Has CA come to LV?

[Barry]

What has happened to the LV poker scene since the summer?

When I was in LV last in August, the poker was still mostly the usual mix of weak tighties and loosies with a few LAG's thrown in to make the games good, without a lot of variance.

So I arrive on Tuesday and get into the Bellagio 15/30 game. UTG raises are given very little respect, often 3 bet by hands like QTo, suited A's or suited connectors, and still 5 or more folks see the flop. I also have never seen so many semi-bluff turn checkraises over the course of a session as I have during this trip. This is even nuttier than the Party 15/30 games, which I am quite comfortable in.

Within a relatively short time, I found myself down nearly 3 racks in a 3/6 chip game. An amazingly short time later, I had bailed out and wound up even. It was the same thing the next day, I had a 3 rack swing, thankfully ending on the up side. Later that night I got into the 30/60 Bellagio game and had another 2 rack downswing followed by a 3 rack upswing. Last night, it was the same thing again, this time, ending down 3 racks. I guess that we experience this type of variance every now and again, but in every session? Also, I'm not sure that I have yet made the right adjustments yet to my game or my emotional state. I almost feel like playing golf for the rest of the trip.

Also "the rock" was involved much of the time in the 30/60 game. For those of you that are not familiar with this, either someone posts a live straddle, or the table contributes to create a live straddle. In the case of the 30/60 game, 6 chips are rubber banded together to create "the rock". Who ever wins that hand, gets the "rock" and is obligated to post a live straddle with it the next time that they are UTG. One of these rock hands was capped (5 bets) preflop 7 ways, won by 66, (which was the fellow that put in the last raise PF) that wound up making a straight on the river. I had AKs and totally missed the flop.

I have never played in CA, but I guess that these are the types of games that are more normally found there. So what the heck is going on to so dramatically change the games in just a few months?

[GuyOnTilt]

Hey Barry,

This is great news!!! I woke up this morning and decided that I'm coming to LV today if I can find a friend to go with me. I might go even if I can't. I'm so sick of my DSL being down and not being able to work on my PC. So yeah, now I'm even more pumped to go!

GoT

[lil']

Sounds like the games have gone a little wild and crazy? That's good to know. I'll be interested to hear what people have to say. I'll be out there on Wednesday, and I plan to play in that game.

[Boris]

What happens if you win a pot and decide to keep the rock?

I hate those stupid rocks.

[Clarkmeister]

[ QUOTE ]
What happens if you win a pot and decide to keep the rock?

I hate those stupid rocks.

[/ QUOTE ]

The rock rules. Why anyone would hate the rock is totally beyond my comprehension. It makes others play very poorly, while you can simply play correctly by realizing that it is not really money in the pot. Why would anyone *not* want that edge?

[GuyOnTilt]

What happens if you win a pot and decide to keep the rock?

Then you're a dick.

I hate those stupid rocks.

I think they're great for the game. Clark was telling me about a 40 game at the Mirage once where they had three of them in play. If someone acquired all three at the same time, everybody else at the table had to pay them 3 or 4 chips or something like that. Last time I was at the Mirage we introduced one into a 20 game and it lasted for several hours. The table went from being tight/aggressive to loose/aggressive very quickly.

GoT

[skp]

When I was there a couple of weeks ago, I found myself stuck $3700 in a 30 game before finishing the session up $120. 14 hour session. Longest one I have played in about 5 years.

I had never ever been stuck $3700 in any game before this. I went to Vegas with just $4k and this was happening on my first night. Not a pretty scene...heh.

[Boris]

[ QUOTE ]
Then you're a dick.

[/ QUOTE ]

Better than being a pussy or an a$$hole. Remember, there's only 3 kinds of people in this world...

[turnipmonster]

doesn't the rock effectively make the game 60-30-60-60? plus if you win a pot you get a cheap flop next time? sounds good to me.

--turnipmonster

[Zeno]

'California' has come everywhere. This sytle of play is more the norm than otherwise now and all over the country. Has been for more than just a few months and will continue until poker growth slows some and/or the rake catches up. IMO.

-Zeno