Poker Forum > Live Poker
ThinkerJE takes a trip to Vegas
RioRodent:
That"s rough James... I remember how I felt last year after busting out of my first WSOP event, and that was afer only 3 hours! To have played all day and so close to the money is a sickener.
I was fortunate that I had a fairly healthy stack as the money approached, although unfortunate to have, at that point in time, the chip leader* on my right... he was just running over the table, as is absolutely right in the circumstances... he raised every pot and I, like most others at the table, folded like a little girl. :-)
I"m going to play the rush ;) re-invest $1000 and have a go in the Seniors Event today.
*John Kranyak, who is now on the FT
jacklevel06:
Finally found time to sit down and read your report"s from start to finsh.A great read it was.You didnt seem to do much wrong on the poker front ,but just went card dead at the wrong times.
APAT:
All credit to you James, for going out to Las Vegas and giving it a real go and above all else for giving a very honest appraisal of your time over there, without colouring it with horrendous beat stories and wild expectations. Enjoy your last few days.
ThinkerJE:
Still Sunday.
Chilling in the afternoon, taking in a few of the sights and trying to find some gifts or my Mom & sister. I hate shopping and gift shopping is even worse. Seemed to go through every gift shop in vegas and still didn"t find anything. I figure I work better under pressure and so have decided to leave it till the last minute, so I hope to find something at the airport.
Funny story I thought I would share. I was given $20 in free casino chips when I checked in. Now I don"t play table games but figured I would have some fun with the free chips at the $3 blackjack table. I took the last seat and had played for about 10 minutes when this gorgeous American lady approached and wanted to play. The dealer informed her that you had to be seated in order to play. I being the gentleman that I am offered my seat to her. She was miffed with the dealer and told me to stay seated. She then announced to the dealer that she was going to sit on my lap in order to play at the table, she would be seated afterall. Again being the gentleman that I am, I complied with her wishes and I had this very attractive lady perched on my knee for the next half hour. HOW GOOD IS VEGAS??? This sort of thing NEVER happens to me in Wolverhampton. It turned out that what she had in looks was definitely making up for the lack of brains. She came out with a couple of classics. There was a guy next to me from Denmark, she asked him where that was, he said scandinavia (sorry about the spelling), she says "Is that near Texas???". Another guy walked past with really bad sunburn, and she proceeded to tell the table about how dangerous it is and what factor sun cream he should use (he was way gone by now). I asked her if she was a Doctor, she replied "Well sort of, I do facials". She had the whole table in stitches but actually turned out to be rather annoying after about 30 minutes (and she had her own seat by now), so I left to play some cash poker.
I sat down at Circus Circus in the $1, $2 no limit game and it started off really slow. I was neither up or down when this new player joined the table. The dynamics changed instanly and the table got really loose and aggressive. No cheap flops now, and every pot was raised, if not re rasied pre flop. Now action is good, but you need to catch cards and hope they hold when you do. To summarise I sat there for about 6 hours and did about $200 over the session. I felt my play was good just could not hit a flop at the right time or find that monster to trap the manics with. I have put this down to my experience as I am still a novice when it comes to cash play. When I left I passed my favourite Video Poker machine on the way back to the room. Now Video Poker is the only thing I am up on on this trip, so I thought a cheeky $20 would do no harm. I managed to parlay this to $50 and cashed out and finally got some sleep about 4am.
NO BAD BEATS - GORGEOUS LADY ON MY LAP AND IT DIDN"T COST ME A DIME!!!
ThinkerJE:
Monday
Got up about 1pm after the exploits of the night before. Decided to check out the MGM Grand today, starting with the 6pm tournament then some cash play later on.
1,700 at first break (3,00 starting chips). Very few hands, down to 1,700 after trying to see flops and not connecting. Limped in middle position with 33, 6 callers, flop a set with 2 hearts. A bet and a rasie in front so I move all in, sure to get at least one caller, but both fold. Back up to 3,350 and did not want to see another heart. A few hands later I raise with 77 and the button calls (with a mountain of chips in front of him) then the BB moves all in. It is about halve my remaining stack to call, something I cannot do with the button behind, I pass. Button calls with K9 off vs A10 off of the BB. 7 on the flop and I am not happy. If the button had not called I would have called the BB, but with the chip mountain behind I could not call. It was the correct decision I am sure of that (regardless of whether I would have won the hand or not). It is frustrating as you need to get chips early in these tournanments before the blinds get cranked up and antes kick in. Playing well, need to get busy when we go back.
Out in 60th after about two and a half hours of play. Moved in a few time to steal blinds and give me time to find a monster. Only 2,200 left, blinds 400-800 with 100 ante, found an ace and moved in. 2 callers, A2 (me) vs AJ vs 56, flop 789, and its goodnight from me. Felt I played well yet again just could not get going. How many times in these reports have I said that I am short and need to get busy? Well alot and it makes me think I need to work on my early game and take some more calculated risks in order to build my stack and take the pressure off. This is a part of my game I definitely need to work on.
After departing the tournament, I jumped staright into a $1, $2 no limit cash game. Again I played tight early on to see what the table was like and where the action was. Then over the next 5 hours I proceeded to have my a$$ handed to me and taught a lesson in cash poker. There were some good players on the table and I was not happy with my play. I played way too passive, limping into pots and calling raises with much rasisng and aggressive betting. This was because of the cards partly but also the table was tough and multiple players were seeing the flop regulary. So raising only suceeded in juicing the pot, which I did not want to do without a premium hand (I only got 1 over the entire session, more to follow). I ended dropping $400 over the session with the majority of it (over $350) in the following 2 pots. The first one was bad play by me. There was a rasie in middle position and all fold to me in the SB. I decide to smooth call the AK off (I should raise in this spot, either to take it down there or get it heads up against the initial raiser). The BB calls and the flop is A 6 6 and I check, BB checks and the raiser bets. I re raise and the BB goes all in. Initial bettor gets out of the way and I go into the tank. Now I am getting 3 to 1 ish for the call, but the BB must have a 6 right. Looking back now it is an EASY fold, but I was stubborn and thought he may be making a move with a worse ace so I call and lose to 6 4 off. 2 mistakes in this hand 1) not re raising pre flop to get rid of 6 4 off & 2) not folding when he moves all in. This errors are costly in a cash game. The thing is I would fold like a shot in a tournament with all my chips on the line. My cash game need to improve alot or I need to stick to tournaments. The other hand that killed me was a few hours later. I had re loaded and played even tighter waiting for a big hand and hoping to get paid. I had $170 in front of me when there is a raise on the button. All fold to me in BB and I wake up with KK. I decide to trap and smooth call. The flop is 2 5 9 rainbow and I check. Button overbets the pot, I decide to move all in and get inst called with AA. No help and I have done $400. This collision was going to happen no matter how we played it, so I am not too disappointed, just in the fact you wait 5 hours for a big hand then someone has you dominated. It is now obvoius on the way back to my room that my cash game cannot live up to vegas standards, not at 1-2, and since that is the lowest level I have decided not to play anymore cash on this trip. I have a lot to learn about cash poker and need to play more online and put in the hours before venturing into a live game again.
I was very down at this point and sulking through the lobby at the MGM Grand. My mood was lifted for a brief moment when this stunning "lady" asked where I was going and if she could come with me. Then it clicked she was a "working girl" and I thanked her for the offer and declined. This was very surprising. I know that Vegas is more open to the oldest proffesion but to get approached in the lobby of the MGM Grand. This is a bit different to porn vendors in the street and guys giving out call girl business cards on the sidewalk.
I got the bus back to Circus Circus and had the graveyard special (bit like an english fry up) in the 24 hour cafe. Again great value for $4, eating in vegas is so cheap and the portions are massive. I finally got to sleep about 4am, these early morning are becoming a habit, could be tricky come Friday for the flight home.
NO BAD BEATS - VERY VERY BAD CASH GAME PLAY THOUGH
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