+$1500 on Poker, 3-1 on NFL
After breaking even at the Mirage on Thursday, and winning $300 at the Bellagio on Friday, I went to the Palms Saturday night. When the smoke cleared, I was up $1192. I followed that up with a $250 or so win at the Hard Rock on Sunday night. I finished on a down note, losing $225 at the Venetian, after hunting around for a game Tuesday morning.
I first went to Rio at about 2AM or so Tuesday. Just before I bought in for $300, the power went out. The cardroom manager said that the Casino was doing some sort of security test. While most of the lights were out for only about five seconds, the lights in the cardroom didn't come back on, so we had to wait to play. After about 15 minutes, pretty much everyone left. I asked one of the guys who was leaving at the same time as me where he recommended I find a game, and he told me Caesar's Palace or the Venetian. Since he seemed to think the $2-5 game at Caesars offered some pretty sick action, that was my next stop.
If there is sick action in the $2-5 game at Caesar's, it must take place on the weekends, or at least a bit earlier in the day. When I got there there were two $1-3 games winding down, and the final table of a tournament that had started at 1am. The $1-3 game was about to break up when I left, down $33, and made my way over to the Venetian.
The action was slow even at the Venetian that morning, with only three games going when I sat down at a $1-2 NL game. One dealer remarked that the poker room had not gone dark in over two years, but he thought that it this could be the day. This would potentially be a minor disaster, as the secret to staying open is that players always know you will be open. The hardest thing is getting games started, especially when players know they can find a game somewhere else if they leave. The biggest cardrooms in Vegas right now are the Wynn, the Bellagio, and the Venetian, and one of the big reasons players frequent these places are because they can always find a game.
I never made it over to the Wynn, but one of the other reasons to play at the Bellagio and the Venetian is that these casinos are nice, and their cardrooms are nice. While I won't get into individual hands I played right now, I will say that I doubt I could find a nicer place to lose $225, other than perhaps the sportsbook at the Palazzo.
The Palazzo's Sportsbook has terraced seating facing a giant TV screen, like a stand at a football game, but instead of benches or stadium seats, it has rows of plush couches. Personally, I would like to see the lighting turned down a bit, and I would like to see a poker room close by, but this would be a nice spot to hang out when you are running bad, or have some other reason to avoid gambling (other than on sports, of course.)
The Bellagio's racing and sports book is right where it should be, next to the poker room. The lights are turned down to what I consider appropriate, and the chairs are all leather, the panneling is wood, and there are little pewter horses sticking up here and there. There are also 40 or 50 TV screens. So I didn't mind going back there on Monday to collect my winnings from New York Giants(-7)24 Tampa Bay 0, Minnesota 27 San Francisco(+7)24, and
New Orleans(-6)27 Buffalo 7. I lost on Dallas 21 Carolina(+9)7, but this was online, since the Bellagio was giving only 8.5.
So I left Vegas up 3-0 on the NFL, and up about $1600 gambling. If I'd gone by myself I'd be up a nice chunk. On the other hand, I got to take my wife and kid to Wolfgang Puck's Postrino Bar & Grill, along with taking the boy on several trips up and down the adjacent escalator, since he couldn't keep still. Terrible twos? He may be going for the record.
Right now I have cincinnati(-6)over CLEVELAND. This line opened at 5.5, and is now 6.5. Apparantly Vegas couldn't decide if the betting public would be taking the Bengals seriously now that they've beat Pittsburgh. They are, at least when they're playing the mighty Browns.
I also have san diego(+7)over PITTSBURGH. While I wasn't quite ready to take the Bengals over the Steelers last week, I feel pretty good getting 7 with the Chargers. While I'm fairly confident the Chargers will find a way to lose this game, I expect it to be by 3 or 4. Right now this line is off the board, probably because LaDanian Tomlinson might play. His injury is why I got seven in the first place. If Tomlinson swings this game for the Chargers, I think it will be because they figure out ways to throw to Darren Sproles, since he's only running the ball 7 or 8 times this game. Anyone expecting either of these teams to run successfully this week will be disappointed.
Fantasy-wise, my current theory is that Darren Sproles gets more points when LT plays, because he gets used more then as a receiver. He also may do better against good run defenses, for the same reason. It certainly worked out that way against the Ravens. I'm not starting him this week, nor Ray Rice, but Glen Coffee. (Mmmmmmmmmmmm, Coffee!) Now that Frank Gore is out for a few weeks he should get most of the carries for the 49ers, and this week he goes up against the vaunted Rams defense. Matthew Berry predicts that Coffee will win games for his fantasy teams this week. Lets hope this is factually correct.
I first went to Rio at about 2AM or so Tuesday. Just before I bought in for $300, the power went out. The cardroom manager said that the Casino was doing some sort of security test. While most of the lights were out for only about five seconds, the lights in the cardroom didn't come back on, so we had to wait to play. After about 15 minutes, pretty much everyone left. I asked one of the guys who was leaving at the same time as me where he recommended I find a game, and he told me Caesar's Palace or the Venetian. Since he seemed to think the $2-5 game at Caesars offered some pretty sick action, that was my next stop.
If there is sick action in the $2-5 game at Caesar's, it must take place on the weekends, or at least a bit earlier in the day. When I got there there were two $1-3 games winding down, and the final table of a tournament that had started at 1am. The $1-3 game was about to break up when I left, down $33, and made my way over to the Venetian.
The action was slow even at the Venetian that morning, with only three games going when I sat down at a $1-2 NL game. One dealer remarked that the poker room had not gone dark in over two years, but he thought that it this could be the day. This would potentially be a minor disaster, as the secret to staying open is that players always know you will be open. The hardest thing is getting games started, especially when players know they can find a game somewhere else if they leave. The biggest cardrooms in Vegas right now are the Wynn, the Bellagio, and the Venetian, and one of the big reasons players frequent these places are because they can always find a game.
I never made it over to the Wynn, but one of the other reasons to play at the Bellagio and the Venetian is that these casinos are nice, and their cardrooms are nice. While I won't get into individual hands I played right now, I will say that I doubt I could find a nicer place to lose $225, other than perhaps the sportsbook at the Palazzo.
The Palazzo's Sportsbook has terraced seating facing a giant TV screen, like a stand at a football game, but instead of benches or stadium seats, it has rows of plush couches. Personally, I would like to see the lighting turned down a bit, and I would like to see a poker room close by, but this would be a nice spot to hang out when you are running bad, or have some other reason to avoid gambling (other than on sports, of course.)
The Bellagio's racing and sports book is right where it should be, next to the poker room. The lights are turned down to what I consider appropriate, and the chairs are all leather, the panneling is wood, and there are little pewter horses sticking up here and there. There are also 40 or 50 TV screens. So I didn't mind going back there on Monday to collect my winnings from New York Giants(-7)24 Tampa Bay 0, Minnesota 27 San Francisco(+7)24, and
New Orleans(-6)27 Buffalo 7. I lost on Dallas 21 Carolina(+9)7, but this was online, since the Bellagio was giving only 8.5.
So I left Vegas up 3-0 on the NFL, and up about $1600 gambling. If I'd gone by myself I'd be up a nice chunk. On the other hand, I got to take my wife and kid to Wolfgang Puck's Postrino Bar & Grill, along with taking the boy on several trips up and down the adjacent escalator, since he couldn't keep still. Terrible twos? He may be going for the record.
Right now I have cincinnati(-6)over CLEVELAND. This line opened at 5.5, and is now 6.5. Apparantly Vegas couldn't decide if the betting public would be taking the Bengals seriously now that they've beat Pittsburgh. They are, at least when they're playing the mighty Browns.
I also have san diego(+7)over PITTSBURGH. While I wasn't quite ready to take the Bengals over the Steelers last week, I feel pretty good getting 7 with the Chargers. While I'm fairly confident the Chargers will find a way to lose this game, I expect it to be by 3 or 4. Right now this line is off the board, probably because LaDanian Tomlinson might play. His injury is why I got seven in the first place. If Tomlinson swings this game for the Chargers, I think it will be because they figure out ways to throw to Darren Sproles, since he's only running the ball 7 or 8 times this game. Anyone expecting either of these teams to run successfully this week will be disappointed.
Fantasy-wise, my current theory is that Darren Sproles gets more points when LT plays, because he gets used more then as a receiver. He also may do better against good run defenses, for the same reason. It certainly worked out that way against the Ravens. I'm not starting him this week, nor Ray Rice, but Glen Coffee. (Mmmmmmmmmmmm, Coffee!) Now that Frank Gore is out for a few weeks he should get most of the carries for the 49ers, and this week he goes up against the vaunted Rams defense. Matthew Berry predicts that Coffee will win games for his fantasy teams this week. Lets hope this is factually correct.
posted by roQQ | 8:22 AM
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