02-26-2002, 07:22 PM
Running on adrenaline right now after getting in on a 5am redeye charter from Laughlin, NV to Edmonton. Been gone 10 days and thought I would weigh in with some observations and news from the trip, like you all care! LOL
Anyway, flew into Laughlin on Feb 15th arriving about midnite. Played golf in Kingman, AZ on the 16th with a golf chum from Vegas who is with the Southern Nevada Golf Assn ( I am a Director with the Alberta Golf Assn) and he had taken the trouble to line up some games for me while I was in town. Nice course in Kingman, temperature in the mid 70's, and much to my surprise, so was my game! Shot 75 including an OB in my first game in 5 months and hit what will probably be the best golf shot I will hit all year: a 205 yard 5-iron from a fairway bunker to a front pin tucked behind a greenside bunker to 6 feet! Missed the effing putt, though.
Poker action? in Laughlin at the Colorado Belle was lively, if all low limit. Played in a friendly $2-5 HE game with the locals, made about $75 before running out of steam. Had to get up early on Sunday, pick up my rental car, and off to Vegas! Played golf (comp, thank you, Jimmy!) at Rio Secco, an upscale daily fee place in Henderson. Butch Harmon has his teaching school there, and while they had some gorgeous golf shirts in the pro shop, when I started to do the math converting $140US into Canuck scrip, I backed off! Greens were about 12 on the Stimp, and the wind was howling. Had at least 45 putts! Not much fun, but I knew I would redeem myself at the Mirage poker room that night.
Long list for $6-12 but got right into a nice $3-6 game. Was looking for Clarkmeister, and the floorman knew who he was, but he wasn't in the room that night. A $100 win in the $3-6 game took some of the stink out of the 88 at Rio Secco. More comp golf at a terrific 54-hole layout NW of town on Monday called Paiute. More crappy putting again, but I consoled myself knowing I was lower than anyone teeing it up that day in Alberta. Back to the Mirage Monday night, and immediate seating in the $6-12 game.
About 30 minutes into the sit, I know I am in a pretty tough game. I have played $6-12 at the Mirage before, and it wasn't anything like THIS game. Several very solid players, but I was keeping my nose clean, and staying out of trouble for the most part, when this tall blond kid comes up beside me and starts chatting up one of his buddies in the game seated two to my left. He's got an Illinois ball cap on, so who else could it be, right? It's Clarkmeister!
He sits in to my immediate left, and we have a very nice visit over the next hour or two. I get to show down two "steal raises" from late position that drove Dave off his button; one with KK and one with AA, which set the stage for me to make 3 or 4 effective blind steals a little later with stuff like K9s, and 66. Still holding my own, but now a player has sat it on my right and I am sandwiched between two of the more aggressive players on the planet. It was kind of fun to watch these guys go at each other, and I was amazed at how hard Clarkmeister would push razor thin edges for extra bets. In fact, after one particularly harrowing river bet with A8 looking at a board of 8-7-6-5-2 that was not only called but was good, he commenented to me under his breath, "Jim Brier wouldn't have liked that one!" LOL
As I said, I was taken aback at how aggressive Dave was, but I came to realize that it was the nature of this game, and the regulars who populate it, that makes this strategy viable. In Edmonton games, if you made these thin bets and got called, you were losing the hand. But in the Mirage game, the other regulars in the game KNEW that Dave pushed hard, and would make equally thin calls that picked off his bluffss once in a while too. So in balance, possibly an effective way to compete, but just higher variance than I was used to seeing, I guess.
One fun hand to report from the sit. I am in the SB with KK. A weak player limped in from up front, and Dave's buddy on my right raised. I 3-bet and both Dave and the EP limper folded, with the button just calling. Flop comes down K-4-4 and to make a long story short, the hand costs me about $90 busting me out when the button shows me pocket 4's! Ouch! I end up getting spanked for $200 in the game, but the game was pleasant, challenging, and it was nice to meet the Clarkmeister!
Was staying at Boulder Station and one boring sit there on Monday night in their 4-8 HE game. Blinds were half price at $1-$2 instead of the normal $2-$4 and it was liking watching paint dry. The jackpot was up over $50K, and it became clear to me early that the game was populated with local rocks who hung around for jackpot hands, and mucked everything else. A real snoozer.Went to bed before midnite because I wanted to be well rested for my drive to LA on Wednesday.
Stayed with friends in the Westminster area, and didn't play on Wed. nite, just visited. Thursday afternoon, off to the Bike! Met Rick Nebiolo there in the afternoon, and promises of impending Friday visits from Hero and (drum roll, please) Vince!
The $3-6 game I was in was maybe one of the most irritating in which I have had the pleasure? of ever being involved. It was like the United Nations of poker, which is fine with me in and of itself. But lots of speaking in tongues during the hand, and this one particularly irriating young Vietnamese woman on my immediate left. She was getting chips pushed to here by at least two other players at the table after they won pots, and without this she would have been either busted out, or re-buying long before this. I finally had enough and complained to a floorman. The dealers obviously didn't care what was going on. Of course, now I am the pariah and perhaps their target, but I didn't care. And the other thing that really annoyed me was the constant requests from people to see called hands at the showdown. I know, I know, anyone can ask, but when the rule is being abused in this manner, I think it's time to speak up. Very straightforward hands, heads-up action, "I want to see that hand!" Drove me nuts.
Went back to the Bike on Friday afternoon, and much to my surprise, up on one set in the high limit section, was the MSNBC telecast of the men's curling Gold medal game. Here I am running back and forth from my game to catch the action, and trying to explain the strategy to Rick N. and then Martin is heavy drawing the 4-foot for the gold, a shot he normally makes in his sleep. ARghhhhhhhhh!!!
But, my depression was lifted about 8 pm when Rick comes by my table and says, "Vince is here! He's over sweating Hero's 6-12 O/8 game." Well, finally, I'm gonna get a chance to meet the one, the only, Vince Lepore! I had my own little "Olympic moment", with Vince, Hero, Rick and I all there at once. Vince and I scarfed down most of Hero's chicken wings, and I was delighted to meet someone else that has the same barber as myself! Nice meetin' ya, Vinnie!
Also got to chatting with a young guy in the game who posts on 2+2 as Dave C. Good player; I was happy to see him cash out!
Saturday, it was time to see The Commerce. Quite a card room! Place was hopping, with over 30 games going just in the Big Room, all games there 30-60 and up. Was watching one game a little bit in particular; I think it was $300-600. All I know is there were a whole lot of those red and white $100 chips in play! I think Dan Negreanu was playing, but I didn't want to "go tourist" and interrupt the game to ask!
I get into a brand new $4-8 HE game just after 1 pm. As tight as the $6-12 game was at the Mirage, this was the diamteric opposite; the stereoptypical ram 'n jam SoCal HE game. Two guys in particular were driving the Action Bus in this game, and I stayed out of the way as much as possible, and took down a couple of very nice pots. Played 5 hours, nice $350 win to more than offset the Mirage whipping. The game was friendly, and I saw none of the dealer abuse that everyone reports as common. Maybe my Canadian politeness gene permeated the psyches of the other players, I don't know.
Sunday morning drive south on I-5 to San Diego to visit a buddy. Could use a little more scenery, but a nice trip just the same. Watched the first period of the Canada-USA gold medal game, and then had to start back to Vegas. I pick up the radio broadcast up around Riverside, and there I am roaring along in the 75 mph range just trying to keep up with the flow, white-knuckling it as Canada protects their 3-2 3rd period lead. Iginla scores, and I still can't believe I didn't crash! I'm screaming my lungs out, hands off the wheel, pounding the dashboard of the car, drawing scarcely a glance from the other lanes. As the clock wound down, I could hear the Canadian fans start singing Oh Canada in the background, and even though it was 80 above in brilliant sunshine, I had goosebumps the size of marbles. Tears streaming down my face, and I'm not the least bit ashamed to admit it. I could hardly breathe. I was chatting online this morning with a friend from Boston who commented, "it's only sports!"
I replied, "No it isn't. It's hockey." skp, Dave Ottosen, and Dave Shaw will understand.
Great trip, nice to get to meet Vince, Clarkmeister, Dave C. and to renew acquaintances with Rick and Hero. Great poker action, nice to play in the "majors", but for all the sunshine, super people, and everything else, it was still great to get off that plane this morning, even if it was -5F!
Anyway, flew into Laughlin on Feb 15th arriving about midnite. Played golf in Kingman, AZ on the 16th with a golf chum from Vegas who is with the Southern Nevada Golf Assn ( I am a Director with the Alberta Golf Assn) and he had taken the trouble to line up some games for me while I was in town. Nice course in Kingman, temperature in the mid 70's, and much to my surprise, so was my game! Shot 75 including an OB in my first game in 5 months and hit what will probably be the best golf shot I will hit all year: a 205 yard 5-iron from a fairway bunker to a front pin tucked behind a greenside bunker to 6 feet! Missed the effing putt, though.
Poker action? in Laughlin at the Colorado Belle was lively, if all low limit. Played in a friendly $2-5 HE game with the locals, made about $75 before running out of steam. Had to get up early on Sunday, pick up my rental car, and off to Vegas! Played golf (comp, thank you, Jimmy!) at Rio Secco, an upscale daily fee place in Henderson. Butch Harmon has his teaching school there, and while they had some gorgeous golf shirts in the pro shop, when I started to do the math converting $140US into Canuck scrip, I backed off! Greens were about 12 on the Stimp, and the wind was howling. Had at least 45 putts! Not much fun, but I knew I would redeem myself at the Mirage poker room that night.
Long list for $6-12 but got right into a nice $3-6 game. Was looking for Clarkmeister, and the floorman knew who he was, but he wasn't in the room that night. A $100 win in the $3-6 game took some of the stink out of the 88 at Rio Secco. More comp golf at a terrific 54-hole layout NW of town on Monday called Paiute. More crappy putting again, but I consoled myself knowing I was lower than anyone teeing it up that day in Alberta. Back to the Mirage Monday night, and immediate seating in the $6-12 game.
About 30 minutes into the sit, I know I am in a pretty tough game. I have played $6-12 at the Mirage before, and it wasn't anything like THIS game. Several very solid players, but I was keeping my nose clean, and staying out of trouble for the most part, when this tall blond kid comes up beside me and starts chatting up one of his buddies in the game seated two to my left. He's got an Illinois ball cap on, so who else could it be, right? It's Clarkmeister!
He sits in to my immediate left, and we have a very nice visit over the next hour or two. I get to show down two "steal raises" from late position that drove Dave off his button; one with KK and one with AA, which set the stage for me to make 3 or 4 effective blind steals a little later with stuff like K9s, and 66. Still holding my own, but now a player has sat it on my right and I am sandwiched between two of the more aggressive players on the planet. It was kind of fun to watch these guys go at each other, and I was amazed at how hard Clarkmeister would push razor thin edges for extra bets. In fact, after one particularly harrowing river bet with A8 looking at a board of 8-7-6-5-2 that was not only called but was good, he commenented to me under his breath, "Jim Brier wouldn't have liked that one!" LOL
As I said, I was taken aback at how aggressive Dave was, but I came to realize that it was the nature of this game, and the regulars who populate it, that makes this strategy viable. In Edmonton games, if you made these thin bets and got called, you were losing the hand. But in the Mirage game, the other regulars in the game KNEW that Dave pushed hard, and would make equally thin calls that picked off his bluffss once in a while too. So in balance, possibly an effective way to compete, but just higher variance than I was used to seeing, I guess.
One fun hand to report from the sit. I am in the SB with KK. A weak player limped in from up front, and Dave's buddy on my right raised. I 3-bet and both Dave and the EP limper folded, with the button just calling. Flop comes down K-4-4 and to make a long story short, the hand costs me about $90 busting me out when the button shows me pocket 4's! Ouch! I end up getting spanked for $200 in the game, but the game was pleasant, challenging, and it was nice to meet the Clarkmeister!
Was staying at Boulder Station and one boring sit there on Monday night in their 4-8 HE game. Blinds were half price at $1-$2 instead of the normal $2-$4 and it was liking watching paint dry. The jackpot was up over $50K, and it became clear to me early that the game was populated with local rocks who hung around for jackpot hands, and mucked everything else. A real snoozer.Went to bed before midnite because I wanted to be well rested for my drive to LA on Wednesday.
Stayed with friends in the Westminster area, and didn't play on Wed. nite, just visited. Thursday afternoon, off to the Bike! Met Rick Nebiolo there in the afternoon, and promises of impending Friday visits from Hero and (drum roll, please) Vince!
The $3-6 game I was in was maybe one of the most irritating in which I have had the pleasure? of ever being involved. It was like the United Nations of poker, which is fine with me in and of itself. But lots of speaking in tongues during the hand, and this one particularly irriating young Vietnamese woman on my immediate left. She was getting chips pushed to here by at least two other players at the table after they won pots, and without this she would have been either busted out, or re-buying long before this. I finally had enough and complained to a floorman. The dealers obviously didn't care what was going on. Of course, now I am the pariah and perhaps their target, but I didn't care. And the other thing that really annoyed me was the constant requests from people to see called hands at the showdown. I know, I know, anyone can ask, but when the rule is being abused in this manner, I think it's time to speak up. Very straightforward hands, heads-up action, "I want to see that hand!" Drove me nuts.
Went back to the Bike on Friday afternoon, and much to my surprise, up on one set in the high limit section, was the MSNBC telecast of the men's curling Gold medal game. Here I am running back and forth from my game to catch the action, and trying to explain the strategy to Rick N. and then Martin is heavy drawing the 4-foot for the gold, a shot he normally makes in his sleep. ARghhhhhhhhh!!!
But, my depression was lifted about 8 pm when Rick comes by my table and says, "Vince is here! He's over sweating Hero's 6-12 O/8 game." Well, finally, I'm gonna get a chance to meet the one, the only, Vince Lepore! I had my own little "Olympic moment", with Vince, Hero, Rick and I all there at once. Vince and I scarfed down most of Hero's chicken wings, and I was delighted to meet someone else that has the same barber as myself! Nice meetin' ya, Vinnie!
Also got to chatting with a young guy in the game who posts on 2+2 as Dave C. Good player; I was happy to see him cash out!
Saturday, it was time to see The Commerce. Quite a card room! Place was hopping, with over 30 games going just in the Big Room, all games there 30-60 and up. Was watching one game a little bit in particular; I think it was $300-600. All I know is there were a whole lot of those red and white $100 chips in play! I think Dan Negreanu was playing, but I didn't want to "go tourist" and interrupt the game to ask!
I get into a brand new $4-8 HE game just after 1 pm. As tight as the $6-12 game was at the Mirage, this was the diamteric opposite; the stereoptypical ram 'n jam SoCal HE game. Two guys in particular were driving the Action Bus in this game, and I stayed out of the way as much as possible, and took down a couple of very nice pots. Played 5 hours, nice $350 win to more than offset the Mirage whipping. The game was friendly, and I saw none of the dealer abuse that everyone reports as common. Maybe my Canadian politeness gene permeated the psyches of the other players, I don't know.
Sunday morning drive south on I-5 to San Diego to visit a buddy. Could use a little more scenery, but a nice trip just the same. Watched the first period of the Canada-USA gold medal game, and then had to start back to Vegas. I pick up the radio broadcast up around Riverside, and there I am roaring along in the 75 mph range just trying to keep up with the flow, white-knuckling it as Canada protects their 3-2 3rd period lead. Iginla scores, and I still can't believe I didn't crash! I'm screaming my lungs out, hands off the wheel, pounding the dashboard of the car, drawing scarcely a glance from the other lanes. As the clock wound down, I could hear the Canadian fans start singing Oh Canada in the background, and even though it was 80 above in brilliant sunshine, I had goosebumps the size of marbles. Tears streaming down my face, and I'm not the least bit ashamed to admit it. I could hardly breathe. I was chatting online this morning with a friend from Boston who commented, "it's only sports!"
I replied, "No it isn't. It's hockey." skp, Dave Ottosen, and Dave Shaw will understand.
Great trip, nice to get to meet Vince, Clarkmeister, Dave C. and to renew acquaintances with Rick and Hero. Great poker action, nice to play in the "majors", but for all the sunshine, super people, and everything else, it was still great to get off that plane this morning, even if it was -5F!