This concludes this leg of the tour. Final tally: down $1805.
I will write off about a third, $600, of that to just doing recreational/donk poker. There was probably another $400 of getting my money in bad when I should have known better. The remaining $800 or so I will write off to variance due to great second best hands, cards not falling my way, getting my money in good but getting sucked out on, and just plain randomness. But this Tour is not over by a long shot. I'm going to work on getting the variance back first. Then correcting for my sins of getting my money in bad. Recreational/donk poker will be the last chunk to recover.
Even though I am stuck more than I would prefer, I'm OK with it. I got to play at least 10 hours a day, ate some tasty meals, met some cool people, found some really great tables to play at, but mostly gained some very valuable experience. It was a unique opportunity that gave me insight to different styles of poker and gives me a better idea of where I need to be to be the one who walks away winner from the tables.
Thanks for your viewership. The tour will continue later...
Monday, April 9, 2007
Last chance to get unstuck (didn't happen)
First stack I limp into a pot with Ah 9h. Flop is T 9 little card. The inevitable continuation bet comes and gets a call from another player and myself. Turn comes a nine to trip me up. Original bettor makes it 15, fold from innocent bystander. I raise and make it 45 to go. The
bad guy looks up the board and pauses a little then calls the extra 30. At this point I have 30 or so left and I am committed to this pot. If I just pumped the pot for a made full house then so be it. But I am going on the assumption that they have top pair so unless the river pairs tens, I'm shipping them in. River is a Jack and we get the money in. He flips over 87os for the winning straight. I commend him for a well played hand. Turns out the extra Nine is a blank as far as his hand is concerned and a Ten on the river would have actually won me the hand had I called on the river. Time for a rebuy.
The table is great though, a couple real characters at the table especially Copper in Seat 5. Ran into Miss Skinny Donor again. I've been at her table a few times over the weekend. Never seen her leave with money. She'll post a bill, see some flops, get short stacked, get in involved in some lotto hand, double up, then donk off some more, get felted then post another bill. Lather, rinse, repeat.
Seat 4 raises pre-flop and I pick up As8s and join in. Flop comes A88. Not bad. He leads out and I smooth call. Turn is a blank, he checks, and I check behind trying to figure out how he can catch up so I can stack him. River is a jack and he makes an over-hyped "all-in!". I ask to confirm that he is all in and insta-call only to find myself on the wrong end of a house over house hand when he opens his hand to show pocket Jacks. Again, this is one I should have thought through. Fantastic second best hand but I have to ask myself what I am beating that someone would jump all in like that with. Pre-flop raise from him should have alerted me to a possible AA or JJ. I thought that the flop hit me in the face but the "side card" of the full house is largely irrelavant. About the only thing I was beating was an overly ambitious AJ to two pair. He actually did push all in with AJ on an A 9 2 board later and got called by a guy with A9os and doubled him up. Another hand he did the same push on Miss Skinny Donor. River came a Jack of Clubs on a paired board. He pushed and she hadn't seen enough of his play to get away from the second nut flush that the river brought her. Anyway, add Full House to the list of other hands that I've lost with this weekend.
Opened up my game to adjust for the table and entered some pots with suited connectors and gappers. If I had one of those hands or a pocket, I'd see a flop. Probably 3/4 of the flops were limped around so it allowed for great play. Really connected with some flops and led the betting to build the pot and took down some big ones.
Had Q9 in Spades and caught a flop of KQ9. Good and bad. Still very very aware of the possibility that someone flopped perfect on me since JT is such a common hand for people to start with. I lead out 10 as a prober, three callers. Turn is a blank and I check. Checks around. River pairs my Queen and I'm positive that I'm good. Lead out and get no action but take down the pot. Turns out everyone else just had gutshot straights that didn't materialize. I had to tread lightly because that flop was dangerous. I was also in danger of a KQ higher two pair. Note to self, have to try to keep gaps close. I will not do Q8 and I'm going to need to add Q9 to the list.
I call a raised pot with AQos. Flop comes Ace high and I know I'm already golden. One of them *might* have AK but I doubt it because so many players down here treat AK like they were Aces and pre-flop didn't tell me that. Not drawy board. Miss Skinny Donor leads out. I call and so does Seat 8. Turn is a Q and I'm doubly good now, even up against AK which now I really wish someone has. Seat 9 leads again for more and I smooth call as does Seat 8. River blank. Seat 9 slows down and just wants to see where her Ace is at now. I min raise to 30. Get a visually crying call from Seat 8 and Seat 9 can't not call off $15. Top two pair are good and I take down a healthy pot. including $50 back from Seat 8 that I paid her on the turn and river to confirm that I was indeed out-kicked. Stupid calls they were. Board paired and gave me a chance at a split with my crappy Ace.
Miss Hawaii sits to my left in Seat 2 and she's a donor too. Try to get involved in a big pot with her because she is also in buy-donk-rebuy mode but can't find the right pot to do so with. She's nice though so I donated to her cause when she pushed all in with a short stack. She'll either quadruple up or re-buy, either is good for me and the table. Flop misses me and I go away. She shows me her hand and he has Js 9s and flopped a Nine high two Spade board. She is in really good shape. Turn brins the third Spade and Seat 4 is pushing all in. I know she's done now. Seat 4 has not shown down any small suited connectors so he's either playing Ace-x suited or a high connector. Since she has J9 that rules out anything but KQ which is exacly what he showed to win the pot. Turn out she would have been better off not catching her flush because river came another 9 and would have taken down the pot.
Got involved in another pot where I had Qh Jh (this was before I wised up about two gappers). Flop comes out 8 high and two Hearts. Round of flop bets to buid the pot. Turn is a non-Heart Ten. Checked to me and I snap off the action with a push holding two overs, inside striaght to then nuts and four to the flush. Plenty of outs in case some decides to call. No resistance and I take down another pot.
A bit of fluctuation in stacks as pots were either limped around and basically checked through all streets or built fairly large.
Despite my best efforts to get stuck an even 2 Large for the trip. I do end up cashing out for $120 when I have to leave to go to the airport. Shake hands with Copper who has since moved to Seat 8 to change his luck.
bad guy looks up the board and pauses a little then calls the extra 30. At this point I have 30 or so left and I am committed to this pot. If I just pumped the pot for a made full house then so be it. But I am going on the assumption that they have top pair so unless the river pairs tens, I'm shipping them in. River is a Jack and we get the money in. He flips over 87os for the winning straight. I commend him for a well played hand. Turns out the extra Nine is a blank as far as his hand is concerned and a Ten on the river would have actually won me the hand had I called on the river. Time for a rebuy.
The table is great though, a couple real characters at the table especially Copper in Seat 5. Ran into Miss Skinny Donor again. I've been at her table a few times over the weekend. Never seen her leave with money. She'll post a bill, see some flops, get short stacked, get in involved in some lotto hand, double up, then donk off some more, get felted then post another bill. Lather, rinse, repeat.
Seat 4 raises pre-flop and I pick up As8s and join in. Flop comes A88. Not bad. He leads out and I smooth call. Turn is a blank, he checks, and I check behind trying to figure out how he can catch up so I can stack him. River is a jack and he makes an over-hyped "all-in!". I ask to confirm that he is all in and insta-call only to find myself on the wrong end of a house over house hand when he opens his hand to show pocket Jacks. Again, this is one I should have thought through. Fantastic second best hand but I have to ask myself what I am beating that someone would jump all in like that with. Pre-flop raise from him should have alerted me to a possible AA or JJ. I thought that the flop hit me in the face but the "side card" of the full house is largely irrelavant. About the only thing I was beating was an overly ambitious AJ to two pair. He actually did push all in with AJ on an A 9 2 board later and got called by a guy with A9os and doubled him up. Another hand he did the same push on Miss Skinny Donor. River came a Jack of Clubs on a paired board. He pushed and she hadn't seen enough of his play to get away from the second nut flush that the river brought her. Anyway, add Full House to the list of other hands that I've lost with this weekend.
Opened up my game to adjust for the table and entered some pots with suited connectors and gappers. If I had one of those hands or a pocket, I'd see a flop. Probably 3/4 of the flops were limped around so it allowed for great play. Really connected with some flops and led the betting to build the pot and took down some big ones.
Had Q9 in Spades and caught a flop of KQ9. Good and bad. Still very very aware of the possibility that someone flopped perfect on me since JT is such a common hand for people to start with. I lead out 10 as a prober, three callers. Turn is a blank and I check. Checks around. River pairs my Queen and I'm positive that I'm good. Lead out and get no action but take down the pot. Turns out everyone else just had gutshot straights that didn't materialize. I had to tread lightly because that flop was dangerous. I was also in danger of a KQ higher two pair. Note to self, have to try to keep gaps close. I will not do Q8 and I'm going to need to add Q9 to the list.
I call a raised pot with AQos. Flop comes Ace high and I know I'm already golden. One of them *might* have AK but I doubt it because so many players down here treat AK like they were Aces and pre-flop didn't tell me that. Not drawy board. Miss Skinny Donor leads out. I call and so does Seat 8. Turn is a Q and I'm doubly good now, even up against AK which now I really wish someone has. Seat 9 leads again for more and I smooth call as does Seat 8. River blank. Seat 9 slows down and just wants to see where her Ace is at now. I min raise to 30. Get a visually crying call from Seat 8 and Seat 9 can't not call off $15. Top two pair are good and I take down a healthy pot. including $50 back from Seat 8 that I paid her on the turn and river to confirm that I was indeed out-kicked. Stupid calls they were. Board paired and gave me a chance at a split with my crappy Ace.
Miss Hawaii sits to my left in Seat 2 and she's a donor too. Try to get involved in a big pot with her because she is also in buy-donk-rebuy mode but can't find the right pot to do so with. She's nice though so I donated to her cause when she pushed all in with a short stack. She'll either quadruple up or re-buy, either is good for me and the table. Flop misses me and I go away. She shows me her hand and he has Js 9s and flopped a Nine high two Spade board. She is in really good shape. Turn brins the third Spade and Seat 4 is pushing all in. I know she's done now. Seat 4 has not shown down any small suited connectors so he's either playing Ace-x suited or a high connector. Since she has J9 that rules out anything but KQ which is exacly what he showed to win the pot. Turn out she would have been better off not catching her flush because river came another 9 and would have taken down the pot.
Got involved in another pot where I had Qh Jh (this was before I wised up about two gappers). Flop comes out 8 high and two Hearts. Round of flop bets to buid the pot. Turn is a non-Heart Ten. Checked to me and I snap off the action with a push holding two overs, inside striaght to then nuts and four to the flush. Plenty of outs in case some decides to call. No resistance and I take down another pot.
A bit of fluctuation in stacks as pots were either limped around and basically checked through all streets or built fairly large.
Despite my best efforts to get stuck an even 2 Large for the trip. I do end up cashing out for $120 when I have to leave to go to the airport. Shake hands with Copper who has since moved to Seat 8 to change his luck.
Sunday, April 8, 2007
Sunday morning
Chris and I pack our things and do the automated check out on the TV. Take a short cab ride across the street from a pissed off cab driver. Overheard after a run in with the taxi line guy "...that's why I hate coming here."
When we get to Bally's a super cool bell hop saves us the wait in line and checks our bags for us as he's on the way with a loaded cart. Nice tip for him.
Once more it's back to Caesars and a double cranberried savory stuffing with an orange Gatorade to stay hydrated.
Couple of eggs in the basket Easter morning
Got up from my nap around 10:00. Got cleaned up and headed over to Caesars. Sat down watch/played. After about an hour or so, I pick up Kings and raise to 12 pre-flop. Get three callers. Three callers after a raise from the guy who hasn't voluntarily entered the pot all night. Flop comes out 9 9 5 rainbow. The paired board worries me a little but actually is good since it makes it less draw heavy. I hope no one has or wants to represent the 9. Checks around to me and I throw 35 at the pot. Every one folds and I have sugar. Couple more hours later I try limping in a couple times with pocket pairs but either get raised out or don't connect.
Next big hand is a battle of the blinds. All week I had been offering to chop blinds and even folded the button if it looked like the blinds were about to chop. I'm the the SB and the table folds around. I ask the n00b next to me if he chops and he shakes his head no. So I look at my hand and am welcomed by Jean Enersen, K5os, and I complete the blind. BB checks. Flop is K Q 7. I lead out 10. BB re-raises me to 20. I partly feel like just getting on with the next hand but I my hand is momentarily possessed and calls the raise. Turn comes another 7 and I make it 45 to go. He pays and I get a little concerned about my kicker. River is an Ace and I slow down and check it. He checks behind and shows QT. Shortly thereafter he asks for a table change. Looks like maybe he should have taken the chop....
After a while I start getting bored and open up my game. I come in with KJos and flop top pair. It's heads up and my opponent has shown to come in light so I'm confident that I don't have a kicker problem. Two diamonds on board though and he likes to chase. I make it 25 to go to charge him for the turn card. He calls and a non-diamond hits on the turn. I make it 45 to go. He comments "that's a lot to pay for a draw" and I say "that's what it is supposed to do" but he pays anyway. Non Diamond falls on the river and I try to get a value bet out of him so he can make sure that I had him beat. I put out 30. He then makes it 60 more. My mind rewinds to his comment about paying for a draw and I wonder how made he is. I scan the board and a 3 would make a straight so he may have backed into a straight and I wonder if he backed into it with a junky suited hand. Thoughout the night he has been making very poor value bets. Charging too much but when he is called he always had the goods so I decline his offer. He shows his hand anyway and he had a suited connector that gave him a two way draw on the turn so he actually didn't make as poor a play as I had assumed. Good lay down.
Later on I again pick up KJos and I can see a flop cheap enough. Board comes out KQT. Look familiar? I have top pair with an open ender and I charge him 20 for the turn card. He pays and a Trey falls. I then bill him 40 for the river. He makes the same comment about expensive for a draw. I again concur. He lets it go this time and opens his hand. He's holding a yucky J 3 os for an open ender and a pair on the turn that he didn't realize he had until we told him after his fold. I explained how behind he was and was essentailly paying money to pretty much only chop the pot and congratulated him on a good fold.
I take a break and saunter over to Ben's table where is in the middle of a hand. A flop of KQJ two Diamonds it out on the table. Seat 2 either bets or raises to 40 to go. Ben adds $100 to that and I'm wondering if/why Ben is playing AT? Back to Seat 2 and he is incessantly stacking and flipping chips processing this hand. He finally announces that he is all in and Ben exposes his pocket pair for a flopped set but he is behind the made sucker straight from Seat 2's 89os. Ben is about 1 in 4 to fill his house and take down a monster pot. Turn pairs the King and Ben stacks Seat 2's chips. I think back to the Zen/Poker book and remain non-bitter just because Ben draws out when he needs to. We discuss the hand a little afterward and he said he considered calling. However, once the board pairs I think the other player is smart enough to slow down so the re-raise introduces the possibility that this ends up an all-or-nothing pot.
Back at my table, players start to leave and our table breaks up. I move to a much better table. Table captain is in Seat 1 directly across from me in Seat 4. I've been watching the table pretty carefully and understand their protocols fairly well. Everyone folds around to him and he makes it 10 to go, standard issue for holding an Ace. Another fold and in the BB I pick up two black Nines, the Phil Hellmuth hand. I call and he pops an eyebrow since I haven't played any hands. Flop comes out and it doesn't appear that he hit. I look at the board and it is King high, no Ace. I lead out 20 and he folds without a fuss but reveals his Ace in an effort to show he wasn't trying to steal.
Next key hand. Pot gets sweetened to 10 by UTG. Four callers including Capitan. I am in BB and pick up the Daniel Negreanu, 7 T in Diamonds. I can cap the betting in a pot of 50 for another 7 bucks. I do so. Flop comes Ad T? 6d. I have second pair and four to the flush. I size up the pot and my stack. I was down already from the hand I got sucked out on and blinded down further to about 120. I size up the pot and my stack then lead with a bet of 35 which was enough of the pot to say that I have something and enough of my stack to commit me based on my outs. I have already decided that I am not folding this hand. 9 Diamonds presumably good. Two other Tens and three Sevens all win this for me I figure. Everyone folds around to Capitan. He starts to count out chips. I help him by cutting stacks myself and tell him I have 88 chips left. He announces his raise that is enough to set me all in and I call having already decided to do so before I bet out. I assume that he is bullying with Ace/decent kicker and thinks I'm going to protect the rest of my stack. He turns over T6 for two pair. Uh oh. Did not think that he was that strong and he is taking away two of my outs since a Ten now fills his boat. Turn is a Seven to give me a higher two pair. Blank on the river. That doubles me up plus pre-flop money so I'm now at more than two and a half stacks. I apologize for the suckout and told him I expected to hit my flush to take the hand. He gets kinda tilty about the hand. He assures me there is no reason to apologize. We actually spend the next half hour talking about the hand. It was really a great table because there would be a lot of hand analysis immediatly after hands are played out and everyone except seat 5 clearly enjoyed discussing the play of hands.
I see a couple more flops over the next hour or so then get a rack to cash out. Say good-bye to the table and get a warm farewell from other poker enthusiasts. The cashier gets a single from my $250 that I leave with. Total damage is now down to a more manageable $1425.
Next big hand is a battle of the blinds. All week I had been offering to chop blinds and even folded the button if it looked like the blinds were about to chop. I'm the the SB and the table folds around. I ask the n00b next to me if he chops and he shakes his head no. So I look at my hand and am welcomed by Jean Enersen, K5os, and I complete the blind. BB checks. Flop is K Q 7. I lead out 10. BB re-raises me to 20. I partly feel like just getting on with the next hand but I my hand is momentarily possessed and calls the raise. Turn comes another 7 and I make it 45 to go. He pays and I get a little concerned about my kicker. River is an Ace and I slow down and check it. He checks behind and shows QT. Shortly thereafter he asks for a table change. Looks like maybe he should have taken the chop....
After a while I start getting bored and open up my game. I come in with KJos and flop top pair. It's heads up and my opponent has shown to come in light so I'm confident that I don't have a kicker problem. Two diamonds on board though and he likes to chase. I make it 25 to go to charge him for the turn card. He calls and a non-diamond hits on the turn. I make it 45 to go. He comments "that's a lot to pay for a draw" and I say "that's what it is supposed to do" but he pays anyway. Non Diamond falls on the river and I try to get a value bet out of him so he can make sure that I had him beat. I put out 30. He then makes it 60 more. My mind rewinds to his comment about paying for a draw and I wonder how made he is. I scan the board and a 3 would make a straight so he may have backed into a straight and I wonder if he backed into it with a junky suited hand. Thoughout the night he has been making very poor value bets. Charging too much but when he is called he always had the goods so I decline his offer. He shows his hand anyway and he had a suited connector that gave him a two way draw on the turn so he actually didn't make as poor a play as I had assumed. Good lay down.
Later on I again pick up KJos and I can see a flop cheap enough. Board comes out KQT. Look familiar? I have top pair with an open ender and I charge him 20 for the turn card. He pays and a Trey falls. I then bill him 40 for the river. He makes the same comment about expensive for a draw. I again concur. He lets it go this time and opens his hand. He's holding a yucky J 3 os for an open ender and a pair on the turn that he didn't realize he had until we told him after his fold. I explained how behind he was and was essentailly paying money to pretty much only chop the pot and congratulated him on a good fold.
I take a break and saunter over to Ben's table where is in the middle of a hand. A flop of KQJ two Diamonds it out on the table. Seat 2 either bets or raises to 40 to go. Ben adds $100 to that and I'm wondering if/why Ben is playing AT? Back to Seat 2 and he is incessantly stacking and flipping chips processing this hand. He finally announces that he is all in and Ben exposes his pocket pair for a flopped set but he is behind the made sucker straight from Seat 2's 89os. Ben is about 1 in 4 to fill his house and take down a monster pot. Turn pairs the King and Ben stacks Seat 2's chips. I think back to the Zen/Poker book and remain non-bitter just because Ben draws out when he needs to. We discuss the hand a little afterward and he said he considered calling. However, once the board pairs I think the other player is smart enough to slow down so the re-raise introduces the possibility that this ends up an all-or-nothing pot.
Back at my table, players start to leave and our table breaks up. I move to a much better table. Table captain is in Seat 1 directly across from me in Seat 4. I've been watching the table pretty carefully and understand their protocols fairly well. Everyone folds around to him and he makes it 10 to go, standard issue for holding an Ace. Another fold and in the BB I pick up two black Nines, the Phil Hellmuth hand. I call and he pops an eyebrow since I haven't played any hands. Flop comes out and it doesn't appear that he hit. I look at the board and it is King high, no Ace. I lead out 20 and he folds without a fuss but reveals his Ace in an effort to show he wasn't trying to steal.
Next key hand. Pot gets sweetened to 10 by UTG. Four callers including Capitan. I am in BB and pick up the Daniel Negreanu, 7 T in Diamonds. I can cap the betting in a pot of 50 for another 7 bucks. I do so. Flop comes Ad T? 6d. I have second pair and four to the flush. I size up the pot and my stack. I was down already from the hand I got sucked out on and blinded down further to about 120. I size up the pot and my stack then lead with a bet of 35 which was enough of the pot to say that I have something and enough of my stack to commit me based on my outs. I have already decided that I am not folding this hand. 9 Diamonds presumably good. Two other Tens and three Sevens all win this for me I figure. Everyone folds around to Capitan. He starts to count out chips. I help him by cutting stacks myself and tell him I have 88 chips left. He announces his raise that is enough to set me all in and I call having already decided to do so before I bet out. I assume that he is bullying with Ace/decent kicker and thinks I'm going to protect the rest of my stack. He turns over T6 for two pair. Uh oh. Did not think that he was that strong and he is taking away two of my outs since a Ten now fills his boat. Turn is a Seven to give me a higher two pair. Blank on the river. That doubles me up plus pre-flop money so I'm now at more than two and a half stacks. I apologize for the suckout and told him I expected to hit my flush to take the hand. He gets kinda tilty about the hand. He assures me there is no reason to apologize. We actually spend the next half hour talking about the hand. It was really a great table because there would be a lot of hand analysis immediatly after hands are played out and everyone except seat 5 clearly enjoyed discussing the play of hands.
I see a couple more flops over the next hour or so then get a rack to cash out. Say good-bye to the table and get a warm farewell from other poker enthusiasts. The cashier gets a single from my $250 that I leave with. Total damage is now down to a more manageable $1425.
Saturday, April 7, 2007
Yet another winning session
Went over to Caesars and sat down at another very interesting game similar to the MGM Table 9 crowd. Very gamesy play with the ring leader to left though thankfully enough he moved over to my right after a couple of hours. I ended up all in pre-flop with Ac Jc and the board came Jack high and my hand held up. That tripled up a partly depleted stack and put me over the top enough to post blinds and watch and learn. Cashed out for $125 and scraped some paint off my losses.
Did some more hand analysis of KQ on a KJT board. All I had to do was ask what am I being re-raised with for a raised pot pre-flop? Let me list the hands that I am beating first...that would be QQ and that hand would probably not be re-raising unless it was just a disgruntled player mad out being outflopped. That's about it. The next highest starting hand that I am beating would be pocket Nines. I am behind pocket Aces, Kings, Jacks, and Tens. AK is ahead. KJ, and KT have
two-paired. AQ clearly has me crushed. AJ and AT would not be re-raising. So long story short, I should have thought through that one more.
By the way, I don't work here
I'm waiting for a table to open up and am standing in the entry area. I have been asked about ordering food for someone in the sports book, if all the games on the waiting list display are for limit, and where the restrooms are. Fortunately for those people I had answers for them all.
Eating like royalty
Lunch today is courtesy of Burger King right across the street from
the Flamingo. Got my order in immediately after the guy who ordered
"25 whoppers, I'm serious." I hope my order gets processed before all
of his. Next, it's back to Caesars.
the Flamingo. Got my order in immediately after the guy who ordered
"25 whoppers, I'm serious." I hope my order gets processed before all
of his. Next, it's back to Caesars.
Late night Friday
Got a text message that the others were done with their steak dinner. Headed down to Mandalay Bay. Stopped by the Caesars taxi line and got discouraged so I hoofed it. Noticed the cars and buses that had passed me are now behind so I'm making better ground speed than vehicles on the strip. Crossing Tropicana Ave I saw what was probably the reason, a car wreck in the middle of the intersection of Tropicana and Las Vegas Boulevard a.k.a. "the Strip"...on a Friday night. Quite possibly the worst time/place for a car wreck. No CSI personnel visible on the scene. Anyway, met up with the fellas at Red Square in Mandalay Bay and had some drinks. Then we took the tram back up to the Excalibur then took the overpasses to MGM for cards or to Hooters for craps, depending on which was preferred.
Spent $200 on "recreational" poker because I got seated at a loosey goosey table. Then got moved to a real table, the mythical Table 9 at the MGM. This was the same table that I sat in on back in January where a completely different brand of poker is played. I don't understand the rules or the insider protocols but the money ends up kinda being irrelevant in a way. It is more about aggression and making proper reads. A guy sat down next to me from another table and said that they were playing the 2/5 style on a 1/2 table. Some hands would be limped in and basically checked down on all streets. Others would be jammed with a three way $60 pre-flop raise. Sometimes there would be $5 flop bets other times $75 then check the turn and river. I sat and posted blinds there for about 8 hours fascinated by the style of poker being played. Nothing like High Stakes Poker or WSOP play that you see on TV. It is other-worldly.
Oh and you can add Pocket Aces as another hand that I got stacked by. Made it $20 to go pre-flop and got called by a gal who wanted to "keep me honest" with KTos. I put the rest ($30 or so) in in the dark. She flopped a Ten and rivered trips. I also ended up in a hand where my pocket Fives notched pocket Fours and tripled up. Cashed out $153 or down $247 for a grand total of an even $1500. Yeesh. Gonna take a little while to build this back up.
Spent $200 on "recreational" poker because I got seated at a loosey goosey table. Then got moved to a real table, the mythical Table 9 at the MGM. This was the same table that I sat in on back in January where a completely different brand of poker is played. I don't understand the rules or the insider protocols but the money ends up kinda being irrelevant in a way. It is more about aggression and making proper reads. A guy sat down next to me from another table and said that they were playing the 2/5 style on a 1/2 table. Some hands would be limped in and basically checked down on all streets. Others would be jammed with a three way $60 pre-flop raise. Sometimes there would be $5 flop bets other times $75 then check the turn and river. I sat and posted blinds there for about 8 hours fascinated by the style of poker being played. Nothing like High Stakes Poker or WSOP play that you see on TV. It is other-worldly.
Oh and you can add Pocket Aces as another hand that I got stacked by. Made it $20 to go pre-flop and got called by a gal who wanted to "keep me honest" with KTos. I put the rest ($30 or so) in in the dark. She flopped a Ten and rivered trips. I also ended up in a hand where my pocket Fives notched pocket Fours and tripled up. Cashed out $153 or down $247 for a grand total of an even $1500. Yeesh. Gonna take a little while to build this back up.
Friday, April 6, 2007
Caesars at night
Head over to Caesars to have some more savory stuffing and cranberry sauce for dinner. Walk past the door line for Pure nightclub and the rope line snakes around for miles. After being inundated with so much marketing I am going to knuckle under and get tickets to the Celine Dion show...no not really. I am being much better about rationing my side of cranberry sauce since ran out early last time. Next time I will ask for two.
The guys are over at Mandalay Bay's steak house, "Stripsteak". I looked it up and the price tag converted me to being an econo-vegetarian.
Did I mention that with the Caesars makeover that they did away with the bathroom attendants? Although the food court has roving wait staff to clean and bus tables so dining requires an extra toke.
Taking stock
So now I'm down $1253. I'm not thrilled at the tally but I really wouldn't change a lot about what I've been doing.
Yes, I've donked off some of my chips. I should have reasoned that I was putting my money in bad a couple of times but I was reviewing how I got stacked and here is a recap of how I lost my money:
* Pair of Jacks versus flopped set. I slow down enough to not get felted.
* Pair of Queens loses to a backdoor flush that the player didn't realize he had.
* Dominating AJ to A7, flop trips and get all money in before he rivers a house.
* AJ verus AA on an A high flop.
* Go out in tourney trying to get lucky with 9h Th and am dominated by pocket Tens.
* Pair of Kings, overpair to the board, to flopped straight.
* Chasing with outs. I am 40% to win on the flop and have am getting 2:1 on my post flop bet. 30% to win on the turn and push with the rest of my stack for my claim to a $500-ish pot. Draw a two-pairing "blank" on the river.
* Lose with top pair top kicker to turned straight.
* Donking off chips seeing too many flops.
* Bust out of tourney trying to make a move which I should be doing with any two cards but do with suited connectors to improve my odds. Run into AKos.
* Lose with top pair second kicker and open ender to flopped straight.
* Get felted with the third nuts on the flop losing to a flopped straight.
* Lose with top pair second kicker.
Can't say that I'm really unhappy with my play. Yes, I donked off some of my chips. But I have also played very very patiently. I've waited for premium starting hands. I have even foregone some of my favorite junk hands! ;) For a stretch played only super-value hands where I could see flops for the minimum. I have known when I am starting with a less than ideal hand like KQ. Got in trouble with them but at least I'm consicous of going in light. Thanks Marsh for recommending "Zen and the Art of Poker" which I reviewed on the flight down. I can probably count on two hands the amount of hands I willingly entered today at the MGM. I was not put off. I didn't feel that the deck "owed me" better cards. I didn't mind folding in the SB with crappy cards. I have lost with some great second best hands and have gone in way ahead and gotten drawn out upon. I cut WAY back on donking chips today. I guess overall, I wouldn't really change my play so the rest just comes down to the cards falling my way or not.
Sounds like we're going to party down at Mandalay Bay tonight so I'm going to try to find a game and meet up with the guys after they have dinner.
Yes, I've donked off some of my chips. I should have reasoned that I was putting my money in bad a couple of times but I was reviewing how I got stacked and here is a recap of how I lost my money:
* Pair of Jacks versus flopped set. I slow down enough to not get felted.
* Pair of Queens loses to a backdoor flush that the player didn't realize he had.
* Dominating AJ to A7, flop trips and get all money in before he rivers a house.
* AJ verus AA on an A high flop.
* Go out in tourney trying to get lucky with 9h Th and am dominated by pocket Tens.
* Pair of Kings, overpair to the board, to flopped straight.
* Chasing with outs. I am 40% to win on the flop and have am getting 2:1 on my post flop bet. 30% to win on the turn and push with the rest of my stack for my claim to a $500-ish pot. Draw a two-pairing "blank" on the river.
* Lose with top pair top kicker to turned straight.
* Donking off chips seeing too many flops.
* Bust out of tourney trying to make a move which I should be doing with any two cards but do with suited connectors to improve my odds. Run into AKos.
* Lose with top pair second kicker and open ender to flopped straight.
* Get felted with the third nuts on the flop losing to a flopped straight.
* Lose with top pair second kicker.
Can't say that I'm really unhappy with my play. Yes, I donked off some of my chips. But I have also played very very patiently. I've waited for premium starting hands. I have even foregone some of my favorite junk hands! ;) For a stretch played only super-value hands where I could see flops for the minimum. I have known when I am starting with a less than ideal hand like KQ. Got in trouble with them but at least I'm consicous of going in light. Thanks Marsh for recommending "Zen and the Art of Poker" which I reviewed on the flight down. I can probably count on two hands the amount of hands I willingly entered today at the MGM. I was not put off. I didn't feel that the deck "owed me" better cards. I didn't mind folding in the SB with crappy cards. I have lost with some great second best hands and have gone in way ahead and gotten drawn out upon. I cut WAY back on donking chips today. I guess overall, I wouldn't really change my play so the rest just comes down to the cards falling my way or not.
Sounds like we're going to party down at Mandalay Bay tonight so I'm going to try to find a game and meet up with the guys after they have dinner.
Today's lunch brought to you by Subway
The daily special at Subway today is Tuna...except that they don't run the specials down at the Subway on the strip so I pay full price for a half tuna on honey oat bread. Delicious!
While I was at MGM, I stepped across the street and checked out the Hooters hotel/casino. The rates on Expedia were in the "too good to be true" category since they had weekend rates as low as $40/night. Embarrassingly cheap. The guy in Seat 8 who stacked me said he was staying over there and the rooms were nice. I asked the front desk to see a room and I was given a key to a room upstairs. Checked it out. Small but nice. Nicer than the Flamingo rooms I would say. Lot of music and noise coming from the pool area so you'd have to ask for one facing out of he courtyard. Next trip down, I'd have no problem staying there plus it's right across the street from MGM Grand.
Another thing that I noticed this trip in the Flamingo casino is a hybrid live/computer roulette game. They have a real dealer spinning a real wheel but they have about a dozen computer kiosks surrounding the table for entering bets. Everyone can pick their own numbers while the ball is still rolling and lockouts happen auto-magically I'm sure. Looked plenty popular as well. This one I like. Not as bad as the computer Hold'em tables that were introduced but not well accepted.
Another observation: I think that the 1/3 game at Caesars is slowed down by the chips that they use. Instead if just 1s and 5s, they throw in a $2 chip as well so posting a red in the BB will get you a green double instead of two singles so a ton of time pre-flop is spent by the dealer trying to get change right. I think it would move a lot faster if they just cut out the pale green $2 chips...but who made me floor director at Caesars? Guy at the MGM said that they play their 1/3 table with just 1s and 3s! So betting is all in multiples of 3s! Jason would LOVE it! Making it $20 to go would be replaced by seven trip chips. $50's closest thing is 17 chips but at that point you are probably shoving out a stack of 3s for a $60 bet. You all know how I like using "units" for chips but this one is a bit of an odd duck.
While I was at MGM, I stepped across the street and checked out the Hooters hotel/casino. The rates on Expedia were in the "too good to be true" category since they had weekend rates as low as $40/night. Embarrassingly cheap. The guy in Seat 8 who stacked me said he was staying over there and the rooms were nice. I asked the front desk to see a room and I was given a key to a room upstairs. Checked it out. Small but nice. Nicer than the Flamingo rooms I would say. Lot of music and noise coming from the pool area so you'd have to ask for one facing out of he courtyard. Next trip down, I'd have no problem staying there plus it's right across the street from MGM Grand.
Another thing that I noticed this trip in the Flamingo casino is a hybrid live/computer roulette game. They have a real dealer spinning a real wheel but they have about a dozen computer kiosks surrounding the table for entering bets. Everyone can pick their own numbers while the ball is still rolling and lockouts happen auto-magically I'm sure. Looked plenty popular as well. This one I like. Not as bad as the computer Hold'em tables that were introduced but not well accepted.
Another observation: I think that the 1/3 game at Caesars is slowed down by the chips that they use. Instead if just 1s and 5s, they throw in a $2 chip as well so posting a red in the BB will get you a green double instead of two singles so a ton of time pre-flop is spent by the dealer trying to get change right. I think it would move a lot faster if they just cut out the pale green $2 chips...but who made me floor director at Caesars? Guy at the MGM said that they play their 1/3 table with just 1s and 3s! So betting is all in multiples of 3s! Jason would LOVE it! Making it $20 to go would be replaced by seven trip chips. $50's closest thing is 17 chips but at that point you are probably shoving out a stack of 3s for a $60 bet. You all know how I like using "units" for chips but this one is a bit of an odd duck.
Marginal call to finish off my stack
I am card dead and just posting blinds. Limp in once with pocket Fives and flop a set on a King high flop with two clubs. I have to bet to charge for a turn card. Checked around and I bet out from late position. No customers but I take down the pot.
Down to less than half a stack and Seat 4 who has been constantly raising to 11 leads out. I have everyone's favorite dominated hand, KQ, and it is offsuit to boot. I decide that if I hit either that I am going to go with it. Flop is Queen high and all clubs. I lead out for 15 and Seat 4 sizes up my stack and I show him the few chips I have left and we give each other the poker player's acknowledgment that we throw the rest in. He asks if I "have one" and I tell him no so he knows that he is free of a flush draw. He shows AQ and it holds up. Yeesh. Took an assumed risk pre-flop and got notched. Time to get some food and a nap.
Don't go broke with one set
Very patient playing premium hands. Raise one hand to 7 with Ad Qd,
two callers, flop comes Q high, checked around to me, I bet and take
it down. Still a little down for the session.
two callers, flop comes Q high, checked around to me, I bet and take
it down. Still a little down for the session.
Next key hand, seat Six opens for 10 and I think of re-raising but
smooth call instead. Heads up to the flop. Board is K J T with two
diamonds. Six leads 15 and I call, wary of possibly being up against
the nut straight but also knowing I have boat outs. Turn is another
diamond. And he bets 15 again, he is scared too and I call waiting to
boat up if I need to. River is a fouth diamond and we check it down.
He shows Aces and that puts me over for the day.
Next key hand and I pick up Jacks again. I open for 15, 7.5 times the
BB and get two callers. Flop comes out Q J 8. Check, bet of 20 from
Seat 8, his first hand. I raise to 65. He says raise and I tell him I
have 48 left and he put me in. I call expecting Kings or two pair. But
instead I run into my nemesis, the suited connector Ts 9s and yet
another player to flop perfect on me. I don't improve and am felted.
Rebuy for another $100. Did I mention that I find players flopping
perfect against me to be really really REALLY irritating?
Casual Friday
Switching it up a little today and going with the "smart casual" look: jeans, dressy shirt, black Italian sport coat. Maybe change my table image a little too.
Taking monorail to MGM to cash in "my" winning Superbowl ticket at the sports book. Will go back to a 1/2 table which will be a little cheaper to fold cards at.
Planning on being more tight/aggressive and steal some blinds which I don't do as much as I probably should.
Am here at MGM now. Going to grab some food and play some poker!
First winning session!
I take the 80 out of my pocket and add on another $100 which I promptly flushed away when I made top pair and an open ender KQ on a K J T flop. Push came to shove and I paid off AQ. This thing of players flopping perfect against me is really really irritating.
Time to switch gears into Diamond Tight mode. I buy $100 more and will only see flops if I can limp with pocket pairs, Ax suited, or other Ace/Face combinations. I call with some hands but fold if I get raised out. I finally get to limp in with pocket Nines and flop top set. Seat 9 seems pretty excited about the flop but not as much as I am. He leads out 20 and I decide how dangerous this flop is. I think it's OK to smooth call here. Turn brings Ten and a very convoluted possible straight draw. He leads, I re-raise enough to trigger the All-in reflex and he bites and moves in. I call. He turns over 9 3 os (???) and he's already drawing dead to the river. That puts me over the top. I take down some more pots and eventually get up to almost $400. I continue to play very tight with only hands that have potential to give me the nuts or very powerful hidden hands.
I pay blinds and get to see some hands for "free" and try to limp with other hands. I pick up Jacks and it gets raised to 30. There is another call and I decide that it is OK to see a flop because of the pot/implied odds of catching a high set. Doesn't materialize and I let it go. I eventually get worn down and cash out at $305. Net gain for session: $25. It's a start.
That brings me back to being stuck $1053. Next stop is getting that down to triple digits. Just need to stick to the fundamentals and stop donking off chips. A little more luck on my side wouldn't hurt either. I repeat to myself..."I will not donk, I will not donk, I will not donk." No more reports of stupid plays.
Time to switch gears into Diamond Tight mode. I buy $100 more and will only see flops if I can limp with pocket pairs, Ax suited, or other Ace/Face combinations. I call with some hands but fold if I get raised out. I finally get to limp in with pocket Nines and flop top set. Seat 9 seems pretty excited about the flop but not as much as I am. He leads out 20 and I decide how dangerous this flop is. I think it's OK to smooth call here. Turn brings Ten and a very convoluted possible straight draw. He leads, I re-raise enough to trigger the All-in reflex and he bites and moves in. I call. He turns over 9 3 os (???) and he's already drawing dead to the river. That puts me over the top. I take down some more pots and eventually get up to almost $400. I continue to play very tight with only hands that have potential to give me the nuts or very powerful hidden hands.
I pay blinds and get to see some hands for "free" and try to limp with other hands. I pick up Jacks and it gets raised to 30. There is another call and I decide that it is OK to see a flop because of the pot/implied odds of catching a high set. Doesn't materialize and I let it go. I eventually get worn down and cash out at $305. Net gain for session: $25. It's a start.
That brings me back to being stuck $1053. Next stop is getting that down to triple digits. Just need to stick to the fundamentals and stop donking off chips. A little more luck on my side wouldn't hurt either. I repeat to myself..."I will not donk, I will not donk, I will not donk." No more reports of stupid plays.
Finished about 30th
With blinds and antes at 300/600/75 I had to make a move while I still had fold equity. I am third to act and first in the pot with 5d 6d. Get called by a woman who has followed me to three different tables. She shows AKos and I am glad that at least I have live cards and she
doesn't have my suit. I catch a Six but she two pairs by the river. I make it through about two thirds of the 97 player field but fall well short of the money.
Bottom line: $60 + $10 dealer tip = $70 more off the poker budget. So I'm now stuck $1158.
doesn't have my suit. I catch a Six but she two pairs by the river. I make it through about two thirds of the 97 player field but fall well short of the money.
Bottom line: $60 + $10 dealer tip = $70 more off the poker budget. So I'm now stuck $1158.
11 pm tournament
Second hand. Multiple limpers around the table. I am in big blind and
find Jacks and make it 500 to go out of 2500 starting stack. Seat 2
calls. Seat 8, a loose aggressive looking player pushes all in.
Doesn't add up to me and it feels like a blatant move. I think it over
and figure maybe a coin flip. I say "could be a quick tournament" and
call. He flips over Jc Q?. Flop brings KKT and gives him an open
ender. Turn gives him a four card flush draw. River is a blank and I
double through him.
find Jacks and make it 500 to go out of 2500 starting stack. Seat 2
calls. Seat 8, a loose aggressive looking player pushes all in.
Doesn't add up to me and it feels like a blatant move. I think it over
and figure maybe a coin flip. I say "could be a quick tournament" and
call. He flips over Jc Q?. Flop brings KKT and gives him an open
ender. Turn gives him a four card flush draw. River is a blank and I
double through him.
Try to take a couple flops with small pairs but get raised out. Have
KdQd and call a pre-flop raise. Seat 9 pushes in and I decline what I
feel is a race.
Break is almost over. More later.
Thursday, April 5, 2007
Don't go broke with one pair
It's so silly how those donkeys think that their overpairs are always good. Count me as one of those donks. Bought in for 200 but the key hand was when I picked up Kings. Made it 12 to go and two players called. Seat 1 was standard issue tourist. Seat 3 to my immediate right was severly odd. Raising 40 into a pot of just blinds. Crazily overplaying his hands. Anyway, he calls and here we go. Flop is clear of Aces. J 7 8. Seat 1 checks and Seat 3 make it 40 to go. Which is about pot sized. I figure he caught his Jack so I make it 100 to go. Seat 1 folds. Seat 3 moves all in and I'm fairly sure I'm behind now. I make a crying call for the remaining 40 or so in his stack and he flips over 9c Tc for a perfectly flopped straight. I have runner runner Quad and Full House outs but they don't come and I double him up. Then the worst part is he leaves before I can extract "my" chips back. That didn't go so well.
I have a small stack and out table gets broken up so I move to another table and sit next to Five Day Shadow Guy from the table that just broke up. He's a cool dude and we chit chat about poker. I add on $200 more and before too long I see a flop with Ks Ts. Flop comes 2s Js Q?. I am now sitting on an open ended nut straight and four to the King high flush. The bet is 10 to me. I call. Seat 1 check-raises to 30, Seat 2 calls, and I call too. Turn is a King. I now have all of the above plus top pair. Seat 1 makes it 80 to go. Seat 2 calls. I take both stacks of reds and shove them in but mistakenly leave behind my 1s and 2s for blinds so I'm not all in yet. That was the 80 call plus another 60 or so with the implication that I may have already made my Broadway striaght or a higher two pair or whatever was out against me plus my outs of any Spade, Nine, or Ace and potentially Tens also. All seemingly clean outs. Seat 1 calls and Seat 2 finally calls off the dogs. River comes a non-Spade Ten and I think I may have just trumped a lower two pair. I throw in my last 5 chips and Seat 2 makes a crying call knowing that any random Ace makes a Straight but his pocket 2s have weathered the onslaught and he pulls down a huge pot. "Priced in all the way" echoes through my empty chip stack area. Oh well.
I tack on yet another $200. Now I am starting to donk chips by seeing too many flops even though a bunch of flops were being limped. That cuts off a stack or so. Then Seat 2 raises to 9 and I call with AKos. I am wary of catching my Ace because so many players keep any Ace that the danger of Top Pair Top Kicker running into two pair is something I've seen all to often. Flop comes out K 4 7. Seat 2 bets out a pot sized-ish bet and I call figuring that he has a worse King and I'm good. Turn is a seemingly blank 8 and he leads out 40. I want to shut this down so I re-raise he re-raises again and I'm stuck trying to figure out how I'm beat as I call off my last bit of my stack. He raised with 56 and bet on the come on the flop then caught on the turn. Didn't see that one from the pre-flop raise. Ouch.
I burn through another $100 again seeing too many flops. But at least I'm not chasing draws! Mostly because there aren't any draws since I'm missing the board so badly.
Add on another $100 and start playing some more but decide to play the 11:00 pm tournament when it is announced that there are still seats left. So I take my remaining $80 and stick it in my pocket. I'm down $1088 now and need to shape up. On to the tourney!
I have a small stack and out table gets broken up so I move to another table and sit next to Five Day Shadow Guy from the table that just broke up. He's a cool dude and we chit chat about poker. I add on $200 more and before too long I see a flop with Ks Ts. Flop comes 2s Js Q?. I am now sitting on an open ended nut straight and four to the King high flush. The bet is 10 to me. I call. Seat 1 check-raises to 30, Seat 2 calls, and I call too. Turn is a King. I now have all of the above plus top pair. Seat 1 makes it 80 to go. Seat 2 calls. I take both stacks of reds and shove them in but mistakenly leave behind my 1s and 2s for blinds so I'm not all in yet. That was the 80 call plus another 60 or so with the implication that I may have already made my Broadway striaght or a higher two pair or whatever was out against me plus my outs of any Spade, Nine, or Ace and potentially Tens also. All seemingly clean outs. Seat 1 calls and Seat 2 finally calls off the dogs. River comes a non-Spade Ten and I think I may have just trumped a lower two pair. I throw in my last 5 chips and Seat 2 makes a crying call knowing that any random Ace makes a Straight but his pocket 2s have weathered the onslaught and he pulls down a huge pot. "Priced in all the way" echoes through my empty chip stack area. Oh well.
I tack on yet another $200. Now I am starting to donk chips by seeing too many flops even though a bunch of flops were being limped. That cuts off a stack or so. Then Seat 2 raises to 9 and I call with AKos. I am wary of catching my Ace because so many players keep any Ace that the danger of Top Pair Top Kicker running into two pair is something I've seen all to often. Flop comes out K 4 7. Seat 2 bets out a pot sized-ish bet and I call figuring that he has a worse King and I'm good. Turn is a seemingly blank 8 and he leads out 40. I want to shut this down so I re-raise he re-raises again and I'm stuck trying to figure out how I'm beat as I call off my last bit of my stack. He raised with 56 and bet on the come on the flop then caught on the turn. Didn't see that one from the pre-flop raise. Ouch.
I burn through another $100 again seeing too many flops. But at least I'm not chasing draws! Mostly because there aren't any draws since I'm missing the board so badly.
Add on another $100 and start playing some more but decide to play the 11:00 pm tournament when it is announced that there are still seats left. So I take my remaining $80 and stick it in my pocket. I'm down $1088 now and need to shape up. On to the tourney!
Return to the scene of the crime
Done with sleeping for now. I cross the strip again and indulge once more in a delicious side order of savory stuffing from the Caesars food court. I checked in the card room and someone is on the bubble from the noon tourney. Didn't tell if they were going hand for hand or not. Mr. "Green" in Seat 9 whose blinds I stole is still in it.
On the way to the food court I receive a compliment on my attire: "Excuse me could you...oh wait you don't work here." Nonetheless I help the lost gamblers find their way to the strip.
I also am back for the second chance tourney drawing. If you are playing in a cash game an hour after the tourney ends and your name is drawn, there is a payout. I debate coming back or not as this represents "chasing" to a certain extent but I'm OK with it in the end.
Also, thanks to the miracle of modern technology, I am now able to update the blog with real time updates from the field!
OK so that tourney didn't go so well
$80 buy in for 1500 in chips with starting blinds of 25/50. $50 rebuy/add-on for an additional 3000 in chips. I know I am definitely going to go the whole $130 but decide to parcel it out in two sections.
Sit tight for a while trying to size up the table. Seat 3 is a bully. I'm in Seat 7. Seat 6 is talking about winning another tourney. First orbit and Seat 9 is still not there so I try to steal the BB with a raise to 150. Seat 8 in the SB calls. Hey, that's now how it's supposed to happen. I check the King high flop. He checks. Board pairs Treys on the turn and I bet a couple hundred. He folds. Perfect. I'm above water.
I pick up Ah Qh and bump to 150. Get re-raised to 350. I call to see a flop. Flop comes out Jack high and Seat 2 examines the non-drawing board and checks. I continue with a 500 bet. He calls. I'm done with this hand. Turn comes out a rag and he pushes all in. I fold. He shows pocket Aces. That was the third pocket aces in the first ten minutes including two in the first two hands. That hand cripples my stack. In retrospect I realize that he had limp/re-raised. Missed that. Plus he did such a good job of selling that he missed the flop he deserves 500 for that...I guess.
I'm short stacked now and just looking to get some momentum. I pick up Ac 5c and limp in. Flop is J 5 2 and it is checked around to me. I stab 150. Seat 6 raises to 300. I don't have that much more and push in knowing I need to get lucky or I'll just rebuy. He shows J5 for top two pair and I don't improve.
Rebuy for 3000 more. I pick up Ac J? and pay 3xBB to see a flop. Flop is 2c 3c 4c. Seat 6 leads for 200. I'm wary and just call. Seat 4 calls too. Non club Queen comes off on the turn. Seat 6 200 again. I call. Seat 4 pushes. Call. Fold. He shows Kc Q?. Seat 6 shows he had Q? and Jc. I should have re-raised on the flop with nut flush draw, straight draw, and two overs to the board. If a club had come off, I think that I could have at least doubled up, especially with the Kc out there. That dents me but I'm still doing OK.
Pay some 3xBB-ish raises pre flop with some Aces and Faces hands but don't connect. Sit and bide my time. Blinds go to 50/100 and my stack is down to about half strength now. I hang around until the break. After break it is 100/200 with 25 antes. Get into one hand with weak Seat 8. I'm in the SB and it only costs me another 50 to see a flop and he never raises in BB. We check through all streets and I notch him T9 to T8 with the 9 as the last card playing to pick up blinds and antes for another orbit. I'm looking for a chance to move in first with anything decent but either someone beats me to it, including a guy that pushes twice in about 5 hands with Jacks. Or my hand is so ridiculous that I can't push with good conscience, even though Dan Harrington is yelling in my ear to push with any two cards. Blinds are eating me alive.
I finally get a hand that resembles something with potential. 9T suited in Hearts. Unfortunately there was a previous raise to 600. I figure I'm going to need to get lucky and middle suited connectors are my best defense against high pockets so I push for 1075 into a pot with the 600 + 200 BB + 100 SB + 225 in antes = 1125 knowing that I'm going to get a call for the remaining 575. I make a post oak speech about "Well I guess it's time for me to get lucky." I'm praying that he has Aces or Kings and he turns over pocket freaking Tens! I shake my head in disgust. The worst kind of domination. Flop a Nine but cannot improve.
I in my blue pin-stripe suit take the walk of shame across the strip back to the room.
Time for a nap. Current balance: -$368.
Sit tight for a while trying to size up the table. Seat 3 is a bully. I'm in Seat 7. Seat 6 is talking about winning another tourney. First orbit and Seat 9 is still not there so I try to steal the BB with a raise to 150. Seat 8 in the SB calls. Hey, that's now how it's supposed to happen. I check the King high flop. He checks. Board pairs Treys on the turn and I bet a couple hundred. He folds. Perfect. I'm above water.
I pick up Ah Qh and bump to 150. Get re-raised to 350. I call to see a flop. Flop comes out Jack high and Seat 2 examines the non-drawing board and checks. I continue with a 500 bet. He calls. I'm done with this hand. Turn comes out a rag and he pushes all in. I fold. He shows pocket Aces. That was the third pocket aces in the first ten minutes including two in the first two hands. That hand cripples my stack. In retrospect I realize that he had limp/re-raised. Missed that. Plus he did such a good job of selling that he missed the flop he deserves 500 for that...I guess.
I'm short stacked now and just looking to get some momentum. I pick up Ac 5c and limp in. Flop is J 5 2 and it is checked around to me. I stab 150. Seat 6 raises to 300. I don't have that much more and push in knowing I need to get lucky or I'll just rebuy. He shows J5 for top two pair and I don't improve.
Rebuy for 3000 more. I pick up Ac J? and pay 3xBB to see a flop. Flop is 2c 3c 4c. Seat 6 leads for 200. I'm wary and just call. Seat 4 calls too. Non club Queen comes off on the turn. Seat 6 200 again. I call. Seat 4 pushes. Call. Fold. He shows Kc Q?. Seat 6 shows he had Q? and Jc. I should have re-raised on the flop with nut flush draw, straight draw, and two overs to the board. If a club had come off, I think that I could have at least doubled up, especially with the Kc out there. That dents me but I'm still doing OK.
Pay some 3xBB-ish raises pre flop with some Aces and Faces hands but don't connect. Sit and bide my time. Blinds go to 50/100 and my stack is down to about half strength now. I hang around until the break. After break it is 100/200 with 25 antes. Get into one hand with weak Seat 8. I'm in the SB and it only costs me another 50 to see a flop and he never raises in BB. We check through all streets and I notch him T9 to T8 with the 9 as the last card playing to pick up blinds and antes for another orbit. I'm looking for a chance to move in first with anything decent but either someone beats me to it, including a guy that pushes twice in about 5 hands with Jacks. Or my hand is so ridiculous that I can't push with good conscience, even though Dan Harrington is yelling in my ear to push with any two cards. Blinds are eating me alive.
I finally get a hand that resembles something with potential. 9T suited in Hearts. Unfortunately there was a previous raise to 600. I figure I'm going to need to get lucky and middle suited connectors are my best defense against high pockets so I push for 1075 into a pot with the 600 + 200 BB + 100 SB + 225 in antes = 1125 knowing that I'm going to get a call for the remaining 575. I make a post oak speech about "Well I guess it's time for me to get lucky." I'm praying that he has Aces or Kings and he turns over pocket freaking Tens! I shake my head in disgust. The worst kind of domination. Flop a Nine but cannot improve.
I in my blue pin-stripe suit take the walk of shame across the strip back to the room.
Time for a nap. Current balance: -$368.
Pre-game meal
Today's power lunch brought to you courtesy for the Caesars food court. Turkey noodle soup, bowl of stuffing, and a $3.50 Gatorade. The food court opens at 11:00 and I had the distinct honor of being the first customer paying in cash so I could observe the ceremony of all rolls of coins being smashed open on the register drawer. Good times.
Time to get to work
Got some shut eye. Woke to the soothing sounds of nailing from the room upstairs. Seems like it most likely is room renovations that is still a floor away judging by the holes in the drywall in the entry area of the room. Chris said he heard other nailing in the room next door but I slept through that one.
Observations so far. Some players treat any pocket pair as if they were Aces. Massive over-bets pre-flop even with small pairs. Also saw an insta-call from AK suited after he raised and was re-raised all in. Haven't often seen someone so anxious to jump into a race outside of tourney play.
Gotta get cleaned up first but am going to head out and try the Caesars noon tourney a little later. Tourney report to follow.
I've also changed the comment preferences so I think anyone on the World Wide Web can post a comment though you will be asked to prove that you aren't a computer by typing in some real hard to read text.
Observations so far. Some players treat any pocket pair as if they were Aces. Massive over-bets pre-flop even with small pairs. Also saw an insta-call from AK suited after he raised and was re-raised all in. Haven't often seen someone so anxious to jump into a race outside of tourney play.
Gotta get cleaned up first but am going to head out and try the Caesars noon tourney a little later. Tourney report to follow.
I've also changed the comment preferences so I think anyone on the World Wide Web can post a comment though you will be asked to prove that you aren't a computer by typing in some real hard to read text.
Caesars Palace cash game
Just got back from playing at Caesars 1/3 NL. I recall the last time I was down here that it was 1/2 so, as Mike Sexton says, "the price of poker is going up."
I buy in for $200 in Seat 3 and first hand I get pocket sevens and limp for 3. It gets raised to 20 and maybe three other callers. I am making mental adjustments for this table already. Eventually Seat 8 gets felted when her QT is out kicked by Seat 9's KQ on a QQJ x x board. Second hand and it's 15 to go. I think of changing tables but stick it out. I play by the book and just try to get in cheaply with decent hands.
I finally see a multiway pot with AKos, spike my King on the flop, lead out for ~20, and get one caller. Turn brings a third club and I slow down. Finally show down and my hand holds up. That puts me above water for the first time.
I tread water for a while waiting for an opportunity to get involved. I pick up Jacks and and before I can make it 20 to go, Seat 5 announces 20. I pause and continue making it 20 to go and he calls. Seat 10 (big stack) hesitantly calls. Flop is about as dreamy as you could hope for with JJ, 9 5 2 rainbow. I lead out for 40 and Seat 5 min raises to 80. My Jacks look quite behind now. Seat 10 thinks then fold. I consider calling but figure the only possible hand I'm beating *night* be TT or A9 but that's just trying to talk myself into a donk call. I fold and he shows a set of fives. That cuts about a third of my stack out.
Hawaiian guy in Seat 2 raises to 15. I pick up my friends JJ again and I smoooth call figuring that I've isolated him and we can figure it out after the flop. Seat 7 calls too though. Flop is Ace high with two Hearts. I'm last to act and it's checked around to me. I stab for 25 and get called by Seat 7 and I'm done with this hand. Slow playing an Ace with a flush draw on board? Doesn't matter, another Heart falls on the turn, checked through. Blank on the river and I fold to a value bet.
Now I'm down to less than a stack but I'm just waiting for good hands. I pick up Qh Qc and make it 15 to go. New Seat 2 (SF Giants shirt) calls. Flop is Ten high. I put out another 25. He calls. Third club falls on the turn. I check figuring that if he's calling with two clubs he'll call a bet with three clubs plus I know I have Qc for a good flush. River is 9c and we both check it down. I show my QQ to give me a Q high flush. Seat 2 says he caught his pair of 9s on the river not realizing his side card is Kc for K high flush. The other experienced players and I all look at each other bewildered.
I get down to 45 or so and add on 100 more. See some flops that don't connect and am down to about 100. I raise to 15 with AJ in diamonds. My friend in Seat 2 calls. Flop is A9A two suited and I lead out for 35. He calls. Turn is a blank and I push for the rest of my stack, 38 more. He calls and as we turn over cards, he realizes that his A7 is dominated but the river fills his boat and I'm felted.
I rebuy for 200 more. Nemesis Seat 2 makes it 10 and I re-raise to 35 with Jacks (again). He calls. I flop top set on a two suited board. He checks and I make it 50 to go wishing that the board was a little more draw free so that I could let him catch up. He folds and I rake another pot.
I limp in with KsQs, everyone's favorite dominated hand, and Seat 5 throws three reds into the air but only one falls over the line and he collects the other two and moves them over the line. Dealer considers that a string bet and we get another 3 or 4 limpers to see the flop. Flop is three spades giving me the second nut flush. I lead for 15. Seat 5 re-raises me for 40. Everyone else folds and I set him all in for the remaining 50 or so in his stack. He gives a shrug-call and turns over pocket 4s which I believe was an under pair to the board. Cards were swept up too soon to verify if he had a set or not. He left after that hand.
I am now over 300 and am working on getting un-stuck. I sweeten to 6 to go forgetting momentarily that it is 1/3 and I've actually only executed the dreaded min raise pre-flop. Multi way pot and I hit my Ace I lead and get smooth called by Seat 6. Turn is a blank and I am committed to this hand so I set him all in for the remaining 45 in this stack. He turns over pocket Aces! He had two players ahead of him in for 6 and collected a couple more after. That was *not* the hand I expected from him. And to add insult to injury, I pair my Jack on the river. That costs me about 80 and I'm down to 2.5 stacks or so.
I buy in for $200 in Seat 3 and first hand I get pocket sevens and limp for 3. It gets raised to 20 and maybe three other callers. I am making mental adjustments for this table already. Eventually Seat 8 gets felted when her QT is out kicked by Seat 9's KQ on a QQJ x x board. Second hand and it's 15 to go. I think of changing tables but stick it out. I play by the book and just try to get in cheaply with decent hands.
I finally see a multiway pot with AKos, spike my King on the flop, lead out for ~20, and get one caller. Turn brings a third club and I slow down. Finally show down and my hand holds up. That puts me above water for the first time.
I tread water for a while waiting for an opportunity to get involved. I pick up Jacks and and before I can make it 20 to go, Seat 5 announces 20. I pause and continue making it 20 to go and he calls. Seat 10 (big stack) hesitantly calls. Flop is about as dreamy as you could hope for with JJ, 9 5 2 rainbow. I lead out for 40 and Seat 5 min raises to 80. My Jacks look quite behind now. Seat 10 thinks then fold. I consider calling but figure the only possible hand I'm beating *night* be TT or A9 but that's just trying to talk myself into a donk call. I fold and he shows a set of fives. That cuts about a third of my stack out.
Hawaiian guy in Seat 2 raises to 15. I pick up my friends JJ again and I smoooth call figuring that I've isolated him and we can figure it out after the flop. Seat 7 calls too though. Flop is Ace high with two Hearts. I'm last to act and it's checked around to me. I stab for 25 and get called by Seat 7 and I'm done with this hand. Slow playing an Ace with a flush draw on board? Doesn't matter, another Heart falls on the turn, checked through. Blank on the river and I fold to a value bet.
Now I'm down to less than a stack but I'm just waiting for good hands. I pick up Qh Qc and make it 15 to go. New Seat 2 (SF Giants shirt) calls. Flop is Ten high. I put out another 25. He calls. Third club falls on the turn. I check figuring that if he's calling with two clubs he'll call a bet with three clubs plus I know I have Qc for a good flush. River is 9c and we both check it down. I show my QQ to give me a Q high flush. Seat 2 says he caught his pair of 9s on the river not realizing his side card is Kc for K high flush. The other experienced players and I all look at each other bewildered.
I get down to 45 or so and add on 100 more. See some flops that don't connect and am down to about 100. I raise to 15 with AJ in diamonds. My friend in Seat 2 calls. Flop is A9A two suited and I lead out for 35. He calls. Turn is a blank and I push for the rest of my stack, 38 more. He calls and as we turn over cards, he realizes that his A7 is dominated but the river fills his boat and I'm felted.
I rebuy for 200 more. Nemesis Seat 2 makes it 10 and I re-raise to 35 with Jacks (again). He calls. I flop top set on a two suited board. He checks and I make it 50 to go wishing that the board was a little more draw free so that I could let him catch up. He folds and I rake another pot.
I limp in with KsQs, everyone's favorite dominated hand, and Seat 5 throws three reds into the air but only one falls over the line and he collects the other two and moves them over the line. Dealer considers that a string bet and we get another 3 or 4 limpers to see the flop. Flop is three spades giving me the second nut flush. I lead for 15. Seat 5 re-raises me for 40. Everyone else folds and I set him all in for the remaining 50 or so in his stack. He gives a shrug-call and turns over pocket 4s which I believe was an under pair to the board. Cards were swept up too soon to verify if he had a set or not. He left after that hand.
I am now over 300 and am working on getting un-stuck. I sweeten to 6 to go forgetting momentarily that it is 1/3 and I've actually only executed the dreaded min raise pre-flop. Multi way pot and I hit my Ace I lead and get smooth called by Seat 6. Turn is a blank and I am committed to this hand so I set him all in for the remaining 45 in this stack. He turns over pocket Aces! He had two players ahead of him in for 6 and collected a couple more after. That was *not* the hand I expected from him. And to add insult to injury, I pair my Jack on the river. That costs me about 80 and I'm down to 2.5 stacks or so.
I feel like packing it in the the table is collecting fish. Players betting the river and calling with King high. I decide I must stay to try to feast. Finally pick up Aces in the Big Blind after a nearly family pot. I decide that it's going to be too hard to extract a single player out of the mass so I make it $35 to go and take down about $20 in blinds and show my two black Aces. I bring my stack up to 300 then swap chips around and finally cash out for $262.
Current balance is stuck $238.
I go back to the room and pick up the laptop to write up the session and the room is muggy hot. Time to ask for a room switch. Head downstairs to get some breakfast while writing up the session. Photo enclosed. Another $10 meal but this time with a bonus $4 OJ. Caesars doesn't have any fresh squeezed OJ, just the yucky stuff that comes from the bartender gun for making screwdrivers.
Wednesday, April 4, 2007
The eagle has landed
Relatively nondescript flight. Little turbulence. Hard to get sleep, not because of the kid behind me kicking the seat but because Alaska has these new super large head rests which are so big that you can't lean back in the seat. So when I'm falling asleep I fall forward and catch myself before I the seat ahead of me. Even when I try to wedge my head between the seat and the wall I can't get comfortable. Gave me a bad hair day too.
Took a while to get Chris' clubs out of the carousel.
Cab driver courteously offered to us the option to take the highway route...three times. Dropped us off at the wrong entrance. His tip was not very big.
Check-in at the Flamingo was sloooow. The room is adequate...and by adequate I mean not that great. Not nearly enough hangers. Air conditioning is not keeping up and it's 11:30 at night.
OK, we're settled in enough. Off to Caesar's for some Wednesday Night Poker!
Took a while to get Chris' clubs out of the carousel.
Cab driver courteously offered to us the option to take the highway route...three times. Dropped us off at the wrong entrance. His tip was not very big.
Check-in at the Flamingo was sloooow. The room is adequate...and by adequate I mean not that great. Not nearly enough hangers. Air conditioning is not keeping up and it's 11:30 at night.
OK, we're settled in enough. Off to Caesar's for some Wednesday Night Poker!
Dinner at Sea-Tac
The Shuttle Express van picked us up right on time and we got to the airport in no time. After deciding that the Burger King was too far to walk (over to the D gate) we ill-advisedly settled on this Japanese restaurant in the food court. I'm now already working against a $10 rake for dinner!
Net balance for the trip so far: Dead even ±$0
I'm going to keep a running tally. Hopefully, publishing my results will shame me into not donking off my chips!
Almost ready to go
Final preparations are being taken care of. Last minute packing, printing out itineraries, etc. Shuttle will be picking up Chris and me a little after 4:00 to take us to the airport. Next stop: Las Vegas.
The Been Drunken Golf/Poker Extravaganza
My friend Ben is having his annual Spring Golf/Poker extravaganza this weekend. I'll be partaking in the poker portion only and have started this blog so that anyone interested can keep tabs on what's happening in Las Vegas. Enjoy!
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