Late night Saturday night/Sunday morning: Mandalay Bay $1/$2
Luxor poker room was kind of dingy looking (don't like the black/gray look to the room), so we wandered to Mandalay Bay. Nice place, pretty (and easy to access) poker room. Very short wait (2am and 4 $1/$2 tables and 2 $2/$5 tables going). One guy at my table has $1400 in front of him; a number of $600 stacks; large, $15-20 preflop opening raises seemed standard.
Plusses: pretty room; easy to find; $300 buy-in; loose, seemingly rich crowd.
Minusses: high-hand jackpot = additional $0.50-$1 rake; the first two tables are close enough to the entrance that anyone standing just at the edge smoking will fill the area with cigarette smoke; no chopping blinds (?!!?!)
I flopped a set and turned a boat at one point and somehow couldn't get the guy who couldn't ever let go of top pair to call me. Still not sure what he called my large flop raise and turn bets with that he couldn't pay off the value-bet on the river (it was 3am, I had been up for 21 hours and don't recall the board).
I had a fairly standard session here. The table was SO so loose - most every hand, raised or limped, was multi-way. I was involved in a couple 5-way hands after raising in EP to $12. No hands stand out, no players seemed exceptionally good/bad. Liked it, but didn't like the rake or the no-chop deal.
Ended this session down $30.
-------------------------------
Sunday afternoon: $1/$2 MGM
Nice room, though also the slowest dealers so far - they seemed more interested in recounting stories with the 2 regulars at the table than dealing the game. Mix of experienced and new players; very loose action. $200 buy-in, which is fine, but I appreciate the $300 deeper games.
2 hands of note:
1. I call a $12 preflop raise OTB with 7d 8d. 3-way action. FLOP: 8s 5d 6d. 2 checks to me, I bet $35, 1 call. Original raiser check-raises all-in for another $115. I'm obviously behind now, but I like the fact that I have 20 outs to a flush, straight, trips, or two pair, so I call. Somehow I miss half the deck on the turn and river, and QQ wins the hand unimproved.
2. Tight, tight player open raises to $20 from CO-1; I raise to $40 OTB with AA; sb insta-calls. Original raiser raises an additional $100 (leaving only $100 behind). I figured he's committed, and don't know what insta-caller would smooth with from SB, so I push. SB folds. After SB folds, I have a brain-fart and think the original raiser was already all-in, and I table my hand. He shows me KK and tosses them into the muck. I drag a $180 pot w/o seeing a
flop, but probably lost out on another $100 due to lack-of-sleep killing my attention span and me brain-farting. SB had QQ, btw (he folded but dealer let him keep his cards near him to show after the hand).
End the session +$45
-------------------------------
Monday afternoon: $1/$2 Mandalay bay
We checked out at 10:30, gave our bags to the Luxor folks, and went about our day. Becca wanted to do some shopping in the area between Luxor and Mandalay, so I was going to play at Luxor but they only had 1 table and 2 names on the list, floor guy said they wouldn't get a new game going in all likelihood for another hour or 2 = Mandalay Bay again.
About 15 minute wait for a seat at one of the tables. Number of $5-600 stacks, lots of action. LOTs of loose action. Both tables going look juicy. They actually start to sit me at a new table they were opening, but then move me to one already going (which makes me wonder if this was the same day Pauly wrote this; I didn't look at anyone over there though).
2 hands of note:
1. I join 3 limpers and limp OTB with 8d9d. SB raises to $10, only 1 other call, I call.
FLOP: 7J7 rainbow.
SB bets $20, folds to me. I sensed weakness, and thought I could take it away, as he likely won't have a 7 here - I raised to $65. He takes a lot of time, and just calls.
TURN: (7J7) Q
SB checks. I still have the straight draw, so I used position and took a free card.
RIVER: (7J7Q) 2
SB checks. I think I can take it away with a big bet - say $125. But I wimp out, all the sudden afraid he may have flopped a boat with JJ, and give up. I say nice hand, I check, and he shows KK. I know a big bet would have taken it down.
2. UTG raises to $10, 1 call; I reraise to $45 OTB with AA. UTG calls, other folds.
FLOP: 5J5.
UTG checks, I lead out $75, UTG check-raises all-in to $200ish. I instacall and table KK. He shows J4 clubs. Turn and river blank out.
I wish I were more awake, because that guy bought in twice already, and is rebuying again. Calling $45 preflop with only $250 holding J4 soooted? JUICY! As it stands, I was near the 2 hour mark, and struggling to keep my focus. I decided to play two more rounds or so, and get outta there before my decision making totally deteriorated.
End the session: +$350
Friday, April 10, 2009
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Vegas recap - Saturday
My 2nd trip to Vegas, will vastly different than my first trip, was a lot of fun. I love that city. Becca and I have already decided to go back, probably in July after the WS0P.
My first trip was poker dotted with a couple hours of sleep and a couple shows at night; this trip was much more centered on spending time with the SO, dotted by a little poker and a couple shows.
Uneventful flight on Saturday, and we were able to check in right around noon, which was nice. After a little lunch we walked through the Luxor, over through Mandalay bay, gazed at the pool, checked out menus for possible dinners. I couldn't believe how many chicks in wedding dresses we saw. Thankfully they didn't cause Rebecca to start seeing a wedding chapel in our future. Phew.
She wanted to play some slots, so she put $5 into a quarter machine and started spinning. When she was done I put $1 into the quarter machine next to her; played all 4 credits on one spin and won 2 credits. I played all 5 credits on the next spin and won $22.25 and immediately cashed out. I've never won on a slot machine before.
-EV games: +$21.25.
We walked over through MGM, and to the monorail, off at the Flamingo to pick up our tickets to X-Burlesque. From there we walked to Venetian so I could play some poker. Was a really gorgeous afternoon - 65 degrees, sunny, a touch of a breeze... especially compared to the 45-degree rainy gray we've gotten used to in Seattle, it was perfect!
I played at the Venetian briefly my last trip, and remember the game feeling small - but that was probably because I had come from playing the $1/$3 at Caesars.
This trip, it felt much like the Tulalip game I usually play, but with a little better players (probably due to a couple Vegas regulars that were at the table). The game was strange for a while - I won way more hands than I should have the first hour, with no show downs. I was getting more respect than I expected, and definitely more than I deserved. There were weak players who would buckle to pressure (like when I reraised from position with air on a paired raggy board and the original raiser folded queens face-up), a calling station that didn't fold anything preflop (literally - played 100% of hands at least to the flop)...
I lost one fairly decent sized pot to an opponent with Qh3h after I flopped top two; turn put 2 hearts on the board and the 3rd heart came on the river. I didn't mind much losing the pot since he chased a backdoor flush draw. The guy was "helpful" enough to tell me that I didn't bet enough on the turn for him to lay it down, that even if he got an extra $30 on the river it was worth calling. I didn't bother telling him that he only had 7 of the 9 outs he thought he did (as the Ah or Kh would've boated me up), or asking how he called on the flop with undercards and a backdoor draw - I want those calls all the time.
I left after a couple hours, down $115 (which was a bummer as I was up about $100 at one point - the flush hand actually cost me $140). Small losses don't phase me anymore, though my girlfriend seemed surprised I was so casual about losing that amount. No, she's not a poker player, or really much of a gambler.
--------------
Saturday evening - X Burlesque at the Flamingo.
Well.
Their production video is really great - show looks good, dancers look energetic and hot.
Sadly, the 60-second video was much better than the show itself. Tucked into this tiny little theater, the tacky-factor is sky-high. And unfortunately, the dancers are just -- not that good. Shakeera carried the show: her dancing was engaging, energetic, fun to watch - she was committed to every move she made. The others? Not-so-hot. Bec and I after the show referred to one as "the comotose blonde," but really all (save for Shakeera and the one with the biggest and most obvious fake tits) lacked so much energy and sex appeal.
All had awesome bodies - awesome bodies, so that wasn't hard to take. But - watching hot women who appear bored and dead-tired prance around a cheesey-looking stage with crappy set decoration just isn't my idea of fun. Add to that the really bad comedian that did a too-long routine half way through the show (James Bean), and being charged $5.77 for a sprite (no vodka, just sprite), that part of the evening was quite a let down.
The good part? Bec and I were able to sit in the back of the theatre, side-by-side, so we were able to talk to each other throughout the show, making fun of the dancers (except Shakeera, who we both thought was hot), laughing, etc. That part was fun. The show? Not so much.
My first trip was poker dotted with a couple hours of sleep and a couple shows at night; this trip was much more centered on spending time with the SO, dotted by a little poker and a couple shows.
Uneventful flight on Saturday, and we were able to check in right around noon, which was nice. After a little lunch we walked through the Luxor, over through Mandalay bay, gazed at the pool, checked out menus for possible dinners. I couldn't believe how many chicks in wedding dresses we saw. Thankfully they didn't cause Rebecca to start seeing a wedding chapel in our future. Phew.
She wanted to play some slots, so she put $5 into a quarter machine and started spinning. When she was done I put $1 into the quarter machine next to her; played all 4 credits on one spin and won 2 credits. I played all 5 credits on the next spin and won $22.25 and immediately cashed out. I've never won on a slot machine before.
-EV games: +$21.25.
We walked over through MGM, and to the monorail, off at the Flamingo to pick up our tickets to X-Burlesque. From there we walked to Venetian so I could play some poker. Was a really gorgeous afternoon - 65 degrees, sunny, a touch of a breeze... especially compared to the 45-degree rainy gray we've gotten used to in Seattle, it was perfect!
I played at the Venetian briefly my last trip, and remember the game feeling small - but that was probably because I had come from playing the $1/$3 at Caesars.
This trip, it felt much like the Tulalip game I usually play, but with a little better players (probably due to a couple Vegas regulars that were at the table). The game was strange for a while - I won way more hands than I should have the first hour, with no show downs. I was getting more respect than I expected, and definitely more than I deserved. There were weak players who would buckle to pressure (like when I reraised from position with air on a paired raggy board and the original raiser folded queens face-up), a calling station that didn't fold anything preflop (literally - played 100% of hands at least to the flop)...
I lost one fairly decent sized pot to an opponent with Qh3h after I flopped top two; turn put 2 hearts on the board and the 3rd heart came on the river. I didn't mind much losing the pot since he chased a backdoor flush draw. The guy was "helpful" enough to tell me that I didn't bet enough on the turn for him to lay it down, that even if he got an extra $30 on the river it was worth calling. I didn't bother telling him that he only had 7 of the 9 outs he thought he did (as the Ah or Kh would've boated me up), or asking how he called on the flop with undercards and a backdoor draw - I want those calls all the time.
I left after a couple hours, down $115 (which was a bummer as I was up about $100 at one point - the flush hand actually cost me $140). Small losses don't phase me anymore, though my girlfriend seemed surprised I was so casual about losing that amount. No, she's not a poker player, or really much of a gambler.
--------------
Saturday evening - X Burlesque at the Flamingo.
Well.
Their production video is really great - show looks good, dancers look energetic and hot.
Sadly, the 60-second video was much better than the show itself. Tucked into this tiny little theater, the tacky-factor is sky-high. And unfortunately, the dancers are just -- not that good. Shakeera carried the show: her dancing was engaging, energetic, fun to watch - she was committed to every move she made. The others? Not-so-hot. Bec and I after the show referred to one as "the comotose blonde," but really all (save for Shakeera and the one with the biggest and most obvious fake tits) lacked so much energy and sex appeal.
All had awesome bodies - awesome bodies, so that wasn't hard to take. But - watching hot women who appear bored and dead-tired prance around a cheesey-looking stage with crappy set decoration just isn't my idea of fun. Add to that the really bad comedian that did a too-long routine half way through the show (James Bean), and being charged $5.77 for a sprite (no vodka, just sprite), that part of the evening was quite a let down.
The good part? Bec and I were able to sit in the back of the theatre, side-by-side, so we were able to talk to each other throughout the show, making fun of the dancers (except Shakeera, who we both thought was hot), laughing, etc. That part was fun. The show? Not so much.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Vegas recap
...details coming soon...
Brief overview:
- short sessions all-around
- played at Venetian, MGM, and Mandalay Bay
- spa suite at Luxor is awesome, with hot tub overlooking the mountains to the east
- Saw David Benyamine in and around Bobby's room, on the phone, probably trying to get a game together
- wasted money (and time) at X Burlesque (which included paying $5.77 for a frackin' Sprite!)
- enjoyed Zumanity, though the close (and more expensive) seats were tough on the neck, and would've been better in the upper orchestra, or even balcony (i.e. the "cheap seats")
All-in-all, fun fun FUN times. We've already started figuring out when our next Vegas jaunt will be; likely June or July. I ended the weekend up in poker, and up $0.50 on -EV games (slot, roulette, blackjack).
Brief overview:
- short sessions all-around
- played at Venetian, MGM, and Mandalay Bay
- spa suite at Luxor is awesome, with hot tub overlooking the mountains to the east
- Saw David Benyamine in and around Bobby's room, on the phone, probably trying to get a game together
- wasted money (and time) at X Burlesque (which included paying $5.77 for a frackin' Sprite!)
- enjoyed Zumanity, though the close (and more expensive) seats were tough on the neck, and would've been better in the upper orchestra, or even balcony (i.e. the "cheap seats")
All-in-all, fun fun FUN times. We've already started figuring out when our next Vegas jaunt will be; likely June or July. I ended the weekend up in poker, and up $0.50 on -EV games (slot, roulette, blackjack).
Friday, April 3, 2009
Vegas Tomorrow!!!
I'm SO incredibly psyched to get to Vegas tomorrow! As much for the weather as for the action; it's been cold as balls in the Emerald City so far this spring (snow twice this week).
I've briefly contemplated playing $2/$5, but I don't think I'm psychologically ready for that; nor do I have the roll for that. According to some Vegas regulars, the $1/$3 at Wynn plays similarly to a loose AC $2/$5, so I may check that out. Last trip to Vegas I played the $1/$3 at Ceasars and found it to be quite action-packed. I'll start small, though, with an afternoon session at Venetian $1/$2.
We've got a couple shows lined up, too. X-Burlesque at Flamingo (girlfriend's request), and Zumanity at NY NY (my request). I think we're skipping the strip clubs this trip: the girlfriend didn't like the sounds of the non-fully-nude hands-off rules that sounded pretty standard there.
This is my second trip to Vegas, and the first time I'll be in a gambling situation with a girlfriend, who doesn't really gamble that much (she'll lose some money on nickle slots it sounds like). My other trip was solo, and I just played as much poker as I could stand, and used some of the profit to buy high-end show tickets, slept very little, and ate at random times. This trip may become a balancing act with spending time with the SO and playing poker, especially if the games are good.
On the other hand, having a set time to meet later in the afternoon/evening could make for a better time, too: as much as I love long sessions, breaking it up into a couple 4 hour sessions may be better for my mental health (and maybe even for my game). I mean - this is a vacation to enjoy myself, and rest, and have fun; my brain becoming mush because I've sat at the tables for 16 hours straight is hardly a way to relax before spring quarter starts on Wednesday.
It's so far a boring, boring workday with little to do. If I could get away with leaving early, I'd be outta here after lunch. Or now.
We shoulda left today...
I've briefly contemplated playing $2/$5, but I don't think I'm psychologically ready for that; nor do I have the roll for that. According to some Vegas regulars, the $1/$3 at Wynn plays similarly to a loose AC $2/$5, so I may check that out. Last trip to Vegas I played the $1/$3 at Ceasars and found it to be quite action-packed. I'll start small, though, with an afternoon session at Venetian $1/$2.
We've got a couple shows lined up, too. X-Burlesque at Flamingo (girlfriend's request), and Zumanity at NY NY (my request). I think we're skipping the strip clubs this trip: the girlfriend didn't like the sounds of the non-fully-nude hands-off rules that sounded pretty standard there.
This is my second trip to Vegas, and the first time I'll be in a gambling situation with a girlfriend, who doesn't really gamble that much (she'll lose some money on nickle slots it sounds like). My other trip was solo, and I just played as much poker as I could stand, and used some of the profit to buy high-end show tickets, slept very little, and ate at random times. This trip may become a balancing act with spending time with the SO and playing poker, especially if the games are good.
On the other hand, having a set time to meet later in the afternoon/evening could make for a better time, too: as much as I love long sessions, breaking it up into a couple 4 hour sessions may be better for my mental health (and maybe even for my game). I mean - this is a vacation to enjoy myself, and rest, and have fun; my brain becoming mush because I've sat at the tables for 16 hours straight is hardly a way to relax before spring quarter starts on Wednesday.
It's so far a boring, boring workday with little to do. If I could get away with leaving early, I'd be outta here after lunch. Or now.
We shoulda left today...
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Deciding and acting
I've been mulling this over for months now. I've been back in school for a year; I'm half-way through the program, and 1/4 way to being certified by WA state as a CDP (chemical dependency professional). And I'm sick of it.
I'm done. I'm done with school. I'm done with it all.
I've hated my job for the past 1.5 years. I'm sick and tired of computers and managers and all that crap.
Tomorrow, I'm quitting my job.
I'm moving to Vegas, and going to be a professional poker player.
I've been saving money for the past year, theoretically so I can do a CDP internship and still be able to pay rent. Instead, I'll be using that as my $1/$2 bankroll.
This weekend in Vegas with the girlfriend will still be 'vacation,' but once I get back to Seattle I'll be selling my things, packing a few belongings, and gettin' outta the Emerald City! I should be there permanently next weekend (4/11).
To those who say you can't make a living at $1/$2 - I plan to prove you wrong!
I'm done. I'm done with school. I'm done with it all.
I've hated my job for the past 1.5 years. I'm sick and tired of computers and managers and all that crap.
Tomorrow, I'm quitting my job.
I'm moving to Vegas, and going to be a professional poker player.
I've been saving money for the past year, theoretically so I can do a CDP internship and still be able to pay rent. Instead, I'll be using that as my $1/$2 bankroll.
This weekend in Vegas with the girlfriend will still be 'vacation,' but once I get back to Seattle I'll be selling my things, packing a few belongings, and gettin' outta the Emerald City! I should be there permanently next weekend (4/11).
To those who say you can't make a living at $1/$2 - I plan to prove you wrong!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
