, this time next week ill be on the plane to Vegas and i am so so excited! Not got all my hotels sorted and im kinda go for a suck it and see method depending on how well im doing will depend on where im staying. I will be starting bowl and hoping to work my way up, we will see how that goes! I will start blogging some of my prep from about Friday once im done with work this week and im really looking forward to opening this up again properly.

If anyone is out there at the same time and wants a meet up, drink, night out etc please let me know as im going on my lonesome but know of loads of people out there at this time. People always say are you alright with being on your own im like yeah its perfect i can decide what i want to do and when! But it would be nice to have some company on nights out.

Anyway poker stuff my plans are a mix of everything, daily comps, cash and my bigger comps which ive put together a package on the staking forum for thouse that have not seen it its here.

http://blondepoker.com/forum/index.php?topic=63844.0

anyway until next Friday hope you have a good week and good luck to anyone already out there!

Really looking forward to this diary over the next month, big daily updates please.

this will be the other side of the coin patrick to your dairy.

Went out, smart priced bacardi breezers, bowl steaks, bricked a comp. And rinse and repeat.

you made a decision on the main yet?

wont be there, will be living vegas through your blog.

Good luck Mr Bubble, I remember your previous Vegas updates being excellent. Hope you run well enough to have a jacuzzi in your room by the end of trip (+ more hookers and blow than you know what to do with too, naturally)

Day -1

So, here we go again! Its the day before the big event and it feels a pretty big day anyway starting with me watching the rugby this morning, cricket this afternoon while packing and then the football tonight. Im nearly all done with the life organisation (hotel confirmation printed, flight confirmation printed, esta printed blah blah blah!) and packing is currently 50% complete! Just need to find a bag and dump everything in it now. Here is the packing mid progress.

(http://i1295.photobucket.com/albums/b633/callumm18/Mobile%20Uploads/9A7B4D12-C02E-490A-A42D-941CDFA14A0A_zps02f385qg.jpg) (http://s1295.photobucket.com/user/callumm18/media/Mobile%20Uploads/9A7B4D12-C02E-490A-A42D-941CDFA14A0A_zps02f385qg.jpg.html)

My plan is to get everything done sharpish so i can get showered and ready and off to the pub to watch the England game nice and early, tomorrow could be tough although only up at 8am to get to my flight for midday. I will arrive in Vegas about 3 ish and by the time ive got through immigration and to the hotel and all that farting around i imagine I will be good to go around 5pm Vegas time. Not to sure of my plans for tomorrow probably just some cash games until im tired, and an early night! Although im happy for that to be changed by any events going on in and around town. I will be checking into the Quad, and I have booked until Friday there and then I have booked in a Hilton from the following Tuesday so the Fri - Tue will depend on how well the first week goes to where i stay for that weekend, lets hope its the aria/bellegio and not under the motorway.

Im really raring to go as ive not played a hell of a lot of poker recently, a bit online which ive been doing ok on my blonde stake to take a bit more of a roll for that into Vegas which is nice but apart from that its just been work and friends really since ive moved back home after university. Which is good for me as ive not felt chips ruffling through my fingers or fresh cards on my fingers for a good few weeks now in preperation for 4 weeks solid of poker, with breaks for drinking/punting ofc! Last trip was very much "lone ranger" but this time around i plan for it to be a lot more social with loads of mates/brits out there so please feel free to invite me along to any shindigs you are attending if you are out there.

Will post tomorrow while im at the airport i suppose but here we go again Viva Las Vegas!!!


(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aWcba-SzIik/Tbh9JZ0nm3I/AAAAAAAABIE/f0i6loKZK4A/s640/viva_las_vegas_1.jpg)

GLGL out there Callum will be reading with interest...

Have fun mate, enjoy.

Safe flight Callum, hopefully we'll get to meet at some point over the next few weeks, and best of luck in the meantime!

Wow the airport are trying hard to make me miss my flight! But I think I've just about made it! Details will follow on the other side!

Arrived, in a 18 mile queue at customs sigh.

Pretty tired will see when I get sorted at the hotel what I can be arsed doing maybe food and bed, probably good and some
Cash games! LEGO

Welcome aboard.

Fold pre.

Food* not good!

90% of the time food corrects to good and I've no idea why. 99% of the time
I'm definiatly talking about food and not saying good anyway, silly iPhone!

I'm on my way back, have a great trip

Congrats on your score Simon hope you got the lot elsewhere as well shame I missed you would have been good to put a face to a screename!

That queue was something else!!

Day 1 – Not sure if im winning or losing!

So, here we go, had a good night in the pub last night back home – maybe a little to good. This morning I was rough I had also lumped on Japan when I was drunk and it was all going well when I fell asleep but not so good when I got up this morning! Anyway luckily enough I live 20 minutes from the airport so tried to leave as late as possible as I hate hanging around in airport especially when I know im sitting on a flight for 10 hours after. This was all going to plan apart from when I went to pick up my $$ from Travelex, I already had some $$ and have some on a cash card but the main bulk of my $$ was with Travelex. Anyway I managed to get little old lady all flustered and she was having a mare, this was fine as I had plenty of contingency time and it just meant I was gonna have to swerve some food on the way through. That was until she took over 30 minutes! Virgin gave me a fast track through security (every cloud) but then I get stopped. I carry eipipens and medicine as I have lots of food allergies pretty much never had an issue but today obviously I got mr bad mood. He took my piriton, turning down my requests to decant into a 100ml bottle as I need it and being pretty rude. I do find it ironic ive got 3 needles that they don’t care about and I have about 80 ml of piriton syrup that they are scared is going to be used as a weapon. Good one. Luckily boots had plenty of piriton in stock for me to re stock but still pain in the arse! Anyway through security no time for breakfast and straight into the queue at the gate, I wait till nearly last – whats the hurry to get on the plane which im going to be sat on for a million hours anyway? Then I get “randomly selected” for an extra security search, days going well, not! Anyway it was fine but further hassle I get on my flight finally and I have chosen to sit upstairs which I was happy with nice and quiet and apart from the space didn’t feel to dissimilar to premium economy service.

On the flight again I ran well, not, the flight was pretty quiet loads of seats around with just one person on but obviously my row is full, feels a bit weird moving to a row with another person on and if I was that person I would be pissed if id plan to get my feet up! So I got on with it, the guy and his missus who I sat next to were pretty nice anyway so every cloud and all that again. We got through many topics of discussion mainly gambling and football and that filled a few hours which was a bonus ball. I got 0 sleep and was very uncomfortable by the end, most long hauls I just fall asleep on but today nothing, nada, ziltch! So after queuing in immigration zzzz, queuing at customs zzzzz, declaring my dollars, queuing for a taxi blah blah blah I reached the hotel at 5 ish and obviously queued at reception. I tried the $20 in the passport “Can I have an upgrade pleaseee” but it was going nowhere, she wanted another $50 a night for a much bigger room which the only benefit to me really would have been a fridge. Seems a bit excessive for a fridge and as im in bowlly mc bowl town for the first week best to keep it cheap. After checkin, you guessed it another queue for the lifts, in the queue were 2 groups of rowdy American girls. On the positive side they were scantaly clad and not to bad on the eye, but after 12 hours travelling I just wanted somke quiet. Why to Americans not find lifts awkward? They just want to talk, I don’t get it, lifts are for awkward silences not general chit chat.

Anyway enough of the life story! Nipped down for some poker, ended up at the venetian after id grabbed some food just lost a buy in on 1/3 and moved on in my life. Nothing much to report, I got it in on 4d8djx9d with Jd10x and he had KKd. We did not get there! Was super tired and just thought best to swerve a reload and be ready for tomorrow. I went for a wander, no pool here at the quad so went to check out the flamingo pool which we can use and it looks ok so may pop down there in the morning if im up early. We will see, on the way back to my room I thought I best grab some waters, $2.50 from the shop, no thank you ill get them while I gamble. So I sit for $100 on craps so I can get a few bottles of water for a couple of $$ tip rather than pay shop prices, punters logic at its best. Anyway went on a good roll and managed to win $200 and nearly cover my poker losses and I got my bottles of water as well! Winner winner.

So its 9:30 now im shattered and going to sleep ive lasted long enough and probably will be up at 5am or something daft. We will see, oh and I chose strip view, good choice I have an all night bar outside my room she did warn me on check in but ive lived in a city centre for 3 years on a main road and not struggled we will see how I get on here! Its loud!

Tomorrow I will have some more photos and less blabbering, not sure of my plan yet maybe an aria or PH comp. Might pop down to the rio, we will see!

Very

Very

VERY

Jealous!!

Loving all the vegas diaries, keep this one running, and join teeks in some ripping of new ones!

Give your maid some money and ask nicely for some extra water.

Also, $20 for a better room? Cheapskate! I got a $30 a night upgrade for 13 nights for $100. All about the Benjamins:

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNTBb1u6UGg

Or maybe the Pentiums...

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qpMvS1Q1sos

Day 2 - Bubble by name, bubble by nature!

So body clock mashed. Woke at 5am, delayed moving from my room till 6.30 where i went downstairs for breakfast but there was a cash game running here so i decided to hop in that. Ended up about $100 up nothing to shout about after a couple of hours of play and i decided to go for a wander but in the general direction of Planet Hollywood where i would be playing there $200 11am comp. I stopped for "breakfast" in a restaurant at the PH after really struggling to find food that i could eat. I have an egg allergy and every breakfast product seems to come with eggs here. Not to bad i ordered a potato skins starter and some broccoli, needed something healthy! This started contained 7 potato skins and was far more than any normal starter size would contain in the UK. I managed to finish it but i was stuffed, like the skins. Anyway after this i headed up for the comp, nice big room at PH for the comps and this comp had a really good structure i managed to finish 20th with 18 paid and $10k up top :( made a mistake not jamming pre and deciding to peel with KQ i may have lost anyway but i blame the mistake on being really tired! On the way back to the hotel i decided to have a little punt and a drink before bed and obviously lost what i won the night before. Not a good day, but not brutal by any stretch of the imagination. Just frustrating to bubble as I felt like i was in good shape all comp and was happy with my play throughout.

Just as i got back to my hotel room and into bed got a message from Tal asking if i fancied going to skrillex. I really would have loved to but i was on a downer after punting money off, bubbling and being all round knackered! Sigh. Id imagine if id have cashed everything would have been different! Anyway.

Today we move onto the Rio. Hopefully win the daily deepstack, that would do nicely!

Wow, the rio really has took my breath away! Been loving wandering around here this afternoon and now I'm sat in the daily $235 if I can win this it would really top off the day! Here's a little snap I took of the amazon room (i think)

Photo to come later, cannot get photo bucket to work!



There's the pavilion room where they have the final table stages - looks the dogs bollocks would be lovely to be up there some time this trip and another room the Brasilia with again more tables will try get some more snaps later! I think I'm going to book in here for the weekend, playing a braclet event on Sunday so seems like a good excuse to be here!

Hope you have a great time and win the lot Callum ....
Great read already !

Hope there are no updates because you're crushing mate!

My fault. Apologies. Was putting the world to rights over a diet coke. Thread due to return to normality shortly.

Haha, how long do you have left Tal?

In Vegas? Head home at the weekend.

Callum's challenge is to describe the day without using the expression:

"And Tal then says 'Listen, son, I've been round the block a few times and take it from me...'"

Just enough time left to get your EDC fix in then ;D

I'll await the results of Callum's challenge with interest.

Latest I've got up so far on the trip, so if one thing for certain Tal helped me sleep better! Take that in whatever way you want, not sure of my plans today if I can be bothered shortly I will write up a short summary of yesterday that concluded with

Steak
Countdown
Gambling

Probably time for an update!

So firstly poker. Im crap - ok done with that?

ive bricked every comp, cash has gone very bad and i even decided to take a punt at a 1 table sat today and was out 3rd hand set over set. MARV. I am trying to keep my head up though its been less than a week and its only money right? Today I will win the rio daily and all will be forgotten and I will be having a bath with Benjamin's while hookers dance around my room. We can all hope right?

Away from the poker tables, for my sins, ive been spending a few days with Tal. Crossed path's at the rio on Tuesday and ended up trying (and failing) to go to a nice steakhouse in the aria. Unfortunately we arrived at about 11.30 and it shut at 11, sigh. So we got ourselves off to the cafe at the aria instead but still ended up with steak so its not all bad and it was good. Staff were not the best, they couldn't understand Tal and we were 99% sure they never asked him how he wanted his steak cooked and im sure the waiter just managed to luck box that he wanted it medium. Anyway after steak we put the world to right, discussing life and times with Tal. I always thought he was a bit of a twat, but hes all right really. Now i know he is just a "lucky twat". Sits on slots on just binks the world every time while i do my brains. He's going home tomorrow which is good for me as I think hes a bad luck omen. Can not win a bean with him around so will be good to get rid and release him back to TFT.

A few more British "hero's" arrived yesterday so will maybe having some "adventures" with those guys over the next few days depending on how things go.

Ive moved into the Rio now from the quad - thoughts on the quad. It was good for the money cheap and cheerful didn't have any issues, bill came to less than i thought after they knocked me off $25 in comps which was good. I couldn't bare to pay the incredible fees they were wanting this weekend though due to EDC so i have relocated to the rio. Check in at 4 but hopefully wont have to check in till much later if i can last in the deepstack! Unfortunately the hotel reception is quite a distance from the convention center so dont think im gonna be able to disappear, check in, check my room and get back in a 20 minute break will need closer to an hour. Plan for the next few days (until Tuesday) is to stay around the RIO, im staying here so i figured i may as well play here and then see what happens after that. Hopefully i will be on the final of the $1k bracelet event by then, heres hoping! So that brings me on to the WSOP im still amazed by the place, how many tables with countless numbers of players playing all day every day. Every game under the sun going on here and such a good atmosphere. I would love to know the ratio of good beat to bad beat stories told in these corridors. The vendors that have stands in the corridors must get bored shitless of hearing. I had AA and he called me with xx and he got there on the river hes such a fucking ********. Id quite happily walk around here for days i find myself just entering different rooms and standing there and stareing and i really can not wait for me to be one of the players at the tables playing a bracelet event. Or possibly the guy that gets up on the final table with the stands around it, it would be just awesome. Anyway we can all but dream right?

So today its back to the rio deepstack, then room check in, then we will see depending on what time we are on. Im just about to check my phone to see if i have any good photos for the blog!

(http://i1295.photobucket.com/albums/b633/callumm18/1B6EDF09-BA01-402E-9DFA-2069979C16D6_zps5yqtade8.jpg) (http://s1295.photobucket.com/user/callumm18/media/1B6EDF09-BA01-402E-9DFA-2069979C16D6_zps5yqtade8.jpg.html)

(http://i1295.photobucket.com/albums/b633/callumm18/FF57D892-303D-46B1-966E-0A3A91B55988_zpsrrpfsyff.jpg) (http://s1295.photobucket.com/user/callumm18/media/FF57D892-303D-46B1-966E-0A3A91B55988_zpsrrpfsyff.jpg.html)

(http://i1295.photobucket.com/albums/b633/callumm18/B74152AE-A278-4E4B-A0E4-F51E4D7A3E95_zpspczo9x0g.jpg) (http://s1295.photobucket.com/user/callumm18/media/B74152AE-A278-4E4B-A0E4-F51E4D7A3E95_zpspczo9x0g.jpg.html)

(http://i1295.photobucket.com/albums/b633/callumm18/C49F3FE2-67F1-4A0C-A373-408CA5922D19_zps3c3pes5k.jpg) (http://s1295.photobucket.com/user/callumm18/media/C49F3FE2-67F1-4A0C-A373-408CA5922D19_zps3c3pes5k.jpg.html)

(http://i1295.photobucket.com/albums/b633/callumm18/C07024B6-2AD6-49CE-926E-6603B3E63428_zpsddnu92cz.jpg) (http://s1295.photobucket.com/user/callumm18/media/C07024B6-2AD6-49CE-926E-6603B3E63428_zpsddnu92cz.jpg.html)

(http://i1295.photobucket.com/albums/b633/callumm18/6AEFF899-205B-467E-9A1A-A898EB1C74FC_zpsuud94ek5.jpg) (http://s1295.photobucket.com/user/callumm18/media/6AEFF899-205B-467E-9A1A-A898EB1C74FC_zpsuud94ek5.jpg.html)

Beer pong, for thouse that have not played it/ heard of it. It's a game where you put beer in cups and try and land a ping pong ball in the cups in simple terms.

It seems big here in Vegas loads of bars having their own competitions and beer pong having it's own section in supermarkets! Incredible really I'm sure the game developed at a college/ UNi halls where some lads will have had some cups beer and ping pong balls and decided to play. And now people pay entry fees into comps to play out here in Vegas. There not as hardcore as us though, you need dirty drinks (several shots mixed into one glass etc) just beer is too easy!

(http://i1295.photobucket.com/albums/b633/callumm18/10D87AA1-F4C0-48A0-887A-374BC4A937B7_zpsklbsd51f.jpg) (http://s1295.photobucket.com/user/callumm18/media/10D87AA1-F4C0-48A0-887A-374BC4A937B7_zpsklbsd51f.jpg.html)

(http://i1295.photobucket.com/albums/b633/callumm18/489720F8-DCB3-48E6-8B4E-824B3C2B81CD_zpshkbljrjp.jpg) (http://s1295.photobucket.com/user/callumm18/media/489720F8-DCB3-48E6-8B4E-824B3C2B81CD_zpshkbljrjp.jpg.html)

How much did you get the Rio for this weekend, Callum?

The only reason I didn't come out before it was that the Golden Nugget wanted $800 for 19/20/21...

Hope your luck turns now that the bok has left!

I like the idea of vodkapong myself, as I'm not that much of a beer drinker anymore.

Good luck mate.

I think its cost $700 for 4 nights from Friday thats including all taxes, fees but excluding the room service i decisided to order and not finish last night when i got in after a few shandys....


So yesterday I down tools on the poker. Its not been going great so far can not book a winning session/ day/ hand. Last night I "hit the town" with Alex, Stato and Fred after getting a message from Stato asking if i wanted to join them to go out, but not out out, he was driving so just a few drinks and then back to the rio. Alex was ill, and this was probably a saving grace as after a few strawberry daiquiris this quiet one nearly turned into a night out be we ended up in that "middle ground" to many drinks to drive back, but not enough enthusiasm for a night out. Jack Allen joined us later after he made day two at the venetian and we had a few more beers while "punting" house games. It went ok i won a little and ended up quite drunk as the girls seemed to come round very quickly with the drinks. Almost two quick but thats not really possible to be too quick when its a dollar a drink.

Today i woke up a little worse for ware but nothing to drastic, I mooched around the Rio for a bit  listened to statos bad beat stories and alex's run good stories, before hitting the sun lounger with Fred for the afternoon while the other played the $1.5k. There was some great sights around the pool that kept me and fred very entertained. Loud music, expensive drinks and good looking women. Its not all bad this vegas life, it was hot very hot but i think i have managed to fade burning. After Stato and Deadman busted the 1.5k we headed to the strip shoala, jack and ludo had a break in thier respective Venetian comps so we joined them for some tea at the Venetian before heading out to be tourists on the Vegas strip. We wandered up and down the strip watching the bellgio fountains, a few street acts and trying to watch the show at TI which has now ceased to exist much to the disappointment of stato. Although we did manage to wander into a bar their (Senor frogs?) which had some karaoke on that almost tempted stato to dust of the cobwebs of his singing career but not quite. We managed to land a table in senor frogs next to a wedding reception. Yes, 10-15 guests sat around a table in just your run of the mill very average (at best) bar in vegas. Not my cup of tea but meh, its Vegas. While we were sat there someone chose a song on karoke that i had never heard before, it first talked about domestic violence and resulted in the wife murdering her husband, it was a very cheery song in fact im going to try and find it now on youtube...

starting by googling "American songs about domestic violence." And found it!

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gw7gNf_9njs

So yeah picture the scene. Women in her wedding dress, on the happiest day of her life, with that song playing over the karaoke, only in Vegas.

After this we returned to the Rio to see how alex was getting on and indulge in some more punting on house games, this lasted approx 20 mins before we all busted and returned to our rooms. It was pretty wank, but good to get an early night before my 1st big event tomorrow, the $1k WSOP event. It will be my first WSOP braclet event and im really looking forward to it, im all registered and will have not picked up some poker cards (apart from 3 card poker at PH ;)) in 2 days, so should be nice and fresh again. Lets hope tomorrow night im posting that ive made day 2 with lots of chips!

Good luck today. Took me till the 16th day of my trip to have a profitable day, hopefully you will do it faster!

We have some day 2 sweats! Updates in my staking thread but we are 40/144 according to poker news. already in the money and over $300k up top. Win this and this blog could get a little lively ;)

what min cash u will get buddy ,but get it won

like $2k locked.

Unfortunately thats not very close to getting me out so far :(

40  Gabon   Callum Morgan48,400        -Warrington-Gabon

http://www.wsop.com/tournaments/chipcounts.asp?rr=5&grid=1052&tid=13645&dayof=

If i'm not mistaken, you're not from Gabon

it don't matter because am sending u all my run gud and your going to win it so gud luck

Have fun and best of luck for today

Good luck today, Callum!

Thanks again for all the good luck messages really means a lot, poker update about the comp in my staking thread ill leave all that stuff out of here and try and describe my experiences over the last few days.

So at the end of last week i was not having the best of times financially. The trip was going great socially but the poker not so much and really was losing the will to live playing cash etc as could not book a winning session hand blah blah blah boring zzzz variance etc! But on the social side of things I was having a great time and much better than last time when there was no so many brits about. Spending some time with Tal putting the worlds to right and not really discussing poker which is always good when your away from the tables and then with the "DTD boys" arriving it really was a boost to morale, i didnt play for 2 days i drank, played house games, spent time round the pool, did some touristy stuff it really was a breath of fresh air and when i sat down on Sunday first my first ever WSOP event i was in the best position mentally of the trip, it never really hit me throughout to be nervous, worried or whatever i just tried to play my best possible poker. It was good to get back to the tables and was a much needed boost to morale to cash and run deep. Unfortunately since then the poker has not gone to well again but the head is held high and im looking forward to my next event.

During the comp I had a really good mix of table friends, young and old, pro and rec's etc etc. There was a moment on the bubble coming to the end of day 1 where a guy to my left was tanking every decision to make the money and the rest of the table but mainly the guy to my right was getting very frustrated with him. He made a very good point which he managed to make very well and it got to the point where they guy had 30 seconds to make a decision as he was unnecessarily tanking any decision, he was lying that he had hands but im 99% sure he didnt. The main issue was, he had 10 BB he was guaranteed a cash. But he was tanking so that he could make the money with a playable stack rather than blinding down just to make the money, i thought this was a little out of line, he was damaging the rest of the tables tournament to much for his own gain. If a guy has 4BB and decides he needs to tank to the money, im happy to allow him a little time to do this. But with this guys stack it was OOL. He did continue to do a bit of tanking to day 2 which was even more frustrating as we all wanted to get on with the game after a very slow bubble on our table and then a 15 minute delay after the bubble to find out who actually bubbled! Anyway i was happy with how i played against the guy to my right who is a really aggro high stakes MTT player on stars (american playing in Mexico). This was the first Sunday hed missed for the series and it was only cause he made day two of the 1.5k the day before. He even commented how he "let me get away with too much" at the end of the day, but it was all good fun and we had a nice long chat throughout the day also.

Day 2 i bit of time talking to Allyn Shulman, shes a bracelet winner in a seniors event and wife of Barry Shulman. We discussed lots of things but started off by talking about the Mike matasaw outburst. She had just wrote an article here

http://www.cardplayer.com/poker-blogs/89-allyn-shulman/entries/561819-wsop-the-matusow-penalty (http://www.cardplayer.com/poker-blogs/89-allyn-shulman/entries/561819-wsop-the-matusow-penalty)

and a few of the dealers had thanked her for writing it. Which was a nice touch, we discussed how the game is played differently in the UK and the states. I commented how there is a lot more "excessive celebration" in the US, its in there nature. I find it rude personally, yes you may have just won a big pot but on the other hand someone has just lost a big pot and a big chunk of money too so have a little respect. Around the room there was lots of celebrations going off as we were talking about it and later as i got knocked out of the competition she wished me good luck and commended me on my behavior in both winning and losing. For me this is important, yes we are in this game to make money. I am also here though for the experience, to have a good time and to have a great holiday. I do not want to do one at the detriment of the other and maybe some poker players should lighten up a bit, smile a bit more, talk a bit more and generally enjoy the game a bit more. I 100% am playing better poker when the tables are talkative and friendly, i watch a lot more closely and i know whats going on at all points. When its boring and i keep checking my phone or the screens or whats going on around you can miss a lot of information so i enjoy the way i play the game. For me being polite at the table, a good winner and a good loser is also important. I hate losing, it really hurts inside and that has been inside me from day 1. I used to disagree with any teacher in primary and high school that used to tell me its not all about the winning and i stand by that to this day. But as i grew older and through the help of sports like rugby and cricket i learnt how to respect people, officials and my opponents. So although all i want to do inside is win on the outside i will still be respectful in the way i go about winning. I will thank dealers shake hands with players, wish people good luck etc for me that just feels right. Do i want my opponent to win in a flip v me of course i dont. Will i shout and swear when i lose to him, no chance, will i dance round the room if i beat him, no chance. I hope i continue to play this way for the rest of my life as the people who dont, really do make themselves look like fools. Of course i will celebrate my victories but rubbing it in the face of the losing opponent is not right in poker nor in sport.

Always loved this diary, enjoy the rest of your trip...

"" and a few of the dealers had thanked her for writing it. Which was a nice touch, we discussed how the game is played differently in the UK and the states. I commented how there is a lot more "excessive celebration" in the US, its in there nature. I find it rude personally, yes you may have just won a big pot but on the other hand someone has just lost a big pot and a big chunk of money too so have a little respect. Around the room there was lots of celebrations going off as we were talking about it and later as i got knocked out of the competition she wished me good luck and commended me on my behavior in both winning and losing. For me this is important, yes we are in this game to make money. I am also here though for the experience, to have a good time and to have a great holiday. I do not want to do one at the detriment of the other and maybe some poker players should lighten up a bit, smile a bit more, talk a bit more and generally enjoy the game a bit more. I 100% am playing better poker when the tables are talkative and friendly, i watch a lot more closely and i know whats going on at all points. When its boring and i keep checking my phone or the screens or whats going on around you can miss a lot of information so i enjoy the way i play the game. For me being polite at the table, a good winner and a good loser is also important. I hate losing, it really hurts inside and that has been inside me from day 1. I used to disagree with any teacher in primary and high school that used to tell me its not all about the winning and i stand by that to this day. But as i grew older and through the help of sports like rugby and cricket i learnt how to respect people, officials and my opponents. So although all i want to do inside is win on the outside i will still be respectful in the way i go about winning. I will thank dealers shake hands with players, wish people good luck etc for me that just feels right. Do i want my opponent to win in a flip v me of course i dont. Will i shout and swear when i lose to him, no chance, will i dance round the room if i beat him, no chance. I hope i continue to play this way for the rest of my life as the people who dont, really do make themselves look like fools. Of course i will celebrate my victories but rubbing it in the face of the losing opponent is not right in poker nor in sport. ""


A good point made well.

Good luck with the rest of your trip!

Thanks Simon,

Well the last few days have been a bit shit tbh! poker has been going very badly can not win on cash think i have had one winning session on cash which is disappointed as the tables definitely have not been to great. Mixture of play bad and run bad on my behalf, losing 4 pots where in  i have had straight flush draws and one with a straight and a flush draw and im probably at least 60/40 in all of them has hurt a bit. especially as they have all been for $1k+ pots. Saving my run good for the comps hopefully where i can bink a big prize. Aside from poker its been a bit quiet since i moved hotels, this hotel is really really nice but with me being a bit away from the rest of the lads i keep missing out on things which is a bit wank. Once ive got back to my hotel it always seems like an effort to get back up to the rio etc, but will be definitely making the effort as getting battered on cash is no fun!

Anyway got some big comps for me in the next week so a couple of big cashes would do me grand!

The monster stack, overall it was a crazy good comp, so many runners its incredible the place was buzzing. Queues for everything but i can accept that with the numbers of players, i didnt hear to much grumbling which was good only the odd french man - what is there problem? Do people not look and go, wow 8000 players in one day how is this not tits up? and cut the guys a little bit of slack, obviously not in all cases but they did in most. Just sat there quietly waiting for there table to be called. My table was not as "fun" as the first few days not as many people talking apart from one of the "Ivey players/pros" (im not to sure what he was or who he was but he was wearing a patch) sat two to my left who was the stereotypical pro that i talked about in my last piece that winds me up. Not wind me up in a bad way to affect my comp but wind me up to think, if i was in your shoes - representing a brand, i would like to think i would do it a lot better. First thing to grind my gears was his "i knew you had that" "you should have bet the river there" "obviously got AK" etc etc. Well well done to you if you can play perfect poker but firstly, why do you need to tell everyone? Why give out the information that you have for free to everyone else, is iut because you want us to pat you on the back, or just steal it and use it for ourselves? Secondly, "doing the dealers job", someone would go all in and he would go its "7525" while the dealer was already counting it, why? Let the dealer do their job if they get it wrong i dont mind a little dealer i think its this and not that, but why dive in there before youve given the dealer chance. It slows things down and just makes you look like a nobby know all that nobody likes. Even worse he kept getting it wrong! Just keep your mouth shut please. Luckily we were split from this guy after 4-5 hours but it does amaze me that people want to brand people like that, have they seen the way he acts at the table? I guess not as i would not want to put my name/brand to someone who was not only embarrassing to himself but to the brand he was representing. A couple of dealers told him to stop doing it as it was putting them off but he didnt, sigh. I would have just loved to have got KK in v his AA one time and got there! Anyway, couple of big comps over the weekend. Need to do some wins!!

I will do a full update at some point but basically I've been drinking and losing!

But deadman is a boss so W.E

Still here, still not doing great but having an absoulte blast. Will try and do an update tomorrow i suppose!

Trying to get in the main event over the weekend and then get to the november nine next week!

Well its been a week since my last update so i guess we are due one! Anyone still out there?!?!?

This week, we have had mixed success at poker probably overall level i suppose. House games meh punting to big losing to much need to stop! Last time i had a $500 budget for the trip this time it seems to be $500 a sit down :( FML!

I have been playing the comps on my stake, a little on the side, some 2/5 and some single table sat's in fact i chopped one tonight which was good. A little bit of profit!

Saturday night we decided to punt a table at Surrender. Surrender is a pool club at the Encore, which is the sister hotel to the Wynn. We booked a table and split it between about 8 of us, for this we got a couple of bottles of vodka, mixers and a delivery of women to our table. Jack allen was straight in there, and i tried to follow the mans lead. We had a great night at surrender, Our table was a little "out of the way" but this really worked. Could go to the dance floor when we wanted or go chill in our "Cabana" when we wanted to sit and chat. Really liked the club, it shut at about 3am though so it was time to head to XS. We had met up with Will Kassouf, he had said he will get us into XS and on to his table. Good to his word, somehow he got us in at 3.30am to another table, i did not need anymore booze by this time and danced the night away to the early hours of the morning. This was my first big night out in Vegas and i had an absolute blast. Was not a cheap night out but one i can not wait to repeat!

So the week days started with the deadman rail, got the message from alex that he had inevitably bust and deadman was going to come 2nd so get down to the M because the beers were on ice. Well i dont need to be asked twice to get on the beers so headed up to the palms to meet up with the rest of the boys who were going down in a taxi, Mitch, Fred and Nick ( i think?) I inevitably lost the taxi flip. Mitch got to me heads up and snap asked for rock, paper, scissors. He won and im like 3/4 for paying for taxis. WTF is this? im sure he has an edge in rock, paper, scissors so next time its pure punting. So the deadman rail was pretty immense, we had a really nice asian meal in the M that we managed to drag on for about 3 hours while deadman was crushing and then joined us on his dinner break. We then went for some house game punting which i avoided and eventually got dragged back to the tournament room, to watch our hero. Many degen games were going on on the sidelines, Chinese poker, chip toss, races, planking contests, football with a tennis ball. etcetc. While all this mayhem was going on deadman stayed cool calm and collected, kept accumulating and knocking out people climing to his inevitable 2nd place spot. 3 handed a deal was done, deadmans rail was 20-30 men deep and he took advice well as he took his time discussing a deal. I can not believe how much the floor staff want to rush things as these guys talk through a deal worth nearly 3/4 million $. Surely 20 minutes is nothing? But no the clock would keep running and the pressure was on. Once a deal was done, the TD said "As we are now playing for 20% of the prize pool, the clock will be reduced to 15 minutes" bearing in mind they were still playing for $100k you can imagine the reception this got from the rail/players. Eventually he stepped down after his moment of madness and play would continue. There was a few confusing hands where the rail had been lead astray by goulder who kept chanting for the wrong cards. My eyes were top bad to see the big screen unfortunately, the cheers were enough to confirm when deadman had won/lost a hand! After deadman had scooped morale was pretty high as we went out for the victory meal. This just made me personally more determined to have a big win, the group morale was so good i would love to be the lead in this just one time!

Been spending a lot of time with the DTD lot, mixed in with a few lads from Manchester. We have been bowling, out for tapas, to a nice steak house. But mainly, punting on Ultimate Texas Holdem. The game of champions. Yes 20-30 odd punters come out from the UK to play poker and alll end up punting house games. Got to love vegas. Even with a dealer paying me out an extra $60 last night i could not make a profit! Incredible, he made about 3 mistakes in a row where he mucked winning hands and nick hicks had got on his case. He then mucked my winning hand and my money before i could open my mouth. When he replaced my bets he got in a right muddle, paid out way to much but due to all the mistakes he had made, and well houses being houses i kept my mouth shut and took my cash. Karma has been smacking back in the face for this though today!

Tomorrow is the main event sat at the Rio, then we have a table booked for Calvin harris at Hakkasan tomorrow night. Im really really excited for tomorrow, would be epic to get in the main and then get off to hakkasan to see one of my favorite artists and celebrate. Either way come tomorrow evening i will have a smile on my face i just hope its one which is in the main!

Will try and get some photos up from my phone now!

(http://i1295.photobucket.com/albums/b633/callumm18/28B93FDB-21DD-404D-81F8-2BA704D15DFA_zpskoufhdz5.jpg) (http://s1295.photobucket.com/user/callumm18/media/28B93FDB-21DD-404D-81F8-2BA704D15DFA_zpskoufhdz5.jpg.html)

Surrender night club

(http://i1295.photobucket.com/albums/b633/callumm18/787BE464-1A09-4C33-8825-9818F618CD75_zpsfkmel9jz.jpg) (http://s1295.photobucket.com/user/callumm18/media/787BE464-1A09-4C33-8825-9818F618CD75_zpsfkmel9jz.jpg.html)

Bowling night

(http://i1295.photobucket.com/albums/b633/callumm18/1235902C-40E5-44E9-B8F9-5FCAC703160E_zpsnzxyuebd.jpg) (http://s1295.photobucket.com/user/callumm18/media/1235902C-40E5-44E9-B8F9-5FCAC703160E_zpsnzxyuebd.jpg.html)

Nick hicks (redbull) getting another monster steak tonight.

(http://i1295.photobucket.com/albums/b633/callumm18/1101E16B-9653-4480-8183-06965D04D8F6_zpsk1mougyy.jpg) (http://s1295.photobucket.com/user/callumm18/media/1101E16B-9653-4480-8183-06965D04D8F6_zpsk1mougyy.jpg.html)

Money loser and money maker

(http://i1295.photobucket.com/albums/b633/callumm18/575D593C-3AE2-462F-A9AB-FAC5C67AD7A0_zpsgojw4s7w.jpg) (http://s1295.photobucket.com/user/callumm18/media/575D593C-3AE2-462F-A9AB-FAC5C67AD7A0_zpsgojw4s7w.jpg.html)

Deadman celebratory meal

(http://i1295.photobucket.com/albums/b633/callumm18/78DE1D82-F378-4403-90B3-C6A779960C02_zpsxf7luvdk.jpg) (http://s1295.photobucket.com/user/callumm18/media/78DE1D82-F378-4403-90B3-C6A779960C02_zpsxf7luvdk.jpg.html)

(http://i1295.photobucket.com/albums/b633/callumm18/74889B2A-26B7-44A2-B6F4-208D20CBA457_zpskzrwhvuy.jpg) (http://s1295.photobucket.com/user/callumm18/media/74889B2A-26B7-44A2-B6F4-208D20CBA457_zpskzrwhvuy.jpg.html)

(http://i1295.photobucket.com/albums/b633/callumm18/25AD74C3-A901-4F91-BB20-67FC73908615_zpsmvukaaqt.jpg) (http://s1295.photobucket.com/user/callumm18/media/25AD74C3-A901-4F91-BB20-67FC73908615_zpsmvukaaqt.jpg.html)

Deadman celebrations

(http://i1295.photobucket.com/albums/b633/callumm18/FC24D7C7-F859-4B10-8830-391D63008408_zpselwnkoxx.jpg) (http://s1295.photobucket.com/user/callumm18/media/FC24D7C7-F859-4B10-8830-391D63008408_zpselwnkoxx.jpg.html)

XS Nightclub

(http://i1295.photobucket.com/albums/b633/callumm18/05188535-C2AF-41CE-9BDE-83229DDD5F0D_zpsmcmiyyeq.jpg) (http://s1295.photobucket.com/user/callumm18/media/05188535-C2AF-41CE-9BDE-83229DDD5F0D_zpsmcmiyyeq.jpg.html)

Grey Goose wankers.

(http://i1295.photobucket.com/albums/b633/callumm18/C351D164-9F73-491D-889B-CB647886FF19_zps9d5eywje.jpg) (http://s1295.photobucket.com/user/callumm18/media/C351D164-9F73-491D-889B-CB647886FF19_zps9d5eywje.jpg.html)

The boys waiting for there drinks in the cabana

(http://i1295.photobucket.com/albums/b633/callumm18/A6D78EF7-4605-4109-A51A-710FD5636736_zpskpn9lzz5.jpg) (http://s1295.photobucket.com/user/callumm18/media/A6D78EF7-4605-4109-A51A-710FD5636736_zpskpn9lzz5.jpg.html)

Grey Goose wanker.

(http://i1295.photobucket.com/albums/b633/callumm18/5E6BF27C-9080-4C58-BCBE-CA1B71F25A23_zpsfc4p8ndi.jpg) (http://s1295.photobucket.com/user/callumm18/media/5E6BF27C-9080-4C58-BCBE-CA1B71F25A23_zpsfc4p8ndi.jpg.html)

View of the pool from my hotel room

Definitely not jealous.

Great photos & write up Callum ....now do some wins

Good night mate? The girl in the background was all over our hero, trying to drag him back to hers by his ankles practically!

(http://i1210.photobucket.com/albums/cc416/cambridgealex/4D9F0382-DD65-440A-82C3-9EF7301B9A69_zpsrdern3qo.jpg) (http://s1210.photobucket.com/user/cambridgealex/media/4D9F0382-DD65-440A-82C3-9EF7301B9A69_zpsrdern3qo.jpg.html)

sometimes its hard to say no to these girls. But they are only after me for my body, and i want a girl that likes me for who i am.

 :o omg I would have switched off right there after 26 hours of no sleep


btw I've always been sure it was okay to load the mobile in the airport??