Almost doubled with Jacks, then jammed with AT and was called by one guy with jacks, and another with queens.
Up to over 300k at 6k/12k/1500 - 140 people left, avg stack is 180k
(here's me stacking 'em up... weee!)
Monday, June 30, 2014
Hand for hand
We're hand for hand, meaning next bust out and we are in the money. (Actually 2 need to bust...)
So looks like I have another ITM, even if it's a small one right now... ($375 for 189th)...
I have 70k, avg is 137k. (Though i am in the BB for 8k)
($50k up top... So let's run it up!)
So looks like I have another ITM, even if it's a small one right now... ($375 for 189th)...
I have 70k, avg is 137k. (Though i am in the BB for 8k)
($50k up top... So let's run it up!)
Just lost a good one
55 under the gun, I raised to 15k. One guy raised to 45, I called. We ended up checking down a king high board. He had JJ.
Down to 74k with 240 players left. 189 get paid.
Considering folding into the money then jamming wildly - I'm a tad bit tired...
Down to 74k with 240 players left. 189 get paid.
Considering folding into the money then jamming wildly - I'm a tad bit tired...
135k at the break.
Last hand before the break I called a minraise in the BB with J4. Flop comes JJ4.
Didn't get much for it, but I'm up to 134k...
Busted the douchebag!
The guy who won against my AK earlier just lost to my - tee hee - AK. Felt good to bust him... :)
Sitting on 140k right now. 400 left.
Lost a good one
Early position shorty jams, a guy I have covered calls. I have AKo, and re-jam.
Middle guy folds, I lose to runner runner straight. (he had 79 or something silly).
Immediately afterwards the guy who won jumped up and said to his buddy that he just won because "some guy made the most bone headed play ever!"
Love it...
A few hands later I won a small one with 44, then a few more hands later I caught a set on the flop to bust a guy with KK.
Sitting on 124k, blinds are 1500/3000/400 with 450 runners left.
Spite called him
A few of us called his BB. He jammed, I called with K9s. He had AQ, I hit a 9 on the flop.
Up to 72k.
550 left, blinds are 1k/2k/300.
Moved to a new table - got a gum snapper
He's pretty short - I might end up spite calling him just to get rid of him...
Busted a shorty
Sitting on 39k at the break, blinds going up to 800/1600/200.
Since having kids, I've been playing a lot more turbos online - it's been really good training for this one. Recognizing spots where there's only a push / fold is essential here, and it's clearly the weakness of most of the field.
Fun tourney...
34k
Doubled through with sixes, then chopped with somebody with AK vs AK to split the blinds / antes and one raise.
Blinds are climbing quickly...
11.5 k at the break
Started with 15k. Blinds are already 200/400/50.
1650 runners, it's going to be a crap shoot!
Fall off the horse, jump back on...
Playing the Rio $235 daily crapshoot. Let's run it up, or go sweat Thayer at the Final Table of the Monster Stack...
Rio deep stacks
going to hop into the $235 at the Rio. It's a crapshoot, but it's also got anywhere from 25 - 40k up top.
(not very often you can run 250 to 40k in a day. Let's have some fun...)
Tens are what killed me last time too!
Just realized that my bustout hand in 2010 was TT<AA...
Tens = fold pre, I guess...
And out.
Next hand, I have less than 40k, I jam with KQ suited. Big stack called with AQo, ace on the flop.
GG me.
Crap.
Down to 38k
TT lost to JQ, first hand. All in pre.i hit a set, he went runner runner for a straight.
What to expect today
I'm relatively short in comparison to the blinds (and the rest of the field). So my prediction is that I will either double up fairly early and make a good run, or I'll be out fairly quickly.
Last trip I finished 7th in this same tourney, so I've done the "let's cash, wee!" thing before. I'm playing for 1st...
My game plan is to:
A) play pretty tight until two people bust (there's a $500 pay jump there)
B) find a good spot to shove and hopefully get a double.
We start with blinds at 8k, so I'm on 15 bbs. Not much room for a raise-fold there, so I'm in push-fold mode...
T-off in 30 mins. I'm pretty pumped...
ITM and on to Day 2
My phone died, so I stopped sending updates, but I chipped up to a high point of about 230k while the money bubble broke.
After that, I had a series of tough hands (including doubling a shorty when my K8 lost to her 98), so I ended up bagging 123k for the night.
Average stack is 209k with 24 people left.
I've locked up $1,400, but 22nd place pays $1,800.
Still got my eyes on the $40k up top...
200k at the break
Last hand before the break, I'm in the BB (4000). The UTG player raises to 9k, it folds to me with Q9hh. (everybody's rushing out for the break).
I call. Flop has two hearts. I bet, he calls. Turn is another heart. Check, he bets, I call.
River is a blank. I bet 25k, he calls with AA. I'm at 200k
Sunday, June 29, 2014
Doubled to 180k
AJ>77, all in preflop in a blind vs blind showdown. (I was SB).
41 players left, 36 get paid. Avg stack is 121k
Down to 100k
Flopped the nut flush draw, turned bottom pair, but my opponent hit his pair of tens on the river for a good pot. Down to 100k.
46 left.
Another good pot
Hit Broadway on the river with KJ on an AAQTx board. I fired 20k, opponent tank folded. Was a little worried about a boat...
Sitting at 155k now.
52 people left, we're going into 1500/3000/500 now (level 14)
Almost doubled... but he didn't call
Saw a flop with the big stack to my left with A8. Flopped an ace. Bet, call. Turn is an 8. I bet, he called. River was a blank, I ended up pushing. He tanked for about 3 mins before folding, said he had A9.
I'm on about 140k now.
Rivered a set of 7s
An older guy let me see a free turn and river when I called a bet with 77.
He called my river bet for a decent pot.
Next hand I raised AQ to 5500, was called by one guy, then a pretty active guy raised it to 15k.
I may have called (or pushed), but the guy in between us was really good, so I got away from it.
Sitting on about 100k
85k at the break...
Approx 60 runners left, I have an average stack. I would enjoy getting a big hand (and not making a mockery of it)
Won the minimum :(
In the SB, a guy in early position raised to 5k, five callers, including me and the SB. I have tens.
Flop comes with a ten, I bet 12k, folds around.
The board was completely disconnected - I absolutely should have checked. Extracted no value from that monster. :(
Two hands later I lose all of those chips when my 55 does not connect.
I'm on about 85k right now, which is about average with 61 left.
Huge stack to my left now
A monster stack (150k+) is now directly to my left. Seems like a good player too...
Doubled through!
Flopped a set of 2s against AK (A on the flop). Doubled through, sitting on 100k now.
Busted a shorty
Sitting on 45k right now. The all-ins are coming pretty fast and furious now that the blinds have climbed so high.
Avg stack is about 60k right now - 88 players remain.
Doubled through - 43,600 at the dinner break
Flopped an open ended straight draw in a raised pot. He raised, I jammed, he called with JJ.
Hit the straight on the turn, doubled through.
Blinds are going up to 600/1200/200 after dinner. About 100 people left, top 36 are paid.
Up to 26k
Re-raised all in with good aces a few times to take down some smallish pots - up to 26k again.
4 way all in
KK, QQ, JJ and 99, all in preflop.
Only one elimination though.
KK is a happy guy, though.
Roller coaster
Doubled a shorty to drop to 8k, then doubled up with TT. Sitting on 19k - less than 20 big blinds.
The hand where I doubled the shorty had me call his jam with JdTd - he had 22 and I lost the race.
Crap - down to 18k
I completely miscounted an opponents hand, jammed with middle pair and a flush draw on the flop.
He had top pair and I didn't get there.
I misread his stack (thought he had about 15k behind, he had 25).
So I'm down to 18k...
Pretty much push-fold mode right now. :(
51k at the break
Getting decent hands, and they're holding up. Just won a good one on the last hand before the break with AK on an ace high flop.
Up to 51k, blinds will be 300 / 600 / 75 when we get back.
Good level...
Sitting on about 40k right now - lots of decent spots / pots.
Avg stack is about 25k... next break is in 15 mins.
(looks like 36 spots pay, with 40k up top...)
Busted a short stack
Called an all in raise to 6k with sixes, he has AA.
6 is the door, I'm up to 25k
Two hands later I have queens, win a smallish pot - up to just under 28k
Ups and downs
I'm at a very (very) active table. Every pot is raised (by a lot).
I've been up to 25k, but am currently sitting on 18.5k after losing a blind vs blind battle when I flopped a flush draw that didn't get there.
James Woods
James Woods just hopped into my tourney. Not at my table...
Much shorter in real life. :)
Kings good early
I have kings in middle position. Raise it up, called by four people including the blinds.
Flop comes all small, checks to me and I bet.
Folds to the big blind, who calls.
Turn is a jack, check check.
River pairs the board, older man in the BB bets 1500, I call (he could have a set or trips, and we're plenty deep. Figure raising will only get a call if I'm beat). My kings are good.
Up to just under 20k
The "experts"
Humorous anecdote from yesterday's tournament - the first person to bust from our table was a young guy who spent his whole time at the table telling anybody who would listen about his poker exploits.
He was telling us that despite his lack of cards, he's been able to make a number of day-two's, he had a comment on various hands strategy-wise, and corrected the dealer (incorrectly) a number of times.
Pro tip - if you want to establish an image of a competent player:
1) let your play speak for you, and
2) make sure that your first words to the dealer are not "where's seat number six?"
Saturday, June 28, 2014
Busto - won one bounty
JJ lost to flopped trips to bust in about 30th (60 runners total).
Won a bounty, so that's something...
Might play this one again, if I bust another one early...
Relaxing at Harrah's
Let's play a "turn your brain off and have fun" tourney... small bounty turbo at Harrah's - $100 buyin, $25 bounties.
(not in the package, folks...)
It's a strange community, this poker community.
About seven years ago (almost 8) I became friendly with a poker player through an online poker forum. Discussing strategy, participating in contests / last longer bets and buying pieces of each other in various tournaments evolved into a true friendship - he's watched my children grow from afar, I encouraged him when he was smitten with a Canadian girl he went to school with, etc.
Finally got a chance to meet him in person tonight - good to know that it wasn't some elaborate online hoax and, Nate's a real person! Kim was beginning to wonder...
Oh, he also believes that my bustout hand was either fine, or a very small mistake, not a colossal f-up. And he know more about poker than me, by a long shot. So I'll go with that...
Some details / thoughts
Some details on the hand:
I have AJ in early position, I raise and the Italian pro next to me re-raises (he's been quite aggressive - he doubled early with KQ when he pushed pre). I call
flop comes jack high. I bet (600, I believe), he calls.
Turn is a blank. I bet 750, he raises to 2500. I have about 4k left. I figure his range includes a lot of small jacks and under pairs, and figure jamming is better than calling, leaving myself 1500 that would be going in on the turn. He insta calls showing kings, and my ace (or jack) didn't get there.
Folding was definitely an option - would have had 4000 at 100/200, so obviously in hindsight I wish I did so. But I can't decide if the jam was a mistake or not...
So overall, unfortunately, this means that I'm down lifetime at the wsop... Still up for vegas tourneys thanks to the venetian final table last trip...
So the remaining tourneys will be smaller - venetian and wsop deep stack events, and maybe a Planet Hollywood tourney. Need a "trip saver".
Busto :(
AJ lost to KK on a board of 6JTx - he money went in on the turn.
Not sure if I simply overplayed top pair, or he got lucky, or both.
Was a lot of fun, but busting so early sucks. (standard in these tourneys - either bust early or go deep . Unfortunately I ended up in the former category, not the latter.)
Stacking a small pot
Up to 6250 at the end of level 3. Blinds are going up to 75/150.
This was me stacking my chips as I won a small pot with QQ (MP bet to 250, one person called, I raised to 600, they folded.)
Up to 5k
Had KTdd in late position. Early position raiser (who lost 80% of his stack in prior hand) raised to 250, I called.
Flop came low with two diamonds. Check check.
Turn is a black queen. Check check.
River is a blank, he checks, I bet 600, he folds.
Nothing special about the hand, other than I'm over starting stack now.
Need to bet a bit more if you're going to bluff
I've got A8 on a JAJ85 rainbow board - pot is roughly 2k. I check, villain bets 550. My hand is good.
Back to starting stack at the first break.
Doubled up - 3600 now
Called a small raise with AJ from active player (I'm in late position).
Flop comes 7J7.
Check check.
Turn another jack, filling me up.
I bet 500, he thinks then calls.
River's a blank. I shove and he calls showing KK.
Friday, June 27, 2014
Another shot at glory
I didn't come here to play micro stakes, I can do that online...
Tomorrow at noon, let's do this...
No poker today...
The Rio deep stacks were cancelled due to the number of Monster Stack players, and I decided not to play the PH tourney today.
Doing something I've not done on prior trips - leaving the strip and doing some sightseeing...
Back in action tomorrow, still undecided on what I'm playing. Tempted to jump into the WSOP 1500 that starts tomorrow, give myself one more chance at glory.
Might pussy out and just play the PH and Venetian tourneys for the rest of the trip. I'll decide tomorrow...
Thursday, June 26, 2014
Looking back...
I think I made one mistake today - the KJ hand - otherwise I played well considering what I was dealt. I figure I went for almost four levels without a decent hand, and with only a few spots for me to steal.
I definitely had a tougher table than what I expected - there was very little by way of calling, everybody at the table was raising. Was definitely a different experience than my last trip.
So now I need to figure out what's next - either another WSOP event or just stick with the Venetian deep stacks...
Busto in level 8
I jammed with A2 on a KQT (two diamonds) flop against an older guy who was playing super tight. He thought for about a minute then called with bottom pair and a flush draw. His flush got there, my straight didn't.
7500 at the start of level 8
Blinds are 200/400/50 so I'm under 20 bigs... need something to start happening...
Down to 7200
Blinds and antes are just chipping me down...
Haven't had a playable hand in hours, and the few decent spots (QT folded to me on the button, for example) have not ended well for me.
11k at 3rd break
Down to 11k after one ugly hand (pretty much the only one I played.
We play 9 levels today, so hopefully I can run this up a bit and make day 2...
Down to 11k
KJ lost to a set of 8's.
Probably should have let it go, but I've seen this guy fold on the river after check calling all the way to get there.
Still have 11k, at 100/200/25. Any other tourney, 55 big blinds would seem like a (ahem) monster stack...
20k at the 2nd break.
Chopped a pot with AJS, then won a good one with AA. Up to 20k at the break - blinds are going to 150 / 75 / 25..m
Ups and Downs
Re-raised to 1200 in early position with AKo, called a re-raise to 3k.
Flop came all blanks, I checked and folded to a 4k bet.
A few hands later Phil colins takes me to valuetown with my small flush lost to his bigger flush for a good pot.
Then next hand, I win a good one with Aces (weee!)
Sitting on 15,825 right now.
Won a small one with "squadoosh"
6c4c on the button, folded to me. Raise to 250 (blinds are 50/100). SB folds, BB calls.
Flop comes Ah8h and a blank. BB checks, I bet, he calls. 8h on the turn, check check. A fourth hear on the river, BlackBerry checks, I bet 1200, he folds. Above starting stack again.
14,800 at the first break.
Some hands:
Eastgate's twin bets (as usual) to 150, I call with Ah4h on the button. Flop comes AK9, all black.
Eastgate bets, I raise, he calls. Turn is another K. Eastgate checks, I bet, he folds.
Next hand I lose 400 with 77, sitting on 14,600.
Nothing much after that - ended the level at 14,800
Peter Eastgate's twin
It's not Eastgate, I know that, but it's making me a little crazy... if anybody's here and swings by table 300 (seat 4), let me know who this guy is...
14k at the end of level 1
Some hands from level 1:
AhQh in a multi way pot, folded to three clubs on the flop (lost 325 on the hand, 14,625 stack.
Ah9h, raise to 75 in middle position. Three callers. Flop comes K9T (no hearts), folds to me. Bet 250, one caller. Turn is a blank, fold to a 600 raise.
Next hand I have kings, win a pretty small pot. 14,400
14,325 at the end of level 1. Blinds are 25/50 now.
Slow going
Blinds are 25 / 25, so with 15k stacks things are super tight. I chipped up a little bit then just lost a hand to Peter Eastgate's twin brother with kings - folded when an ace hit the flop.
Still at 15k.
Busto from turbo mega sat
Played really well, so I'm pumped for the $1500. They have now added a THIRD starting time (8:20 pm). This is going to be a gong show...
Hands of interest in the mega - we start with 3k and ten minute levels, with blinds and antes climbing really quickly...
AA > 77 to double up to just over 5k: new player at the table, she raised in early position to 600 (blinds are 150/300, iirc). I raised to 1200, she calls. K65 rainbow flop, she bet, i pushed, she thought for 30 seconds or so then called. I'm up to 5500 or so.
Win a few small hands once the antes hit, lost a few small pots, end up just under 5k when I look down at queens. I raise to 1k (blinds are 200/400/50), and a player who lost with aces the previous hand jams. Folds to me, I call and lose to his kings.
Sigh... I'm down to 475 chips (blinds are now 300/600/75), leaving me 400 after posting. Look at one card - a ten - and push my 400 in. Everybody calls until the button, who jams, causing everybody else to fold. He has K7, so I have two live cards and pair up on the flop, ending up with 2675 in the BB.
With 2k left in the big blind, there's one caller (active player) so I shove with KQo and lose to A4.
I've played enough turbos online to know that my line was fine, so off to the next one...
Hands of interest in the mega - we start with 3k and ten minute levels, with blinds and antes climbing really quickly...
AA > 77 to double up to just over 5k: new player at the table, she raised in early position to 600 (blinds are 150/300, iirc). I raised to 1200, she calls. K65 rainbow flop, she bet, i pushed, she thought for 30 seconds or so then called. I'm up to 5500 or so.
Win a few small hands once the antes hit, lost a few small pots, end up just under 5k when I look down at queens. I raise to 1k (blinds are 200/400/50), and a player who lost with aces the previous hand jams. Folds to me, I call and lose to his kings.
Sigh... I'm down to 475 chips (blinds are now 300/600/75), leaving me 400 after posting. Look at one card - a ten - and push my 400 in. Everybody calls until the button, who jams, causing everybody else to fold. He has K7, so I have two live cards and pair up on the flop, ending up with 2675 in the BB.
With 2k left in the big blind, there's one caller (active player) so I shove with KQo and lose to A4.
I've played enough turbos online to know that my line was fine, so off to the next one...
Better start
3k starting stacks, sitting on 4200 at the first break. (AA >77 to win a nice pot).
Feeling better about my game today...
Let's try that mega again
Up early, because I'm a boring human being and was asleep before 11, even though I'm in Vegas.
So I headed over to the Rio to try that turbo mega sat again. If I go deep I'll pull a Phil Hellmuth and show up late for the monster stack event.
An aside - for those of you that wonder why I hate Vegas (other than poker playing), this picture is what they brought me for breakfast. The description was "a biscuit benedict - with hand flattened pork tenderloin and a scrambled egg (with crispy potato and bbq cream sauce)".
I make shnitzel out of pork tenderloin all the time - usually it's about the size of a saucer. Not a serving dish. Scraping off the "gravy", it became edible, but I ate - maybe - a quarter of it. What a waste.
Pretty much the underlying theme of this city, in my opinion. Waste for the sake of waste. :(
Alas, if you want to play the best poker there is, you do what you need to do.
(an aside, Shaun and I drove out to see the Hoover Dam yesterday evening, and on the way back we found a small mom & pop run Mexican joint for dinner. Best Gorditos I've ever had - delicious.)
Wan Mirrion for First
The Monster Stack event has added TWO additional flights (I'm still playing at noon, fortunately), and is expected to pay >$1M for first.
Sweat Jesus that's a big tourney.
Wednesday, June 25, 2014
Busto
Got it in with trip aces (ended up with a boat) against a better boat for the high, and he hit a five on the river to counterfeit my low and get him the scoop.
Objectively speaking, I did not play this tourney very well - I made some clear mistakes that I shouldn't have made. Part of it is the fact that I'm pretty tired, but not being familiar with the actual game (or the Pot Limit structure) contributed.
It's a game I've never played - both getting 5 cards (rather than 4) and I've never played a pot limit game before live. Unlike NL tourneys, calling seems to be correct more often, which really put me off my usual game.
But it was fun, and a relatively cheap learning experience.
The tourney structure was pretty good - particularly for the price. I'm definitely thinking of the stud 8 tourney this weekend, rather than playing the venetian ironman.
Getting chipped away...
Getting some great starting hands, but whiffing every flop. Down to 14k (at 200 / 400)
Late reg is actually open until the end of this level (level 6), so no prize pool info yet.
1st break - Big Omaha 8
Have just under starting stack in the big O tourney. Ran it up to 27k, but lost a big pot when my boat lost to quads, then had to fold another big one when a 2 on the river counterfeited my nut low...
Registration is open until the end of this break, hope to have payout numbers soon.
Big O8 starting
Didn't realize it's "big O" - means there are 5 hole cards, rather than 4. Same rules otherwise, let's go go go...
That was quick
Made it to level 2 in the turbo, but busted with JJ to a straight (all in on the turn).
Tourney Receipt
Not sure if emailing an attachment like this will post on the blog. (read: this is a test).
Back at the Rio
Worried about the long lines for registration for the Monster Stack event, and still on Eastern time, I came to the Rio a little early to register. Three minutes later I'm:
- registered for the $1500
- registered for the $75 mega satellite that starts at 9:00 (not part of the package, investors...)
- in possession of a brand new Total Rewards card
- not sure what to do for the next two hours...
The plan for the day is to play this Mega, then head over to the Golden Nugget to play the Omaha 8 event at noon.
Arrived - hope my runbad is done...
Never a good plane ride when I'm the smallest one in the row.
We're here, however, and that's what matters. Off to the Rio tomorrow to reg for the Monster Stack event.
Wednesday, June 18, 2014
Ready to head back
A week from now I'll be at a poker table... (oh, and testing that this email still updates my blog :))
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