Summer of Tournaments – Day 24
This is my final day for what I’ll call Part 1 of this summer’s reports. I head back home tomorrow, and then on Thursday, I along with Cindy fly to Lake Tahoe on a semi-7 Stars Experience, which I’ll explain later. We’ll be back on the 6th, and then that next Friday; I’ll be back in Las Vegas for Part 2 that will take me through the rest of July. I’ll just pick it up at Day 25 on July 11 when I will be at Sam’s Town once again.
Today was my gambling day, which I will attempt to get my 2500 tier points by playing at least $25K through the video poker machines. Then, at 3PM I’ll go to Planet Hollywood to the final day of the poker tournament. I started out at the 8/5 Bonus for dollars. These are single line machines and I have not had a lot of luck with single lines. However, I was determined to give it a fair shot starting out with $400. I did manage one quad of Jacks, but absolutely nothing else and after an hour or so, that was gone. I switched back to the 3/5 play games for quarters, and though the bonus poker is 7/5, I still seem to have better luck with them.
At noon, I had to stop. I was simply hemorrhaging money getting not royals and no quad Aces, which you have to catch your fair share or it’s going to be a bad day. I had 1400 tier points, so I’ll have to finish it up after the poker tournament. I drove to Henderson to fill up my tank at the Costco and stopped at a Wildfire casino on Sunset for a bite of lunch. I made it back in plenty of time for the tournament.
This picture hangs in the hallway on the way to the restroom by the high limit area. It’s one of my favorites.
Today there were 300 finalists (or somewhere around there). We started with $4000 in chips with 15 minute blinds. I, along with everyone else at my first table, were shocked just how fast people dropping out. One guy at our table went all in on the very first hand and lost—gone. It wasn’t too long and our table was broken up and we were sent to others. The first goal was to be in the top 100, which paid $500. We reached that mark in the first 45 minutes—crazy. The next goal was to get to the top 30, which paid $750 (all this is in free play except the top three spots). Amazingly enough, I made it to the top 30 and we took a break. I had only won two or three small pots with very marginal cards. The next goal was the top ten or final table. I continued to be dealt terrible cards and I finally lost and came in 20th place. What makes my doing so well even more strange is that I was never dealt a pocket pair or A/K once the entire day. One of the pots I won holding a 5/2 in the big blind. No one raised and then I made a straight on the turn.
So, the story doesn’t end there. I go to the line to collect the voucher for the $750 which I will take in free play at the Rio. The guy just ahead me (we both went out on the same hand) was asking me what to do—as he didn’t understand free play. He’s from France. He’s a poker player and also plays roulette, but the clerk told him the smallest denomination she can give his is $75 chits. He doesn’t play slots at all. I was trying to explain all of this to him understanding about half of what he was saying. Finally, he made me a proposition. He’ll take the $750 in slot free play, so with me to the Rio to cash it and sell it to me for $500 cash. Heck yes! So, we did just that. We took my car to the Rio and I got to know him. He goes by Sammy and he’s here with his girlfriend and another couple. He had never been in a Diamond Lounge, so I suggested we get the tickets and make the exchange in the Diamond Lounge, which is what we did. He mentioned he’d like to come back and take his girlfriend and friends to the buffet at the Rio and I offered to pay for everyone. Though the bill came to $150, considering he gave me an extra $250 plus I’d use my reward credits, I though it the right thing to do.
Sammy from France (now living in Los Angeles to play poker) at the Carnival Buffet at the Rio
We all had a good meal, and I said my goodbyes as I needed to get this report done and off to bed as I like to get a very early start for my 5 hour drive home. I’ll end by saying that I did mange my 2500 points but it was brutal. No royals, no quad Aces—at all! If I didn’t have the free play I would have gone broke, but I did, so it saw me through to the end. I certainly hope my video poker luck changes next month as this month has been a disaster. You’ll note that there was not ONE picture of a good win this first 25 days. A week off is just what I need.
More next week—
Totals:
Tournaments: 14 Cost: $176 Won: $1850 Balance: $1674
This is my final day for what I’ll call Part 1 of this summer’s reports. I head back home tomorrow, and then on Thursday, I along with Cindy fly to Lake Tahoe on a semi-7 Stars Experience, which I’ll explain later. We’ll be back on the 6th, and then that next Friday; I’ll be back in Las Vegas for Part 2 that will take me through the rest of July. I’ll just pick it up at Day 25 on July 11 when I will be at Sam’s Town once again.
Today was my gambling day, which I will attempt to get my 2500 tier points by playing at least $25K through the video poker machines. Then, at 3PM I’ll go to Planet Hollywood to the final day of the poker tournament. I started out at the 8/5 Bonus for dollars. These are single line machines and I have not had a lot of luck with single lines. However, I was determined to give it a fair shot starting out with $400. I did manage one quad of Jacks, but absolutely nothing else and after an hour or so, that was gone. I switched back to the 3/5 play games for quarters, and though the bonus poker is 7/5, I still seem to have better luck with them.
At noon, I had to stop. I was simply hemorrhaging money getting not royals and no quad Aces, which you have to catch your fair share or it’s going to be a bad day. I had 1400 tier points, so I’ll have to finish it up after the poker tournament. I drove to Henderson to fill up my tank at the Costco and stopped at a Wildfire casino on Sunset for a bite of lunch. I made it back in plenty of time for the tournament.
This picture hangs in the hallway on the way to the restroom by the high limit area. It’s one of my favorites.
Today there were 300 finalists (or somewhere around there). We started with $4000 in chips with 15 minute blinds. I, along with everyone else at my first table, were shocked just how fast people dropping out. One guy at our table went all in on the very first hand and lost—gone. It wasn’t too long and our table was broken up and we were sent to others. The first goal was to be in the top 100, which paid $500. We reached that mark in the first 45 minutes—crazy. The next goal was to get to the top 30, which paid $750 (all this is in free play except the top three spots). Amazingly enough, I made it to the top 30 and we took a break. I had only won two or three small pots with very marginal cards. The next goal was the top ten or final table. I continued to be dealt terrible cards and I finally lost and came in 20th place. What makes my doing so well even more strange is that I was never dealt a pocket pair or A/K once the entire day. One of the pots I won holding a 5/2 in the big blind. No one raised and then I made a straight on the turn.
So, the story doesn’t end there. I go to the line to collect the voucher for the $750 which I will take in free play at the Rio. The guy just ahead me (we both went out on the same hand) was asking me what to do—as he didn’t understand free play. He’s from France. He’s a poker player and also plays roulette, but the clerk told him the smallest denomination she can give his is $75 chits. He doesn’t play slots at all. I was trying to explain all of this to him understanding about half of what he was saying. Finally, he made me a proposition. He’ll take the $750 in slot free play, so with me to the Rio to cash it and sell it to me for $500 cash. Heck yes! So, we did just that. We took my car to the Rio and I got to know him. He goes by Sammy and he’s here with his girlfriend and another couple. He had never been in a Diamond Lounge, so I suggested we get the tickets and make the exchange in the Diamond Lounge, which is what we did. He mentioned he’d like to come back and take his girlfriend and friends to the buffet at the Rio and I offered to pay for everyone. Though the bill came to $150, considering he gave me an extra $250 plus I’d use my reward credits, I though it the right thing to do.
Sammy from France (now living in Los Angeles to play poker) at the Carnival Buffet at the Rio
We all had a good meal, and I said my goodbyes as I needed to get this report done and off to bed as I like to get a very early start for my 5 hour drive home. I’ll end by saying that I did mange my 2500 points but it was brutal. No royals, no quad Aces—at all! If I didn’t have the free play I would have gone broke, but I did, so it saw me through to the end. I certainly hope my video poker luck changes next month as this month has been a disaster. You’ll note that there was not ONE picture of a good win this first 25 days. A week off is just what I need.
More next week—
Totals:
Tournaments: 14 Cost: $176 Won: $1850 Balance: $1674
