VEGAS: 22nd August (Poker) - Part 2

Day/Night 6: Monday 22nd August (Poker) - Part 2

SESSION #18

Planet Hollywood

$1/$2

Bought In For: $240

7:30-9PM

90 Minutes

This turned out to be a tight session of ABC poker which allowed me to get a little bit of pride back, as well as a few dollars, after the beating I suffered at O'Shea's. There was just the one hand that stood out but there were no real drama hands - apart from a guy on a nearby table hitting a diamond royal flush to claim a 4-figure jackpot bonus!

Key Hand #1

I forget the preflop action but I look down at AK and see A K x (all red cards) hit the flop for top two pair. I check raise all-in the timid villain's bet of $20 which means she'll need to call with the rest of her $50 chips. I figure there are just too many draws out there to allow a free card so make her pay the maximum if she wants to see. She decides to fold and I scoop up a small pot.

This table soon began to be run by internet whizzkid over in Seat 3 who just ended up bossing the table brilliantly. Complete with grey hoodie, designer headphones and the evil eyes to match I reckon he just sensed weakness and so proceeded to pound the table relentlessly. I mentioned this guy's uncanny ability at hoovering up the chips to the pretty young lady next to me, who was over for just one day on a conference, and she said she hated this type of player and just wanted to strike him down!

Personally, I stayed well out of his way but was quite impressed as he built up a couple of huge twin towers in front of him with his vastly accumulating $5 chips. Unlike the unfortunate state of the old twin towers of New York, this guy's erection looked like it was going to stand firm for some time. With just a small set-back of one buy-in in the early part of the session, internet whizzkid just seemed to have a complete disregard for the value of money and was getting paid off a fortune for his made hands!

Profit/Loss For Session: +$35

Profit/Loss For Day: -$87

Profit/Loss For Trip: +$652

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SESSION #19

MGM

$1/$2

Bought In For: $300

11PM-11:30PM

30 Minutes

Following my resurgence at PH, and tanked up with large quantities of alcohol, I enter the MGM poker room and sit down to a table full of competent no-nonsense players. They are in no mood for my twaddle, particularly the ladies sitting to my left who resemble a couple of butch lesbian-types. They pretty much ignore me and carry on with their own private conversation which is the type of conversation that implies they don't want to be bothered by anyone - especially a drunk Brit who's just arrived at the table. Taking the hint I don't think I have anything in common with them and, after the way I am ignored by them, don't really care and so make no effort to listen in. The guy from Canada, on my right, is a little more sociable and friendly BUT learning my lesson from the earlier session at O'Shea's, don't think I'll be staying very long. There was only one hand worth recounting:

Key Hand #1

As far as I recall, I think I'm on the button and limp in while looking down at the 4 6 of spades. Ms Rude Lesbian-Type bets $10 from the small-blind and Mr Ordinary Man in Seat 10, who must have limped in mid-position, makes the call. Due to being blanked earlier I get a sudden attack of what Jared Tendler might call "Being Ignored By A Lesbian Tilt" and make the beer-fuelled call for an extra $8. The flop comes A x x with two spades giving me the flush draw.

Ms RLT makes a curious bet of $10 and this is called by Mr Ordinary. Through the drunken haze, I'm thinking these two are probably just not too keen on their hands and so throw in a $40 raise. Ms RLT folds and Mr Ordinary mucks his hand as well while uttering, "You're making me fold my ace." And that's just fine.

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During yet another walk from MGM to Planet Hollywood, on the way to Harrah's, I start to get just a tad tired of the distance and the heat and I vow never to do this stretch of the strip again. (Although I do end up doing it later.)

Profit/Loss For Session: +$10

Profit/Loss For Day: -$77

Profit/Loss For Trip: +$662

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SESSION #20

Bill's Gamblin' Hall

$0.50/$1

Bought In For: $100

12:30PM-1:30PM

1 Hour

By midnight, I'm off on a drunken wobble from MGM back to the Harrah's hotel but decide to have one more pop at the poker so pop into Bill's for a little $0.50/$1. As is often the case when I'm a bit sloshed at the poker table, I decide to just fold all my hands and not play any hand unless I get a monster. But, never mind the poker, the most interesting thing about this session is that after talking a bit with the fella on my immediate left I discover that he's the dad of one of the kids I used to teach at school back in London! We then end up chatting heartily for the rest of the session and he even wins an all-in hand which has me cheering like an idiot and shouting "London for the win!"

Once again though, this poker room just began to get too damn cold after a while.

Profit/Loss For Session: -$15
Profit/Loss For Day: -$92
Profit/Loss For Trip: +$647

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