mrbaseball
09-24-2004, 09:41 PM
I just returned from my 15th Vegas trip since I started playing serious casino poker 5.5 years ago. It was my 14th winning trip /images/graemlins/smile.gif I have been to Vegas lots of times pre poker but I'm pretty sure none of those were winners.
The games have changed a lot in the past 5.5 years and of course my game has improved a bunch too. But right now the games seem easier and softer and fishier than ever.
Day One: Dead Tired
I had a very early flight which required me to get up at 4am CST which is 2am Vegas time. The nice thing about that was I was checked into my room at the Mirage by 10:30am. The bad part was I had very little sleep and was already beat.
Anyway I wandered around a little and watched a little football and then went to look at IP and Harrahs rooms. I decided to play a little at Harrahs where they had 3 2/4 games and a 4/8 game going. The 4/8 had a seat and I took it. What I saw amazed me! The game was ultra loooooose! And also kinda passive which is a very good combination. Anyway 6 to 9 players seeing each and every flop! None of them with even a sembelence of a clue. I played for about 45 minutes and won $170. I really didn't get lots of pots or great cards. But I sure did get paid off well multiple ways when I did make a hand. I was kinda hungry so I went and got something to eat. I was happy booking a solid win in a very short opening session.
After eating and wandering around a bit more I returned to the Mirage and signed up for 6/12. Last time out in May the 6/12 sucked and was very rocky. But this game was very loose passive as well. Not quite as loose as the 4/8 earlier but still 5 or 6 to a flop and little evidence of anyone with a clue. I just played solid poker for about 2 hours and endined up winning $122. I was dead tired and at 7:30pm called it a day and went to bed to finally get rested up for the upcoming week happy with a solid opening day.
Day Two: Quads Quads Quads!
I slept for 10 hours /images/graemlins/smile.gif Then I grabbed some breakfast and headed to the spa for a nice workout and steam/sauna/whirlpool. I was relaxed and ready to start my vacation. I hit the pool for a few hours and the weather was perfect! It was unseasonably cool this week meaning 70's and 80's and it was great. I was meeting a friend for dinner and after poolside leisure I decided to kill a few hours playing some 3/6.
The 3/6 was real soft. Once again very passive, loose and clueless. My big hand of the trip happened here. I had pocket 55 and flopped quads! I was in EP but there were 7 callers preflop. I checked the flop and old rock bet it but everyone else folded /images/graemlins/frown.gif I decided to try for checkraise on the river which was a mistake. He bet the turn but the board paired again on the river and he checked his straight. When the board paired again I needed to bet but I didn't.
Anyway the interesting thing at this table was the fact that quads hit 4 times in less than an hour! Quads hit 4 times in about 30 hands! The online conspiracy theorists would be convinced of a fix if that happened at Party! I ended up playing about 3 hours and wound up winning $172. I was definitely running good!
After dinner and a few drinks I got back to the Mirage and played some more 6/12. Soft again but I couldn't get much going and played for around 2 hours winning another $40.
Day Three: Maniac Central!
Did my typical spa/pool routine in the morning and headed back for 3/6 in the afternoon. During the day I just like playing small. It was another typical loose passive game and in 2 hours I won another $91.
After dinner I decided to check out the Bellagio. I was amazed when I glanced at the clipboard and saw no list for either 4/8 or 8/16. I took an 8/16 seat immediately and immediately became upset. I hate those damn wobbly ass worn out adjustable chairs they have. On my last trip when I played there I was able to snag one of the few 4 leg solid chairs they have but I couldn't find one not in use this time. So I was uncomfortable and all I wanted to do was leave. The game was once again pretty soft though. I took a pretty expensive beat here when I got the nut straight on the turn up against a set, another nut straight and a flush draw. Turn capped but the flush hit on the river. I only played here about 20 minutes and left due to my unhappiness with the chairs. I lost $106 for my first losing session albeit a short one. The game seemed very beatable but I was uncomfortable and felt like drinking.
So I headed back to Harrahs. They have comfy chairs and nice new large tables with those drink holders built right into the rail which are very condusive to drinking. I immediately got into a 4/8 game and it was wild! 7,8,9 to every flop and fairly aggressive and on top of that 4,5,6 to every river. You needed cards to win in this games. There were lots of insanely huge pots. On one had preflop, flop and turn were all capped 6 ways (river checked around!) which was won by middle pair! I folded preflop that time /images/graemlins/smile.gif This games was nuts but also lots of fun. I dranks lots of beers but pretty much stayed on my A game. I didn't get a whole lot of playable stuff here and my two biggest winners were both big blind special. Once I flopped trip 7's with 72o and once I flopped 2 pair with 42o and got paid off multiple ways in both occurances. Lots of variance in this game obviously. I was probably up about $150 at my peak but finally left after about 5 hours with a small $29 profit.
Day Four: Tournament Time
Did my spa/pool in the morning and then at noon headed downtown to sign up for Binions $60 afternoon NL tournament. I hadn't been downtown in 20 years so it was nice to wander around waiting for the tournament to start. $60 is a misnomer. $60 gets you 1000 in chips but for an extra $10 you get 500 more so it's stupid and they should just make it $70 buyin. also there is an addon anytime before first break for $40 more for 1000 more chips.
The structure sounds good on paper (20 minute rounds) but is in fact very crapshootish. The dealers were absolutely horrible and slow and sloppy and stupid. Anytime someone was all in and there was any kind of split pot they were totally confused and took forever to figure things out. 20 minute levels but if you got 10 hands a level you were lucky and it started at 25/50 and went up fast. The tourny field featured several WPT wannabees withe the pulled down ballcaps and wraparound mirrored shades. There was also one pair of Fossilman glasses. But despite the attire the field was basically soft and clueless. There were 5 full tables and after about 10 minutes in they squeezed in 5 alternates making it 11 handed tables. It would pay 6 places with 1st being about $1500 and sixth at $250.
On about the 3rd or 4th hand I caught AA. I raised to 150 and got 4 callers. I flopped another Ace and 2 clubs (I had Ac in my pocket). I potted it and got one caller. Turn was a club. He checked, I pushed and he tried to stare me down for 2 minutes before he folded. Not much else happened and I was at 4000 at first break after adding on and up 1500.
After break I get caught stealing and ground down to about 1900 but on last hand before next break I push with AQs and double up so I go into second break with still about 4000.
After break things were moving quickly and blinds increasing rapidly and guys dropping like flies. I catch no cards but steal my way to the final table and hit the 3rd break with 13500 and 9 players left.
I'm below average stack but it's a crapshoot. The 2 small stacks drop and there are 7 left with 6 getting paid. Blinds are 1000/2000 with 200 antes now. I'm in cutoff with KJo and ultra tight old man is in big blind. I have stolen from him a couple times already and I have him covered by 300 measly chips. I push, he thinks and he calls with ATs. He flops flush /images/graemlins/frown.gif I am beyond life support. The next hand I toss in my 200 ante and my last 100 chip. I don't even look at the hand and just flip it the end. It was 55 and a winner! Now I have 1900 and I'm UTG. I look at 73o and decide to take my chances with my BB. My BB is no good and I'm out 7th of 55 and the bubble boy. I guess I coulda tossed the KJ but it was push there or get blinded off so I went for it. It coulda been KK and I still woulda lost so I feel it was destiny /images/graemlins/smile.gif I felt worse losing the 5 hours than the $110.
After getting back to the strip and having dinner I played some more 6/12. This table was real weak tight. I was catching okay starting cards but was missing flops. But this weak tight crew was folding to any aggression and I was being aggresive so it worked out pretty well. Then the alcohol stared flowing and the table was loosening up. It got loose passive preflop and weak tight post flop and was a pretty easy game to do well in. I played for about 3 hours and left with a $150 win which paid for the tourny debacle.
Day Five: Last Chance
After spa/pool I hit the 3/6 again in the afternoon. Typically loose and passive and ultimately beatable. 5 years ago these games were much tougher and tighter. But now it's all tourists and most of the old rocks are gone. I played for 3 hours and took in $163.
After dinner I decided since it was my last night I needed to finally make the step up to 10/20. I hadn't ever played above 8/16 before. I walked in just as the announcement came "10/20 holdem immediate seating". So I went. I almost left when I saw it was only 6 handed. Shorthanded isn't my preference and especially at a new higher limit. But I sat down anyway and the game did fill within 15 minutes. The game didn't seem much different than the 3/6s and 6/12s I was playing earlier. The 10/20 seemed to be a little bit tigher and a little bit more aggressive but still seemed pretty soft. I made my biggest mistake (?) in this game which made it my costliest. One limper and I raise with JJ in the cutoff and BB calls as do limpers. Flops is AJx rainbow. Checked to me I bet and get 2 callers. Turn x, checked to me and I betg and get one caller. River is a T (no flush) and the limper bets? I instinctively raise figuring he hit his AT for 2 pair but he reraises. I say "Oh [censored] you have KQ" and I call and he does have KQ and I get sucked out by the gutshot /images/graemlins/frown.gif Should I have just called river? In retrospect that seems like what I should have done but I figured these guys wouldn't be chasing gutters? Anyway besides that hand I did okay at this table. It was physically uncomfortable though because there were a bunch of fatasses (like me!) crammed around the table and it was cramped. As the Bellagio examples tells you I don't wanna be uncomfortable on vacation and I was tired anyway. I only played about an hour but won $178. Since I was leaving early next morning I decided I'd try Harrahs one last time and have a few drinks and still get to bed early.
I got right into another Harrahs 4/8 LAGfest! Not quite as aggressive as the earlier night but still usually 7/8 to a flop and tons of action. Shortly after I sat down the dealers changed and he asked where the Kill button was. It wasn't a kill game but a few of the maniacs lobbied for putting in a half kill and everyone agreed. I had a few beers and played some unintersting poker for about 2 hours and finished my final session with a $48 winner. Then I called it a successful trip and headed off to bed.
Statistics:
Limits played: 3/6, 4/8, 4/8 (1/2 kill), 6/12, 8/16, 10/20
Ring sessions: 11 (10 winners) (one loser)
Tournaments: 0 for 1 (7th out of 55 bubble boy)
Hours played 29 (24 ring, 5 tournament)
Money won: $949 $1059 (ring) -$110 (tournament)
Conclusions:
I think I enjoy playing smaller games even though I can beat and afford to play slightly bigger games. I'm on vacation and put a premium on comfort and fun and find pressure a negative. I'm not a pro and I can have lots of fun playing 3/6 to 6/12 while feeling no anxiety. In the 10/20 game I was concerned more with looking like fish than the money of a higher limit. But I think I played pretty well there. In fact I was pretty much on my A game all trip long.
These are the games Ed Miller writes about! Thanks Ed /images/graemlins/smile.gif I never find games this fishy or this passive or this soft anywhere online at any limit. Every game I played in I felt almost immediately that I was the best player in the game. These people just have no clue for the most part. Especially those Harrahs games! There must be something in the air there because all 3 sessions I played there were wild. If you like Lagfests with enormous pots you must check out this room!
Also I thought the Binions tournament was a waste of time. Structure looks great in theory but it's a pure crapshoot. I'd say that even if I had won rather than bubbled. I guess I'm spoiled by the speed and structure of online tournaments. Interestingly I enjoy online tournaments much more than a live structure like this but when it comes to ring games I enjoy live tons more than online ring games. It's tough to find rings this soft online.
Anyway I had lots of fun and won enough to pay for the trip. I really enjoy my Las Vegas journies and am already looking forward to my next one.
You still reading this? Get a life /images/graemlins/smile.gif
The games have changed a lot in the past 5.5 years and of course my game has improved a bunch too. But right now the games seem easier and softer and fishier than ever.
Day One: Dead Tired
I had a very early flight which required me to get up at 4am CST which is 2am Vegas time. The nice thing about that was I was checked into my room at the Mirage by 10:30am. The bad part was I had very little sleep and was already beat.
Anyway I wandered around a little and watched a little football and then went to look at IP and Harrahs rooms. I decided to play a little at Harrahs where they had 3 2/4 games and a 4/8 game going. The 4/8 had a seat and I took it. What I saw amazed me! The game was ultra loooooose! And also kinda passive which is a very good combination. Anyway 6 to 9 players seeing each and every flop! None of them with even a sembelence of a clue. I played for about 45 minutes and won $170. I really didn't get lots of pots or great cards. But I sure did get paid off well multiple ways when I did make a hand. I was kinda hungry so I went and got something to eat. I was happy booking a solid win in a very short opening session.
After eating and wandering around a bit more I returned to the Mirage and signed up for 6/12. Last time out in May the 6/12 sucked and was very rocky. But this game was very loose passive as well. Not quite as loose as the 4/8 earlier but still 5 or 6 to a flop and little evidence of anyone with a clue. I just played solid poker for about 2 hours and endined up winning $122. I was dead tired and at 7:30pm called it a day and went to bed to finally get rested up for the upcoming week happy with a solid opening day.
Day Two: Quads Quads Quads!
I slept for 10 hours /images/graemlins/smile.gif Then I grabbed some breakfast and headed to the spa for a nice workout and steam/sauna/whirlpool. I was relaxed and ready to start my vacation. I hit the pool for a few hours and the weather was perfect! It was unseasonably cool this week meaning 70's and 80's and it was great. I was meeting a friend for dinner and after poolside leisure I decided to kill a few hours playing some 3/6.
The 3/6 was real soft. Once again very passive, loose and clueless. My big hand of the trip happened here. I had pocket 55 and flopped quads! I was in EP but there were 7 callers preflop. I checked the flop and old rock bet it but everyone else folded /images/graemlins/frown.gif I decided to try for checkraise on the river which was a mistake. He bet the turn but the board paired again on the river and he checked his straight. When the board paired again I needed to bet but I didn't.
Anyway the interesting thing at this table was the fact that quads hit 4 times in less than an hour! Quads hit 4 times in about 30 hands! The online conspiracy theorists would be convinced of a fix if that happened at Party! I ended up playing about 3 hours and wound up winning $172. I was definitely running good!
After dinner and a few drinks I got back to the Mirage and played some more 6/12. Soft again but I couldn't get much going and played for around 2 hours winning another $40.
Day Three: Maniac Central!
Did my typical spa/pool routine in the morning and headed back for 3/6 in the afternoon. During the day I just like playing small. It was another typical loose passive game and in 2 hours I won another $91.
After dinner I decided to check out the Bellagio. I was amazed when I glanced at the clipboard and saw no list for either 4/8 or 8/16. I took an 8/16 seat immediately and immediately became upset. I hate those damn wobbly ass worn out adjustable chairs they have. On my last trip when I played there I was able to snag one of the few 4 leg solid chairs they have but I couldn't find one not in use this time. So I was uncomfortable and all I wanted to do was leave. The game was once again pretty soft though. I took a pretty expensive beat here when I got the nut straight on the turn up against a set, another nut straight and a flush draw. Turn capped but the flush hit on the river. I only played here about 20 minutes and left due to my unhappiness with the chairs. I lost $106 for my first losing session albeit a short one. The game seemed very beatable but I was uncomfortable and felt like drinking.
So I headed back to Harrahs. They have comfy chairs and nice new large tables with those drink holders built right into the rail which are very condusive to drinking. I immediately got into a 4/8 game and it was wild! 7,8,9 to every flop and fairly aggressive and on top of that 4,5,6 to every river. You needed cards to win in this games. There were lots of insanely huge pots. On one had preflop, flop and turn were all capped 6 ways (river checked around!) which was won by middle pair! I folded preflop that time /images/graemlins/smile.gif This games was nuts but also lots of fun. I dranks lots of beers but pretty much stayed on my A game. I didn't get a whole lot of playable stuff here and my two biggest winners were both big blind special. Once I flopped trip 7's with 72o and once I flopped 2 pair with 42o and got paid off multiple ways in both occurances. Lots of variance in this game obviously. I was probably up about $150 at my peak but finally left after about 5 hours with a small $29 profit.
Day Four: Tournament Time
Did my spa/pool in the morning and then at noon headed downtown to sign up for Binions $60 afternoon NL tournament. I hadn't been downtown in 20 years so it was nice to wander around waiting for the tournament to start. $60 is a misnomer. $60 gets you 1000 in chips but for an extra $10 you get 500 more so it's stupid and they should just make it $70 buyin. also there is an addon anytime before first break for $40 more for 1000 more chips.
The structure sounds good on paper (20 minute rounds) but is in fact very crapshootish. The dealers were absolutely horrible and slow and sloppy and stupid. Anytime someone was all in and there was any kind of split pot they were totally confused and took forever to figure things out. 20 minute levels but if you got 10 hands a level you were lucky and it started at 25/50 and went up fast. The tourny field featured several WPT wannabees withe the pulled down ballcaps and wraparound mirrored shades. There was also one pair of Fossilman glasses. But despite the attire the field was basically soft and clueless. There were 5 full tables and after about 10 minutes in they squeezed in 5 alternates making it 11 handed tables. It would pay 6 places with 1st being about $1500 and sixth at $250.
On about the 3rd or 4th hand I caught AA. I raised to 150 and got 4 callers. I flopped another Ace and 2 clubs (I had Ac in my pocket). I potted it and got one caller. Turn was a club. He checked, I pushed and he tried to stare me down for 2 minutes before he folded. Not much else happened and I was at 4000 at first break after adding on and up 1500.
After break I get caught stealing and ground down to about 1900 but on last hand before next break I push with AQs and double up so I go into second break with still about 4000.
After break things were moving quickly and blinds increasing rapidly and guys dropping like flies. I catch no cards but steal my way to the final table and hit the 3rd break with 13500 and 9 players left.
I'm below average stack but it's a crapshoot. The 2 small stacks drop and there are 7 left with 6 getting paid. Blinds are 1000/2000 with 200 antes now. I'm in cutoff with KJo and ultra tight old man is in big blind. I have stolen from him a couple times already and I have him covered by 300 measly chips. I push, he thinks and he calls with ATs. He flops flush /images/graemlins/frown.gif I am beyond life support. The next hand I toss in my 200 ante and my last 100 chip. I don't even look at the hand and just flip it the end. It was 55 and a winner! Now I have 1900 and I'm UTG. I look at 73o and decide to take my chances with my BB. My BB is no good and I'm out 7th of 55 and the bubble boy. I guess I coulda tossed the KJ but it was push there or get blinded off so I went for it. It coulda been KK and I still woulda lost so I feel it was destiny /images/graemlins/smile.gif I felt worse losing the 5 hours than the $110.
After getting back to the strip and having dinner I played some more 6/12. This table was real weak tight. I was catching okay starting cards but was missing flops. But this weak tight crew was folding to any aggression and I was being aggresive so it worked out pretty well. Then the alcohol stared flowing and the table was loosening up. It got loose passive preflop and weak tight post flop and was a pretty easy game to do well in. I played for about 3 hours and left with a $150 win which paid for the tourny debacle.
Day Five: Last Chance
After spa/pool I hit the 3/6 again in the afternoon. Typically loose and passive and ultimately beatable. 5 years ago these games were much tougher and tighter. But now it's all tourists and most of the old rocks are gone. I played for 3 hours and took in $163.
After dinner I decided since it was my last night I needed to finally make the step up to 10/20. I hadn't ever played above 8/16 before. I walked in just as the announcement came "10/20 holdem immediate seating". So I went. I almost left when I saw it was only 6 handed. Shorthanded isn't my preference and especially at a new higher limit. But I sat down anyway and the game did fill within 15 minutes. The game didn't seem much different than the 3/6s and 6/12s I was playing earlier. The 10/20 seemed to be a little bit tigher and a little bit more aggressive but still seemed pretty soft. I made my biggest mistake (?) in this game which made it my costliest. One limper and I raise with JJ in the cutoff and BB calls as do limpers. Flops is AJx rainbow. Checked to me I bet and get 2 callers. Turn x, checked to me and I betg and get one caller. River is a T (no flush) and the limper bets? I instinctively raise figuring he hit his AT for 2 pair but he reraises. I say "Oh [censored] you have KQ" and I call and he does have KQ and I get sucked out by the gutshot /images/graemlins/frown.gif Should I have just called river? In retrospect that seems like what I should have done but I figured these guys wouldn't be chasing gutters? Anyway besides that hand I did okay at this table. It was physically uncomfortable though because there were a bunch of fatasses (like me!) crammed around the table and it was cramped. As the Bellagio examples tells you I don't wanna be uncomfortable on vacation and I was tired anyway. I only played about an hour but won $178. Since I was leaving early next morning I decided I'd try Harrahs one last time and have a few drinks and still get to bed early.
I got right into another Harrahs 4/8 LAGfest! Not quite as aggressive as the earlier night but still usually 7/8 to a flop and tons of action. Shortly after I sat down the dealers changed and he asked where the Kill button was. It wasn't a kill game but a few of the maniacs lobbied for putting in a half kill and everyone agreed. I had a few beers and played some unintersting poker for about 2 hours and finished my final session with a $48 winner. Then I called it a successful trip and headed off to bed.
Statistics:
Limits played: 3/6, 4/8, 4/8 (1/2 kill), 6/12, 8/16, 10/20
Ring sessions: 11 (10 winners) (one loser)
Tournaments: 0 for 1 (7th out of 55 bubble boy)
Hours played 29 (24 ring, 5 tournament)
Money won: $949 $1059 (ring) -$110 (tournament)
Conclusions:
I think I enjoy playing smaller games even though I can beat and afford to play slightly bigger games. I'm on vacation and put a premium on comfort and fun and find pressure a negative. I'm not a pro and I can have lots of fun playing 3/6 to 6/12 while feeling no anxiety. In the 10/20 game I was concerned more with looking like fish than the money of a higher limit. But I think I played pretty well there. In fact I was pretty much on my A game all trip long.
These are the games Ed Miller writes about! Thanks Ed /images/graemlins/smile.gif I never find games this fishy or this passive or this soft anywhere online at any limit. Every game I played in I felt almost immediately that I was the best player in the game. These people just have no clue for the most part. Especially those Harrahs games! There must be something in the air there because all 3 sessions I played there were wild. If you like Lagfests with enormous pots you must check out this room!
Also I thought the Binions tournament was a waste of time. Structure looks great in theory but it's a pure crapshoot. I'd say that even if I had won rather than bubbled. I guess I'm spoiled by the speed and structure of online tournaments. Interestingly I enjoy online tournaments much more than a live structure like this but when it comes to ring games I enjoy live tons more than online ring games. It's tough to find rings this soft online.
Anyway I had lots of fun and won enough to pay for the trip. I really enjoy my Las Vegas journies and am already looking forward to my next one.
You still reading this? Get a life /images/graemlins/smile.gif