The (older) boys are back in town….. yet again
You may well know a few of us from previous Pulitzer winning trip reports such as “The Boys are Back in Town” and the creatively titled sequel “The Boys are Back in Town Again”. The third part of the trilogy, inspiringly titled “The (older) boys are back in town….. yet again”, our very own Return Of The Jedi if you will, is coming soon to a mobile device near you soon.
Guitarist, Watbri, Watbri Jr, Oscar, Ryan (unconfirmed) and myself will be lit up by the bright lights of Las Vegas next weekend for a few weeks. The intention is to steal from the whales whilst feeding the fishies. We’re self-styled poker eco-warriors really.
Oscar (the highlight provider from 2023 trip with his second place finish in the $10k 2-7 TD), arrives Thursday 30th May, Guitarist and myself on Sunday 2nd June, Watbri and Watbri Jr on 9th June and Ryan hoping for 5th June. When we’re coming from all corners of the globe (Australia, UK, Dubai and NorCal), it’s ain’t an easy diary alignment.
The plans are as usual - play a lot of poker, donk a few $$$ at the pai gow tables, and enjoy some great food which includes our annual trip to Craftsteak. No hookers and blow for us (I speak for myself there really) as the old ticker may not take that level excitement. We’ve got a good record in not doing a Blasted and between us, we’ll get a few pictures and stories added each day.
From a poker perspective, what can you expect? Well, Oscar has two runner up finishes in WSOP events, both in 2-7 TD. Third time lucky we all hope. And whilst Oscar and myself may be firing a couple of mixed game WSOP events, all of us play NLHE….. to varying standards of course. There should be everything from $1/$3 to $10/$25 being played between us so expect the notated hand histories to range from “that f###ing fish hit his f###ing three outer on the river” to “I had blockers to the back door flush draw and his range was super capped to one pair based on his small raise from mid position on the brick turn” or something suitably GTO inspired. Clearly those second insights won’t be coming from me.
With 9 days still to go before I board my 11 hour flight, it seems a little early to subject you to pictures of shoes and $3.50 subtly hidden in the shot. Suffice to say I’ll be rocking up with $15k (most of it courtesy of having 5% of Oscar’s $192k win for his aforementioned 2nd place in event #38 last year), a pre-completed FinCEN 105 form and hopes of fame and fortune. A couple of the others will have more, a couple of the group perhaps a bit less. But between us, we’re expecting a feeding frenzy akin to piranhas around a drowning sheep.
Hoping to catch up with as many of you as possible whilst there. For those that can’t make it to the 2024 WSOP, our wish is that this trip report allows you to, at least in part, vicariously share the experience.
Run good, be lucky, and see you at the felt.
Donk Dunc
Safe travels guys, hope guitarman's flights go smoothly.
I'm going to be optimistic and say, welcome to USA#n!
P.S. also a fan of the $2 bill use.
Aren't those worth $3?
Here we go
Safe travels to all of us [emoji3575] as we make our way to....
VEGAS [emoji3529][emoji3531][emoji3532][emoji3530][emoji456][emoji620]
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I come in next Sunday 6/9 with my son and his buddy ...damn anticipation
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I know it’s tame but first things first…. Grab a coffee after check-in. We’re here though so that’s all that really matters..
I know it’s tame but first things first…. Grab a coffee after check-in. We’re here though so that’s all that really matters..
arrival in Vegas and those first few hours is the most exciting part of every trip -- enjoy!
are you staying at Paris? If so, I'll be interested in your pov on it...room and food options obv but also pool, gym etc and getting around/navigating the environs given the wsop scrum
arrival in Vegas and those first few hours is the most exciting part of every trip -- enjoy!
are you staying at Paris? If so, I'll be interested in your pov on it...room and food options obv but also pool, gym etc and getting around/navigating the environs given the wsop scrum
Yes, staying at Paris and haven’t stayed at this property before. First jmpression is that my room is ok but not great. With regards food, I e never had an issue here at all - plenty of quick options and also semi-decent coffee which is difficult to come by in Vegas. Pool and gym…… both unlikely to be part of my schedule I’m afraid.
Location of the Paris on the strip is obviously great, and I’ve spent plenty of time in it before so navigating it is not an issue. The only major strip property that continues to throw me when walking around is PH - stayed there 4 times before and still can’t find Earl of Sandwich without a 3 minute walk in the wrong direction first!
A short session of $1/$3 at Resorts World yielded a +$318 result. (Covered the $200 donated earlier at the pai gow tables). Would have been much more had I not run KQ into Guitarist’s JJ on a QJT flop. I did fold to his jam on the turn at least.
Then wandered around the new Fountainbleu -
Its’s beautiful, smells fab but there’s something not quite gelling with me about this place. I can’t quite put my finger on what it is though. Maybe just too empty? [emoji2369]
Capon’s Burger from the food court upstairs is good. In fact they’re very good. Effing should be at $13 and $15 each though.
Now just planning a short bimble around this end of the strip before heading back and hoping jetlag doesn’t kick me in the balls. If it doesn’t, there’s a $250 non bracelet H.O.R.S.E. event at the WSOP tomorrow morning.
It’s ****ing good to be back in fabulous Las Vegas.
In for $400. 20 mins later….
That’s a lot more than $400!!
Then wandered around the new Fountainbleu -
Its’s beautiful, smells fab but there’s something not quite gelling with me about this place. I can’t quite put my finger on what it is though. Maybe just too empty? [emoji2369]
There's no poker room, that's what. I might not ever go into the place.
Looks like you’re off to a nice start. Good luck for the rest of the trip.
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I’ve been thinking about this a little more and certainly a poker room at Fontainebleau would make a difference for people on this forum. But, I reckon it’s the sightlines. There’s so many areas where your sightlines are blocked and you can’t see what is where. Little corners and nooks and crannies that are unfinished, untouched or unloved and just a bit dark. So, despite the high ceilings, beautiful colour scheme and air of affluence, it’s feels as if it has been designed to LOOK good rather than to actually BE good. [emoji2369]
Regular followers of our trip reports will be aware of the unhealthy relationship I have with jet lag. This trip is no different.
I forced myself to stay awake until midnight hoping to have a good night’s sleep and to be up later than the Mir ing sun. Jet lag decided otherwise and ensured I was awake and out of bed whilst darkness was still winning the battle outside.
After a long soak in the bath, hoping to loosen up my frozen shoulder, I headed downstairs in search of coffee. I left with a spring in my step though; Oscar has bagged after day 1 of the $1.5k Badugi.
When I say bagged, I really mean bagged big. He is second in chips with 71% of the field already eliminated, and has, what looks like on paper, a relatively kind table draw to begin day 2. That’s an awesome first day of poker at the 2024 WSOP for the triple draw star and all rungood vibes have been sent his way for today. Feel free to do the same.
Looks like a good start by all of the crew, excepting jet lag.
$1/$3 early morning in the Horseshoe. A couple of limpers and I make it $25 with JhJx. Three callers.
Flop is QQ6hhx and they check to me. I cbet small, $30, two folds and UTG makes it $100. I jam, he calls and rivers his flush with 52hh. I guess it’s a very good game but it doesn’t quite feel like that right now.
Chips table 7.
Poker is alive and well. Just saw someone bluff shove 275 BBs into a dry side pot on the turn with ace high and get called by second pair.
Yikes at some of those 1/3 players’ plays.
Gl and gogogo Oscar!!
The bubble has burst in the Badugi and our boy has a very healthy chipstack. Gogogo Oscar….
