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ThinkerJE makes a return trip to Vegas
lukybugur:
GL @ The Rio. I look forward to reading the report.
jacklevel06:
Great report james hope i can rember half as much when my turn comes to go to vegas. :-\
lukybugur:
I was thinkin that too. Maybe he has a Gus Hansen dictaphone tucked away somewhere.
duke3016:
--- Quote from: APAT on June 01, 2008, 17:05:59 PM ---
Brilliant James...really loving the blog. Good luck later today bud, there"ll be a big old beer in it for you if you cash!
--- End quote ---
Does that men if he cashes he"s paying ;D cos if you"re buying I"m gonna be there with News International
Great read -- loving it
ThinkerJE:
Ok its Monday morning now and this is what went down at the Rio.
First off the place is mad. People everyone. Jeffrey Pollack is there doing a corporate speech before cards in the air (not a patch on Tikay, so pc) and he says that this is the biggest tournament outside of the main event and the 4th biggest ever. 3,929 runners turned up over the 2 days and with only 3,000 in starting chips things were bound to get off to a fast start. Poker stars were everywhere, either playing in this event or playing or railing the $10k PLHE final table which was all star. In no particular order, sighted at the Rio were; Greenstein, Williamson III, Parkinson, Lieu (looking gorgeous), Morrsion (sat on Martyn"s table), Black, Scotty Win, Hellmuth, Traniello, Harmon (sat down at my table then realise it was the wrong one, phew), Luske, Laak, Antonius, Bloch, Libert, Sexton, Tilly, Goodwin, Zolotow & Thater (who was sitting next to me and busted out within 30 mins). Right star spotting out of the way, Jerry Yang gets the tournament started with the iconic phrase "dealers, shuffle up and deal".
3,425 at first break (end of level 2).
Bit of a crazy start, 3rd hand in mid position I raise to 150 (blinds 25-50) with 99 and get called by the player immediately to my left. Flop is 743 rainbow and I bet 250 and get called. Turn is another 7 and I bet 500 and get called again. Now I assume he has a seven and I am beat and so I prepare to check the river and probably fold if he bets. However a 9 on the river allows me a value bet of 800 and gets called. He mutters something before mucking his cards. So I am up to 4,500 early doors. A good start. Then there are 3 limpers into my SB and I make up with 78off, the BB checks (the guy I rivered the 9 against). Flop is 874 rainbow and I check hoping someone will bet. They all check and the turn is the 10, I bet out 200 and the BB moves all in. All fold to me and it is only 900 more to call. I think that I may be beat, although he may have a ten and think that I am trying to pick up the pot. I call and he shows 56 for the flopped straight, nice hand, back down to 3,200. The only other hands worth a mention were when I limp in middle position with 22, 3 callers. The blinds check a K77 flop to me and I sense weakness and bet 250, all fold and I win the pot, a good read and a nice bet. The other was QQ on button, I raise to 400 and BB calls. Jack high flop and bet of 600 takes it down.
4,775 at 2nd break (end of level 4).
Another crazy session. A short stack moves all in on the cutoff for 1,100 (blinds 100-200). The SB flat calls. I wake up with KK in the BB and push all my chips into the midde. The SB starts to think (great no AA) and finally folds, and its AQ vs KK, the kings hold and I win a 3,500 pot. Now a mistake (yes I am human and do make them). I raise in mid position with 55 and get called by the loose chip daddy on the BB. He checks a 864 rainbow flop to me and I fire 650, he calls. He checks the turn 2 and I check behind (I want to keep the pot small). River is another 8 and he bets 1,200. Now I go into the tank and replay the hand. His range is huge pre flop, but his call on the flop does not mean he has hit. He may be floating the flop in order to bluff a later street. He could have a 6 or 8 or simply king high and has to bet to win it. My read is that he is making a play at me and I make the hero call. He turns over 87 and wins a nice pot. I am pleased I had the guts to back my read and make the call, however my read was way off on this occasion, back down to 3,500 now. Another big hand occurs 2 hands later. There is 1 limper and I make up the SB with JT, BB checks. Bingo flop of 789 (what is it with me and flopped straights) and I check. BB bets 300 and limper calls. I raise to 1,300 and BB folds, limper moves all in, insta call, he had slow played QQ and my flopped straight takes down a nice pot. The only other hand was a raise with AQ to no action and to take the blinds and antes. A mad 2 levels, and the mistake I made with 55 was compounded when I flopped the straight. If I fold the 55 on the river I have 1,200 more chips to take off the guy with QQ. Blinds & antes are starting to bit now so will need an early double up to take the pressure off. Jon & Martyn are both already out, Martyn was card dead and made a great pre flop laydown with JJ when guy had AA but could not get going. Jon got up to 6,000 at one stage but got done twice when he was dominating AQ and busted just before the break. That meant I won the last longer bet we had and another $10 was heading into the thinker bankroll. This will be doubled if I make tomorrow.
However $10 does not become $20 as I bust out 15 mins into level 6. I have had no cards for the last hour and have been moving in when I felt I could take the pot. My exit hand is hardly worth talking about. I have jut been moved to a new table and have only 3,075 left (blinds 200-400 ante 50). There is 1,100 in the pot and I am looking for any playable hand to move in with from any position. I push with JT in 3rd position and get called by an uber stack behind. He has KK and I am gone. Disappointing end to the event. I feel I had plenty of opportunities to get chips but 1 major mistake and a few other mis steps meant I never got above 6,000. The starting chips in these $1,500 events mean that you need to get chips early in oredr to be able to play. There is lots of action in level 1 as players take chances to double up. Some big stacks develop early which puts even more pressure on the short stacks. Not sure how good a value you get for your $1,500 in these WSOP events and I am tempted to play more of the megastacks events at Ceasar"s, for a third of the buy in you get 12,500 starting stack and 50 mins levels. This allows more play early on and suits my game much more.
Its about 6.15pm when I am busted and the 3 of us get the shuttle back to Ceasar"s and sign up for the 7pm $150 NLHE. In hindsight I should not have played in this and just gone to the bar to watch the pu$$ycats. I only last 35 mins (5,000 starting chips at level 1 25-50) which is so bad it is unbelieveable. This is how I donled my chips off. I raise in mid position with QT of diamonds (1st mistake, I do not normally play this hand early, never mind rasie with it). The button and BB both call. Flop is Ts Tc 8s and BB bets into me. I raise another 1,000 on top and he calls. The turn is 5s and BB bets 2,000 into me. I have 3,200 left and go into the tank. Why would he bet the flush? If he was betting the draw and hit it, surely he would check to me again? So he must be trying to push me off the hand, I move all in and are crushed when he flips Ks Qs. That was a really bad call. I should lay that down and I still have plenty of chips with the structure and 40 mins levels. Another bad read, but what I should ask myself is what am I actually beating. He may have AT, KT, 88 or the flush. Bad play and I am annoyed with myself. Martyn lasts longer than me (not difficult in this tournament), but goes out when his push with a spade draw fails to hit the flush. Jon was still in and going well when we left around midnight, with 38 players left he had well over average chips. $6,000 for 1st and cashes to 9th, so hopefully he took it down (that cannot be a bok as it should have finished by now).
Myself & Martyn had to console ourselves in the bar, talking over the hands of the day and generally bitching about how poor the WSOP compared to other deeper stack events in LV. All the players know this in advance and still 4,000 odd stump up $1,500 to play, everyone wants one of those bracelets and that is the only place to get them. The first megastack event at Ceasar"s attracted 384 runners yesterday, which was a great turnout and I feel that we will be playing alot more of these events over the next 2 weeks.
Other random thoughts and things that went down in LV. I found a great chinese place that does the best special fried rice ever. Miller light is still very alcoholic (I thought the light bit refered to less alcohol but it actually about calories or something). Video Poker is not loving me on this trip (probably paying back the grand I won last year). Table minimums for the pu$$ycat casino are $25 a hand (you definitely pay for the pleasure). Money attracts beautiful ladies (that can be the only reason why old, fat guys have the most gorgeous creatures on their arm).
STOP PRESS - Jon has just phoned to say he chopped the $150 NLHE at Ceasar"s at 3.30am for around $2,600 ish. Top result and the first proper cash of the tour.
Plan today is breakfast at 10am then the 12noon megastack at Ceasar"s. Jon may not play as he is knackered, but myself & Martyn will be trying to go deep.
Thats about it till the next time;
NO BAD BEATS - Trust your read on a player, but DO NOT make stupid calls!!!
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