A Quarter to Vegas

The proper title for this post, which I started to write a month ago when it really was a full quarter until my trip to Vegas, would at this point more like "Sixth to Vegas", in that it is now just a sixth of a year until I will be heading out for my annual trip to the desert for my shot at poker immortality. Well let me take a step back.

I still have not made any reservations for the summer. But things are slowly but surely coming into focus. It is looking more and more like I will be targeting the latter part of June as opposed to what I previously had thought would be more around the middle of the month, and it is increasingly likely that I will be rolling into town around the weekend of June 24-25 or the weekend of July 1-2. With the July 4 holiday and the Hammer Family's annual Independence Day beach trip looming, I think that June 24 weekend is growing more and more likely to be The Weekend, plus another day or two on either end of the weekend. You know, to give me time to have my gold bracelet sized, sign some autographs, all that stuff. But the stars are aligning such that it looks like that last week of June will be the best time for me and my entourage to head to Sin City, which means it's time to take another look at that WSOP nlh tournament schedule. I mean after all, just because I'm not allowed to play any more poker online, that doesn't mean I'm not allowed to play any more poker, period.

So what does the WSOP have in store on those two weekends? As usual with the new 50+-event schedule, they've always got something. In particular, I am looking at Event #43, the $1500 buyin nlh tournament scheduled for noon on Saturday, June 25, as well as Event #45 the next day, on Sunday the 26th of June, which is a $1000 event. All things equal, I would probably prefer the Saturday tournament, for a few reasons. First, the extra 1500 starting chips should make a real difference, especially given that both of these tournaments will follow the WSOP's standard donkament structure for the low-buyin bracelet events. And secondly, the $1000 tournaments will bring in the lowest of the low, the donkest of the donk, the poorest of the poor among all poker players, and even the bump up to the $1500 buyin should make a difference when there is a 1k event that same weekend, and if you've read here for any extended period of time then you know how much I prefer not to be stuck playing against the chasemonkey asseater horsesassses at the bottom end of the spectrum. Even for $1000 or $1500 cash money, you simply would not believe how fucking horrible some of these assyshits are at this game, and how readily they plunk down a Large or more when their only conceivable chance of lasting even a few hours in this event -- let alone a few days -- is to get some serious AstinBaynage coming their way. Early and often AstinBaynage in fact.

If I wanted to come in the weekend of July 1, on Saturday the 2nd is also a $1000 donkament, but this has two Day 1s and will probably be the largest single tournament in the entire WSOP other than the main event. And with the two Day 1s, it's going to run straight into July 4 and I really don't want to have to be sitting at that final table and wondering if Hammer Wife and the kids are enjoying their fireworks. For a lot of reasons -- not the least of which is that it is seven days sooner -- I think July 24 is going to be The Weekend 2011. But my brother is in along with most of my usual annual trip crew, so we're just waiting to finalize until everyone confirms that that's going to be it.

WSOP event #43. Next I'll take a look at the Venetian DSE schedule again and see which of those tournaments I'm likely to look into. It's always fun returning to the scene of the crime.