Here we go again...

SEA to LAS. Night flight out. Will touch down after midnight and find something to do before checkin on Sunday afternoon. Focus this time is to have 100% of expenses paid for by the tables. Flight and room are 4 bills and change and I've already toked the shuttle driver and bought a wholly unfulfilling fish and chips from the Ivar's. More work to do!

Final session at the MGM Grand

After getting up in the morning, we checked our luggage at the MGM Grand so we can make a quick getaway to the airport. A quick bite to eat then it's to the cardroom. I sat patiently and folded a bunch of really truly bad hands. Seems like I had a duck in every other hand. The big blind was very kind to me though. I flopped top two pair twice, nut straight once, top pair 2nd kicker once, all from the big blind. Big blind specials indeed. Each time, I took down the pot without a struggle. Unfortunately, in early position as the BB, I had to act first and didn't get any action after I protected my hands from draws.

I call a raise with AsJs. Flop is J88 two clubs. Seat 5 bets, I think of raising since I think he has a weaker Jack but instead decide to call. Seat 3 calls behind me. Q on the turn, Seat 5 leads again and I call again assuming that we both have Jacks and mine is better or at worst tied. Seat 3 smooth calls. River is a blank. Seat 5 checks, I check, Seat 3 now bets out for 20. Hmmmmmm. I had him on the club flush but now he's betting. Could he have been slow playing an 8? Sure didn't seem so. Seat 3 calls and I tell myself that I'll see the showdown anyway so why call? But I call anyway and Seat 3 shows 9T for the open ender on the flop and I contributed to his getting pot odds to draw. Should have popped on the flop.

Later I see a flop with ATos. Flop comes T high. Seat 4 leads for 10. I bump to 25. He mulls it over then mucks. I show him my hand to confirm his intuition that he was behind. He appreciates it and does the "good hand" table rap.

Jeh and I are wrapping things up and agree to do a couple more orbits. I'm successfully avoiding the "-itis" and folding bad and even marginal hands. We are on the last orbit and Jeh calls UTG. I pick up my best hand of the day, pocket Jacks. I raise to 15. New guy in Seat 9 calls. Everyone else who has been paying any attention whatsoever gets out of the way. Flop comes T 9 rag. I lead for 25 and Seat 9 makes an emphatic stack slamming all in. Action is back to me and I'm confused. It seems so pre-meditated that I consider that he also has an overpair and was waiting for no Ace to hit and for the board to come below his pair. But then I think AA or KK would likely have re-raised unless he's being sneaky with them. I also consider a T9 two pair or a set. I am in the tank and I apologize to the table. I get reassurance to take as long as I need. I partly feel obligated to the table to give them a showdown after taking so much time and in the end I really can't take credit for making anything other than an "-itis" shrug call and match the 70 or so he raised me. He flips AT for top/top and I show my overpair. The dealer flips the Turn and she throws a dagger my way when an Ace hits the felt. Audible suck-out-gasps from the table and I can't catch my two outer to regain the lead. Dealer apologizes to me and I say it's OK because "I'm sure the other player will give her a big tip for that hand." I forego the option to play the remaining couple hands and go to cash out. I break convention and tip the cashier even though I didn't end up for the session and take home 25 of my original buy in of 200. And so ends poker for this trip.

Late night snack courtesy of Planet Hollywood

Ryan and I cashed out and Ryan had the presence of mind to ask to get comped at the restaurant next door. Pays to ask because we got $25 worth of beverages and sandwiches for being raked a few hours. Not a bad deal. I ordered a turkey club, ate half, gave the rest to Marsh at the table.

Took down two pots all night

After we stopped by the WSOP at the Rio, some of us went back to the hotel to play some cards. In a session that lasted a few hours I took down a total of two pots. Mostly just hung out and talked with Ryan and Marsh when we were at the same table.

Picked up QQ and raised it up to thin the crowd, got one caller. Flop came out all low cards and there is a weakish 10 dollar continuation/probe bet to me. I re-raise to 25. He goes away.

Pretty much just dwindle within the 100-200 range for a while. Ryan on my right doubles through Lou Diamond Philips with AdKd and he is almost unstuck. Later on I pick up the same hand and raise to 15 few callers, totally missed. Few rounds later I pick up AdKd AGAIN and raise to 15, three callers. Flop is an uncomplicated A68 rainbow. I size up the pot and look at my stack then decide 45 is the right number. 3/4 pot sized bet and enough to commit me even if something really ugly falls on the turn. I'm not getting away from this hand regardless of action. Lou Diamond Philips calls me. Turn is another Ace and I throw in the rest of my chips, about 75 which at this point is a weak bet compared to the pot. No call and I have a small pile of sugar for the first time tonight. I see a few more orbits worth of cards and end up cashing out for 214 for the night.

I'm losing to THIS table?

So Ryan and I play downstairs at the Planet Hollywood poker room. It would be funny if not so tragic. First hand I play is when I get 37os in the big blind. Even make a comment about how bad my hand is and how I am gld I didn't need to voluntarily add chips to the pot. Flop is K37 and I lead out 10, about pot sized. One re-raise to 20 and a call. I bump another 25 on top to put re-raiser all in and tried to send a message to caller to stay out. Message not received. Turn is a 5. I check/call to try to keep pot small. River is a 4 and he pushes all in I call off more chips to see K5, yes, top pair garbage kicker that called two re-raises pre-flop. I am down to about 50 now. Add on another 100.

Tired, more later.

Trouble hand is back on my bad side

See a flop with QhTh which treated me so well last time when I flopped the nut straight that paid in full. This time I flop trips on a TTJ board. I lead out and get four callers...huh? I realize that I can already be drawing super thin and am treading carefully and I'm trying not to overplay my hand. Turn is a 9 which gives me and open ender but also puts out the other most likely side card to a Ten. I bet and get called from Seat 2 so at least it just us two now. River is an Ace and I put out 35 to value my trips. He comes back over for 45 and I make a crying call feeling that I am surely beat. Sure enough he sat on T9 and domination once again is not what it used to be.

I also get felted with my 8sTs. I turn an open ender and four to the flush. River give me a flush and I bet out. I get raised for the small amount of chips I have left. The A and Q are on the board so only the Ks or Js beat my flush. He held Ks4s.

Rebuy for 200. I raise and get callers with QQ. Flop middle set and lead out but get no customers.

Cash out for 235 so I'm down 165 for the session.

Premium hands

Played for an hour or so playing pretty tight. Saw a flop with AKos, missed. Raised to 10 with KsJs, missed. Raised to 10 with KdQd, missed. Limped in with 5d6d and flopped middle pair and an gutshot. Led into the flop with 25 which was about 3/4 pot sized bet. Called. Turn is an Ace and I have to slow down. River is a Queen and I have to fold to a bet. I raise with AK and flop top two pair. Lead out with a weakish bet hoping to get raised but end up taking it down. Raise to 15 with AdKd and the flop comes out low but with two diamonds so I continue with a 3/4 pot sized bet and take it down. I've been whittled down and but come back to about a stack and a half.

On the road again

Here I am back down in Las Vegas for yet another bachelor party. Flight was delayed and we spent about 45 minutes at the gate. I didn't realize this until we landed. That explains why I woke up about halfway through the flight and stayed up for the rest of the flight since I slept while we were on the tarmac.

I will be busier with other activities this time so won't be playing poker as much but I will be blogging whatever poker action there is.