Runner-Runner-Rebuy

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Part 1 of my trip report.

I got to bed at around 3am Wednesday night, and was up at eight to pack and hit the road. Desperation set in - I needed to get to a Kinko's on the way to the airport and get some things notarized and faxed to NJ for a new birth certificate I needed for my Christmas travel plans to Mexico. It would take 10-14 days to process on the other end and I needed the document by the 22nd - I was already cutting it close, but we were running late and needed to drop off the dog at the sitters and make it to the airport for an 11am flight. The birth certificate would have to wait. Visions of heavily armed Mexican police tossing me into a dark and dank prison holding cell until I could prove my identity filled my mind.

Even without making it to Kinko's, we just barley caught our flight and I promptly fell asleep for 4 hours and woke up during the final descent. If I had come alone, I would have just stayed at the IP, but since Jocelyn was along for the trip we booked at suite at the Venetian. Not quite IP adjacent, but the Venitian staff clued me in on a shortcut though the staff lot that could get me from the guest elevators to the IP in under a 5 min walk. Considering it takes 15 min to catch an elevator at the IP, I figured I was +EV on room-to-geisha bar commute time. There was no line at check in, and when I inquired if there was a notary and fax service in the business center, the check-in attendant quickly responded "We can take care of that for you sir." Awesome service - Mexican disaster averted.

Our suite was really nice. Very large, multiple plasma TV's, huge marble bathroom, 5-million count sheets. After a stroll around the Venetian and some lunch, we met up with Joc's friend who was in town until Friday morning for a conference. They hit the forum shops at Ceasar's and I hit the IP.

Walking in to the IP, it kinda felt like home. My first time in Vegas was summer of 2006, but in the past 18 months, I've been to sin city five times and stayed at the IP for two of them. When I was out there this past summer for the WSOP, I stopped in the IP for a quick tilty Pai Gow session after getting knocked out of one of the series events, and it helped settle me down for the remainder of my week.

Last year I spent the first half of my weekend a bit overwhelmed and didn't really seek out talking to too many people until I loosened up a bit on Saturday. I had a great time after that, and this year I wanted to meet as many people as possible and was lucky to find some new faces right away at the Geisha Bar. I spotted the Gcox mullet first, then noticed Pauly, Al, and some others I didn't know. Pauly was engrossed in a conversation with the legendary Johnny Hughes, but noticed me, remembered my name, and said hi. Now, is this guy fucking cool, or what? I'm an F-lister, shit, I'm a fake blogger who never updates anything, and the Dr., who I only spoke to very briefly last year in a fanboy fit of oh-my-god, not only has the courtesy to welcome me to Vegas, but remembers my name too.

I shot the shit with Gary and he introduced me to BuddyDank for the first time, and I have to say, not at all what I expected. Now, I love BuddyDank radio and the work he does for it, but I can't tell you how many times I've cursed this guy out at the top of my lungs while staring at my computer. I was fully prepared to NOT like this dude. Turns out, he's a really nice guy. We talked Iowa and football for a bit, and then I listened to some stories that Johnny Hughes was telling. That man has stories baby. Go buy his book. Now.

Time for some poker, so I hit the poker room and got a seat at a 1/2 table with a few bloggers sitting at it. I was getting garbage cards, and hovered around even for about 2 hours when I picked up As2s in late position. A few limpers ahead and I join in. I decide before the flop that I am going to play this hard no matter what hits. In fact, I have no idea what was on the flop, only that after it checked to me, I came out with a 1/2 pot sized bet and sweet, sweet, Pablo raised it up. It folded around to me and I flat called hoping to seem strong. Turn brings a fuck if I can remember, I just recall that it was unlikely to have helped his sweet, sweet hand. He cautiously checks, so I fire out a a 1/3 pot sized bet, hoping to take it down and knowing if he comes way over the top, I can get the hell out. He thinks for a sec and then calls. A call there really scared me. I'm now wondering if he has top set for the nuts. River helps no straights or flush draws. All he needed to do was blow on the pot and I fold, but Pablo checks again. There is no way he checks to me there with a really strong hand unless he thinks I'm a lunatic, but I've been pretty tight up until this hand. I fire $60 into the middle, he thinks for a really long time and finally lays it down. I show my Ace-high hoping to gain some bluff-equity for later hands, but Pablo doesn't have much of a reaction. Perhaps he was on a steal too, I really don't know.

I cashed out +63 for my first session and then went back to the bar. I meet Mrs. Gcox, who is a fine woman, with style and class, and one of the friendliest and easiest people to talk to I had ever met. Must be that southern charm.

Over the course of six drinks people start rollin' in. Iggy shows up and we chat a bit. Again, the A-listers never cease to amaze. Iggy instantly makes you feel like you belong, even if your a fake blogger hack like me. Over the summer, I dropped Iggy an email asking for any tips he could give on my upcoming WSOP trip and he happily obliged with a chat on the phone, and some sound advice. Iggy rules.

A bit later I listen to some bad beat stories from Johnny Hughes, who was taking a beating at the 1/2 tables. I'm sure he never normally plays that low, and was also not prepared for the blogger donkie-ism he encountered, and I was happy to listen to his take on the 1/2 game. Even his beat stories are stylish, funny, and full of clever quips. Go buy his book again, and give a copy to a friend. More bloggers start arriving, and I meet some new people and see some more familiar faces, but I'm kind of at a loss to the specifics as it is all kind of hazy now.

I got a call from Joc who was done shopping, and I head back to the Venitian to get some dinner. We meet up with her friend at MGM's Rouge and throw back a few more. I'm tempted to head back to IP at around 2am when we leave MGM, but decide to crash for the night and get an early start on Friday.