hutz
05-21-2003, 05:45 PM
I traveled to Vegas over the past weekend for a few days of debauchery and poker (well, just poker). I have been playing for only a little over a year now, mostly online, but have put more effort into learning the game than I put into any single law school class. The game has become a solid income source and fun hobby for me. Here is my first effort at a trip report. I hope you find it enjoyable. I have also posted a few interesting hands from the trip in the small stakes forum.
May 15 -- I awoke at 5 a.m. Vegas time and headed to the airport. This followed a very late date the previous night. Note to self -- next time you are traveling, no matter how cute the girl you are dating is, get some sleep the night before your flight. After volunteering to get bumped from the outbound flight in exchange for $300+ in flight credit, I arrived only thirty minutes later than originally planned. $600+ per hour? Score! I checked in, ate a quick bite, then headed to the Mirage poker room.
Session 1: $3-$6 Mirage -- I wanted to get my live play legs back under me, so I started out at the low end of the food chain. The table was pretty loose and passive, which was sweet. I caught a few good hands that held up. Nothing remarkable happened during the session except that Clarkmeister called me to arrange a meeting at Mandalay Bay later that night. Meaningless short-term results: +$86 in 5.25 hrs.
Session 2: $4-$8 (with $1-$2 blinds and half kill) Mandalay Bay -- Tommy Angelo, PokerBabe, majorkong, Howard Burroughs, and Clarkmeister were already sitting at various tables when I arrived. Unfortunately, the only available spot was at a table on the other side of the room from them. It was populated by a mix of loose/aggressives and tight/passives. After suffering a string of beats and being stuck quite a bit at that table, I finally got to move to a table with all the 2+2ers. A fishy old guy was to the right of me, majorkong was on my left, Howard's wife was next, then a couple of weak players, then the murderer's row of Tommy Angelo, Clarkmeister, PokerBabe, and Howard Burroughs followed. I was already dragging ass and decided that my physical/mental state, plus the fact I was a sapling amongst the redwoods, dictated that I concentrate on making sure I had my pre-flop A-game going. Fortunately/unfortunately that was easy to do because I promptly embarked on a 5+ hour run of horrible starting cards. In fact, Clarkmeister politely requested that I play at least one hand before he completed his final orbit. Despite the fact that I would have been more than willing to take advantage of the $2 pre-flop blind structure, I was unable to oblige. In fact, I don't think I saw the turn more than ten times the entire night. majorkong's charming habit of straddling my big blind didn't help any! <ya bastid> I was content to finish just a touch below break even during my 2+2 session, with a big win holding pocket kings making up for my pre-flop raises that missed the flop and the never ending run of worthless starting hands.
Some side notes: All of the 2+2ers mentioned above are great folks. They were all nice and a joy to play with. They made me feel right at home. I especially appreciate Clarkmeister taking the time to arrange the meeting. I was also glad Dynasty stopped in to say hello, even though he didn't sit in the game. It was nice to put a face with a name after having played with him in the shorthanded study group last fall. I failed to follow in vehn's footsteps and ask the Babe where I stood on the "LG" scale. It's probably to my benefit that I didn't. There is a hand in the small stakes forum entitled "What's Clarkmeister Jamming?" that arose during this session. Meaningless short-term results: -$179 in 7 hours.
May 16 -- After crashing into bed at 3 a.m. after having been up almost 24 straight hours, I went to lunch at PF Chang's with my friend and headed back to the tables in the afternoon.
Session 3: $3-$6 Mirage -- I was dealt in at a table populated by a mix of Social Security check protecting seniors and some really fishy tourists. Nice. /forums/images/icons/laugh.gif I caught a mild rush of premium starting hands, raised them (much to the seniors' chagrin), and watched them hold up. I always get a kick out of hearing one rock stage-whisper to another something like: "How can he raise like that before he even knows what's coming on the flop?! These kids come in and think they can just run over this game!" There wasn't anything too eventful at this table except that one old codger was berating another because she had apparently switched seats from the one I occupied. Whenever I'd flip over my aces, KQs, etc., he'd remind her that those could have been her cards. Her pat response was "at least he knows what to do with 'em." /forums/images/icons/laugh.gif I have posted in the small stakes forum a hand entitled "D'oh!" that arose during this session. Meaningless short-term results: +$40 in 5.5 hours.
Session 4: $4/$8 Bellagio -- After a 45-minute wait for a table, I finally sat down a little after midnight. I was immediately informed by the friendly guy to my left that the guy in the nine seat was drunk and that whenever he tried to open bet $8 early or $16 late it meant he had a very strong hand. I quickly realized that the drunk guy was generally more clueless than drunk. I eventually got to move around the table such that I had some of the more loose/fishy players to my right and one of the few tight players on my left. That allowed me to raise after some loose limpers and push out the tight guy. It also helped that majorkong strolled by and announced to the table how squeaky tight I had played the night before. That facilitated my isolation plays. Despite getting run down by a guy chasing runner-runner flush (no other piece of the flop) and someone who acknowledged he knew I had him out-kicked but who chased and caught his kicker, I had a good session. The highlight of the session was how the table banded together to think of new and creative ways to persuade the now-fully-drunk guy to stick around for "a few more hands" at a time. There is a hand titled "Let's Rumble!" in the small stakes forum. It's one that arose during this session, although I was nothing but an observer. Meaningless short-term results: +$155 in 5.5 hours.
May 17 -- After having played until almost 6 a.m. in the previous session (the point where the fish swam away and left only solid players at the table), I crashed until early afternoon. With a couple of candy bars for lunch, I headed out.
Session 5: $6/$12 Mirage -- The day started well because I ran into the Babe while waiting for a table. Unfortunately, that was the highlight of the day. Thus began the dry spell that wiped out all of my previous gains. I got pocket kings once (which only stole the blinds), pulled some cash out of a nut-flush-flopping Axs limp on the button, suffered one horrible beat, and then folded . . . and folded . . . and folded. Both tables I played at had a nice mix of loose players and predictable players. I saw multiple fishy cold-calls (even of some 3-bets!), which made stealing the blinds a -EV attempt. Unfortunately, I got few good starting hands and was unable to take advantage of the situation. Yawn! Meaningless short-term results: -$78.50 in 6.25 hours.
May 18 -- I had planned to play again the night of the 17th. After eating at the comped Mirage buffet (thanks for the tip, Howard!) and returning to my room for a quick nap, I was struck by a wave of exhaustion and decided that I would be doing nothing but contributing to others' bankrolls if I played. So, I slept until noon and checked out of the hotel. I played two hands of blackjack at the Flamingo (only because the matchplay coupon I received applied to one's second hand) and won them both for a $15 profit.
Session 6: $4/8 Bellagio -- Immediately upon sitting at the table, two locals began loudly whispering to each other about what type of player I might be. They both agreed that I was very tight because of the way I was sitting in my chair! Fact is, I was simply having fun rocking back in the chair while waiting for the blinds to reach me. The Bellagio chairs have poor cushioning, but I like that they are adjustable and rock. Once play began, the folding fun continued. I picked up a couple of small pots but nothing significant happened. I won a small pot with pocket kings; another with jacks; folded red kings when a calling station EP player bet into me on an ace-high, all-spades flop; dumped pocket tens when my UTG open raise was 3-bet by a super-tight local and was 4-bet by another tighty (AA v. KK); saw my various other premium hands miss the flop by a mile after my pre-flop raises; and had absolutely no luck with steal raises despite my super-tight image. Needless to say, it was an unproductive session. Meaningless short-term results: -$118 in 5.5 hours.
Overall, the trip was fun. I was pleased with the way that I played, especially with my ability to remain patient and not push marginal hands simply because I wasn't getting many good starters. "Zen and the Art of Poker" was a big help in that regard. I read it just before the trip and always make it a habit to re-read the book every three months or so. It's time well spent (except for the superstitious references to changing one's play because of lucky/unlucky streaks). I'm looking forward to my next trip to Vegas!
P.S. If anyone knows Tommy Angelo's address, please send it to me via private message. I need to serve him with process. His CD caused me great physical pain (my stomach hurt from laughing) and I need to collect the compensation I so greatly deserve for my suffering. /forums/images/icons/laugh.gif
May 15 -- I awoke at 5 a.m. Vegas time and headed to the airport. This followed a very late date the previous night. Note to self -- next time you are traveling, no matter how cute the girl you are dating is, get some sleep the night before your flight. After volunteering to get bumped from the outbound flight in exchange for $300+ in flight credit, I arrived only thirty minutes later than originally planned. $600+ per hour? Score! I checked in, ate a quick bite, then headed to the Mirage poker room.
Session 1: $3-$6 Mirage -- I wanted to get my live play legs back under me, so I started out at the low end of the food chain. The table was pretty loose and passive, which was sweet. I caught a few good hands that held up. Nothing remarkable happened during the session except that Clarkmeister called me to arrange a meeting at Mandalay Bay later that night. Meaningless short-term results: +$86 in 5.25 hrs.
Session 2: $4-$8 (with $1-$2 blinds and half kill) Mandalay Bay -- Tommy Angelo, PokerBabe, majorkong, Howard Burroughs, and Clarkmeister were already sitting at various tables when I arrived. Unfortunately, the only available spot was at a table on the other side of the room from them. It was populated by a mix of loose/aggressives and tight/passives. After suffering a string of beats and being stuck quite a bit at that table, I finally got to move to a table with all the 2+2ers. A fishy old guy was to the right of me, majorkong was on my left, Howard's wife was next, then a couple of weak players, then the murderer's row of Tommy Angelo, Clarkmeister, PokerBabe, and Howard Burroughs followed. I was already dragging ass and decided that my physical/mental state, plus the fact I was a sapling amongst the redwoods, dictated that I concentrate on making sure I had my pre-flop A-game going. Fortunately/unfortunately that was easy to do because I promptly embarked on a 5+ hour run of horrible starting cards. In fact, Clarkmeister politely requested that I play at least one hand before he completed his final orbit. Despite the fact that I would have been more than willing to take advantage of the $2 pre-flop blind structure, I was unable to oblige. In fact, I don't think I saw the turn more than ten times the entire night. majorkong's charming habit of straddling my big blind didn't help any! <ya bastid> I was content to finish just a touch below break even during my 2+2 session, with a big win holding pocket kings making up for my pre-flop raises that missed the flop and the never ending run of worthless starting hands.
Some side notes: All of the 2+2ers mentioned above are great folks. They were all nice and a joy to play with. They made me feel right at home. I especially appreciate Clarkmeister taking the time to arrange the meeting. I was also glad Dynasty stopped in to say hello, even though he didn't sit in the game. It was nice to put a face with a name after having played with him in the shorthanded study group last fall. I failed to follow in vehn's footsteps and ask the Babe where I stood on the "LG" scale. It's probably to my benefit that I didn't. There is a hand in the small stakes forum entitled "What's Clarkmeister Jamming?" that arose during this session. Meaningless short-term results: -$179 in 7 hours.
May 16 -- After crashing into bed at 3 a.m. after having been up almost 24 straight hours, I went to lunch at PF Chang's with my friend and headed back to the tables in the afternoon.
Session 3: $3-$6 Mirage -- I was dealt in at a table populated by a mix of Social Security check protecting seniors and some really fishy tourists. Nice. /forums/images/icons/laugh.gif I caught a mild rush of premium starting hands, raised them (much to the seniors' chagrin), and watched them hold up. I always get a kick out of hearing one rock stage-whisper to another something like: "How can he raise like that before he even knows what's coming on the flop?! These kids come in and think they can just run over this game!" There wasn't anything too eventful at this table except that one old codger was berating another because she had apparently switched seats from the one I occupied. Whenever I'd flip over my aces, KQs, etc., he'd remind her that those could have been her cards. Her pat response was "at least he knows what to do with 'em." /forums/images/icons/laugh.gif I have posted in the small stakes forum a hand entitled "D'oh!" that arose during this session. Meaningless short-term results: +$40 in 5.5 hours.
Session 4: $4/$8 Bellagio -- After a 45-minute wait for a table, I finally sat down a little after midnight. I was immediately informed by the friendly guy to my left that the guy in the nine seat was drunk and that whenever he tried to open bet $8 early or $16 late it meant he had a very strong hand. I quickly realized that the drunk guy was generally more clueless than drunk. I eventually got to move around the table such that I had some of the more loose/fishy players to my right and one of the few tight players on my left. That allowed me to raise after some loose limpers and push out the tight guy. It also helped that majorkong strolled by and announced to the table how squeaky tight I had played the night before. That facilitated my isolation plays. Despite getting run down by a guy chasing runner-runner flush (no other piece of the flop) and someone who acknowledged he knew I had him out-kicked but who chased and caught his kicker, I had a good session. The highlight of the session was how the table banded together to think of new and creative ways to persuade the now-fully-drunk guy to stick around for "a few more hands" at a time. There is a hand titled "Let's Rumble!" in the small stakes forum. It's one that arose during this session, although I was nothing but an observer. Meaningless short-term results: +$155 in 5.5 hours.
May 17 -- After having played until almost 6 a.m. in the previous session (the point where the fish swam away and left only solid players at the table), I crashed until early afternoon. With a couple of candy bars for lunch, I headed out.
Session 5: $6/$12 Mirage -- The day started well because I ran into the Babe while waiting for a table. Unfortunately, that was the highlight of the day. Thus began the dry spell that wiped out all of my previous gains. I got pocket kings once (which only stole the blinds), pulled some cash out of a nut-flush-flopping Axs limp on the button, suffered one horrible beat, and then folded . . . and folded . . . and folded. Both tables I played at had a nice mix of loose players and predictable players. I saw multiple fishy cold-calls (even of some 3-bets!), which made stealing the blinds a -EV attempt. Unfortunately, I got few good starting hands and was unable to take advantage of the situation. Yawn! Meaningless short-term results: -$78.50 in 6.25 hours.
May 18 -- I had planned to play again the night of the 17th. After eating at the comped Mirage buffet (thanks for the tip, Howard!) and returning to my room for a quick nap, I was struck by a wave of exhaustion and decided that I would be doing nothing but contributing to others' bankrolls if I played. So, I slept until noon and checked out of the hotel. I played two hands of blackjack at the Flamingo (only because the matchplay coupon I received applied to one's second hand) and won them both for a $15 profit.
Session 6: $4/8 Bellagio -- Immediately upon sitting at the table, two locals began loudly whispering to each other about what type of player I might be. They both agreed that I was very tight because of the way I was sitting in my chair! Fact is, I was simply having fun rocking back in the chair while waiting for the blinds to reach me. The Bellagio chairs have poor cushioning, but I like that they are adjustable and rock. Once play began, the folding fun continued. I picked up a couple of small pots but nothing significant happened. I won a small pot with pocket kings; another with jacks; folded red kings when a calling station EP player bet into me on an ace-high, all-spades flop; dumped pocket tens when my UTG open raise was 3-bet by a super-tight local and was 4-bet by another tighty (AA v. KK); saw my various other premium hands miss the flop by a mile after my pre-flop raises; and had absolutely no luck with steal raises despite my super-tight image. Needless to say, it was an unproductive session. Meaningless short-term results: -$118 in 5.5 hours.
Overall, the trip was fun. I was pleased with the way that I played, especially with my ability to remain patient and not push marginal hands simply because I wasn't getting many good starters. "Zen and the Art of Poker" was a big help in that regard. I read it just before the trip and always make it a habit to re-read the book every three months or so. It's time well spent (except for the superstitious references to changing one's play because of lucky/unlucky streaks). I'm looking forward to my next trip to Vegas!
P.S. If anyone knows Tommy Angelo's address, please send it to me via private message. I need to serve him with process. His CD caused me great physical pain (my stomach hurt from laughing) and I need to collect the compensation I so greatly deserve for my suffering. /forums/images/icons/laugh.gif