Uneventful Spectacle

Wow what a spectacle this Year WSOP is. I only went down for 24hrs, but the Rio room is way better then the old Binion's spot. Big room, lots of light, great tournament room. Only complaint is that there are not enough bathrooms to handle the crowd during a break, and that the room is a mile from the front door.

I got down on Monday night and went over to register for the event. That days tournament was still going on and Aaron was still in it so I hung around and watched the $5,000 buy-in limit event. I really wanted to play that one as I am a much better limit player than no-limit but I did not get down in time to start. Aaron was sitting a a table with John Juanda, Barry Shulman, and Amir Vahedi. Pretty fun listening to the table banter as Aaron, Barry, and Amir can talk a lot of shit at the table. Aaron made it pretty deep into the tournament but just as with all the other tournaments this year he could just not get over the hump. I figured I would take one shot at a one table satellite to get into the Tuesday event so I bought into a $225 one table tournament. I was doing well and was chip leader with 4 to go and then went card dead. Tried to steal with K,J suited and got called all in by a short stack with A,10 and lost about half my stack. The I was getting blinded out and had go all in with A,9 and got called by 3,4 off in the BB. Of course a 4 came and I was out third. So I just paid the $2,000 and went to the Bellagio to get some dinner and play some cards. Put my name on the $80/160 list and went to Fix for some dinner with my friend Joe. Great food. Came out and started to play around 10:30pm. As has been happening for the last two months I just can not seem to get my share of good starting hands. I would like to have a few hands that play themselves rather than have to really work at winning with garbage. I do not remember the last time I saw KK's or AA's. I think I have seen AA's one time in the last 3 weeks of playing. That is just way outside a normal statistical distribution of how often you should see them. I bet I have played over 1,500 hands in the last few weeks and only seen them once, and have not held KK's once. I have had 2,7 about 200 of those times(just kidding, but it feels like it). I managed to struggle along and make up hands as I went and squeezed out a small $736 profit. To much work these days to make any money. I guess it beats the alternative of getting great starting hands and having them cracked over and over. Went to bed at 4:30am to get some sleep for the tourn.

Showed up to the Rio at about 11:15am and what a crowd. Massive amounts of people. I think the ultimate number in the tournament was 1072. There was also the second day of the $5000 limit event going on, as well as they started the final table of the $5000 w/ rebuys Pot Limit event. Needless to say the room was buzzing. I took my seat and to my right I had Eskimo Clark. Only name I played with, and only for about 45 minutes. They broke my table quick and off to a new one with no names at it. I was there for only 30 minutes and moved again. No one there either. I saw lots of them, but only played with one. I also never managed to see any cards. Started with $2000 in chips and never had it above $2300. No cards, no great match ups, nothing. Completely uneventful tournament. I stole a few blinds, but not enough to make a difference. I played one key pot with KJ clubs in late position. Three of us in the pot, flop came all low cards. Check, Check, I bet and got called in both spots. Turn was a second club, first position bet, call, I called the $300 into a $1500 pot. River blanked out for me. First guy bet $800, second guy raised, of course I mucked. They both turned straights, and one had the higher straight with lower clubs. I would have won a huge pot had the river been a club but alas it did not happen. I was called by A,5 spades, and 5,7 of clubs. That short stacked me for the rest of the day and I did not see a big hand the rest of the day. I managed to make it through about half the field, and to the third level of play. I finally picked up pocket 10's in middle position with only $900 in chips left playing 50/100 blinds. Right in front on me there was a raise, I moved in, and behind me someone else moved in. The first guy mucked, I turn over my hand to see he has pocket AA's. Flop A,8,8. DEAD. Of course a 10 has to come off on the river to taunt me. Full house over full house and out. Bummer I was hoping for much more fun. I went over to watch Aaron bust out about 30 minutes after me and we shared a cab back to the Bellagio with Vinnie Vihn from Texas. Cool guy, wired but cool.

I was planning on playing some more $80/160 to see if I could win the rest of my buy-in but there were two tables and they were not moving seats. I sat down and watched Aaron play $300/600 stud. He was winning and I got to talk to John D'Agustino while I waited. My seat finally came up about 3.5 hours later but it was too late to play before my plane so I just finished watching Aaron play a new game heads up. He started a Limit Holdem(300/600), Pot limit Holdem(100/200 blinds) and a Pot limit Omaha(100/200 blinds). What a great mix. My favorite games as well, but way outside the bankroll that I had brought with me, plus I had to go anyway.

In the end it was a very fun 24hrs, but not very profitable or eventful poker. I wish I was going down again but I doubt I will make it back. Good luck to all in the main event and I hope Aaron cashes in something. Total for trip a net loss of -$1,489. SJ

Vegas Baby

I am biting the bullet and heading to Vegas tonight to play in tomorrow event. I am only going for 24hrs, but if I make the final table I guess I will have to stay. It did not think I was going to get a chance to go, but on Friday I said "WTF" and booked for Monday night. Wish me luck in the $2,000 NLE on Tuesday.

I did go and play at the Muck on Friday as well. I jumped into an uneventful table for a Friday night in the $30/60 game. Played solid, held some cards, and won $1,112 in about three hours. The table did not have any drunk gamblers, just some weak tight players that you could bluff, and would call with weak hands. I guess it was a good game, just not as much fun as a fired up Friday night game. I am sure they were having more fun at Parkers, but I guess I pumped up my bankroll a bit for tonight. I will play $80/160 or higher tonight for a bit and see if I can at least win my buy-in for tomorrow. Will update the trip on Thursday(weds if out early). Talk to you soon. SJ

Won in Spite of Myself

I went to the Muck last night on my regular Tuesday trip. Went early to play a nice long session and what happens is that the game is full and I can not get a seat. I have to wait around for two hours just to get a 10/20 seat and then the 30/60 seat opens right after that at 4:00pm. I take my seat in a full game and start off playing well. Usual line up of donkey players mixed in with some good ones. I proceed to actually pick on one of the good players on tilt and eat up about $700 of his chips because he insists on paying me off with the worst hand. I lose my usual suck out hands to the donkey players, but manage to keep my head well above water for three hours. I am up about $900 and then the game starts to break as we lose some players to the tournament that I just don't play in much anymore because the structure sucks so bad. We get down to 4 handed, and I proceed to just get my eyeballs sucked out by the only bad player left at the table who just keeps chasing me all the way with the worst hand and manages to make the hand on the river. Exhibit #1) I have AQ on the button, he is in SB with 8,10 off. I raise, he calls $45 cold with his hand. Flop Q,7,9, rainbow. He checks, I bet, he raises, I three bet, he calls. Turn, 10, check bet call. River 10, he bets out I just call as I had I a feeling he just sucked out. Sure enough running 10's got there. More than one way to make an open ender. That happened with two pair, called down with 4th pair when I had A high. I proceeded to dump over $1000 into that guys stack. Then the worst part is he quits and I can't even try to get my money back.

The game then stays three handed for about 30 minutes and I get some of my money back. A few more players show up and we are now 6 handed again. I proceed to play well enough to get back up over $1200, and then they change the game to $20/40 because they wanted to fill the game and the other players would not play $30. At that point it fills with a few donkey players, and one good one who I had not played with before. He ran great and I started to play like an idiot. Horrible blind play, calling with weak hands out of position. Limping with weak hands like K,Q off and partially hitting flops and then not being able to get away from them when I know I was beat. The worst is calling a player that never bluffs when you know you can only beat a bluff. Fricking stupid. I manage to pull my head out after about a 45 minutes of that play with my stack decimated back to only up $300. I play some more, but now I am card dead and can't catch any hands, draws, or otherwise make a hand. I have not been seeing any big hands for the last two weeks. I think I have had QQ's once. I have just had to make shit up. It worked for a little but I only managed to get back up to around $500 up. I quit at 1:30am up $483, and booked what should have been a loss as a win. I should have made so much more money. I just played one of the worst sessions in a month but still managed to eke out a win in spite of myself. I guess I should take solace in that.

Aaron skipped today's tournament as he is playing $1000/$2000 mixed games at the Bellagio. Sounds like he is doing well, hope he books a big win. talk to you soon. SJ

Quick Post

I went out to play again on Friday night out at Parkers. I just wanted to play a little and for fun. Good game on Friday night as usual lots of gambling and drinking in the game. Got stuck then got out winner for $181 in three hours in the 8/16 game.

Have not heard from Aaron so no clue what he is doing right now down in Vegas. Usually when I do not hear from him it is not a good sign. Good luck. SJ

Big Loss/Small Win

I played a few times this week. I went on my usual Tuesday trek down to the Muck. I got there after the tournament started so I just took an open seat in the $30/60 game. It started out as one of those days and never ended. I could not hit the first couple of hands I played when I was the favorite going in, and then I went card dead. Stuck already $600 from the two pots and the blinds, as we were 5 handed and the blinds were coming fast. There were two calling stations that you could not bluff, and two good players. Of course I could not pick up a hand. I folded for almost an hour straight as an endless string of 8/3, 2/7, 10/5, etc kept coming my way. It has been so long since I have seen AA's I forgot what they looked like. Then I would pick up a 9/10s and raise. You would think that because I was playing no hands I would get a little respect. Nope, call, miss, muck. I just kept sinking. Then I picked up a few hands, and the board would come perfect for me and I would get outdrawn. Those days happen. Last hand of the night we were still short and I had pocket 44's on the button. I called a middle position raise and we took the pot off two handed. Flop came A,10,4 rainbow. He bet I raised, he called. Turn K, he checked I bet he called. River J, he bet right out. I said "this is just a fitting way to end the night with a stupid beat" and called. He showed me not what I expected to see. I figured he had an A with a Q and made the straight. He showed me pocket JJ's. What a fucking ridiculous call. I raise on the flop and he still comes, then a K for two over cards comes and he still calls. He had to figure he had at most 6 outs on the turn but most likely two or maybe even dead to half the pot. What a stupid call, wow, I lost the pot and quit. Sometimes you just can't overcome the fish and they get you. Total loss for the night was -$2,272. Pretty big loss. Should have just stayed on line and played the $30 game there. I was up $1000, but wanted to go play live. Mistake. O well.

I then went out the next night to Parkers because someone wanted to go see a live card room. I took him to the $8/16 game which was the biggest game he has ever played in. I have not played that low in a while so I concentrated on playing well and not looking at the money. Hell its only $16 to me with 6/4 clubs, I call. The game was all fired up, I forgot how much fun a drunk, gambling, action game was. The $30 game plays too serious. You never get the mutiway capped pots with crap in that game. Probably a good thing, but just not as fun. I lost of few big hands, then made some great reads and won some big pots. My friend lost his $200 in about and hour and 1/2 and quit. I played for another 20 minutes and then quit with him. He just played too passively for that game and got chewed up. It is funny to see guys play live for the first time and see their reactions. They play scared, see ghosts of hands that could beat them, and then get beat by the guy who plays aggressively and gets there. Funny game. I won a whoppin $120 in two hours and took solace in that I could still win at that game even though I lost a ton the night before.

Aaron has done absolutely nothing at the WSOP, no cashes in any tournaments, and it sounds like the side games have gone nowhere as well. No money made, not much lost, but none made. Too bad. I guess he still has a few weeks to go. Get there dude. Talk to you soon SJ

Finally Poker

I finally got to play some live cards last night. I have been taking time off because my Father in Law was in the Hospital and I have had to tend to family stuff. He passed away a few days ago, and things cooled off at the home front so I got to get out last night. I went down to the Muck to play a little $30/60. I could not get right into the game so I played $10/20 for a bit, then played in a must move $30/60 game for about 45 mins before it broke. I was up a total of $80 after all that. I waited around for about 30 minutes and then finally got a seat in the main 30/60 game. The game was full of tight solid players. Not conducive to making a lot of money. I had the two best players at the table(besides me of course) to my left and right, I was in the sandwich. Not a good spot. There were only two people at the table that were gambling slightly, not a ton, just enough to make the game worth sitting at for now. So I sat and played a real solid game, not getting out of line at all, and basically broke even for 4 hours. Then a couple of guys left the game and were replaced by some really bad players. Perfect. Then a third left and was replaced by another bad player. Even better. Now lets make some money.

The Game opened up nicely. I started to splash around a bit more, and pick on some of the weaker players. Then one of the solid tight players took two bad beats back to back with AA, and AK, where one of the donkey players played some stupid cards and won. He went on tilt and then quit. One less. The other solid player then decided to change seats. He was on my direct left, and moved away from me. Ding! I now was free to roam around. I continued to play an aggressive solid game, mixing in a few wacky hands, and started to build a stack. I will just give you one perfect pot that made my night. I was in the BB with pocket 10's, one limper from middle position, then the SB called. I raised it as there were only 3 people in this pot, and one was the SB and the other a weak player for a limp. The Flop came Q,10,3, two spades. I bet, got raised, the SB called, and I just called. The turn was a beautiful 3 of spades. Making my full house, and bringing the flush. I checked again, the raiser bet, the SB raised, now I come out and three bet. The original better folded but I got called down by the SB on both the raise and a river bet. Nice $900 pot. I was now up $1300, and the game started to get short. I usually love the short game, but today was not to be my short day. I went card dead 6 handed. The blinds were coming fast and I could not find anything to play. I then made a K high flush only to get rivered by the 4th flush card and the guy had the A for a big pot. Well that was enough for me, I was not going to blow back all the money I had spent the last 8 hours working for. I cashed out and took my measly $660 profit home. Not a huge hourly rate at only $82.50 per hour or less than 1.5 BB per hour, but a win is a win.

It just felt good to get out and play some cards for a change. I missed it, and I am really bummed I am not at the WSOP. There is now a chance that I can get down there next weekend for the Sat. tournament. We will see. On a side note Aaron has still done nothing in the tournaments. He has run deep in a few but still not made any money. I think he is doing ok in the cash games, but I have not got the update today. He was playing $800/$1600 mixed games yesterday and that game can swing $200,000 so it will either put him way up for the trip or even to down. Hope it is way up. Talk to you soon...SJ

No Poker for You

I got strep last weekend and then my father in law went into the hospital with cancer and has been there ever since. I think we are down to only a few days or maybe even weeks to go, which sucks. I have been home taking care of the wife and kids, and playing zero poker. A little on-line but nothing to write home about. I see that everyone is in Vegas. I which I were there. I was supposed to get there next week, but that has very little chance of happening now with all the fun I am having at home. O well. I guess there is next year for the WSOP. Hope everyone is having fun, and I will try to play live sometime in the near future, maybe this weekend.

Aaron is down at the WSOP, nothing to date on a cash. Played in some of the side games and seems to be up around $150,000. Good for him. I hope he has a great month. Talk to you soon. JS