Were you nervous?
Feel intimidated?
Did it turn into a shove fest?
What about the douchebag factor?
Were people going all in with a King high?
I've never actually played a tournament in LV, although I have played in local tourneys and even actually won one.
I have played nothing but cash games 2-4 Limit in LV. These are mostly grouchy old fossils or locals grinding for groceries.
How can I gain the confidence for like a $60 Buy-in tourney? Just jump into the deep end? It's only 60 bucks, after all.

 

I guess I'll just skip this phase of Vegas degeneracy.

 

When I played a ton of poker, I was a cash game guy. In fact, I only played one tournament.

Thing about tournaments that I completely dislike... you could play for 10 hours just to find out you spent $300 to win nothing.

I can find that out in a NL cash game in 10 minutes.

 

I was hoping others would fill in the blanks as my experience is limited but I will give it a shot. I had a little different jump into tournament poker. I played some local cash games and some online but found a Fantasy Poker camp that Howard Lederer was putting on with most of the FullTilt crew at MGM. This was my first trip back to Vegas since my ban (wife induced, long story) in probably 5 years. As part of the "camp" we played a number of tournaments with the pros and some of their friends (Penn Jillett was the most notable).

I would say I was nervous and a little intimidated play next to Howard and across from Andy Bloch at my first table. It got more comfortable and I got better (in my mind) real quick. A lot of top pros (at the time, about 10 years ago) where there and all were very friendly and helpful. Annie Duke and Chris Ferguson where probably my favorites. So, that was my first jump into any real tournament.

With that noted, I then decided to play a $60 buy in at MGM, and it was completely different. some local grinders but mostly tourists and a lot of odd (or bad) play. I wasn't nervous but there were a lot suck outs and I never played that tournament again. My very limited observations, is you have to get into the higher buy-in tournaments to start to see better overall play.

The next year, I decided to play in one of the smaller buy-in WSOP events ($1500) just for the experience. Probably 3rd or 4th actual tournament I had played. I might have been nervous going into it if I hadn't been completely hung-over from the night before. it was a noon or so start time and I was still late for that and hurting. There were 2800 people in it. I made it through the dinner break and just couldn't catch any cards. I would get in hands with the best cards only to be drawn out on the river. I finally got it all in with the best hand again, but once again drawn out on the river but I was short stacked and knew it would be an easy call for some. I busted out at about 285 and they paid top 280. So close after just over 12 hours of play.

 

I've played in one tournament in Vegas and won it. Not playing ever again to keep the streak alive.

 

Actually, I think I did play in one other, at Binions. Damn, there goes the streak.

 

I've played in quite a few poker tournaments with a free entry where the tournament was a casino sponsored event. If there are rebuys involved, it is a shovefest, and not the least bit entertaining or fun. If there are no rebuys, you get a mix of the kamikaze play and the tight play. Some guys just shove shove shove until they either have a pile of chips, or bust out early. Others will play tight and wait for all these guys to drop. The problem is when you try to pick off the guys who shove every hand, but then get multiple callers, and you don't know if they are calling light or have legitimate hands. I've final tabled a couple of times for some good promo chip payouts. Never won one yet.

 

This one was still my favorite

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Wow! Very nice.

 

Love it. Guessing it wasn't your first.