Vegas day 2 report: I can't beat the Magoos! (long)

[2planka]

Decided to stay put at MGM for a second day. My buddy Stan wanted to log a full day at the poker tables, so we hit the room about 9:30 am on Sunday. It relatively dead. Stan wanted to give 4/8 a shot, and we got seated at the same table right away.

Stan catches KK, QQ, AK, and AJ suited on the first two orbits and is up a bunch right away. Great way for him to start off, after taking it on the chin yesterday.

I, on the other hand, find trash hands - lots of big/little, unsuited connectors, and 73o three times. I finally catch AA, am please when a MP player raises, I three bet, and still get six players to the flop. Uh oh. 98o (for three bets pf!) makes two pair and my aces get cracked. This is a good game.

... Or so I thought. Two hands later I have KK run down by that monster 42s flushing in the back door. Okay. No big deal.

Not to bore you all with the details, but I had all the big pairs: AA through TT, chased down in this game. I was lucky enough to catch AA four times, KK twice, JJ twice, but won only one of these hands (I held AA on a board of 5/Q/9 ran into a set of Q's but spiked my 2-outer to have my AA hold up). Just a run of bad luck.

I kept having to show down my hands too, as I was putting the last bets in most of the time. I was having fun with it, joking around whenever someone dragged a pot that I built. It got to the point where some of the players felt bad for me, so I saved a couple bets. Had I been steaming, or complaining, I would have stuck more than I was. It pays to stay level-headed, especially in a good game. Keep everyone happy and be ready when your big hands start holding up.

Stan and I were chatting it up with the whole table. It started to get shorthanded and Stan suggested that I should try my luck at the craps table, since I had no luck so far at the poker table. One of the guys from the table said he'd come along with us to the craps game, so we racked up and left. Four hour session, I'm stuck $180. Glad I wasn't playing 10/20!

Had a couple of good shooters at the craps game, then it dried up. Stan was stuck a purple chip. I just about broke even.

Back to the poker room for a little 6/12. I'm seated first but catch lousy cards for the first half hour. Stan sits down and I still haven't dragged a pot.

The game is quite good. There's a guy drinking Dewars in the 2 seat, a guy steaming in the three seat, a blonde calling station in the 4, her short stacked bluff-prone husband in the 5, a decent older woman in the 6, Coors light drinker in the 7, a decent player in the 8, and a TAG in the 9. I'm in the 10 and Stan is in the 1.

I finally catch a hand, my 5th AA of the day. I raise and get four callers. Flop is 7/3/5. Checked to me, I bet, and Mr. Magoo check-raises. He had been playing some strange stuff, so I don't put him on a set, necessarily. He could have a little as top pair, but I decide it's at least two pair. I call. Turn is a Q. I check, then the 4 seat woman bets. Magoo raises, and I consider folding. I know I'm behind, but the pot is getting large and we have a player trapped between Magoo and me. I'm also frustrated that my AA is second best. I make a bad call. River is a 3, pairing the board. Magoo bets, I call, thinking that if my read of two pair was right, I may even be ahead now. 4 seat calls, and Mr. Magoo shows 73s for a boat. I shake my head but don't show my hand. Magoo is feeling pretty good and starts chirping about how he had a feeling about the hand, that it was suited, and suited cards are his favorites.

Next hand I catch AKs, flop a four flush, and run into Mr. Magoo again. I raise the flop (all babies) get two cold callers, and Magoo three bets. I consider four betting, but we have two other players trapped between us. We lose one, but the 3 seat sticks around. Turn is a brick. Magoo bets out, I raise, 3 seat calls. River is another brick. Magoo checks and it gets checked down. Magoo reaches across the table and slams his JJ down right in front of me. He's really feeling it now. I muck, then ask the dealer, "what hand did he show? I missed it."

Magoo goes on a rush. He cracks 7 seat's QQ with J5o. Magoo played J5 from MP1 and called a raise with it.

I catch AA again later, but lose to a very well-played set.

After Magoo racked up, another live one sat down and I managed to make a small comeback. I was down $210 when I racked up. I'm now stuck for my trip.

The deck was hitting me pretty good today, but my hands just didn't hold up. I probably should have folded a couple of my AA hands, but the pots were huge and it's tough to muck that hand with an overlay. I'm sure I made mistakes - I'm still learning the game and only have 2 years of experience. I decided to review my play in the morning, but I have to say it's pretty darn lucky to catch AA six times in a session, and it's pretty darn unlucky to lose five times with it.

I hit the jacuzzi in our suite and mellowed out. Stan kidnapped me and took me to the Crazy Horse Too. Nothing like silicone to take my mind off a bad day of poker!

Heading for breakfast and then out to another room, I think

[turnipmonster]

[ QUOTE ]

Next hand I catch AKs, flop a four flush, and run into Mr. Magoo again. I raise the flop (all babies) get two cold callers, and Magoo three bets. I consider four betting, but we have two other players trapped between us.

[/ QUOTE ]

uhhh, why would this stop you from 4 betting?

[CPA]

Thanks for the report...especially since I will be at the MGM in a couple of days. From the sounds of it, you like the soft competition there ???

[chrisdhal]

[ QUOTE ]
Stan catches KK, QQ, AK, and AJ suited on the first two orbits

[/ QUOTE ]

[ QUOTE ]
I was lucky enough to catch AA four times, KK twice, JJ twice

[/ QUOTE ]

Live poker is so rigged. [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]

Great reports!

[2planka]

At the time, I was thinking of overcalls. Not my only mistake of the day, unfortunately.

[2planka]

The room has only been open for a week, and I've only played three sessions there, but the games I've played in here at MGM have been great. The 10/20 game was a lot tougher than the Foxwoods 10/20 game, though.

[2planka]

What a difference a day makes. My draws are hitting, my premium hands are holding up, and I'm up a little bit so far on the day. Man did I sound like a whiney dork in my earlier post! Quick nap and I'll be ready for the evening session.

[2planka]

I couldn't believe the holecards i was getting. too bad not many of them held up.

I can say that the autoshuffler increases the hands per hour rate significantly, which may partially account for the hands I got. Just one of those days, though.

[grandgnu]

Magoo is reading the "Kasuba Super System (tm)" and you just can't beat that with good, solid poker.

[Edge34]

Crazy Horse highlights? [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]