Back from excursion

Discuss all things Las Vegas. Hotels, restaurants, good deals, airfares, cabbies, conventions, shows, etc.
DaBurglar
Video Poker Master
Posts: 4535
Joined: Thu Jun 16, 2011 12:11 pm

Back from excursion

Post by DaBurglar »



I returned Yesterday from a excursion that saw me leave on December 7 for a one nite stopover in AC, followed by a December 8 flight from Philly to Las Vegas, where I spent 7days mostly in Downtown Vegas at the Golden Nugget, flew back to Philly late on December 15 and stayed two more nites in AC before returning home a little while ago.Unbelievable trip that reinforced all my conclusions regarding the state of things both with respect to Video Poker, and the various markets in Nevada and New jersey.I will post about my experience over the next several days, so try and keep questions and issues to a minimum until I finish......I never did make it up to Reno like I had hoped, nor was I able to spend some time in Southern California, where I had hoped to console my friends hard hit by the latest travesty involving gun violence in San Bernardino.   Suffice it to say Security was TIGHTER than I ever have seen it all over Vegas and the Airports.    This was a huge DRAG for me personally, as I now have to have my wheelchair essentially taken apart before being allowed through security at the airports.My Seven Days in Vegas witnessed some of the best Live Poker action (and results of my career.)      I logged a total of 35 hours of CASH GAME PLAY during my time in Vegas, playing mostly at the Golden Nugget poker room (about 27 hours total) but also over at the WSOP headquarters in the RIO, and at the Bellagio (where I saw a multitude of famous Poker Professionals, but never actually sat and played with any of them)I played mostly $2-5  N/L Holdem (with a little $3-6 mixed in although that led to a few tense moments and some scary pots!) and finished way up, about $4,800....I only had one really poor session my second day there (I was still tired) where I lost about 700 bucks in one 2 hour session, but every other session (usually lasting 3-4 hours) I finished up or even, with my best session coming on the morning of my last day there when I won almost 900 bucks!     I have some decent poker-related comps to avail myself of when i return to the GN hopefully in March in time for March Madness.    Many of the Las vegas Poker rooms have excellent comp benefits for the dedicated poker players so I do not feel the need to play a certain amount of Video Poker just to simply keep my comp levels at a certain status (unlike AC!)I played in 4 tournaments (mostly "Guaranteed Prize Pools" in the 5,000 to 10,000 dollar range which generally happen ALL over town in all the poker rooms especially at night!)   2 tournaments were at the Golden nugget, one was at the Rio and one at the Mirage........I cashed in 2 out of the 4, including a 3rd place finish in a $5k guaranteed at the GN for about $750!    I earned 190 bucks finishing 10th at a tourney at the Mirage...the other two that I failed to cash in I still played well and hung in close to the end but never came closer than 3 places from the money.    Overall I was really pleased with my Tourney play because in Vegas the Tourney competition is MUCH more stiff and consistent than in AC (except at the Borgata)    With my two cashes totaling $940, and my total entry fees/costs equaling $290, I made $650 profit!Now about my Video Poker play (and other things) while in Vegas......I played about 30 hours total of Video poker, mostly (about 75%) in and around the Downtown area where I found enough 99% games (mainly JOB but also Bonus Poker, and several DB  and DDB games with paytables that topped at 99%) to satisfy my hankering, but I also ventured forth and played a little bit (like about 100 hands) at virtually every other casino I set foot in during my time in Vegas....kinda like sampling the wares and simply because that is how I treated this trip, as an "excursion" and I wanted to simply get a feel for what the games and machines are like these days in and around Vegas.Let me just say this.......I have NO DOUBT whatsoever in my mind that video poker in Vegas/Nevada is RADICALLY different than in AC/N.J.     NO DOUBT AT ALL!I finished slightly up for my trip, about 300 bucks profit on the VP (making this one of my best OVERALL VEGAS TRIPS thanks to my POKER WiNNINGS) , but the fact I finished UP in Video POKER too made me extremely please, especially when you consider I was there long enough (7 days) to really TANK if given the chance!I did not get a ROYAL but had lots and lots of quads mixed in with what I would call (and what I remember from back in the good ol' days) a VERY VERY normal mix of hands and cards.    I kept VERY stringent track of my "dud" rate at all the games/machines I played (one reason I kept my hand count to around 100 when I went exploring) and it was a very statistically normal rate of 53.9%!!!!! (supposed to by 55% so I came out really good here!)     I had the best 7 days of Video POKER (when taken as a whole) I have had in YEARS!    The most I was up was $920 and the lowest I was down was -$290, and I pretty much stayed within that range from start to finish.    My total Hand count was about 29,000 (I clocked close to 1000 hands an hour, which is NOT anywhere near my maximum but was still a decent pace....when I want to I can easily do 1200 or more hands an hour.....)Tomorrow I will post the bookend details of my excursion where I spent 1 night in AC on my way TO vegas, and two nights in AC coming home from Vegas....and you will see WHY there is no doubt in my mind about how radically different AC and Vegas really are in terms of Video poker.      SUffice  it to say that my already curtailed and limited VP play in AC is about to become even MORE limited and curtailed!!!!!


Tedlark
Video Poker Master
Posts: 7937
Joined: Mon Oct 02, 2006 12:29 am

Post by Tedlark »

Let me be the first to say welcome back DaBurglar, the forum just hasn't been the same since you left on your excursion.

You said that you cashed in 2 of 4 tournaments that you played in; one "for about $750.00" and the other for $190.00, with your two cashes totaling $940.00. Congratulations on your success but because you said that one win was "for about" $750.00 then wouldn't your tourney cash wins then "be about" $940.00?

When you took 3rd place in the one tournament were you presented with one of those big checks?

Again just let me give you this laurel, and hearty, welcome back.

notes1
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Posts: 3143
Joined: Thu Jan 28, 2010 12:18 am

Post by notes1 »



thanks for setting the record straight. did not know san bernardino (guess you would include paris) were about gun violence as opposed to terrorism. did not know all those pipe bombs they found were related to guns.

DaBurglar
Video Poker Master
Posts: 4535
Joined: Thu Jun 16, 2011 12:11 pm

Post by DaBurglar »


Let me be the first to say welcome back DaBurglar, the forum just hasn't been the same since you left on your excursion.

You said that you cashed in 2 of 4 tournaments that you played in; one "for about $750.00" and the other for $190.00, with your two cashes totaling $940.00. Congratulations on your success but because you said that one win was "for about" $750.00 then wouldn't your tourney cash wins then "be about" $940.00?

When you took 3rd place in the one tournament were you presented with one of those big checks?

Again just let me give you this laurel, and hearty, welcome back.Thanks Ted, I appreciate that......

DaBurglar
Video Poker Master
Posts: 4535
Joined: Thu Jun 16, 2011 12:11 pm

Post by DaBurglar »

I'll add blurbs to this as I go along ......I heartily recommend the following Buffets:Rio's buffet continues to shine and provide amazing gustatory enjoyment......same goes for the AMAZING BELLAGIO buffet.....Mirage's Buffet is not anywhere near its HEYDAY back in the mid to late 1990s when WYNN still owned the place, but it nonetheless provides a still pleasing experience......and Golden Nugget, once one of the true BUFFET "legends" of Old Las Vegas, still puts out a pretty good Breakfast Buffet.Oscar's Steakhouse (booze, broads and beef) is still a must try on anyone's short list for BEEFY eats (and if you happen to like Martini's the same as Oscar used to...)The sheer number type and proliferation of dining options in Las vegas is now so absurdly high I marvel at the fact that any infrequent visitor like myself (less than 3-4 times a year) and actually make a decision when it comes meal time because you can literally spend HOURS AND HOURS considering all your options ....!   it is almost obscene how much food there is in that city......A I mentioned before I plan to try and go back to Vegas in March during March Madness...anyone else have a trip planned for about that time????


Carcounter
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Joined: Fri Jan 16, 2009 4:02 pm

Post by Carcounter »

Well said notes. Was thinking the same thing. Gun violence DB? Come on.

Tedlark
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Posts: 7937
Joined: Mon Oct 02, 2006 12:29 am

Post by Tedlark »

DaBurglar I'm thinking about going to Las Vegas in March, for real, you just may have your chance.

Vman96
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Joined: Tue Jul 26, 2011 12:49 am

Post by Vman96 »

Nice wins! Glad you had a good time!

alpax
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Posts: 1913
Joined: Sat Jun 14, 2014 4:42 pm

Post by alpax »

Good to hear about your winnings DaBurglar, probably needed this trip to get AC off your mind. Also thanks for showing some heart with your friends as the pain of the San Bernandino tragedy is still present on the news each day. The P.O.T.U.S. made a visit yesterday to the site to console the victims. Police presence have heighten security in that area, even despite the area being one of the least safest cities in the state.

DaBurglar
Video Poker Master
Posts: 4535
Joined: Thu Jun 16, 2011 12:11 pm

Post by DaBurglar »



Thanks alpax and VMAN, although ALPAX you did not notice that AC was not exactly "out of my mind" since I came and went via Philly by way of AC, LOL!     Still, it was a good trip....Well said notes. Was thinking the same thing. Gun violence DB? Come on.Hey, obviously some people do not READ very well, and are extremely quick to jump all over other people who differ in their perspective or views of things......I do NOT include you CARCOUNTER in that group, I think you are just making a quick reaction judgement over my exact choice of words which anyone can do once in a while.......notes1 and people of his temperament do it as a matter of course.If anyone bothered to notice, I never actually MADE it out to Southern California during my trip, primarily due to the fact that the day I had set aside to make the trip my friend who I had planned to spend the day with was ill and I could not arrange a alternative in the time I had allotted.....no big deal.     ALSO:    I simply stated in my original post above that the attacks in San Bernadino, which clearly NOW we know involved two radical nut jobs who professed "allegiance" to ISIL,  that it  INVOLVED GUN VIOLENCE......I did not say it was ABOUT     gun violence, nor that ONLY guns were involved....notes1 assumed (or inserted/added) his own hair trigger self righteous interpretation(s) and judgemental BS.       AGain, that is par for the course for people who are staunch (i.e.  IRRATIONAL) conservatives is this day and age.    So there.....

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