Took the 3 day weekend special 169.00 inclusive Tulsa Ok to Sin City, stayed at Downtown "Plaza Hotel" (North tower, clean but forgetable, South Tower appears next to bus depot,avoid like plague). Hit town running, had obligatory" In and Out" burger loaded; this is a seriously good slider. Played 7pm hold-em tourney at Orleans $63.00 entry one rebuy, about twenty tables got in line 5:30. Finished in middle of pack, one nice game feature is "Bounty Card" every time you knocked someone out you got his entry card which redeemed for $10.00 in poker chips.....Afterwards made pilgrimmage to Binions (been going there since 1972...my the changes) played hold-em till 1am....waddled to Plaza room, a short walk away and crashed. Woke up at 5 AM wide eye and back to Binions ....Casino was as quiet as a church mouse except for poker room..could hear drunken laughter...a bunch of degenerates were playing "Blind mans poker, no limit" CONTINUED
Three poker days in Vegas story....."or is it really Oklahoma Baja?"
- Thread starter Dogphish
- Start date
Vegas Continue
Vegas Continue
about 5 twentysomethings with mountains of reds were having the time of their lives....I sat in a table of 5-6 playing holdem. Shortly after play I realized I was hungry....dealer Rick said "me too, the Mickie D has dollar egg mcmuffins...." (hint, hint) the idea finally sunk in table and before long I announce I will run down and order for table....15 minutes later I came back with 2 sacks of food and we had poker pick-nick ...wrappers ketchup and salsa scattered everywhere, nobody seemed to care...Dealer Rick was thrilled......signed up for Binions 2pm hold-em tourney at noon sharp....$70.00 one buy in 10-12 tables,11 seat game...good game,finished middle of pack, my friend Dave limped into Final table finished eleventh; only paid ten places, table voted him ten dollars per player out of pocket, $100.00 CONTINUED
Vegas Continue
about 5 twentysomethings with mountains of reds were having the time of their lives....I sat in a table of 5-6 playing holdem. Shortly after play I realized I was hungry....dealer Rick said "me too, the Mickie D has dollar egg mcmuffins...." (hint, hint) the idea finally sunk in table and before long I announce I will run down and order for table....15 minutes later I came back with 2 sacks of food and we had poker pick-nick ...wrappers ketchup and salsa scattered everywhere, nobody seemed to care...Dealer Rick was thrilled......signed up for Binions 2pm hold-em tourney at noon sharp....$70.00 one buy in 10-12 tables,11 seat game...good game,finished middle of pack, my friend Dave limped into Final table finished eleventh; only paid ten places, table voted him ten dollars per player out of pocket, $100.00 CONTINUED
Vegas...
Vegas...
As I ramble I apologize for long read.....played more table hold-em till 9pm (Binions had drawing for all tourney players for 5% of total tourney pot, about $500.00 you had to be in a game to cash, one winner....(not us).....on good advise we head down to Saphire's gentlemans club......Twenty dollar cover......boys, can you say WOW....make that FRICKEN WOW!!! I quit counting the babes after 80 different.....table dance is $20.00 VIP room $100 and two drink min to $500 lots of hustle but they respond well to " no thank you" after 3 hours of watching table dancers found one worth money, did cheap VIP...lots of batchelor parties here....fun place. Stayed for shift change finally we decided we could not focus on the assets anymore and left about 1am....CONTINUED
Vegas...
As I ramble I apologize for long read.....played more table hold-em till 9pm (Binions had drawing for all tourney players for 5% of total tourney pot, about $500.00 you had to be in a game to cash, one winner....(not us).....on good advise we head down to Saphire's gentlemans club......Twenty dollar cover......boys, can you say WOW....make that FRICKEN WOW!!! I quit counting the babes after 80 different.....table dance is $20.00 VIP room $100 and two drink min to $500 lots of hustle but they respond well to " no thank you" after 3 hours of watching table dancers found one worth money, did cheap VIP...lots of batchelor parties here....fun place. Stayed for shift change finally we decided we could not focus on the assets anymore and left about 1am....CONTINUED
Vegas story...
Vegas story...
Went back to room and crashed, we decide on no wake-up call.....Sunday am head to Bellagio buffet for pig-out....10 am Sunday buffet $24 and change...usually a good buffet, seafood was dried out along with all entries as everyone is quaffing bacon eggs french toast waffles omelets....breakfast stuff...we are there for serious food, it sat under heat lamps too long...I complain to waitress she says no problem, manager comps us meal, 15 minutes later, all dried crap is replaced....definitely a class act.....if you are a "sheeple" nothing changes....we waddled to our car and back to Binions for another 2pm tourney.
I place a big bet at first table, (pocket kings) get called and lose to pocket aces.....Oh well, does not look good........CONTINUED (sorry, the story does get better)
Vegas story...
Went back to room and crashed, we decide on no wake-up call.....Sunday am head to Bellagio buffet for pig-out....10 am Sunday buffet $24 and change...usually a good buffet, seafood was dried out along with all entries as everyone is quaffing bacon eggs french toast waffles omelets....breakfast stuff...we are there for serious food, it sat under heat lamps too long...I complain to waitress she says no problem, manager comps us meal, 15 minutes later, all dried crap is replaced....definitely a class act.....if you are a "sheeple" nothing changes....we waddled to our car and back to Binions for another 2pm tourney.
I place a big bet at first table, (pocket kings) get called and lose to pocket aces.....Oh well, does not look good........CONTINUED (sorry, the story does get better)
More vegas
More vegas
Three hands later on short stack I go all in with AJ suited, pair aces flop, life is good......one caller.....yeah AQ.....wisely decide not to rebuy.. not going to be my day; leave tourney for table play.....after so many river beats I decide to try $1-$2. no limit hold em......the feature table is full, so they start feeder table with 5 players...never played this before, and liked it because you saw 75% of flops for the $2.00...you could play crap cards....I am third on list for main game so I sit and veg, and am up almost $200.00 real quick....this is where story gets good....and old gentleman every bit of 75-80 wanders into game and I note he has an oklahoma shirt under his jacket....we strike up talk,shake hands, first name basis, he is Johnny,and he is from Tulsa Oklahoma also....CONTINUED
More vegas
Three hands later on short stack I go all in with AJ suited, pair aces flop, life is good......one caller.....yeah AQ.....wisely decide not to rebuy.. not going to be my day; leave tourney for table play.....after so many river beats I decide to try $1-$2. no limit hold em......the feature table is full, so they start feeder table with 5 players...never played this before, and liked it because you saw 75% of flops for the $2.00...you could play crap cards....I am third on list for main game so I sit and veg, and am up almost $200.00 real quick....this is where story gets good....and old gentleman every bit of 75-80 wanders into game and I note he has an oklahoma shirt under his jacket....we strike up talk,shake hands, first name basis, he is Johnny,and he is from Tulsa Oklahoma also....CONTINUED
More story...
More story...
We talk and play for about another hour I am fascinated as he talked about the "Illegal poker games they played in Catoosa Oklahoma in the 1950's at the Rolling Hills club, I believe he said, Oklahoma was a dry state then..." about a half hour into the conversation I am called to the main table..we shake hands again, he hands me a business card and says good luck.... After settling in at new table I take a look at the card and about sh*t......it says "Oklahoma Johnny" Hale World series of poker-1980 Best All Round Player................
Played at main table till I am bleary-eyed...folks, 1-2 no limit is the way to go....sick and tired of those river beats in structured game...you just can not get people out of game......CONTINUED
More story...
We talk and play for about another hour I am fascinated as he talked about the "Illegal poker games they played in Catoosa Oklahoma in the 1950's at the Rolling Hills club, I believe he said, Oklahoma was a dry state then..." about a half hour into the conversation I am called to the main table..we shake hands again, he hands me a business card and says good luck.... After settling in at new table I take a look at the card and about sh*t......it says "Oklahoma Johnny" Hale World series of poker-1980 Best All Round Player................
Played at main table till I am bleary-eyed...folks, 1-2 no limit is the way to go....sick and tired of those river beats in structured game...you just can not get people out of game......CONTINUED
Almost done....
Almost done....
Had to put in 5:30 wake-up as we had 8 ish flight.....in hotel room was a copy of Gaming Today I believe.... I grabbed it for reading material at airport. After another dose of MickieD for breakfast (openned at 5:30)....make for airport....more or less awake I start reading paper...low and behold there is an article by "Oklahoma Johnny" Hale...he talks about a card game they taught some" Texas Guys" way back in the 1950's called OKLAHOMA BAJA....that bunch of guys included the game founders of Texas Hold-em......guess what guys?
Oklahoma Baja rolls off the tongue, just as well as Texas Hold-em....CONTINUED last page coming, I promise.......
Almost done....
Had to put in 5:30 wake-up as we had 8 ish flight.....in hotel room was a copy of Gaming Today I believe.... I grabbed it for reading material at airport. After another dose of MickieD for breakfast (openned at 5:30)....make for airport....more or less awake I start reading paper...low and behold there is an article by "Oklahoma Johnny" Hale...he talks about a card game they taught some" Texas Guys" way back in the 1950's called OKLAHOMA BAJA....that bunch of guys included the game founders of Texas Hold-em......guess what guys?
Oklahoma Baja rolls off the tongue, just as well as Texas Hold-em....CONTINUED last page coming, I promise.......
Binion WSOP notes.....2005
Binion WSOP notes.....2005
Spoke to tourney manager Brad, I believe...did a hell of a job I might add.....next year only the final two days of the WSOP will be at Binions.....moving to RIO....another Harrah property...scuttlebut is that Harrahs bought Becky Binion out for huge TV revenue being generated by the event....so Harrahs bought package, Binions and WSOP name and rights.....as I was playing I saw Howard Lederer being taped in interview, our 4-8 table thought about inviting him into our game....but decided not to.....Harrahs has hired him apparently as a consultant according to table talk, the dealers are hoping he will get them more comfortable shirts to wear for WSOP...I am guessing you will see some "tweaking" of the event......it looks like the end of Binion era to me eventually, another nail in the coffin of Downtown.......been to Vegas countless times....this by far most memorable.........
Binion WSOP notes.....2005
Spoke to tourney manager Brad, I believe...did a hell of a job I might add.....next year only the final two days of the WSOP will be at Binions.....moving to RIO....another Harrah property...scuttlebut is that Harrahs bought Becky Binion out for huge TV revenue being generated by the event....so Harrahs bought package, Binions and WSOP name and rights.....as I was playing I saw Howard Lederer being taped in interview, our 4-8 table thought about inviting him into our game....but decided not to.....Harrahs has hired him apparently as a consultant according to table talk, the dealers are hoping he will get them more comfortable shirts to wear for WSOP...I am guessing you will see some "tweaking" of the event......it looks like the end of Binion era to me eventually, another nail in the coffin of Downtown.......been to Vegas countless times....this by far most memorable.........
One short last funny story....
One short last funny story....
Thanx guys.......the one funny thing that happened......as I was heading to the Plaza for breakfast one of the souvenir stands was wheeling out a rack of $2.00 T shirts, I made a mental note to buy a few for nephews.
On my way back from the Plaza to Binions as I passed the stand an older mook from the bus depot scene boosted an armful and was truckin when a tourist lady hollered at him and said "Hey!!.... you did not pay for those....."
the mook slowed for a second and looked over his shoulder and retorted..."do you want one??"
I about spit up a lung when as I was entering the Binions lobby I heard her say " Do you have an extra large?"
It is true what happens in vegas stays there......
One short last funny story....
Thanx guys.......the one funny thing that happened......as I was heading to the Plaza for breakfast one of the souvenir stands was wheeling out a rack of $2.00 T shirts, I made a mental note to buy a few for nephews.
On my way back from the Plaza to Binions as I passed the stand an older mook from the bus depot scene boosted an armful and was truckin when a tourist lady hollered at him and said "Hey!!.... you did not pay for those....."
the mook slowed for a second and looked over his shoulder and retorted..."do you want one??"
I about spit up a lung when as I was entering the Binions lobby I heard her say " Do you have an extra large?"
It is true what happens in vegas stays there......
