Kevin
02-28-2004, 11:00 PM
Hello All,
I made my first trip in two years to Las Vegas and wanted to post the report.
I had about $2500 in my bankroll, so I felt I could play some decent limits and hopefully be able to hold my own. When I went to Vegas 4 years ago, I had just discovered Holdem and donated about $500 – totally convinced that my luck was challenged by a bad run of cards – but hey – that’s why they call it gambling… /images/graemlins/grin.gif. Two years ago, I had just begun winning. I was weak tight with about $500 to play with in the 3/6 game. I was the table coach, wanting everyone to know how much I knew and that their sunglasses (at 3/6) would not intimidate me. I would be the one shaking my head and coaching when my aces were cracked by a 4 outer in 8 way pre-flop action. I would not understand how AK could be beaten by A6 of spades in these same multi-way pots when the 6 came on the end. I have evolved and continue to learn and adjust. This trip would be a nice barometer to tell me how far I had come.
Our National Sales meeting was at the MGM. Our awards dinner started Tuesday Evening at 5pm, so we had from the time we got in until then for ourselves. As a result, I took the Monday morning flight out of Pittsburgh and got to LV by noon.
After waiting an eternity to get to the hotel, I put my bags up and took the tram from the Excalibur to Mandalay Bay. I remember how hot the waitresses were with their lingerie outfits and I remembered that the games were soft so I started there.
I put my name on the 4/8 and 6/12 lists. Both tables were full, but I sat in a 1-5 stud game for about 30 minutes while I waited. No antes only the low bring in. I waited around, grabbed a couple of small pots and had about a $25 profit by the time they called me to the 4/8 game.
As always happens, I get put in the 1 seat – where I can’t see the action very well and can’t see 10 at all. I have a tough time seeing if 7,8,9, or 10 are in the hand, so I seemed to get yelled at for acting too soon or taking too long. I won a couple of hands, got moved to the middle of the table, then got called for the 6/12 game. The half blind structure drives me crazy. Everyone calls for $2.00 (or $3.00 in the 6/12). So you have mulit-way pots which would be good for drawing hands – except you can’t get pot odds on some of the draws because the blind was so low. This was a dilemma. On the other hand. A big hand raised to 6 (or 9) would win a nice $3 pot because the pot commitment was so large relative to investment that even the blinds would fold. Ugh.
I played here for a couple of hours. Won a couple of pots, J10s flush held up, aces held up. I lost a couple of pots and I was about 6 hours into my trip and up $69.
A buddy that I work with came to check up on me and it seemed a good time to cut and close on the game. We headed back to the MGM, picked up a friend and went to the Harley Hog bar for dinner (Bar B Q was fantastic). After some chat, chow, and a couple of drinks, we parted ways and I headed to the Bellagio. As a side note – It is amazing how it looks like buildings are so close to each other, yet after you start walking and realize that you just hoofed it a mile and a half, the true enormity and scope of the resorts comes into focus.
At Bellagio, the wait was about an hour, so I sat down a little after 10pm. I played 10/20 one time and Jeffersonville IN in a loose passive game and did not adjust my tight aggressive style. As a result, I lost about $500 still convinced that I was bad beat when my AQo was cracked in a live game by an Ax-suited button play who caught his two pair. I was a little leery. I have really grown to like the 5/10 game at the Taj the few times that I have been there and I was rolled for it, so I decided to play the 8/16.
I bought in for my standard 40 big bets. The game was pretty tight except for one guy who liked to call. He was okay, but he was playing a game that would be optimal in a loose game (small pairs early Ax suited, etc.) in an otherwise tight game. Unfortunately, he was hitting his hands (up against AK with A5 on A x 4 board, turn 2, river, 3, next hand). He piled up about $500 in an hour and was going on about how great it was and he needed to leave but couldn’t because he couldn’t lose, etc.
He left and the game became ultra-tight. More chops than flops, open raise everyone folds, etc.
This game went on for about an hour. I got up and got a sandwich. When I came back, we were 5 handed and the game broke. We drew for 3 spots in another 8/16. I was stuck about $100 and feeling like maybe I wasn’t ready for these limits. Then the magic happened…
It was about 2 am when he came into my life. My new best friend with two racks of Red calling 3 and 4 bets cold with any 2. 2 loose aggressives came in shortly thereafter. One other strong player. 5 other weak tights that were only playing the nuts and folding to anything else. I have never seen anything like it.
The swings were big. Ax, small pairs, suited connectors. I had just had a refresh read the HPFAP section on loose games on the airplane ride in so I was ready for this. It had a tendency to get wild, but it was more loose than wild. We did have unraised preflop hands, and a lot of one raise with 6 or 7 cold calls. One hand I particularly remember well. I was in the small blind with 3 4 club. It is raised in MP by the loose aggressive. It comes to me with 6 people already in the pot and the big blind yet to call . I call the raise for an additional 12 dollars knowing that this is a simple hand to get away from but it will pay off huge if the miracle comes. Assuming the big blind calls I am getting 11 to 1 and the raiser is the maniac with any 2 random cards (it was playing like a 16/32 game preflop, so I call. Unfortunately, the big blind raises to make it 24. Calls all back to me and we play an 8 handed 3 bet preflop. Flop comes down 3 4 9 (2 hearts). I bet big, blind raises (big blind is 24 year old weak tight with sunglasses. He has been coaching the table on how to play and getting very upset when his AQo is getting cracked on the river in this game. He is very close to tilting if not already there). Every stinking player calls all the way around to me. I just call. Turn is a beautiful 3. I check. Big blind bets and starts talking trash about his aces not getting cracked this time. Calls all the way around (STILL 8 way action!!). I raise. He starts getting red in the face. He says to me “DON’T TELL ME YOU HAVE A 3! HOW COULD YOU PLAY THAT IN A RAISED POT!” I say, “just betting my hand sir:. He only calls. As do my other 6 new best friends. River comes an 8 of hearts. I know that there is a possibility for a small pair to have caught a set – lord knows that they have the pot odds. I bet. He calls by slamming his chips in the middle of the table (I now pronounce you man and hand – you may kiss your aces). Everyone else just calls and I show 3c4c and MHIG. He stands up and starts raising his arms and says. “YOU PLAYED 34 for 3 bets pre-flop!! YOU ARE THE WORST POKER PLAYER IN THE WORLD!!!” I said “Sorry, I was only calling 1 and 1/2 bet in 8 way action with a suited connector. If you would have told me you had aces and were going to 3 bet, I would have folded!” He says. “THAT HAND HAS NO VALUE- KEEP PLAYING THOSE RAGS – YOU WILL GIVE MY MONEY BACK TO ME SOON”. At that point I say, I am sorry, I am still learning this game. It took 4 hands to stack up that monster pile of chips. Any comments on the play? I know it is group 7 and it seems like a no brainer to play for 1 1/2 bet preflop getting 11 to 1 in the small blind 8 handed. Should I have been worried at all about a set of 9s or 8s?.
The guy steams off another 200 in chips in the next hour. I get about half of it and he keeps telling to just keep playing any two and I will give him his money back soon enough. (far from the truth – just adjusted to the loose game). I get up as much as $1100 in this game. The passive cold-caller finally burns through his 2 racks about 7 am. The swings are big. I get ran down on a couple, win a couple and went back to about +$800. I had a sales award dinner at 4:30 pm and so I needed to get back to the MGM to crash for a few hours. The game was still good, but at 10, I finally left up $779 for the session. I had been up since 5:30 east coast time.
On the long walk back to hotel, there was a guy taking donations for the homeless shelter. Seeing that it was a pretty good first day, I pulled off $100 from the newly enlarged cabbage roll and he thanked me profusely. Maybe it made its way to the shelter, maybe it went to his pocket, but it was my tithe on my earn for the night. The game of the century had ended and this trip looked like it had the makings of being positive.
I won a sales award Tuesday night which was worth 2 grand. Things were going well. I was pretty tired, but happy.
Wednesday was all day meetings. I had told myself that I was not going to play any during the meeting so that I could be fully present. I knew that if I played, there was a chance I would go all night if the game was good and not be able to post for the meeting – not the best long-term career strategy. I went back to my room after the dinner on Wednesday night about 8. I told myself that if I fell asleep in the next 15 minutes I would wake up rested on Thursday. Otherwise, I would go to the Luxor and play the 1-4/8-8 game.
I stared at the ceiling for 15 minutes and against better judgment went over to the Luxor. It was not the nicest of rooms. Very small games. Everyone wanted to play the 2-4 game and the talk of the room was about the freerolls for all day play, jackpots for big hands and bad beat jackpots at about $1000. I have never been one to adjust my game for these things, I just try to win the pots that I am in, but the live ones always talk about how these rooms (Mandalay, Monte Carlo, Luxor) are so much better than the big 2 because they take care of their customers with the jackpot hands and the blinds are cheaper. Meanwhile they are paying a $4 rake on a 2/4 game with a dollar jackpot drop. No thanks.
I go to buy in for my 40 big bets and the manager tells me that it is way too much. I could probably get by on $100 because the game is so passive. I compromise on $200 with $200 behind in cash on the table. A 28 or 29 year old guy named Billy is in the 1-4-8-8 game when I sit down. Billy was in the money game the other night in the Bellagio. I didn’t much care for him at first. He sat down after the 15/30 game broke up and saw the action in ours. He was wearing sunglasses and pressing a lot of action. He got stuck for about $250 and eventually got up. He also requested to move to my right after being across the table from me, so I wasn’t sure if I was to take that as a slam or a good thing.
We talked a little bit. He is a pro and has been for about 6 years. He moved to LA and was beating the 30/60 at the Commerce for a big bet an hour and had moved back to LV in the past year. He props the Luxor and deals 2 nights a week. He said that with the freerolls and the soft games, it is actually a profitable play for him throughout the week and he plays 15/30 at Bellagio and Mirage Friday through Monday. The only downside was that he had to get up his seat when someone else wanted to sit down. I liked Billy but was glad that he was gone. Until then, I tended to stay out of his way. We took turns isolating the weaker players and I left at midnight after 3 hours and was up another $96.
Meeting wrapped up on Thursday. I extended my stay until Saturday Morning. I headed back to the Bellagio hoping that the soft game from Monday would be repeated. I waited for about 45 minutes and was called to my 8/16 game. It was a mad house and Kim didn’t speak very good English – nor was she very friendly. She sent me to table 27. it was full. I went back and told her and she said no – 10. I go buy my 40 big bets and sit down at 10 to post behind the button. I put my $8 in and the dealer says – “Only 4”. Not thinking, I say okay and pull it back. I have Q6 heart unraised. 6 see the flop. Flop comes 2 hearts, it is bet out, I raise it 16 “It is only 8 sir” – at which point I realize I am in the no foldem holdem 4/8 game – way to be on top of it Kevin! I pull back my $8 – long story short, the flush doesn’t get there and I say, I was called to 8/16. He points to 11 and they motion for me to come over. I sit down and again begin to post behind the button when Kim comes over and tells me that I was not on the 8/16 list. I told her that it was the only list that I was on and she called me for it. They won’t deal me in for the hand. She gets her list and points to the name Kurt K and says see 4/8. I say, Ma’am, I am Kevin A” She says oh, sorry. So, a little steamed, I post 2 behind the button and get 99. Flop comes down 3 diamonds – but 1 is the 9. I am not sure how to play it here. I know that I am supposed to play sets fast but it is 6 way action. It is checked to me. In hindsight I probably should have bet and been raised by the cutoff and everyone else would fold to 2 bets and I could 3 bet what was probably a flush draw but potentially I was behind with my 10 outs. I check she bets, everyone still folds back to me and I raise it. She calls. She was an oriental woman and says – you are new player and you check raise me, you are mean player. Turn is a 4th diamond. Ugh. I bet out – still not sure why I did this but I was not playing well, went to the wrong game, my flush draw in the 4/8 game didn’t get there in a big pot, my set of 9s was cracked and I just made a mistake. In this case is it check/call dump on the end? River bails me out with a second queen (other 2 cards were rags) . I check she bets I check/raise. She says you very very mean player. I know that HPFAP says that I shouldn’t checkraise single opponents especially when I first sit down. I was irritated because when I sat down and had the episode with Kim an old man at the table says “You look like a 4/8 player – why don’t you go play over there”. I am 32, receding a tad on top, I am not sure where it came from and I am still trying to get better every day. I played that hand about as bad as it could be played and I was saved by the deck. It was a lesson learned but I did not feel good about the game or the chips that I was stacking at that point.
There was a early 40’s woman at the table who was playing every hand. She was paying the table off and went through about $500 in 3 hours. I was up about $250. The lady finally decides she can’t beat the game and gets up and leaves. One of the guys around the table whispers to the guy next to him “The game will change now. She was paying these other guys off and they are not that good”.
The game went sour. More chops than flops, a few steals maybe 2 showdowns in an hour. I got up to go eat some dinner at the café hoping that it would turn around when I came back. There was still a wait list so no one wanted to get up and leave because it would be a while getting into another game. When I got back from dinner, I get AJs in MP. I open raise. A reasonable player on the button makes it 3 bets and it comes back to me with the call. At this point, I am not sure if he is suspecting an open steal raise of if it legitimate. Flop comes down JJ9. I check with the intention of check-raising (Probably should have waited for the turn), he checked it off. Turn is a beautiful ace. I check, he bets, I check raise he calls. River pairs up the 9. I bet, he calls and begin thinking about how I am going to stack off my chips when he rolls over his red aces and says “I thought you either had the jacks or the 9’s”. Still stunned at this, I am ready to get on the floor and thank the good lord for not losing $96 more dollars (maybe more). I think I lost the least amount possible on that hand while I was irritated with how I played the flop, I was still in disbelief that he put me on those hands and didn’t make it 3 bets on the turn. At this point, I am down about $50, and not playing well. It started with the 9s and the guy probably made an accurate statement when he saw that play when he made his comment.
The game breaks and I am down about $120. We draw for 2 seats in the other game, like most draws that night, I miss mine. I go and sit in an open 4/8 seat and win a few pots in a loose game to get back about $50. I am called to the 8/16. I should have stayed in the 4/8. I start playing better, but I miss draws, pairs don’t hold up, blah, blah, blah. The table is once again pretty tough with one or two exceptions. One guy is giving action with marginal starters and goes up a rack. He is explaining to everyone who will listen just why he played every hand and what he thought we were on and the reason he made a 4 out call when he wasn’t getting his price – because he was “hot” and knew that the right card was coming. The live one was giving the action but he was also pulling the pot. It was the perfect storm and I was determined to give back everything that the Bellagio so gracefully gave me the other night.
It is getting rowdy a few tables over, and we suddenly realize that Phil Gordan and a few of his friends are playing rock, paper, scissors for $100 a hand. The dealer laughs and said that it reminds him of the World Series last year when guys were playing Indian poker for $1000 a hand. It is all about the action.
Phil wants to sit in the no limit game but there are not enough dealers. Two of his buddies come sit in our game. It is about 4 am at this point. They are golfing at 8:30 and want to stay busy. They keep on the manager to spread the no limit game. It gets pretty crazy, they start giving action knowing that they can outplay most of us after the flop. Phil sits down 2 to my left, waits to buy after the button. He says whatever happens at this game, I can’t lose, I just won $1100 playing rock, paper, scissors. When they decide to get the no limit game started….whew… One of his buddies is to my left. He is playing a lot, trying to isolate the live one with the extra rack. I try to do this a few times and we keep running into each other. He would do a lot of check raising on the river to see how much I really liked my marginal value bet. I had a middle pair flush draw one hand heads up with him and his straight got there on the end. He tried to check raise me, but I checked it off. His buddy said “Nice Job and laughed at him and he said “I think I made the least amount of money possible on that hand” He said “How could you put me on a Straight” I told him anything that he would call with, he probably had me beat. So I was better off check/calling.
I was down just short of $500. I was playing like a man stuck trying to dig his way out instead of cutting my losses and going home. After the hand above, things started turning around. Trip aces, he check/raised me on the river, I called he said nice hand. A couple of flushes, a couple of straights, big pairs that held up, plays that worked, etc. One hand I had 9/6 off suit in the small blind. UTG and UTG+1 had limped I had Phil’s buddy in the big blind with about a 60% probability that he would raise it, so I laid it down for ½ a bet. Of course, flop comes 996 turn is a 9 and two guys go after it hard with about $250-$300 in the pot. I told the dude that I laid down 96 in the small blind. I try not to do this – but it was just an amazing coincidence that if anyone else is behind me I probably call my 8-1. He says one of the funniest things I have ever heard. Very deadpanned – He wasn’t there to make friends and I was not forcing the issue by any means – “Lesson Learned – NEVER FOLD!”.
I actually get all the way back up $20. I then get ready to rack up because it was 8 a.m, My last hand was a flush draw that didn’t get there so I ended up down $37 for the session. I had played 12 hours and I was spent. They had the satellites starting at 9:30 for the 500+30 tourney that paid $24,000 to the winner. The price for the satellites as $115 (I think) and the top two players got the buy in for the big one. I was thinking of hanging on to play one, but I wasn’t sharp enough to make the right decisions and I would be throwing good money after bad. Plus I had to check out of the MGM by 11. I took a cab back, had breakfast, packed and left with my co-worker. He was staying at the Marriott Suites and told me I could crash on the sofa bed. I slept from about noon until 4 and then caught a cab to go back to the Bellagio. I got there about 5 and it was an absolute nuthouse. The list was 200 people deep. The tourney had filled up by 1:30 and they had more alternates than people in the tourney. 13 tables would be used for the tourney so it was at least a 2 hour wait. I decided to go check out the action at the Mirage. When I was there 2 years ago, The Mirage room was the one room that I didn’t win. I played 3/6 at the Mirage and 4/8 at Bellagio, Mandalay, and the Monte Carlo and it seemed that the game was tough. In retrospect, I played a TAG game that wasn’t suited for the game and was hurt because it.
When I went in, I was very impressed. The room was much bigger – the Keno area had been converted. The place was a mad house, they must have had a lot of people who had the same idea as me – leaving Bellagio to come there. It was very orderly. I decide to stick my neck out and play the 10/20 game. Hoping that it is a good game since it was Friday night.
It was anything but. Very tight, no limpers, ever. Lots of chops.
It usually went pre-flop raise, and if there was a caller, the flop was bet by the preflop raiser and he took it down. I got AcJc third hand in open raised in MP. I was cold called by the button. Flop is A and two clubs. I bet, he raises, I reraise. Turn no club, I bet he calls, river no club, I bet, he calls. He has AKo, Do I check call the river on this?
Next hand I get QQ. I open raise, cold called on the button. Flop comes ace high. I bet, he calls. I smell the turn raise coming, so I check, he bets, I call. River, Check Call – Do I lay this down here? By the way, he has AA – cold called the aces and flopped a set.
A couple others like it, blah, blah, blah, I am an hour in and down $300. So much for my test in the bigger game. It starts to turn. Another AsJs this time flops full with AJJ and two hearts. Flush gets there on the end and I get action from two flushes.
I had AhQh UTG and open raised a guy who was at the table and had been playing a few more hands than everyone else cold called. He raised 2 hands before under the gun with A10o. flop comes 553. I know that if I bet he will raises and I am not sure if I have the best hand – quite a few can beat me. So I check, he bets I call. Turn is a 9. I check, he bets, I check raise, he mucks. I know that I am betting 40 to win 80 at this point. Does anyone else make this play or is it too reckless? I made it against him specifically because of what I saw him play with. If he calls I don’t know what I do on the end. There were no draws on the board other than gut shots and stuff that he wouldn’t cold call with so he would have to have an over pair or AK – with AK being the likely scenario because he would have popped me back (or waited to pop on the end) if he had an over pair.
I ask to go to the 6/12 game because it is a really, really tough game. Every pot is raised everyone is pretty strong. I figured there was more to make in a good 6/12 game than in a tough 10/20 game. In fact 4 of the players had left the game for the same exact reason. Most of them went up to the 20/40 game.
They call me to 6/12. I am in the big blind with 44. The waitress comes with my drink, Ken comes to ask me if I am going to the 6/12 game, the action is moving, I am all over the place trying to give a tip and a responsce. UTG cutoff raises. It is cold called by the button and both blinds are in so we have 5 way action.
Flop is K74 two spades. What a way to go out. Check from the small blind, I bet utg raises. I think he has KQ suited or maybe 2 spades but I don’t think he would want to thin the field and he is out of position for a free card. Cutoff cold, button and small blind cold call 2. I am really scared of spades at this point and am convinced that my hand is ahead, so I make it 3 bets. UTG just calls, now cutoff comes alive and makes it 4 bets. 2 more coldcalls – I make it 5 bets and we have a 5 way family pot with a ton of cash in the pot. Turn is rag, I bet everyone calls. River is a spade. I think that the AKs has me beat. I know that I have to make a crying call. I check it is bet by the cutoff. All call, he turns over 2 kings. How stupid am I?! He raised preflop after an UTG limp. He four bet the flop when he saw all of the action, but he didn’t pop it on the turn with the flush draws out there. AsQs on button took the pot down. UTG had KhQh. I muck my hand meekly and move to the 6/12 table where my mistakes won’t cost $110 in one hand. They are all riding me. What on earth did you have 7’s? Lower flush draw? I said 4th place. I made it 50 to go on the flop with one card in the deck to save me. When the cutoff makes it 4 bets do I assume his set there? Way overplayed but I was trying to make the draws pay.
That was a very humbling last hand. Until that point, I had gone from $300 down to $256 up. I went to the 6/12 game up $146 after throwing those chips away.
I got into the 6/12 and it was a very very passive game. No raising, best hand wins, a very loose passive calling everything down to the river and couldn’t be moved off of a hand, even if she hadn’t paired. It took me about an hour to get out of the 10/20 mentality and adjusted to the game. By then, I had turned my $146 positive into a $27 negative. For the next couple of hours, I danced around +20 to +100 and back to +20 again. We had a young fellow probably 22 or 23 sit down. Of course, he thought that he invented the game and had commentary about every player. He overplayed big cards preflop like KJo or A10o. If he didn’t hit his exact flop, he meekly bet, he could be raised and then he call. If he missed again on the turn, he would check fold, or fold to a bet. If he had an underpair like sevens or eights, he would raise it preflop, play it for pair value and call down a board even with 3 paint, 3 flush or some obvious other hand that his eights couldn’t beat. He would then slam his cards down and say “I never get my three of a kind”. He would also talk about the hand with the person next to him every single hand. He was talking about tells he picked up on people – the way the fiddled their chips, etc. He would take a long time to call a river bet with his small pair didn’t improve and there were three over cards on the board. When someone would show J6o out of the blinds on a K J 9 flop and he has 66. He would muck and say nice hand, thought my pair might be good. I was ready to throw $12 in for him a few times just to speed up the game. He would always look at the player, then the board, then the pot and then proceed to stare at the felt like the 1 million dollar prize was at stake for his decision. It was pretty humorous. I have grown to love Mike Sexton for what he has done for poker. When he busted out the last of his $500, he said – “I just cannot get cards tonight! One guy was very loose and aggressive. On one hand after raising preflop with QQ, the flop came down rags – 5 2 9. I bet, he raised, I reraised. He starts talking, We both have a lot of chips here. I am going to the felt. He made it 4 bets. I had to give him credit for the set of 2 pair, although the 2 pair seemed unlikely – however he was loose – an ace anything type of player. Turn comes 6 I check, he bets, I call. River is a 7. I check, he bets, I call, he turns over 88. You win some, you lose some. I told him nice hand, I’ll know to stay out of his way next time. He starts chatting it up about taking me down, etc. Fast forward to a few hands later. I have 77. the flop is 2 paint and a rag. He bets, I call. Turn, more paint, he bets, I call, river, rag, he bets, I call. H has something like 85o – no pair. We did this about 4 times. I would have a middle pair or a top pair weak kicker out of the blind and I would go into call mode. He paid the queens back to me about 5 times over. As much as it hurt, I don’t think he would have had the same strategy if the queens held up.
I was playing marginal starters early that I would never think about in the bigger game. Small pairs like 3s and 4s, 1 gappers suited. There was never a raise behind ever and it was usually 6 and 7 way action, so those sets paid off handsomely and the gapers gave me a very loose preflop perception when I would turn over a 9 7 two pair on the flop and my hand would be good. This would get me action on my big hands and as a result, they stack contcontinued to grow. When I left at 2am, My stack had grown to $469, so the 6 1/2 game was worth $323 in about 5 hours time.
As a side note, Gordon and his crew were playing the no limit game at the Mirage. I am not sure if he busted out of the tourney or if he even played but they were having a lot of fun. Andy Bloc showed up as well. I don’t think he won but he was closer to midnight than Gordan.
Everyone was pointing them out and some people were asking for autographs. As one angry old man at our table said: “It is amazing the positive light that TV can put on degenerate gamblers!” I thought that it was pretty funny.
So here is the official recap:
Big Bet Hours $ Won Big Bets Won/Lost BB HR
Mandalay Bay $12 4 $69 5.75 1.44
Bellagio Monday $16 12 $779 48.69 4.06
Luxor Wednesday $8 3 $94 11.75 3.92
Bellagio Thursday 8/16 $16 11 ($68) (4.25) (0.39)
Bellagio Thursday 4/8 $8 1 $31 3.88 3.88
Mirage 10/20 Friday $20 3 $156 7.80 2.60
Mirage 6/12 Friday $12 5 $313 26.08 5.22
Total Bellagio 24 $742 48.31 2.01
Total Mirage 8 $469 33.88 4.24
Total Luxor 3 $94 11.75 3.92
Total Mandalay Bay 4 $69 5.75 1.44
Total Vegas Week 39 $1,374 99.70 2.56
Insights:
1.) New players like to talk a lot to prove that they belong at the table. The more they talk, the more likely they are that they will end up on the felt in about 4 hours. Hopefully I get more than my fair share of it.
2.) New players over value starters and under value post flop play. They also push hands hands like KJo and A10o and pay second place a lot.
3.) Weak Tights are the table coaches. They think that it is their god given right for their aces to hold up.
4.) Old men are tight and angry. They think that the WPT is the devil instead of the poker equivalent of manna from heaven and do not think that anyone under 50 should be allowed at the table. No immediate interaction or anything that would make me bitter about them, just a general observation that I made throughout the week.
5.) Passive Calling Stations with 2 Racks of Red are my best friends in the entire world. Thank you for all you do for the game of poker. May your trust fund/day job never run dry.
6.) Vegas needs more cardrooms. I have heard the Orleans room is decent, but I can’t believe that MGM or NYNY don’t have rooms (or Excalibur or Venician, etc.) I know that the real estate is prime and the poker rooms don’t pay off like the other spot, but what good is 3000 slot machines when only 2000 are going at any one given time. 30 hands an hour, $4 rake, that is $120 per hour. 20 tables gets about $2500 per hour so that is up to $50,000 per day assuming a full room (I know it goes dray from 3- 7 am). Every list was filled deep at the Bellagio and Mirage.
7.) I still have a lot to learn. But as a barometer (and it was a very short period in time). I was winner this time, after being break even two years ago and busted out 2 years before. I need to get better at second and third level thinking but in loose passive games, the cards really play and the people are pretty easy to read.
Thanks for reading the long dissertation. I will post the hands more specifically in the mid/level stakes section. It is now back to the on-line game as Pittsburgh doesn’t have a legal cardroom. The only downside for the trip was that I never got to meet any 2+2ers. Oh well, maybe next time.
Kevin
I made my first trip in two years to Las Vegas and wanted to post the report.
I had about $2500 in my bankroll, so I felt I could play some decent limits and hopefully be able to hold my own. When I went to Vegas 4 years ago, I had just discovered Holdem and donated about $500 – totally convinced that my luck was challenged by a bad run of cards – but hey – that’s why they call it gambling… /images/graemlins/grin.gif. Two years ago, I had just begun winning. I was weak tight with about $500 to play with in the 3/6 game. I was the table coach, wanting everyone to know how much I knew and that their sunglasses (at 3/6) would not intimidate me. I would be the one shaking my head and coaching when my aces were cracked by a 4 outer in 8 way pre-flop action. I would not understand how AK could be beaten by A6 of spades in these same multi-way pots when the 6 came on the end. I have evolved and continue to learn and adjust. This trip would be a nice barometer to tell me how far I had come.
Our National Sales meeting was at the MGM. Our awards dinner started Tuesday Evening at 5pm, so we had from the time we got in until then for ourselves. As a result, I took the Monday morning flight out of Pittsburgh and got to LV by noon.
After waiting an eternity to get to the hotel, I put my bags up and took the tram from the Excalibur to Mandalay Bay. I remember how hot the waitresses were with their lingerie outfits and I remembered that the games were soft so I started there.
I put my name on the 4/8 and 6/12 lists. Both tables were full, but I sat in a 1-5 stud game for about 30 minutes while I waited. No antes only the low bring in. I waited around, grabbed a couple of small pots and had about a $25 profit by the time they called me to the 4/8 game.
As always happens, I get put in the 1 seat – where I can’t see the action very well and can’t see 10 at all. I have a tough time seeing if 7,8,9, or 10 are in the hand, so I seemed to get yelled at for acting too soon or taking too long. I won a couple of hands, got moved to the middle of the table, then got called for the 6/12 game. The half blind structure drives me crazy. Everyone calls for $2.00 (or $3.00 in the 6/12). So you have mulit-way pots which would be good for drawing hands – except you can’t get pot odds on some of the draws because the blind was so low. This was a dilemma. On the other hand. A big hand raised to 6 (or 9) would win a nice $3 pot because the pot commitment was so large relative to investment that even the blinds would fold. Ugh.
I played here for a couple of hours. Won a couple of pots, J10s flush held up, aces held up. I lost a couple of pots and I was about 6 hours into my trip and up $69.
A buddy that I work with came to check up on me and it seemed a good time to cut and close on the game. We headed back to the MGM, picked up a friend and went to the Harley Hog bar for dinner (Bar B Q was fantastic). After some chat, chow, and a couple of drinks, we parted ways and I headed to the Bellagio. As a side note – It is amazing how it looks like buildings are so close to each other, yet after you start walking and realize that you just hoofed it a mile and a half, the true enormity and scope of the resorts comes into focus.
At Bellagio, the wait was about an hour, so I sat down a little after 10pm. I played 10/20 one time and Jeffersonville IN in a loose passive game and did not adjust my tight aggressive style. As a result, I lost about $500 still convinced that I was bad beat when my AQo was cracked in a live game by an Ax-suited button play who caught his two pair. I was a little leery. I have really grown to like the 5/10 game at the Taj the few times that I have been there and I was rolled for it, so I decided to play the 8/16.
I bought in for my standard 40 big bets. The game was pretty tight except for one guy who liked to call. He was okay, but he was playing a game that would be optimal in a loose game (small pairs early Ax suited, etc.) in an otherwise tight game. Unfortunately, he was hitting his hands (up against AK with A5 on A x 4 board, turn 2, river, 3, next hand). He piled up about $500 in an hour and was going on about how great it was and he needed to leave but couldn’t because he couldn’t lose, etc.
He left and the game became ultra-tight. More chops than flops, open raise everyone folds, etc.
This game went on for about an hour. I got up and got a sandwich. When I came back, we were 5 handed and the game broke. We drew for 3 spots in another 8/16. I was stuck about $100 and feeling like maybe I wasn’t ready for these limits. Then the magic happened…
It was about 2 am when he came into my life. My new best friend with two racks of Red calling 3 and 4 bets cold with any 2. 2 loose aggressives came in shortly thereafter. One other strong player. 5 other weak tights that were only playing the nuts and folding to anything else. I have never seen anything like it.
The swings were big. Ax, small pairs, suited connectors. I had just had a refresh read the HPFAP section on loose games on the airplane ride in so I was ready for this. It had a tendency to get wild, but it was more loose than wild. We did have unraised preflop hands, and a lot of one raise with 6 or 7 cold calls. One hand I particularly remember well. I was in the small blind with 3 4 club. It is raised in MP by the loose aggressive. It comes to me with 6 people already in the pot and the big blind yet to call . I call the raise for an additional 12 dollars knowing that this is a simple hand to get away from but it will pay off huge if the miracle comes. Assuming the big blind calls I am getting 11 to 1 and the raiser is the maniac with any 2 random cards (it was playing like a 16/32 game preflop, so I call. Unfortunately, the big blind raises to make it 24. Calls all back to me and we play an 8 handed 3 bet preflop. Flop comes down 3 4 9 (2 hearts). I bet big, blind raises (big blind is 24 year old weak tight with sunglasses. He has been coaching the table on how to play and getting very upset when his AQo is getting cracked on the river in this game. He is very close to tilting if not already there). Every stinking player calls all the way around to me. I just call. Turn is a beautiful 3. I check. Big blind bets and starts talking trash about his aces not getting cracked this time. Calls all the way around (STILL 8 way action!!). I raise. He starts getting red in the face. He says to me “DON’T TELL ME YOU HAVE A 3! HOW COULD YOU PLAY THAT IN A RAISED POT!” I say, “just betting my hand sir:. He only calls. As do my other 6 new best friends. River comes an 8 of hearts. I know that there is a possibility for a small pair to have caught a set – lord knows that they have the pot odds. I bet. He calls by slamming his chips in the middle of the table (I now pronounce you man and hand – you may kiss your aces). Everyone else just calls and I show 3c4c and MHIG. He stands up and starts raising his arms and says. “YOU PLAYED 34 for 3 bets pre-flop!! YOU ARE THE WORST POKER PLAYER IN THE WORLD!!!” I said “Sorry, I was only calling 1 and 1/2 bet in 8 way action with a suited connector. If you would have told me you had aces and were going to 3 bet, I would have folded!” He says. “THAT HAND HAS NO VALUE- KEEP PLAYING THOSE RAGS – YOU WILL GIVE MY MONEY BACK TO ME SOON”. At that point I say, I am sorry, I am still learning this game. It took 4 hands to stack up that monster pile of chips. Any comments on the play? I know it is group 7 and it seems like a no brainer to play for 1 1/2 bet preflop getting 11 to 1 in the small blind 8 handed. Should I have been worried at all about a set of 9s or 8s?.
The guy steams off another 200 in chips in the next hour. I get about half of it and he keeps telling to just keep playing any two and I will give him his money back soon enough. (far from the truth – just adjusted to the loose game). I get up as much as $1100 in this game. The passive cold-caller finally burns through his 2 racks about 7 am. The swings are big. I get ran down on a couple, win a couple and went back to about +$800. I had a sales award dinner at 4:30 pm and so I needed to get back to the MGM to crash for a few hours. The game was still good, but at 10, I finally left up $779 for the session. I had been up since 5:30 east coast time.
On the long walk back to hotel, there was a guy taking donations for the homeless shelter. Seeing that it was a pretty good first day, I pulled off $100 from the newly enlarged cabbage roll and he thanked me profusely. Maybe it made its way to the shelter, maybe it went to his pocket, but it was my tithe on my earn for the night. The game of the century had ended and this trip looked like it had the makings of being positive.
I won a sales award Tuesday night which was worth 2 grand. Things were going well. I was pretty tired, but happy.
Wednesday was all day meetings. I had told myself that I was not going to play any during the meeting so that I could be fully present. I knew that if I played, there was a chance I would go all night if the game was good and not be able to post for the meeting – not the best long-term career strategy. I went back to my room after the dinner on Wednesday night about 8. I told myself that if I fell asleep in the next 15 minutes I would wake up rested on Thursday. Otherwise, I would go to the Luxor and play the 1-4/8-8 game.
I stared at the ceiling for 15 minutes and against better judgment went over to the Luxor. It was not the nicest of rooms. Very small games. Everyone wanted to play the 2-4 game and the talk of the room was about the freerolls for all day play, jackpots for big hands and bad beat jackpots at about $1000. I have never been one to adjust my game for these things, I just try to win the pots that I am in, but the live ones always talk about how these rooms (Mandalay, Monte Carlo, Luxor) are so much better than the big 2 because they take care of their customers with the jackpot hands and the blinds are cheaper. Meanwhile they are paying a $4 rake on a 2/4 game with a dollar jackpot drop. No thanks.
I go to buy in for my 40 big bets and the manager tells me that it is way too much. I could probably get by on $100 because the game is so passive. I compromise on $200 with $200 behind in cash on the table. A 28 or 29 year old guy named Billy is in the 1-4-8-8 game when I sit down. Billy was in the money game the other night in the Bellagio. I didn’t much care for him at first. He sat down after the 15/30 game broke up and saw the action in ours. He was wearing sunglasses and pressing a lot of action. He got stuck for about $250 and eventually got up. He also requested to move to my right after being across the table from me, so I wasn’t sure if I was to take that as a slam or a good thing.
We talked a little bit. He is a pro and has been for about 6 years. He moved to LA and was beating the 30/60 at the Commerce for a big bet an hour and had moved back to LV in the past year. He props the Luxor and deals 2 nights a week. He said that with the freerolls and the soft games, it is actually a profitable play for him throughout the week and he plays 15/30 at Bellagio and Mirage Friday through Monday. The only downside was that he had to get up his seat when someone else wanted to sit down. I liked Billy but was glad that he was gone. Until then, I tended to stay out of his way. We took turns isolating the weaker players and I left at midnight after 3 hours and was up another $96.
Meeting wrapped up on Thursday. I extended my stay until Saturday Morning. I headed back to the Bellagio hoping that the soft game from Monday would be repeated. I waited for about 45 minutes and was called to my 8/16 game. It was a mad house and Kim didn’t speak very good English – nor was she very friendly. She sent me to table 27. it was full. I went back and told her and she said no – 10. I go buy my 40 big bets and sit down at 10 to post behind the button. I put my $8 in and the dealer says – “Only 4”. Not thinking, I say okay and pull it back. I have Q6 heart unraised. 6 see the flop. Flop comes 2 hearts, it is bet out, I raise it 16 “It is only 8 sir” – at which point I realize I am in the no foldem holdem 4/8 game – way to be on top of it Kevin! I pull back my $8 – long story short, the flush doesn’t get there and I say, I was called to 8/16. He points to 11 and they motion for me to come over. I sit down and again begin to post behind the button when Kim comes over and tells me that I was not on the 8/16 list. I told her that it was the only list that I was on and she called me for it. They won’t deal me in for the hand. She gets her list and points to the name Kurt K and says see 4/8. I say, Ma’am, I am Kevin A” She says oh, sorry. So, a little steamed, I post 2 behind the button and get 99. Flop comes down 3 diamonds – but 1 is the 9. I am not sure how to play it here. I know that I am supposed to play sets fast but it is 6 way action. It is checked to me. In hindsight I probably should have bet and been raised by the cutoff and everyone else would fold to 2 bets and I could 3 bet what was probably a flush draw but potentially I was behind with my 10 outs. I check she bets, everyone still folds back to me and I raise it. She calls. She was an oriental woman and says – you are new player and you check raise me, you are mean player. Turn is a 4th diamond. Ugh. I bet out – still not sure why I did this but I was not playing well, went to the wrong game, my flush draw in the 4/8 game didn’t get there in a big pot, my set of 9s was cracked and I just made a mistake. In this case is it check/call dump on the end? River bails me out with a second queen (other 2 cards were rags) . I check she bets I check/raise. She says you very very mean player. I know that HPFAP says that I shouldn’t checkraise single opponents especially when I first sit down. I was irritated because when I sat down and had the episode with Kim an old man at the table says “You look like a 4/8 player – why don’t you go play over there”. I am 32, receding a tad on top, I am not sure where it came from and I am still trying to get better every day. I played that hand about as bad as it could be played and I was saved by the deck. It was a lesson learned but I did not feel good about the game or the chips that I was stacking at that point.
There was a early 40’s woman at the table who was playing every hand. She was paying the table off and went through about $500 in 3 hours. I was up about $250. The lady finally decides she can’t beat the game and gets up and leaves. One of the guys around the table whispers to the guy next to him “The game will change now. She was paying these other guys off and they are not that good”.
The game went sour. More chops than flops, a few steals maybe 2 showdowns in an hour. I got up to go eat some dinner at the café hoping that it would turn around when I came back. There was still a wait list so no one wanted to get up and leave because it would be a while getting into another game. When I got back from dinner, I get AJs in MP. I open raise. A reasonable player on the button makes it 3 bets and it comes back to me with the call. At this point, I am not sure if he is suspecting an open steal raise of if it legitimate. Flop comes down JJ9. I check with the intention of check-raising (Probably should have waited for the turn), he checked it off. Turn is a beautiful ace. I check, he bets, I check raise he calls. River pairs up the 9. I bet, he calls and begin thinking about how I am going to stack off my chips when he rolls over his red aces and says “I thought you either had the jacks or the 9’s”. Still stunned at this, I am ready to get on the floor and thank the good lord for not losing $96 more dollars (maybe more). I think I lost the least amount possible on that hand while I was irritated with how I played the flop, I was still in disbelief that he put me on those hands and didn’t make it 3 bets on the turn. At this point, I am down about $50, and not playing well. It started with the 9s and the guy probably made an accurate statement when he saw that play when he made his comment.
The game breaks and I am down about $120. We draw for 2 seats in the other game, like most draws that night, I miss mine. I go and sit in an open 4/8 seat and win a few pots in a loose game to get back about $50. I am called to the 8/16. I should have stayed in the 4/8. I start playing better, but I miss draws, pairs don’t hold up, blah, blah, blah. The table is once again pretty tough with one or two exceptions. One guy is giving action with marginal starters and goes up a rack. He is explaining to everyone who will listen just why he played every hand and what he thought we were on and the reason he made a 4 out call when he wasn’t getting his price – because he was “hot” and knew that the right card was coming. The live one was giving the action but he was also pulling the pot. It was the perfect storm and I was determined to give back everything that the Bellagio so gracefully gave me the other night.
It is getting rowdy a few tables over, and we suddenly realize that Phil Gordan and a few of his friends are playing rock, paper, scissors for $100 a hand. The dealer laughs and said that it reminds him of the World Series last year when guys were playing Indian poker for $1000 a hand. It is all about the action.
Phil wants to sit in the no limit game but there are not enough dealers. Two of his buddies come sit in our game. It is about 4 am at this point. They are golfing at 8:30 and want to stay busy. They keep on the manager to spread the no limit game. It gets pretty crazy, they start giving action knowing that they can outplay most of us after the flop. Phil sits down 2 to my left, waits to buy after the button. He says whatever happens at this game, I can’t lose, I just won $1100 playing rock, paper, scissors. When they decide to get the no limit game started….whew… One of his buddies is to my left. He is playing a lot, trying to isolate the live one with the extra rack. I try to do this a few times and we keep running into each other. He would do a lot of check raising on the river to see how much I really liked my marginal value bet. I had a middle pair flush draw one hand heads up with him and his straight got there on the end. He tried to check raise me, but I checked it off. His buddy said “Nice Job and laughed at him and he said “I think I made the least amount of money possible on that hand” He said “How could you put me on a Straight” I told him anything that he would call with, he probably had me beat. So I was better off check/calling.
I was down just short of $500. I was playing like a man stuck trying to dig his way out instead of cutting my losses and going home. After the hand above, things started turning around. Trip aces, he check/raised me on the river, I called he said nice hand. A couple of flushes, a couple of straights, big pairs that held up, plays that worked, etc. One hand I had 9/6 off suit in the small blind. UTG and UTG+1 had limped I had Phil’s buddy in the big blind with about a 60% probability that he would raise it, so I laid it down for ½ a bet. Of course, flop comes 996 turn is a 9 and two guys go after it hard with about $250-$300 in the pot. I told the dude that I laid down 96 in the small blind. I try not to do this – but it was just an amazing coincidence that if anyone else is behind me I probably call my 8-1. He says one of the funniest things I have ever heard. Very deadpanned – He wasn’t there to make friends and I was not forcing the issue by any means – “Lesson Learned – NEVER FOLD!”.
I actually get all the way back up $20. I then get ready to rack up because it was 8 a.m, My last hand was a flush draw that didn’t get there so I ended up down $37 for the session. I had played 12 hours and I was spent. They had the satellites starting at 9:30 for the 500+30 tourney that paid $24,000 to the winner. The price for the satellites as $115 (I think) and the top two players got the buy in for the big one. I was thinking of hanging on to play one, but I wasn’t sharp enough to make the right decisions and I would be throwing good money after bad. Plus I had to check out of the MGM by 11. I took a cab back, had breakfast, packed and left with my co-worker. He was staying at the Marriott Suites and told me I could crash on the sofa bed. I slept from about noon until 4 and then caught a cab to go back to the Bellagio. I got there about 5 and it was an absolute nuthouse. The list was 200 people deep. The tourney had filled up by 1:30 and they had more alternates than people in the tourney. 13 tables would be used for the tourney so it was at least a 2 hour wait. I decided to go check out the action at the Mirage. When I was there 2 years ago, The Mirage room was the one room that I didn’t win. I played 3/6 at the Mirage and 4/8 at Bellagio, Mandalay, and the Monte Carlo and it seemed that the game was tough. In retrospect, I played a TAG game that wasn’t suited for the game and was hurt because it.
When I went in, I was very impressed. The room was much bigger – the Keno area had been converted. The place was a mad house, they must have had a lot of people who had the same idea as me – leaving Bellagio to come there. It was very orderly. I decide to stick my neck out and play the 10/20 game. Hoping that it is a good game since it was Friday night.
It was anything but. Very tight, no limpers, ever. Lots of chops.
It usually went pre-flop raise, and if there was a caller, the flop was bet by the preflop raiser and he took it down. I got AcJc third hand in open raised in MP. I was cold called by the button. Flop is A and two clubs. I bet, he raises, I reraise. Turn no club, I bet he calls, river no club, I bet, he calls. He has AKo, Do I check call the river on this?
Next hand I get QQ. I open raise, cold called on the button. Flop comes ace high. I bet, he calls. I smell the turn raise coming, so I check, he bets, I call. River, Check Call – Do I lay this down here? By the way, he has AA – cold called the aces and flopped a set.
A couple others like it, blah, blah, blah, I am an hour in and down $300. So much for my test in the bigger game. It starts to turn. Another AsJs this time flops full with AJJ and two hearts. Flush gets there on the end and I get action from two flushes.
I had AhQh UTG and open raised a guy who was at the table and had been playing a few more hands than everyone else cold called. He raised 2 hands before under the gun with A10o. flop comes 553. I know that if I bet he will raises and I am not sure if I have the best hand – quite a few can beat me. So I check, he bets I call. Turn is a 9. I check, he bets, I check raise, he mucks. I know that I am betting 40 to win 80 at this point. Does anyone else make this play or is it too reckless? I made it against him specifically because of what I saw him play with. If he calls I don’t know what I do on the end. There were no draws on the board other than gut shots and stuff that he wouldn’t cold call with so he would have to have an over pair or AK – with AK being the likely scenario because he would have popped me back (or waited to pop on the end) if he had an over pair.
I ask to go to the 6/12 game because it is a really, really tough game. Every pot is raised everyone is pretty strong. I figured there was more to make in a good 6/12 game than in a tough 10/20 game. In fact 4 of the players had left the game for the same exact reason. Most of them went up to the 20/40 game.
They call me to 6/12. I am in the big blind with 44. The waitress comes with my drink, Ken comes to ask me if I am going to the 6/12 game, the action is moving, I am all over the place trying to give a tip and a responsce. UTG cutoff raises. It is cold called by the button and both blinds are in so we have 5 way action.
Flop is K74 two spades. What a way to go out. Check from the small blind, I bet utg raises. I think he has KQ suited or maybe 2 spades but I don’t think he would want to thin the field and he is out of position for a free card. Cutoff cold, button and small blind cold call 2. I am really scared of spades at this point and am convinced that my hand is ahead, so I make it 3 bets. UTG just calls, now cutoff comes alive and makes it 4 bets. 2 more coldcalls – I make it 5 bets and we have a 5 way family pot with a ton of cash in the pot. Turn is rag, I bet everyone calls. River is a spade. I think that the AKs has me beat. I know that I have to make a crying call. I check it is bet by the cutoff. All call, he turns over 2 kings. How stupid am I?! He raised preflop after an UTG limp. He four bet the flop when he saw all of the action, but he didn’t pop it on the turn with the flush draws out there. AsQs on button took the pot down. UTG had KhQh. I muck my hand meekly and move to the 6/12 table where my mistakes won’t cost $110 in one hand. They are all riding me. What on earth did you have 7’s? Lower flush draw? I said 4th place. I made it 50 to go on the flop with one card in the deck to save me. When the cutoff makes it 4 bets do I assume his set there? Way overplayed but I was trying to make the draws pay.
That was a very humbling last hand. Until that point, I had gone from $300 down to $256 up. I went to the 6/12 game up $146 after throwing those chips away.
I got into the 6/12 and it was a very very passive game. No raising, best hand wins, a very loose passive calling everything down to the river and couldn’t be moved off of a hand, even if she hadn’t paired. It took me about an hour to get out of the 10/20 mentality and adjusted to the game. By then, I had turned my $146 positive into a $27 negative. For the next couple of hours, I danced around +20 to +100 and back to +20 again. We had a young fellow probably 22 or 23 sit down. Of course, he thought that he invented the game and had commentary about every player. He overplayed big cards preflop like KJo or A10o. If he didn’t hit his exact flop, he meekly bet, he could be raised and then he call. If he missed again on the turn, he would check fold, or fold to a bet. If he had an underpair like sevens or eights, he would raise it preflop, play it for pair value and call down a board even with 3 paint, 3 flush or some obvious other hand that his eights couldn’t beat. He would then slam his cards down and say “I never get my three of a kind”. He would also talk about the hand with the person next to him every single hand. He was talking about tells he picked up on people – the way the fiddled their chips, etc. He would take a long time to call a river bet with his small pair didn’t improve and there were three over cards on the board. When someone would show J6o out of the blinds on a K J 9 flop and he has 66. He would muck and say nice hand, thought my pair might be good. I was ready to throw $12 in for him a few times just to speed up the game. He would always look at the player, then the board, then the pot and then proceed to stare at the felt like the 1 million dollar prize was at stake for his decision. It was pretty humorous. I have grown to love Mike Sexton for what he has done for poker. When he busted out the last of his $500, he said – “I just cannot get cards tonight! One guy was very loose and aggressive. On one hand after raising preflop with QQ, the flop came down rags – 5 2 9. I bet, he raised, I reraised. He starts talking, We both have a lot of chips here. I am going to the felt. He made it 4 bets. I had to give him credit for the set of 2 pair, although the 2 pair seemed unlikely – however he was loose – an ace anything type of player. Turn comes 6 I check, he bets, I call. River is a 7. I check, he bets, I call, he turns over 88. You win some, you lose some. I told him nice hand, I’ll know to stay out of his way next time. He starts chatting it up about taking me down, etc. Fast forward to a few hands later. I have 77. the flop is 2 paint and a rag. He bets, I call. Turn, more paint, he bets, I call, river, rag, he bets, I call. H has something like 85o – no pair. We did this about 4 times. I would have a middle pair or a top pair weak kicker out of the blind and I would go into call mode. He paid the queens back to me about 5 times over. As much as it hurt, I don’t think he would have had the same strategy if the queens held up.
I was playing marginal starters early that I would never think about in the bigger game. Small pairs like 3s and 4s, 1 gappers suited. There was never a raise behind ever and it was usually 6 and 7 way action, so those sets paid off handsomely and the gapers gave me a very loose preflop perception when I would turn over a 9 7 two pair on the flop and my hand would be good. This would get me action on my big hands and as a result, they stack contcontinued to grow. When I left at 2am, My stack had grown to $469, so the 6 1/2 game was worth $323 in about 5 hours time.
As a side note, Gordon and his crew were playing the no limit game at the Mirage. I am not sure if he busted out of the tourney or if he even played but they were having a lot of fun. Andy Bloc showed up as well. I don’t think he won but he was closer to midnight than Gordan.
Everyone was pointing them out and some people were asking for autographs. As one angry old man at our table said: “It is amazing the positive light that TV can put on degenerate gamblers!” I thought that it was pretty funny.
So here is the official recap:
Big Bet Hours $ Won Big Bets Won/Lost BB HR
Mandalay Bay $12 4 $69 5.75 1.44
Bellagio Monday $16 12 $779 48.69 4.06
Luxor Wednesday $8 3 $94 11.75 3.92
Bellagio Thursday 8/16 $16 11 ($68) (4.25) (0.39)
Bellagio Thursday 4/8 $8 1 $31 3.88 3.88
Mirage 10/20 Friday $20 3 $156 7.80 2.60
Mirage 6/12 Friday $12 5 $313 26.08 5.22
Total Bellagio 24 $742 48.31 2.01
Total Mirage 8 $469 33.88 4.24
Total Luxor 3 $94 11.75 3.92
Total Mandalay Bay 4 $69 5.75 1.44
Total Vegas Week 39 $1,374 99.70 2.56
Insights:
1.) New players like to talk a lot to prove that they belong at the table. The more they talk, the more likely they are that they will end up on the felt in about 4 hours. Hopefully I get more than my fair share of it.
2.) New players over value starters and under value post flop play. They also push hands hands like KJo and A10o and pay second place a lot.
3.) Weak Tights are the table coaches. They think that it is their god given right for their aces to hold up.
4.) Old men are tight and angry. They think that the WPT is the devil instead of the poker equivalent of manna from heaven and do not think that anyone under 50 should be allowed at the table. No immediate interaction or anything that would make me bitter about them, just a general observation that I made throughout the week.
5.) Passive Calling Stations with 2 Racks of Red are my best friends in the entire world. Thank you for all you do for the game of poker. May your trust fund/day job never run dry.
6.) Vegas needs more cardrooms. I have heard the Orleans room is decent, but I can’t believe that MGM or NYNY don’t have rooms (or Excalibur or Venician, etc.) I know that the real estate is prime and the poker rooms don’t pay off like the other spot, but what good is 3000 slot machines when only 2000 are going at any one given time. 30 hands an hour, $4 rake, that is $120 per hour. 20 tables gets about $2500 per hour so that is up to $50,000 per day assuming a full room (I know it goes dray from 3- 7 am). Every list was filled deep at the Bellagio and Mirage.
7.) I still have a lot to learn. But as a barometer (and it was a very short period in time). I was winner this time, after being break even two years ago and busted out 2 years before. I need to get better at second and third level thinking but in loose passive games, the cards really play and the people are pretty easy to read.
Thanks for reading the long dissertation. I will post the hands more specifically in the mid/level stakes section. It is now back to the on-line game as Pittsburgh doesn’t have a legal cardroom. The only downside for the trip was that I never got to meet any 2+2ers. Oh well, maybe next time.
Kevin