Las Vegas Trip Report - Part 2: Saturday -- WPBT, Wil Wheaton, Cheap Trick and Aerosmith
Saturday, Dec 1 began with a trip to the Spice Market Buffet at Planet Hollywood. Weekend brunch for $30? What a ripoff! Thank goodness my brother and I were eating with Total Rewards comps. I had remembered the PH buffet as being really good in the past, but this time it was certainly nothing special. There was a decent selection of international food, especially Middle Eastern, but nothing that would make me come back again.
It was then time to go to Aria to register for the WPBT tournament. I got there quite early and was probably one of the first to register. After walking around Aria for quite some time, I came back to the poker room and ran into blogger central. Although a number of people no longer blog, those that regularly do that were playing included Rob, grrouchie, Grange and Poker Grump.
I was excited to see that sitting next to me at my beginning table was Wil Wheaton. I met him shortly before the tournament began and was looking forward to seeing if he was the "okay guy" other bloggers seemed to think he was. I was kind of quiet at first and didn't want to start asking a ton of questions. However, he did make a funny comment about the constant music my phone was making whenever a text or tweet came in, which was quite frequently for a short time. At one point everyone else had folded and I found myself with Q-Q in the small blind. I, of course, raised and Wil said "I know you're just stealing my blind." He threw out his cards and I said "You really think so?" He answered "yes." I then showed my pocket Queens, and we had a good laugh about that.
Wil had gotten short stacked and I was at about starting stack. I got A-J in position and raised. Wil went all in as did Michelle Stillman AKA The Wife. I called. Wil tabled 10-10 and The Wife showed Q-J. The Jack on the flop made it look like I would scoop the whole pot, but The Wife pulled out a tie on the river (don't remember the other cards). So ... we both knocked out Wil. His bounty to us -- slot vouchers! The Wife's was for about $.18 and mine was for $.05. Generous guy!
As suggested by ck, I got Wil to sign the voucher during a break. It is a classic: "SUCK IT Wil Wheaton."
People mostly backed down from my raises, enabling me to steal some pots. Things were going really well until I was moved to a new table. I was almost faced with a tough call when Grange went all in and I looked down to see ... the Spanish Inquisition! I knew I would be way behind, but how could I NOT call Grange with his favorite hand? Fortunately for one of us, Astin called and I was forced to fold. Astin doubled up Grange. If Astin had not called would I have looked for blogger history by busting Grange with the Spanish Inquisition? I do not know the answer to that question. And you know what would have happened? I would have felted Grange with a straight. Yowsa!
Unfortunately, the tournament came to an end when I pushed all in with K-Q and was called by CJ, one of the big stacks, who had originally raised to steal with some bullshit hand like 10-7os. He hit a 10 on the river and BOOM -- instead of getting a much-needed double up I was out in 19th place.
Depending on the length of my run in the WPBT, I had a potential plan for the late evening: a concert across the street at the MGM Garden Arena. The artists: Aerosmith and Cheap Trick. I busted out of the tournament about 75 minutes before the concert was to begin. After a short break and quickly getting past the usual depression when one gets felted in a tournament, I headed toward the box office, pretty confident that there would still be tickets available. I was just looking for a cheap seat and scored one for under $60 -- quite a bargain in my book.
First to play: Cheap Trick. I had already seen Cheap Trick twice -- once in the 1980's and once in the 1990's. What rock and roller does not love this great band out of Rockford, Illinois?
Cheap Trick was ... Cheap Trick, meaning a great rocking set. The set list from the concert shows an interesting mix of songs, highlighted by an excellent ending trio of I Want You to Want Me, Dream Police and Surrender.
After a short break Aerosmith took the stage. I had never seen this group in concert before and remember first really hearing about them in 1975. I was living in Springfield, Illinois when Aerosmith had its infamous concert there on July 13, 1984. That was the concert where Steven Tyler fell off the stage during the first or second song and the concert was stopped. People in attendance did not get their money back but could get an Aerosmith Greatest Hits album for their ticket. This show was essential in Aerosmith getting sober -- at least for a little while!
I was totally blown away by how great of a concert this was and what an outstanding front man Steven Tyler is. If only blogger and good buddy PokahDave could have been there to swig some brews and take in the tunes with me! The concert featured another kick ass set list that ended with Dude (Looks Like a Lady), Walk This Way, Dream On and Sweet Emotion. All in all, it was one hell of a concert!
Tired and hungry, I staggered out of the arena and saw Rob playing poker at MGM. I decided to join him at his table and made my one big "OOPS" poker moment of the trip. I raised in early position with Q-Q and was re-raised by a woman in one of the blinds. I had seen her being aggressive in earlier hands and decided to push out a big stack. She went all in and I called. She showed A-A and I begged for a suckout that I would not have been too proud to accept. It didn't come, and I decided that it was time to get something to eat and call it a night. The plan for the next morning was to get up in the morning (something foreign to my Las Vegas experience!) and head down to the Riviera to play some spread or limit game with TBC.
Oh yeah -- TBC -- the guy who had been sending me texts and tweets and texts and tweets ... Yes, I will have a bit to say about my experiences with Tony Bigcharles this trip.
Coming up: TBC, Man In Black, Mr Subliminal and the Royal Flush.
It was then time to go to Aria to register for the WPBT tournament. I got there quite early and was probably one of the first to register. After walking around Aria for quite some time, I came back to the poker room and ran into blogger central. Although a number of people no longer blog, those that regularly do that were playing included Rob, grrouchie, Grange and Poker Grump.
I was excited to see that sitting next to me at my beginning table was Wil Wheaton. I met him shortly before the tournament began and was looking forward to seeing if he was the "okay guy" other bloggers seemed to think he was. I was kind of quiet at first and didn't want to start asking a ton of questions. However, he did make a funny comment about the constant music my phone was making whenever a text or tweet came in, which was quite frequently for a short time. At one point everyone else had folded and I found myself with Q-Q in the small blind. I, of course, raised and Wil said "I know you're just stealing my blind." He threw out his cards and I said "You really think so?" He answered "yes." I then showed my pocket Queens, and we had a good laugh about that.
Wil had gotten short stacked and I was at about starting stack. I got A-J in position and raised. Wil went all in as did Michelle Stillman AKA The Wife. I called. Wil tabled 10-10 and The Wife showed Q-J. The Jack on the flop made it look like I would scoop the whole pot, but The Wife pulled out a tie on the river (don't remember the other cards). So ... we both knocked out Wil. His bounty to us -- slot vouchers! The Wife's was for about $.18 and mine was for $.05. Generous guy!
People mostly backed down from my raises, enabling me to steal some pots. Things were going really well until I was moved to a new table. I was almost faced with a tough call when Grange went all in and I looked down to see ... the Spanish Inquisition! I knew I would be way behind, but how could I NOT call Grange with his favorite hand? Fortunately for one of us, Astin called and I was forced to fold. Astin doubled up Grange. If Astin had not called would I have looked for blogger history by busting Grange with the Spanish Inquisition? I do not know the answer to that question. And you know what would have happened? I would have felted Grange with a straight. Yowsa!
Unfortunately, the tournament came to an end when I pushed all in with K-Q and was called by CJ, one of the big stacks, who had originally raised to steal with some bullshit hand like 10-7os. He hit a 10 on the river and BOOM -- instead of getting a much-needed double up I was out in 19th place.
Depending on the length of my run in the WPBT, I had a potential plan for the late evening: a concert across the street at the MGM Garden Arena. The artists: Aerosmith and Cheap Trick. I busted out of the tournament about 75 minutes before the concert was to begin. After a short break and quickly getting past the usual depression when one gets felted in a tournament, I headed toward the box office, pretty confident that there would still be tickets available. I was just looking for a cheap seat and scored one for under $60 -- quite a bargain in my book.
First to play: Cheap Trick. I had already seen Cheap Trick twice -- once in the 1980's and once in the 1990's. What rock and roller does not love this great band out of Rockford, Illinois?
After a short break Aerosmith took the stage. I had never seen this group in concert before and remember first really hearing about them in 1975. I was living in Springfield, Illinois when Aerosmith had its infamous concert there on July 13, 1984. That was the concert where Steven Tyler fell off the stage during the first or second song and the concert was stopped. People in attendance did not get their money back but could get an Aerosmith Greatest Hits album for their ticket. This show was essential in Aerosmith getting sober -- at least for a little while!
I was totally blown away by how great of a concert this was and what an outstanding front man Steven Tyler is. If only blogger and good buddy PokahDave could have been there to swig some brews and take in the tunes with me! The concert featured another kick ass set list that ended with Dude (Looks Like a Lady), Walk This Way, Dream On and Sweet Emotion. All in all, it was one hell of a concert!
Tired and hungry, I staggered out of the arena and saw Rob playing poker at MGM. I decided to join him at his table and made my one big "OOPS" poker moment of the trip. I raised in early position with Q-Q and was re-raised by a woman in one of the blinds. I had seen her being aggressive in earlier hands and decided to push out a big stack. She went all in and I called. She showed A-A and I begged for a suckout that I would not have been too proud to accept. It didn't come, and I decided that it was time to get something to eat and call it a night. The plan for the next morning was to get up in the morning (something foreign to my Las Vegas experience!) and head down to the Riviera to play some spread or limit game with TBC.
Oh yeah -- TBC -- the guy who had been sending me texts and tweets and texts and tweets ... Yes, I will have a bit to say about my experiences with Tony Bigcharles this trip.
Coming up: TBC, Man In Black, Mr Subliminal and the Royal Flush.
posted by lightning36 at 10:42 PM
7 Comments:
Can't wait to hear about the drama!
Ahhhh ... I will write about the TBC situation, but I will try to write in such a way that it can be a "teachable moment" -- as if that would do any good.
I got Wil to sign the voucher during a break. It is a classic: "SUCK IT Wil Wheaton.
Poker bloggers really are a fun group!
Both parts a good read so far. Sorry you had to put up with TBC harassment. Like you say, though, why bother to do your write-up as a teachable moment?
Sounds like fun!
Nice pic of you and Wil Wheaton! I'm jealous that you got his table.
But then, I DID get the table with the girl on girl action, so I guess it balances out.
Ah Rob, a little more than your usual vagina monologues and you are ready to asplode! Sorry, but the girl-on-girl action was a tired repeat of a few years ago.
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