The PokerStars Double VPP Promo ended on Monday and I ended up knocking off about 25,000 VPPs for the week, which I was pretty happy with considering the travel I had to do and the lousy internet connections I was on.

Indoor cricket on Monday was a marathon event, but just what I needed to blow off the rust from my game. We played a double header because we were asked to fill in when another team in another league forfeited. In the first game (the one that counted) we batted pretty lousily, but managed and amazing effort in the field to defend a very low score against a seemingly capable team. In the second one it was an eight a side match, my first ever experience in that format. We played it with only six players and ended up losing by less than 10 runs which was amazing. The quality of the bowling we faced was the best I have ever come across, so it was good not to lose a wicket (I got lucky on a few occasions).

The short flight between the LV and LA was once again really bumpy and uncomfortable. We had a 5 hour lay over here until our flight leaves later tonight. We have all managed to log onto the wireless so once again the time will fly. I’ve played a little bit of poker across the day despite being on the go. This laptop is on its last legs, the wireless card has been giving me trouble the entire trip and today as the same. I’m certainly looking forward to getting home on a stable connection, with a great monitor and a good ergonomic setup.

It already feels like it has been a long day and I still have a long ways to go. Hui has pretty good, when we get to Sydney he can go straight home. Rohan and I on the other hand have a little more travel to do heading back to Melbourne and Canberra. I think Hui is going to regret wearing t-shirt, shorts and thongs when he walks out of the airport in Sydney. I’ll probably post a summary blog when I get home, but this will be the last entry while in the US, so thanks to everyone for reading and taking interest. I have another US trip on the cards later this year or early next year.

Rohan had badgering me for the whole trip that we wanted to have a few drinks one night. Last night I finally gave in a decided that it was time for a final night blow out. Given that I don’t really drink it was pretty easy to get intoxicated in short time… especially when had a large margarita that was so strong it was like drinking straight petrol. Rohan pansied out of drinking his so I ended up getting a bit excitable all on my own. I ended up getting to sleep about 4am and only had about four hours sleep, but feel pretty decent all things considered.

There were about 500 people in the theater and everyone had a table and a pretty close view. We actually had a chance for audience participation when a rubber frisbee thing that he throws out randomly to select people landed at Hui’s feet. He was too pansy to go up there and the opportunity got passed to someone else.

The most impressive illusion he performed was probably making a Lincoln Convertible appear on stage. It was an entertaining show, something different that is for sure, but I can’t say I was completely dazzled. I was just left a tincy bit curious as to how he did some things. Since we got back we’ve been reading up a little on Google, haven’t found any concrete answers yet.

Doug and his friend Jessie picked us up about 9:30 and we started out on our long road trip to Cabazon, California to an Indian Casino called Morongo. Doug and Jessie are both under 21, so they can’t play in Vegas, but the rule for Indian casinos is only 18+ apparently. They were both involved in a car accident the other night, Jessie was the driver. They had a hire car and Jessie did a really good job of driving us there and back, despite being a little nervous. I know after my crash the last thing I would have wanted to do is drive 8 hours two days later.
Doug and I played a lot hands together earlier this year, he is a regular and well known poster on 2+2 forums and we have talked a bit on AIM. He also coached and staked Rohan and few months back. It was really nice to meet him and get to talk a lot about poker and share some of the joys and frustrations of being a PokerStars regular.

Arriving at the casino we discovered that what we thought was going to be a $1/$2nl game with a $200 buy-in, was actually a $1/$3 game with a $100 buy-in?a really horrible structure. Doug was going to play $2/$5 and sit down with $4000 in front of him, I was considering playing in that game with a little less money in front of me, but decided to stick with Rohan and Jessie and donk it up at $1/$3. The rake was horrific, even if it was raised pre-flop and everyone folded they would take $3?so a blinds steal netted you all of $1. And with stacks of only 33 big blinds, it became a game of flipping coins and 60/40, 70/30 all-in pre-flop situations. Rohan got ultra unlucky, twice getting AK all-in in a coin flip situation and losing both times. Not only that he lost a straight to a rivered Royal Flush. He stopped playing a lot earlier in the day than we did because he was just running so awfully and was over it.

Early in our session a hand came up where I turned the nut straight and we put a fair bit of money in. The river completed a runner-runner flush and the guy led into me and I tanked for a bit and eventually made a crying call?he had the flush and I threw my hand into the muck and some wife beater looking guy with tattoos and a white singlet asked for my cards to be picked up out of the muck and exposed to the table (apparently legal, but somewhat unethical).

A little later controversy erupted when the guy found out Rohan and I were together he started talking about how he doesn’t like it when friends play in the same game. He then said that we are probably cheating and kicking each other under the table and until we get involved in a big pot together he is going to think that. To accuse someone of cheating in the poker world is a pretty big thing and I took serious offence. I had a few words to say to him and defended myself; the entire table was kind of in shock at this point. He then threatened me saying that I’d want to be careful what I say to him, I think the implication being that he had connections or whatever. At that point I toned down a bit, but I really couldn’t believe that the dealer wasn’t stepping in because this guy was going way over the line. Then I sighed and said “Welcome to America?and the guy goes “That’s right motherfucker, go back to your own country” and even then the dealer did nothing. I probably should have called the floor over to get the whole thing sorted. Instead I just didn’t say anything for a while and it all settled down. The guy even started talking to me in a friendly manner later. Obviously, he was just a complete nut job and I shouldn’y have wasted my time arguing with him. The rest of the table was really nice and I had a long discussion with an older guy about everything Australian related.

I think the funniest part of the day was when Doug went to cashout his chips. Because it was more than a few thousand, he had to take them to the main cage and do some paperwork. Anyway he was told he should get a security escort from the poker room to the cage. He agreed and after waiting for like 15 minutes this really serious security guard approaches Doug. He tells Jessie and I to back off, he can’t have anyone following him, even friends. It was just so hilarious how seriously this guy was taking his job and the power trip he was on being in a security uniform.

The poker part of the trip was probably the worst part, but the 8 hour car ride there and back will definitely be one of the highlights of my trip. Doug is a really charismatic guy and someone who has a lot to say about poker and poker situations. The way he was talking and the advice he gave me has given me some inspiration to make some changes to the way I approach the game. It was also just great to be able to talk with someone that has been on the same level as me and knows the ins an outs.

I am really enjoying being in Downtown Vegas, it is a real change of pace from the Strip. It is nice to walk out of the hotel and be right on the doorstep of many casinos. It’s also pretty cool that the whole of Fremont Street is under a shade protection, which makes walking around a lot easier during the day time.

The last few days have been spent grinding online and sleeping basically. We haven’t played live since the Golden Nugget in the early hours of yesterday morning. We are about to head back there now (9pm Friday night). Hopefully being a Friday night the games will be wild!

Click Here – RohanNo22′s Vegas Blog!

Eventually we got out of there after a kind of a nightmarish morning navigating US Immigration, the human cattle procession that is LAX and delays and frustration. We checked in to our suite at Tuscany Hotel and Casino without a problem and our room is fairly good for the price we paid. We are all pretty wrecked, but we managed to get up the energy to check out the casino floor, have some dinner down then and go for a long walk along the strip. At 5pm it was 47 degrees and Tuscany is a fair walk from the strip, so we had a good work out. I’ll have more to report after I sleep off this jetjag!

His mum was also in Sydney, so while he caught up with her Hui and I had some lunch then headed through customs. Disaster struck going through security when Hui’s boarding pass fell out of the container, I picked it up and put it on his laptop. Then, when he went to pick it up again it was gone. We searched high and low but couldn’t find it. We were told by the security people that they would re-issue tickets at the gate. He got the third degree over it, but they eventually re-printed his ticket for the LA flight as well as the Vegas connection.

Not long after we got all that sorted Rohan joined us in the departure lounge and we were soon on the plane. Upon taking our seats we were dismayed to find that, unlike QANTAS, United Airlines don’t have individual TV’s in the back of the seat in front of you. We faced a long boring journey! We made the best of it though, we all had our laptops and luckily brought lots of books and magazines. Hui also packed some plastic chips so we spent a few good hours playing poker and tournament blackjack against each other.

I seem to remember the flight from Melbourne to LA being 16 hours last time. Projected travel time for Sydney to LA via United is only a little over 12 hours. I don’t know what the deal is there, Sydney is only a little closer, probably has to do with the model of plane I guess. So far United Airlines has failed when compared with my QANTAS experience last time. In my next blog I’ll cover arriving in America, our flight to Vegas and checking in to the hotel.