Venetian $150 NLHE

"Shuffle Up & Deal" - This is the 12n $150 daily at the Venetian. We get 12k chips with 30 min levels. The Bravo timer says 54 players. My table has six players with no dead stacks. I'm the youngest at this table by at least five years.

End of Level 1 (25/50) - Timer says 73 players. My table has seven players, and another already busted out. Good table so far, as I'm still the youngest. Table has been on the weak passive side.

The one who knocked out a player is on my Left+2. He seems to be on the looser side, but he could just be catching cards.

I have 12500 chips.

Level 2 (50/100) - Timer shows 90 players. My table has nine players. A Krasian Kid sat down, and was gone ten minutes later. Another Kid sat down on my direct Left, and has been very calm so far.

The most notable hand was me raising to 500 with AJc from Hyjack. Only the Cutoff called, and Flop was Kc 9s 8c. I've been c-beting a lot, so I checked and so did he. Turn [Kc 9s 8c] 3s. I bet 725, and he raised to 2200. Didn't see that coming, but I called. River [Kc 9s 8c 3s] 9h. I check, and he shoved for just over 10k. I didn't snap-fold, as his bet didn't make any sense. If he had a Set, then why shove? But it's also hard to believe he missed a Draw, as he's played so passive up to this point. I finally decided to fight another day, and folded. He didn't show, so a bluff was less likely.

I have 10025 chips.

Level 3 (100/200) - Timer says 97 players. We are still nine handed, with one open seat. Not much to report, as I've been rather card dead. This seems to be a good structure, so I'm staying patient. I have 9325 chips.

Level 4 (150/300/25) - Down to eight players at the table. Terrible level for me. I only raised preflop twice to 1025 with JTo & KJc. I airballed both times, and folded. Nothing really going right, and I don't think I'm playing my A-Game. Need to pull out of this nosedive, or this will be over soon. I have 4500 chips.

BREAK - 109 players for this one, with 81 left. 13 get paid, with 1st being $4022.

Level 5 (200/400/25) - I got my chips All-In with a Pair & Flush Draw on the Turn against Straight with other players' money on the pot. I hit the Flush to almost triple up.

I then started to raise more preflop, with hands like AJd and 64o. I raised preflop to 1025 with KQo. BB shipped for 5750. I made the crying call. He had A8o, and I hit the K on the Turn.

I have 19k chips.

Level 6 (300/600/50) - The table broke shortly after the level started. I got moved to the next table to break. I was there for about an orbit, and only played one noteworthy hand at that table. The big stack raised to 1200 from Mid. This was really odd, as he raised to 2850 in the previous hand. The Cutoff just called, and seemed to be rather passive. I decide to 3-bet to 5100 from the Button with 43o. A 70's guy in the BB thought for a bit, and went All-In for over 15k. Everyone folded, including me. Sigh! I hate when I make a good read on the situation, but the BB wakes up with a hand.

I didn't play ant hands at my new table, and I have 10800 chips.

Level 7 (400/800/75) - The "Card Desert" has returned. I was able to occasionally raise to maintain my stack, but didn't make anything.

I raised to 2025 with 33 from Mid. Old guy on my Left was the only called. Flop was A64, and I bet 3100. He called, and I gave up.

I have 6200, and it's Push-N-Pray time for me.

Level 8 (600/1200/100) - Very first hand, it folded to me in SB, and I shove for 6100 with 76o. BB folded 64o. Next hand, it folded to me on the Button, and I shoved for 8k without looking. The BB woke up with AJd, but my 82c hit a Flush on the Turn.

Nothing big after that. Just raised preflop a few times, and won a few of them. I have 19600 chips.

BREAK - 37 players remain on four tables.

Level 9 (800/1600/200) - My table has become very passive, and we are the next to break. I decided to kick it into high gear, and start stealing. I was raising sometimes two or three hands in a row. Pretty sure nobody ever called, including the occasional limper. Players were commenting on me stealing, but nobody did anything about it. A BB almost shoved All-In but didn't. I had JJ that hand. So close.

I went from 19600 to 42800 in one level just by stealing. If that doesn't show the power of aggression, then I don't know what does.

Level 10 (1k/2k/300) - UTG, who's been bitching about getting out of here, shoved All-In with his only 5k chip. It folded to me on the Button, and I make it 20k with A7o. SB folded, but BB quickly called. (Rut-Roh). Flop is T66. We both checked. Turn [T66] K. He went All-In, and I had to fold. BB has KQo, and wins the Side Pot. UTG had 65o, and triples up with Trip-6

As this hand was ending, the TD came over to break our table. I sat patiently blinding out at the new table, until I shoved for 14600 with A7h, and won the Blinds. When the Button came around again, it folded to me and I shoved with J8o. The BB, who was the 65o guy from my last table called for just 10k with A4s. I hit an 8, and that got me to around 22k.

Three hands later, someone limped, and I raised to 7k with 88. It folded around to him, so he though for a moment and went All-In. I snap-called, and he had KK. I airballed the Board, and finished in 22nd place.

I'm sure he was quite proud of how he "trapped" me with his tricky play of the KK. But those of you who understand shortstack play know this was just a standard spot for me. I only had 11 BB, so 88 looked sexy. If he would have made a normal raise to 5k or 7k, then I would have gone All-In and the result would have been the same.