Vegas: Recap

Links:
Pre-Trip Report
The Long Road
Vegas House
MGM Mixed Games
Blogger Tourney
WSOP and Beerpong
The Long Ride Home

I had an amazing time in Vegas. I didn't play as much poker as I would have if I had stayed downtown, but I wouldn't change anything with the awesome setup I had at Brandon's pad.

One of the only things I really didn't do that I wanted to do, was play Chinese Poker. Brandon and I brought cards to the bowling thing on Thursday night with Chinese Poker intent, but Brandon left the cards in the car. He then left his ID at the bar. The left his cell phone at the bowling alley. Nice night, Brandon, nice.

I guess another thing on the list that I didn't end up doing was place a few sports bets. I had the chance to at MGM, but it just didn't really interest me that much at the time. There were some good, exciting games going on (I think the M's won in 10 or 11 innings that night), but I was more interested in socializing and playing poker.

I'm happy with the number of bloggers I met and had conversations with. Reading the various posts slowly trickling out, I wish I had made an effort to contact a few more bloggers, but like I said, I'm happy with who I did meet on my first blogger trip, and there will be more to come.

I had an amazing time on Friday night. I got there with high expectations, then those expectations took a bit of a hit when no HORSE game opened up. I resigned myself to drinking at the bar--which isn't terrible, but usually isn't my cup of tea. Then a HORSE interest list started up and BAM 10 minutes later the cards were flying! Thanks Gadzooks for starting that up, I too, got shot down when I requested it the first time.



Found that picture on Gadzooks site, it is her, me, and Poker Gnome on our end of the mixed games table.

On Saturday, I couldn't have asked for a better result in the blogger tourney. I had a great feeling going into the tourney, and I played a very controlled-aggressive game throughout the tourney. I think I witnessed a lot of people pushing with hands they didn't really need to push, but felt like the tournament justified a push in their situation. I didn't want to blind out either, and definitely got lucky along the way to score a 4th place finish. When the tourney gets down to such a crapshoot, it seems like stack size, cards, and position are the most important factors, in that order. Grubette played her stack near-perfectly, and bullied with reckless abandon. Mrs. Spaceman played position masterfully, and realized that although she didn't have the huge stack, she had the next-biggest stack, and she rarely missed a raise or a re-raise when she had a good shot to take down the pot. Waffles and I seemed to be playing a very similar game, we had similar stack sizes, and took advantage of our patience as well as our willingness to gamble--and finished 3rd and 4th within minutes of each other.

Saturday night was good fun, and I'm glad I got to hang out with Brandon and friends for more than just an hour in passing. It was also fun to take Brandon's world-championship beer pong belt with me back home. I accept all challenges.

If I had to pick something to change about the trip, I wish I would have had more time in Vegas. Maybe see a show, play another poker tourney or two, hang out at the house a bit more. Even though I took a pretty relaxed attitude the entire trip, I did feel like I was strapped for time the whole trip--and by choosing one thing, I was giving up doing another. I wish I had had time to do everything--but in Vegas that would probably take a year!

As I was getting ready for this trip, a big motivator for me was that this might be a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I wasn't sure if I'd ever have a chance to make it to a blogger gathering again. After the trip, I know I'll make time for another. I had an amazing time, and can't see having any less fun at any future blogger gatherings.

Until next time~