VEGAS: 24th August (Poker)

Day/Night 8: Wednesday 24th August (Poker) 

 

SESSION #25

Bally's

$1/$2

Bought In For: $280

10AM-10:30AM

30 Minutes

It takes about 15 minutes before I realise that I'm paddling in a shark-pool. Raises are flying in left, right and centre and there is zero room for manouevre. I play KK quite badly but sense after this hand that were I to stay, my money will only go one way - and it ain't back in my pocket. I get up after just 30 minutes, $70 poorer and to find calmer waters.

Key Hand #1

We're about 3 or 4 hands in and I decide I like the look of my 10 J on the button. I forget the preflop action but I find myself heads-up with the BB as the flop comes 8 9 J. With a straight draw and top pair I'm happy to see the villain throw in a bet of $6 but decide just to smooth call which may be weak in late position and with that strong draw. The turn brings a fairly unpleasant looking 8 and my villain elects to check. I don't see him as particularly tricky and sense weakness so throw in a $12 bet - which is then met with a raise to $30!

 

As it's just $18 to call and I figure I have 10 outs (the 7s, the Qs or a Jack) I calculate that, with implied odds brought into the equation, I'm priced in and it's definitely worth throwing in the extra $18 to see if I can hit. The river brings a horrible Ace with the added possibility of gifting my villain with a flush as well. As he flings in another $50, I reckon it's curtains and I let the hand (and the $40 I contributed to the pot) go.

Key Hand #2

With some tables you just feel like it's not going to be your day and after the above hand, there really was the possibility that I was just being outplayed. This hand rang alarm bells and confirmed it: I'm in early position and just wondering how on earth I'm going to win money from this tough table. I then look down at KK and so put in an $8 bet. Of course I get six, yes SIX, callers. My heart is already sinking before I even see the flop and I feel like a kid in a man's game.

The flop is 6 6 9 which is not that scarey at all but with $48 already in the pot, six calls from quality players AND being first to act (after the BB checks) I feel out of my depth and elect to just check. The button bets $25 and the BB player calls, making it hard not to put him on A6s, a flush draw, or even 99. It's fold or shove time methinks and I elect to just fold and jump ship. With the BB player putting in $100 on the river, I have no regret in just getting away from the table. 

I hate to bandy the word "collusion" around but the play I saw at that table made it definitely the meanest and strongest $1/$2 game I had sat down to in Vegas during my entire trip.

 

Profit/Loss For Session: -$70

Profit/Loss For Day: -$70

Profit/Loss For Trip: +$709

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SESSION #26

TI

$1/$3

Bought In For: $210

12:30PM-1PM

30 Minutes

This session reminded me of the one I played at Tropicana where the players were so at ease with each other that I felt like I had gate-crashed their home game. It didn't help that they made no effort to engage in friendly conversation, were fairly competent and that it it was only a 6-handed game. 

Key Hand #1

I haven't really got involved in any hands but then look down at 88 on the button. I decide to spice things up a little and throw in a $25 bet which is called by two players! The flop comes a dull looking 3 7 J and it's checked to me so I throw in a $60 cbet and get the two folds. (This perhaps shows that they weren't THAT great after all.)

Key Hand #2

I look down at 6 7s in late position and decide to play the hand. The flop comes 7 7 10. I can't remember the action on the flop but an old fella puts in about $12 on the turn. I sense he's strong because he's acting strangely (making an awkward string bet "mistake") and so I decide just to make the call. The river is a blank and he throws in just $15. I think for a while, as the possibility of an all-in crosses my mind, but I just sense he's up to something and is possibly trying to induce this. 

 

I take the "safe" option and just call. Lo and behold, he shows A 7 for the trips and a top kicker to boot. I show the table my 6 7 (to show the table how good I am) and am secretly relieved that I got away with losing only a small amount. I'm happy to see that my 30 minutes are up and get the hell outta there.

 

Profit/Loss For Session: +$12

Profit/Loss For Day: -$58

Profit/Loss For Trip: +$721

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SESSION #27

Wynn

$1/$3

Bought In For: $221

1:30PM-4PM 

2 Hours 30 Minutes

 

 

 

 

This session was all about trying to extract as much as possible from Mr Action Man in Seat 10. This guy (of South-East Asian origin) just splashed the pot with chips like they were confetti and it was just a case of waiting (in Seat 2) to get the right hand against him. The table, as a whole, was pleasant and I ended up chatting mainly with a young internet player, in Seat 1, who was also in town for a pool tournament at the Riviera. This guy was extremely competent, talked a very good game and already had a large degree of success at the online game. It was he who mainly relieved the golden eggs from the goose in Seat 10 (to the tune of about $700 when I left the table). Unfortunately a few other players at the table also reaped a few rewards from Mr Action Man so I can't help feeling that I missed an opportunity really.

 

Nevertheless, it wasn't all bad. Although I was down to just an $80 stack at one point, I brought a $100 bill to the table and managed to fight back to break-even when my A J extracted a fair amount from two villains when I saw J x x hit the flop. In all, playing at the Wynn was an enjoyable experience and it will definitely be a venue I will revisit. 

 

Profit/Loss For Session +$1

Profit/Loss For Day: -$57

Profit/Loss For Trip: +$722

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SESSION #27

Bellagio

$1/$2

Bought In For: $200

5PM-5:30PM

30 Minutes

With my failure to reap rewards from Mr Action Man at the Wynn, and possibly feeling just a little tilted, this was the session that told me that after one week of solid live poker, I could probably do with a break. 

Key Hand #1

It's almost my first hand and I look down at QJs. It's an unraised pot so I throw in $12 in late position and this is called by Mr Bushy Moustache in the SB who has just $80 in front of him. This alone should have told me that he was probably tight and had a strong hand. 

The flop comes Q x x. I call his $20 bet on the turn and the $30 bet on the river and probably shouldn't have been surprised when he turns over A Q to see that he had top pair/top kicker and had me dominated all the way. I look down at my stack and am vexed to see that I've thrown away around $70 on my first hand! I'm then moved to another table which is just being ruled by a guy sitting on a $800 stack. I stay for a few orbits and leave due to a combination of playing bad and knowing that the table captain is a shit-hot player.  

Profit/Loss For Session: -$100

Profit/Loss For Day: -$157

Profit/Loss For Trip: +$622

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