News / Dave Allan / 14 July 2009 / Leave a comment

Betfair Poker blogger Simon Zammit reflects on his Vegas trip and signs off for one last time.

Back home, re-packing my suitcase as I prepare for my holiday in Spain/ Ibiza starting tomorrow, I still cannot stop thinking about Sin City and my great trip there. The twenty hour, tiresome journey from Vegas to Malta did can't even dent my positive mood and review. Nine days flew by so quickly and I once again have to thank Betfair for the amazing opportunity to experience the wonders of the place which topples any other.

Team Betfair has been knocked out of the Main Event after Day 5 but a massive congratulations has to said for their efforts. Well done to Sorel, Kevin ( E V V O), Diogo and TC Moreira who also managed to cash in some well-deserved money along the way! Whilst John and Peter were unlucky to exit, I honestly believe that Sorel will get his Bracelet soon; having again finished runner up at the Pot Limit Omaha Event whilst there in Vegas.

Personally, I believe that the trip could not have gone better for me. I got to experience Vegas for the very first time, watch a lot of the Main Event, spend time with our Pro's and met some of the Betfair qualifiers. To top it off, my colleagues Richard, Amy, Paul and Robert ensured I had the best time possible and helped me make the most of my trip since they are all Veterans. Before my journey started, all I had was stories, the internet, TV references and my imagination to picture what Vegas must be like but now I know firsthand that Sin City is really magical.

The shows, the hotels and casinos, the lights and parties are just some of the many things that set Las Vegas apart from anywhere else in the world. I was actually told this is the worst time for the City, facing a loss of turnover of about 27% so I can only hope that more people visit as it would be a shame to let the recession start to affect it. I still remember landing at McCarran Airport, seeing Las Vegas for the first time ever through the plane window. From being picked up in a limousine to riding on a helicopter tour, Vegas has been the place for me to tick off a lot of "firsts" in my life. I learned how to play Craps and the strategies behind Blackjack, win some poker, laughed my head off at the Hypnotist show and experienced the disappointments from players being knocked out of the WSOP.

It is hard to get back to real life after such a good time over there. This trip for me has been mind blowing and also made me realize how much life has to offer. Malta is a small island and a very nice place to live, but there is so much more out there and Las Vegas was the perfect place to show me that. In my introduction to the Blog, I wondered if all that glittered was really gold and in my most honest opinion, I have to say yes! Of course there are bad things such as people losing their money or ending up in crime, but these things are everywhere and the good factors in Vegas definitely rise much, much higher than the bad when compared to one another.

In terms of Betfair Poker itself, I really do think that we got as much exposure as we could and really pushed the Free Million Dollar Game and Caesars Cup; all happening at the World Series of Poker Europe. People genuinely took interest to the concept and I am glad to have been involved in all this. Annette, John, Peter and Sorel did their best to give out as many interviews as they can and the Cardstacker, Bryan Berg, really did pull off another work of art by building replicas of the Big Ben and Houses of Parliament.

For those of you readers who have been to Vegas, trust me, it is well worth another visit, especially in a few months' time when the City Centre project is finished. For others who have not been there yet, save some money and go there! There really is no other place like it and whoever built the world famous sign was not lying when they wrote "Welcome to fabulous Las Vegas"!

In just a few weeks time the WSOP Europe will commence and the excitement starts all over again in London. Although the Vegas main event has thousands of players, the Bracelet won in Leicester Square has to be the hardest to win as only the best of the best, along with some hopefuls and internet qualifiers have a go at the £10,350 Buy In Main Event. What's even greater is that next year's WSOP will introduce American Poker Rooms to the European poker sensation, Annette Obrestad, which is quite exciting!

From my home back in Malta, I thank you all for following my posts and I hope you enjoyed reading as much as I did writing them!

This is the Vegas Ex-Virgin signing out!