Ongoing VP TR, PART 2!

No! I want your bankroll healthy so we get many more trips!

Day 2 Part 2

After tournament registration, we've still got about an hr to kill. D and I head back out on to the Encore floor. We put in 100 in bubble crapless craps, plan is to bet 2, 3, 11 and 12 for 5 dollars each and parlay each number at least once. If we catch any repeaters we'll be doing well/might even be up! Hey, it could happen (and always does at regular craps 😡)

Obv we hit ZERO outside numbers. Nice, dump 100 in 5 min. We move over to some monkey slot machine and actually get a ton of play. I think we lost 20$ betting the minimum and got to play almost up to the time we had to go back. Now back at the Beach club, we check out the scene. First of all, there's a TON of people there. Lots of food stations, the outdoor pool/dance area is interesting (if I were younger I might enjoy hanging out at a place like this), there's a bar with gaming tables, and across from it is what I assume is the main dance floor/main bar. It's got a roof over it, but otherwise the entire floor plan is open and much of it is outside. All the poker tables are on the dance floor. I hope the verbal description is adequate.

There are a bunch of celebs out- in addition to the ones listed on the golf sheet, I saw Mark Ruffalo and a couple other Hollywood types whose names I don't know, and a bunch of people who certainly dress/act LIKE they're someone, even if not. I also see a bunch of VIPs who I recognize from simply being a Wynn regular.

Eventually we are told to take our seats. The tourney is 20 min behind already, likely bc the celebs are mingling, the whole thing is supposed to be friendly and for charity, and no one is going to enforce the rules on the celebs. My table has Michelle Wei, some actor I'm supposed to recognize, and Trey Mcbride is on my right. Regular people-wise, I'm sitting with two total morons- one I played with in Nov 2025 in another tournament, and the other I have no poker experience with but watching him bet at the craps tables, he's clueless. Guy to my left recognizes me, I don't know him but he says he's in Vegas every other weekend and always gets a reserved craps table for himself. He literally says that he looked up how to play poker online last night, he's never played a hand!!! Everyone at the table is friendly and introduces themselves and we're making polite small talk. The VIPs have a different color bracelet than the celebs so it's easy to see if someone is supposed to be a "someone" vs a nobody like me. Of course, the celebs and their friends are allowed to have THEIR phones!

Quality of play- let's just get this out right now. OMG the competition was even softer than I could have imagined in my wildest dreams. Multiple people like the guy to my left stating they've never played a hand of poker, and it was obv true. Many people just rebought for 5k and 10k chips right away, bc "it's for charity". WTF- talk about utter lack of value. Multiple people intentionally busting themselves so they could double rebuy for 10k$, 30k chips.

Trey Mcbride? Super nice guy. We chatted about Rolexes (he was wearing one I wanted and vice versa). Meanwhile, he's picking up his cards and showing me his hand (accidentally) EVERY SINGLE TIME. He's playing trash and playing badly. How much more +EV does it get, to have immediate position on a donk, playing garbage, AND I can see his hand? Unfortunately, it's obv a limp fest and I've never seen more sticky players, so there's not going to be any isolation raises here. Instead, I play tight and at some point tell Trey I can see his cards. I literally have to teach him how to protect his hand. He thanks me, and I think there's still value in being genuinely kind to these people, maybe they take it easy on me in a spot I want to them to play soft.

Luckily, it's such a limp fest I'm able to rapidly get a line on everyone. Spoiler- they're donks. It wasn't hard 😀 First hand typifies EVERY hand. Whole table limps, flops comes K hi or something. Check to the guy to my left, he bets. Most call. Turn is a blank, check to the guy to my left, he bets most call. River is blank, check around. Guy to my left had 4 8 offsuit, none of the board. Two callers had ace rag for ace high, otherwise none of the board. ACE HIGH NO GOOT, bottom pair takes it down LOLOLOLOL

What else? Oh, the table talk. OBSCENE, would never fly in a real game. People openly giving each other advice, it's all good. No one complains, everyone's there to have a good time. One player to a hand? Try 3 players min. So at some point I figure why not, I convince the guy to my left to show me his hand every time (I'm out everytime, he's in everytime). Since I can see Trey's hand, at some point I know he flops top pair with aces and turns two pair. River he gets bet into, he's agonizing and I can see he wants to fold!!!! It's a total blank, I like him and I'd rather have him holding the chips than the other guy so I whisper to him "you gotta at least call" so he does, and is obv good. Now he's totally pleased with himself, with me, and I'm shaking my head at how this tournament is playing out. It's like no one cares, not the dealers, the players, etc- except me. Like I said, softest field EVER.

OK, now that the stage has been set, let's get to my story-

Round 1- blinds 100/200. It's a total limpfest as stated. I decide I have to see flops, there's almost no chance of being raised here. I call with 55, flop comes 679 and I'm out.

I complete SB with 7 players with J7o. Flop comes jack 3 4, I bet and only my buddy on my left calls. Turn is a 5, I bet he calls. River 6- interesting. I bet small, he calls with J8o. Guess I sucked out on him 😀 I only bet after having seen people literally peel twice with ace or king high.

I have 12k? chips from 10k starting.

Round 2- blinds 200/400. Nothing notable.

Round 3- blinds 300/600. Nothing notable. People still limping like it's rd 1, I think I saw a few flops, missed.

Round 4- blinds 500/1k. Gotta make it through this round, if I survive I can add on for 50k more chips. Obv this is the weakest field I will ever play against, no question I'm doing it. Surprisingly, people haven't been going entirely nuts with rebuys and addons- my guess is I'll be slightly below avg in chips once the 50k addon is done. Trey Mcbride has busted but he's just watching. Michelle Wei busted, no rebuy no addon- she just gets up and leaves. Well, that's a little surprising but losing a player is losing a player. Eventually we make it to the end of the rd. Basically the whole field adds on, except Trey who decides not to??? I talked about it with him, he was considering it, pulled 5k out of his pocket but then decides not to at the end?

Who knows what he was thinking- obv he's just there for fun and he's not entirely clueless. I'm sure he didn't think he was a favorite. But for him to just sit there and hang out, THEN decide not to addon and leave... that's a little weird. Guess sitting at a table you busted out at and watching is fun?

The addon period takes FOREVER. D and I head outside and talk strategy, not that you really need a special one here. Gotta catch cards now! From here on out, no more rebuys or addons.

Round 5- 1k/2k. I've got 60k chips exactly. No hands.

Round 6- 2k/4k? My table breaks, I'm really upset at this, such a soft table and I've got everyone pegged. Oh well. I get moved to a table with Michael Phelps, another celeb, and then a few randoms, two of which are obv, painfully trying to play well. Let's see if they actually know what that means. Meanwhile, I'm on bourbon number 3 and not feeling it at all, but my table image is fantastic (I "cheers"ed with the other drinkers and established friendly table-talk right away).

I'm on the button with AQ. Raise a few limpers, flop an ace, bet and take it down.

I'm a few off the button- everyone folds! I raise with AJ, take it down.

I pick up KK. Phelps makes it 12k. I make it 30k with 70k behind. I honestly don't know if I want a call or fold here. All fold out to Phelps, he agonizes and I know I've got him. I decide I'm showing my hand no matter what, gotta keep this good table image and friendly vibe going. As far as Phelps, I know for a fact he's played in Bobby's room before and I have to assume he can play. He's holding his cards and cutting out chips like he's been here before so that tracks too. After a while, he mucks and I immediately say "you had 10s or jacks right Michael? Good fold". He says, yeah I had 10s, I show my kings to the table. He taps the table and nods at me.

Good round for me- I've got 120k chips now.

Round 7- 4k/8k. I have AQ offsuit in middle position. Couple limps, I make it 20k. Get called by the button, total fish. Flop comes Q22. I check, he bets 10k into 50k? pot. I check raise all in, he calls with JJ. Turn and river are clean- there are 4 clubs but neither of us have a club. D actually misread the guy's hand- when the river came a club he got really upset for me, and I turn to him and say, "what's the issue?". D is shocked, he thought I got drawn out on, and I say, "I'm entitled to have my hand hold up once in a while". I have 240k? chips.

Next hand- pocket QQ. I raise, all fold. I show.

Next hand- AK off in the BB. Couple limps, I raise all in, all fold, I show.

Next hand AQ in the sb. All fold?! to me, I raise the BB who is trying to play well, he agonizes but eventually folds. I show.

VERY NEXT HAND on the button- K7 suited. My table image is fantastic. Couple limps, I raise, all fold. I don't show lol.

Great round for me. Finished with 300k? No question I'm running well right now. With the exception of a few hands in earlier rounds, I've won every post flop hand I've played and have won a lot of pots uncontested. I feel like I'm playing an A+ game given the field right now- that AQ hand where I flopped Q22, I would never check raise all in there but I know he's betting every hand if I check to him. And I know he's calling off light. I don't see how I get my whole stack in there, EVER, against real competition. Similarly, I'm showing hands ONLY given the specific situation- real players wouldn't care, and I'm sure my K7 raise gets three bet by real players after that sequence. It was such an obvious set up for a steal, but only obv if the competition has a clue 😀 Gotta keep this going!

More soon...

Oof the suspense! It’s like the Pitt up in here!

Let’s goooooo!!

Can't wait for the next episode!

So Trey busted, but still had the option to effectively rebuy with the add-on after sitting out for a while? Was that just for the celebs or an option for anyone? Seems it would be optimal to just go ballistic with your free buy-in, then if you bust just wait and do the add-on.

Technically anytime someone had less than starting stack before end rd 4, they could rebuy 5k for 10k chips. Any time they got felted, 10k for 30k chips. And THEN, at end of rd 4 anyone with at least 1 chip could addon, 5k for 50k chips.

So theoretically he had to at least rebuy, THEN he could add on. It really looked like the tournament directors would have just let him addon despite having no chips (they were just walking around, taking credit card or cash from people and handing them 50k tournament chips, it was very laissez-faire and totally not trackable at all. I could have just handed them a stack of money, they never counted it).

That would have been against the rules, but I wouldn't have made a stink about it. I suspect if I tried to do it, they'd enforce the rules on me. I had to play it assuming the rules were the rules.

Makes sense. Not suggesting you should've played differently, just wondering what the deal was.

Trey McBride - 2nd rd pick just signed his 1st big contract (4yr/78$M) . He's a celeb, not a high roller. 5K is still money to him.

All those bricked slot tourneys. We can only hope it was in preparation for taking this down. I've literally spent 10 minutes going back and forth as to whether Leon stopping the TR where he did is him slowrolling a win, or just sparing us a little longer from what I fear is a brutal finish where he gets three outed or worse.

Awesome cliffhanger-hope you shipped it!

Did you find any of these “celebrities” to be jerks?

Nice start so far, go leon!

Great writeup as usual. Nice to see the turnaround in tone after the vp/craps. Also nice to see your interactions with Trey McBride-had him on my fantasy football team this year. Good to hear he was a good sport at the table as well. And all the people on that last hand now have the story of how they once played vs Leon "****ing" vegas trip report. Did they ask if you had it?

from memory, Phelps actually plays a lot of poker - a friend of mine who played for a living in Maryland a long time ago has a lot of hours with him at mid stakes

doesn't mean he's good but prolly means he isn't totally clueless

also had some recollection about phelps playing cards
likely floats a hand unlike almost nobody else on earth

Michael Phelps is a Global Poker ambassador, so he must play some degree of poker

Yeah even if I didn't knew he played I would have given him far more respect based simply on his body language at the table and the way he handled his chips and cards. Newbs simply don't have the same look, bet the same way, etc as someone who's done it 1000 times.

MOAR please

Day 2 part 3

To address someone's post- yes Trey was a good sport. Actually, honestly everyone was there. One person got a little upset at me (details below) but I was in the right and he quickly let it go.

Level 8- 5k/10k

I think I posted and folded this round. People are falling fast and furious- we've gone from 95 runners down to 30. Still have to make the final table to get any money.

Level 9- 10/20k. I have lol 12-14BB. Something like that. Meanwhile, Phelps has busted 3 people and is definitely the chip leader at the table, if not the whole thing. I post and fold.

Level 10- 25/50k!! What a jump. Two key hands here-

I've posted my blinds so I've got < 200k stack. I pick up A8 sooted in mid position and move in. I'm called by a woman who I later learn is Phelps' wife. She's ultra short in the BB, I think she only had 25k more so she's all in.

A8 vs 66. Flop- 7710. Turn- 5. River- 8, ace or 10???

Ok so that sucked but if I had to lose a flip that was the least damaging stack to lose it to. I've got 125k chips. Next hand I pick up 44 and move in- I'm called.

A4 vs 44. Flop, turn and river are clean!

OK, good double up. Back to 250k chips.

I steal Phelps' blind. Up to 325k chips.

Level 11- 50/100k. 15 players left. Three people get all in, including one celeb I don't recognize. Long story short, celeb has ace high, random # 1 has same ace high, random number 2 has bottom pair. Random number 2 should win the main pot and dealer starts chopping the side, BUT WAIT!!!

Celeb has two diamonds! 3 diamonds on the board!

I immediately call it out. Celeb has no idea he's the winner. DEALER had no idea until I pointed it out. So now random 1 is slightly upset, but I tell him cards speak, the instant celeb tabled his hand he's good, etc. Random 1 gets it and gets up (he's knocked out now). Random 2 is out! We're down to 13 players, and celeb is so thankful to me! Even after I explained cards speak I still don't think he got it. As far as he's concerned, I did him a huge favor. I tell him, you're welcome. Next pot we play take it easy on me 😀 He promises to do so. Celeb now has a ton of chips, meanwhile Phelps has been hurting.

I move all in on celeb's BB soon after. He thinks for a while, I remind him he was going to take it easy on me and he mucks (phew). I did have an ace but obv didn't want a call. 425k chips.

Soon after, I pick up A6 sooted. I move in on Phelps again. He thinks for a second and then calls! Here we go-

A6 vs 44. OK, I've got a shot here! Just have to win this flip.

Flop- J105. Turn- A BIG, BEAUTIFUL 6!!!! I fade the river, shake Phelps' hand and we're down to 12. So at this point, I've posted my blinds already, have 8BB and we're down to 12 people. I gotta figure I can fold my way to the final table.

We lose a player on the next hand at the other table- now 11 of us and we're hand for hand! At some point I post my blinds and have 650k chips.

I pick up A10 sooted in late position. This is literally the only hand I think I could have played differently. I think I played it right given the situation, but comments welcome. All fold to me, but SB is sticky as hell, BB is the celeb. SB and BB have almost as many chips as me. If I get called and lose I'm seriously crippled. So I muck. As it turns out, SB LIMPS IN, BB checks. Flop comes K high, bet call bet call bet all in call and SB wins with K3 off suit! Limp in with K3o with 7bb lol! No idea what BB had but he mucked and is now ultra short.

We CANNOT lose a player. Every hand, someone gets it in and someone calls. EVERY TIME, the short stack wins. This is agonizing. I've posted my blinds again and am now at 500k. Phelps' wife is still in- she posts her BB and has like 10k chips left. Someone raises, she thinks, shows her cards to Phelps... ok we're definitely going to lose a player here. How is this not an autocall?

WTF SHE MUCKS! with 10k chips left and the pot laying her 21:1! Phelps immediately goes ballistic, he's saying "you have to call with ANYTHING there, and you had more than anything!". ARGH. Why can't we lose a player? The next hand she's literally going to be all in with 10k on her small blind. EXCEPT-

We finally, finally lose that 11th player on the other table! Bang! Handshakes all around, and we take a little break while they consolidate everyone. Phelps' wife made it with 10k total chips haha. He never gets to give her sht again LOL. She final tabled and he didn't. At some point, we had moved to Level 12- 100/200k. I have 2.5BB LOL. I actually think I have an above avg stack and there isn't a stack above 5BB. Let the shovefest commence!

Final table coming soon...

LFG!

Can you provide the pay jumps now that you are in the money?

Time to flip good!!!

I know it’s a basically charity freeroll, but that structure is truly hilariously ludicrous.

wow. so prolly like 30bb left in the tourney?

do we know payouts?

Awesome job getting ITM! Hard to give an answer without knowing what the pay ladder looks like and how much that money means to you/to your trip such that you might make a -ev play in the interest of locking up a win. I think from a pure EV perspective this has to be a push.