Vegas & The Aftermath - Diary

[tikay]

That's enough waffle for now, the $600 Big O at MGM awaits.

WAL

[RED-DOG]

I can reveal that Tony's staker and life-coach isn't me.

[Knottikay]

Only fair to admit that I am...Knottikay's coach or backer either.

[Doobs]

Always the ones you must expect

https://www.pokernews.com/news/2025/06/poker-playing-pirate-scotter-clark-arrested-48793.htm

Do you remember this guy Tikay?  Had the misfortune of him at my O8 tables a couple of days running a few years ago.  Spent the day shilling some bitcoin poker site and harassing the waiting staff and any other woman in his presence.  Was deeply unpleasant from what I remember.

[tikay]

Only fair to admit that I am...Knottikay's coach or backer either.

Ha, very clever, Alan.

Remind me when you are off to Vegas?

I bumped into Alvez at MGM yesterday, you would maybe know of him but not sure if you ever met him.

[tikay]

Always the ones you must expect

https://www.pokernews.com/news/2025/06/poker-playing-pirate-scotter-clark-arrested-48793.htm

Do you remember this guy Tikay?  Had the misfortune of him at my O8 tables a couple of days running a few years ago.  Spent the day shilling some bitcoin poker site and harassing the waiting staff and any other woman in his presence.  Was deeply unpleasant from what I remember.

Morning David.

The poker world seems to have way more than it's share of these dodgy sorts.

I'm not familiar with him, but I'd take an instant (& perhaps illogical) dislike to anyone who puts on fancy dress at a poker table, though with some of my friends, it's hard to know when they are wearing fancy dress.

[tikay]

Short of time this morning so today's little update will have to either be very short, or maybe I'll do it later. Venetian for an 11.10am start today (90 minutes from now) but I never got up until 08.30 which, for me, is some sort of record so I'm a bit rushed. Since retirement, I've (tried to) develop the habit of being early for everything & not rushing so something will have to give today.

EDIT - in fact, I'm going to abandon today's update until after today's Tourney, as I'm really keen not to be rushing.

Note to self - Diary Update will be yesterday's dismal performance, and why I'll never ever return to play poker at MGM Grand again.

Today's outing is a $1,600 Big O Bounty at Venetian. Not at all sure I should be playing it, that's more than the cost of my WSOP's, though set against that, it is Big O which is very much my game of choice. We shall see.

[RED-DOG]

Indeed we shall see.

You keep getting into position Tony, one of these days....

[tikay]

Indeed we shall see.

You keep getting into position Tony, one of these days....

Maybe Tom, maybe. Being brutally honest, & this is not false modesty, I'm not good enough at the $1,600 Buy-In level & need to get very lucky. But when I somehow get into the money spots at that price level it's SUCH a thrill.

Whereas at, say, up to $600 or $800 I do genuinely fancy my chances & only have to get a bit lucky.

I'm utterly fascinated at how our minds work in these things, self-confidence (or not) & self-esteem.

Anyway, Venetian beckons. Will try & do some 'photos, it's such a lovely & well-run room. Chalk & cheese compared to the grand sounding MGM Grand.    

[animalpoker]

Time to update this thread for an update as it’s far too long for X .

What a weird 24 hours I’ve had.  It began at 2pm MGM big O , checked my emails and had one from the cash game manager at the WSOP asking to call or pop in and see him.  No details, good news or bad news ? Who knows ?  I did lose some unopened $5 dental floss in there the previous night, surely wouldn’t waste time on something so trivial , could it be the 13 or 14 coronas I had the same night (playing until 3:30am) ?

Anyways I wasn’t about to spend £x on a phone call so it can wait until after I bust . MGM was a subdued affair , I had a tougher table than most and no tools to work with often so lots of folding until I gambled in an ok spot 3 way and scooped.  3.5 x starting stack at the colour up which I’ve done 5 times this trip (as chipleader) but only cashed twice but for some reason seat 2 with only 90k wanted it ( one of those “nice guys” that get angry when they lose any pot under their breath , so I wasn’t going to argue )

Tikay was in the room all afternoon so imagine the shock I had when his seat had been filled by some Asian lad , surely he had moved table but I couldn’t find him so assumed he had hit the wall earlier than me , though several levels in . A few levels later I’d had gone from 1.5x average stack to busto after losing 2 standard allins , either of which would have took me to about 5 x starting stack with a big chance of a much needed cash and deep run.

So it was the walk of shame to Paris to find out what this email was about.
Cosmopolitan for a sandwich seemed a good idea and the lighting of early evening was beautiful as I walked there .  Queue was too long so decided to head to the French place near the poker room for rotisserie turkey ( my 6th visit there as convenient place and can use reward points ) , was ok , chicken is better there though .

The floor in question wasn’t on the evening shift so I headed for the most senior looking one to show my email .
After about 10 minutes of discussion, most of which was him on the phone to Jake ( the senior email guy ) we headed for the cage .  
At this point I still had no idea if it was good or bad news, I’d been asked if I was playing Big O 2 nights ago and if I recalled cashing out $1,845 that night .  The figure actually rang a bell , I was drunk but not silly drunk that night , but would have been very tired when I cashed out .

At the cage I figured I’d either been overpaid 100 or underpaid 100 and after a couple of minutes the floor guy said don’t worry it’s good news and I thanked him as he headed off .  Paperwork still being done by the cashier , at this point I messaged 3 people to say I was $100 short , ideal .

Finally cashier apologised for the delay and reached into her draw but to my astonishment brought out a bundle of $1000 in hundreds , I’ve been paid 845 instead of 1845 😁

1/2/5 big O was surprisingly profitable for 700 too , no alcohol on the whole day too, I think that’s my 3rd dry day from 15 nights out here .  Not my finest hour and I keep telling myself to rein it in a bit .

Finished at midnight (early night for vegas) and was asleep by 1am.  Had ideas of a long gym session , maybe even my first venture to the pool this trip.  12:10pm V big O or 2pm WSOP HORSE my options for today .  Turned out I needed 9 hours sleep and by the time I got to the gym it was after 10:30am .  Checking messages and this forum I suddenly realised ( thanks to Tony ) today’s V starts at 11:10am , not the usual 12:10pm for V ones .
Panic mode as hate missing start of tournaments
10:45am left gym
10:50am back in room, shower etc
11:03am left room
11:07am in taxi ( only one I’ve used this trip apart from airport run)
11:13am Palazzo lobby
11:15am poker room.  Queue to enter
And get sat only missing 8 minutes of the first level

35k starting stack today
$1600
$500 bounty if eliminating anyone with the high hand
Not started well going down to 12,500 before doubling up
Currently 21,000
Mr Kendall right behind me on about 40,000 , 75 minutes in .

Edit … ideas of a sandwich or Mac ds on way to V were quashed .   Breakfast = a snickers almond bar and about to have a hot chocolate .
Edit… forgot to mention I look scruffy as can be, no time for the planned shave either

[bagel]

Indeed we shall see.

You keep getting into position Tony, one of these days....

Maybe Tom, maybe. Being brutally honest, & this is not false modesty, I'm not good enough at the $1,600 Buy-In level & need to get very lucky. But when I somehow get into the money spots at that price level it's SUCH a thrill.

Whereas at, say, up to $600 or $800 I do genuinely fancy my chances & only have to get a bit lucky.





I'm utterly fascinated at how our minds work in these things, self-confidence (or not) & self-esteem.

Anyway, Venetian beckons. Will try & do some 'photos, it's such a lovely & well-run room. Chalk & cheese compared to the grand sounding MGM Grand.    

at the 1600 level are the players really that different than at 800 or 600? surely its generally the same sort of people doing just what you are doing buy in wise . jumping into what is on that day at varying stakes . some will be really good , some really bad. and you have half a century of experience against most of them.

[animalpoker]

Indeed we shall see.

You keep getting into position Tony, one of these days....

Maybe Tom, maybe. Being brutally honest, & this is not false modesty, I'm not good enough at the $1,600 Buy-In level & need to get very lucky. But when I somehow get into the money spots at that price level it's SUCH a thrill.

Whereas at, say, up to $600 or $800 I do genuinely fancy my chances & only have to get a bit lucky.





I'm utterly fascinated at how our minds work in these things, self-confidence (or not) & self-esteem.

Anyway, Venetian beckons. Will try & do some 'photos, it's such a lovely & well-run room. Chalk & cheese compared to the grand sounding MGM Grand.    

at the 1600 level are the players really that different than at 800 or 600? surely its generally the same sort of people doing just what you are doing buy in wise . jumping into what is on that day at varying stakes . some will be really good , some really bad. and you have half a century of experience against most of them.

I don’t think there’s much difference these days .  Probably a slightly less appeal to recs so slightly lower proportion of bad players . 

1st break
Tony 47k
Myself 12.5k

Already trying to decide whether I re enter or not should I bust soon
300/600/600

[Doobs]

Indeed we shall see.

You keep getting into position Tony, one of these days....

Maybe Tom, maybe. Being brutally honest, & this is not false modesty, I'm not good enough at the $1,600 Buy-In level & need to get very lucky. But when I somehow get into the money spots at that price level it's SUCH a thrill.

Whereas at, say, up to $600 or $800 I do genuinely fancy my chances & only have to get a bit lucky.





I'm utterly fascinated at how our minds work in these things, self-confidence (or not) & self-esteem.

Anyway, Venetian beckons. Will try & do some 'photos, it's such a lovely & well-run room. Chalk & cheese compared to the grand sounding MGM Grand.    

at the 1600 level are the players really that different than at 800 or 600? surely its generally the same sort of people doing just what you are doing buy in wise . jumping into what is on that day at varying stakes . some will be really good , some really bad. and you have half a century of experience against most of them.

From my perspective, 1100 at Wynn felt easier than 600 at MGM.  1500 WSOP probably easier than both.

Saw Kessler moaning about getting Negreanu and Matusow at his table.  Suggest Matusow, Negreanu and Kessler at the same table in a 10k PLO8  feels easier than that 1.5k at WSOP.

Think a lot of it is just psychological.  Am 800 feels much cheaper than a 1,500 and even an 1100.

[animalpoker]

Bizarre scenes here
40 mins b4 the next break and on a 15 min break ( at least )
Seems like dealer pulled chips in on a 3 way all in incorrectly and they going to cameras to check the action to try correct it
Surely dealer errror and rest of tournament continues ?
I had a 10 minutes wait cos of iPad fail the other day
I had a 15 minutes delay when dealer messed up other day and had to he removed after going nuts at the calm players trying to explain it
I guess V has diff rules lol
I think Tony still in according to atlas anyways

[tikay]

Yup still in but down to 37,700. Thought I had scooped a 90k pot with nut low and "nut" flush until Matey Boy announced "straight flush" and so we chopped.