Las Vegas Trip Report June 8-13, 2025: I Get By With a Little Help From My Friends/Poker Sucks

Sunday, June 8, 2025

It was time for another trip to Sin City. I was unsure if I wanted to go just over a week after getting home from my trip to central Europe, but I wanted to play in the Golden Nugget tag team event with my friend NormInVegas. I made last-minute air and hotel reservations, and I was ready for some fun. The fun would have to wait, however, as my 12:47pm Frontier Airlines flight was ready to take off when the pilot announced that a leak was detected in the plane's air conditioning system. The flight was pretty warm as were taxiing for takeoff. Since it was already 104 degrees in Phoenix, we were immediately taken back to our gate and instructed to deplane. The other passengers and I waited ... and waited ... and waited. We finally were able to get back on the plane and take off on the short flight. We originally were supposed to land in Las Vegas at 2:02pm. As it was, my Las Vegas Lyft driver picked me up at 7:24pm. As one person noted, this was the first bad beat of the trip!

I stayed at my usual Las Vegas "home" -- the so-called Dirty Castle: Excalibur. I was quite surprised that my Resort Tower room was as nice as it was. Perhaps the furniture had been replaced by hand-me-downs from Aria or Bellagio?

After catching dinner, I decided to go to an old favorite and a close poker room, MGM. The table I was seated at was okay. The players seemed to be decent -- except for two. One was calling down with obviously inferior hands, and one guy was doing crap like being in a hand with Q-3os and betting big each time on a Queen-high flop. Noted. After winning some pots and building a little stack, I was in the big blind with A-7os. There was a raise to either $7 or $10, and I called to defend my blind. The flop was 7-2-5. I decided to check, then called a small raise. There were just three players in the hand: me, and the two other players I deemed to be bad. The turn was a great card: an Ace. I now bet and was called by the calling station. To my surprise and delight, the Q-3 guy made a big raise -- something I had seen him do before with a relatively light hand. There was little doubt what I was going to do. I jammed all in, thinking he'd fold. The calling station called and, much to my surprise, the Q-3 guy called. I thought that I would be scooping a huge pot ... until he tabled 4-3os! The river didn't deliver one of the four outs I had. I had been felted my first session. This was just the first of several disappointing sessions in the trip. It was time to play a few slots and call it a night.

Monday, June 9, 2025

After breakfast at the MGM buffet (covered under a resort credit I had with my reservation), I headed to try out the new poker room at Planet Hollywood. It is a different kind of room, with small alcove-like areas outside the main room. I counted 23 tables, but my count might be off a tad. I was not impressed by the two brush people, who seemed to be consumed with a small tournament that was going on. I was ignored for several minutes before finally getting on the wait list. Shortly after being seated, I was joined by poker friend Vegas_Degen (Larry), who I had not seen for some time. Larry divides most of his time between Las Vegas and the Philippines. The game was nothing out of the ordinary, but one play was significant in my mind. Larry was seated on my immediate left. In one hand he was on the button and raised. I don't remember my hand (it was good enough for a limp in the cutoff), so I called. The flop was 10-rag-10. I thought that it was a great flop to make a river steal. After a couple rounds of betting, I made a big raise on the river, expecting Larry to fold. Unfortunately, he insta-raised all in. I was forced to fold. He showed 10-10 for flopped quads! Great plan, oh lightning genius! Despite my crappy play, I was impressed by the new PH room and hope that it will stick around awhile. It is easy to find after taking the escalator near Cafe' Hollywood.

Larry, who showed his disloyalty by flopping quads on me!

That evening, Larry and I played at the new room in Caesars Palace. It is very small and difficult to find. Luckily, I was seated at the front of the room, soon to be joined by Larry. There was a lot of walk-by traffic, so the room seemed really loud. I heard that a new room is hoped to be opened by December. That would be nice, as I found the current room very uncomfortable.

Nothing seemed to be breaking right for me, and my stack was dwindling. I finally got a decent hand (A-Kos) and raised. I was called by one player who was relatively new to the table. The flop was Q-rag-rag -- all clubs. I had no clubs. I decided, perhaps recklessly, to jam my remaining stack, hoping to get my opponent to fold. He tanked, then called -- with J-J, one club. There were no clubs on the turn or river, and no Aces or Kings either. Bye bye chippies. This is one play I really thought a lot about afterward. A jam born of frustration? I dunno. All I knew was that I certainly wasn't feeling a great poker vibe this trip ... and I still had three full days to go!

Tuesday, June 10, 2025

I had tried to play at what has become my Las Vegas honey hole -- Bellagio -- the day before, but there were a ton of people playing there, and the desk seemed to be wallowing in confusion. I attempted to get seated and was told to speak to the guy at the podium in the sports book area, which had partially been converted to a poker area. I had played here before. Seating had been a bit tight, but I was involved in some fun games. However, I waited ... and waited for someone to speak with. Finally, a guy came out and told me that that area was full and that I should return to the desk. I was then put on the $1/3 list -- several places down from where I would have been if I had just been placed on the list when I first approached the desk. I waited a bit,  then left very frustrated.

This day proved to again be frustrating. I got on the list and was quickly the second in line. The person above me had been called, and his name was flashing. I was right outside the room, waiting to hear my name. I finally saw my name flashing, and happily went to the desk. The woman there told me that my name had been called three times (huh?). I told her that I was right outside the room and immediately came when my name started flashing. She said the seat had already been filled, but she left me at the top of the list. Very disappointing experiences with a room that I had really been liking. They just seemed to be overwhelmed by the pure numbers of people. However, I was quickly seated and watched the player on my right flop a set ... flop a straight ... flop a set ... while I got nothing. NOTHING! I got frustrated and left.

I played a short session at Horseshoe before being picked up by poker friend NormInVegas. We headed to the Golden Nugget to play in its Grand Series tag team event.

Arizona donk and Norm

This tournament is mainly for fun, as it has a quick, donkathon structure. I played the first level and was dealt A-Jos right away. I raised and got two callers. The flop was J-5-6. The player on my right made a big bet. I contemplated raising, but just called. The third player came along. The turn was a rag, and he bet again. I was putting him on K-J. I called. The other player came along. The river was another rag. He bet, I called, the other player came along. He flipped over Q-J. I felt great until the third player flipped over 6-5os for the flopped two pair. Sheesh! I was actually quite active in the first level, getting hands like A-k, 9-9 and 4-4. I won a pot and chopped another to help get back chips I lost on my first hand. Norm played level two, I played three, and he played four. we were getting short stacked at the end of level  four. I was getting ready to be in shove mode in level five when Norm pushed all in with two pair. Unfortunately, he lost to a straight (that sounded familiar!) and the dream was over.

We then decided to play some $1/2 at the Golden Nugget poker room. We were seated at the same table, which was great. There was some really unusual (fishy) play there. Norm took advantage when he had quads and found that another player just couldn't lay his hand down with three of a kind on the baord and Norm betting big. Nice play! I, unfortunately, was bleeding chips and was waiting for my chance. I got it when I was dealt Q-Q. There was a raise and I reraised. I got two callers. The flop was 1o high. The first player checked, and I shoved all in. The woman sitting across from me called. I felt good. The turn was a blank and the river was ... an Ace. I already felt wheat was coming. She flipped over A-10, and I was done playing poker for the day. I'm sure Norm heard a lot of whining at our dinner shortly thereafter.

Wednesday, June 11, 2025

I decided to play at the Venetian, where I had been having fun and some success on previous trips. I got on the wait list on Poker Atlas, and was surprised when I was listed as POI. I later discovered about the changes made there. I made the long walk down the Strip for exercise. When I got to the poker room, my timing was exquisite, as I had moved to third on the list behind two who had not yet checked in. I was seated immediately. I did not have the success with bomb pots I had on my most recent trip, but I was at least at a relatively fun table. I really had one guy's number, and he kept spewing chips to me and others. He was a decent player, but just ran into some bad luck.

I left to meet my friend Mitch at the Horseshoe bar. He had been playing in the WSOP Seniors $5K entry and had been doing quite well. We decided to eat at Ole Red in front of Horseshoe. On the way there, I discovered that I had left my phone at the bar in Horseshoe. Stoopid! Mitch took this picture of me after we returned to the bar, finding my phone just where I had left it.

We ate at Ole Red's, which was quite an experience. It seemed like the security here was heavier that Donald Trump's! We ate on the second level. It was loud. Really LOUD! The chicken tenders salad I had was really pretty good, but Mitch paid a ridiculous price for beer.

We played some $1/3 cash at Horseshoe, then Mitch, who had had a long day, flying in from southern Florida, then playing in and bagging in his WSOP tournament, needed to finally get some sleep. I was running well and had a small profit when I decided to play one more hand -- which usually meant disaster for me. Someone raised, and I looked down to see K-Qos. I decided to call. The flop was Q-Q-K! The initial raiser was an aggressive local, and he handed over a lot of chips to me. If only he called my river bet ... as luck would have it, the poker gods had not forgotten who I am. I was dealt J-10 and called a raise by a local who was running short. The flop was J-10-A. I raised and he shoved. Of course, I called. And, of course, he had A-J! Easy come, easy go. It was time to go back to Excalibur and call it a night.

CMitch and yours truly

Thursday, June 12, 2025

This was going to be my last day in Las Vegas as I had a morning flight on Friday. There were plans for a possible meet up game with friends that evening, but I was beginning to feel pokered out for the trip since nothing seemed to be going right. I decided to go back to MGM and try my luck there. I was bleeding chips and looking for just that right spot. I found it when a player just rebought and looked to be on tilt. He raised as I looked down at A-Qos. I called. The flop was A-A-4. Bingo! I was hoping to catch the final Ace for the high hand of the half hour bonus as well as the special promo board bonus. Or at least get another Queen for the full house and the  half hour high hand. I got neither, but felt good about my hand. We got it all in by the river, and my opponent looked discouraged, thinking he'd been run down. He turned over friggin A-4 for the flopped boat! That was the final straw for me. I left the table and decided that my poker was done for the trip.

Poker friend WashDude (Darren) was coming into town this day and had invited me to join him and a few friends for dinner at the Roma Deli & Restaurant. He asked me to pass along the invitation to Norm. So, I decided to let some other friends know that my poker was done for the trip. Norm and I and a friend of Darren's met for dinner and had a wonderful time. I have a strong suspicion that several glasses of wine added to the great time. As I posted on X, what could be better than a dinner of pasta, wine, and cannoli with friends?

 

Darren's friend Joe, Darren, Norm & me.

Friday, June 13, 2025

I had a very easy morning. A great Uber driver took me to the airport. My flight left early and got in early. My wife picked me up at the airport. Soon I was home and life would be quickly back to normal.

Epilog

My friend Mitch continues to be a poker monster. This guy placed third in the WSOP Seniors a few years ago for a score of over $300K. This year, he just missed the final table in his $5K event, finishing 11th. He followed it up with a 282/7575 finish in the WSOP $1K Seniors event. If only I had his mad tournament skills.

Darren is heading back to Saskatchewan today after playing some tournaments and also the mixed game festival at Bellagio. I don't know how he survives without having a Roma Deli in Canada.

Norm keeps me updated on the latest happenings in Las Vegas. Our mutual Chicago background plus poker has made us pretty tight friends.

Although I have played a few online poker tournaments in a private home game series, I have yet to step into a casino to play poker since coming home. I am almost at one complete week without it. I kind of miss it, but it's like dealing with a girlfriend who no longer loves you. At least it feels that way to me. Strange, and yet amazing how this game has a hold on us.

In short, poker was a disaster this trip. I don't have to like it, but I accept it as part of the ups and downs of the game. However, the saving grace of this trip was having an excellent time playing poker, socializing, and eating with friends. In that regard, the trip went far beyond expectations.

Thanks for reading!