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!!

Some run good in cash!

Played some cash games yesterday. I started at the Rio, playing $10/20 limit holdem. Of course the easy way to make money at limit holdem is to run good & that's exactly what I did. Top pair, middle set, etc. The best of the lot was when a player raised from early position, there was a call from the cutoff & I called in the big blind with 99. The flop came down T54 & I checked, the pre-flop raiser bet, the cutoff called & I decided to peel one off. My 9s might be in front, but I couldn't really be sure. Of course the turn made it easy for me ... BINK ... 9! I lead into the pot on the turn & the pre-flop raiser made it two bets, the cutoff folded & i made it three bets. The pre-flop raiser called & called my bet on the end & after I showed my 99, turned over AT in disgust. While at the Rio I also had a look at some of the tournaments running at the time ... quite a few pros still in lots of events.
I then decided to go to the Hard Rock to see what was going on there on Sunday night, in particular hoping to play a mixed game, which apparently happen there from time to time. There is also the Pokernews game there on Wednesday nights, which includes the Pokerati $1/2 NLH/PLO game. Of course there was nothing but $1/2 NLH running, so I sat down for a while. The run good continued, with the big double-up plus hand coming in a limped pot. I had AJo in the small blind & saw a flop of JT7. The plan was to check-raise the flop to try & build a pot & get it heads-up, so I checked ... it was checked around to the cutoff, who bet $12. The button then raised to $24. I wasn't so pleased with my top pair, top kicker, thinking there was a chance I was up against two pair or better, however I could also still have the best hand, so I just called. To make matters worse, the drunk guy who was playing any two (and hitting from time to time) then re-raised to $48! The initial bettor folded & the button called, so I also called. The turn was another Jack, which was either a great card for me (because I was now in front) or a horrible card for me (as I was still behind a straight or full house, but now could not fold). I checked again, knowing that I couldn't fold my remaining stack (just under $100) & the crunk guy moved all-in for around $150. This got the button to fold, though he did take some time & show his cards to players nearby at his end of the table, which made me think he had bottom two pair that had now been counterfeited. I called & the dealer put out the river ... another jack! Runner-runner quads! Not a bad hand. I showed my AJ & the $350+ pot came my way. I stayed a little longer & left with a reasonable profit ... not a bad day in the office for a change!
Next on the agenda: Back to tournaments downtown. Probably HORSE at the Golden Nugget, but maybe PLO8 at Binions.

USA - Binions

Another tourney, another bustout!
Today I went to Binions, 'the home of poker', to play the HORSE event in the Binions Poker Classic. The tournament had 120 starters & I finished in 72nd place, but that's simply the facts.
The structure of the event was appalling. Although the starting stack was 20,000, starting with levels of 100/200 & increasing every 30 minutes meant that you really needed to build quickly or face elimination. This was compounded in a way by the format of playing one game per level, with the holdem getting many more hands than any of the other games. The brink of elimination started for me in level 6 (just 3 hours into the event) when I was all-in on the turn in holdem against one opponent. Of course by this time we were already playing 800/1600 & my top pair held to double up. I picked up some hands & ran well & amazingly by the end of the level I was back to my original 20,000 starting stack! Talk about a wild ride! Anyway I managed to slowly dwindle down to be 14000 at the dinner break (after 9 levels) & returned to be playing Stud8 at the 3000/6000 level! Of course I was the bring-in & rather than completing the bet, I simply brought it in for the minimum, meaning that my (45)3 was facing 4 opponents for 4th street. After 4th it was heads-up & I was all-in on 5th, with my 34549 being up against my opponents T7656. I picked up a 9 on 6th to take the lead, but his river T killed my hand & send me out of the tournament.
I have since made sure to check the structures before playing in events. I *may* be back for the $500 HORSE Championship later in the month (which has a similar structure but 40 minute levels, with games changing every 20 minutes), but doubt I will play any other events at Binions.
I'm still going to be downtown in the coming days, but across the street, playing at the Golden Nugget, which seems to have a similar structure, but with 40 minute levels I hope it won't be quite as brutal.
In other news, it looks like I have at least one guest lined up for the Donkcast ... Chuck 'Danzasmack' Danielsson who is an instructor at Deuces Cracked will be on sometime in the not-too-distant future. Caught up with him at the Rio the other night & mentioned the podcast & he's keen to be on, so I'll test my abilities an an interviewer!
Next on the agenda: Stud hi-lo at the Golden Nugget

USA Day ... later

Its official ... Wireless hotel internet is horrible!
The last few days have been horrible, with the dodgy internet connection I have here continually dropping in & out, creating great frustration.
On the poker front, its been a mixed bag. Tournaments have been frustrating, with a bubble finish in the nightly NLHE tourney at Aria the best of a bad lot. I've also managed to bust from another daily & nightly Aria tournament, as well as a NLHE tourney today at Binions. The personal highlight was when I raised to 300 UTG (50/100 blinds), with a call from UTG+1, then a min-re-raise to 500 from the SB. I called (I held TT), as did the UTG+1. The flop was 555 & when the SB checked, I bet 800, which the SB called. The turn brought a 6 & the SB lead fot 1000, which I called. The turn was the vomit-inducing 5, putting quads on the board. The SB lead for 2000 & I folded ... and he was kind enough to show how skillfully he played the hand with his AQo!
Cash games have been reasonable, with some wins & some losses, but nothing huge either way. Played an interesting game tonight at the Rio - a $10/20 draw mix, rotating between A-5 triple draw, 2-7 triple draw, Badugi & Baduci (or is it badeuci), with Omaha hi-lo being added to the mix towards the end. I picked up a tidy profit of 8 Big Bets. I'm starting to like these lowball draw games, though it could just be that some of the opposition is horrible. I'm almost tempted to try the $1500 2-7 triple draw tourney, but its unlikely unless I make a big score in the next few days.
Public transport is also frustrating here. The 'Deuce', the bus that runs up & down the Strip is typically overcrowded, particularly over the Memorial Day weekend, and is almost as slow as walking. Last time I was in Las Vegas I had a hire car & I'd be tempted to go for the hire car the next time I am in Vegas (assuming of course there IS a next time!) & possibly stay in an apartment off the strip (not needing to be so close 'to the action' if I have a car). Anyway, that's all in the future ... now its just about making some $$$ in either cash games or tournaments.
Next on the agenda: HORSE at Binions