The Return of the Talking Cat - 5th WSOP Trip Report (33rd? trip to Vegas lifetime) 6/7-6/14

IN! Good luck this summer!

Be sure to check out the meetup thread, looks like lots of people’s dates will overlap.

Sure, I'm in. Sounds like fun.

hi mate and yep, look at the thread at the top of the page - there's a ton of us who are going to be there in early to mid June & we're using the thread as a way to perhaps meet some of each other in real life

I'm there 10-19..hope to see you

In fairness, I'm not sure I would notice myself either.

Of course I am IN for this TR and looking forward to reading about more deep runs.

I'll be in town for some of those days, so maybe we will clash at the tables again!

I'm in, LFG!

meow, lets get it.

Looking forward to the read

Purrrrrfect! In for a catnip!

Hope we will have a few 5 digit exploits once again!

So we are about just a little under 2 weeks out, so stuff is starting to get real! Time to lay out some initial background and thoughts for this years excursion in advance.

We will be in town for about 8 days, 7 nights. Given the kittens are only 10 and 8 years old, it's hard for Mrs. PardoG to allow me to get away longer than that, but let's be honest, we can't complain. As the kittens get older, I'm hoping that I can spend closer to 2-3 weeks each summer as the kids get older, but alas, I think we are still a few years away from that I think. My very large corporate job is quite demanding, and I have made/make far more than I could ever make at poker, at the ripe old age of 43. I''m originally from NYC, now living in New England. It's been a horrendous winter up here, and I'm ready for some desert heat!

Given I'm still relatively young, relatively healthy, and financially secure, I try not to sweat the individual results of any trip, having said that, I've always been a winning player, overall and like most people, I don't like to lose. I'm very competitive (with myself, not others). I have stats of ALL my sessions and tourneys EVER in Excel going back to when I began playing at 18 years old in 2001 at turning stone casino (wild times let me tell you, most tournaments were limit hold em back then still until around 2003/2004). Kind of insane I've been playing this game in some form for 25 years.

My biggest live MTT score came actually just 2 years ago at the Wynn (3rd for about 21K), but in the early 2000's I had numerous 4K-12K ish type live tourney scores, and online, I was significantly more successful at MTT's on the old Prima/Royal Vegas site as well as on Full Tilt & Pokerstars. For example, I final tabled the legendary poker stars sunday million in the very early 2000's (scoring around 68K for my finish in that event which ended up being the catalyst for me playing "semi-professionally" in my mid twenties which essentially meant I would play about 20-25HR's a week of 2/5 or 5/10 NL at Foxwoods, or Mohegan sun mostly. So, I essentially "grew up" in poker during the Moneymaker boom. What a time to be a player in this game. I am sure many of you remember.

I for sure don't play much anymore these days, let alone study. I would say during COVID times, with the boom of home games, between 2020-2023 is when I put in the most volume online and live in my recent life, but of course the game has changed a lot, it's much tougher now, and I still play mostly exploitative, with a basic understanding of GTO, but certainly not completely sound on all spots, especially in MTT's since I basically gave up MTT's for about 10 years between 2010-2020 (was playing exclusively cash). Still, as we know, the Cat always has a chip, a pair of claws, and a lot of gamble. I think I can hang with most any player, and give even the best one's at least a hard time. In summary, I think of myself as competent Rec-Enthusiast. You'll see me take some unconventional lines, and you'll see me butcher some hands FOR SURE. Lol....no doubt about that.

As some previous subscribers probably well know, a few things about my TR's:

- I love to relax in Vegas. While that's counterintuitive to most, I enjoy frequent cat naps, long sleeps, the spa, good food, and enjoying walks on the strip and workouts daily of some kind. Often times I find myself giving up a little EV, to make sure the trip is also restful in some aspects. You can expect lots these types of updates and pics.

- The Pit is probably a bigger leak then anything in my poker game, but at my age, and with the bankroll I have, I like to have a little mindless fun gambling in the pits or placing a sports bet. I never expect much, I just always hope I don't get outright killed, and if I lose, it's not too bad lol. We will be degen'ing it up for sure, but this year, I'm gonnna try to not go as hard early in the trip lol

- If the stanley cup final is happening (if the VGK's are in it) I may bite the bullet and go to a game if I can get a ticket for 1K ish or less. I've had the chance to do that a couple times in the past and I didn't and i regret it

- I've done Area 15, high roller, the arts district, the Neon museum, the mob museum, gun ranges, the NYNY rollercoaster, so I am not sure I will repeat any of those. High roller being the most likely, I always enjoy the ride and the view of vegas at night in that giant wheel. Of course Bellagio Fountains are always a must

- I am not a watch guy, I do like Cars - I have a BMW M8 convertible, and an Audi S5 coupe, and I LOVE cool sneakers. You'll see a purchase on this trip mostly likely for sure. I always have to buy Mrs. PardoG some ridiculous 1K-2K item (handbag or otherwise) but come on, small price to pay for a week away from responsibility every year.

- I'm primarily a cash game player, and you'll see a LOT of PLO, some NLHE, some limit hold em, and maybe even some mixed game cash ig there are decent games going anywhere

-I've had some MTT success on the last couple of trips, and I know everyone likes the sweat, so I will be firing at least 2-3 tourneys minimum I think. Due to work and life, I cant' plan my trip around the tourneys only but it looks like a lot of potential events we like! is what I like that week so far:
- WSOP 1500 Limit Hold Em
- WSOP 1500 Super Turbo Bounty
- WSOP 1500 HORSE
- Wynn 1100 PLO Turbo
- Wynn 1100 5 Card PLO
- Wynn 1100 NLHE Turbo
- The Orleans - $600 Razz
- Golden Nugget - $500 HORSE, and $500 8 Game

I'm excited to fire in a couple weeks!

-PardoG

Looks like a great schedule!

I too came up in online LHE, then switched to NL and MTT’s, then PLO. LHE is a great game with complex nuances, it’s a shame it’s not really spread anymore.

I don't know if they still have them, but Westgate had rental Lambo Huracans with insane exhausts on them. Other places also have Huracans, etc for rent, but prob not with the same type of exhausts.

this phrase reminds me of the first ever poker blog I read back in the day...Law School dropout poker.

did anyone else read that?

(sorry for the derail OP!) Schedule looks great.

IME, 7-9 days is manageable/acceptable for wives when you have little ones but longer becomes where it gets challenging. It definitely becomes more manageable when they are teenagers, albeit the same 'wife management' challenges can arise if you're doing it for a solo vacation....different if it's your actual job.

No problem on the derail my friend! It’s still early, but we are getting closer! With that time to begin getting the finances in order. I’m thinkin….

About THREE FIDDY

Okay….maybe

10,003.50

We are just over a week or so out from our travels and I was just taking another look at the schedule and noticed the WSOP $500 dollar freezeout on my first Day in town. I'll have to see how I'm feeling as trying to grind long on travel/plane day (especially from the east coast) is tough. That said, there aren't many freezeouts left, let alone at this price point, and I think my flight gets in a little before 11am, so if I can freshen up, pump myself full of some caffeine and then maybe jump in at Level 8 (1K BB, with 25K starting or 25BB's) to see if we can do some work and spin it up. There is a total of 22 levels in the day, so we'd end around 1045PM ish. Would be tough I think but it's doable.

Main conflict (aside from abondoning my usual self imposed rule of not playing too much on my arrival day, and taking the day to reset and prepare for the intense grind of the week) is that UFC Freedom is going on, and watching that event in the sports book would be epic. There could be some TV's on showing it during the tourney, but I really enjoy the sport and that's a huge card, so if I'm tired, I might just skip. of course, if I can't spin 25BB into a stack (which I'd probably know after a couple hours of playing max, I guess that could be my backup plan for the evening).

We shall see.

I don't know how often you play, but it would be a relatively cheap way to knock the rust off. I need something like that, because other than the WSOP, I only play 3 or 4 times a year, max.

Is that a ppv? If so, they won't have it in the sports book, other than maybe at Red Rock. Blondies at Miracle Mile, etc.

I'll be in that one. I think half of TwoPlusTwo will be playing it.

Seems to land in a popular window and the price point is a winner.

I have no idea, but a quick phone call to your hotel sportsbook should give you the answer.

I'm really hoping I'm NOT in it, because that's Monster Day 2.

This is my problem exactly, times three (9 hour time difference instead of 3 hours). That said, the fact that it ends around 1045pm makes it slightly more attractive.

(still a long day though, since I will for sure wake up 5am or something that morning, my first full day in Vegas).

FWIW, itll end closer to midnight, not 10:45pm.

11 hours of play
2h35m in breaks
Plus the color up breaks are usually extended to 30 or 40 minutes in large field.
Plus bubble time.

At minimum it is 13h35m but add in 25m for the above Plus bagging.

They're doing color-ups really fast. My Mystery Bounty only had a 20 minute break for a color-up.

No, even with 4 chips out I didn't win a color-up chip.

I actually screwed up - it's the sunday I get back lol so oh well.

Too much going on man! At least the Vegas Golden Knights will be in the finals when I'm there. I think I might have to get a ticket and go (If I can get one from 800-1200 max)