So I headed off to Vegas this last weekend and got back last night. It was another frustrating trip. I got to the Bellagio on Saturday night around 5:00pm and put my name on the $80/160 list. It had to be 50 people long, you have got to be kidding me right? The place was just jammed, all tables in use, except the other table in the private room. So I go play $30/60 while I wait. I do a whole lot of nothing in that game and make like $4 in two hours so I decide to go eat at Michael Minas with some other guys in town from Seattle. It was an awesome meal, highly recommend, French-seafood fusion style. I tipped the floorman some dough to call me if my name comes up and to lock up the seat. Well at dinner the phone never rings, and we get done at 10:30pm so I walk back over there to check to see where I am. HE blew through my name and did not call. GREAT?? He does the honorable thing and puts me in next which only took like 15 minutes. The game was super tight and full of good players. Where were all the bad players in town for the tournament? I went to Eric's blog at Threebet33 and he mentioned the same thing about the game. It was not good at all. I was frustrated all night and continue to just run like shit. I played until 5:00am and only made enough to pay the buy-in for the tournament the next day. It was 5 so I needed to get some sleep to play well later so off to bed with a small win, at least it was a small win.
So tournament on Sunday shows. No one that I knew at my table except for some guy that I played with in the $80 game. He is to my direct right. We started with $3000 in chips and a $25/50 blind structure and one hour rounds. Plenty of play in this one. Looking to play tight. I pick up KK's and just get the blinds about 1/2 way through the round. I play a few more stealing hands that go foul on the flop and am down to $2300 of my stack as we start the next round. Time to pick up some chips or get out. About 15 minutes into the round I pick up AQ clubs on the button. The guy to my right from the $80 game, who was playing the $80 game pretty loose and raising with lots of hands, raises to $400. He also had me covered. I figured I had the best hand here and had two options. #1 Raise all in and try to take the pot there, or #2 raise a good amount and if I get called or played with make a decision then. I choose #2 and made it $1200 to go. Now at this point I am pretty much pot committed if he comes over the top so after I did that I was thinking I should have just gone all in anyway and put the pressure on him. He did come over the top and I had to call. I was thinking ok here we go with a coin flip I need to win. He then shows me AJ with the A of diamonds. Cool I am a good favorite to get some chips. Well I would not be telling you this if I won. It comes three diamonds, the turn pairs the board, now he is down to 11 outs. BAM J on the river I am out. I really regret not going all in. He may have laid down right there, but if you would have told me I was going to get it all in AQ VS AJ I would have taken it anyway. At least I was out early and not 11 hours of play with no cash. So off to the $80 game I go.
I got in rather quickly after I ate some lunch and the game was a little better than Sat. night. I just ran like shit however and just got buried. I had to play the rest of the night just to get out. I managed to get close to out by 5:00am and was tired so I went to bed. My play was ok, not great, just ok. I don't know if the game was tougher so I felt different about my play or if I just truly did not have it this trip. O well these things happen in poker. I did get to see tons of players. There was a $200/400 game going right behind me and Liz Liu came in to play. Now I have never seen here in person and I was shocked at how small she was. Not only that but she played poker with almost no clothes on and she looks pretty good. Now that is a distraction. There was the usual list of everyone. You name it they were there. It looks like the Bellagio has not lost anyone to other rooms. They tried, but this place is the best in the world. Best place, best service, best action, best games spread. They still got it all. The only difference now is that it is on steroids. There are just thousands of people playing cards there. I was in disbelief at all the people. Where do all these people come from? Tons of young kids too playing $80 and higher, and they are good. Where does a 21 year old get a $20,000 bankroll to play $200/400 that night? I don't know if I want to know the answer to that question. O well off to bed.
I woke up with the intention of playing $80 all day and go home on the last flight out. I got down to the room at 10:30 am and got a seat in the $80 game. Pete from the Muck was in the game. Great I go all the way to Vegas to play with someone in my regular game. Well the run continues from the last two days only this time it is the perfect storm of bad cards. This is what I call getting lots of great cards that miss or make second best or get sucked out on. I had a run where I had KK vs. AA on a 10 high flop. AQ, VS AK where I flop a Q on a Q,J,9 flop, turn a 10 to make the guy a straight and river a third Q to force me to pay off the river bet. Then I have KK vs. Pete who had 10's. Flop all low cards, turn an A which scared me so I checked the turn, and river a 10, he bets I call he made his two outer. Cool. Take K,Q on the button in an unraised pot, Pete calls with K,J and flops a strait on a Q high board, the turn pairs the Q to make me bet again, which of course I get check raised, and pay off on the river when the board does not pair. Last hand I had QQ's on the button and Pete had raised from early position with AJ, I three bet and of course an A comes off right on the flop. At this time he bets right out and I just ask him if he has the A. He says yes and I fold my QQ's face up and quit. That was enough. It was not going to turn this trip and I was not going to invest anymore time or money. Some days just happen like that. You have to know when it does not feel right and take your loss and go home. Even if it means a two hour plane ride. I was disappointed and frustrated, and questioning why Vegas always does this to me. I love the place, and the games, but I have not run even average in the place in over two years. Granted I only went twice this year, but still can I catch a break?
Next poker trip will be LA in February for the Classic. I love that one too. I think I like that tournament better than the WSOP. Commerce is great and I seem to play better or run better in LA.
I will also stop posting exact amounts of money in this blog. I have received too many e-mails about the money. People it is not about the money, it is about winning bets. If you play $4/8 or $1000/2000 it is all relative. As you can tell however I had a losing trip. No a huge loss but a loss nonetheless. I will not play this week most likely and will get back to it next Tuesday. Talk to you soon and hope you are all winning. SJ
