So I have resisted posting about the upcoming NBA finals mainly because I have had no time to really sit down and do it justice.  But since Lori and I are going to Vegas tomorrow for the WSOP, it seems appropriate to talk about it mainly because I have the opportunity to wager on it for the first time.

Basically I have loved the Lakers since I was about 9 years old.  When you pick your favorite team as a child, that’s pretty much it.  I have known, followed, agonized, rejoiced, suffered, and just plain love the Lakers for over 20 years.  I can remember doing the “sky hook” with rolled up socks hitting my little brother in the head like about a million times as a kid.  Good Times.  It’s pretty insane considering I could have held on to my love of all things Ninja at around that same time; but once you discover girls in middle school, Ninjas no longer seem relevant.

But the Lakers have always been relevant, in some way shape or form, for most of my life so them being in the finals is always a good thing.  I really think that the Lakers have the deeper team and should win it in 6.  Which would be extra special seeing how they are the only team to have ever won a title on Boston’s home floor (85’ which was the first year for this 2-3-2 format; just dumb really).

The Forum Blue & Gold is my favorite place to go when I am looking for the down low on the Lake Show.  They have been doing it since 04’ and it’s hands down the best blog out there on the Lakers.  I highly recommend it if you can somehow pry yourself away from this blog, haha.

We are flying in to Vegas tomorrow late, so of course I am going to miss Game 1.  However I think that if I am going to put any money on the series it would be Game 2.  The Lakers should be underdogs and I can just bet them to win.  I can not even think about betting them as the favorites at home and then they somehow win but not cover.  I would rather them just win.

I have no clue what the point spreads are, but I will be in the Venetian for the first 4 days so I will check out what they got.  We will finish up at the Rio, but my mind won’t wonder far from the prospects of LA bringing home another title.  Especially at the expense of the Celtics! 

Vegas Here We Come!

This is a cautionary tale of what can happen after an all day poker, blackjack and JWB binge.

So a couple of years back 44, Lori and I went to Vegas on one of our poker trips.  Great times really, but it was summer time and it was hot.  The kind of heat that feels like you are in a convection oven that is set on 500.  We were actually walking on the Strip during the day and I was putting ice on my head that was actually evaporating after a couple of minutes.  Insane.

After a full day of poker and some blackjack, the three of us are in Harrah’s waiting in line to eat in their café (which is now a Chinese restaurant, not bad but nothing special) late.  We have been drinking and gambling and generally having a good time when 44 begins to have issues.

He starts slowly and low at first proclaiming that the blood in his legs is boiling.  He is slapping his thighs and stressing that he is serious and he can feel the heat in his legs, and only his legs.  Now I don’t know how you can “feel” temperature differences in your blood, but he is going on and on about how his blood is boiling.  Now he is getting loud and basically we are causing a small scene.  Of course Lori and I look at each other and do what only we can at this point, we start laughing hysterically.

So now you have this guy yelling that his blood is boiling and the two people he is with are just laughing.  The thing is he was dead serious and his face had this fierce look like he was the Ultimate Warrior or something.  Crazy actually.

Somehow we get seated during all of this and 44 proceeds to down three of the glasses of water in breakneck fashion.  After the third glass, he returns to normal and the rest of the night finishes without much incident.

I think that he was just really dehydrated, but it’s definitely another reason why you have to heed the message I put in a previous post and drink a lot of water throughout the day, unless you too want your blood to boil!   

I have read a ton of poker books over the years and I have to say that Barry Greenstein’s Ace on the River: An Advanced Poker Guide (Amazon) is one of my favorites. Barry is a top pro and is respected the world over. He has a very inviting and easy style about his writing that I really enjoy.

The photography throughout the book is vivid, appropriate and engaging; which I find refreshing as compared to the norm for this type of book. I think that I enjoy it more than most because it assumes that you understand the basic premise of no limit and it truly gives you some insight to a higher level of play. He uses real hands that he has played and tournament scenarios that help visualize the points that he makes.

There is a small amount of poker theory, but again it’s well illustrated and thought provoking. There is also a forward by Doyle Brunson that is very good, but that’s just icing on this already great cake.

This won’t be the first book in your collection, but it’s one that you most certainly should have if you are serious about playing at the next level. It’s also nice enough to be on your coffee table and your folks won’t even know the difference.

Getting around in Vegas can be an adventure.  The lights and the allure is certainly inviting and you find yourself wanting to take it all in.  Well my friend; that is no small task when you consider that the Strip itself is over 4 miles long.  Throw in the fact that you could walk for days just inside some of these behemoths, and your dogs will start to bark.

So aside from the constant walking, you have a couple of options.  Taking a cab is your first introduction to Vegas.  Here is a cab line on a typical Friday night at the airport; umm not so nice.  However, the line moves fairly quickly and they have it down to a science so you will spend 30-45 mins max, unless we are talking New Years or something when the crush of people it tremendous.  The cost is about $23-25 to get you to the heart of the strip and is shorter if they take Tropicana to get there, but they almost never do.  So enjoy the tunnel and highway and hold on because I have yet to get in a cab that isn’t doing 90-100 on that interstate stretch to the strip.

Once you are there you can take cabs from one end of the strip to the other, but depending on the time of day and if the cabbie knows any side streets, this can add up.  Especially when you consider the time you will wait in a cab line, you could be talking a serious commitment.

One alternative is the Monorail.  Now I would only recommend that you buy the 10 rides for $35 ticket.  It’s the best value and you can use it for multiple people.  Plus it’s good for a year from when you buy it so you can use it when you come back (and you will come back).  This is a good alternative if you are on the east side of the strip and need to go a stop of two.  One ride is one ride so if you are at the MGM and you are going to the Strat, then this is definitely a deal.  The Monorail is fast and runs on time so it’s a pretty quick alternative at 10 pm on when Vegas really picks up.

So with a good mix of walking, cabs, and the monorail you should be able to get around in Vegas no problem.  I have left out Limos because they are just not a cost effective way to get around, no matter how hard they try to sell you when you are standing in line.  Don’t fall for it!

So now you are a Blackjack expert.  You have taken what I talked about in the first part of this strategy and now are looking for the payoff, right?

Great, so let’s get into it and talk about getting rated.

One of the main reasons why I love Blackjack is it’s a game that involves people.  As you know from a previous post on tipping, having people involved when you are gambling is always a good thing.   When you are doing well, having a good time and generally in good spirits good things are going to happen.  This is where getting rated comes in.

Every time you sit down you need to put your player’s card on top of the money you are changing for chips.  Now if you are not playing @ $25 per hand then this really doesn’t matter as your play will not be rated highly in a lot of places, or not at all in others.  But if you are; then now you are in business.

So now you are getting your money “washed” and the dealer is calling over the pit boss to get your play in the system.  This is where the amount that you buy in at plays a roll in the calculations.  Getting rated early and often is the key to elevating your status and ultimately getting your piece of the RFB (Room, Food and Beverage) pie. The formula is a rough one, but basically it boils down to the amount that you sit down with, what your average bet is, how long you play, and what you leave with.  

Since you are going to be gambling anyways, you might as well start getting some of the comps along the way.  Those start with small discounts on food and better room rates.  As you move up the ladder, you will get free nights and they will even start giving you money to play with.  It’s a beautiful thing.

You should use your card every time you do anything, but when you are playing at the tables there is more opportunities for good things to happen because it’s the pit bosses who are actually determining what kind of player you are.  I have had pit bosses in the past put in larger starting amounts, long play times and just generally helping the players like me out.  This is not going to happen every time you sit down of course, but if you are practicing Good Karma, then good things will happen for you too! 

So saddle up pards and let’s get that cocktail waitress over, I need a drink!