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I was able to combine a work trip with some reno time and this happened to be when the “Poker night in America” is being filmed at the Peppermill. On Wednesday I was suppose to go to work and then catch the 5:30 flight to Reno. I have emailed Nolan and since he is working the event hope we can hookup for poker/drinks. The main event runs until Monday night so I can’t play in that event. I decide to play in 2 of the $100 evening tourneys.
I end up not working on Thursday and instead decide to play some BJ to “warm up”. I end up drinking too much and get cutoff by the casino (not from playing BJ but beer). 6 pints is there limit and I hit that by 2:30 in the afternoon. I know they will cut me off so I have 2 pints in the parking lot nearby before I get there @ 10:15. I am able to win $1100 playing $25-300 at their DD game. I realize that I now can’t drive to the airport so I have to catch a cab. This casino is in Tacoma or about 20m to the airport. I grab my bags and get in the cab. I forgot to use the bathroom before we left. Traffic is horrible and I am wondering if I will make my flight, even in the commute lane. I finally tell the cab drive we have to get off to use the bathroom. We end up pulling over in rural area with no gas station, but I can manage.
We finally get to the airport around 4:45. I rush to the gate and I do make my flight. Alaska had free beer/wine on this flight for some reason so I have a few more drinks on the quick trip to Reno. When I get to Reno I realize that I probably can’t legally drive a rental car I have pre-paid for. I catch the shuttle to the Silver Legacy. I have a RFB room/food comp setup for 3 nights. I checkin, leave my bags with the valet, and head to the tables. I sit down and ask for a $1k marker. I don’t have my card but they remember me from last trip in June. Before they have brought back my card or I have signed the marker I have lost those chips. I get $1k more and then start winning. I am playing $25-400 more or less. Bets are all over the place. Some rounds I bet $75 one the first hand, sometimes $35, others $64. When the count goes up I spead to 2 hand and often bet one hand of $240 and the other at $75. I win, and win, and win. Dealer is busting a lot. By 12:00 I have around $6k in chips. I never stack my chips just a pile on the felt. Nobody else is playing the $25 game so far. No way to hide anything here just drink/gamble like a mad man. I have had 4-5 patron shots and a few beers by 12. I can’t even remember total drinks for the day. I figure 12:01 is a new day so I switch to double Stoli-cran and layoff the Patron. I then go on a huge downswing. I have bet $200 on one hand and $175 on the other hand. I get AA and split. Cards are dealt face down but I get A and A. I can’t remember seeing 4 As on a SD game before and I have played a little BJ. Other hand I have QQ and dealer has KK. Nothing but high cards. I go to the bathroom and dealer shuffles. Cool.
I am not sure if the pit is watching me play or just amazed at what a buffon is playing here. The waitress tells me I am the biggest drinker she has seen in Reno. I ask her how long she has worked here and she says 27y. WOW, I am being called the biggest drunk in the biggest little city.
I decide to quite playing around 3 and cash out up $775 after paying off markers. I have been at the same table almost 7h. Not good cover but I don’t play Reno much and have played here 3x with no heat before and lots of comp offers. I play 15m of craps just to show them I do play other games. I order a patron shot here as well but don’t drink it. Leve after 30m about even. I then go back and play BJ until 7:45. Same pit and waitstaff all night. No other players will play this game in Reno. I figure I am really pushing it but I am drunk I just keep playing. I lose around $300 and go to bed.
I wake up and feel about the worst in my drinking lifetime. I realize I forgot to eat anything other than some free food in Tacoma. Drink a lot of water but no food. I went jogging and I am on Virginia street (cold as hell also) and I start having stomach convulsions. I am in front of some Spy shop. How ironic I think. I somehow make it back to shower and head to Sparks. I play some at JA nugget though they won’t open the $25/game where you can Double on any 2. I was barred here in June but I will try again. I walk down the street and play at Rail City. This is a small place with $2 and $3 tables with $200 max bet. I spread from $10-250. My edge could literally be 3% in this game. No cover used at all though I do have 8 beers while playing. I am in $1k when I start winning. I have 2 max bets when I get 10,7 and 10,7. Dealer has an A. I take insurance on both and lose when dealer turns over a 7. Count is the same so I bet 2 hands of $400 each. Dealer has another A and I have 4 tens in my 2 hands. With boss right there I don’t take insurance and win when dealer flips over an 8.
By 5 I am ready to leave and cab back to peppermill so I can play in 7 tourney. When I catch up the casino manager is there with young pit boss I have played with all day. They ask for my ID, I tell them I am leaving and don’t want to give them my ID. The casino manager says I am barred from all play here at BJ. He leaves and pitboss escorts me to the cage. He mentions that I was so blatant in counting I made him look bad. I am thinking working at this dump casino is bad enough. This place is on par with the El Cortez IMHO.
I get to the peppermill and talk to Nolan briefly. He is working all of the time this week. I play a little 4-8 Omaha while waiting for 7. The tourney only draws 32 people. I was surprised. Well advertised event and this is all they can draw. Really slow tourney with 30m rounds and $8k chips. I really hate 100+20 tourneys. The 2nd 10 is for the dealers and you get $2k in chips but when everyone does this you end up also doing it. 20% is hard to beat from my experience. I run really good early and really cold late. The pace is too slow for me. I realize I am looking at 5-6h of time to get 5th-8th. I end up right on time in 8th. I get a free hat for final table from the poker room and I had 6 newcastle beers so all is not lost. Local nits treat this like a WSOP event. I am scolded for my chips not being properly stacked with big chips in the front. I also fold too early one time after 2 others have done it and the locals are on tilt. I tell them this is a small stakes tourney and just relax. Then they are really pissed. I never had less fun in any tourney in my life. I went by the poker room and the 20/40 game is a no-go. They have a 5/10 NL but I prefer to play LHE games. I head back to the SL and go back to my table.
I ask for a marker and next think I know here is the casino manager. He shakes my hand but that has been common playing here. He mentions they reviewed my play and no more BJ. I wonder how shocked they were when the “biggest drunk in Reno” was analyzed with computer software to be a counter? DOOHHH. I don’t say anything and just leave. Given my amount of play in 2013 this is 2-3y ban on BJ. I walk next store and sit down at a Eldorado game. I pull out $500 in cash and as the dealer makes change another boss is in my face saying no BJ tonight. Yikes!!! I haven’t played one hand here this trip. They are owned by different companies but obviously share info. I decide to just play a little VP and head to bed around 3:00. I think about the guy who watched me play for 8h and have 10-15 drinks (they don’t know of earlier ones in Tacoma or the plane) and keep a near perfect count. I wish I was wearing my ADB hat for this but I wasn’t.
I go jogging on Friday. I decide I am going to use up all of my comp $$ at SL as my days are over here. I get Oysters and NY steak for lunch. I also spend $125 at the gift shop on random stuff. I head to the Grand Sierra to play for a few hours. Game is usually good here with no heat. I leave for peppermill by 2. I meet Nolan and Adam in the bar. Nolan buys 2 rounds and we talk about some stuff. Great to see bargers as always. I play 20/40 from 3-7 before the tourney. Almost the exact same lineup as when I was last here in June. Fairly tight game. I have 3 sets here and none of them win. I have to pay off all the way. Pots are fairly small and I don’t win one in the 4h period. I drop $1k in this game. The peppermill has a great room and staff. However I have played 4 times in the 20/40 game and it is rather boring. All players are older and fairly tight. The 4/8 Omaha game has 2 $2 blinds which is horrible. Adam and I laugh at how tight it plays. They have bass Ale and Guiness and will bring black/tan pints to the table. I have 6 while playing so I get some EV back.
The 2nd tourney is better. I think 48 players were there though still not a lot. I get a few good hands and have a fairly decent chip stack. I then get KK and run into AA who slow played my 2nd raise on a ragged board. I call on fairly large turn raise which may have been wrong. 2 hands later I flop top 2 but against bottom set. That hand busted me and I go home in 23rd or so splitting the field.
I play BJ at the peppermill for a few hours. Lots of Vodka cranberry had on my last night in town. I do really well here and win about $1900 after paying back my markers. This is a classy casino that doesn’t sweat action too much in my experience. All of the big gamblers in Reno have moved here for the most part. I get 3 8s against a 10 with a $338 bet that I win all three when dealer breaks a 12. Lucky me. By 3 I am pretty tired and really have had a lot to drink for 3 days in a row in Reno.
I catch a cab back to the SL. I decide to pay off my other marker at the cage. When I go in the casino manager is there. He comes over and talks to me. (Often won’t talk at the tables). He says some BS about how I was one of his friends and they let me drink/play soo much only to find out the truth. I am thinking this is a casino that is trying to bust me not a social club. He said I really let him down. I am pissed now and have paid off my marker. Against my better judgment (should just STFU) and go to bed I pull out a 50c piece and ask him if he wants some money to get a cheap towel to cry into. Wow he is pissed now but I don’t back down. He tells me to leave and never again play 21 here. I tell him Reno is a dying town, the casino you work for is in chapter 11, you are wearing a cheap suit, so screw you. I wish I would have just left but I think the 20+ drinks and lack of sleep got me going. Dumb move of course.
Went to bed before flight home.
Downtown Reno is really dead. Even on Friday night it looks empty. With new Casino opening in Sacramento area I am guessing more Reno burn joints will have to close. Silver legacy could be next. How the Sands and JA nugget are open is a mystery to me. Silver Legacy is empty most days I am in there. Poker room is a complete waste of time/space.
Overall I won $3500 at BJ and lost $1200 in poker and tourneys. Oh, wait I also beat the crappy 4/8 Omaha game for $27. The drink count is astronomic though I have no idea how many to be honest.
Definitely a detox week or two for me. I would go back to Reno again though the poker isn’t great and the BJ is hit or miss with lots of heat. I will definitely go back to the Silver Legacy and play (maybe not long). I usually play some $5-200 at Cal Neva but didn’t this trip. I should have done that for sure.
Monte
PS – Looking forward to seeing more bargers at Embargo. I also owe Nolan a few rounds of drinks.