First, a couple of side notes. Break time at the Rio reminds me of High School. The halls are quiet until the bell rings, and then it's wall to wall people with long lines in the bathrooms.
Secondly, I'm really not a fan of the Bracelet Ceremony. I think it ok to introduce who won, but to play each national anthem just seems silly to me and a waste of time. Today, we had one from France, and one from the US. Is it really necessary to have everyone stand twice for each anthem?
Back to the Poker... The Timer says 2472 players. The Preflop Raising is up to 98.3%, and is a very consistent amount. 250 for the 50/100 level, and 350 for the 75/150. This is definitely an Internet table.
Unfortunately, I really haven't had anything to play. I tried the occasional move, but they all failed. I didn't lose any big chips in a single hand, but they did start to add up.
Finally, a Kid in UTG+1 raised to 250. I had Ah Jc in Mid. I just called because I had already 3-Bet a couple of times and it didn't go well. Surprisingly, more players called, and six players saw a Flop of Qd 6s 3s. It checked around to me, and I decided to bluff for 1100. I only had two players that haven't acted, and I still think I have a tight table image. It almost worked, as only the SB called. He's now the Action Kid at the table.
Turn [Qd 6s 3s] As. Action Kid bet 1500. Now, that's an interesting card. I've seen him bet some bluff cards, and fold to All-Ins for not much more. I was already gonna shove any Turn card, so I might as well do it with Top Pair. It was for less than 3000 total. He didn't like this and went into deep thought. He mumbled stuff about he might be drawing dead, and he knew I was betting a Flush Draw. Eventually, he tossed his cards into the muck. This probably wasn't the best hand I ever played, and I got a little lucky. But I was certainly due for some.
Just before we went on Break, our table broke, and I got moved to Table 27 Seat 3. Hopefully, there will better cards and less Internet Wonder Kids at this table.
I have 6225 chips.
Thursday, June 16, 2011
WSOP $1500 - End of Level 2 (25/50)
The Timer says we have 2378 players, but registration will be open for awhile. Our table filled up, lost a couple of players, and had their seats filled quickly.
As you would expect, our table is mostly kids. There are two guy older than me. Unlike the Golden Nugget tourney, this table is dead quiet because most of the Kids are listening to their iPods. Fortunately, the old guy next to me wants to chat. He's from West Virginia, and we've been talking about Mountaineer.
As for the Poker, I've been trying to play A-B-C poker. With all the Kids here, over 90% of the pots are raised preflop, so I've been trying to keep my VPIP low. Of course, a lack of quality hands has helped.
Things were going along nicely, until I raised to 125 UTG+1 with 88. The SB (a Kid) 3-Bet to 400, and I called. Flop was Q-high. He bet 450, and I called. Turn was J. He bet 700, and I called. Rvr was a brick. He ships it All-In, and it's for most of my stack. To me, this was what the Kids call a Polarized Range. He's either got QQ or an AK type of hand. So, I let it go, and waited for a better battle. He didn't show. That's what I get for raising 88 in Early Position.
Fortunately, a better battle came a few hands later. A Kid made a standard 150 raise from Early Position. Another Kid called. A third Kid 3-Bet to 500, and he seems to be the Action Kid at the table. I'm the SB, and look down at As Ad. I decide to just call. They are doing all the betting and raising, so why not let them. I'm planning on check-raising All-In on the Flop. Three players saw a Ten-high Flop. It checked around to Action Kid, who went All-In. I quickly called, and the other Kid folded. Action Kid had AK, and was drawing dead on the Turn.
I have 6375 chips.
As you would expect, our table is mostly kids. There are two guy older than me. Unlike the Golden Nugget tourney, this table is dead quiet because most of the Kids are listening to their iPods. Fortunately, the old guy next to me wants to chat. He's from West Virginia, and we've been talking about Mountaineer.
As for the Poker, I've been trying to play A-B-C poker. With all the Kids here, over 90% of the pots are raised preflop, so I've been trying to keep my VPIP low. Of course, a lack of quality hands has helped.
Things were going along nicely, until I raised to 125 UTG+1 with 88. The SB (a Kid) 3-Bet to 400, and I called. Flop was Q-high. He bet 450, and I called. Turn was J. He bet 700, and I called. Rvr was a brick. He ships it All-In, and it's for most of my stack. To me, this was what the Kids call a Polarized Range. He's either got QQ or an AK type of hand. So, I let it go, and waited for a better battle. He didn't show. That's what I get for raising 88 in Early Position.
Fortunately, a better battle came a few hands later. A Kid made a standard 150 raise from Early Position. Another Kid called. A third Kid 3-Bet to 500, and he seems to be the Action Kid at the table. I'm the SB, and look down at As Ad. I decide to just call. They are doing all the betting and raising, so why not let them. I'm planning on check-raising All-In on the Flop. Three players saw a Ten-high Flop. It checked around to Action Kid, who went All-In. I quickly called, and the other Kid folded. Action Kid had AK, and was drawing dead on the Turn.
I have 6375 chips.
WSOP $1500 - "Shuffle Up & Deal"
I decided to take the plunge, and play in Event #28 at the Rio. I am here now, and I don't know if I'll be here next year. I will be working a ton of overtime this summer, so if losing the $1500 won't hurt too much.
My main goal is "Don't Screw Up". If Lady Luck wants to have some fun with me, then there isn't much I can do about it.
The first thing I need to look for is what type of players are at my table. The first kind will be just happy to be here. They're excited to play in there first big tournament. They will want to get through Day 1, and really hope their AA don't get cracked.
The other type to watch out for is the Pro or Kid who wants to Go Big or Go Home. They are only starting with 4500 chips, so their approach is "Let's Gamble". I'll probably have one or two of each at my table.
I'm seated at Table 117 Seat 3. Tables are 10-handed. Blinds start at 25/25, and the levels are one hour long.
I'm planning on doing one entry at each break, which I believe is every two hours.
Our table has six players, but nobody I recognize.
My main goal is "Don't Screw Up". If Lady Luck wants to have some fun with me, then there isn't much I can do about it.
The first thing I need to look for is what type of players are at my table. The first kind will be just happy to be here. They're excited to play in there first big tournament. They will want to get through Day 1, and really hope their AA don't get cracked.
The other type to watch out for is the Pro or Kid who wants to Go Big or Go Home. They are only starting with 4500 chips, so their approach is "Let's Gamble". I'll probably have one or two of each at my table.
I'm seated at Table 117 Seat 3. Tables are 10-handed. Blinds start at 25/25, and the levels are one hour long.
I'm planning on doing one entry at each break, which I believe is every two hours.
Our table has six players, but nobody I recognize.
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Golden Nugget's $235 Tournament
"Shuffle Up & Deal" - This is being held in a ballroom that has about 60 tables set up. There is also the daily 11am tourney being run, as well as a $235 HORSE tourney that starts at noon. It looks like there are 10-12 tables for this one, and they are 10-handed. We start with 12000 chips, and the levels are 40 minutes. We start with five players, and five dead stacks. I'm sitting between two Vegas Old Timers who know each other, and are on a first name basis. They already swapping stories.
End of Level 1 (25/50) - We are 9 handed with a dead stack. Play has been relatively normal for a first level. Hand of the Level: UTG+1 raised to 250. I call in Mid with Td 9c. Old Timer next to me also calls. The three of us see a Flop of Jd 8d 7c. Yahtzee! UTG+1 said, "Raise 500" and tossed in a 500 chip. To me, the word Raise meant he had an Overpair. No reason to slowplay here, so I raised to 1200. Old Timer folded, and UTG called. Turn [Jd 8d 7c] 5s. He checked, I bet 2000, and he called. River [Jd 8d 7c 5s] 9d. That's worst card in the deck for me. It's essentially a Joker as it completed the Flush and put a four card Straight out there. He checked. I decided to just bet 3000, and hope he calls. He went in to deep thought, mumbled about hating that card, but made the crying call. He didn't show his hand. I have 19825 chips.
Level 2 (50/100) - Still nine handed with a dead stack. It was a good level for me. I got AA, raised preflop, and got three streets of value. At the end of the level. I raised to 325 on the Button with 87s. UTG was the only caller. The Flop was Jh 5s 4s. He checked, I bet 525 with my Gutshot Straight Flush Draw, and he called. Turn [Jh 5s 4s] 9c. He checked, I bet 800, and he check-raised to 1600. I picked up another Gutshot, and I considered 3-Betting with the Big Draw. But we are too deep to risk getting my whole stack in with just one card to come, so I called. River [Jh 5s 4s 9c] 3s. He checked, and I put out a small value bet of 2100. He made the call with J9o for Top Two Pair. I have 24875 chips.
Level 3 (75/150) - Still 9 handed with a dead stack. No big hands this level. I raised a few times, won some & lost some. This has been an enjoyable table, as the table talk has been good. Live poker can be really boring when the table is dead silent. I have 26650 chips.
BREAK - Not sure how many total players yet. It looks like there are nine tables, but most have a dead stack or two. I really love the 40 minute levels, as I'm used to the 15 or 20 min levels that we see in the Reno dailies. It's also much easier to do the Running Log, as I have time to pay attention to the Poker.
Level 4 (100/200/25) - A dead level for me. I did raise preflop a couple of times, but not much came out of it. We finally started to lose players, and tables started breaking. It looks like there are 7 tables left. I heard there are 81 entrants, but that's not official. I have 24200 chips
Level 5 (150/300/25) - Basically blinded off. I did an occasional preflop raise, or called one. I really need to stay patient. This is a great structure, and I've still got 20650 chips.
Level 6 (200/400/25) - The Downward Spiral has begun. I lost chips in a couple of hands, including a 2500 River Bluff when I missed my Backdoor Flush, but the other Flush hit. He made the crying call with a small Two Pair.
Finally, I got TT UTG and raised to 1000. The Button, a Kid who knows what he's doing, raised to 3500. I considered going All-In with my extra 9500, but I think he's calling. I decide to just call and do a Stop-N-Go by shoving on any Flop. It's a play that I never use, but this seems like a good spot for it. The Flop was Tc 9c 4d. OK, change of plan. I check my Top Set, and he goes All-In with JJ. He picks up a Flush Draw on the Turn, but missed it. I have 25350 chips.
BREAK - We had 84 entrants, and we're down to 5 tables. If the pattern of breaking tables stays like it is, then our table will be part of the last two, which is sweet. They're paying 9 spots. I didn't look at the amounts, as I will worry about that when I have to.
Level 7 (300/600/50) - Down to four tables. I tried to step on the gas, but I didn't get many opportunities. I did lose 4400 chips when I called an All-In. Another caller had JJ and won. I have 21600 chips.
Level 8 (400/800/100) - Still very card dead. I want to steal some blinds, but I had very few chances. One of the few hand I did pick up was 77 on the Button. UTG raised to 2200, and one players called. I decided to squeeze, and went All-In for 15800. Before the Blinds even folded, UTG asked if he could go All-In yet. At that point, I knew I was a dead man. Naturally, he had AA. I did flop a Gutshot, but it didn't get there. I'm out in 35th place.
I guess it was a mistake to squeeze a UTG raise, but I really had nothing to work with since the first Break. I know patience is important in these longer tournaments, and I guess that's something I need to work on.
End of Level 1 (25/50) - We are 9 handed with a dead stack. Play has been relatively normal for a first level. Hand of the Level: UTG+1 raised to 250. I call in Mid with Td 9c. Old Timer next to me also calls. The three of us see a Flop of Jd 8d 7c. Yahtzee! UTG+1 said, "Raise 500" and tossed in a 500 chip. To me, the word Raise meant he had an Overpair. No reason to slowplay here, so I raised to 1200. Old Timer folded, and UTG called. Turn [Jd 8d 7c] 5s. He checked, I bet 2000, and he called. River [Jd 8d 7c 5s] 9d. That's worst card in the deck for me. It's essentially a Joker as it completed the Flush and put a four card Straight out there. He checked. I decided to just bet 3000, and hope he calls. He went in to deep thought, mumbled about hating that card, but made the crying call. He didn't show his hand. I have 19825 chips.
Level 2 (50/100) - Still nine handed with a dead stack. It was a good level for me. I got AA, raised preflop, and got three streets of value. At the end of the level. I raised to 325 on the Button with 87s. UTG was the only caller. The Flop was Jh 5s 4s. He checked, I bet 525 with my Gutshot Straight Flush Draw, and he called. Turn [Jh 5s 4s] 9c. He checked, I bet 800, and he check-raised to 1600. I picked up another Gutshot, and I considered 3-Betting with the Big Draw. But we are too deep to risk getting my whole stack in with just one card to come, so I called. River [Jh 5s 4s 9c] 3s. He checked, and I put out a small value bet of 2100. He made the call with J9o for Top Two Pair. I have 24875 chips.
Level 3 (75/150) - Still 9 handed with a dead stack. No big hands this level. I raised a few times, won some & lost some. This has been an enjoyable table, as the table talk has been good. Live poker can be really boring when the table is dead silent. I have 26650 chips.
BREAK - Not sure how many total players yet. It looks like there are nine tables, but most have a dead stack or two. I really love the 40 minute levels, as I'm used to the 15 or 20 min levels that we see in the Reno dailies. It's also much easier to do the Running Log, as I have time to pay attention to the Poker.
Level 4 (100/200/25) - A dead level for me. I did raise preflop a couple of times, but not much came out of it. We finally started to lose players, and tables started breaking. It looks like there are 7 tables left. I heard there are 81 entrants, but that's not official. I have 24200 chips
Level 5 (150/300/25) - Basically blinded off. I did an occasional preflop raise, or called one. I really need to stay patient. This is a great structure, and I've still got 20650 chips.
Level 6 (200/400/25) - The Downward Spiral has begun. I lost chips in a couple of hands, including a 2500 River Bluff when I missed my Backdoor Flush, but the other Flush hit. He made the crying call with a small Two Pair.
Finally, I got TT UTG and raised to 1000. The Button, a Kid who knows what he's doing, raised to 3500. I considered going All-In with my extra 9500, but I think he's calling. I decide to just call and do a Stop-N-Go by shoving on any Flop. It's a play that I never use, but this seems like a good spot for it. The Flop was Tc 9c 4d. OK, change of plan. I check my Top Set, and he goes All-In with JJ. He picks up a Flush Draw on the Turn, but missed it. I have 25350 chips.
BREAK - We had 84 entrants, and we're down to 5 tables. If the pattern of breaking tables stays like it is, then our table will be part of the last two, which is sweet. They're paying 9 spots. I didn't look at the amounts, as I will worry about that when I have to.
Level 7 (300/600/50) - Down to four tables. I tried to step on the gas, but I didn't get many opportunities. I did lose 4400 chips when I called an All-In. Another caller had JJ and won. I have 21600 chips.
Level 8 (400/800/100) - Still very card dead. I want to steal some blinds, but I had very few chances. One of the few hand I did pick up was 77 on the Button. UTG raised to 2200, and one players called. I decided to squeeze, and went All-In for 15800. Before the Blinds even folded, UTG asked if he could go All-In yet. At that point, I knew I was a dead man. Naturally, he had AA. I did flop a Gutshot, but it didn't get there. I'm out in 35th place.
I guess it was a mistake to squeeze a UTG raise, but I really had nothing to work with since the first Break. I know patience is important in these longer tournaments, and I guess that's something I need to work on.
Monday, June 13, 2011
Caesars Palace's $240 Heads-Up Tournament
Caesers was a bit of a madhouse today, as they got 573 players for their 12pm $120 tournament. They were short on tables and dealers, so they didn't start all the matches at once. Fortunately, my table was good to go. They're doing two matches per table.
We start with 20k chips, and blinds start at 50/100. The payouts for this are extremely top-heavy. Only 8 get paid: 5-8 $559, 3-4 get $1490, 2nd $2731, and 1st 4469. In order to get in the money, we need three wins, which is half of the matches.
#1 - Not surprisingly, my first opponent was a Kid, as most of the field seems to be. At first, he seemed to play ABC poker. When he raised preflop, it was usually for the minimum. There was a big pot that was 4-Bet preflop, and I had JJ. The Flop was A-high, and he had AK. He checked Flop and Turn, and I called his River bet.
After that, he never seemed to bluff, mostly because he kept getting better hands than me. Since we were both playing Small Pot Poker, I was able to keep the damage under control. But as the levels went up, the pots got bigger. I won most of the small pots, and he won most of the big ones. This was because my bluff timing was terrible, as he always seemed to have the hand I was trying to represent, including Trips at least five times.
When we got to the 300/600 level, it was time for me to start shipping it in. I managed to double up twice, including my 22 against his 66. But I always lost chips after I doubled up. Finally, I limped in the SB with KJ with the plan of calling any All-In. He was kind enough to raise All-In with AA. I missed everything, and was put out of my misery.
"Experts" say that some players have an advantage over other players in a Heads-Up match. That is probably true if they played ten matches against each other. But in a single match, wether it's at the end of a tournament or a Heads-Up match like this one, whoever gets the best cards is usually gonna win.
And that's what happened in this one.
We start with 20k chips, and blinds start at 50/100. The payouts for this are extremely top-heavy. Only 8 get paid: 5-8 $559, 3-4 get $1490, 2nd $2731, and 1st 4469. In order to get in the money, we need three wins, which is half of the matches.
#1 - Not surprisingly, my first opponent was a Kid, as most of the field seems to be. At first, he seemed to play ABC poker. When he raised preflop, it was usually for the minimum. There was a big pot that was 4-Bet preflop, and I had JJ. The Flop was A-high, and he had AK. He checked Flop and Turn, and I called his River bet.
After that, he never seemed to bluff, mostly because he kept getting better hands than me. Since we were both playing Small Pot Poker, I was able to keep the damage under control. But as the levels went up, the pots got bigger. I won most of the small pots, and he won most of the big ones. This was because my bluff timing was terrible, as he always seemed to have the hand I was trying to represent, including Trips at least five times.
When we got to the 300/600 level, it was time for me to start shipping it in. I managed to double up twice, including my 22 against his 66. But I always lost chips after I doubled up. Finally, I limped in the SB with KJ with the plan of calling any All-In. He was kind enough to raise All-In with AA. I missed everything, and was put out of my misery.
"Experts" say that some players have an advantage over other players in a Heads-Up match. That is probably true if they played ten matches against each other. But in a single match, wether it's at the end of a tournament or a Heads-Up match like this one, whoever gets the best cards is usually gonna win.
And that's what happened in this one.
Sunday, June 12, 2011
WSOP '11: First Impressions
First, some good news...
I played at the Atlantis on Friday night. They spread their first ever $2/$3 NLHE / PLO game. I won $491 in 3.25 hours. The deck was very kind to me, and I could have won more except players started to avoid me. My only bad hand was his Straight vs my Flush Draw & Open-Ender to a better Straight. The Atlantis won't let us run it twice, and I missed my big Combo Draw. I only lost about $120 on the hand, so it was just a flesh wound. It feels good to leave Reno on a winning note.
The ride to Las Vegas was rather uneventful, which was a good thing. The most interesting part was I went over two hours without seeing a gas station, or much of any civilization. It's a good thing I drive a Prius. I also went through various dead zones for my cell phone reception. The longest was over 45 minutes.
I pulled on to the Strip, and headed straight to Caesars to sign up for tomorrow's $240 4pm Heads-Up tournament. It's a good thing that I went there first because I got the last spot in the 64 player tourney. Although, my receipt says I'm Entry Number 75. I'm not sure what that's about.
After checking in at the Rio and grabbing a quick bit to eat, I headed down the WSOP to check things out. Through listening to various poker podcasts over the last few years, I already had an idea of just how big this place was. But in reality, it's even bigger than you can imagine. The main room is the Pavilion. It's divided into four sections, with around 275 tables. This is used for Cash games, single table satellites, and WSOP events. Today, it was used for this weekend's $1000 event.
The other main room is the Amazon room, which has over 100 table in it. It is used for the three daily deepstacks, the Main TV stage, and other WSOP events. Today's events included a $1500 6-max, and a $1500 HORSE which was down to ten players, including Victor Ramdin, David 'ODB' Baker, and a couple of other players that looked familiar. I have also seen at least a dozen of other pros either walking around or sitting at a table.
Since the Caesars Corporation is so cheap, they are charging $13.95/day for Internet. I will get it for a day or two while I'm here, but most of the posts will be from my iPhone. That means no pictures, links, or other fancy stuff. I'll fill that stuff when I splurge for the Internet.
Anyways, enough typing. It's time to play some poker.
I played at the Atlantis on Friday night. They spread their first ever $2/$3 NLHE / PLO game. I won $491 in 3.25 hours. The deck was very kind to me, and I could have won more except players started to avoid me. My only bad hand was his Straight vs my Flush Draw & Open-Ender to a better Straight. The Atlantis won't let us run it twice, and I missed my big Combo Draw. I only lost about $120 on the hand, so it was just a flesh wound. It feels good to leave Reno on a winning note.
The ride to Las Vegas was rather uneventful, which was a good thing. The most interesting part was I went over two hours without seeing a gas station, or much of any civilization. It's a good thing I drive a Prius. I also went through various dead zones for my cell phone reception. The longest was over 45 minutes.
I pulled on to the Strip, and headed straight to Caesars to sign up for tomorrow's $240 4pm Heads-Up tournament. It's a good thing that I went there first because I got the last spot in the 64 player tourney. Although, my receipt says I'm Entry Number 75. I'm not sure what that's about.
The other main room is the Amazon room, which has over 100 table in it. It is used for the three daily deepstacks, the Main TV stage, and other WSOP events. Today's events included a $1500 6-max, and a $1500 HORSE which was down to ten players, including Victor Ramdin, David 'ODB' Baker, and a couple of other players that looked familiar. I have also seen at least a dozen of other pros either walking around or sitting at a table.
Since the Caesars Corporation is so cheap, they are charging $13.95/day for Internet. I will get it for a day or two while I'm here, but most of the posts will be from my iPhone. That means no pictures, links, or other fancy stuff. I'll fill that stuff when I splurge for the Internet.
Anyways, enough typing. It's time to play some poker.
Friday, June 10, 2011
Going To Summer Camp
As I've mentioned before, I'm heading to Las Vegas on Sunday. It will be my first time in Sin City for the World Series of Poker, which has been described by some as "summer camp for poker players".
Each year, some of my old Home Game buddies head out to the WSOP. This year, there are at least a dozen making the trip sometime during the WSOP, with a majority of them making the trip in late June. I would have preferred to go at that time, but next week is the only week I was able to get, and I was lucky to even get that off work. There will be one or two buddies down there during part of my visit. I've offered to be an airport taxi for them, since I will be driving my car.
You might be surprised to learn the drive from Reno to Las Vegas will take eight hours. Not only is there no Interstate Highway, there are no direct roads between the two largest cities in Nevada. This is mostly because of the mountains, and Uncle Sam owning large chunks of Nevada.
I should be arriving on the Strip around 1:30 - 2:30 in the afternoon. I'm staying at the Rio, so I'll probably just play there on Sunday. I want to spend some time in the Satellite Room, because everyone says that the single table satellites are very soft.
On Monday, my main activity will hopefully be the 4pm $240 Heads-Up tournament at Caesars Palace. They already ran one of these, and it sold out quickly from what I've read on 2+2. So I will sign-up for this when I arrive on Sunday. I really want to play this tourney because I've never played in a live Heads-Up tourney, although I have ran one for our Home Games.
On Tuesday, I will head Downtown to play in the $235 Noon event at the Golden Nugget. On Wednesday, I'm planning on doing the Daily Tournament Run. I'll either be starting at the 9am $70 at Caesars, or there are a couple of 10am tournament that are possibilities. I did a little research, and made a list of the best daily tournaments that start each hour from 9am to 10pm. As soon as I win the first one (or maybe bust-out), I will run to the next one. I'm hoping to play in five to seven tournaments.
On Thursday, hopefully I will be playing in WSOP Event #28, $1500 NLHE at 12pm. I say hopefully because right now, I'm only 40%. I really want to play. After all, isn't that the point of going to Vegas in June? But as you know, thing haven't been going as planned lately. As it turns out, I haven't hit bottom yet, as I'm down $594 since Monday. So if things don't improve in Las Vegas, I just can't risk $1500 for a tournament. If I don't play in the $1500, I will play in the 12pm $350 at the Venetian. Either way, I will do a Live Blog on this day, just like I did for the Atlantis Main Event in March. Both events start at noon, so tune in to follow me.
The rest of the trip will involve Cash games and other tournaments. The WSOP has side tournaments that I will try out, either the 2pm $235 or the 6pm $185. Golden Nugget, Binion's, Caesers Palace, and Venetian have tournament series running that I may try out.
As for the Cash games, one of my goals was to play $2/$5 in each of the big poker rooms (Aria, Bellagio, Caesars, MGM, Rio, Venetian, Wynn). But since I've been dumping money lately, I might not be able to hit all the rooms.
As for a non-poker goal, I'm planning on walking the Strip every morning. Unlike most poker players, I'm a morning person. I wake up each morning before my alarm, which is set for 6:30am. I also do a lot of walking every day as a mailman, up to 5-6 miles. So walking the Strip in the morning before the Vegas heat kicks in is a good way to get some exercise and burn off some of that buffet food.
I'm planning on staying down there until Monday 6/20 or early Tuesday 6/21. Of course, if thing keep going as they have been, I can always check out of the hotel and start the drive home.
Naturally, I'll be doing a lot of blogging. Hopefully, it will be more smaller entries from my iPhone, rather than a few larger entries. But I'm not sure if I'm physically capable of doing a small blog post.
Each year, some of my old Home Game buddies head out to the WSOP. This year, there are at least a dozen making the trip sometime during the WSOP, with a majority of them making the trip in late June. I would have preferred to go at that time, but next week is the only week I was able to get, and I was lucky to even get that off work. There will be one or two buddies down there during part of my visit. I've offered to be an airport taxi for them, since I will be driving my car.
You might be surprised to learn the drive from Reno to Las Vegas will take eight hours. Not only is there no Interstate Highway, there are no direct roads between the two largest cities in Nevada. This is mostly because of the mountains, and Uncle Sam owning large chunks of Nevada.
I should be arriving on the Strip around 1:30 - 2:30 in the afternoon. I'm staying at the Rio, so I'll probably just play there on Sunday. I want to spend some time in the Satellite Room, because everyone says that the single table satellites are very soft.
On Monday, my main activity will hopefully be the 4pm $240 Heads-Up tournament at Caesars Palace. They already ran one of these, and it sold out quickly from what I've read on 2+2. So I will sign-up for this when I arrive on Sunday. I really want to play this tourney because I've never played in a live Heads-Up tourney, although I have ran one for our Home Games.
On Tuesday, I will head Downtown to play in the $235 Noon event at the Golden Nugget. On Wednesday, I'm planning on doing the Daily Tournament Run. I'll either be starting at the 9am $70 at Caesars, or there are a couple of 10am tournament that are possibilities. I did a little research, and made a list of the best daily tournaments that start each hour from 9am to 10pm. As soon as I win the first one (or maybe bust-out), I will run to the next one. I'm hoping to play in five to seven tournaments.
On Thursday, hopefully I will be playing in WSOP Event #28, $1500 NLHE at 12pm. I say hopefully because right now, I'm only 40%. I really want to play. After all, isn't that the point of going to Vegas in June? But as you know, thing haven't been going as planned lately. As it turns out, I haven't hit bottom yet, as I'm down $594 since Monday. So if things don't improve in Las Vegas, I just can't risk $1500 for a tournament. If I don't play in the $1500, I will play in the 12pm $350 at the Venetian. Either way, I will do a Live Blog on this day, just like I did for the Atlantis Main Event in March. Both events start at noon, so tune in to follow me.
The rest of the trip will involve Cash games and other tournaments. The WSOP has side tournaments that I will try out, either the 2pm $235 or the 6pm $185. Golden Nugget, Binion's, Caesers Palace, and Venetian have tournament series running that I may try out.
As for the Cash games, one of my goals was to play $2/$5 in each of the big poker rooms (Aria, Bellagio, Caesars, MGM, Rio, Venetian, Wynn). But since I've been dumping money lately, I might not be able to hit all the rooms.
As for a non-poker goal, I'm planning on walking the Strip every morning. Unlike most poker players, I'm a morning person. I wake up each morning before my alarm, which is set for 6:30am. I also do a lot of walking every day as a mailman, up to 5-6 miles. So walking the Strip in the morning before the Vegas heat kicks in is a good way to get some exercise and burn off some of that buffet food.
I'm planning on staying down there until Monday 6/20 or early Tuesday 6/21. Of course, if thing keep going as they have been, I can always check out of the hotel and start the drive home.
Naturally, I'll be doing a lot of blogging. Hopefully, it will be more smaller entries from my iPhone, rather than a few larger entries. But I'm not sure if I'm physically capable of doing a small blog post.
Monday, June 6, 2011
Hitting Bottom
I played two tournaments yesterday. Here's what happened.
Atlantis 11am $80 Bounty - We had 25 players, which is the most I've seen for this tournament. Our table had a player who was a First Class Calling Station. He was playing 95% of hands, and seeing 75% of Turns. For example, in the 100/200 level, he limped in the Cutoff and the SB called. I was the BB with AKc. I raised to 700, and they both called. Flop was 8 6 2. I bet 1500, AT&T called, and the SB folded. Turn [8 6 2] 6. I bet 2100, and he called. River [8 6 2] 6 5. I bet 2600, and he casually called with 44. As much as I want to complain about how bad he is, I was the one who "emptied the clip" into a Calling Station. So how good does that make me?
We started with 13k chips, so that was about half my stack. Naturally, I went very card dead after that hand. Plus, it's hard to steal when there is a player in every pot. Finally in the 200/400 level, three players limp in. I'm in the Cutoff with KJo, and I've only got 4100 chips. Limping is a bad idea, as I don't want to waste the chips. If I make a standard raise, I'll get a couple of callers. So I push All-In. The Blinds fold, but UTG called. He's a 70's guy who's played very few hand. I know at this point that I'm very behind. Of course, AT&T also called. Flop was Q 3 3. UTG bet 5k, and AT&T folded. UTG showed KK, and I miss my 3% chance to win this pot. I finish in 21st place.
Peppermill 6:30pm $95 Cash Me Out - This one had ended up with 23 players on two tables. Normally, the tables are nine handed, but the TD decided to squeeze ten players on the tables, and have alternates. I guess they were short on Dealers.
Very first hand, I have KJd UTG. Normally I would limp here in the first level, but I decided to do something different and put a small raise to 125. It folded around to the Button, who raised to 400. I know nothing about this player, so I have to assume he's got a real hand. I make the reluctant call, and I know that this will be a fun hand.
The Flop was K J 5. Oh, this will be a fun hand. I check, he bets 600, I check-raise to 1600, and he called. Turn was [K J 5] 2. I bet 2500, and he called. River [K J 5 2] 9. I go All-In for 2000. He thinks for a moment, and folds AK face up. Unlike most of the other players in Reno, I don't show my hand, and scoop a sweet pot.
Things were rather quiet with me for a while. I wasn't getting any cards, but I also wasn't getting into any trouble. This was fine with me, since I got so many chips in the first hand. I stayed patient until around 300/600/100 level when I started to step on the gas. This was partially because I started to get a few hands, and partially because the steady parade of limpers had finally stopped and I was able to steal a little.
When we got to the Final Table, I had around 36k chips, and was in second or third place. As you would expect, the Final Table rollercoaster had begun. Shortstack were going All-In, and they kept doubling up. Since I had chips, I tried to stay out of the way, but sometimes you just can't help it. I lost a chuck of chips when my KQ lost to A9, and 55 lost to AT. I then won with AJ against two players. I actually lost the small Main Pot, but won the much larger Side Pot.
We finally got down to seven players, and the conversion to Cash chips. I had 21k, and got $100. Three of the seven players cashed out, including two of the Big Stack. We could have chopped the remaining $340 at this point, but the extreme short stack stayed with $40. I started catching some cards, and it didn't take long to get rid of him. The three of us played for a bit longer, and decided to chop the remaining prize pool. I left the Poker Room with $290 after the Dealer tip.
As I have mentioned before, it's been a bad two weeks, and this was the first time in a while I finished the day with some profit. On Friday, I airballed the $120 Atlantis tournament, and on Saturday I lost $195 in a $1/$2 game at the Peppermill. Hopefully, this is sign that thing are starting to turn around. This time next week, I'll be in Las Vegas, and it's not a good idea to arrive there when I'm losing.
Atlantis 11am $80 Bounty - We had 25 players, which is the most I've seen for this tournament. Our table had a player who was a First Class Calling Station. He was playing 95% of hands, and seeing 75% of Turns. For example, in the 100/200 level, he limped in the Cutoff and the SB called. I was the BB with AKc. I raised to 700, and they both called. Flop was 8 6 2. I bet 1500, AT&T called, and the SB folded. Turn [8 6 2] 6. I bet 2100, and he called. River [8 6 2] 6 5. I bet 2600, and he casually called with 44. As much as I want to complain about how bad he is, I was the one who "emptied the clip" into a Calling Station. So how good does that make me?
We started with 13k chips, so that was about half my stack. Naturally, I went very card dead after that hand. Plus, it's hard to steal when there is a player in every pot. Finally in the 200/400 level, three players limp in. I'm in the Cutoff with KJo, and I've only got 4100 chips. Limping is a bad idea, as I don't want to waste the chips. If I make a standard raise, I'll get a couple of callers. So I push All-In. The Blinds fold, but UTG called. He's a 70's guy who's played very few hand. I know at this point that I'm very behind. Of course, AT&T also called. Flop was Q 3 3. UTG bet 5k, and AT&T folded. UTG showed KK, and I miss my 3% chance to win this pot. I finish in 21st place.
Peppermill 6:30pm $95 Cash Me Out - This one had ended up with 23 players on two tables. Normally, the tables are nine handed, but the TD decided to squeeze ten players on the tables, and have alternates. I guess they were short on Dealers.
Very first hand, I have KJd UTG. Normally I would limp here in the first level, but I decided to do something different and put a small raise to 125. It folded around to the Button, who raised to 400. I know nothing about this player, so I have to assume he's got a real hand. I make the reluctant call, and I know that this will be a fun hand.
The Flop was K J 5. Oh, this will be a fun hand. I check, he bets 600, I check-raise to 1600, and he called. Turn was [K J 5] 2. I bet 2500, and he called. River [K J 5 2] 9. I go All-In for 2000. He thinks for a moment, and folds AK face up. Unlike most of the other players in Reno, I don't show my hand, and scoop a sweet pot.
Things were rather quiet with me for a while. I wasn't getting any cards, but I also wasn't getting into any trouble. This was fine with me, since I got so many chips in the first hand. I stayed patient until around 300/600/100 level when I started to step on the gas. This was partially because I started to get a few hands, and partially because the steady parade of limpers had finally stopped and I was able to steal a little.
When we got to the Final Table, I had around 36k chips, and was in second or third place. As you would expect, the Final Table rollercoaster had begun. Shortstack were going All-In, and they kept doubling up. Since I had chips, I tried to stay out of the way, but sometimes you just can't help it. I lost a chuck of chips when my KQ lost to A9, and 55 lost to AT. I then won with AJ against two players. I actually lost the small Main Pot, but won the much larger Side Pot.
We finally got down to seven players, and the conversion to Cash chips. I had 21k, and got $100. Three of the seven players cashed out, including two of the Big Stack. We could have chopped the remaining $340 at this point, but the extreme short stack stayed with $40. I started catching some cards, and it didn't take long to get rid of him. The three of us played for a bit longer, and decided to chop the remaining prize pool. I left the Poker Room with $290 after the Dealer tip.
As I have mentioned before, it's been a bad two weeks, and this was the first time in a while I finished the day with some profit. On Friday, I airballed the $120 Atlantis tournament, and on Saturday I lost $195 in a $1/$2 game at the Peppermill. Hopefully, this is sign that thing are starting to turn around. This time next week, I'll be in Las Vegas, and it's not a good idea to arrive there when I'm losing.
Friday, June 3, 2011
Hand Of The Day #77
Peppermill - $1/$2 NLHE - 05.22.11
It's a limp pot, including me in the SB with 87c. Six players see a Flop of Jh Th 9d. The Good News is that I have a Straight. The Bad News is that it's the back end of the Straight, it's a very draw-heavy Flop, and I'm out of position. I lead out with a standard bet of $11, and three players call.
Turn [Jh Th 9d] 6s. Well, that's a brick, so I bet $25. Mid player raises to $50. He's a 70's guy in a Hawaiian shirt and Bermuda hat. So far, he's been playing like a 70's guy, which means tight and passive. It folds back to me, and I decide to call. He's not raising on a draw, and there are many hands that he might raise with that I can beat, and only two that I can't (KQ or Q8).
River [Jh Th 9d 6s] 3d. I check, and the old guy grabs a stack of Red chips to bet $100. My initial reaction to this bet is "Fuck Me!" I start going into deep thought, and even started thinking out loud.
Ultimately, when you get into a situation like this, you only need to ask yourself one question, "Would he make this bet with a hand that you can beat, or even the same hand?" If he has JT or TT or 87, would he bet $100 on the River? My experience with old geezers is that they only put big money into a pot with the Nuts. I have often seen old guys just call or even check behind with a K-high flush. After all, you can't be too careful.
If he bet $50, I would have snap-called. But I just can't see him betting $100 with anything other then KQ. So even though I'm getting pot odds of $100 to win $251 after the rake, I fold my hand face up. He shows AKh for the missed Royal Flush draw.
Just kidding. He had Ks Qd.
Nice Hand, Sir.
It's a limp pot, including me in the SB with 87c. Six players see a Flop of Jh Th 9d. The Good News is that I have a Straight. The Bad News is that it's the back end of the Straight, it's a very draw-heavy Flop, and I'm out of position. I lead out with a standard bet of $11, and three players call.
Turn [Jh Th 9d] 6s. Well, that's a brick, so I bet $25. Mid player raises to $50. He's a 70's guy in a Hawaiian shirt and Bermuda hat. So far, he's been playing like a 70's guy, which means tight and passive. It folds back to me, and I decide to call. He's not raising on a draw, and there are many hands that he might raise with that I can beat, and only two that I can't (KQ or Q8).
River [Jh Th 9d 6s] 3d. I check, and the old guy grabs a stack of Red chips to bet $100. My initial reaction to this bet is "Fuck Me!" I start going into deep thought, and even started thinking out loud.
Ultimately, when you get into a situation like this, you only need to ask yourself one question, "Would he make this bet with a hand that you can beat, or even the same hand?" If he has JT or TT or 87, would he bet $100 on the River? My experience with old geezers is that they only put big money into a pot with the Nuts. I have often seen old guys just call or even check behind with a K-high flush. After all, you can't be too careful.
If he bet $50, I would have snap-called. But I just can't see him betting $100 with anything other then KQ. So even though I'm getting pot odds of $100 to win $251 after the rake, I fold my hand face up. He shows AKh for the missed Royal Flush draw.
Just kidding. He had Ks Qd.
Nice Hand, Sir.
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
June News & Notes
- Next Sunday, I make the 460 mile drive down to Las Vegas. I'll be arriving in the early afternoon, and I'll be heading home sometime on the following Monday (June 20th). I'll be playing Cash games, daily tournaments, some larger tournaments, and maybe a WSOP event. I'll go into more detail as the day approaches.
- The Internet Kids won't understand this one, so just bear with me. Since there are so many Nits in this town, it's not uncommon for everyone to fold around to the Blinds in a Cash game. Both of the Blinds then have the option to Chop the Blinds, which means they pull back their Blinds and move on the the next hand. It's up to the individual player whether they do it or not. The proper etiquette is to always chop or never chop. It's rude to want to chop with 92o, and not want to chop with AKs. The one exception to this etiquette is with a Bonus hand that could hit a High Hand Bonus or a Bad Beat Jackpot.
My personal feelings on Chopping is that I'm not a big fan of it. I go to a Poker Room to play Poker, and not sit there for six hours waiting to hit a Bonus hand. But I have always chopped in the past, mostly to keep it peaceful with the old geezers who are trying to fund their retirement funds with the BBJ. However, since I've moved out here, I have stopped chopping when the table is shorthanded (five players or less). I figured that if we start chopping with only four players, then we might as well just go home.
About two weeks ago, I stopped chopping completely. So far, there hasn't been any problems with the old geezers, but there will be. And when it happens, I will give you all the details.
- I've noticed that bigger NL games are running more often in recent weeks, mostly at the Atlantis and the Peppermill on weekends. I'm not sure if this is normal because summertime brings more tourists to Reno, or if it's because of the events of Black Friday. It's mostly been $3/$5, but Atlantis has had some $5/$10.
There was also a private Big Game at the Peppermill this weekend. It runs about once a month, and it's been $25/$50 or $50/$100 NL with a $10k buy-in. I'm not sure what this game was, but there was a lot of bundles of $100 bills, just like on High Stakes Poker.
- I want to start playing in the bigger games, especially with the Vegas trip coming up. But last week was a very bad week for me. Three times I walked away from the Cash table with no money: -$400 Atlantis on Thursday, -$500 Harrah's on Friday, and -$400 Peppermill on Sunday. I have also not cashed in my last three daily tournaments for -$280.
Lately, I have been in a rut when it comes to my bankroll. I haven't been winning much, but I haven't been losing much either. Hopefully, this past week was just an anomaly, and not a sign of things to come. Even though I really don't want to, I am willing to pull some money out of my checking account to boost the bankroll. It's just sitting in the bank collecting dust, so I might as well take it out and invest it on the poker tables.
- The Internet Kids won't understand this one, so just bear with me. Since there are so many Nits in this town, it's not uncommon for everyone to fold around to the Blinds in a Cash game. Both of the Blinds then have the option to Chop the Blinds, which means they pull back their Blinds and move on the the next hand. It's up to the individual player whether they do it or not. The proper etiquette is to always chop or never chop. It's rude to want to chop with 92o, and not want to chop with AKs. The one exception to this etiquette is with a Bonus hand that could hit a High Hand Bonus or a Bad Beat Jackpot.
My personal feelings on Chopping is that I'm not a big fan of it. I go to a Poker Room to play Poker, and not sit there for six hours waiting to hit a Bonus hand. But I have always chopped in the past, mostly to keep it peaceful with the old geezers who are trying to fund their retirement funds with the BBJ. However, since I've moved out here, I have stopped chopping when the table is shorthanded (five players or less). I figured that if we start chopping with only four players, then we might as well just go home.
About two weeks ago, I stopped chopping completely. So far, there hasn't been any problems with the old geezers, but there will be. And when it happens, I will give you all the details.
- I've noticed that bigger NL games are running more often in recent weeks, mostly at the Atlantis and the Peppermill on weekends. I'm not sure if this is normal because summertime brings more tourists to Reno, or if it's because of the events of Black Friday. It's mostly been $3/$5, but Atlantis has had some $5/$10.
There was also a private Big Game at the Peppermill this weekend. It runs about once a month, and it's been $25/$50 or $50/$100 NL with a $10k buy-in. I'm not sure what this game was, but there was a lot of bundles of $100 bills, just like on High Stakes Poker.
- I want to start playing in the bigger games, especially with the Vegas trip coming up. But last week was a very bad week for me. Three times I walked away from the Cash table with no money: -$400 Atlantis on Thursday, -$500 Harrah's on Friday, and -$400 Peppermill on Sunday. I have also not cashed in my last three daily tournaments for -$280.
Lately, I have been in a rut when it comes to my bankroll. I haven't been winning much, but I haven't been losing much either. Hopefully, this past week was just an anomaly, and not a sign of things to come. Even though I really don't want to, I am willing to pull some money out of my checking account to boost the bankroll. It's just sitting in the bank collecting dust, so I might as well take it out and invest it on the poker tables.
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