retiring from the Red Rock poker room

Thats it. I'm officially over Red Rock. I have never played in a poker room that is full of so many "local professionals" that are just plain awful poker players. The kind of players that call half their stacks with a lower pocket pair than any card on the board and hitting their miracle card on the river and not even betting it. I'll explain the 2 hands that I had the priveledge of playing this morning as part of their 10am tourney. Today was the nail in the coffin. I will no longer play there as I just can't take the LACK OF POKER SKILL that is in the room. I would rather quit playing poker than ever play there again.

We start with $7500 in chips with 30 minute blinds. Today we had 40 players to start which is the max. The payouts would be over 2k for first. not bad for a 4-5hr tourney. The blinds start at 25-50. Now I know I should have known the day wasn't going to start good because we didn't even get dealt our first hand until over 4 mins had already ticked off the clock before our dealer finally distributed all of the chips and washed the decks. You know, the kinds of things you normally do as all 10 damn players are just sitting there waiting for the tourney to begin. Note to the tournament director, why not have the dealers in the box before 5 seconds that you start the tournament clock. Amateurs.

So, back to the 3 hands I was able to play. I was in late position and had pocket 2's. At this point the blinds are 50-100. Thats right, didn't play a single hand the first level. UTG raises it to $400 and there is one caller in front of me. I decide to call the raise and see if I get lucky. the BB calls as well. So we go 4 to the flop of A J Q. BB checks and UTG bets out 800. Folds to me and I quickly fold my deuces. The BB calls. A 6 on the turn and they both check. The 2h falls on the river. Damn. Why couldn't they have checked the flop. They both Check. WTF? doesn't anyone know how to play poker anymore? UTG shows A K and rakes the pot as BB shows A 10. Next hand I play is when I'm in the BB. Blinds are still the same 50-100. 4 people limp when I look and find Qc Jh. I check. I'll take a cheap look at the flop. I check in the dark which draws 2 WTF's from the table. Yes, I checked without seeing the flop first assholes! The flop comes Q 10 6 with 2 clubs. Everyone checks. The turn brings a Js. I check and it comes around to the guy in front of the button. He bets out $500. I raise it to $2000. That should be enough to get any draw seekers to fold. Everyone folds except for ol' donkey in seat 3 who initially raised. I figure maybe he is on a flush draw or maybe A Q. Either way I need a harmless card so I know my 2 pair holds up. The 9h falls on the river. I didn't like that card since K Q now beats me. I check and ol donkey in seat 3 checks. He tables pocket 9's for his rivered trips. I just shake my head and say how lucky he was. And of course he retorts with "i was open ended and had a pocket pair, what did you want me to do? I don't know, fold since you were about a 3 to 1 dog on the turn? to which he responds, I had a lot of outs. To which I respond, you are correct sir, enough outs to make you a 3 to 1 underdog and that was that. Nice catch. enjoy my chips.

3 hands later I basically dump the rest of my chips because I was just frustrated at this point with the lack of poker actually being played. I raise from late position to $400 with As Js. UTG calls the $400 and we go to the flop heads up. The flop comes 6 10 2. He checks and I bet out $800. He calls. The turn comes 7d which now brings 2 diamonds on the board. He checks and I mean to go all in but just dump the chips in front of me in the pot and forgot about the $25 chip on my cards. The bet was for $3250. You know, more than whats in the pot. He counts out and calls. doesn't put me all in, just calls. Whatever douche. The river is the 2d. he checks and I put in my last $25 as I'm ready to leave. he calls. He says he missed and I table my A J and he tables Jd 9d. I say nice slow roll. you hit your damn flush jackass. Oh, did I, I didn't realize I had 2 diamonds. You didn't??? The table at this point is all calling the guy a lucky donkey. I say to him, you called $3250 with nothing. To which he replies, "Nothing, I was open ended with a flush draw!" to which I respond, I thought you didn't know you had a flush draw? and you weren't open ended donk, you were drawing to a gutshot. You needed the 8. Even with the turn giving him a flush draw, I was still at 66% to win the hand.

How do these idiots always win? Why can't I just have my hands hold up? I'm not asking for much. I'm just asking for poker skill to actually win out for once. I wan't these idiots to call me. I really do, JUST QUIT PAYING THESE FOOLS OFF!!! It makes them think they are poker players.

From now on, I'll just stick to playing the Venetian in the future. I just can't handle the bad beats anymore. I'm done with Red Rock forever. Nothing against the hotel and casino, I just can't stand the players that play and I'm not that favorable of the dealers as half of them are just assholes or are just incompetent at their jobs. Losen up. You look at your phone and you get the third reich called on you as if you were using it to communicate with the auto shuffler so you know what cards are coming next. If me looking at my phone slows down play, fine, say something, but when I'm not even in the hand, what is me checking my email doing to you? FUCK OFF!!!

sorry this is so negative. Just having a shitty 2 weeks and today didn't help. Getting layed off from the job that you worked at for 7 years will do that to you. The job that I was moving over to ended up just becoming a part time gig for about 2 weeks and that was it as the client I was going to work for ended up falling through. So I'm back to the drawing board. Being 31 and out of work is no fun. Working like I did for the past 7 years to have it flushed down the drain like it did was a drop kick to the abdomen.

I figure everything happens for a reason and that things will work out. So far in my 31 years on this Earth they usually have. Lets just hope that things do.

the daily 10am at Red Rock

I decide to go and play the 10am daily tourney at the Red Rock today. Hadn't played a tourney since the Venetian DeepStack. We started with 30 people. A little smaller than I had expected for the weekend. It pays out about 4 people depending on if there were any rebuys. I forget what we start with but I believe it was around 6k or something. The blinds are 30 minutes long so it makes for a relatively quick tourney and first place is usually over 1k. If you can get past all the chop propositions that start when it gets down to 6 people.

Play starts and I limp around for the first 15 minutes or so with nothing big to talk about. The play is pretty standard. normal 3x the BB raises, being the Red Rock the 10am is usually a bunch of locals so it makes for good tourney play. The blinds are 25-50 at this point and I'm in the BB. The guy who plays every pot limps as do 4 other people. I look down and find AKos. I raise it to $300. The guy who plays every pot calls and then the next guy re-raises to $1200. The other limpers fold and I decide that I don't want to flat the call, which is what I should have probably done, but with the other guy behind, if I flat it I know he is calling so I push all in. I have them both covered by about $1200 so I could still play if I don't catch. The guy folds and the raiser insta calls. I figured he probably had 10's or something like that so I was willing to race. He turns over QQ. surprised he just limped for the 50 pre-flop as there hadn't been much raising going on. The board runs out and I don't catch an A or a K and I get crippled.

I use the small stack to my advantage and take down several pots with all in pushes and chip up to over 3k. Here is where I get lucky and end up having 2 people tell me how bad I play. I'm in the SB and a guy in early position raises to $300. the blinds are 50-100 at this point. 3 players call and I look down at 6h7h. I like playing suited connectors and I like the 4-1 odds I'm getting. If I hit the flop I'm golden if I don't I can get away. The flop comes down 9 10 2 with 2 hearts. I check and the original raiser bets out $500. One person calls and I just flat the $500. Figure I'm probably the only one on a heart draw at this point and if I hit an 8 I might be good. The turn is an 8c. I check it here and the original better bets out 1k. the other guy calls and I move in for an additional 1200. Both guys call. The Q hits the river and at this point, I believe I'm dead. A jack has me beat here. The original raiser moves all in which makes me think that is what he had and the other guy folds. He turns over Q 10 and I turn over my bottom end of the straight and rake in my pot. At which point both guys in the pot start in saying how I should have never been in the pot etc... I just stack my chips and don't say anything. I know I didn't play it wrong and if I did, so be it. No use in getting into an argument here.

Play continues and moves relatively slow. We are down to a little under 20 people. We are now at 200/400 blinds and I'm UTG and here is where I get lucky. I meant to raise it to 1200 but accidentally grabbed two orange chips and dropped 2200. The guy next to me moves all in for a little over 4k. One other guy moves all in for less than the 4k. I start smiling and say I guess I got caught but I can't fold for 2k more. I had 7s 5s. I call and I know I'm dominated. The first guy shows pocket 10s and the other guy has A Q. The flop comes 4 6 8 rainbow. I just sink into my chair and I dodge any type of runner runner catastrophe and my straight holds up. I take down the pot and everybody just kind of sits there stunned that I won. One guy says how could you call the all in? Instead of being silent I tell him that it was 2k to call into a 10k pot and I already had 2200 invested. I had enough left that calling the 2k wasn't going to cripple my stack. I said that had I bet the 1200 I had intended to bet, I might have folded. But I was priced in and got lucky. I didn't slap my hands or yell or any of that crap that most idiots do when they suck out. I've learned that when I get lucky like on this hand I don't react or jump up. I just stack my chips and be quiet. No use in twisting the dagger that was just thrust into someone. I just wish that more people would do this.

After that hand I got moved to the other table where the chip leader resides. he has probably about 60% of chips in play at the moment. We are now down to 14 players and I limp a couple of pots and mostly fold. Right as we are breaking down to 1 table, I get involved in the last pot for the table. I think the blinds are still 400/800 with a 50 ante. I make it $1700 with 2c2s. the guy next to me shoves all in for 6k total. Everyone else folds and I decide that the guy had something like A Q or A J and was trying to buy it. I call. I know its about a 50/50 flip but I was willing to race at this point. He turns over A Q and in the window is an A as the flop comes A 10 4 all clubs. Neither of us have a club so I'm looking for a 2. The turn is the 7c. Now I need a 2 to win or a club to chop. The guy is starting to stack his chips back as the dealer throws down a 2 and immediately apologizes to the guy. I don't understand that. Aren't there 2 people in the hand here? I didn't see you apologize to me when you dealt an Ace on the flop. I was the favorite pre-flop. HE got lucky on me. Yes I sucked out here, but I was the favorite and ahead when all the money was in the middle. So the best hand won after all. plain and simple. I racked my chips and moved to the final table. Now I've played this tourney 3 times now and have made the final table all 3 times. the 2 previous times I managed to cash 4th for a min cash and get my buy in back both times. With the previous knock out we are down to 8 people.

I limp a couple of times and don't hit or get re-raised and have to fold. I end up being around 12k when the fatal hand was dealt. I'm in the SB and 2 people limp. we are still at 400/800. I just call as I have 7 7 os. The BB pushes all in. Everyone folds and I know I'm ahead again but do I want to race again. considering I've lost 4 races and sucked out the river on the other. I count out my chips and find that I'll have a little over 5k if I lose. I call. I turn over 7 7 and he turns over A Q. The dreaded A Q. And of course an A in the window with 3 spades. I'm drawing dead to a 7 as he has the Q of spades. I stack my chips and give them to him before the river as I know a 7 isn't coming and of course it doesn't. Sucks. hate making the right calls and my hands not holding up. But its poker.

I end up down to my last 3k when i'm in the BB and there is one raise and one caller. I look down at 7 10 of spades and figure now is as good as ever. I move all in and the original raiser moves all in and the other guy snap calls. the raiser shows 7 7 and the snap caller showed A Q. I don't understand that. you have 2 all ins and you snap call with A J or A Q. The fact that some people are willing to risk their tourney life on non made hands is just laughable. They see that and can't fold it. The flop comes A 4 9. The turn is Q which brings 2 spades so I'm drawing dead to a spade. Can it fall and I get real lucky here? Survey says........NO!! So the A Q wins again and I'm shown the door. I should have finished higher in this tourney but the poker gods decided to humble me I guess.

Live to play another day I guess. Back to the grindstone and looking forward to next weekend as its mine and the wife's 4 year anniversary. We are goind down to the Flamingo for the weekend. Should be fun. Looking forward to relaxing at the pool and sleeping in a hotel room. for some reason I always sleep better when we stay in hotels.

Until next time....

Time to catch up

I just realized that it has been over a month since my last blog. Well, there hasn't been too much to write about lately. So I'll catch everyone up and then move onto this week as I finally got back around to playing cards.

During the WSOP and the Venetian Deep Stack tournament I just ran awful. Ended up getting knocked from every tournament and cash game I played when I had my money in the middle of the pot and was ahead. Was out drawn everytime. I had my bankroll destroyed and decided to take a month off. Another factor was the fact that I was to be laid off at the end of the month. The company that I had worked for the past 7 and a half years decided they didn't need me around anymore so they let me go. Lucky for me I was able to secure a part time position with my wife's company that will most likely end up full time work. Only bad part is that I'm basically having to take a 30% reduction in pay. Damn the economy. I thought that Obama said that the stimulus bill was working? What a joke.

I digress. I decide that maybe now is as good a time as any to try and really make a run at playing poker professionally. I've set up my system for tracking my winnings and losses and decided to finally keep a notebook to track my play. Something I should have done in the first place. I guess you have to screw up to learn to do things right. I've used this week to start my new venture and things have gone well so far after 3 days.

On Monday I went down to Red Rock and decide to play $1-$2 while the wife is at work. I buy in for $100 as the game has just started and just about everyone only bought in for $200. I was playing 50 BB's which gave me enough chips to do some damage. Lucky for me I am at a table of fish and figure that I can bully most of the table as much as I want. I get a pretty solid table image of only raising with strong hands and I get the table to believe that image pretty good. Everytime I get called down I actually have the nuts which helps. One hand in particular.
there are 4 limpers into the pot and I'm on the button and look down at JJ. I decide to raise it to $12. The blinds both call and so do the other 4 limpers. So we are 7 handed going to the flop with the pot at $84 already. I know that if anything above a J hits I'm dead so I can get away pretty cheap. Flop comes down 2 8 J rainbow. Got to love that with position!!! The blinds both check and one of the other limpers bets out $40. Nice. The guy behinds him decides to call. Even better!! Next guy folds and I only have about $75 left so I don't want to just call as it only leaves me 35 behind so I move all in for $75. The blinds both fold and the raiser insta calls and so does the other guy. WTF?? Both of them limped into the pot and called my raise so I can't put them on an over pair could I? I know I'm holding the nuts at the moment and like where I am. The turn is 5s which brings 4 to a flush. They both check. The river is the 10h so I know no one made a straight or flush and I've got the nuts. The original raiser turns over A J and the other guy mucks. WTF would he have called the $40 and then my all in with that he couldn't beat a Jack. I'm thinking A K or some crap like that. I turn over my JJ and rake in the $300 pot. I managed to play my stack up and down most of the day stealing a lot of pots and making alot of plays that worked well. No horrendous beats or out draws that cost my a lot of chips and I ended the day up $300.

I go down to the Venetian for day two of my venture and really have a roller coaster type of day. I bought in for $100 and was up as much as $400 and down to my last $20 at another time as well. Had Aces cracked twice and had trips busted to a runner runner straight another time. The second time I had my aces cracked I almost lost it. What a horrendous play by the other guy and then he has the nerve to say crap like I just knew I was going to hit it and thats why I called. I just didn't believe you had anything. When you get lucky in a pot, the correct thing to do is to stack your chips, look up at the poker gods and say Thank You. Shut your mouth and don't say anything to the player you just broke with your god awful play. Here is how the hand went down.

I'm BB and 3 players limp. the guy in the SB (the devil) decides to raise to $12. I look down and find AA. Now, I probably should have re-raised here, but everytime I had re-raised the table, everyone folded. I didn't want to just scoop $20 here. So I just called the $12 and we ended up 4 to the flop. The dealer flops out 6 10 Q rainbow. Now unless the SB raised with Queens I know I'm good here. The SB bets out $20. I figure he doesn't have trip Q's or 10's as he probably wouldn't have bet. I decide to re-raise him here. I put out the $20 and then add in another $70 on top. The guy is only playing with $200 behind so it would be for just about half his stack. The other two guys get out of the way. He fumbles with his chips and looks at his cards about 4 times. He makes the call. At this point I am confused. Maybe he has K's or maybe he raised with K J and is trying to hit his straight. I still don't like him for pocket Q's or 10's and I'm sure I'm ahead. The dealer peals a 10 on the turn and the SB announces he is all in for his last $120. I honestly don't know what to think right now. I'm basically getting 3 to one on my money here but if he has pocket Q's or had some moronic hand like A 10 I'm basically drawing dead. I decide that I can't fold and maybe he was just trying to represent the 10. I call. The guy doesn't turn his hand up so I wait. This has me thinking that maybe he was just on a draw. The river is another 10 so I figure I'm good here. the guy waits and I tell him that I called him so he needs to show his hand. And he slow rolled me there. He finally turns up J 10 for quads. I muck my aces face up and just shake my head and say way to call of half your stack with midle pair. Thats when he go's into his drivel about knowing he was going to hit his card and how I didn't have anything. Keep thinking that pal. Keep making plays like that and I'll get my chips back. This knocks me back down to under $100. I make some loose calls and find myself down to $20.

This is where a lot of people would just put their money in on any 2 cards and see what happens. I had no intentions of rebuying if I got knocked out and decided to play my last 20 as if I had $200. I end up getting a free look at the flop in BB holding 2c 3c. The flop comes 2 2 3. jackpot!! Now can I only get one of these clowns to bet it. It checks around to the button who throws out $10. There are 2 hearts on the board so I fgure he probably has a heart draw and will call my raise of 10. I move all in and end up with a total of 3 callers. Nice. I'll take a triple up sir!! the turn and river brick out and there was no more action and I roll over my 2 3 and everyone else folds. I rake in the 90 pot and am almost back to even. I play about another 30 minutes and cash out $120. I get back to even and make $20 to pay for my lunch. I'll take it. Didn't lose, but I didn't win either.

This brings us to yesterday. This day was filled with huge swings at my table. I buy in for $100 again and end up going on a nice run. I make a couple of straights and two pairs and run my stack up to $400 rather quickly. Then it all fell apart. I don't remember exactly how it all went down and the positions but I'm in late position and it limps around to me and I find A A. I raise it to $14 and get two callers. The flop comes 8 8 Q. BB checks and the guy next to me bets out $30. I raise him to $80. the BB folds and the guy tanks for a bit. He decides to move in for a total of $200. Did he really call my raise with something like A 8 suited? I had already put in 100 so I had to make the call. He turns over J 8. WTF? really? Did this guy just get paid off with J 8? Thank you poker gods for allowing me to have Aces cracked for the third time in two days. I push half my stack over to the mule next to me who does something that I just can't stand. He gets up, grabs a rack and then proceeds to rack his chips and leave. That just pisses me off. At least sit for an orbit and fold everything and then leave. Don't hit and run.

I'm down to $200 and then the guy who sits down in the seat next to me decides he wants to be one of the young guns he sees on TV. you know the guy in the hooded sweat shirt over his head, headphones and sunglasses. Got to love seeing these guys sitting at a 1-2 game. To top it off, his breath smells like he had ate dog shit for lunch. How can you go around smelling like that and not vomit on yourself??

The guy buys in for $200. The very next hand (3 hands after having my aces cracked) I end up with JJ in the BB. 4 limpers and I just check. I'm still upset with the aces hand and I really don't like J's. the flop comes 3 J 9 with 2 spades. I'll take that. Assmouth bets $10. I raise it to $40. I'm fine with taking it down right now. Everyone else folds and assmouth painfully calls. The turn is a Q. Assmouth checks and I bet $90. I have about $100 left after the bet. I should have moved all in at this point, but I guess I've learned my lesson. Oh yes, there is a lesson to learn here. Assmouth quikly calls. I figure he has something like Q J or A J. The Ace of spades comes on the river and he moves all in. I tank at this point. I have to call based on the amount of money I put in the pot and I just couldn't think assmouth would call $40 on the flop and another $90 on the run on a flush draw. I call and he turns up 6 4 of spades. Really assmouth? you called me down with a 6 high flush draw?? I turn over my JJ and show how lucky assmouth was and he smiles and rakes in the chips. I stand up as I don't want to say anything I'll regret. I sit back down and this is where it gets interesting. Assmouth was mouthing off about how he had pot odds and some crap like that. I didn't hear the whole thing but the guy to my left told the kid that he didn't have pot odds and that he got lucky and should shut his mouth. Thanks old timer. I have seen the guy around as he frequents the venetian with his wife. She plays 2-5 and usually does pretty well. The kid continues on saying that he was correct in calling the flop and turn bets as he was ahead percentage wise. Thats when I tell him that he was about a 3 to 1 dog on the flop then only had about a 8-1 dog on the turn. he tries to argue that he had more outs than me and thats when the older guy says, your the only one who needed outs and you only had 7 outs since the Js would give me quads and that he should take his advice and just shut up and thank the poker gods he was lucky. I don't say anything because I don't want the guy to keep talking. I can't stand his breath.

After all that I end up down to my last $30. I get lucky and hit trip 2's my next hand and double up to just over $70. Then about 14 hands later I end up with Aces again. great. I decide to just shove my whole stack in this time. I push in $55 in the BB and end up with 2 callers. How do you call a $53 raise when you only have $2 invested? I just know I'm losing. surprisingly I hold up and end up tripping up to over $160. I'm back to over even and decide this is my last orbit.

Then I'm dealt K Q on the button and UTG raises to $10. 2 limpers and I limp and so do the blinds. we go 6 to the flop and the flop is K Q K with 2 spades. Bingo! the original raiser bets at the pot and puts in $30. folds to me and I look at my cards and then just call. the blinds fold. The turn is the 9 clubs. original raiser checks and I quickly check. The river is the As. Now that card scares me. Maybe the guy raised with A K preflop and now has a monster. But I quickly replay the hand and figure there is no way he did that. if he had A K he would have bet the turn figuring I was on a flush draw. He bets out $60. I count my chips and I've only got about $120 left so I move all in. The guy insta calls and at that moment I realize that quite possibly he could have been holding J 10 of spades. I didnt' even think about that hand before I acted. Lucky for me he turns over J 8 of spades and I show the winning full house of K Q. I double up and am back over $300. I decide to stick with my plan and I rack up before the BB gets to me and I take my $200 profit and leave.

So for 3 days I played 8 hrs all 3 days and turned a $500 profit. not too bad I guess. It will pay for my traffic ticket that is due in August so I guess I'm lucky about that.

This blog is long enough. I hope to blog a lot more in the future as I plan on continuing my playing in the evenings after work and/or on the weekends. I'm going to try and stick to the cash games for a while and try and build up my bankroll. I really want to play several of the events during the next deep stack even in November.

Until next time.

Bad night of bad beats

The poker gods are back to slapping me in the face with the deck again. Friday night was just not a good night of poker for me. I buy in for $200 and proceed to play zero hands for about the first hour. Every pot is raised to about 6x's the big blind. Its $1-$2 and I guess everyone feels the only way to play is to raise it to at least $12 pre-flop. I don't catch any cards that are worth calling that pre-flop. No pairs, no AK or AQ. Nothing. I finally get involved in a pot and it cripples my stack. I'm in the BB and the table limps around to me. I have Q 10 and check my option. Flop comes 9 J J rainbow. There are 5 people in the pot so I assume that someone has to have a J. It checks around to the button who bets out $10. SB folds and I call and it folds around and we get one more caller. The turn is an 8. I make my Q high straight and feel I'm good. I bet out $25 and both guys call. I'm figuring that both have a J so I'm now scared of one of them hitting a full house or already being there. What I don't want to see is a face card as I'm sure one or both would have something like A J, K J, or Q J. Of course the river brings a K. I check as does the other guy. The button fires out $25. I know I should fold as I'm almost positive that the guy has K J. But, I'm hoping that maybe he just has A J or Q J and there is enough money that I decide I can't fold. I call the 25 and the other guy folds. I show the straight and the jackass decides to wait a second, look at the board and then turn over K J. What the fuck is wrong with people. Why do they feel the need to slow roll when they know they have the nuts? I showed first even though I called him. I hate assholes like this.

I take a modest hit and am down to around $100 left. I decide I'm not going to buy in for more than the $200 as I don't want to go in the red on the night. I fold just about everything for the next hour. I end up down to $35 and put it all in on a raised pot with 2 callers when I get A Q. We end up 3 way in the pot and both of the other guys check it down and I catch my Q on the river and rake in the pot. I take my stack back up to over $100. My next hand I am dealt 10 10 in the SB and push all in on a raised pot and end up taking it down pre-flop and rake in another $30. I end up building my stack back up to $150. About 5 hands later I am dealt K K in late position. I raise it to 4x the big blind and the BB ends up making it $45. The guy has been super tight and I just feel that he probably has AA. I can't fold it pre-flop so I just call rather than doing what most people would do and push all in. The flop comes 3 9 7. Great flop for me, but I still think the guy has AA. He go's all in which puts me all in. I go in the tank and I know I should just fold it but instead of going with my gut, I talk myself into him having Q's or J's. I call and he tables AA. The turn is an A and then the river is a K. I turn over my K's and grab my phone and head towards the door.

On my way out a guy I play frequently with starts talking with me. He has made a couple of good cashes during the Venetian Deepstack tourney and is on a decent run this month. We talk about a couple of things and he asks if I was playing the 7pm tourney and I said no that I was on my way home. He offers to buy me into the tournament for a 60-40 split and I accept. First place is usually around $6000 so I'll take a $2400 profit on zero buyin.

I sit down at what would become the absolute worst collection of poker stiffs I have ever played with. Seat 1 and 2 are what I will call Luckbox1 and Luckbox2. Seats 3 and 4 were from Russia and couldn't speak a lick of english and played like they have never seen a poker game before. The others were a bunch of calling stations. Ideally, this is a table I would love to sit at as I should be able to run the table over. But then again, you can't beat luck and the luckboxes struck early.

Seats 1 and 2 take down all of the big pots by catching trips and boats and running runner runner straights and flushes. It was amazing. When their hands were tabled it was just shocking. That they were calling people down with bottom pairs and A high and just getting lucky as hell. Either they were elite soul readers or just had a horshoe crammed up their asses. Seat 2 knocks out 4 people and builds up an enormous chip stack. We started out with 7500 in chips and the blinds were 20minutes. they moved pretty quick and I managed to take a couple of small pots when I run into luckbox in seat 2.

Blinds are 100-200 and I raise on the button after she has limped in. I make it $600 to go and everyone folds to her where she calls. I have 9d 10d. I know I need to hit the flop hard or I'm probably behind. The flop comes 7 k 10 with 2 clubs. She checks and I bet out $1200. She calls. The turn is an A. She checks and I bet out $1800. She thinks and then eventually calls. The river is a J of clubs. So now the board has 4 to a straight with 3 clubs. All you need is a Q and you have the straight. She checks and I bet out $1900. She insta calls and I just say I guess you have the Q and she turns over K 3. K fucking 3!!!! She said there was just too much money in the pot not to call. there were a million hands that could beat you. What the fuck!! So I'm down to $3000 now. Great. I manage a double up when I hit trips on the flop with 44 and get back up to over 7000.

The next big hand I play cripples me and was probably a bad play on my part, but hell, I couldn't not call. I had A 6 of hearts in the BB and the blinds were 200-400 with a 25 ante. There were 4 limpers and I check. The flop came 10 8 K with 2 hearts. I check and it checks around to ms luckbox in seat 2 who bets out $800. 2 guys limp and I call as does the other guy. the turn is the 3 of diamonds. So now there are 2 diamonds and 2 hearts. I still am drawing to the nuts. I check and ms luckbox bets out $2200. both guys call and i think about it. There is just too much money in the pot not to call. I hit a heart that doesn't pair the board and I've got the nuts. I call. so does the other guy and the flop comes 2 diamonds. Great. can't hit shit. I check and ms luckbox bets out $2400. one guy calls and ms luckbox shoes 8 7 diamonds. she hits her flush. at least this time she was betting her bottom pair and got lucky.

Again i'm down to about 3000. I'm below 10 bb and know i'm at an all in mode now. blinds are 300-600 with a 50 ante. ms luckbox calls the 600 and the guy next to me go's all in for his last 4000. I have A Q and decide to take my chances and go all in for my last 3000. the blinds fold and ms luckbox hims and haws and finally calls for another 3400. you know, because you are "priced" in right!! I know i'm ahead as I show my A Q. the guy who went all in first shows J 7 of hearts and ms luckbox shows K 4 diamonds. flop comes A 4 8. no hearts or diamonds. the guy gets up and begins to leave as he is pretty sure he is going home. I just need my hand to hold now. We all know where this is going. The turn is the K. Great, 2 pair for the dumb bitch. I've still got outs as an A, Q or 8 will do. Can I catch one? Nope. Ms luckbox can make a full house though. 4 on the river. I grab my phone and begin to stand up. The guy next to me, who I've played with before just shakes his head. And this is the part I can't stand. It just shows you know nothing about poker. The luckbox in seat 1 proceeds to say, well you were priced in. you had to call with your stack. She says I know, that is why I called. Do you even know what priced in means?? hell no you don't. I tell them she wasn't priced in. She had odds to call, but not priced in. If she felt like gambling, fine. so be it. but you don't call an additional 3400 when you only have 600 invested with K 4 and 2 guys all in. You have to think at least one has an Ace or at least a pair. Even if they have K they have your kicker crushed. Whatever. The dumb bitch won't make the dinner break after having over 40,000 in chips after 5 levels. Why can't I get lucky like that? Oh yeah, I don't stick around in the hands she does.

So go's another day of just shitty poker for me.

Sunday I have the tournament on full tilt where if I finish in the top 150 I win a main event seat. Lets see if I can make it past the second level on this one. maybe I can go on an online heater and just play my way into it. being that you only have to finish in the top 150 a lot of people will play very tight late so if you are behind and needing to chip up you can steal a lot of pots so we'll see what happens. So far there are 1327 people registered. I expect to see a lot more tomorrow as its a $500 tourney. But then again, a lot of people are afraid of getting their money out after the gov't froze all the money in the banks a couple of weeks ago. Full Tilt has managed to get around it so I'm not worried. would be a nice way to end the month if I can win my main event eat for $8. Good birthday gift for myself.

Sorry I haven't written much RB, just not a lot going on and I haven't played but about once a week now with the bad runs I've been on.

Nothing new to report

I decided to take it easy the past week after my WSOP debacle. Hell, I had basically blown my entire bankroll on the 1K tourney and the Venetian satellite. Something that you should never do, but it was about the only shot I had at entering a WSOP event this year and I just decided to say screw it. I'll just have to start grinding and build it back up.

I started that when I went down to the Venetian on Friday and bought in for $200. I played for about 4hrs and ended up cashing out at $500. So I am back on my way to building up my bankroll. I think I will just stick to playing down at the Venetian for the time being. I just seem to be so damn unlucky at Red Rock and I like the poker room at the Venetian anyway. There wasn't much to speak of at the Venetian on Friday but I'll go through a couple of hands that were somewhat interesting.

After sitting down in my least favorite seat, #3, I fold until it comes around to me in the BB. UTG + 1 raises it to $12. You know, the customary 6x the BB bet out of position. Surprisingly no one calls which is odd because about the only time you don't get at least one caller in $1-$2 at the Venetian is when you go all in. It folds to me and I look down at 2c 3c. I decide to get frisky as I like playing suited connectors. If I hit it, I'll probably felt the guy and if I don't, it cost me 10 and I can fold it. I forget exactly what the flop was but I know there was a K and a 3 with 2 hearts. I check and the orignial better thinks for a bit and bets out $20. I honestly think he has missed here. I put him on A Q or something like that just by his body language. I just call. The turn is the 2h. I decide to try and trap him here and check, thinking my 2 pair is probably good. He bets out $50. I think for a bit as the heart doesn't scare him at all here. This has me thinking that maybe he was betting out the heart draw and got there. Can I fold my 2 pair here? If I just call then I'm stuck with a little over $100. I really don't like playing that short at $1-2 so I decide to just push it all in and move all in for my last $120. He snap calls which makes me think that he hit his flush. Nope. He just has A K. Of course he starts in on me about how I could call the pre flop raise and the post flop bet with 2c 3c. I don't say anything and rake in the pot as the river bricks for him. I really wanted to say, "how could you snap call the re-raise when the heart hit? I check called the flop with 2 hearts on the board. You didn't even consider I had a flush did you?" But I just raked it in and stacked my chips.

I just limped around for most of the day, taking in a couple of pots here and there and bluffing out this young kid of a couple of pots. Its amazing how some of these kids play. You can tell so easily that they are weak or have a weak kicker because they will not push all their chips into the middle. So I bought several pots off of him doing just that.

Then this guy sits down with the worst breath I have ever had the displeasure of sitting next to at the poker table. And of course the guy wants to get chatty with everyone on his end of the table. Now I don't want to be rude, but damn, its god awful. It smells like he shit in his mouth!! After about an hour, I can't take it anymore and pull out my tin of Altoids and tell him to grab a handful. He was taken back by that and was a little upset. I say, "I'm sorry, but your breath smells like shit and I really can't take it anymore." I know, I was an asshole, but damn. I didn't want to leave my table, so something had to be done. He was really upset and got up and left. The rest of the table just laughed at the situation.

There was an older guy in seat 7 who was just being a bully. He picked up a couple of pots but was basically just barrell betting every pot. If he raised pre-flop, you can bet everything that he was going to continue on every street. So I was just waiting for the right situation and the right one came along about an hour before I was going to leave.

after a couple of limpers, he makes it $20 to go and true to fashion, 3 people call and action comes to me in the SB. I look down at K J and decide to join the fun. All in all there are 6 of us pre-flop. Only playing $1-2 do you get 6 people to call $20 pre-flop. The flop comes J 8 4. I think I'm good here, at least against the older guy. I check and so does the BB and the older guy barrell bets $40. Actually pretty low considering there is $120 in the pot. And true to form, everyone folds. Got to love $1-2. It comes to me and I decide to just call. Never know, maybe the guy actually woke up with a hand and has AA or QQ or something like that. The turn is a K. Now I have top 2 pair. But the K does concern me a little. In the back of my mind I was starting to maybe put him on an over pair, and if he had KK, then I'm drawing dead right here. I check and true to form he pushes out $70. $70 into a $200 pot? I'm getting 3 to 1 and something just doesn't sit right. I am pretty sure that I am good because I just don't get the sense that he is strong. The river is a 10. Now this card actually does scare me a little. Because if he was just continuing his bet with A Q then that means he got there. I mean, because what could he think I have that I would check call him all the way to the river? So I check, not sure what I am going to do here. He puts out $100 into the pot rather quickly. I really want to just jam everything I have into the pot, but something in the back of my mind says just call and save the rest of your chips. There is already $340 in the pot and add in his $100 that brings it to $440. I only have $220 at the moment and If I just call and am wrong, then I have $100 to work with. With the K and 10 coming on the turn and River, it just gives this guy so many outs because maybe he was playing KK or 10 10 or he really was betting with A Q the whole time. I just call and he picks up his cards and just holds them. This is the shit I can't stand. If you are called and you don't intend to muck immediately, SHOW YOUR DAMN HAND. I guess I'm one of the only players out here, who really doesn't care that people see my hands. So many people refuse to show their hands when they are all in with cards to come. If I honestly believe I'm ahead, I turn them over ASAP to show everyone I'm ahead. I play so many different hands that I don't care. I don't think that anyone gets a read on my by showing my cards. Back to the hand--- he just sits there and I say, "I guess you have shit so I'll show my cards and you can just muck yours. " I turn over K J and start to pull back my $100. The dealer says to wait and I say, "he is mucking. he has nothing or he would have already turned his cards over." The guy just sits there holding his cards and eventually mucks them.

WTF?? why do people do that? Do they honestly think that the longer you look at them, the greater the possibility will be that they will change? I love it when they finally do muck and then say I had AA and you cracked them. Bullshit. If you had your AA cracked, you would show it. Your full of shit and you know it. If I get a bad beat, I show my cards. I want everyone to know I had the best hand until the river. Lets people know that I'm not playing shit cards and that maybe next time, they'll stay the hell out of my pot.

After that hand, my chip stack is just over $550. I decide that the $500 is coming home with me and limp around with the $50 hoping to pick up a couple of pots here or there. Nothing really happens and I leave after I get J 2 UTG and cash out for $540. It was a good day and hopefully will lead to more in the coming weeks. I really want to play another WSOP event before the end of the month.

As it stands right now, the only thing I have going is the possibility of winning my way into the Main Event. I'm playing a tournament on Full Tilt on the 21st where 150 seats are being awarded to the top 150. I won an entry into the tourney way back in April in an $8 satellite. Wouldn't it be great if I won my Main Event seat for $8? Hell, I'm basically free rolling the main event. As it stands right now, there are 480 people registered for the $500 tourney. I'm sure that in 13 days, that number will be close to at least 3,000. You can't get better odds than that. You don't have to win it, don't have to finish in the top 3 or even final table it. Just finish in the top 150. Hopefully I can manage the field and get threw and have a miracle suckout or 2 and make the final 150. That would be amazing to be able to play the Main Event for $8!!

I know this has dragged out so I'll let my only reader go for now. Thanks RB for reading my blog. Hopefully I'll manage a cash or two down the road and we can get some more people reading it. Tell the gang at Dave's I said hi and check in the dark for me one time!!

WSOP event 4

So my first WSOP event ended up a disaster. There is nothing worse than going out in a tournament during the second level except for going out on the money bubble. The tournament structure was good as it allowed for a lot of play and if you became short stacked you could still play in pots as you wouldn't get blinded out quickly with the hour long blinds. I made one costly bluff that crippled my stack after I had picked up almost 2000 chips in a previous hand.

The blinds were 25-50 and after 2 limpers I decide to raise from the button to $150 with Kh 9h. BB calls and one other guy calls from UTG +2. Flop comes 4s Kd 8s. Checks to me and I bet out $300. BB folds and UTG+2 calls. Turn is 2h. He checks and I bet out $700. I think he has a K and I'm probably out kicked but his whole demeanor is weird. I get a feeling like maybe he is on a flush draw or a small pair. He calls the $700. The river brings the Js and he bets out $600. I go in the tank and count out the $600 and if I call and lose that will leave me with $1400 in chips which is enough to play if I'm wrong. I look at my cards again and look at the guy and something just tells me to call. So I go with my gut and make the call and he says good call. He didnt show but he says he had a small pair and was hoping to just buy it if a spade came or if he got trips. So I rake in a good pot that brings my stack up over $5000. What I should do now is just sit back and play big hands and leave the small crap alone. But of course I don't and get myself in trouble later.

About 10 hands later I'm on the button again and we have 2 limpers and I get 8s 8c and just call. I like seeing the flop cheap with small and middle pairs and hope for trips or up and down straight draws. The small blind raises it to $300. At this point I want everyone to fold so that I can fold as well but of course 2 people call so I have to with the amount in the pot. The flop comes 3 5 4 with 2 spades. The small blind bets out $600 and everyone folds to me. Here is where I slit my own wrist. I should just fold the hand and move on. The SB hasn't played many hands and has a tight image in the short time he has played so I know he has an over pair. I decide to get stupid and raise him trying to represent a set. I thought I grabbed one of my yellow chips but It fell out of my hand as I was putting in my raise so instead of raising it to $2200 I only raised it to $1200. So I just min raised the guy. He go's in the tank for a while and finally calls. I put him on KK or QQ at this point as I know he isn't going anywhere with AA. The 2 peels off on the turn and he checks. I figure he is going to fold as if I was bluffing with AK or any ace he is beat so I put him all in for $1300 which is what I was trying to do on the flop. He go's in the tank for a while. At least a minute or so. I just know he is laying this down. but then he starts stacking his chips and pushes them all in for the call. I show my 88 and he turns over AA for the wheel. Everyone at the table calls him on his slow roll and I go on about it and he says I thought you had pocket 6's. I say if you thought that then why did you call then??? you are drawing dead at that point so you are full of crap sir!!! The guy shuts up after that comment because he realizes that he was caught being a gigantic asshole. The river doesn't bring an Ace or a 6 and I take a hit. My stack drops down to $2100 after that hand. Still have plenty of time and I'm not worried. Just need to win a couple of small pots and start to chip up.

Of course that would require some cards now wouldn't it??? I limp around for a couple of hands with suited connectors and miss on every flop. The only decent hand I had was pocket 3's that I limped in with and was quickly raised to $500 pre-flop and I had to fold it.

Now we come to the hand that sent me to the rail. I'm in the BB and UTG+4 raises it to $150. everyone folds to me and I look down at As Ks. I just call as I'm happy to see a flop with that. I don't like A K. I rarely win with it. I lose a shit ton to it though. Flop comes Js Kh 4s. I like that flop!! top pair with a flush draw. I bet out $300 and he calls. The turn is the Ah and I just know i'm good here. I'm happy to just take it down so I put in my last $1500 and he instantly calls me. great. he has a set doesn't he. I show AK and he shows JJ. I've got 13 outs as I need any A, K, or spade to hit. Do you think the poker gods can save me here?? Hell no. board throws up a massive brick that slaps me in the face and I'm gone. Grab my bottle of water and step under the ropes and I'm out.

I would have to say that this tourney was an ultimate failure. I played for less than 2 hours and got nothing out of it. I usually don't mind losing in tourneys as long as I play well and get busted late. I feel that busting early like this is just an utter waste. I don't get any new experience except on how to lose graciously. I decide to head over to the Red Rock to try and get the bad taste out of my mouth. Should have just gone home and rinsed with soap instead.

I sit down and buy in for the max of $200. Play for a couple of hours and pick up some small pots but nothing big. The table is playing reall low as everyone is limping for $2 and no one is raising so i'm seeing a lot of flops for cheap. My stack is about $300 now and I'm planning on leaving when the big blind comes around to me which is 3 hands when I limp with Kc 10c. There are 6 people in the pot. Flop comes 6c 4c 8c. Nice. Everyone checks and I bet out $15. I get one caller. The turn is the Qh. the guy moves all in. He has me covered here. There is $40 in the pot and the guy shoves for over $400?? I figure he has pocket QQ there and doesn't want me to draw to the flush so I figure i'm good here. I stupidly call and he quickly says ship it like an asshole and turns over 5c 7c for the straight flush. I show my K high flush and throw it in the muck as I push my chips over to him. I get up and head towards the door. Suddenly I feel like throwing up. Days like today just suck.

Wish I had signed up for Day 2 now instead of Day 1. Now its back to the grind and will have to start over again. But, its Vegas. where its always sunny and over 90 degrees now. Going to go to the pool with the wife and just hang out and relax. Going to forget yesterday and just move on as there is no need in dwelling on the past. I plan on playing at least one more bracelet event so I need to forget about yesterday and build up my bankroll and play a couple more of the satellites down at the RIO as they were pretty sofft. Just need to win 2 of them to get a buy in for an event.

RB, you ought to be happy now. 2 posts on consecutive days!!

Start of the WSOP

Went down to the Venetian yesterday to play in the noon mega satellite. Tried to win $2300 in tourney chips to be able to take care of my tourneys for the duration. things didn't go so well. I managed to chip up very early on my first table. had 3d3h in the big blind and 6 players limped. I checked it to see a cheap flop and hope to get lucky. Flop comes As 3c 6s. Nice!! SB checks and so do I hoping someone likes that Ace. And they do. UTG bets out and 3 people call. I decide to raise all in and UTG calls. I turn over a set and he shows AK. Good double up for me as the dealer bricks the turn and River. That would be about it for me as I really had nothing else to speak of other than the unlucky beat I had right before the first break.

the blinds are 100-200 and there are I think 3 limpers and i'm in the SB and look down at 2d 5d. I limp and the BB checks. I check in the dark (using your move Ringgo) and the flop comes As 5h 5s. I'm hoping someone will like the Ace and bet it but they don't. The turn is a 6, not sure what suit, and I bet 1000 (my stack was about 3400 before the hand) and get 1 caller. I know my hand is good as long as I can dodge a non board spade or an Ace. Of course an Ace comes on the river and I can't do anything. I check and the guy bets enough to put me all in. I show my 2 5 and tell him he got lucky. He shows A 6 off suit and I should have doubled up right there because he is calling anything I bet. It shouldn't amaze me at all, but the amount of people who call preflop with Ace rag just amazes me. I mean, even if you hit your ace, you are behind because of your kicker. Just amazes me at the skill level of these people. And they say the economy is bad. They should come to vegas and see the people who are putting up $300 at a time to give their money away.

After the break I get nothing to play until I get 99 and shove all in for about $1800. Will (the Poker Monkey to those of you that know him) tells me that he should call in this situation. I know he has A K or A Q. He decides to flip a coin to determine to call me as he didn't want to bust me. It comes up heads and he calls. flop comes Q A Q. I don't catch up and I collect my things and I'm out. Didn't play bad, just didn't get any cards after my pocket 33's.

To top it off, I lost $300 somewhere along the way from pulling my phone in and out of my pocket. Severly pissed off about that.

Went down today to register for the 1K event at the Rio. Walked the halls and decided to check out the action in for the 40k event. The rails were overflowing as everyone was trying to watch the likes of Huck Seed, Doyle Brunson, Chris Moneymaker and others. This being my first WSOP, it was cool to walk the event and see all the tables. It truly is an experience for the first time player. So I go over and buy in and decide to play a $100 satellite. The table is extremely soft and I don't lose a single hand except for one which cost me winning the whole thing instead of chopping it. We are 4 handed at this point and I get 77 in SB. Everyone folds and I put in enough chips to put the BB all in. He calls and shows A 6. I forget the flop but I know he hit a 6. The turn was a brick and the River was an A. Damn. Should have added another 900 to my stack and been chip leader with 3 to play. 3 hands later 2 players go all in and I wake up with AA. I push all and end up felting them. Had I won the previous hand, that would have been the tourney and I win the full $1000. Instead, we decide to chop when we get heads up as we are basically even in chips as I only have $200 more than him. I'll take it. $125 to win $560. Tip the dealer a $20 and head home. Not a bad way to start the WSOP. Think I'll head down and try to play another $125 before event 4 starts.

I draw a good table as I find that mine is on the outside row 3rd table down on the rail. the only downside is that I drew seat 8. I can't stand seat 8. I hate the corners more than anything. It becomes hard to see the cards at some times and I hate having to lean in to see as I feel that can be a tell sometimes. I like being able to just look down without moving to see where I'm at. We shuffle up and deal at 12 noon and hopefully my next blog will be me writing on Sunday saying that we are on to Day 2 on Monday. The structure is very good as the blinds are 60 minutes long and you start with $3000 in chips and the first blind is 25-25. Should make for a lot of poker to be played as long as I can dodge the certain shove fest that will ensue from a lot of the players. Should be a soft field as I'm sure a lot of the more established players might shy away from this one.

Talk to you all next time when I'm chipleader heading into Day 2!!!!

Memorial Day Weekend

Had a good time this weekend. Went down to Caesar's for the weekend and will never stay there again. I forgot how jacked up their hotel is. You have to walk a mile to check in, then walk another 2 miles to get to your room. Its a great place to shop and there are a million places to eat, but staying there is ridiculous. In case you haven't been to Caesar's Palace, when you pull into the front, you get out of your car or cab with all of your luggage and proceed to the main door. At least you think its the main door. You then have to walk across to another area where the check in is. Now, I have been able to gain the rank of Diamond through Harrahs and I use the special check in area that this priveledge gets me. Its 100% worth it. But not here. You have to walk another mile down into the Augustus tower with all of your luggage to get to the Diamond and 7 stars lounge. Now why would you make your best players and biggest spenders walk the farthest? Makes no sense to me. The only time this is good is if you are staying in the Augustus tower, which of course this time around we weren't. We were in the Palace tower which is one of the new towers on the other end of the damn property. So we then proceed to walk through the entire casino and down to the Palace tower. its just a pain in the ass. No other hotel have I stayed in Las Vegas is more ass backwards than Caesar's.

We chose Caesars because it was a free offer so I could't pass it up. Basically I went to play poker and my wife went to go to the pool. I don't know what all the talk about Caesars poker room is about. I found it average at best. Didn't like a single dealer and hated just about everyone that played. They were either idiots who didn't know how to play, or jackasses who thought they were the next Phil Ivey. I don't know if this is the new state of poker, but why can't anyone play flop poker anymore? Why is it always a shovefest pre flop? Why are we constantly shoving $30 pre flop when its a $1-$2 game? Oh yeah, I forgot, got to pay for those $300 jeans and those douchebag hair cuts and shirts you have to wear. Freakin tools!!!

Managed to win about $300 for the trip, nothing big but not a losing session either. Ended up spending that on a Pete Rose bat. He was signing autographs in the Forum Shops at Field of Dreams and decided to splurge. He isn't one of my favorites, but he is the all time hits leader so its a piece I can add to the collection. Also managed to pick up a Yogi Berra ball for under $70. they were having a special and couldn't pass it up.

I almost forgot about the best part of my playing poker. Basically almost got into a fist fight with this jackass because he didn't want to chop the pot. As most of you know, when playing cash games, when it gets to the small and big blind and there is no other action, you chop it up and just pull back your blinds. I have only seen it not happen once. so we get to me and this gigantic jackass and the dealer turns to him and says do you want to chop and he says no. I hadn't even looked at my cards and just grab my $1 and say if you want it so bad you can have it and toss it to him. I probably should have just left it there, but then say I'll remember that and just push all in next time on your big blind. They guy returns with I had A J suited so no I didn't want to chop. WOW, AJ suited. I forgot how much of a monster hand that was pre flop. what is that in the top 25 of starting hands? the guy slams his fist on the table and asks if we want to step outside. WTF? Are you serious I say. You want to fight me because I am basically giving you a lesson on playing poker? I ignore him and he continues to call me names and calls me the generic fat ass comment. I respond with, "how original. Going to the fat jokes." So he stands up says okay fat boy lets go outside and walks past me and slaps me on the back. BINGO!!! I call for a floor and have the hot head removed. He tries to back peddle and say he just touched me. I don't give a rats ass, you touched me while trying to provoke a fight. Kiss my ass and cash out you prick. He continues to rant and rave while collecting his chips and go's to the cage. He comes back to the table and tells me to have a great night and proceeds to call me a fat coward. Okay. Like I haven't been called fat before. I've been fat since high school. I've learned to deal with it. I'm sorry if not wanting to go to jail over this moron is cowardly. If it is, then I'm a coward. I lost no sleep over it. Why would I risk being barred from a Harrah's casino when I am trying to make a living playing poker? Sorry, to smart for that.

Sunday, the wife and I decided we would hang at the pool before we went to dinner and a show. Now I know it was Memorial Day weekend and we probably should have gotten down there sooner, but we get down there around noon and there of course aren't any chairs. But then again, a hotel the size of Ceasers only had about 1000 chairs anyway. they only had 2 pools open and people were splayed out all over the floor because they didn't have enough room. they had the Venus Pool open as well, but its not my idea of relaxing listening to techno music thumping in my ear and watching all the douchebags hit on every walking bikini trying to get the clap. not my cup of tea. Just wanted a spot where we could sit down, lay in the sun, read a book and take a dip in the pool. So we went back to the room and just hung out. Watched a movie and took a nap. Yeah, I know, real fun, but for us it was. We weren't at home, didn't have to worry about our dog wanting to play or go out. We just relaxed.

We got ready and went over to Joe's Stone Crab and steakhouse. Had a great meal. Had the stone crab appetizer of course and I had the King Crab Leg special and Amanda had the scallops. It was a great meal and I would recommend the place to anyone. For being locals, we got free dessert so that was nice.

After that we headed over to the Mirage to watch Love. It was the only Cirque du Solei show we hadn't seen ( I don't count that Criss Angel garbage over at the Luxor nor will I pay to see it). i like the Beatles, but I'm not a die hard fan. I only know their famous songs as I don't own a single CD. It wasn't a Cirque show in the true sense of Cirque du Solei. It was basically just a musical. It was okay, but to me it would have been the same had I just sat at home and put on a CD of the band. I have no interest to go back and see it again.

After that we went back to the room and packed and called it a weekend. Went and picked up the dog the next day and came back to the house and got ready for the week.

Thursday I'm going to play the satellites down at the Venetian and hopefully come away with my buy ins for a couple of tourneys and get prepared for the WSOP event 4 at the Rio this weekend.

Wish me luck!

A really good day

I retract my previous statement about $1-$2. I finally got of the cooler I was on and finally ripped off a decent profit yesterday. I went down to the Venetian and sat down at a $1-$2 for $200. It was the only table going at the time and everyone was sitting between 200 and 300. I decided to just buy the $200 and see what happens as I usually buy the max of $300. Table was relatively soft. Several players had obviously been playing since last night as they had that glass eyed look about them. I don't know how I feel about these kinds of players. They usually will donk off their chips to you, but also will call a lot of crap hands and out flop you and you have no idea what they are holding. Had a similar hand happen yesterday that I'll get to later.

I sit down in the big blind and there are 6 limpers and it comes to me to act. I look down at Qc Qd. Great. Nice first hand. I hate getting hands like this when its my first hand at a new table because if I raise I get a lot of callers beacuse they don't know if I'm just trying to buy it or not. I would normally fold but decide to raise it. I raise it to $25. And of course I get 3 callers. Great. I'm hoping for an A or a K to hit on the flop so I can fold. Or one of the other Q's and no draws would be nice. Dealer flops out 6h 9h 10s. Ahh, the dreaded flush draw on the board and the always popular 7 8 possibility. I know at least one of them has to have a draw so I figure if they do they are going to have to pay for it. So I bet out $75 knowing I'm ahead right now. I think this will take it down as that is a lot to pay for a flush draw. And of course all 3 playes call. WTF?? So I figure someone is slowplaying a set or 7 8. I just know I'm dead and an Ad is on the turn. I give up and check. It checks around to the button and she bets out $100. That would put me all in and considering I've already committed $100 to the pot, I'm getting the right price, but I don't have any draws and am drawing dead to 1 out so I know I can't call and I fold. The cutoff makes the call. the river is a blank and the cutoff checks and the button shoves all in for her last $100. The cutoff go's in the tank for a while and finally makes the call after flipping a coin. The button says good call and shows the Kh Qh for the bluff and the cutoff shows 5h 10h for a pair of tens. Unreal. So a good fold ends up costing me $700. I should have shoved all in on the flop instead of putting in $75. But I knew if I had, I would have gotten at least one caller and didn't want to raise for my stack as I had been on a cooler.

So I'm down to $100 and decide to try and grind it out rather than rebuy. It works out that I end up taking downa couple of small pots and get my stack back up to $175. I wake up with KK in the cutoff and with 5 limpers I make it $30 to go. And of course as $1-$2 go's, I get 3 callers. Flop comes 10 10 4. It checks to me and I make it $60. the big blind does the usual check raise all in move and I sit and think about it. Figure he made the $30 pre flop call with A 10 and I show the guy next to me and fold. I tell him your A 10 is much better than my KK. He says i'm full of shit and that I didn't have KK. I tell him that I showed the guy next to me and you can ask him if you want. He doesn't and just keeps saying i was bluffing. Okay, good. think that you jackass. Your chips will be mine later.

And it only took 2 hands for that to happen. I get JJ and decide to just limp as my other 2 times i've been picked off. Flop comes 7 8 A. It checks around to me and I bet out $15. There are 5 people in the pot and the jackass calls. The turn is another J. This time he bets out $30. I sit a minute and I raise and go all in for my last $70. He snap calls and turns over QQ. I say not good enough and show my JJ. Of course he go's on about how he knew I didn't have an A and that i was just lucky. I say yes I was just lucky just as he was lucky to flop a set with A 10 the previous hand. and that I'll take luck anyday when I'm raking in your chips. At this point, I've made it my goal to felt this guy as many times as it takes to get him to go away.

I don't manage to felt him but he does bust out 5 hands later and moves on. Thank God because he is one of those obnoxious talkers. I don't mind people that talk a lot, I just mind those that have to talk so loud that you can't hear the music coming out fo your ear piece. Its just annoying and not good poker ettiquette.

No other big hands really come up till about an hour later when I end up having about $400 in chips and had just taken down a small pot and felt like gambling. UTG bets out 12 and it folds around to me. I call the 6c 8c. I do love playing suited connectors like this because I tend to flop good with them. I can also get a way from it when I flop a pair or draws. No other callers so we are heads up. The flop comes 7c 5c 10c. Sweet. flopped an open ended straight flush draw with the flush already in hand. I know I'm good here. UTG bets out $40. He only has another $70 behind so I know he has an over pair. He probably also has a club so I've got to dodge that except he is dead to only 4 clubs that will make his hand. I put him all in and he snap calls and turns over Ac Ah. I show the 6 8 of clubs and he just shakes his head and says give me a club. I say okay, just make sure its a 4 or 9. Thats when he realizes I'm open ended for the straight flush and then starts making comments on how can I call 12 with 6 8c. I don't say anything and the board bricks out and I take down another good pot.

I go back and forth for a while and end up with about $1000 on the table and decide its a good time to head home. Can't complain when you profit $800 from $1-$2 and only paly for 4hrs with a $200 buy in.

I go and pick up the wife and find out that she is getting a raise. Yes today is turning out to be a good day I think. Not sure how much but anything is always better than what you are currently making. Get home and find out from my realtor that Citi Group has finally gotten off their ass and approved the sale of our house and it is going to closing on Thursday. Thank God. Really didn't want it to go into foreclosure as we decided we would stop making payments on the mortgage when we left Atlanta for Las Vegas. Couldn't really pay two mortgages anyway. Now before you think we just didn't pay it and left it hanging like that, I made all the phone calls and notified them what was going on so it would be in my records what was going on. Of course, that doesn't make Citi Group stop calling and sending threatening letter. They are truly a bunch of morons and i don't suggest ever doing business with them. EVER.

Just got to get through today and tomorrow and the wife and I are taking a little staycation at Caesars for the weekend. We are going to see Love at the Mirage on Friday and then just sleep in a hotel bed, lounge at the pool, finally get back to reading my Christopher Moore books, and play some poker. Need to build up the bankroll so I can play the 1K event next Saturday at the WSOP and play some of the venetian deep stack tourneys that start up next week.

Its an exciting time to be a poker player in Vegas as there are tournaments all over the place and the action should be exciting. Finally going to play for a bracelet as its been what I've been striving for the last 2 years. I think I'm finally ready to take that step as I've been playing very good lately in tournaments. Now if I can avoid the cooler decks and finally go on a heater, everything will be great.

Have a good Memorial Day Weekend. I know I will.

I officially hate $1 - $2

Thats it. I'm done playing $1-$2. I can't take it anymore. I can't handle getting called down with Ace rag and losing to runner runner chasers. Today was just a cruel joke. I have never been deck slapped, no wait, that was too kind of a way to express how cruel a session that was. Let me think. How about the deck just unloaded a case of whoop ass on me today. Instead of being up about $600, I ended my session down $200. I know, not much, but the way it ended and how quickly it ended. I played 20 hands. a little over an hour. and would have been up over $600 in just an hour. Couldn't ask for more when playing $1-$2.

Here is how it starts.

I fold my first 2 hands. I raise to $10 from UTG +1 with QQ. I figure to get at least 3 callers. Hey, its $1-$2, any two cards are good right? not only do I get 3 callers, I get 5. Great. I actually want an Ace or King to hit the flop so I can get out cheap. Nope. board comes 2h 7c 5s. Okay, scary flop with that many people in. Action comes to me and I bet out $40. Folds to the button and he just calls. Everyone else folds. Okay, maybe he has 3 4, or A 7 and thinks i'm just throwing out a continuation bet. I am new to the table and they don't know me here. Turn is a 10c. Not worried about the 10 so I bet out $80. Button just smooth calls. So I figure the donkey has something like 7 10 or 5 10 and turned 2 pair. Board bricks a Jd. I check as I know I'm beat and the button puts in $20. Let me see, $20 into a $300 pot. Who the hell does that? I know i'm beat, but I've put in $130 and I only bought in for $200. I should just push all in, but that would just be throwing away another $50. figure I can play the $50 and see what happens. I just call and the guy decides to slow roll his 2 pair. he wants to see what I was playing. So I politely tell him that I'll show him once he turns over his 2 pair since I was the one who called. he waits and turns over 2 5 off suit. I show my QQ and the guy stands up and claps. I say, "damn, didn't know I was going to be going up against world class players tonight!!" I know, douchebag thing to say, but I know this is the type of player that will donk off his chips within an hour. I say that and so does the guy next to me and of course, the guy ends up blowing through the $300 he just won and he rebuys for another $300 total and goes through that. of course, I get none of it.

So i'm down to my last $50. I managed to take a couple of pots here and there as I just push all in. I get one double up when I get a caller who decided it was good for him to risk half his stack with Q J. I had KK and finally held a hand. So I'm back up to $100. I'm UTG and am dealt Ks Qs. No point in raising so I just call the $2. ends up being 6 people in the limped pot. Flop comes Kc 2h 7 d. Checks to me and I bet out $15. Get 2 callers. Turn is Ac. I bet out $25. Should have checked but thought maybe I would just take it down. Get one call. River is 8d. I check and the caller bets out $20. There is $100 in the pot and i'm getting 5 to 1, but I figure the guy had something like A Q and didn't believe I had the K when he called. I should fold, but figure i'm still steaming about the first hand I played so I make the call. I wait and the guy won't turn over his cards. What the fuck is wrong with people. show your damn cards when you are called down!!!!! I just throw my K Q on the table and the asshole has the nerve to say thats all? and turns over A 2. I have to say I honestly stand up and walk away before I decide to tell the guy what I think about his poker etiquette and his poker skills. I like the dealer and just shoot him a look and leave for 5 minutes.

I come back and the guy is talking shit about how well he played the hand. I decide to chime in and tell him he played it great. Keep playing that way and you'll just blow off your stack. He says, "what, like you have?" the nerve off this prick. I put in my ear buds and just turn up the volume and just stare down at my chips. Which is now down to $40. I keep thinking to myself. I should just take the $40 and call it a night. But damn, I've only played about 45 minutes and don't really want to leave just yet.

go an orbit and get AA and put it all in and get a caller. Board bricks out and I turn over AA and the guy mucks. Says he had JJ. I said, "sure you did." At this point I'm just irritated as hell and just want to steam roll the table.

Then this guy who plays here often, and just gets obnoxiously drunk and plays the most god awful hands and just always hits sits down in seat 3. at least there is a 2 person buffer between us as I can't stand the guy. Figure, he is good for at least one double up as long as I don't get unlucky. of course, that is a big if and the way i'm running, i'm sure to lose to 7 2 or some crap like that.

I'm in the big blind and 4 people limp and I have A K. of course, this is a spot I normally would just check and see a flop and try to get paid off, but I am still steaming and I throw in $15 more. I get 2 callers. Great. Just put A K and lets get this over with. Flop comes 6 K 3 rainbow. There is $57 in the pot and I've only got $120 and realize that no matter what I bet, I will have to go all in on the turn so I ship my stack in the middle. I'm fine with taking down the pot without seeing anymore cards. Well my drunk friend in seat 3, I think I'll just call this guy the mad genius now for his great plays, go's in the tank. I know he has a K with a weak kicker. I know put him on K 7 or some crap like that, of course, K 7 is worth a $15 raise pre-flop. nothing like calling a raise over 7 times the big blind pre flop. He pushes in the $120. I quickly turn over A K as I always show my hands immediately when I know i'm ahead. I'ts a superstitious thing with me. If I hold my cards I just feel i'm going to get sucked out. The mad genius says, "thats what I thought you had." I say, "if thats what you thought I had, why the hell did you call? what does that say about how you play poker?" He shows a K and I say, let me guess, a 7? he doesn't show. the turn is a 5. I'm jus staring at him because I know he is just waiting for a 7. The river is an 8 and he quickly slams the 8 on the table like he made the greatest call of his life.

I shake my head and say, I guess I was right. this table is just too good for me and I get up and leave.

Day's like today just make you wonder about the state of poker. I know everyone is entitled to play whatever they want, but damn. Why do they always have to get paid off?? I'm not even asking to suck out. Just have my hands hold up.

Enough bitching. Just need to catch a better run next time.

Poker gods

I believe the poker gods are plotting against me. How many times can I lose with KK against rags??? How many I ask??? For christ sakes. Whats worst is I spike a K to hit trips and the bastards hit runner runner with a flush or straight. Guess if it weren't for luck, Phil Hellmuth would win them all so I guess I have to roll with the punches. I don't get upset at the table, but inside I begin to boil over. I know its poker and for everytime I get sucked out on, I return the favor, but it always just seems so much uglier when they do it to me.

A couple of updates from the poker rounds.

Played the $100 Saturday buy in at the Red Rock 2 weeks ago. Nice tourney. Quick and usually around 40 people from what I've been told. Made the final table. We are sitting 8 handed and it pays out 4 people. I'm sitting at $25k with the blinds at $1500-$3000. UTG raises it to %6000. UTG+1 raises all in for his last 12K. folds around to me on the button. I look down and have AK. Now, I figure the all in is probably a pair and at best I'm a coinflip, but UTG probably has one of my outs. I've been card dead and am sitting 7th in chips. I move all in and the blinds quickly fold and UTG go's into the tank. I figure that maybe he does have a bigger hand like JJ or QQ, which I would like to have call anyway. He folds and shows A 10. What was so damn hard about folding that?? All in flips over JJ and I show AK. Have 5 outs. oh well, can I get luck considering I end up losing to AK every damn time I am all in? Hell no. Flop comes Q J 6 rainbow. Go from 5 outs down to 3 outs. board bricks out and I'm down to my last $13k. comes around and UTG+1 bets out $6000. I'm next and look down at AcJc and decided to put it all in for my last 9K as we are down to 7 players now and I need to double up. Get 2 callers. Great. Board runs out K 2 5 no clubs. Sweet, getting better by the minute. Check and then an all in by UTG+1. figure i'm dead as he has a K and i'm drawing to an Ace only. other guy mucks and the guy rolls over 77. Thinking i'm lucky now as I have 6 outs. Of course the board bricks and I'm out. Played good, but always hate being a bubble bitch.

Played several cash games with nothing to really show for it. So many luckboxes running around Vegas on the weekends.

Got a couple of online tourneys this weekend that I really would like some good finishes in. Playing the Miniftops on Full tilt and playing a couple other satellites and the Bracelet satellite on full tilt on Sunday. Just need to finish in the top 80 to have my way paid in for the 1k event which should draw the largest field outside of the main event this year.

Other than that, just living in the nice weather out here. Been in the 90's all week, but not miserable.

Thats all for now. Will try to update regularly moving forward, but between work and everything else, really haven't had much time to play lately.

Deep Stack under way

The Venetian Deep Stack has finally started. Went down and played the 10am Super Sattelite to try and win my buy-ins for a couple of tourneys for $275. Ended up near the bubble. Just couldn't get any cards and couldn't chip up. Went out when I found KQ with about 6 BB left and of course get the insta call from the resident donkey of the table. He turns over his suited cards and of course he hits the flush on the turn. Oh well. There is always the 6pm.

Buy in for the 6pm Satellite and get on a good chip throwing away table. Nothing like being able to build up a chip stack early in a 30 min blind satellite with 41 players. No spectacular hands to speak of or any bad play which was interesting. Just a lot of action flops. We play down to 2 tables and this is where things begin to get interesting. They announce they are paying 3 places with $2500 in Lammers for the Venetian and then paying cash for 4th, 5th and 6th. Personally they should have just payed the $2500 for 4 spots. If you are advertising a 10% payout of $2500 then you should stick to it. Just my opinion.

We are down to about 16 players and the Englishman across from me, who obviously plays a lot of tourneys, just never seems to believe my raises. Either that or he just liked to portray that image. I managed to get him to lay down a couple of hands but I was real strong when I moved in on him. The most interesting hand of the night between me and him was when I was sitting around $14k with the blinds around $600-$1200. Get one caller and I decide to raise in the CO to $4000 holding JJ. Have I mentioned I hate JJ? I figure I will just take down the blinds here. Well, the Englishman, in the BB, go's into the tank and mumbles some things and decides he wants to move in on me. Other guy folds and then its on me. Now I figure he has made several loose calls with his large stack, he had been the chip leader on our table the whole time, and made several bad raises just trying to steal pots. Do I want to potentially be in a race with him holding AK or AQ? I know he doesn't have AA or KK as I just don't believe he would have moved in right there. I figure he is bluffing and make the call for all my chips. He pauses and says, "I apologize for what is about to happen." I figure I'm dead as he has AA. I roll over JJ and he shows 3s 4s. WTF??? Really, come the fuck on. I haven't bluffed or been called with crap all night and you decide to make a move with this crap?? I just figure I'm going to see a flop with 2 4's or some nightmare like that. Luckily the board does nothing for him with no spade draw and my JJ holds. I can't believe he would move in for 3/4 of his stack with those rags.

We get down to the final table and we end up 5 handed. So I'm guaranteed at least $700. I'm on the button and have 77 and decide to limp. The BB always moves in with his stack on his BB so I figure I might be able trap, even with a weak middle pair. Of course he moves all in for a total of $20,000. I'm sitting with $32,000 left with the blinds at $900-$1800 with $200 ante. I figure maybe he is just pushing with anything to take down the blinds and ante's and at worst i'm in a race with A whatever. I decide to make the call. I figure i'm left with $12,000 if I'm wrong and not far below the short stack at the moment. He rolls over AK and I show my 77. He can't believe I called with 77. Now maybe I'm wrong here, but I still stand behind my call. I put the guy on A something so I'm ahead at that point with a chance to be the chip leader and able to just wait for the small stack to go out and I'm in for $2500 tourney chips. He continues to make comments on how bad my call was. Of course he hits an A in the window and improves his hand with a flush. Guy to my left is taken out so we are down to 4 players. 4th pays $1270 and I am perfectly happy with that at this point. 3rd position in chips decides to raise to $4000 and I move all in for $16,000 on top with 33. (managed to take a couple hands previously) He go's into the tank for a bit so I know he just has an A with not a strong kicker as he was just holding on for dear life the whole final table. He decides to call for half his stack and rolls over Ad 10d. Of course a 10 pops off on the flop and I'm out. Take the $1200 and tip the dealers and head home. Not the end result I wanted after making the final table but I'll take it. Now just waiting for the Saturday tourney to start and hopefully can continue to make a good run at that one.

Day 1

Tomorrow starts what hopefully will turn out to be a steady career change. The Venetian Deep stack starts tomorrow and hopefully will cash so that I can set myself up for the rest of the tourney.

A little back story for those that want to know.

Basically, the wife and I decided to roll the dice and pack up our lives and move out West from GA. Both myself and my wife's jobs weren't necessarily safe so we decided that if we were going to go broke and risk going belly up, why not give it a chance out in Vegas. We figured we would rather be in that percentile that went and did something they wanted rather than be the people that only wished they had. So 4 weeks ago we packed up the Uhaul and made the 4 day drive from Atlanta to Las Vegas. My company has been gracious enough to allow me to continue doing my job from home while I am here. How long that will last, I don't know, but I can honestly say that it is a blessing to not be unemployed right now. The wife managed to get a job rather quickly out here so our new life has started off right.

Now on to the poker news. Haven't really done too much other than one small sit-n-go at the Saraha which I cashed 6th for a very small sum. other than that I've had a couple of good sessions at Red Rock and the Venetian. Now I'm just gearing up for the Deep Stack tourney. One or two good cashes there could help set things up nicely for a couple of months until the WSOP starts up in May.

So far, so good out in Vegas. The weather is nice, windy as hell though. One thing I will say that I thought I would never think after sevearl near death experiences in cabs out here, is that the people drive slower than hell. I'm going the speed limit and I'm blowing past people like crazy. Just not used to that after my many years driving GA 400 in Atlanta. Those that have been there know its a death trap.

Check back regularly as I will provide updates from my poker doings and other random thoughts.