Almost a trip report (belatedly)

Once upon a time I considered doing a trip report, but quickly realized it would pale in comparison and probably go unfinished. So instead I just lurk and enjoy the reports from those that actually put in effort.

This year, however, I had some disconnected thoughts/observations on wsop and Vegas and decided to write some of them down and post it. Didn't want to clutter the wsop thread with my ramblings, so if no one's interested this thread can just die a quick death on page 2.

Ive been visiting Vegas all my life...first time as a child, dropped off with siblings and cousins at circus circus while our parents went to Riviera. As an adult, I routinely make multiple trips a year. Have stayed at most properties downtown but for the last 10 years or so have been heavy on CET (PH, Harrahs, & Flamingo, primarily). Wife insists on Cosmo when she is along, so mgm is getting some of my business now. But wsop is always solo so I stay at the host property (Rio first, now Paris).
29th floor, Bordeaux tower

For over a decade now, I've been going to wsop primarily for the seniors event but also smaller buy-in events (Orleans, GN, etc.) and 1-3/2-5 cash games. A true rec, with possibly an above average understanding of the game, though my play doesn't always reflect that.

Things I liked or stood out as improvements this year:
The app is getting more refined and easier to use. I had to reverify as my id had expired since last year but that was also painless. I also was happy to see DD's in the HS event center. I played 2 this year where the plan was to play zero if they were to be held in Normandy/Provence.

Things I didn't like so much...
Dealers - wow!
Maybe I've just been running good, but the dealers this year were noticeably horrendous compared to previous trips. Some were less bad than others, but not a single one was in the acceptable range of competency. How do you get several weeks into the series, know how to riffle and pitch, but have no clue on hand rankings? Pots (almost) pushed the wrong way too many time to count. Not that they were perfect in the past, wsop is notorious for inexperienced dealers. But you generally had at least some that were decent, or even good. Not this year.

The cc fees are meh. Obviously I'd prefer no fee, but for someone like me, buying in to 1 bracelet event ($1k), $20 added is worth the convenience. The DD's i paid cash, but the fee was not a deterrent. If I was doing multiple events, with higher entry costs, I probably wouldn't use a cc. They would start to add up quickly.

Vegas in general - it had been ~6 months since my last visit. Foot traffic and strip crowds are noticeably less than they were, and the vibe at Paris/HS was more subdued than previous years. Vegas isn't 'dead' by any means, but those pretending that tourism hasn't been impacted by the economy or other factors aren't living in reality.

Poker: for the 2nd year in a row, and 3rd time ever, I made day 2 of the seniors. Made some hands early, old guys dont fold, and was at 4x starting stack by dinner break.

80k down to 68k by the time we bagged. Was trying my best to be a bully and got trapped once by a set and later called an all in w/ AJs that didn't go my way (he had QQ and held). But kept stealing blinds and limps to stay active and maintain a playable stack.

All tournaments can be tricky, but in my limited experience Day 2's are a complete minefield. Edges are magnified, weaknesses relentlessly exploited. I had a table with a couple of monster stacks, that each had multiple 5-figure cashes in recent years. And a few short stacks, one of which would go on a major heater. And then me and a couple other middling stacks trying to survive but way too early to fold to the bubble so adventurous play is required. Like calling 3 streets of aggression with K high...and being good. Ha!

But alas, all runs come to an end, unfortunately mine was about 30 players shy of the bubble (AQs < 77).

One of the things I like about the seniors events is they're always very friendly, closely resembling some home games I play in. But still sucks to go out short of the money.

Thankfully, cash games during seniors week never disappoint. Opportunities abound to recoup entry fees! Flopped a set in position, turned quads, and had 2 players betting-raising each street! I played approx 30 hrs over 10 days. Turned a small profit but promptly threw it away at roulette and slots cause gotta keep that diamond status. Ha ha.

Anyways, if you made it this far you must be really bored. But thanks for reading. Maybe next year I'll try a real TR and it will help me stay focused enough to min cash. 😂