So Far, So....’Meh’

APAT - Vegas Vengeance: Tuesday, 15th November 2011

Tuesday was always going to be a quiet day. I don’t plan a lot for myself on these trips normally preferring to just go with the flow. Obviously, once the rest of the contingent arrive on Thursday we’re planned like the Germans invading Poland but that’s a whole other thing.

I pottered around the room for a few hours after I woke up. I can’t say it was a perfect night but it was slightly better than the previous ones I’ve had here.

Anyway, by the time I left the room at noon I was ready for a day of grinding. A grind it would prove to be. I opted not to eat breakfast, or should it be lunch, or brunch, at that time of day? Whatever, I didn’t and just made my way to the card room and got seated immediately as it was a little .quieter than the previous few days.

I was trying to find a happy medium between the boredom of folding a lot of hands and the fun of playing the pretty looking hands that I probably should fold but like to surprise people with.

This led to my stack doing a yoyo for a while getting as low as $20 from my initial buy-in of $200. That pulled me up sharpish and I really had to get back to proper grinding.

Since the Orleans is primarily a locals casino you see a lot of the same faces every day and they tend to soft play each other and will check it down when they get heads up. Oh, they’re not raising any anyone out and then doing it but all the same it’s happening all the same.

I saw this on more than one occasion, especially between the little old ladies who are friends, and when I queried of one why she had checked her quads she replied, quite openly, “Oh, we always do that”.

Sigh.

The dealer just ignored my question as to whether you could check the nuts and I can’t be bothered to take it further. Nothing is going to change and I guess it’s just another thing I’ll have get used to.

After about 7 hours I’d finally gotten my stack back up to my original buy-in but had consumed a number (OK, a lot) of beers. In fact, I was sitting on a small profit of around $40 and was considering taking a break and even perhaps just locking in that small profit.

Stupidly, I ignored that impulse and got involved in a nut high vs. my nut low hand where I got counterfeited by a 3 outer on the river which lost me a few dollars.

I played a little while longer getting down to $150 when people started leaving and the table dynamic changed.

I was getting hungry by then and decided just to take the small loss and grab some food at TGIs.

In thinking it over I had to be fairly close to break even after tips after 8 hours. I mean figure 3 beers and hour plus, say, 3 pots an hour over 8 hours...hang on let me take my socks off...

6 x 8 = 48...so yeah....I can call it break even if I want. A little self-justification is good for the soul.

Hey, what do you mean delusional? Yes, yes, I should have listed to my instincts and taken the profit when I had the chance but there you go.

Anyway, back to my home away from home, TGI Fridays for a nice Steak and Salmon meal and a couple of Stellas. At around 10pm, I realised that I was not looking forward to finishing off my pint...it just tasted ‘not right’. It wasn’t bad or anything it just felt like I was forcing it.

I abandoned it, paid my bill and went for a wander around the casino to let the food digest a while. Not particular destination or plan, I’d just see what was what and if anything caught my eye then fair enough.

Imagine my surprise when I found myself wandering back to the room....auto-pilot must be trying to tell me something.

I took the hint, clearly the old PASPS (that’s the Paulie’s Autonomic Self Preservation System) for those who might remember was kicking in even if I didn’t know why. I wasn’t drunk by any means despite 8 hours or more of drinking....three Bud Lites an hour over 7 hours wouldn’t  even dent my alcohol stream. I hung out the ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign just in case of ursine intervention (I could have been wrong about the bear after all) and crashed.

“It’s Better To Travel Well, Than Arrive”

APAT - Vegas Vengeance: Saturday, 12th November 2011

With all due respect to the Buddha, it’s obvious he’d never been to Vegas. Getting there is a grind and once you’re there it’s like coming home...well, at least it is for me. I’d overnighted at the Crowne Plaza at Gatwick and received a nice, complimentary, upgrade to a Club room.

I supped down a few Fosters and a decent sandwich before getting a decent night’s sleep.

I shuttled to the airport around 9.30 and barely had time to scarf down a Wetherspoon’s breakfast and a pint before the flight was boarding. It seemed that the seat I had switched my booking to hadn’t made it through their system but it was fine, I was still in Premium Economy but upstairs rather than down.

The in flight entertainment system was the older model but it didn’t really bother me...I’d seen most of their offerings anyway, plus I had my Kindle. I can’t say that the hours sped by but I did manage to doze for, maybe, a hour and just contented myself with polishing off two or three books.

The flight was a little bumpy with light turbulence on more than a couple of occasions but otherwise it was uneventful and we landed bang on time.

Passport control and customs was a breeze and I caught a cab with no hassle. The driver seemed keen to take the tunnel to the Orleans even though it’s the long way but I insisted on using the surface streets rather than the freeway. The driver was so keen that he offered to knock off $10 from the fare if we went his way so he could get back. This seemed like a deal and I upped his tip and the whole cab ride cost me just under what I would have expected anyway. I’ll call that my first win.

Check-in at the Orleans was a breeze and I was into my rather large room in no time. I unpacked, abluted and got the IT rig set up.

I had a minor problem with the US sim I had bought as my phone didn’t seem to want to recognise it...until I realised I’d put it in upside-down!

After fixing this schoolboy error I as still having problems but a quick glance showed me that the phone hadn’t auto-selected the APN and after referring to the information I’d got from the people who sold me the sim I had this set up and I was off and rocking....almost.

I tried to access the APAT site on my phone only to find that a net-nanny was set and after calling T-Mobile Customer Service found it couldn't;t be removed without a US Social Security Number (to validate my age). Apparently the only way I can get this taken off is to visit a physical store. I’m not sure I’ll bother as I have access to all my social media sites and apps and I don’t really see any overwhelming need to access APAT while on the mover on this trip.

Once I’d gotten all those issues resolved I was feeling somewhat peckish...and in need of a large drink...so I headed out and down to TGI Fridays.

No, it’s not like the UK versions...at least not much. I ensconced myself at the bar and settled on a pint of Stella rather than the somewhat weaker US offerings.

The first disappeared rather quickly and the second was consumed while I tucked into a very decent 10oz steak. One more did the trick and it was time to pay off the $40 bill (including tip) and get stuck into some poker.

I had to wait a while before a seat opened up at the 4-8 Omaha Hi/lo tables but eventually I settled in and bought in for a couple of hundred.

Nothing eventful to report, my stack bounced around a little...getting down to just under $100 after couple of sick river suckouts but overall the play was pretty easy to read.

Regardless, I wasn’t making huge inroads but just grinding away. Around 11.30 pm and a mere $50 up I’d been up for going on 24 hours and was starting to feeling it.

That would do...I’d covered ‘lunch’, the rake, tips and such...time to call it a night.