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).

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...

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!

Vegas bound!

I'm heading to Vegas next weekend, (4/4-6). SO looking forward to it! I'm excited to get to the warmth, to see some sun, and of course to play some poker.

I've only been to Vegas once, thanks to my RPT TOC win a couple years back, and I had a blast. I think I slept a grand total of 6 hours the whole weekend, played a ton of poker, and used the profits to see a couple big-ticket shows.

This is going to be a bit of a different trip, though -- I'm going with my girlfriend. On her suggestion. She loves going to Vegas -- though it's still not entirely clear to me why: she plays nickel-slots, can never get the hand signals right in black jack, doesn't play poker, and rarely drink (and almost never to excess). She does like the shopping, and the 'vibe.' OK.

She likes going to strip clubs, too. So we're going to one of 'em -- not sure which yet. The big name ones are only topless, and she's interested in full-nude. No, I'm not kidding.

Should be fun. We're staying at the Luxor; hopefully it's nice. Don't know whether they have a poker room or not, but it's just down the block from MGM which I've heard is great for low-limit action. And a walk up to Caesar's or Venetian is definitely not out of the question.

I have no idea how many ppl actually read my blog, but if you have low-limit ($1/$2 or $1/$3 NL) poker room suggestions, please let me know.

short session = profit

I played last Friday night. I'll write about one hand (not much excitement), but man was the game soft for a couple hours. Granted, I also ran good, hitting some flops, making some draws, etc; but it's insane how much I got paid off. I was playing pretty tight too! I started playing at 7pm and left the table at 10:50; I cashed out of a $1/$3 $200-max buy in table with $636 in profit. Yea, I bought in for $200 and cashed out $836. In less than 4 hours. Insane.

I'm obv not an amazing player; I just took advantage of weak, bad, or dumb players when I had hands.

I left when I did for 2 reasons:
1 - The biggest stack at the table by this time was only $150, with a number of $100 stacks
2 - I found myself becoming unwilling to put my chips in without a lock on a hand. Scared money.

So I took my profit and left.

----------
So I'm sitting on about $450 at this point; I'm in the cut-off. I've been playing tight: really only raising with premiums. I'll call preflop a bit light, in position, against raises from EP raisers with big stacks, but if I don't connect with the flop I'm gone.

A couple limpers, and I look down at 5c 6c. I haven't raised all night with these hands, but I wanted to mix-it-up (number of players are still here from when I sat down), so I raise it to $12. The SB calls, the limpers fold (at which I almost laughed out loud! How can you limp / fold in EP when it only costs another $9 to play for at least $24?). SB had been at the table for about 1 orbit, and came across as not really knowing what he was doing. I was happy for his call!

Flop: 2c Qc 7c

SB checks; I bet $20, SB calls.

Turn: [2c Qc 7c] 6d

SB leads out $30. I think this is a bit strange; I ask how much he has left, he counts out about $130 more.

Either he's sandbagging a flush, or he's trying to name his price for a river card.

Then, I look at him, and realize that he seriously looks confused. I'm not sure what to make of this, but it certainly doesn't strike me as confident. And it doesn't appear to be an act. I feel like he hasn't sat at a poker table very often.

I raise. I put two $100 stacks into the pot, and take a deep breath.

SB thinks. "Phew," I'm thinking, "no flush."

Then he says, "ah, I don't think you have the flush, I call," and turns over Qs 3c.

I say "flush," and turn over my cards. River was meaningless, I rake in a nice pot with a baby flush.

Guy next to me says "That was ballsy with a 6-high flush." I agreed. I trusted my read, though. Thankfully confusion != strength for this guy.

Maybe the confusion was because he surprised himself that he called a raise OOP with Q3o!

Easy, peasy

Tulalip $1/$3

I had been at a super-nit table all night. Should have put in for a table change, but - eh, I didn't mind taking advantage of the nits at the table to take down a number of small pots. I was at about $400 (in for $320) when our table broke, and I shuffled over to another table with stacks between $300-$800, which is a nice amount of cash for a $1/$3 game, and very VERY loose action!


BB: LAGGY-donk, $300ish
UTG: loose, passive, $175ish (shortest stack at the table)
Hero: MP, $400

I decide to limp with 8c Tc. I'll raise with suited gappers and suited connectors maybe 40%, limp 40%, and chuck the rest (usually due to position, stack sizes, etc). 6 of us see a flop; $18 in the pot.


FLOP: 9c Qc Jc

OK, I just flopped the stone-cold nuts, no higher straight flush out there due to the Tc in my hand. I'm praying someone's got a hand of some sort.

Blinds check; UTG bets $20. Folds to me.


What to do here? I could just smooth call and hope to trap someone else in, but the same time I don't want another club to come off and kill any action. If UTG has a real hand, he may be willing to get more money in now; if he doesn't have a hand then this pot is likely not going to get any bigger.

I decide to take a chance here, following one of my mantras "If you want to play a big pot, you've got to build a big pot."


I raise to $60. Folds to the BB who calls. (SWEET!). UTG then goes all-in for another $100.

I pinch myself to make sure I'm not dreaming.

Now, the trick is to make sure BB comes along. I need to sell being on a draw, or a hand I'm not sure about. I take some time, ask how much it will cost, take a look over at the big blind, kind of smile and sigh (like "crap, what do I do here with you still to act), and say "I'll call."

As I slide the chips in, BB declares all-in, for about another $200!!!!!

Of course, I snap call, wait for the dealer to ask to turn the cards over, and then turn my cards over first saying "I've got the nuts."

BB had Kc 10h, for a flopped straight with king-high flush redraw, UTG had Ac xc for the ace-high flush.

Without doing much work, I rake in a pot close to $500.

Easy game ;)

Raising with the straight flush, I know, isn't always recommended. Slow playing is the "typical" course of action with this hand. In the moment, though, what I thought of was this: if someone's got a hand, they're coming with me no matter what; if no one has a hand I'll likely not be getting any more money anyway, so let's try to build the pot.

At the tables again

Finally, after playing only once since September, I got out to Tulalip for some $1/$3 action last night. It may be the last time I'll play in the next few months too, as I have school starting up tomorrow night.

My biggest issue was trying to remain patient. I forgot how boring poker can be: fold, fold, fold, fold, fold...

Most of the table, most of the night, was either tight-passive or loose-passive. I was mostly tight-aggressive, but made a number of loose preflop calls when in position against passive preflop raisers: 90% of the time they'll check if they don't hit, I'll bet and take it down.

I was blessed with good cards at the right moments. Presto worked out for me nicely here:

MP: Loose-passive, $200. Plays suited anythings.
Button: Tightish. Almost aggressive. $120.
Me (BB): should have a tight-aggressive image; I've had a few bluffs picked off, too, which should throw some measure of doubt into the works too.

MP limps, button raises to $12. Folds to me, I make the call with 5c 5d; MP calls.

Pot: $37
FLOP: 6c 6s 5s

Floppin' a boat is sweet! I don't check-raise here: that's too big of a give away. I want to play a big pot, so I've got to build a pot.

I bet $15, hoping a weak-lead will encourage both players to at least call.
MP calls. Button immediately goes all-in.

Dream situation! My only issue now is how to get MP to come along. I do have a theatre degree, and did win best actor award at college, so hopefully I'm putting that to good use here.

I ask for a count, count out the chips, separate them from my stack, sit back... I may have pushed it too far when I said "Man, this would be a lot easier if you weren't behind me," though in all honesty I've said that exact same thing in situations where I really meant that too.

I make the call, hoping MP has something he can com along with. Unfortunately, he does the smart thing and folds.

Button flips over Th Td. Turn and river blank out, I win a nice pot.


Hand 2:
I rarely check-raise, but there are times it's the perfect thing to do.

Bunch of limpers, I look down at AKo in the SB, and just complete. AK totally out of position in a cash game isn't that great, so I won't think twice about just limping here. In position I raise 90% of the time.

BB (tight player, $250) raises to $12; MP calls (same MP from last hand); I call.

Flop: Ad 6h 3c

I check. BB bets $30. MP looks pained, and makes the call. I raise to $130; if either of them flopped a set - so be it, but chances are I'm good here.

BB takes quite a while, then folds, MP folds. After MP folds, BB says to me "I guess you have one pair beat." I say, "Which pair?" We laugh, then I ask if he had AK, which he confirms. My check-raise won me the pot instead of a chop. Sweet.

This is one of the few places I will check-raise liberally: TPTK on a dry board, if I lead out it's likely no one without an A will call. My check can look weak, and because I so rarely check-raise, against thinking and observant oponents they'll likely fold, and I'll take down a decent pot on the flop.