SubGreen
12-08-2004, 03:07 AM
I recently turned 21 so my buddies and I took a weekend trip to vegas. It was incredible! I had heard many stories about weak players throwing money away and had to see for myself. I've been playing poker for just under 16 months, predominantly no limit with a small amount of limit very recently.
The first place we gambled was the Mirage. I started with $500 and over the course of a few hours built my stack to just under $800. In retrospect it wouldn't have been a bad idea to quit and take a nap, but i was having too much fun! I played until around 6AM and by then my stack was down to $500, I started playing almost every hand and chasing draws and when i caught myslef i was down to $300 and decided to czll it a night. My first card room experience wasn't a success for the wallet, but I learned a lot and had a great time.
The next morning I played in an 84 man tourney with a $25 buy in, it was limit for the first hour and no limit after that. Having little limit experience I was very nervous and plyed tight, I went into the second hour with an average stack. The next hour I played well and made it to the final table. My first hand played at that table was QQ, I called a low stack who went all in for about 1/2 my stack. He had 87suited and caught a flush. After that I was blinded down until there were only 8 left. I went all in on the button with no calls in front of me trying to steal the blinds, my 77 was called by the bb with 88. I finished one spot out of the money, but I was all smiles!
The rest of the weekend was spent playing 10-16 hour sessions in various casinos, (Palms, Bellagio, Mirage and Luxor). I started winning and playing my A game. My strategy was to sit at the table for an hour playing very tight until I felt I got a feel for the players, then let loose. I am a very social person at the table. I try to make conversation and be friends with everyone, i figure they run into enoughserious 21 year old players with headphones and glasses that they'll have more fun at a table with me. I also can't stand a boring table with no talking and a bunch of angry snobs.
The highlight of my weekend was the Bellagio! I played two 12+ hour sessions there and loved every minute of it. When my table started to get boring i busted out my new favorite piece of poker attire: my eye-wear. Everyone and their brother wears sunglasses so I thought it would be a great conversation starter to wear ski goggles. I pulled out my Oakley A-Frame goggles and everyone at the table just stared at me. Their mirrored lense reflected everything and completely hid my eyes. One woman threatened to call the floor, but most people got a kick out of it. When I had a hand I'd put them down and stare directly at my opponent. In my head I wasn't trying to intimidate them, just make them laugh. It worked like a charm, many players would chuckle, "How can I play this kid, I can't see his eyes!" One stripper at my table told me only cheaters and perverts wore goggles like me, implying I was staring at her chest. All in all it was a success, one player asked to borrow them for a while and the floor-man told me he loved them and I was starting a new poker trend.
I did very well at the bellagio 2-5 NL $200 tables, cashing out most of my weekend profits in that card-room. I made most of the money off small pocket pairs that flopped a set. Heres one of my biggest hands:
I have 33 on the button, there is a raise to $20 (not uncommon), by a very loose player who has been raising with J4 off and similar rags. There is one call then I call. The big-blind raises to $75, he is a weak player who has lost $500 of his $1100 stack since he sat at this table. The original raiser calls and there is another call before I play. I have $800 in front of me and call the raise. The flop comes out 4 5 10 with two spades. It is checked to me and I don't want to take a stab at it so I check also. The turn comes 3 of hearts. The big blind bets $40 and everyone else folds, I raise to $150 and he calls reluctantly. the river is a J (not a spade) and the bb checks, I bet $140 and he thinks for a while then calls. I flip over my set and he mucks. I have no idea what he had but I was happy to take down the bigest pot of my life.
I planned to get married or at least go to a club, I spent evey hour awake playing cards instead. I though for sure I'd have no time for the ladies, so when i found myself with a very drunk, very attractive hottie in the elevator at 7 AM at the Luxor I was thrilled. She pressed 9, I pressed 12 and the inclinator (its a diagonal elevator in the pyramid) began to move. She immediately hung all over me and when her floor came up she didn't budge. I was semi-sober just off an 18 hour day of cards and was ready for bed so I stepped out of the elevator with her on my shoulder, stood her up straight and gave her a goodnight kiss. I then turned her around and sent her down the hall with a small push. I got back in the elevator to get my average 3 hours of sleep.
On the last day in vegas we woke up at noon and I packed and went down to the card-room. We had to leave to the airport at 5 so I wanted to get a few hours in before I left. The luxor hadn't opened a no limit game so I sat at the 2-4 table and got on the NL list. My first 5 hands were all playable and all hit the flops, I had KK and flopped a set and turned a full house, I bet and raised every chance and was reraised on the river i raised and was called by a pair of Jacks. In the 30minutes before NL opened I made $60. I played at the no limit $50 table for 4 hours and after an initial 25 dollar hit, I built my stack to over $400, I was playing mind games with the table, telling my hands and still getting payed off, playing in the dark, etc. I cashed out for a profit of $430 at a nl50 table, needless to say it was the softest table of the weekend.
After a small stint at the Pai gow table I was off to the airport. It was the greatest weekend i've had in a while. I made a total profit of $2000 for three days in the card rooms. I learned a ton and had a great time, table image is everything and I estimate I nearly doubled my winnings by the way I played with everyones minds and kept the table smiling. I don't know how I'm going to go back to online and local home games, nothing can compare to the atmosphere of the Bellagio card rom. Everyone look for me when you go to Vegas I'll probably be living there soon, wearing my goggles and playing cards all night.
Vince if you read this I'm coming back to play a tourney with you, (do you have any floor space or a couch?)
The first place we gambled was the Mirage. I started with $500 and over the course of a few hours built my stack to just under $800. In retrospect it wouldn't have been a bad idea to quit and take a nap, but i was having too much fun! I played until around 6AM and by then my stack was down to $500, I started playing almost every hand and chasing draws and when i caught myslef i was down to $300 and decided to czll it a night. My first card room experience wasn't a success for the wallet, but I learned a lot and had a great time.
The next morning I played in an 84 man tourney with a $25 buy in, it was limit for the first hour and no limit after that. Having little limit experience I was very nervous and plyed tight, I went into the second hour with an average stack. The next hour I played well and made it to the final table. My first hand played at that table was QQ, I called a low stack who went all in for about 1/2 my stack. He had 87suited and caught a flush. After that I was blinded down until there were only 8 left. I went all in on the button with no calls in front of me trying to steal the blinds, my 77 was called by the bb with 88. I finished one spot out of the money, but I was all smiles!
The rest of the weekend was spent playing 10-16 hour sessions in various casinos, (Palms, Bellagio, Mirage and Luxor). I started winning and playing my A game. My strategy was to sit at the table for an hour playing very tight until I felt I got a feel for the players, then let loose. I am a very social person at the table. I try to make conversation and be friends with everyone, i figure they run into enoughserious 21 year old players with headphones and glasses that they'll have more fun at a table with me. I also can't stand a boring table with no talking and a bunch of angry snobs.
The highlight of my weekend was the Bellagio! I played two 12+ hour sessions there and loved every minute of it. When my table started to get boring i busted out my new favorite piece of poker attire: my eye-wear. Everyone and their brother wears sunglasses so I thought it would be a great conversation starter to wear ski goggles. I pulled out my Oakley A-Frame goggles and everyone at the table just stared at me. Their mirrored lense reflected everything and completely hid my eyes. One woman threatened to call the floor, but most people got a kick out of it. When I had a hand I'd put them down and stare directly at my opponent. In my head I wasn't trying to intimidate them, just make them laugh. It worked like a charm, many players would chuckle, "How can I play this kid, I can't see his eyes!" One stripper at my table told me only cheaters and perverts wore goggles like me, implying I was staring at her chest. All in all it was a success, one player asked to borrow them for a while and the floor-man told me he loved them and I was starting a new poker trend.
I did very well at the bellagio 2-5 NL $200 tables, cashing out most of my weekend profits in that card-room. I made most of the money off small pocket pairs that flopped a set. Heres one of my biggest hands:
I have 33 on the button, there is a raise to $20 (not uncommon), by a very loose player who has been raising with J4 off and similar rags. There is one call then I call. The big-blind raises to $75, he is a weak player who has lost $500 of his $1100 stack since he sat at this table. The original raiser calls and there is another call before I play. I have $800 in front of me and call the raise. The flop comes out 4 5 10 with two spades. It is checked to me and I don't want to take a stab at it so I check also. The turn comes 3 of hearts. The big blind bets $40 and everyone else folds, I raise to $150 and he calls reluctantly. the river is a J (not a spade) and the bb checks, I bet $140 and he thinks for a while then calls. I flip over my set and he mucks. I have no idea what he had but I was happy to take down the bigest pot of my life.
I planned to get married or at least go to a club, I spent evey hour awake playing cards instead. I though for sure I'd have no time for the ladies, so when i found myself with a very drunk, very attractive hottie in the elevator at 7 AM at the Luxor I was thrilled. She pressed 9, I pressed 12 and the inclinator (its a diagonal elevator in the pyramid) began to move. She immediately hung all over me and when her floor came up she didn't budge. I was semi-sober just off an 18 hour day of cards and was ready for bed so I stepped out of the elevator with her on my shoulder, stood her up straight and gave her a goodnight kiss. I then turned her around and sent her down the hall with a small push. I got back in the elevator to get my average 3 hours of sleep.
On the last day in vegas we woke up at noon and I packed and went down to the card-room. We had to leave to the airport at 5 so I wanted to get a few hours in before I left. The luxor hadn't opened a no limit game so I sat at the 2-4 table and got on the NL list. My first 5 hands were all playable and all hit the flops, I had KK and flopped a set and turned a full house, I bet and raised every chance and was reraised on the river i raised and was called by a pair of Jacks. In the 30minutes before NL opened I made $60. I played at the no limit $50 table for 4 hours and after an initial 25 dollar hit, I built my stack to over $400, I was playing mind games with the table, telling my hands and still getting payed off, playing in the dark, etc. I cashed out for a profit of $430 at a nl50 table, needless to say it was the softest table of the weekend.
After a small stint at the Pai gow table I was off to the airport. It was the greatest weekend i've had in a while. I made a total profit of $2000 for three days in the card rooms. I learned a ton and had a great time, table image is everything and I estimate I nearly doubled my winnings by the way I played with everyones minds and kept the table smiling. I don't know how I'm going to go back to online and local home games, nothing can compare to the atmosphere of the Bellagio card rom. Everyone look for me when you go to Vegas I'll probably be living there soon, wearing my goggles and playing cards all night.
Vince if you read this I'm coming back to play a tourney with you, (do you have any floor space or a couch?)