Finally got around to playing at the Gold Coast Casino (next to the Rio), which completes what I think is all the poker rooms on the strip & downtown, as well as most in the nearby vicinity. I'll consider the rundown of all of them when I get back to Melbourne.
Also did the Vegas Mob tour yesterday, which was great. I'd read a little about the history of Las Vegas and the involvement of the Mob, but the tour helped piece together a few extra things, like the memorial to Ben 'Bugsy' Siegel at the back of the Flamingo. It also makes me want to watch Casino again, which is something I will do when I return home.
Today is my last day in Las Vegas & I'm not quite sure what I'll do - I have a few hours before I need to be at the airport, but airports over here are horrible ... well at the very least Los Angeles airport is with the amount of people & traffic (both human and vehicular) that is there on a regular basis.
Anyway, I've enjoyed my time in the USA. Would love to do it again, particularly if I was able to see more of the country. I suppose that can be my next goal to work on when I get back to Melbourne. I'll continue with the blog (rather than simply being my American travel diary), as well as the podcast when I return home.
Now for the LOOOONG commute ... oh joy!
Friday, July 16, 2010
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
More books, WSOP rail, poker & slowrolled by a bus!
To start the day I thought I'd make a return to the Gamblers Book Shop, primarily to get John Fox's book 'Play Poker, Quit Work & Sleep till noon' as I'd recently heard some good things about it, along with the fact that it seemed to be a rare book not available in many places. Of course to get there I had to catch two buses - the 202 down Flamingo, then the 110 on Eastern. Sounds fairly straightforward & it should have been. The issue was the transfer between buses - to get from the stop on Flamingo to the stop on Eastern, you need to walk 50 metres to the intersection, cross the road & then walk another 50 metres to the bus stop on Eastern. The first part was easy enough - got off the 202 & as I got to the intersection, I noticed the 110 at the opposite intersection waiting at a red light. Anyway, this means that I, along with the three or four others from the 202 who want to get on the 110, have to wait for the lights to change (and the bus to make it through the intersection to the bus stop) before we can cross the road. All seems to be going to plan - the bus stops & lets people off, the lights change & a group of us walk across the road ... and the bus waits at the stop. Fantastic! The driver has obviously seen that the other bus had just arrived & is waiting for those passengers to get to the 110. Anyway, as I am about 5 metres from the back of the bus (I've gone for the powerwalk option & lead the group fomr the 202) the engine is taken out of neutral ... no problem, I'm almost there. As I get to the middle of the bus it pulls out from the kerb & takes off! Talk about a slowroll! Not only do I get within literally 10 metres of the door, but I now have to wait another 20+ minutes for the next bus! So sick ....
Once I got to the bookshop I found the Fox book I was after & picked up a few other books while I was there, including the Doyle Brunson biography, which should be a good read if I ever get around to it. The return trip was relatively smooth, though I got withing 100 metres of the bus stop before the bus passed me, meaning I again had a 20 minute wait for the 110.
Rather than heading back to the strip, I took the 202 to the Rio, as I had a few mates who had made it through to day three who I wanted to check up on, as well as seeing what day 3 of the main event was like. Of course the two people I was looking for, Theos Rippis & Peter Aristidou, had both busted by the time I arrived, but it was good to see quite a few Aussies still in the hunt. Another disappointment of the day was the fact that the cash game area, which had been buzzing a week or so ago, was now almost dead, with barely 20 tables running ... and those tables were all no-limit holdem. So much for that idea!
After leaving the Rio, I dropped my shopping off in my room & headed to Caesars Palace for some poker (yes, I thought I'd try to fit some in). I found a seat in a $1/3 no-limit holdem game & won a few small pots before (as seems to be a habit) I had my huge pot for the evening. There were two limpers in front of me & I had AhQs on the button & raised to $15. Of course not only did the two limpers come along, but both blinds joined in making it five to the flop. The flop was Qh8h6d & it was checked to the cutoff who bet $40. I wasn't sure quite where I was in the hand, so decided to just call the $40. The blinds folded & the limper who was UTG+1 then made it $140 to go! The cutoff thought for a while before eventually folding. I had $37 left after the $100 raise & the guy who had put in the raise had made some strange plays earlier (including a call down with queen-high that beat his opponent's 8-high missed straight draw). I decided to put the rest of my stack in, hoping he just has a draw or a worse top pair rather than two pair or a set. The fact that he took more than half a second to call made me think I had a decent chance & when the board ran out Kh3s & I showed my hand & he mucked, so I took down a pot worth over $450 with one pair! I stayed for another 30 minutes or so, but was feeling tired, so left with a decent profit for the evening.
Next on the agenda: stuff ... will probably try to get another episode of the podcast done before I leave, though no guarentees. Maybe a tourist stop as well.
Once I got to the bookshop I found the Fox book I was after & picked up a few other books while I was there, including the Doyle Brunson biography, which should be a good read if I ever get around to it. The return trip was relatively smooth, though I got withing 100 metres of the bus stop before the bus passed me, meaning I again had a 20 minute wait for the 110.
Rather than heading back to the strip, I took the 202 to the Rio, as I had a few mates who had made it through to day three who I wanted to check up on, as well as seeing what day 3 of the main event was like. Of course the two people I was looking for, Theos Rippis & Peter Aristidou, had both busted by the time I arrived, but it was good to see quite a few Aussies still in the hunt. Another disappointment of the day was the fact that the cash game area, which had been buzzing a week or so ago, was now almost dead, with barely 20 tables running ... and those tables were all no-limit holdem. So much for that idea!
After leaving the Rio, I dropped my shopping off in my room & headed to Caesars Palace for some poker (yes, I thought I'd try to fit some in). I found a seat in a $1/3 no-limit holdem game & won a few small pots before (as seems to be a habit) I had my huge pot for the evening. There were two limpers in front of me & I had AhQs on the button & raised to $15. Of course not only did the two limpers come along, but both blinds joined in making it five to the flop. The flop was Qh8h6d & it was checked to the cutoff who bet $40. I wasn't sure quite where I was in the hand, so decided to just call the $40. The blinds folded & the limper who was UTG+1 then made it $140 to go! The cutoff thought for a while before eventually folding. I had $37 left after the $100 raise & the guy who had put in the raise had made some strange plays earlier (including a call down with queen-high that beat his opponent's 8-high missed straight draw). I decided to put the rest of my stack in, hoping he just has a draw or a worse top pair rather than two pair or a set. The fact that he took more than half a second to call made me think I had a decent chance & when the board ran out Kh3s & I showed my hand & he mucked, so I took down a pot worth over $450 with one pair! I stayed for another 30 minutes or so, but was feeling tired, so left with a decent profit for the evening.
Next on the agenda: stuff ... will probably try to get another episode of the podcast done before I leave, though no guarentees. Maybe a tourist stop as well.
Last Imperial Palace mixed game
As I am now into my last week in Las Vegas, last night's $3/6 mixed game at the Imperial Palace would be my last for this trip. This time there were two mixed game tables running & I seemed to be at the much friendlier of the two. It turned out to be a reasonable night financially, though not the marathon session of previous weeks. I finished with a small profit, but the table broke just before 1am (unlike the 9am finish the previous week) & as there were no seats on the other table I decided to call it a night.
Hand of the night for my was in A-5 hi-lo, which is a 5-card triple draw game, with the pot split between the best 5-card poker hand (high half) & best A-5 low (low half, though there is an 8-or-better qualifier for low). As with most split pot games, it seems like the best way to play the game is to aim for the low & hope to back into a high hand. Of course this is all good in theory, until you are dealt some sort of strong-ish high hand, when you hope to win the high hand with no-one making a qualifying low. This often leads to unusual split pots when heads-up, so that two players with decent lows end up chopping (eg: A2467 v A3568 is a chop, with the A7 winning low & A8 winning high).
Anyway, to my favourite hand of the night ... I am dealt 2d2h4d4c8s on the initial deal. I decide to call & draw one, keeping the 2244, looking to hit a 4-outer to fill up (two pair 4s-up is unlikely to win multi-way in this game). Of course I draw the 3d, so now have 22344 with three low diamonds. This gives me something of a dilemma ... the 2d3d4d now looks tempting to play as a potential scoop hand, but then I'm throwing away two pair ... ultimately I decide to go for glory & discard two (of course no-one at the table notices that I have gone from drawing one to drawing two) ... and I manage to draw like a champion! 5d8d! I now have an 8-high flush & an 85 low! Of course this is again an improvement, but not ideal. If someone makes a 7-low I am crushed for the low & an 8-high flush is most definitely beatable for high, so that half is far from locked up. Regardless, I decided to raise & stand pat with my 8-high flush & am pleased to see that the other three players in the hand are all still drawing. Of course it probably helped my cause that a few hands earlier I had stood pat with a weak low & wound up winning the high when the only hand that called on the river was a better low (see the explanation above). I bet after the last draw & was called by two others & showed my 8-high flush .... and scooped! Not a bad finish for the last mixed game session at the Imperial Palace. Definitely a game I would recommend people playing if they are in town & looking for a fun game to play on a Sunday night.
Next on the agenda: More poker, back to the Rio to rail the main event ... and thoughts of packing & how to fit everything into my bags!
Hand of the night for my was in A-5 hi-lo, which is a 5-card triple draw game, with the pot split between the best 5-card poker hand (high half) & best A-5 low (low half, though there is an 8-or-better qualifier for low). As with most split pot games, it seems like the best way to play the game is to aim for the low & hope to back into a high hand. Of course this is all good in theory, until you are dealt some sort of strong-ish high hand, when you hope to win the high hand with no-one making a qualifying low. This often leads to unusual split pots when heads-up, so that two players with decent lows end up chopping (eg: A2467 v A3568 is a chop, with the A7 winning low & A8 winning high).
Anyway, to my favourite hand of the night ... I am dealt 2d2h4d4c8s on the initial deal. I decide to call & draw one, keeping the 2244, looking to hit a 4-outer to fill up (two pair 4s-up is unlikely to win multi-way in this game). Of course I draw the 3d, so now have 22344 with three low diamonds. This gives me something of a dilemma ... the 2d3d4d now looks tempting to play as a potential scoop hand, but then I'm throwing away two pair ... ultimately I decide to go for glory & discard two (of course no-one at the table notices that I have gone from drawing one to drawing two) ... and I manage to draw like a champion! 5d8d! I now have an 8-high flush & an 85 low! Of course this is again an improvement, but not ideal. If someone makes a 7-low I am crushed for the low & an 8-high flush is most definitely beatable for high, so that half is far from locked up. Regardless, I decided to raise & stand pat with my 8-high flush & am pleased to see that the other three players in the hand are all still drawing. Of course it probably helped my cause that a few hands earlier I had stood pat with a weak low & wound up winning the high when the only hand that called on the river was a better low (see the explanation above). I bet after the last draw & was called by two others & showed my 8-high flush .... and scooped! Not a bad finish for the last mixed game session at the Imperial Palace. Definitely a game I would recommend people playing if they are in town & looking for a fun game to play on a Sunday night.
Next on the agenda: More poker, back to the Rio to rail the main event ... and thoughts of packing & how to fit everything into my bags!
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Some cash games & shopping
The last few days have given me an opportunity to play some cash games, with the main sessions being at Caesars Palace & (finally) a session at the Riviera. Ultimately the Caesars session was profitable, the Riviera not so much. There was a key hand at each venue which became the deciding factor as to whether the evening was profitable or not.
Caesars hand:
Caesars is a $1/3NL game, with quite a few big stacks at the table (largest was around the $900 mark). I sat with $200 and was up to around $250 when the following hand happened.
A lady who has recently sat down at the table with about $150 limps UTG, another lady to my immediate left (who had around $200) also called & I looked down at AsQd & raised to $12. It folded back around & both ladies called my raise. The flop came down AdQs3d & the first lady checked & the lady to my immediate right lead for $25. As I had top two pair, combined with the lady limp-calling pre-flop, I thought it was likely that I had the best hand, though I was not really sure what sort of a hand she could have to be leading into me on the flop. I also had the queen of diamonds, making it impossible for her to have a pair and a flush draw, so I decided to call her bet, hoping she could continue to bet her hand so that I could build a big pot in position with the best hand. Of course the plan changed when the first lady who checked decided to min-check-raise to $50! The lady that bet then called & I decided to have something of a think about the situation. A check-raise normally means one of two things in this type of situation (raising two players who have both already put money in the pot), either she has a big draw or a strong made hand. The logical options for this are 2 pair, a set (most likely 3s because of my hand & card elimination) or a flush/straight combo draw. I'm in decent shape against those hands & even if she has a set of 3s I still have 4 outs to win (though if this is the case I probably have less outs given the other lady in the hand). I decided to re-raise another $75 on top, hoping to get the pot heads-up when I hopefully have the best hand. Of course, the theme continued & the check-raiser called & the other lady moved in for an extra $14, which both I and the other lady in the hand called. She had about $25 left, so I decided to put her all-in on the turn (I was hardly going to fold with the pot so big), even though a less-than-ideal 6d was dealt. She called & the river was an offsuit 8 & I showed my AQ & scooped the $500+ pot! Of course this meant that the session at Caesars was a good one.
Today I went to the Riviera again & actually found a $1/2NL game going, albeit three handed. I decided to sit down anyway & after not too long the game became three handed when the other three players all managed to get their stacks in pre-flop with AKo v AKs v JJ, with the JJ scooping to bust the AKo & take most of the AKs' chips. He rebought, but not long afterwards lost that, so it was just myself & the other guy (who seemed to have an idea of what he was doing & had been the most aggressive at the table). I was about to leave & asked if he wanted to play heads-up (given that 95% or more of games that I have played in break when they get to 4-handed or less). He said yes, so we played heads-up ... which is one of the first times I had played live heads-up cash ... and its something I need to work on! I was getting crushed until I ended up on the right side of a cooler hand, where I had AA v his JJ on a ten high flop, with all the money going in on the turn. My aces held to take down a pot with just over $300 in it. He slowly chipped away at my stack until the following hand came up. I had about $250 to start the hand & he had me covered. He raised pre-flop to $6 (which he had been doing regularly) & I 3-bet to $15 (which I had done occasionally, but it was always to $15) with AKo. He called & we saw a flop of AdTs5d & I lead for $22, which he called. The turn was the Td & I bet $33 & was again called. The river was the Jc & I checked, planning to check-call the river. He then grebbed a stack of red & added a few red & blue ($1) chips to it & slid it forward. What hands could he have in this spot? What could he put me on in this spot? A few things went through my head. he could put me on a hand like QQ & have an ace & think he is value betting. He could have a ten & have me crushed. He could have diamonds & have me crushed. He could have air & be bluffing. He could have an ace that I have crushed. I thought it was pretty close & decided to call. Obviously given the earlier comments he had me crushed & showed 6d9d for a turned flush. In hindsight I guess I could have folded, but its the kind of situation that I have trouble with in no-limit holdem games, which was further made more difficult by my lack of heads-up experience. Anyway, live & learn I suppose.
As for shopping I made a few purchases at Barnes & Noble - a philosophy book 'The Terminator & Philosophy: I'll be back, Therefore I am' which looks at the philosophy in Terminator. I'd done some stuff on this in uni & found it interesting, so if I ever get around to reading it, I might rekindle my interest in philosophy. I also picked up a teaching book & a wrestling magazine because I am such a well-rounded individual that I think on so many levels! :-P
Only a few more days in the USA before I head back to Melbourne ... and the joy of the LV-->LA-->Syd-->Mel return journey ahead of me.
Next on the agenda: More cash games ... and maybe a tourney at the Rio if I can wake up that early!
Caesars hand:
Caesars is a $1/3NL game, with quite a few big stacks at the table (largest was around the $900 mark). I sat with $200 and was up to around $250 when the following hand happened.
A lady who has recently sat down at the table with about $150 limps UTG, another lady to my immediate left (who had around $200) also called & I looked down at AsQd & raised to $12. It folded back around & both ladies called my raise. The flop came down AdQs3d & the first lady checked & the lady to my immediate right lead for $25. As I had top two pair, combined with the lady limp-calling pre-flop, I thought it was likely that I had the best hand, though I was not really sure what sort of a hand she could have to be leading into me on the flop. I also had the queen of diamonds, making it impossible for her to have a pair and a flush draw, so I decided to call her bet, hoping she could continue to bet her hand so that I could build a big pot in position with the best hand. Of course the plan changed when the first lady who checked decided to min-check-raise to $50! The lady that bet then called & I decided to have something of a think about the situation. A check-raise normally means one of two things in this type of situation (raising two players who have both already put money in the pot), either she has a big draw or a strong made hand. The logical options for this are 2 pair, a set (most likely 3s because of my hand & card elimination) or a flush/straight combo draw. I'm in decent shape against those hands & even if she has a set of 3s I still have 4 outs to win (though if this is the case I probably have less outs given the other lady in the hand). I decided to re-raise another $75 on top, hoping to get the pot heads-up when I hopefully have the best hand. Of course, the theme continued & the check-raiser called & the other lady moved in for an extra $14, which both I and the other lady in the hand called. She had about $25 left, so I decided to put her all-in on the turn (I was hardly going to fold with the pot so big), even though a less-than-ideal 6d was dealt. She called & the river was an offsuit 8 & I showed my AQ & scooped the $500+ pot! Of course this meant that the session at Caesars was a good one.
Today I went to the Riviera again & actually found a $1/2NL game going, albeit three handed. I decided to sit down anyway & after not too long the game became three handed when the other three players all managed to get their stacks in pre-flop with AKo v AKs v JJ, with the JJ scooping to bust the AKo & take most of the AKs' chips. He rebought, but not long afterwards lost that, so it was just myself & the other guy (who seemed to have an idea of what he was doing & had been the most aggressive at the table). I was about to leave & asked if he wanted to play heads-up (given that 95% or more of games that I have played in break when they get to 4-handed or less). He said yes, so we played heads-up ... which is one of the first times I had played live heads-up cash ... and its something I need to work on! I was getting crushed until I ended up on the right side of a cooler hand, where I had AA v his JJ on a ten high flop, with all the money going in on the turn. My aces held to take down a pot with just over $300 in it. He slowly chipped away at my stack until the following hand came up. I had about $250 to start the hand & he had me covered. He raised pre-flop to $6 (which he had been doing regularly) & I 3-bet to $15 (which I had done occasionally, but it was always to $15) with AKo. He called & we saw a flop of AdTs5d & I lead for $22, which he called. The turn was the Td & I bet $33 & was again called. The river was the Jc & I checked, planning to check-call the river. He then grebbed a stack of red & added a few red & blue ($1) chips to it & slid it forward. What hands could he have in this spot? What could he put me on in this spot? A few things went through my head. he could put me on a hand like QQ & have an ace & think he is value betting. He could have a ten & have me crushed. He could have diamonds & have me crushed. He could have air & be bluffing. He could have an ace that I have crushed. I thought it was pretty close & decided to call. Obviously given the earlier comments he had me crushed & showed 6d9d for a turned flush. In hindsight I guess I could have folded, but its the kind of situation that I have trouble with in no-limit holdem games, which was further made more difficult by my lack of heads-up experience. Anyway, live & learn I suppose.
As for shopping I made a few purchases at Barnes & Noble - a philosophy book 'The Terminator & Philosophy: I'll be back, Therefore I am' which looks at the philosophy in Terminator. I'd done some stuff on this in uni & found it interesting, so if I ever get around to reading it, I might rekindle my interest in philosophy. I also picked up a teaching book & a wrestling magazine because I am such a well-rounded individual that I think on so many levels! :-P
Only a few more days in the USA before I head back to Melbourne ... and the joy of the LV-->LA-->Syd-->Mel return journey ahead of me.
Next on the agenda: More cash games ... and maybe a tourney at the Rio if I can wake up that early!
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Time at the Rio & crushing small stakes
I spent some time at the Rio checking out day 1C of the main event. Took a few photos of some Aussies & had a brief chat with Brian Devonshire of PokerRoad before being kicked out of the hall (as all spectators were) just before the end of play for the night. Devo (as he is known on PokerRoad) seems like a really nice guy, very down-to-earth & willing to interact with fans of the show. Good to see some of the Aussies doing well at the Rio as well.
The following day I went to the Riviera again, only to find a deserted poker room (the quest for the elusive poker session & $1 chip there continues), so I decided to venture off the strip for some poker. I caught a bus to Palace Station casino, which is a short distance west of the Strip. They had two games going - $4/8 & $2/4 limit holdem. The 2/4 game was the only one with a seat, so I sat & proceeded to run fantastically after a slow start (which included getting aces cracked by 42 suited). Of course I managed to get aces another three times in the two hours I was there (and they held each time) & my big hands held up when there were only a few people to the flop. I also decided not to get carried away in multi-way pots, so would often just call with biggish hands in late position & fold if I missed the flop. All-in-all not a bad effort, finishing $100 to the good in only two hours.
Next on the agenda: The elusive session at the Riviera, some time at the Rio & more cash games
The following day I went to the Riviera again, only to find a deserted poker room (the quest for the elusive poker session & $1 chip there continues), so I decided to venture off the strip for some poker. I caught a bus to Palace Station casino, which is a short distance west of the Strip. They had two games going - $4/8 & $2/4 limit holdem. The 2/4 game was the only one with a seat, so I sat & proceeded to run fantastically after a slow start (which included getting aces cracked by 42 suited). Of course I managed to get aces another three times in the two hours I was there (and they held each time) & my big hands held up when there were only a few people to the flop. I also decided not to get carried away in multi-way pots, so would often just call with biggish hands in late position & fold if I missed the flop. All-in-all not a bad effort, finishing $100 to the good in only two hours.
Next on the agenda: The elusive session at the Riviera, some time at the Rio & more cash games
UFC 116
Wow! What a night!
This was in my opinion the best UFC show ever.
After a slow start (the early prelim fights were rather ordinary), it was the finish of Harris v Branch that set the tone for the rest fo the night. After struggling for much of the fight, Harris appeared to be ready to tap to an armbar submission attempt from Branch. To try an get out of this hold, Harris used the same technique as 'Rampage' Jackson did against Ricardo Arona in Pride some years earlier & lifted his opponent off the mat (while he was still holding his arm) & slamming him onto the mat, knocking Branch out cold!
The rest of the card was action packed!
I'll give my thoughts on the other fights on the card (apologies to those of you who read this blog for the poker content):
Kendall Grove v Goran Relic:
Winner by split decision: Kendall Grove
Kendall is still improving as a fighter. He has a great ground game, but still needs to improve his standup fighting. His body shape is unique for this division (don't think there's anyone else in the 185lb division that is 6'6") & that makes his ground game so lethal, but he still doesn't know how to consistently beat opponents while standing. Relic has great kicks & it tough, but struggles in other areas. He reminds me a lot of Mirko Cro Cop, who was such a force in Pride around 5 years ago, but hasn't really evolved his skills as those around him have, which puts him at a disadvantage in his fights.
Seth Petruzelli v Ricardo Romero:
Winner by submission: Ricardo Romero
This was a crazy fight. Petruzelli was dominating about 80% of this fight & looked to have it pretty much wrapped up, with Romero struggling to stand at times. Of course as has become standard in MMA, its not over until its over & Romero pulled out a fantastic submission on the ground when Petruzelli got sloppy. Romero could barely get up at the end of the fight & his post-fight interview with Joe Rogan was largely mumbling. Very exciting fight, if not the most technical apart from the finish.
Brendan Schaub v Chris Tuchscherer
Winner by TKO: Brendan Schaub
This was a total mismatch right from the start. I watched Tuchscherer in his last UFC fight in February & although he won a decision, I (and many others in the crowd) thought he lost fairly convincingly. Although he trains with Brock Lesnar, he is only similar to him in terms of his size & it showed in the fight. Schaub knocked him down early & finished it with strikes on the ground in just over a minute.
Main card:
George Sotiropoulos v Kurt Pellegrino
Winner by unanimous decision: George Sotiropoulos
This was a great performance by 'Aussie' George. He totally dominated the fight, with the exception fo the final 10 seconds when Pellegrino knocked him down. Once again he dominated on the ground & showed that he has one of the best, if not the best, ground game in the division. George is continuing to improve & will hopefully get a title shot soon. There's also talk of the fight possibly being in Australia ... will have to see what eventuates in regards to that. Oh, and GREAT walkout music & entrance for Sotiropoulos ... wearing a black hoodie that covered most of his face he came ou tto Black Sabbath's Ironman! Seriously intimidating!
Krzysztof Soszynski v Stephan Bonnar
Winner by TKO: Stephan Bonnar
Another crazy fight that continued their war from UFC 110 in Sydney, which was stopped due to a cut on Bonnar's head. Both guys just swung for the fences from the beginning, with Bonnar eventually triumphing. UFC President Dana White was so impressed he gave the fight the 'Fight of the Night' award.
Chris Lytle v Matt Brown
Winner by submission: Chris Lytle
Another exciting fight, which was highlighted by a fantastic finish. Great transitions by Lytle to move from half-guard to mount to triangle in a matter of seconds. The final submission was an arm lock, but he did have a triangle choke as well. This should have been submission of the night, but you can understand the decision given the other results. Very impressed with Lytle, who seems to have become the stepping-stone for the top of the division - if you beat him, you're in the elite ... if not, you're back to being just another UFC fighter.
Yoshihiro Akiyama v Chris Leben
Winner by submission: Chris Leben
Wow! Another amazing fight & another come-from-behind win. Akiyama was winning this fight in the first round convincingly. He began to look tired in the second round, though Leben was also looking tired, but still seemed to be in front in round two, though it was much closer, with both fighers standing & throwing huge punches at each other. The final round saw Leben looking a bit fresher & he began to win the standup. Akiyama managed to get a position on top of Leben, but Leben somehow pulled out a choke from the bottom with 20 seconds left in the fight to take the win. Fantastic effort by both fighers & an impressive win for Chris Leben who continues to gain fans with each fight he has. Dana White gave this 'Fight of the Night' honours as well, which was well deserved.
Main event
Brock Lesnar v Shane Carwin
Winner by submission: Brock Lesnar
Wow! Another amazing fight. This was very much a fight of two rounds. Round one was dominated by Carwin. He knocked Lesnar down fairly early in the fight & spent much of the round pounding Lesnar's head from the top position. At times it looked like the fight might have been stopped, but Carwin seemed to be methodically taking shots at Lesnar rather than putting 100% effort into ever punch. At the end of the round, you could tell that this pacing by Carwin was due to his exhaustion. He was totally spent by the end of round one. Yes, it was the first time he'd had a fight go that long, but it definitely set the tone for round two. Although Lesnar took plenty of hard shots, he looked much fresher than Carwin (albeit a little battered and bruised). Round two seemed fairly straightforward by comparisson. Carwin was tired & Lesnar easily took him down. He worked for a triangle choke from the top position, though Carwin seemed to be defending it for a while, though he was doing little to get out of the position. Lesnar finally moved to a better position, which tightened the choke & forced Carwin to tap! What a totally unexpected finish! Dana White awarded this 'Submission of the Night', which was as much to do with the surprise of it as anything else (I think 95% of people thought this would finish by KO or TKO at some point). Lesnar really impressed with his ability to take hard shots & survive when in trouble & his improving submissions & great cardio were the difference in round 2. Carwin was close, but really needs to work on his cardio if he wants to challenge again for the title. His raw power puts him right at the top of the division in spite of the result, though he needs to prepare better, including working off his back, for a rematch to have the opposite result.
Overall a great night of fights. If anyone is considering watching MMA for the first time, this would be the card I would show.
Thursday, July 8, 2010
2+2 party & 4th of July in Las Vegas
This is a post that NEEDS photos to do it justice.
To start with, the 2+2 party at Aria. I missed the first day (it was a two-day event) because I was at UFC 116 & the party had transformed the tournament room at Aria from this:
to this:
The second day was a day of cash games, with a chip-stacking contest ongoing throughout the day. I played some $4/8 limit (which was one of the few tables that had seats when I arrived) for a few hours before the game broke, at which point I went to a $2/4 mixed game table, which broke as soon as I sat down, so I just talked to some people for a while before leaving shortly after the chip-stack winners were announced.
My effort (with limited chips I might add) was an attempt at the Sydney Opera House ...
To start with, the 2+2 party at Aria. I missed the first day (it was a two-day event) because I was at UFC 116 & the party had transformed the tournament room at Aria from this:
to this:
The second day was a day of cash games, with a chip-stacking contest ongoing throughout the day. I played some $4/8 limit (which was one of the few tables that had seats when I arrived) for a few hours before the game broke, at which point I went to a $2/4 mixed game table, which broke as soon as I sat down, so I just talked to some people for a while before leaving shortly after the chip-stack winners were announced.
My effort (with limited chips I might add) was an attempt at the Sydney Opera House ...
Of course it was nothing compared to the efforts of other (who had more chips & time to create theirs). The first and second place getters are in the photo below:
A close-up of the winner:
The second day of the party was held on the 4th of July, which is Independence Day in the USA. It is in many ways similar to our own Australia Day, with the main difference being that it celebrates the leaving of the British, as opposed to their arrival. As far as the average person on the street is concerned, its a day off with lots of drinking & partying to be had. Of course this makes for an interesting night in Las Vegas (already known for its drinking & partying), with scenes such as the photo below being the result:
If you ever wondered what the Police do on nights like this ... they apparently stop people from trying to cross the road at a pedestrian bridge (because it was full of people - it took me at least 3 minutes to walk the 50 metres over the bridge I am getting off in the photo) and sending them to the crosswalk (ie: pedestrian crossing) down the street. It also means you have lots of people & cars everywhere, making it almost impossible to move ... oh and there's fireworks as well.
A few days away from the blog & so much happening!
A lot can happen in a few days.
I'll start with a list:
UFC 116 at MGM Grand (I'll put up a separate post about this), but the short summary is that it was the best UFC card ever in my opinion!
2+2 party at Aria (yes, another post about this too)
HORSE Tournament at the Bellagio
4th of July in Las Vegas
Cash games at O'Sheas, El Cortez & Aria
I guess poker is a good place to start ... I played a session of $9/18 mixed at Aria following UFC 116. This time the mix was a fairly standard Omaha8, Stud8, Razz & 2-7 Triple Draw. I played OK & finished with a small profit, so was happy with that.
Following the 2+2 party I went to O'Sheas & played some $1/2NL. Things were going reasonably well until I found myself in a huge hand with another player ... and quite a sweat to boot!
There was a player at the table with a pretty big stack ($400+) who had been raising a lot & playing a lot of hands. I had been playing fairly snug & had only shown down premium hands & was sitting with around $250 in front of me. There were also a few players who would play any two cards (this was late night at O'Sheas), so it was an interesting mix of players. Anyway, to the big hand itself. The loose guy with the big stack in in the small blind & I am UTG & have JJ (diamonds & clubs - suits are somewhat important later in the hand). The way the table has been playing I hate raising, getting 4+ callers & being stuck in a multi-way hand out of position with jacks. Obviously folding is not an option, so I decided to limp & see what the rest of the table did before making a real decision about my hand. I was raised to $6 by UTG+2, who seemed to be playing reasonably solid poker (and also seemed to be a regular in the game by his interaction with the dealers), which was called in 4 spots, including the loose guy with chips. With so much out there I thought that this would be a good time for the old limp-raise play, as it is likely to do two things: thin the field & represent a big hand (potentially a bigger hand than I actually have). Anyway, with this in mind I made it $30 to go. Part 1 of the plan succeeded, as the only callers were the initial raiser & the loose guy with the stack. The flop was a reasonable one for my hand - 9d8h3d - though obviously with the draws (both diamonds & straight draws) my hand is definitely vulnerable. I lead at the pot for $55 & was called by the initial raiser & the loose guy folded. So far so good, though the way I played the hand meant that it was difficult to put the caller on a narrow range of hands. He could have a pair (possibly good, possibly bad), a set (bad), a straight draw (possibly good, possibly bad), a flush draw (again bad or good), overcards (good for the moment) ... or complete air! On the flip side, my hand was fairly well defined. I either had a big pair or overcards (with possibly a flush draw), with an outside chance of having a set. In one way it is good that I have the lead in the hand, but it makes it tough given the hand ranges that each of us have. Anyway, the turn was the 7c, meaning the board was now 9873 with a diamond draw. The turn was definitely decision time. After a few seconds I decided to move all-in for my remaining $155.
The scenarios were as follows in my head (from best to worst):
* He folds & I win the pot uncontested
* He calls & I have him crushed & win
* He calls & I am in front, dodge his outs & win
* He calls & I am crushed, but spike a card to win
* He calls & I am in front but he hits ... I go back to hotel to sleep
* He calls & I am crushed & lose ... and go back to the hotel to sleep
He thought for a long time about his decision & said he had a big hand he couldn't fold ... and clarified it as a big draw. Given the way the hand had played out I thought that meant he had ATdd, meaning he had overcards & a flush draw on the flop & picked up a straight draw on the turn. However he did keep in insisting that I had aces or kings, so overcards don't seem so valuable if that is the case. As it turned out, he eventually called & showed 8d6d for a flopped pair & flush draw & picked up a straight draw on the turn. The fact that I had JJ meant I took away some of his outs (a ten was no good as I would make a higher straight) & I also had a diamond in my hand ... however I was relieved to see a black 3 on the river to have scenario number 3 play out & collect a $500 pot. I stayed for a little longer, but nothing much eventful happened & I left about $300 to the good.
I also decided to venture downtown to el Cortez & played in their $1-3-6 game (I still don't know exactly how it is supposed to be structured, but there was a $1 blind - yes, just one blind - and it seemed as though you could raise by anything up to $3 on any street, with the river betting being $6 (although sometimes people bet $3). Perhaps it was a spread limit game? Anyway, I played for a few hours & left with a small profit (yes, old 'nits' are horrible players as well - one of the lessons I learned from the $5/10 game at Crown). Why go to El Cortez I hear you ask? Well it is the hidden (well not any more) agenda of this trip ... to collect $1 chips (and play poker) in as many Las Vegas poker rooms as possible. After my previous trip earlier in the year, as well as the current time I am spending in Las Vegas, I have now played in almost all the poker rooms on the Strip & in the Downtown Las Vegas area. The only one to elude my so far is the Riviera, which seems to have at most 1 cash table running & players who simply rebuy when they bust, making waiting too long to endure! More on the quest as the stay continues ... I have just over a week left!
I also decided (foolishly in hindsight) to play the HORSE tournament at the Bellagio. One of the players at my table was John Joannou, winner of the HORSE event at this year's Aussie Millions. Also in the field were Allen Kessler, Yuval Bronstein, Thor Hansen & others. The reason why it was foolish to play is that I managed to run the worst I have ever run (with the exception of a mixed stud tournament at Crown where I didn't win a hand for the entire tournament) in a mixed event. I rarely picked up hands & when I did, they found a way to get run down. The best example of this was an Omaha hi-lo hand where I had raised in early position with AK62 double suited, only to be called by 4 players (as seems to be standard in split-pot games early in an event like this) to see a flop of J22, which I bet & get 2 callers. I again bet the 8 on the turn, only to be raised & call, then check-call the river 9, only for my opponent to show Q852 rainbow! I was a decent event, but I didn't stick around afterwards, in spite of the view of the Bellagio fountains from the balcony of the Fontana Lounge (where the tournament was held).
I'll start with a list:
UFC 116 at MGM Grand (I'll put up a separate post about this), but the short summary is that it was the best UFC card ever in my opinion!
2+2 party at Aria (yes, another post about this too)
HORSE Tournament at the Bellagio
4th of July in Las Vegas
Cash games at O'Sheas, El Cortez & Aria
I guess poker is a good place to start ... I played a session of $9/18 mixed at Aria following UFC 116. This time the mix was a fairly standard Omaha8, Stud8, Razz & 2-7 Triple Draw. I played OK & finished with a small profit, so was happy with that.
Following the 2+2 party I went to O'Sheas & played some $1/2NL. Things were going reasonably well until I found myself in a huge hand with another player ... and quite a sweat to boot!
There was a player at the table with a pretty big stack ($400+) who had been raising a lot & playing a lot of hands. I had been playing fairly snug & had only shown down premium hands & was sitting with around $250 in front of me. There were also a few players who would play any two cards (this was late night at O'Sheas), so it was an interesting mix of players. Anyway, to the big hand itself. The loose guy with the big stack in in the small blind & I am UTG & have JJ (diamonds & clubs - suits are somewhat important later in the hand). The way the table has been playing I hate raising, getting 4+ callers & being stuck in a multi-way hand out of position with jacks. Obviously folding is not an option, so I decided to limp & see what the rest of the table did before making a real decision about my hand. I was raised to $6 by UTG+2, who seemed to be playing reasonably solid poker (and also seemed to be a regular in the game by his interaction with the dealers), which was called in 4 spots, including the loose guy with chips. With so much out there I thought that this would be a good time for the old limp-raise play, as it is likely to do two things: thin the field & represent a big hand (potentially a bigger hand than I actually have). Anyway, with this in mind I made it $30 to go. Part 1 of the plan succeeded, as the only callers were the initial raiser & the loose guy with the stack. The flop was a reasonable one for my hand - 9d8h3d - though obviously with the draws (both diamonds & straight draws) my hand is definitely vulnerable. I lead at the pot for $55 & was called by the initial raiser & the loose guy folded. So far so good, though the way I played the hand meant that it was difficult to put the caller on a narrow range of hands. He could have a pair (possibly good, possibly bad), a set (bad), a straight draw (possibly good, possibly bad), a flush draw (again bad or good), overcards (good for the moment) ... or complete air! On the flip side, my hand was fairly well defined. I either had a big pair or overcards (with possibly a flush draw), with an outside chance of having a set. In one way it is good that I have the lead in the hand, but it makes it tough given the hand ranges that each of us have. Anyway, the turn was the 7c, meaning the board was now 9873 with a diamond draw. The turn was definitely decision time. After a few seconds I decided to move all-in for my remaining $155.
The scenarios were as follows in my head (from best to worst):
* He folds & I win the pot uncontested
* He calls & I have him crushed & win
* He calls & I am in front, dodge his outs & win
* He calls & I am crushed, but spike a card to win
* He calls & I am in front but he hits ... I go back to hotel to sleep
* He calls & I am crushed & lose ... and go back to the hotel to sleep
He thought for a long time about his decision & said he had a big hand he couldn't fold ... and clarified it as a big draw. Given the way the hand had played out I thought that meant he had ATdd, meaning he had overcards & a flush draw on the flop & picked up a straight draw on the turn. However he did keep in insisting that I had aces or kings, so overcards don't seem so valuable if that is the case. As it turned out, he eventually called & showed 8d6d for a flopped pair & flush draw & picked up a straight draw on the turn. The fact that I had JJ meant I took away some of his outs (a ten was no good as I would make a higher straight) & I also had a diamond in my hand ... however I was relieved to see a black 3 on the river to have scenario number 3 play out & collect a $500 pot. I stayed for a little longer, but nothing much eventful happened & I left about $300 to the good.
I also decided to venture downtown to el Cortez & played in their $1-3-6 game (I still don't know exactly how it is supposed to be structured, but there was a $1 blind - yes, just one blind - and it seemed as though you could raise by anything up to $3 on any street, with the river betting being $6 (although sometimes people bet $3). Perhaps it was a spread limit game? Anyway, I played for a few hours & left with a small profit (yes, old 'nits' are horrible players as well - one of the lessons I learned from the $5/10 game at Crown). Why go to El Cortez I hear you ask? Well it is the hidden (well not any more) agenda of this trip ... to collect $1 chips (and play poker) in as many Las Vegas poker rooms as possible. After my previous trip earlier in the year, as well as the current time I am spending in Las Vegas, I have now played in almost all the poker rooms on the Strip & in the Downtown Las Vegas area. The only one to elude my so far is the Riviera, which seems to have at most 1 cash table running & players who simply rebuy when they bust, making waiting too long to endure! More on the quest as the stay continues ... I have just over a week left!
I also decided (foolishly in hindsight) to play the HORSE tournament at the Bellagio. One of the players at my table was John Joannou, winner of the HORSE event at this year's Aussie Millions. Also in the field were Allen Kessler, Yuval Bronstein, Thor Hansen & others. The reason why it was foolish to play is that I managed to run the worst I have ever run (with the exception of a mixed stud tournament at Crown where I didn't win a hand for the entire tournament) in a mixed event. I rarely picked up hands & when I did, they found a way to get run down. The best example of this was an Omaha hi-lo hand where I had raised in early position with AK62 double suited, only to be called by 4 players (as seems to be standard in split-pot games early in an event like this) to see a flop of J22, which I bet & get 2 callers. I again bet the 8 on the turn, only to be raised & call, then check-call the river 9, only for my opponent to show Q852 rainbow! I was a decent event, but I didn't stick around afterwards, in spite of the view of the Bellagio fountains from the balcony of the Fontana Lounge (where the tournament was held).
Sunday, July 4, 2010
LOOOONG day in tournaments for nothing ... and some bowling with the DC guys!
A long, long day in the 8-game tournament at Aria ... ultimately finishing with nothing. This 8-game tournament featured Badugi (rather than the usual 2-7 triple draw), along with NLHE, PLO & H.O.R.S.E. with the logic being that no-one needed to sit out in badugi, unlike 2-7. The field was small at 38, but with a 15k starting stack & 50 minute levels, it would be a long event. It took over 8 hours (well past midnight) to get down to two tables & with stacks reasonably deep, the pace slowed even more, with very few eliminations. At one point I was chip leader with 13 players left, having about 88k in chips when the average was 43k. Of course it was then when I managed to run poorly & find myself with strong second-best hands on multiple occasions. Unfortunately for me there were three big hands that I lost & I was out in 10th. The first was a razz hand where I had a 87 made, with a draw to a 75 & lost to my opponent's 75 (if I made my 75 I would have won the pot). I then lost a huge hand in O8, with AsKc8s8c & raised in late position, only to be called by the big blind, who was the other big stack at the table. The flop was KsTs2h & it wentcheck-bet-call. The turn brought the 4s & again check-bet-call. The river was a repeat 2 & my opponent checked to me again. My thinking was that there were a lot of hands that would check-call both the flop & turn that would also check-call the river (something like a weak flush with a missed low draw or a straight draw with a 2), so I bet again. My opponent then check-raised me! I was surprised, but decided to call, only for my opponent to turn over KKJ8 for top full house! I had (obviously mistakenly) thought that a hand like that (which makes sense for the check-call, check-call line) would probably lead the river, hoping to make an extra bet rather than risk missing a bet on the end. Of course I was wrong & I dropped a big chunk of my stack. Of course shortly afterwards I found myself in another big hand with the same opponent, this time with AAKJ. The flop was Q75 & we got the rest of the chips in on the flop & I was up against AJ73, which meant I was in decent shape, though there was a decent chance that the pot would be chopped (odds are 22-34 to scoop, with high hand being 65-34 in my favour, with the low being 0-63). Of course a repeat 7 came on the turn & I couldn't find the last A in the deck & was out in 10th place. What made it more disappointing was that this was the first time in over 6 hours that I had been all-in. The previous (and only) time I had been all-in in the tournament was in PLO when I was accused of slowrolling (though my opponent later apologised) when we got the money in on a Qc4c3h flop with my AcAdJd9c beating my opponent's 7654 when I made a flush on the turn (I thought for about 5-10 seconds after betting the flop & my oppoent raising to put me all-in before I called, which lead to the slowroll accusation). Of course with the top 5 being paid & my elimination coming just before 4am (the event started at 5pm), it was disappointing to have played well for over 10 hours, only to walk away with nothing.
The previous evening was the Deuces Cracked bowling night at the Gold Coast Casino. I played one game (scoring 117, which was poor for the lane I was in, but seemed like a decent score compared to other lanes ... a bit below what I would have liked, but its been a while since I've been bowling) before sitting down with Chuck Danielsson for an interview for my podcast. All-in-all a very enjoyable evening & I picked up a DC cap & duck while I was there. If there was any doubt as to whether I was part of a great community poker training site, the events at the WSOP have really confirmed that I made the right choice. Now I just need to find more time to improve my online game & make the most of the fantastic training videos Deuces Cracked have to offer.
Next on the agenda: UFC 116! Great card at the MGM!
The previous evening was the Deuces Cracked bowling night at the Gold Coast Casino. I played one game (scoring 117, which was poor for the lane I was in, but seemed like a decent score compared to other lanes ... a bit below what I would have liked, but its been a while since I've been bowling) before sitting down with Chuck Danielsson for an interview for my podcast. All-in-all a very enjoyable evening & I picked up a DC cap & duck while I was there. If there was any doubt as to whether I was part of a great community poker training site, the events at the WSOP have really confirmed that I made the right choice. Now I just need to find more time to improve my online game & make the most of the fantastic training videos Deuces Cracked have to offer.
Next on the agenda: UFC 116! Great card at the MGM!
Saturday, July 3, 2010
Episode 5 now online!
A new episode of the Donkcast is now online!
This episode features an interview with Chuck 'Danzasmack' Danielsson, as well as results from ANZPT Canberra, Aussies at the WSOP ... and my own WSOP cash!
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=6VLLGWGO
This episode features an interview with Chuck 'Danzasmack' Danielsson, as well as results from ANZPT Canberra, Aussies at the WSOP ... and my own WSOP cash!
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=6VLLGWGO
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Being a tourist & a sick, sick hand
I started the day with some exhibits around Las Vegas. First stop was the MGM for CSI: The Experience. Not a bad exhibit overall, where you are presented with a crime scene (there are three to choose from), and then after going through a series of labs, need to come to a conclusion about what happened at the crime scene based on the evidence you have examined. The type of things you look at include text messages on a phone, DNA reports, drug testing and a range of other forensic tests that are recreated for you to examine in a hands-on environment. Worth a look, but not something that I would call a 'must see' if in Vegas. After leaving MGM I headed to the Luxor for the Bodies exhibit. This had a range of exhibits showing pretty much everything about the human body, from bones & muscles to organs & artiries and everything in between. If I had more of an interest in biology or medicine I might have found it more engaging, but as it was it kept me amused for the 40 or so minutes it took me to get through the exhibit. Of the three exhibits I saw (Titanic, CSI & Bodies), I would be happy to see the Titanic exhibition again, wouldn't mind the CSI exhibit, though could go without it, while the Bodies exhibit is something that I would probably skip.
After leaving the Luxor I headed to Planet Hollywood for dinner (yes more Earl of Sandwich for me) before heading to the Hard Rock to see if the Pokerati/PokerNews/Deuces Cracked $1/2 NLHE/PLO game was going, but it wasn't, which was a bit disappointing. Rather than stay & play in the $1/2 NLHE game I decided to head back to the Strip & found a seat in one of the biggest games going around on the Strip ... 50c/$1 at Bill's Gambling Hall! I took a seat with $100 & had all but one player at the table covered & proceeded to lose almost every hand I played ... raise with 99 & I get one caller and we see a AQ8 flop & they shove over my c-bet; raise with AJ & get 3 callers with and 8-high board & there is a bet & a raise before it is my turn on the flop ... until a HUGE hand came up! I look down at red kings UTG+1 & make my standard 3-times-the-blind raise to $3 (yes, $3 is a raise at Bills & quite a few people raised to $2 throughout the night!), only to see one caller before the cutoff re-raised to $11. It folded back to me & I made it $25 total, which got the caller to fold, but the re-raiser called. The flop was pretty good for my hand - KKJ & I lead out for $15. The other player asked the question that is often a bad one to hear ... 'How much do you have behind' & I showed my remaining stack & cut it down to show the $33 I had behind. After this enquiry I figured he had a big hand when he just called the bet. Of course given that I had all the kings, this means that he either had a hand like AA (unlikely given that he didn't 4-bet pre-flop), JJ or a royal flush draw like QTcc. The 6h on the turn changed nothing & I checked it to my opponent, who bet $12 (yes, as Bills we make our bets smaller on later streets ... because that's how you roll at Bill's), which I called. The turn was another jack & I put my remaining $21 in the middle & my opponent couldn't wait to put his chips in the middle as well! He wasn't so pleased when I turned my hand over however ... I had quad kings ... which beat his quad jacks!! The whole table, myself included, were stunned, as the dealer called out 'high hand ... and bad beat' to the floor. As a bonus (and something of a consolation to the loser), we both recieved an extra $50 for the high hand bonus (quads using a pair as your hole cards), though there was no bad beat bonus. The dealer reminded us of this, saying that if this was a Station casino, the players in the hand would recieve $40k & $20k each, with others at the table getting $5k ... and everyone in the casino getting something as well! Quite a jackpot by the sounds of it. I must admit that I have never played a hand like that before in my life & its the first time I've had quads over quads. Guess it was somewhat similar to the infamous Sammy Farha hand from the WSOP a few years ago, when Oliver Hudson flopped a full house & was drawing dead! Of course just to rub it in, I managed to crack the same guy's kings a few hands later with tens when I turned a set (with another player at the table saying they folded a ten) ... One of my own MBN monents ... and yes it was! The table died down shortly afterwards, with a few players leaving, so I left with a $130 or so profit ... not bad for a few hours at 50c/$1, even if I do say so myself!
Next on the agenda: A haircut, some more poker (might try to get to the other places on the Strip that I haven't played at) & an evening of tenpin bowling with the Deuces Cracked guys! Should be fun!
After leaving the Luxor I headed to Planet Hollywood for dinner (yes more Earl of Sandwich for me) before heading to the Hard Rock to see if the Pokerati/PokerNews/Deuces Cracked $1/2 NLHE/PLO game was going, but it wasn't, which was a bit disappointing. Rather than stay & play in the $1/2 NLHE game I decided to head back to the Strip & found a seat in one of the biggest games going around on the Strip ... 50c/$1 at Bill's Gambling Hall! I took a seat with $100 & had all but one player at the table covered & proceeded to lose almost every hand I played ... raise with 99 & I get one caller and we see a AQ8 flop & they shove over my c-bet; raise with AJ & get 3 callers with and 8-high board & there is a bet & a raise before it is my turn on the flop ... until a HUGE hand came up! I look down at red kings UTG+1 & make my standard 3-times-the-blind raise to $3 (yes, $3 is a raise at Bills & quite a few people raised to $2 throughout the night!), only to see one caller before the cutoff re-raised to $11. It folded back to me & I made it $25 total, which got the caller to fold, but the re-raiser called. The flop was pretty good for my hand - KKJ & I lead out for $15. The other player asked the question that is often a bad one to hear ... 'How much do you have behind' & I showed my remaining stack & cut it down to show the $33 I had behind. After this enquiry I figured he had a big hand when he just called the bet. Of course given that I had all the kings, this means that he either had a hand like AA (unlikely given that he didn't 4-bet pre-flop), JJ or a royal flush draw like QTcc. The 6h on the turn changed nothing & I checked it to my opponent, who bet $12 (yes, as Bills we make our bets smaller on later streets ... because that's how you roll at Bill's), which I called. The turn was another jack & I put my remaining $21 in the middle & my opponent couldn't wait to put his chips in the middle as well! He wasn't so pleased when I turned my hand over however ... I had quad kings ... which beat his quad jacks!! The whole table, myself included, were stunned, as the dealer called out 'high hand ... and bad beat' to the floor. As a bonus (and something of a consolation to the loser), we both recieved an extra $50 for the high hand bonus (quads using a pair as your hole cards), though there was no bad beat bonus. The dealer reminded us of this, saying that if this was a Station casino, the players in the hand would recieve $40k & $20k each, with others at the table getting $5k ... and everyone in the casino getting something as well! Quite a jackpot by the sounds of it. I must admit that I have never played a hand like that before in my life & its the first time I've had quads over quads. Guess it was somewhat similar to the infamous Sammy Farha hand from the WSOP a few years ago, when Oliver Hudson flopped a full house & was drawing dead! Of course just to rub it in, I managed to crack the same guy's kings a few hands later with tens when I turned a set (with another player at the table saying they folded a ten) ... One of my own MBN monents ... and yes it was! The table died down shortly afterwards, with a few players leaving, so I left with a $130 or so profit ... not bad for a few hours at 50c/$1, even if I do say so myself!
Next on the agenda: A haircut, some more poker (might try to get to the other places on the Strip that I haven't played at) & an evening of tenpin bowling with the Deuces Cracked guys! Should be fun!
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Some books, some poker and why walking in Las Vegas is bad!
An interesting day today. I started off with a trip to the Gamblers Book Shop (yes, as opposed to the Gamblers General Store) where I picked up a few books, including Dusty Schmidt's 'Treat Your Poker Like A Business'; Jon Turner, Eric Lynch & Jon Van Fleet's 'Winning Poker Tournaments One Hand at a Time Volume 2'; a biography of Johnny Moss as well as some others. Although its a pretty small place, it is filled with all things poker & gambling, and has pretty much anything you can think of in relation to things you find in a casino.
Following the shop visit, I headed downtown, intending to play the 2pm satellite at Binions for the main event there. Of course I managed to miss the bus down Fremont Street by about a minute (the bus I was getting off pulled up at the stop just as the bus I wanted to catch left the stop on the cross street), so I decided in my infinite wisdom to walk down Fremont Street ... which sounded like a good idea at the time ... but of course this was before I realised it was about 1.50 in the afternoon in a desert! Anyway, long story short ... I managed to get to Binions at around 2.30, with a stopover at 7-11 for a drink, and *somewhat* sweaty! Of course this was not the best state (or time) to play a 2pm tournament, so after grabbing a seat to cool down, I took a seat at the $2/4 limit holdem table in the Binions Poker Room, planning to stay there until 5pm, when there was another Main Event satellite running. The limit holdem session went a bit better than expected & I managed to pick up over $100 in a little over 2 hours! Yep, the standard 13 big bets per hour ... just like Sklansky says! Anyway, this profitable session meant that the satellite was effectively a freeroll. The tournament had 68 runners, which meant there were 6 seats up for grabs, with some cash for 7th place. My tournament was going pretty well until my final hand. Although in hindsight I played the hand badly, I'm not too unhappy with the play given the structure of the tournament. I started the hand with 9600 playing 300/600 blinds. With 20 minute levels & blinds about to go up to 500/1000 there was a raise from early position to 1700. I looked down at AKo in the small blind & decided to re-raise to 4500. In hindsight I probably should have just shoved my 9600 in the middle, but I was looking to double up rather than simply picking up the blinds & the raise. I thought that the fact that I had put about half my stack in would be a sign to my opponent that I was not folding & expected my opponent to either re-raise (he had my covered by about 1500 or so) or fold. Of course this thought was completely wrong & my opponent decided that calling the 2500 extra would be a good play, so we went to the flop. I had mentally committed to the hand & the flop itself was (in theory) a pretty decent one for my hand - 585. Being a paired board, with such a low card being paired, meant that it was likely I had the best hand. The fact that he didn't re-raise suggested that he didn't have a pocket pair (unless I was already crushed with AA, but even that wouldn't make too much sense with the blinds going up so quickly) & it that was the case, he needed either a 5 or 8 to be in front of me ... and even if he did have an 8 I still had 2 overcards with 2 cards to come (not the best shape, but still with a reasonable chance. Of course my opponent had the good old 9d8d for top pair. A standard flat call pre-flop obviously ... and of course the dealer put another 8 out on the turn, removing any hope I had of winning the pot & sending me on my way from the 'place that made poker famous' in around 40th place.
Next on the agenda: Being a tourist with the exhibitions at the MGM & Luxor still to see! Maybe some poker as well ... for a change! Of course this is before the weekend of UFC!!
Following the shop visit, I headed downtown, intending to play the 2pm satellite at Binions for the main event there. Of course I managed to miss the bus down Fremont Street by about a minute (the bus I was getting off pulled up at the stop just as the bus I wanted to catch left the stop on the cross street), so I decided in my infinite wisdom to walk down Fremont Street ... which sounded like a good idea at the time ... but of course this was before I realised it was about 1.50 in the afternoon in a desert! Anyway, long story short ... I managed to get to Binions at around 2.30, with a stopover at 7-11 for a drink, and *somewhat* sweaty! Of course this was not the best state (or time) to play a 2pm tournament, so after grabbing a seat to cool down, I took a seat at the $2/4 limit holdem table in the Binions Poker Room, planning to stay there until 5pm, when there was another Main Event satellite running. The limit holdem session went a bit better than expected & I managed to pick up over $100 in a little over 2 hours! Yep, the standard 13 big bets per hour ... just like Sklansky says! Anyway, this profitable session meant that the satellite was effectively a freeroll. The tournament had 68 runners, which meant there were 6 seats up for grabs, with some cash for 7th place. My tournament was going pretty well until my final hand. Although in hindsight I played the hand badly, I'm not too unhappy with the play given the structure of the tournament. I started the hand with 9600 playing 300/600 blinds. With 20 minute levels & blinds about to go up to 500/1000 there was a raise from early position to 1700. I looked down at AKo in the small blind & decided to re-raise to 4500. In hindsight I probably should have just shoved my 9600 in the middle, but I was looking to double up rather than simply picking up the blinds & the raise. I thought that the fact that I had put about half my stack in would be a sign to my opponent that I was not folding & expected my opponent to either re-raise (he had my covered by about 1500 or so) or fold. Of course this thought was completely wrong & my opponent decided that calling the 2500 extra would be a good play, so we went to the flop. I had mentally committed to the hand & the flop itself was (in theory) a pretty decent one for my hand - 585. Being a paired board, with such a low card being paired, meant that it was likely I had the best hand. The fact that he didn't re-raise suggested that he didn't have a pocket pair (unless I was already crushed with AA, but even that wouldn't make too much sense with the blinds going up so quickly) & it that was the case, he needed either a 5 or 8 to be in front of me ... and even if he did have an 8 I still had 2 overcards with 2 cards to come (not the best shape, but still with a reasonable chance. Of course my opponent had the good old 9d8d for top pair. A standard flat call pre-flop obviously ... and of course the dealer put another 8 out on the turn, removing any hope I had of winning the pot & sending me on my way from the 'place that made poker famous' in around 40th place.
Next on the agenda: Being a tourist with the exhibitions at the MGM & Luxor still to see! Maybe some poker as well ... for a change! Of course this is before the weekend of UFC!!
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Mammoth mixed game session!
After a fairly quiet weekend, particularly for Las Vegas, where I picked up a new external hard drive & had a shortish session of $1/2NL at the Flamingo, I rounded off the weekend with a session in the $3/6 mixed game at the Imperial Palace.
The Flamingo session was fairly uneventful, with the highlight being a hand where a player opened for $10 & I called on the button with 55. The hand was checked to the river (think the final board was something like T9742) & I thought for a few seconds before checking behind on the river ... and my opponent mucked! Ship the pot! Also managed to lose the two big hands of the night to the same guy ... first when I tried (unsuccessfully of course) to get him off top pair with my middle pair (where I was betting every street, including pre-flop), then later I ran my AK into his KT on a KT8K6 board.
The mixed game at the IP was surprisingly tight this time. There were few hands that were 5 or more to the flop (or draw) & few that had 4 or 5 bets in pre-flop. Made for a different dynamic from previous nights in the IP mixed game! I got off to a slow start, but hit some run good around 3am (some 5 hours after I sat down) & this continued until the game broke at around 9am! I'm sure my body clock is going to be somewhat askew for the next day or two as a result, but its always good to book a decent win in a game that is enjoyable to play ... complete with the challenges of trying to figure out if you have the best hand, or should bet or check in a game like double flop Omaha or 3-2-1 Omaha, or 4 card crazy ocean Pineapple! I think this will be a place to find me if you are in Vegas on a Sunday night for the next few weeks.
Next on the agenda: some more tourist stuff, a haircut ... and some poker.
The Flamingo session was fairly uneventful, with the highlight being a hand where a player opened for $10 & I called on the button with 55. The hand was checked to the river (think the final board was something like T9742) & I thought for a few seconds before checking behind on the river ... and my opponent mucked! Ship the pot! Also managed to lose the two big hands of the night to the same guy ... first when I tried (unsuccessfully of course) to get him off top pair with my middle pair (where I was betting every street, including pre-flop), then later I ran my AK into his KT on a KT8K6 board.
The mixed game at the IP was surprisingly tight this time. There were few hands that were 5 or more to the flop (or draw) & few that had 4 or 5 bets in pre-flop. Made for a different dynamic from previous nights in the IP mixed game! I got off to a slow start, but hit some run good around 3am (some 5 hours after I sat down) & this continued until the game broke at around 9am! I'm sure my body clock is going to be somewhat askew for the next day or two as a result, but its always good to book a decent win in a game that is enjoyable to play ... complete with the challenges of trying to figure out if you have the best hand, or should bet or check in a game like double flop Omaha or 3-2-1 Omaha, or 4 card crazy ocean Pineapple! I think this will be a place to find me if you are in Vegas on a Sunday night for the next few weeks.
Next on the agenda: some more tourist stuff, a haircut ... and some poker.
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Rough day at the tables & some history
After yesterday's good run at Planet Hollywood I decided to play a Venetian tournament. A big field (think it ended up being 649) filled the tables surrounding the poker room that have been set up for the Deepstack Series. I got off to a great start, with a dubioud play working out and putting a player on tilt at the same time! Blinds were 50/100 & it folded to the cutoff who raised to 300. I had A3dd on the button & made the call, as did the big blind. The flop came down T42 with one diamond & the cutoff bet 600. I called, deciding to peel with the gutshot while I had chips (starting stack was 12k) & could make such plays & the BB called as well. All fairly standard so far. The turn brought the Kd, giving me a flush draw as well. The cutoff bet 1100 this time & I called again, only to see the big blind raise to 4100. The cutoff quickly folded & I thought about the bet. I knew my ace-high was behind, but with at least 10 clean outs (any 5 or a diamond that doesn't pair the board) & as many as 15 (diamonds that pair the board or an ace might win me the pot, but I thought it was unlikely), combined with the 8450 already in the pot (with 3000 more to call), I decided to gamble a bit & make the call. The river was a magic card for me, the 5d & the big blind almost instantly moved all-in! I called instantly & showed my Ad3d & this sent the big blind into a spin as he dejectedly showed his TT for flopped top set. This began something of a tirade from the player 'you called with a gutshot!'; 'were you hoping to hit an ace?'; 'you know a diamond that paired the board was no good!'; 'you really called 3000 more on the turn!' ... which I ignored, though there was another player at the table who decided to give the simple explanation for me ... he flopped a gutshot, turned a flush draw & got there. Conveniently for me a level or so later the same player gave me the rest of his chips when I raised with QQ & he moved all-in almost immediately. I called & my hand held up against his A3o. An excellent start to be over 25k at the first break. Of course shortly after the break (where I picked up my 'free' souvenir card protector - it was either that, a t-shirt [only small sizes left], a cap or a $10 food voucher) I was moved to a new table where there were a few stacks bigger than mine. Of course I lost some chips early at this new table, but reovered them when I picked up AK in back-to-back hands. I stayed around the 20-25k mark until I found a way to get rid of them all in one hand. 200/400/50 & I raised to 2200 in the cutoff, after two limpers, with 87 of clubs. The small blind called & we saw a flop of KcQs6c so I have a flush draw & the betting lead against an opponent who has me covered (he recently doubled up against a tight old lady who had been moved to the table when his 96 flopped 2 pair against her QQ & held up). I lead on the flop for 3300 & my opponent called. The turn brought the blank 2d & I bet 5000 after it checked to me again. My opponent quickly put the rest of his 5k chips in the middle, effectively putting me all-in. I thought about it for a while & eventually decided to put my remaining 10k at risk in an attempt to win the 33k+ that was in the middle. The river paired the king (meaning it wasn't a club) & my opponent's AQo won the pot & I left the Venetian.
I decided to head to the Luxor to see the Titanic exhibition that is on there. Of course there are ways to get more money from tourists, so they price a single exhibit at $27 & offer a 3-exhibit pass for $54, so I picked up tickets to Bodies (also at Luxor) & CSI (at MGM) while I was there. The exhibit itself was very interesting, with a number of artefacts & recreated areas of the ship on display. The big draw of the Luxor exhibit (which is a 10-year exhibit, unlike many of the shorter temporary displays like the one on in Melbourne at the moment) was the creatively titled 'Big Piece', which is a section of the side of the boat which is roughly 5mx2m in size. Also of interest was one of the passengers on board, a journalist named William Thomas Stead. Thanks to the wonders of the internet, primarily the W.T. Stead resource site, I discovered that Mr Stead introduced the interview to journalism in the mid 1880 & was also credited with creating the Titanic mummy curse myth. Sounds like an interesting character!
After the exhibition I decided to head to the Rio, looking to either play some satellites for the $2500 8-game tournament, or play some cash mixed games. The satellites were somewhat disorganised (as they often seem to be) & although I put my name on the list for an 8-game satellite, I took a seat at a $20/40 mixed game before the satellite was called. The mix was 2-7 triple draw, razz, Stud hi-lo, Baduci (2-7/bagudi split) & Badaci (A-5/badugi split) ... interestingly without badugi, as it apparently 'played too slowly' (which makes no sense at all ... but the mix was set before I arrived). Anyway, I proceeded to run horrendously, with the exception of one baduci hand where I was dealt 76432 with a 64 badugi on the initial deal & was called down to the last draw by two players after I made it four bets pre-draw, with one player calling on the end to see the bad (for him) news. Of course I managed to have the unique honour of the night of being quartered in badaci, with my 7642A with 642A badugi being up against 6542A with a 642A badugi, in what was the only quartering while I was at the table. The run good (of my opponents) saw me leave with a lighter wallet & crushed my hopes of playing the 8-game event at the WSOP.
Next on the agenda: being a tourist in Las Vegas & finding some run good in cash games ... and a break from tournaments for a few days.
I decided to head to the Luxor to see the Titanic exhibition that is on there. Of course there are ways to get more money from tourists, so they price a single exhibit at $27 & offer a 3-exhibit pass for $54, so I picked up tickets to Bodies (also at Luxor) & CSI (at MGM) while I was there. The exhibit itself was very interesting, with a number of artefacts & recreated areas of the ship on display. The big draw of the Luxor exhibit (which is a 10-year exhibit, unlike many of the shorter temporary displays like the one on in Melbourne at the moment) was the creatively titled 'Big Piece', which is a section of the side of the boat which is roughly 5mx2m in size. Also of interest was one of the passengers on board, a journalist named William Thomas Stead. Thanks to the wonders of the internet, primarily the W.T. Stead resource site, I discovered that Mr Stead introduced the interview to journalism in the mid 1880 & was also credited with creating the Titanic mummy curse myth. Sounds like an interesting character!
After the exhibition I decided to head to the Rio, looking to either play some satellites for the $2500 8-game tournament, or play some cash mixed games. The satellites were somewhat disorganised (as they often seem to be) & although I put my name on the list for an 8-game satellite, I took a seat at a $20/40 mixed game before the satellite was called. The mix was 2-7 triple draw, razz, Stud hi-lo, Baduci (2-7/bagudi split) & Badaci (A-5/badugi split) ... interestingly without badugi, as it apparently 'played too slowly' (which makes no sense at all ... but the mix was set before I arrived). Anyway, I proceeded to run horrendously, with the exception of one baduci hand where I was dealt 76432 with a 64 badugi on the initial deal & was called down to the last draw by two players after I made it four bets pre-draw, with one player calling on the end to see the bad (for him) news. Of course I managed to have the unique honour of the night of being quartered in badaci, with my 7642A with 642A badugi being up against 6542A with a 642A badugi, in what was the only quartering while I was at the table. The run good (of my opponents) saw me leave with a lighter wallet & crushed my hopes of playing the 8-game event at the WSOP.
Next on the agenda: being a tourist in Las Vegas & finding some run good in cash games ... and a break from tournaments for a few days.
Friday, June 25, 2010
Quiet day, then hit by the deck!
Had a relatively quiet day today, watching some videos in my room after I woke up. The Pokerstars Big Game is looking like an interesting show, with the 'Loose Cannon' concept working fairly well with the first two Loose Cannons doing well for themselves.
I decided to head to Planet Hollywood for dinner, getting my usual order from Earl of Sandwich before what was intended to be a quick stop in the Poker Room before heading to O'Sheas for the Deuces Cracked drinks night. After a slow start I was down roughly $120 playing $1/2 No limit when I started to think about leaving. Of course as soon as this happened, I looked down at QQ after two limpers. I raised to $12 & was called by the button & one of the limpers. The flop came down J65 & the limper lead at the pot for $20. Having only $65 behind I decided that I needed to gamble to try and win a big pot, so just called the $20. The button also called the $20. The action happened on the turn, which was a repeat 6. The limper moved all-in for $80. I took a little bit of time before moving my remaining $45 into the middle as well. The button then went into deep thought & eventually called the $80. Quite a pot up for grabs! The river was another 6 & my QQ took the main pot, with the limper's JT chopping with the button's AJ for the side pot. Excellent ... now I am back in the black & ahead enough to cover my dinner! Time to head to O'Sheas obviously ... but not wanting to be *THAT GUY*, I decided to play another round at the table before leaving. Of course just as I was about to leave (I was UTG & planning to leave after the hand) I look down at AA! Guess I'm playing this hand ... so I raise to $8 & get called by the player to my left (who had been playing fairly tight) & the big blind. The flop came down 873 with a club draw (I had the Ac) & I lead at the pot for $17 & was called by the player to my left. The turn brought the Js & I bet $25, only to be raised to $50 by the player to my left. I thought it was unlikely that my opponent had two pair (like 87) as he had been playing fairly standard. I was a little worried about T9, but was more concerned about a set (33, 77 or 88). I also thought he could be doing this with a hand like AJ or a pair above 88, so decided to call, with the intention of check-calling on a safe river & throwing up before check-calling on a not-so-safe river. Part 1 of the plan went fine ... offsuit 2 on the river & I checked. My opponent then put out a $100 bet! Of course a smaller bet would have been an easy call & an all-in would have also been relatively easy (double-up or go home & it was part of the plan on the turn), but $100 was an awkward amount. It was about half of my opponent's remaining stack & if I lost the hand I would be left with about $50. Ultimately I decided that the river didn't change anything, so I had to go with my turn read. If my opponent had a set, so be it ... if not, my hand should be good. I eventually called, to be me with a 'good call, you've got it' & I turned over my aces & my opponent showed 55 for a bluff. Over $400! So now the plan from before came into effect ... play another round, then head to O'Sheas ... but plans rarely go as planned! On the next round there was a limp & a raise in front of me to $12 when I looked down to see AcKc. I decided that I didn't want to play a big pot pre-flop, so just called. Another player called & we saw a flop of 6c5c2d. Not a bad flop! The pre-flop raiser lead out for $25. I considered raising, but decided to just call & the other player got out of the way. The turn was a great card for me, 4c meaning I had the nut flush (though not the absolute nuts with the straight flush possibilities). My opponent bet again, this time $45 & I did a bit of fake thinking before calling. The river was another excellent card for my hand, an offsuit 3, putting a 6-high straight on the board. My opponent checked & after a short while I put out a $90 bet. Of course there are a number of hands that I would play in a similar manner that make the river bet logical - a hand that is big, like the flush that I have, or possibly a hand like 77 that rivered a straight after being an overpair on previous streets ... or a hand like an overpair that was now counterfeited by the straight on board, or a complete bluff. My opponent thought for quite a while before finally calling ... and I showed the nut flush to take a sizable pot! Ultimately what was intended to be a brief stop became a longer session, though definitely a profitable one.
I decided to drop into O'Sheas briefly (I was a few hour late for the intended 10pm start) & saw a few DC shirts around the place, including Chris 'DeathDonkey' Vitch at the Craps table, but ultimately decided to head back to the hotel.
Next on the agenda: possibly a tournament at the Venetian (if I wake up in time), otherwise I might go for the bookstore or Titanic options ... or maybe just some cash games somewhere.
I decided to head to Planet Hollywood for dinner, getting my usual order from Earl of Sandwich before what was intended to be a quick stop in the Poker Room before heading to O'Sheas for the Deuces Cracked drinks night. After a slow start I was down roughly $120 playing $1/2 No limit when I started to think about leaving. Of course as soon as this happened, I looked down at QQ after two limpers. I raised to $12 & was called by the button & one of the limpers. The flop came down J65 & the limper lead at the pot for $20. Having only $65 behind I decided that I needed to gamble to try and win a big pot, so just called the $20. The button also called the $20. The action happened on the turn, which was a repeat 6. The limper moved all-in for $80. I took a little bit of time before moving my remaining $45 into the middle as well. The button then went into deep thought & eventually called the $80. Quite a pot up for grabs! The river was another 6 & my QQ took the main pot, with the limper's JT chopping with the button's AJ for the side pot. Excellent ... now I am back in the black & ahead enough to cover my dinner! Time to head to O'Sheas obviously ... but not wanting to be *THAT GUY*, I decided to play another round at the table before leaving. Of course just as I was about to leave (I was UTG & planning to leave after the hand) I look down at AA! Guess I'm playing this hand ... so I raise to $8 & get called by the player to my left (who had been playing fairly tight) & the big blind. The flop came down 873 with a club draw (I had the Ac) & I lead at the pot for $17 & was called by the player to my left. The turn brought the Js & I bet $25, only to be raised to $50 by the player to my left. I thought it was unlikely that my opponent had two pair (like 87) as he had been playing fairly standard. I was a little worried about T9, but was more concerned about a set (33, 77 or 88). I also thought he could be doing this with a hand like AJ or a pair above 88, so decided to call, with the intention of check-calling on a safe river & throwing up before check-calling on a not-so-safe river. Part 1 of the plan went fine ... offsuit 2 on the river & I checked. My opponent then put out a $100 bet! Of course a smaller bet would have been an easy call & an all-in would have also been relatively easy (double-up or go home & it was part of the plan on the turn), but $100 was an awkward amount. It was about half of my opponent's remaining stack & if I lost the hand I would be left with about $50. Ultimately I decided that the river didn't change anything, so I had to go with my turn read. If my opponent had a set, so be it ... if not, my hand should be good. I eventually called, to be me with a 'good call, you've got it' & I turned over my aces & my opponent showed 55 for a bluff. Over $400! So now the plan from before came into effect ... play another round, then head to O'Sheas ... but plans rarely go as planned! On the next round there was a limp & a raise in front of me to $12 when I looked down to see AcKc. I decided that I didn't want to play a big pot pre-flop, so just called. Another player called & we saw a flop of 6c5c2d. Not a bad flop! The pre-flop raiser lead out for $25. I considered raising, but decided to just call & the other player got out of the way. The turn was a great card for me, 4c meaning I had the nut flush (though not the absolute nuts with the straight flush possibilities). My opponent bet again, this time $45 & I did a bit of fake thinking before calling. The river was another excellent card for my hand, an offsuit 3, putting a 6-high straight on the board. My opponent checked & after a short while I put out a $90 bet. Of course there are a number of hands that I would play in a similar manner that make the river bet logical - a hand that is big, like the flush that I have, or possibly a hand like 77 that rivered a straight after being an overpair on previous streets ... or a hand like an overpair that was now counterfeited by the straight on board, or a complete bluff. My opponent thought for quite a while before finally calling ... and I showed the nut flush to take a sizable pot! Ultimately what was intended to be a brief stop became a longer session, though definitely a profitable one.
I decided to drop into O'Sheas briefly (I was a few hour late for the intended 10pm start) & saw a few DC shirts around the place, including Chris 'DeathDonkey' Vitch at the Craps table, but ultimately decided to head back to the hotel.
Next on the agenda: possibly a tournament at the Venetian (if I wake up in time), otherwise I might go for the bookstore or Titanic options ... or maybe just some cash games somewhere.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)