Vegas trip report -- IN progress

I'm in Vegas. Currently staying at the Golden Nugget. Yesterday was pretty uneventful except I did cross at the Rainbow Bridge rather than Lewiston since that bridge was over an hour wait. I got through in 10 minutes at NF.

Main Street Station -- Offers since deck BJ. 20x odds on craps. I so love this.

Binions Easiest 1/2 NL game I ever played.

Golden Nugget I'm in the south tower room is excellent (even better since it's compd to me). The pool is great and taking the slide through the shark tank is amazing.

Trip report so far

+150 single deck black jack at the Main
+350 1/2 NL Binions
-50 Cap ride from mandalay bay to golden nugget on a friday afternoon. :(

Probably going to enter the Friday night 8 pm tourney at binions tonight. I'll let everyone know how I do. Playing a free roll tourney tomorrow at the nugget.

Comments

  • Made the final table tonight at Binions. Busted out on an up and down straight flush draw to top pair good kicker. Excellent tourney with 30 minute blinds and 6K in starting chips. Unfortunately I was the bubble boy. Now on to tomorrows tourney at the Nugget.
  • Day 2.

    Got up this morning and went to the 4 queens for breakfast. With a players card you can get a decent breakfast for about 6 bucks.

    After breakfast went to the Main street station and played 20 x odds craps for about 1 hour. After getting majorly behind I ended up -$10 for the morning.

    Left there went to binions and they only had a 2/4 limit game going this morning. Played until 10 am up about $25. Once the 10 am tourney started the table broke. I decided to play the tourney as well. Once again finishing 5th with top 4 paying out. Bought a new card protector that says nightmare on 5th street since that's what happened in the tourney to me. I love Binions I think in cash games they have the worst players I"ve ever seen.

    Still need to play the 2:30 tourney at the nugget. Now off for a swim and lunch before more poker.
  • AcidJoe wrote: »
    Bought a new card protector that says nightmare on 5th street since that's what happened in the tourney to me.

    hahaha...that's a good one.

    Keep up the reports Joe and best of luck!
  • I just wanted to point out that a vegas trip report should involve blackjack and craps gambling. Thank you Joe.
  • For BBC. On Sunday I decide to take a good shot at Vegas. I'm up about $700 for the weekend. I go to the main street station since they allow 20x odds on craps. A $5 pass bet can have $100 odds on it no matter what the point is. Let me tell you if the dice are cold, $700 isn't enough to keep in the game. I now know NEVER take your poker winnings to the dice table, as I dropped that $700 plus $450 of my own money in just over 2 rolls. I mount a minor comeback and get all but $10 of my own money back on the next roll. Decide to quit. I walk over to the El Cortez and play some single deck black jack. The station didn't have a single deck game going or I would have stayed there. Lose $200 in about 4 shoes as I can't get anything going. I believe I hit one blackjack during that time. Kept getting 14 15 16 with 7 8 9 and 10's up. Go back to the nugget where I take a shot at their craps table. While I enjoyed the stay at the nugget the casino looks like the pumpkin patrol with their orange shirts. Drop $200 there before heading back to my room to pack and leave.

    I did gather some chips for my chip collection and had a blast. I did meet Eveyln Ng and got my picture taken with her on Saturday night. I know she had heels on but she is a tall lady. I'll post some pics once I get them off my camera.
  • Was the single deck blackjack you were playing 3 to 2 for BJ's? When I was downtown afew months ago, I recall the only good single deck game I could find was at the Four Queens.. A lot of places had shitty 6to5 which has like 3% house edge..
  • The Elcorez paid 3 to 2 for blackjacks. Someplaces were only paying even money. Most places were paying 6 to 5. Binions advertised that all blackjack games were 3 to 2 but I never saw a single deck game there.
  • AcidJoe wrote: »

    Binions Easiest 1/2 NL game I ever played.

    Do you really mean $1/2 (100max)...
    or did you mean the $1/3 (1000max) game ?

    The $1/2 100max game has a 10% rake !
    bad players for sure, but the rake is brutal.
    (The $1/3 is only 5% rake)

    The $1/3 game at Binions is pretty sweet,
    my most profitable place to play on last months
    trip, out of the 6 casinos I played at.

    The Nuggets poker room has always been good to me.
    Its $1/2, No Max buy-in. It tends to play more like a
    $2/5 game, if you happen around when there's a bunch
    of money on the table.

    FYI: While you're at Main Street Station, they
    have the best buffet for the money dowtown,
    huge selection, hot food, for under $15 primetime.
    (Lunch buffet is under $8 wkdays, dinner's around $10)
    Hit California's Market Street Cafe between
    11pm and 7am for cheap eats.
    $4 Chicken Strips & Fries, the $4 striploin steak,
    2 pancakes + 2 eggs + 2 bacon or sausage for $3.
    Cali's breakfast buffet is really good, hot, $6.95. 6am-11am
    (I'm usually asleep and miss it)
    Steak House at the Elcortez during the day
    has juicey 8 oz. ribeye steak for $5, but I'd
    go for the $9.99 Steak & Lobster. YUM !!

    Good luck to you the rest of your trip.

    Will's Vegas Trip Report (bottom of Page): August 2008
  • the 1/2 NL game has a 10% rake, max $4. which is actually better in my opinion than any poker room (legal or otherwise) up here. The 1/3 NL game was advertised but not running in any of my trips there. They always had a 2/4 limit game going. I'll pay a 10% rake to $4 rather than $6 a god damned half hour at fallsview.
  • FalkyBones wrote: »
    Do you really mean $1/2 (100max)...
    or did you mean the $1/3 (1000max) game ?

    The $1/2 100max game has a 10% rake !
    bad players for sure, but the rake is brutal.
    (The $1/3 is only 5% rake)

    The $1/3 game at Binions is pretty sweet,
    my most profitable place to play on last months
    trip, out of the 6 casinos I played at.

    Is the max rake $10 at the 1/3 5% rake game?
  • AcidJoe wrote: »
    I now know NEVER take your poker winnings to the dice table, as I dropped that $700 plus $450 of my own money in just over 2 rolls.

    I really wonder why good players play -ev pit games.

    I can understand playing blackjack if you count cards.. but I can't understand why skilled winning players play -ev games.
  • 1. 20x odds craps = almost no house edge
    2. craps = damn good fun!!
  • Guys around here'll tell ya... you play for a living.
    It's like any other job. You don't gamble. You grind it out.
    Your goal is to win one big bet an hour, that's it.
    Get your money in when you have the best of it, and protect it when you don't.
    Don't give anything away.
    That's how I've paid my way through half of law school.
    A true grinder.
    See, I learned how to win a little at a time. But finally, I've learned this...
    If you're too careful, your whole life can become a fuckin' grind.
  • But Baccarat is boring....

    Mark
  • 13CARDS wrote: »
    So, play baccarat instead, the lowest house advantge pit game.

    This is true if you only make one bet, 1.06% Baccarat vs 1.4% for craps... But if you then lay the free odds on craps at 20x then it's .065% for craps... or even better if you go to the Casino Royal and play the 100x odds for .014%.

    Most places seem to offer 3-4-5 odds which is .273%



    This is assuming you lay full odds on the the don't pass which almost all players don't do...

    The second best bet is to take full odds on the pass line which is. .375% (3-4-5 odds) .099% (20x odds) or .021% (100x odds)

    But why not just play poker and have a positive expectation to win money rather than have a negative expectation?
  • thanks for the effort in tracking your trip to Vegas Joe.
  • Is the max rake $10 at the 1/3 5% rake game?


    Nope it was $4 max rake on the $1/3 1K max tables.
    Thats why I was wondering in my O.P. if he was really
    playing the $1/2 or if he mistated the game and was playing the $1/3

    At the $1/2, a $40 pot gets raked the max $4.
    At the $1/3, a $80 pot gets raked the max $4.
    That's a big difference.
  • I love craps. Despite knowing I can't beat it I just love the game. The action is amazing. Good players play -ev games because they love the rush that comes with it.

    If I just stuck to poker and BJ i probably would be fine ( I do count cards). BTW to the person who commented on the rake at binions. An $80 pot at the 1/2 game got raked $4 anyways. Now a $60 pot in the 1/3 game would have been raked at $3. Please if you know of a 5% rake game anywhere near toronto let me know.
  • Great report... tough break at the craps tables. I've always wanted to understand that game more, but everytime I try and figure it out I find it confusing.
  • Thanks for the trip report, I love hearing about these head office visits.

    I can understand why you play craps...
    I'm afraid to play craps because I don't want to like it and start to leak money.

    I like hearing about other peoples craps play....
  • 13CARDS wrote: »
    Anytime you want to learn, just ask. I am happy to assist in any way I can.

    Thanks... I might just take you up on that. I'll try and find a play money version online, but if I have an questions I'll let you know. Much appreciated!
  • Graham wrote: »
    I'll try and find a play money version online, but if I have an questions I'll let you know. Much appreciated!

    I learned how to play by reading this...

    Introduction

    and then practiced (free) at bodog before I hit the live tables.

    Free Craps - Play at Bodog

    its not nearly as complicated as it looks.
    pass line bet + odds bet = good times, low house edge
    and a chance to get lucky and win the casino's $$$.
  • you are correct falkybones. Odds = free money. They pay off on true odds so you are giving up only your edge on the pass/don't pass line.
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