PardoG's Annual WSOP TR (6/16-6/22)
Well, well, well! Hello friends. It's TR season and that WSOP summertime is upon us once again.
My June trip marks my 29th visit to Las Vegas, and my 19th summer WSOP trip. Have been out every summer each year for the past 21 years except COVID (2020) and the year after COVID (2021). Yes, that's right friends, my inaugural WSOP trip was indeed 2003, and well, you know what happened that year. For any of you who follow me on Twitter (probably not many), you'll recognize in my bio that I hold the claim to fame of beating Chris Moneymaker at a final table in an epic 45 minutes heads up battle, this was obviously not in 2003, and it was certainly not a notable event, but rather a 109 entry $300 dollar private club home game tournament. Nonetheless, that was an amazing poker fanboy experience and some say I shouldn't even ask for any WSOP tourney success since I've already had a poker fan dream of sorts once already. Pffft. The cat is not satisfied. Since my witness of Chris's epic run in 2003, fate has brought Chris and I together once since then, and I remain unable to escape poker's unrelenting grip.
A couple of years ago I broke my TR cherry, and then followed it up with another report in 2023. Links below for those who care to skim through to get a feel if you like the cut of my jib. For those unfamiliar, and not compelled to revisit history, here is typically what you can expect from a Pardo,G. trip report:
-Lot's of cash game poker (I started in tournaments like many, but been primarily a cash game player for a long time). PLO is the drug of choice, but of course we play 2 card chicken (aka the thing you humans call NL texas hold em), and we most certainly dabble in mixed games wherever and whenever we can. 1-2, 2-5, 5-5, and even some 5-10 (if you're lucky).
-I will certainly fire SOME tournament(s) - have to give the people what they want. Most likely 1100 Wynn Turbos, 800 Aria Daily, potentially 1K PLO at WSOP - the only event going on the week I am there I feel like playing
-Pit degeneracy - Coffee and Blackjack is often a theme for me as an early riser from the US east coast, and to mix things up. I will probably spin the devils wheel a bit, and maybe even throw them bones.
-Fancy Feast - Food, Food and more food - one of my favorite parts about vegas is the food.
-Wildcards - past reports included things like high roller, Meowolf's omega mart/Area 51, Planet 13 to get us LIFTED, comedy shows/Cirque shows etc. Gotta mix some stuff in
-Loafing - as a high end cat, I enjoy the occasional spa treatment, maybe a grooming, a little shopping for the mate etc.
This year, as every year for the past 10 years or so, we'll be staying at the Encore. For me, WynnEncore second to none, and we must indulge - plus love the PLO there and the tournies. Background about me can be find in the previous reports but Married, 2 kids, BIG corporate job, yet still a slave - working towards early retirement and a life of leisure hopefully between 55-60. We'll see. For poker trips I'm almost always exclusively solo, and will be again for this one. This is one of my shorter trips sadly, only 6 nights (used to go for 2 weeks, nowadays lucky to get away for just the week). Plan to get back to longer trips as the kids get older hopefully.
2022
https://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/108/l...
2023
https://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/108/l...
Looking forward to sharing this years trip with y'all - let's enjoy the ride together.
PardoG
Snap subbed. GL!
I'm in. Safe travels, run and play well.
Oddly enough, my first WSOP (really, first Vegas) trip was 2003 as well. Didn't play any events, but did wander into Binion's. Went upstairs, some Omaha event going on. Remember seeing TJ Cloutier--"hey, that's the guy from TV"--across the room.
Thank you, friends. Thank you, players. Thank you, Dumb Puddle!
Spoiler
Nothing personal. Just a letter Art Fleming read on the air that he received from a kid. Nothing wrong with my useless long-term memory!
In, of course!
[emoji846][emoji846][emoji846][emoji846][emoji846]
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GL. Especially curious to hear about the mixed cash action around town. It's a world I haven't explored much.
Looks great, let’s goooooo!
Low stakes at the Orleans, high stakes at the WSOP. King's Room, if it's still called that.
Good luck! I still love that avatar.
Okay we are less than one week away and I'm getting PUMPED MY BRUHS. I may hit the Bank later today to get that out of the way and load up. I typically bring like 8K-10K (back in the day I used to bring 20K-30K) and I found having less on me forces me to be a bit more disciplined, especially at the start of a trip lol.
On a related note, I'm a big believer in the approach to Vegas of having a plan but being flexible.........I don't like everything planned and being on some rigid schedule (because that kind of defeats the purpose of the vegas vibe and what we love about these trips so much) but my motto is basically, have a high level plan or list so you aren't totally scrambling and losing time and the trip just kind of falls a part etc, but certainly be ready to deviate of course. My one exception to that is usually arrival day. There are just a few things I like to get out of the way right when I get there to establish my base and get myself ready to go.
This Sunday I have probably the most intense arrival schedule I've ever had and I'm already regretting it a little lol but whatever let's see how it goes.
Sunday:
Arriving - flight gets in around 10am - will be over to Encore at 11am
Grabbing Lunch at Wazuzu which is one of my all time favs
The typical unpacking unpleasantry
Heading to the Encore Spa for some relaxation (hopefully I can actually nap in there a bit pre-massage)
Haircut at Cosmo - I like the barbershop a lot - it's overpriced but it's a fun vibe and the barbers crack me up
Dinner at Mizumi - So pumped for this - as silly as it sounds I've been to Vegas almost 30 times, have stayed at Wynn/Encore at least two thirds of those, love Teppanyaki and have never been to Mizumi - looking to Crush it.
Hitting Planet 13 to stock up on Cat nip
If we have any energy left after all that, we will get started in the cash games.
For Tournaments throughout the week these are the ones I'm most interested in - may fire quite a few of these, we'll see. Some will depend obviously if I bust or don't and how I'm feeling/sleeping/running etc
Mon Tournaments:
Golden Nugget – HORSE - $400 – 11am
Wynn – NLHE Turbo - $1100 – 6PM
Tuesday Tournaments:
WSOP – PLO 8 Max – 2PM
Wednesday Tournaments:
Golden Nugget – 8 Game - $340 – 11am
Aria – PLO - $800 – 11am
Wynn – NLHE Turbo - $1100 – 6PM
Thursday Tournaments:
WSOP – NLHE Super Turbo Bounty Freezeout - $1500 – 10am
Orleans – O.E - $600 – 11am
Aria – NLHE - $800 – 11am
Friday Tournaments:
Wynn – NLHE Turbo - $1100 – 6PM
I completely agree, have a plan but be flexible.
I’m likely firing the Wednesday $340 8-game tourney at the Golden Nugget too! Let me know if you want to grab a bite or a drink, once we both make it past the dinner break 😃
Getting so hyped to leave work and my normal life behind for a week and we are just about 4 days away. Hit the bank to get the roll set up and we have 10,003.50 😀
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Good luck, have a great time, run well, write well.
One thing that amazes me is the hassle or potential drama which occurs every time you want to get cash out of your account. Like I was asked "are you sure you want 10,000?" "Are you comfortable carrying that out of here?"....like bruh, wow, I mean it's a lot of money relatively speaking, but it's not THAT much money. Like normally I'd look at wiring to a cage but like, then you have to gamble/play at that home casino as I understand it but maybe I just don't know enough about it. In the past I've made like 2-3 trips to withdraw like 5-8K at a time when I've brought more, or I've just brought 8-10 and then when i got out to Vegas went to a branch off strip and got more etc. I'm probably just "doing it wrong" but it's so crazy like we think our money's our money, but then if you want a lot of, there are questions, flags, forms, and all kinds of suspicion. Woof what a hassle. In any event...can't wait to get out there!
It's funny, when you deposit triple that amount it's no big deal to the bank. And if you wire transfer a similar amount for, say, an investment, no big reaction from the bank employees. But if you take out in the amount you took it raises all kinds of suspicion/reaction/nervousness from the bank. I think it's the cash component that triggers the reaction from the bank.
By this time tomorrow we’ll be in the Encore! Time to pack it up boys and girls!
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Letsssss goooo! It’s finally departure day my friends! Our car arrives on time at 445am WOOF
But we are going to Vegas Baby! Driver Chuck is a nice albeit somewhat sleepy fellow. Can’t blame him at this hour….sun barely coming up now.
He asks me where I’m head…”Lassss Vegas” I say. “Ohh nice. For work or for fun?” He replies.
“work.” I say. “Got a lot of work to do this week”.
Arrive smooth as can be and we hit up this very delicious bacon egg and cheese sandwich which with our bottled water, only costs 23.45 with tax. Lmfao I think we are in Vegas already. Price aside…..8.5/10.
Flight boards in 30. We’ve downloaded the usual suspects - Rounders, 21, The Hangover, Mississippi Grind, The Gambler, and Casino. Plenty to choose from on the iPad to really draw out those degen tingles and continued anticipation of the week to come.
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Fancy looking car.
Delta first class to Vegas. Their new first class from the east coast is nice - lots of room, seats recline really nicely and the service and amenities are good. People complain about delta but having flown a lot for business and having flown on most of the major airlines a lot I would say it’s much better than United, American etc.
We did get stuck with our first bad beat of the trip when my neighbor elbowed his pre takeoff OJ all over me lmfao. I was a good sport about it and we ended up having a laugh about it. What else can you do. 6 hours in the air together after that and he felt terrible, no reason to make it worse.
We drill a few Miller Lites even though it’s like lol 7am or whatever and we watch The Gambler and Mississippi Grind. Also watched One Love - the Bob Marley movie. We land early! Let’s gooo!
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I flew Delta for the first time in years on my way over… can confirm free in flight wifi is the NUTS.
I usually fly Spirit or Frontier because I’m looking for value, but Delta was the only airline that had Raleigh/Vegas direct for the dates I needed.
Totally agree with you, free Wi-Fi should be standard across all carriers, and SOON.
We dried offf let’s gooooo - down the escalator of dreams while I watch their faces coming up the other side - mostly dejected - it’s my turn to be on the down escalator with nothing but hope for the moment !
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We dried offf let’s gooooo - down the escalator of dreams while I watch their faces coming up the other side - mostly dejected - it’s my turn to be on the down escalator with nothing but hope for the moment !
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LOL, I thought that was a camo pattern at first.
We pull up to the Encore and experience all the feels, all the vibes etc. win lose or draw this has become a trip I look forward to each and every year to escape the trappings and pressures of everyday mundane routine life as a corporate guy with a family. To be clear, my wife and kids are amazing and I love them
With all my heart but working a very high pressure global job and raising two young kids leaves little time to just decompress - I guess it’s fitting it’s Father’s Day so I’m entitled….at least today! Lol.
I think most people are probably
Familiar with what a Wynn or Encore room looks likes but rooms pictures seem to be obligatory parts of these TRs so I’ll include of course. I usually upgrade to a higher floor but today we just opted for the postwar cost King Suite which was ready because it’s still early and I wanted to just get into my room. Got a jam packed afternoon coming up and looks like this:
Ordered room service (have a 100 dollar food credit so why not while I unpack? There will be time for Wazuzu later!) going to eat then head down to the Encore Spa for a massage and to use all the awesome facilities - no pics allowed in there of course but this spa is world class. The price of the massage just to use all the awesome facilities is practically worth it alone. The hot tubs, rainfall showers, hot stone chairs, steam room, Sauna etc - I’ll hit that up for an hour or two before my actual service and hopefully nap a bit.
After that we gotta hustle over to Cosmo because we have a Grooming appointment (Haircut heheh) at 4PM at the Barber shop. Then onto Mizumi for dinner after!
Happy Fathers Day to all the dads out there! Hope you have a great one!
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