End Game
No I didn't stop at the Wynn, but it is one of my favourite buildings and I just had to take a few pictures; I just love that look. That minimalist exterior sets you up for a fall though, as the interior is your safe bet, bog standard mock regency or some other such period re-hash. The Palms is the only casino I've been to in Vegas where the contemporary exterior ties in with what lies inside.
Onto the poker then and I closed out the trip with a $500 and a $1000 at the Venetian and Monday’s $1500 at the Bellagio. I didn‘t get any scores on the doors but really do feel the trip has restored some confidence back in my game and already I’m looking forward to July’s return leg. I’m getting chips again and have been playing my small and big stacks well and, the fact that out of nine comps, I only managed one final for the smallest of cashes isn’t bothering me as much as I’d have thought it would.
Personally, a big advantage over here is being an anonymous face again and I’m sure that has had something to do with my ability to once again garner chips; sometimes on home turf it feels like I only have to look at a pot to get someone reaching for chips - something that by now, I really should be able to take advantage of…
I moved up to the $5-10NL tables at the Bellagio and fared a lot better than when I’d played the $2-5 there, booking two out three winning sessions. Money-wise then, playing nine comps I booked a loss of $6310 and in eight cash game sessions I booked a $2445 profit. I as good as free-rolled in the two WSOP events I played thanks to William Hill which means that I’m $3865 down on the ten day trip - well worth the punt.
On Saturday evening myself, the Green/Sherwood combo and John Dwyer headed up to Aureole at the Mandalay Bay, where we all had the tasting menu with a wine pairing for each of the seven courses, mmm, hic. It was good, just lacked a bit of atmosphere, which was odd for what you would expect to be their busiest evening. Of course Martin then insisted we all donate another $200 to further his sick dice habit, I mean cunning, just as yet unprofitable strategy.
I also sampled a superb crab and shrimp salad followed by the duck at the Venetian’s Aquaknox with Frode, Jan Sjavik and Andy Ward on Monday evening and it was MGM’s Craftsteak with Milky, Gryko and Ali Masterman the following evening where I got to taste my first Kobe ribeye - alas, superb as it was I could only manage half of it. Feeling very, very full at this stage it was all too much when the waiters then loaded the table with complimentary desserts, no doubt entirely due to leaving Gryko in charge of the wine list.
The Bellagio has been a very pleasant hotel to stop at, my only gripe is that there’s no cheap eats, a Dunkin Donuts or Subway nearby, for that quick fix in between meals.
I don’t plan on lifting a card in the three weeks I’ve got at home and with a bit of luck I can run a little better out here in July.