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[FARGOpokerND]

So last night I just got back from a 2-trip-in-one vacation, and as is the norm, I figured I'd write up a little report on it. We went to Chicago for Lollapalooza (music festival) and Vegas for a convention.

July 31-Myself, my girlfriend and two friends hopped in a car to begin the 10 hour drive from Fargo to Chicago. We left at 8am, which turns out to be a very bad idea. We rolled into the suburbs of Chicago at around 5ish, which is of course rush hour. We finally got to our hotel at 830, thanks to that wonderful idea

Our hotel was pretty damn nice for a bunch of college kids. We wanted something downtown since that is where Grant Park is, so we chose the Palmer House Hilton, much nicer than a Holiday Inn. Walked up north to Ginos Pizza East (I think thats the name) and had some sickly good deep dish pizza. Went to bed early because we had three LONG days ahead of us.

Aug 1-We were up at 10am because the Lolla gates opened at 11 and we wanted to beat the crowd to the gate doors. Too bad that wasn't the case. We got to Grant park at around 1045, but didn't get through the doors until 1130. The fact it was 90 and humid, helped to wear us down pretty fast. We get through the gates, and being that the souvenir stand is right by the entrance (Buckingham Fountain) we decide to hit that up first. As I am looking at the shirt selection, my friend, Kim, says she didn't feel good, as I turn to look at her, she falls straight backwards on to her back. Turns out she was dehydrated and that+heat caused her to pass out. A wonderful start to a weekend in the sun.

For those of you who have never been to Grant Park before, it is a HUGE place for a music festival. With the crowds (80,000+ people a day) it takes a good 30 minutes to walk from one side of the park to the other. This means it is hard to be able to go to back to back concerts across the park because you will miss half of a concert walking, and then have bad seats to top it all off. Well, we started off day one by catching what was left of Bang Camaro (any rock band or guitar hero player should know this band...). After that we spent the next hour in the shade so Kim could take it easy. Went to Parlor Mob next. They are incredibly good performers and this concert ended up being one of my favorites of the weekend. After them, we just hung out on the north side and went to Duffy, The Black Keys, Cat Power. We did this mostly to get a good spot for the Raconteurs. I LOVE them and they did not disappoint. It was an amazing show. After that ended, there was a rush of about 30,000 people across the whole park in time to catch the headliner that night, Radiohead. Sadly I was very far back for them, but it was still a rocking show. They had these cool green lights that made it look like it was almost raining while they played. After that show, it was off to bed for another day.

Aug 2-Promised my girlfriend I'd accompany her shopping, so we did that all morning. I ate Panda Express, which is pretty much amazing. We have none of them near Fargo, so I consider it a luxury to eat it whenever I can. Got to Lolla about 2pm, 30 minutes ahead of the first concert I wanted to see, Dierks Bentley. Since Lolla is mainly a rock concert, a country artist seems very out of the norm, but Bentley was very good. His guitarist is ridiculous and he played to the crowd very well. Being that it was country, I was able to stand middle of the 1st row. Then we ran across the park to catch as much of MGMT as we could. They are the band I listen to the most when I play poker, as it is relaxing music. Perry Ferrell (founder of Lolla and lead singer for Jane's Addiction) and a "special guest" were performing on another stage so we went to go see who the special guest was. Lucky for us, it was actually Slash of GNR. That was a pretty pleasant surprise.

After that ended we had a decision to make. Rage Against The Machine was one of the headliners tonight so we could try and get up close for that, or else we could go stage to stage and try and catch many bands. Two more friends had gotten to Chicago this morning and they were big RATM fans, like me, so I said goodbye to my girlfriend and other friends and decided to get up close to the stage. We spent an hour pushing up front, then Lupe Fiasco performed and it was...LOUD. The bass was right by us and I could see people's hair blowing after each bump of the bass. It was a decent concert, but as SOON as it ended, people sparked up for the fact that it was now 1 hour until RATM. The stage looked like this IspeakersI___STAGE___IspeakersI We were in front of the imaginary p on the left speakers. As soon as Lupe ended, there was a HUGE push and suddenly all the people in front of us were jammed together and we were suddenly in front of the S in the STAGE. PERfECT! Front row seats for a huge concert. Well after being squished for an hour, RATM came on and the place went NUTS. They opened with Testify and then Bulls on Parade. During that time I managed to get knocked down twice and stepped on many times. People were passing out and getting hurt all over. It got so bad that they stopped the concert right after that to try and get the rowdy crowd to settle down. One of the girls that was with us got beat up pretty bad so we got our asses out of there before it started back up. RATM ended up having to stop the concert two more times, which we witnessed from a little further back this time. It was a high-power concert that was definitely worth the bruised arms and legs, and broken cell phone. After the concert got out, the concert-goers roamed downtown Chicago streets for the next hour, just yelling and causing too much noise. There were cops everywhere and you could see they looked a little tense. I couldn't wait to sleep...so I did just that.

Aug 3-I was pretty beat up so I slept past checkout and finally got to Lolla around 130, after eating Panda Express again (obv). Today my goal was to just relax and listen to music from farther back. We kicked back a blanket and listened to the John Butler Trio (amazing!) and G Love and the Special Sauce. Then we stood for Flogging Molly, which was another high-power performance. Then we sat through Gnarls Barkley and moved up semi-close for the closer for Lolla, Kanye West. It is always something special to see artists perform in the cities they grow up in. He even showed up on time! It was a very good show, where he repeatedly admitted his love for this city. Concert ended and we literally ran out because we needed to beat the traffic out. This was because I had a plane to Vegas leaving from the Minneapolis Airport at 645am. If we were not out of downtown by 11pm, I would probably miss it. Lucky for us, we were able to get out in time and at 545am we rolled into the Airport dropoff, where I would be leaving my friends and joining up with my family down in Vegas.

Aug 4-I didn't sleep at all in the car so I was dead on the flight to Denver, then to Vegas. My family was down there for a Diesel convention (Association of Diesel Specialists) because my dad runs a pretty big diesel repair shop here in Fargo. The convention was being held at the Wynn, and for anyone who has never stayed there, it is amaaaazing. I took a taxi to the hotel, it was $32! I was pissed, the dude took me way south of the strip on the interstate, then around the west side, before cutting back over to the Wynn. My parents got a taxi for $22 taking a different route. Got to the room, which is huge, has a TV in the bathroom, and the whole outer wall is a window overlooking the golf course. A friend who goes to these conventions every year too had one of her friends cancel out on the trip with her, and she had an extra ticket to Phantom Of The Opera for tonight, so lucky me, I got to go for free. It was a great show and I highly recommend it if you love any musicals.

Afterwards I decided to go look for some poker to play. I headed out to Mirage 1st, and lucky for me, there was a 1/2 PLO game going! I had never played live PLO before so I was real pumped. I bought in for 300 and could instantly tell that these people had no clue what they were doing. They had basic grasps of PLO down, but they executed everything poorly. I built my starting stack up to ~500, lost a decent pot when a flush draw caught up and was down to 350, when I got in a huge hand. I was playing against a guy who only raised preflop with high pairs, and kept nailing them. Basically I had 9542 double suited (clubs included) on a 5c-5x-Jc-3x board. After check/calling flop, I lead turn with a pot bet, he instantly repots, and I instantly shove. He has AAKJ and clubs, and hits his 9outer on river in a $750 pot. I rebuy for $200 and few hands later get it in middle with T986 on a T74 flop versus QT32 and somehow that hand holds, and I call it quits for the night, stuck $500.

Aug 5-Today I don't play any poker, I head out with my friend and we drink at the Bellagio all night while we play 25cent video blackjack. Later on, I go with my family to Ka over at MGM, another great show. Afterwards, I was drunk and tired so I went to bed early.

Aug 6-Today I get up and just decide to walk around Vegas for a bit. I am walking through Planet Hollywood poker room and I see a 1/2 table where no one had more than $200, so I sit down. A few hands in, my QQ loses to a shorties AA and I am stuck $100 already. I rebuy for $100 more then start chipping back and I pick up an interesting hand. One guy limps, I raise 97cc to $10 from the button, the BB and the limper call. Our effective stacks are $200. The flop is Qc-8d-6c, a huge flop for me. The BB leads for $5, limper folds, and I make it $30 more. After debating for awhile, the BB calls. The turn is 8s, a brick. BB leads for $40 this time. He just screams weak. He is making this look like a blocker bet more than anything. I decide that he really isn't that strong and I want to take the pot now, so I shove. His face goes sour and he starts to complain about his kicker. It looked like he was about to call, so I asked if he had QJ...without waiting for his answer I said "Oh wow, you don't even have QJ, do you?" then I laughed. He flashes QT when he folded saying I MUST have him beat, so I show it, and he wasn't too happy. I win a decent pot later with AJ vs KJ on Jxx flop and I end session at +160. I had to make it back for the opening party for the convention, which meant a night of free food and free drinks. I drank crown and cokes all night and next thing I know I am playing 4/8 with a bunch of drunk people at the Wynn. Only hand I really remember from that is when I straddled and ended up 6-betting it blind preflop 7-ways. I looked after the K66 flop, and I had K4. I bet the whole way and ended up winning the pot, so sick. Ended that session +160 as well. Went to Pure nightclub with my convention friend and had a killer time there, then to bed for some sleeeeep.

Aug 7-I wake up and work my way over to Caesars for the $70 3pm tourney. It is capped at 50 people and I didn't want to spend all night playing a tourney anyways so I was happy. It was a turbofest for the most part, with 3k chips and 30 minute levels. I built a 10k stack in the 1st hour, was down to 4k after AQ<A3 AIPF at end of 2nd hour, then went nuts and built a massive stack and cruised into the cash. When we got to 4handed, I had 18k at 1/2k, other 3 had between 30k and 50k, I was somehow able to coax an even 4-way chop between us all. I ended up getting $520 for it, basically 2nd place money, so after entry, that is +$450. I go to Maggianos Italian at Fashion Show mall. Huge food orders and high quality like always. That night I meet up with Snamuh (Brett) and Infinite_loop and we go play some 1/2 at Mirage. I basically couldn't find spots to pick up pots, and on final hand of day, I made a questionable call that you can read about here. http://www.fullcontactpoker.com/poker-foru...howtopic=126784 I end session at -300.

Aug 8-I go walking around again and see a decent game at PH. Nothing eventful to report, as I end day +24 there. I then go to a company party at The Hofbrauhaus (spelling???) by the Hard Rock Hotel. Its a Bavarian Beerhouse where they serve beer to you in 1 liter jugs. Needless to say 4 jugs in, I had no clue what was going on. I passed out on the tour bus that took us back to the Wynn, where I promptly went to play more 4/8. I was running pretty poorly until the last hand of night when I raised QJdd, maniac called me, flop came T98 ddx and we capped it, We capped the 6 turn too and he just called the 2 river with J8. I end up +20 for the night. I had two friends from Fargo fly in today so my convention friend and I joined up with them at the Bellagio for more drinks and me losing $100 playing video roulette and blackjack. I blacked out the rest of the night so my day report ends here.

Aug 9-I went to Imperial Palace because my friend was in love with the dealertainers. I left her while she watched them and I played 1/2 in their cardroom. I ended up flopping a flush and getting a guy to shove on me drawing dead, after I tried a squeeze preflop a few hands earlier that backfired, and I ended session +55. That night, my convention friend went to Chippendales, and I passed due to my insecurity around half-naked men. Then we walked the strip all night, drinking anything that was cheap.

Aug 10-Woke up and went to NYNY to eat at my fav restaurant in the world, ESPN Zone. I wolfed down a triple-double burger (2 8oz patties) and watched my Twins blow a lead to KC. Then I meet up with my Fargo friends again and we walk from Wynn down to MGM, where I stay to play poker. I buy for the full $200, build it to $240 when I get to a weird spot. Four people limp, so I just come along with QJhh as does button. Flop comes Kh-6x-2h, checks all around. Turn is 8h, and BB leads for $10 so I make it $35, BB calls. river is blank, BB checks, I make it $55, BB thinks forever, he pushes out $125 more chips, pretends to push it over line, then pulls back...to see my expression, a borderline angleshoot imo. Then he does push it over the line, i sigh and call, he has A2hh. He was a tight asian middle aged man and the more I think about it, the more I think I should fold, because I am not getting check/raised by a ten-high flush or worse in that spot. Anyways, I reload $200 more, pick up AK vs K9 on QJT flop, 65 vs JJ on 965 flop and then the final hand worth talking about, it gets it's own paragraph.

A black dude sits down looking all fancy, he had only known aggression, if he raised preflop, he was firing flop 100% of time, twice he folded to raises that was only a little more than his c-bet. He was brash and angry because he was already stuck $200 without anyone showing down cards. Anyways, 4 limps, I limp 86cc on button, SB calls, he raises $15 more from the BB, 3 callers, so I come along too. Flop comes down 9x-6x-5c and he leads out for $45. Everyone folds to me. Now, as I said, he does that with ANY two cards, if he has JJ or something like that, and I shove and he calls, I still have 9 outs twice. Whatgreatis and I were discussing the merits between shoving and calling here, I chose to shove, guy calls with JJ and I hit 6 on turn. I end session an hour later +210

Aug 11-We get up and fly out pretty much right away, nothing worth reporting here.

I end trip +273 in poker and -200 in table games. I'll call it a success.

Hope you didn't read it all...I wrote too much.

[outsider13]

1st tl/dr














J/K. Nice report, balla

[Tehtoe]

nevermind.

[chgocubs99]

You slept way too much in Chicago FYI

[cubsfan44]

You slept way too much in Chicago FYI

And ate at panda xpress way to much

[FARGOpokerND]

You slept way too much in Chicago FYI

Standing 8 hrs in sun kills a guy. And the negatives of having 3 sub-21 friends.

And ate at panda xpress way to much

Blow me

[Suited_Up]

And ate at panda xpress way to much

I saw once, definitely too much.

Dude, if you want good Chinese, we have SOOOO many good places in this city. Panda is at the bottom of that list.

It's like saying you don't have McDonalds by you and being excited to eat it.


I skipped the Vegas part, cause I see enough of those TR's and your shit was pretty long. Glad Chicago was fun for you though.

Gino's was a solid choice. I live like 5 mins from Lolla, and for me it just ****ed up traffic, lol. Though I did notice that it's probably just better to stand outside on LSD and listen to the music without the crowd. I could hear it from my car as I drove to the casino

[FARGOpokerND]

I saw once, definitely too much.

Dude, if you want good Chinese, we have SOOOO many good places in this city. Panda is at the bottom of that list.

We have some good chinese places in Fargo too, but when I just want to grab fast food, if I had the choice of any FF place, Panda wins. always.

[mhoward29]

sounds like you had a good time. Im no PLO expert but you ripped on guys for not knowing how to play but you got your money in without the nut draws. Did you end up + or - for the trip?

[Suited_Up]

We have some good chinese places in Fargo too, but when I just want to grab fast food, if I had the choice of any FF place, Panda wins. always.

Portillo's FTW

[Tehtoe]

sounds like you had a good time. Im no PLO expert but you ripped on guys for not knowing how to play but you got your money in without the nut draws. Did you end up + or - for the trip?

looooool, you obviously are v good.

[mhoward29]

looooool, you obviously are v good.

that's why I said im no expert, thanks.

[MadKennedy420]

NICE REPORT, ENJOYED IT.

[FARGOpokerND]

sounds like you had a good time. Im no PLO expert but you ripped on guys for not knowing how to play but you got your money in without the nut draws. Did you end up + or - for the trip?

Umm, if you would like me to go into more details, he played the hand wide open as either AA or KK, and if by chance he had AA5x or KK5x, then my clubs and open ender is a good backup for additional outs. And please point out where I "rip" on people in PLO, I hardly ever post in the forums unless I am the one asking questions. My hand was not about drawing, it was about my made trip 5's holding.

[mhoward29]

Umm, if you would like me to go into more details, he played the hand wide open as either AA or KK, and if by chance he had AA5x or KK5x, then my clubs and open ender is a good backup for additional outs. And please point out where I "rip" on people in PLO, I hardly ever post in the forums unless I am the one asking questions. My hand was not about drawing, it was about my made trip 5's holding.

Sry, I didnt mean "rip" as in you were berating them, just my personal lingo. So were you winner or loser for the trip?

[FARGOpokerND]

Sry, I didnt mean "rip" as in you were berating them, just my personal lingo. So were you winner or loser for the trip?

Says at bottom of OP.

[chgocubs99]

NICE REPORT, ENJOYED IT.

If you don't have something negative to post in this thread please don't post anything at all.

[GrinderMJ]

nice report, sounds fun. SD>ND tho

[El Guapo]

I stopped reading when you said Panda Express was amazing.

Was there anything else worthwhile after that statement?

[FARGOpokerND]

nice report, sounds fun. SD>ND tho

No debate there.

I stopped reading when you said Panda Express was amazing.

Was there anything else worthwhile after that statement?

If by worthwhile you mean pointless, then yes.