zachjackdad's Vegas Trip Report April 2009

I am writing a quick update on the poker I played in Vegas. The trip was a lot of fun with good friends. My stomach still hurts from laughing so hard. I cant properly explain all the really funny stories in writing because I am just not able to properly illustrate how funny the expression "double diamond double diamond double diamond" is without actually seeing you in person so the next time I see you, I will be sure to go into some of the really funny parts of the trip.

I can however explain how the poker went. Going into this trip, I knew I wouldn't play as much as I have on other trips basically because 1) we were a fairly large group so we had plans around dinners/shows etc 2) I have really lost in the past year or so the desire to play live and I just do not get as excited to play live like I did in the past. I really did want to have a good time and get some poker in so I rushed to the poker room as soon as we got settled on Thursday night when we got there.

Overall I was down $480 playing poker for the trip and a lot more random gambling which was definitely a lot of fun. I tried to learn Myst's blackjack system however he would add $200 to his bet and I would add $5 so it just didn't seem to have the same impact. I kept exact updates of each poker session so I could update after.

I would have to say the highlight and low light of the trip poker wise was the $560 buy-in at the Venetian. After getting off to a terrible start I played short stacked for over 5 hours and although I did not itm, I got my chips in a great spot for a good stack down the stretch. I literally cannot remember ever being that patient for that long ever in a poker session and I was literally wiped when I busted because I was focusing so hard for spots to get my chips in.

Here is a summary of my sessions:

#1 4/16 4 hours $+33
#2 4/17 30 mins $+240
#3 4/17 5 mins $-65 (tourney - this is a funny story)
#4 4/17 3 hours $+150
#5 4/18 7.5 hrs $-560 (tourney)
#6 4/19 5 hrs $-380 (2 tourneys)
#7 4/20 5 hrs $+35

As you can see all of my cash sessions were profitable, with the exception of #2, I didn't have huge profits but in #1 and #7, I started off stuck for 1.5 buy-ins and made a huge grind to get back in the plus. Not being a cash game player, I was really happy with how I played and the decisions I made. There were a few really tough hands that I will try to explain.

So here it goes:

Session 1

This was the session I had right when I got there. I ended up sitting at the same table as Mark (Novice) and we agreed to stay away from each other. We were both pretty card dead and neither of really won a hand. It was also pretty late at night around midnight Vegas time and we travelled all day to get there. I basically bled off about $100 just calling raises and trying to hit. I mentioned that I wanted to re buy and the dealer said I could for $100 even though I was sitting at about $117. I had $17 in chips in my hand and I said "I want to get rid of this so I can top up". The dealer said no problem you can still top up so I did. In the meantime I still had the $17 and there was about 4 limpers to my button and I look down at KK and say "I make it $17". Of course being vegas I get 2 callers. The flop came T77 with 2 clubs and the first caller checked, the second caller bet $25 and i flatted. The other player folded and we were heads up. The turn was the 6h and the villain bet $25 again and left himself about $80. I put him all-in and he thought for about 5 seconds and called with AT and said that he thought I was trying to get rid of the $17.

I then made about the worst river call ever and I am going to write about it to embarrass myself because it was beyond bad. There was a really goofy looking guy wearing a suit sitting directly to my right. He had been caught bluffing a few times already and he was just your regular Vegas player who thinks bet sizing means go all-in when you have a good hand. He raised utg to $15 before the cards were dealt to him and he was 100% blind because one of his cards fell on the floor and his $15 was already out. The dealer told him the card hit the ground so it had to be exposed and he would get the burn card so the 3s was exposed but he said his raise was to stand. So I am utg +1 and I have TT. I didn't think flatting here was right and I wanted to play heads up vs the blind raise so I choose to 3 bet. In Vegas if I am 4 bet here or if anyone even calls I know I am pretty much done with the hand. Everyone folds back to utg who calls. This was pretty weird but I learned later very standard because this guy never folded pre if he liked his hand. The flop came K34 rainbow and he checked, I checked behind because the pot already had $80 in it and I didn't want it to get out of hand. The turn was a 5 and he led $30. I quickly called to make it look like i had a huge hand and hope he checks river. I had already decided for some stupid reason, he was bluffing and I was calling any river bet. The river was a 7 and he quickly bet $200, I literally snap called mucked when he showed 5h6h and felt like such a moron. Later on this guy made the most obvious bluffs ever on the river and showed them. They weren't just obvious they were bad spots to bluff too. Even still I hate the way I played this hand.

I didn't really lose my composure and basically kept playing my game. I topped back up again to have $200 and grinded it back to around $250. At around 3:30am I was literally falling asleep at the table but I was in for so much ($460) that I wanted to get back to at least even. At the end of our table near where Mark was sitting there was an older gentleman who played really really tight. I had already conceded that I wasn't going to be able to get back to even but decided I was leaving in the next couple of orbits. I am UTG +2 and I pick up AA and raise to $11, the older gentleman who seemed very frustrated at not being able to win a hand min raised me to $22. Now normally I will never 3 bet AA however he had just over $200 behind him and we were only at $22. I really wanted to make the pot big and I also figured since he was so tight and I hadn't been really that aggro, he had to have a big hand. I didn't want him to be scared from the flop so I basically wanted to price him in. I make it $25 more so $47 total and he literally snap shoves before I get my chips in the middle. I didn't want to look dumb and wanted to make sure I heard correctly so I said are you all-in? He said yes and I said call and turned over my cards. Even though in a cash game you don't have to turn over cards, I hate holding a big hand and waiting to show it at showdown and I figured the guy had KK but he turned over AK and was drawing dead on the flop. So I checked out my stack and realized I was up around $30 and cashed out.

Session 2

The next day I had the biggest headache ever and I don't mean Marco hanging around me. Literally it was a huge headache that I couldn't get rid off. I basically got no sleep. I cant explain what happened but I got up around 9:30 and went for breakfast. After that I felt a bit better and I decided to go play cash again. I played one hand and had the most profitable session of my trip. I was in the cutoff and had exactly $200 because i just got my chips. There were 4 limpers and I limped with 3d6d, the bb made it $10 more and everyone called so I called.

The flop came 5h6h6x and while I am thinking of how I am going to play this, the bb open shoves $280 into the $60 pot. It folds to me I say call, the turn is 2c and river is 8d. The villain turns over the well played 8hTh for the busted flush draw and I rake in a huge pot. Right at this time the 11am tourney is starting and I wanted to play it so I cashed out.

Session 3

Literally this 11am MGM tourney is such a bingo fest. You start with 2k in chips, blinds are 20 mins long and start at 25/50. I consider myself well versed in both running super hot and playing bingo shove fests so I wanted to play. Unfortunately I signed up a bit late and was the 3rd alternate as they already had 70 signed up. I finally got seat with 3 mins left in the 1st level. I was UTG and was dealt 53o, I folded. The next hand I am BB and there is a raise so I fold and am down to 1950. The 3rd and my final hand (lol) I am in sb, there are 4 limpers and I see there is already 550 in the pot. I have A8o and imo this is a turboshove. The thing is the first 3 players limp and the last limper says call. She turns over QQ and I brick out and busted in a short 5 minute session.

Session 4

I went back to the cash games again and bought in for $200. I lost a few hands and then called a raise with As4s in the sb. The flop came 2s5s7x and I checked. MP bet $25 and the button called. I shoved for about $160 and the MP player folded. The button only had around $80 left and he called. Turn 3c, river 5d. I was a bit worried the board paired but I turned over my hand and said straight and the other player mucked. This is not a common play at 1/2 in Vegas most players just call on their draws and min bet the river hoping their opponent has something to pay them with. Obv I didn't care but the other player was upset for losing such a big pot and i said well I was ahead of anything but a set or aces and the button said well I had aces. Lol oops.

The rest of the session was a lot of small pots and at one point I was over $250 profit. One of my last hands I wasn't so happy about and I am still not so sure of. Marco says its a call and Myst said he liked my fold but I am not sure still. Basically I had played a lot of hands vs this player and he had a stack bigger than mine. I had about $500, he had about $600.

I had one prior hand with the villain basically I called his raise in sb with TT and flop came A89, he cbet I called and the turn was an A. I checked again and he bet and I min raised. He called and I gave up on the hand but I checked and he bet 1/4 pot and I was sure he had an ace at this point and folded. There was a lot of discussion about this hand at the table and then shortly after we played another hand.

He raised in hijack and I called in the sb with Kd9d. In retrospect we were heads up and I don't really like the preflop call especially out of position. The flop came K52 with 2 spades, I checked and he bet $15 into $20 which was about his standard flop bet. The turn was Ah and I checked again and he checked through. This seemed odd to me because if was only c-betting flop this was a great card to bet, if he had an ace if was also a great card to bet because its such a great bluff spot. The river was Kh and I checked again thinking it was impossible to give me a K. He bet $20 again and I check raised to $55. It was really weird after this because he kind of went into some fit like I had shot him or something. It seemed like the worst acting job ever because at the end of it he said OK if you want to play like that $200 straight. I really didn't even think long and mucked and I am convinced his turn check means he had AK or AA. I was leaving the table and showed the king when I mucked and he tried to say he had K3 which I don't believe. This player was not bad and seemed to know what he was doing and I just cant see anyone raising to $200 with something I beat with K9 but I still don't know. I left shortly after and was up $150

Session 5

This was the Venetian tourney and I really felt like I made a huge effort to try to get deep in this. This tourney has to be one of the most +ev tourneys I have ever played. The level of play in this was slightly better than a $4.40. I could not believe how many regular players there were in it but worse I couldn't believe how bad these regulars were. I again drew a table with Mark (Novice) and he was sitting directly to my left. I also happened to be right near the rail which was basically in the middle of the casino. My table was filled with bad players and it was a total donk show. We started with 15k in chips with 25/50 blinds and 40 minute levels. There was no doubt this was going to be a very long tourney. The only hand I got in early was with QQ, I raised to 150 in ep and there was one caller on the button, the bb re-raised to 450 and I quickly made it 1150 and the sb called. I only made this re-raise because I wanted a chance for the villain to re-raise again so I could fold and not get into a mess post flop, when he flatted I felt OK about the hand because I had position. The board came AK6K6 and we checked it down, he showed TT and I scooped the pot.

The next hand I played was at the 50/100 level, I raise to 300 UTG with 33, the button called and the flop came 468 and I led out 600 and the button immediately made it 1200. Now I hate these spots because I like my hand and I really wanted to make it 3200 to see if he would lay his hand down but I decided to take forever to make a decision and fold. The next hand I get in was vs the same villain who literally limped into nearly every hand from any spot who had limped from MP. I raised to 350 with Qc6c on the button and he flatted again. The flop came JJ3r and he checked again and I bet 600, he raised to 1200 and before he had his chips in I made it 3100 now he throws in a 5k chips and says 5k. There was debate from the dealer whether it was a legal raise and I made a big deal it was only a call and folded. Again I hate these spots because I cant see how he has a big hand here because who would ever play a J that way? I decided to fold because really I had no outs if he had a J and I still had an OK stack.

After that things got a bit ugly as I short stacked myself calling on some draws. The biggest loss came in a hand where I opened in the hijack with 5c6c to 250 and the button made it 650, i called. The flop came 4s7cJs, and I check called 1200 on flop and 2100 on turn. I was so sure this guy would call a river bet if I hit so because I still had 8k left, I figured I was calling 2100 to about 15k and those odds were just too good. I missed and check folded river. I spoke with Myst after and he said he recognized this guy and he agreed there was no way he folded to a river shove no matter what hit.

Down to 8k, things got ugly, blinds went up and I missed more flops limping with low pocket pairs. I got all the way down to 5k and blinds were 200/400/25 and it folded to me in the sb and I shoved with AK into Mark's BB. Mark didn't think long and called with AJ and I felt terrible as I was the one who talked him into playing the tourney in the first place. To clarify, I never feel bad about beating someone in a poker hand...its just a game but in that circumstance I said sorry about 10 times. The funny thing is I lasted another 5 hours in this tourney and was never all-in (and called) for my tourney life until the end but I never was above 25bbs or below 10. I basically waited and waited and played the most patient poker I think I ever have. I squeezed a few times and at the 800/1600/200 level got really lucky. It was at this level that I folded 99 UTG in what had to be the tightest fold I ever made. It turns out 2 players get it all-in and one has AK and the other has JJ and AK wins the hand. 2 hands later I hit a huge hand to keep me going.

There was a very aggro player 2 to my right. He really knew what he was doing and I had shoved into his raises a couple of times, once with 99 and once with AQ and he folded. He opened literally every time it folded to him. I was sitting with about 21k he raised to 3500 from cutoff. He only had around 40k and I knew he was opening light. I look down at AA on the button and I couldn't decide what to do....I figured since I had position flatting was best option because he would likely cbet most flops. The age of the blinds was a combined about 130 minimum so I knew they were never going to make a move or so I thought. The sb folded and the bb shoves for 19k total. The cutoff player starts thinking about it and I am thinking wow this would be really sweet but after long deliberation he folded. I called and the bb had A8 and was drawing dead on the turn. This got me up to 46k or so but the blinds went up shortly after. I played very few hands except I got dealt 99 again utg and opened for 5100 and the utg+1 elderly man made it 11500. I can tell you that with 99, I am so crushed by his range it is not even funny and he told me after I folded that he had KK.

When the break hit we were moving to 1500/3k and I spoke to Marc who was still in the tourney about my table and basically that same aggro player was opening almost every pot. I knew if I was going anywhere i was going to have to keep shoving into his raises. Shortly after break he opened to 7600 and I shoved with AJ and he quickly mucked and said he had 99. I floated around 30-33k this whole level and then at the end of the level which was last before the dinner break one of the strangest hands I have ever played happened. It is literally the last hand before dinner and Marc and I have already agree that we are meeting etc. The same aggro player opens to 7600 UTG and UTG +1 who has around 50k flats the raise. I had no plans to shove light here but when I look at my cards and see A7o, I literally feel like this is my spot. Something just clicks in my head that this is my pot and all my chips go in the middle. I never shove this light pretty much ever and I know both players are getting a great price but I really don't think their hands are strong enough.

All the other tables are done by now and its just ours. The aggro player thinks for 10 seconds and folds and I feel such relief. I figure its just a matter of seconds now before the other player folds and something really strange happens....he says to me "are you making a move?". I really wasn't sure if I talked what they would take it as so I literally stayed silent staring at the table. The longer this went on, I was sure he had a better hand but would fold. All of a sudden he says call and I am like oh no, I am dead....I see a Q in his hand and I am sure he has AQ but when he lays his cards down, he turns over KQ. I was yelling hold so loud Marco and Marc ran over to my table but a King had already hit the flop and I was on a 3 outer that never came. I literally hate bad beat stories and this really isnt one, because I am aware that A7 is not crushing KQ but I was just really upset to pick the perfect spot and not to get someone to fold for 70% of their stack not this late in the tourney. In the end I was very happy with my play and I feel like those tourneys are so +ev for me to play because the play is so soft. I literally couldnt play again that day as I was so burnt out.

Session 6

Well these were 2 tourneys we played at the Wynn. Ange had not really had a chance to play any tourneys yet and these Wynn tourneys seemed perfect for her style because they were similar to the 27 person sngs she does well in on stars. The first tourney was a $120 buy-in with 1 optional rebuy that can be used anytime for $100 so basically an 8k starting stack for $220 with 30 minute levels however as it turns out not everyone rebuys right away. Only half the players did at our table so you basically start with above avg stack if you rebuy. I was doing well and had built up to 11k after going on a great card rush. I had a great image at the table because I was making it look like I was very agro but I was getting great cards and hitting flops. Alot of times when I have this image most players will try to play back at me so it makes it tough when you get in marginal spots. There was a limp for 100 and an MP player made it 350, I made it 1150 with QQ and it folded back to MP who made it 3350 and left himself 4500. I looked at his bet size as he was a fairly thinking player and I didnt think he could ever have AA there but his range was still very narrow. Since I had been pushing the table around so much I decided to shove and he tanked and finally said I call do you have AA? And he turned over KK. He told me after he was so close to folding which imo is a bad fold even if I have AA. I lose when the board runs out and am down to 3k.

One of the reasons I decided to make the move was I thought I could get my chips in a favourable spot and sure enough there was an MP open to 300 and a really bad player who had already said he didnt want to play anymore shoves for 2850, I shove as well with 99 and he turns over 77. He flops his 2 outer and I am down to 1.5 bbs which I sit on for 4 hands where I cant get better than 9 high and finally call off my stack blind in the bb with 8 high and lose to 9 high and bust.

We went back at 7pm for their next tourney which got 26 players and was a $160 buy-in. Starting stack was 10k with 30 min blinds. Again I got off to a great start and built a stack to 16k and things went really bad when I got moved tables when we were down to 20.

The first bad hand, I had watch the same player to my right limp into nearly every hand. I was on the button with Qd3d and he limped again. I raised to 1150 at the 200/400/25 level and the sb and bb called as well as the limper. The flop came 9sTsJx and the limper bet 1k, I raised to 3100 trying to get him to fold and he just called. The turn was an Ac and I thought what a perfect card except all his chips were in the middle now as he acted first and I had to fold.

The next hand was pretty strange for me because I literally never ever bust from tourneys like this but this same player limps UTG and I have 11k now and JJ UTG+1 so I make it 1300 and it folds to him and he calls. The flop came Qc5c6d and he led into me for 2k the same as before but I just flatted again sure he was on a club draw. The turn was a Kd and he led again for 3k and at this point I know I cant make him fold but I can probably get him to check through river if he missed so I make a strange call leaving myself 4800 and building the pot to about 11k. The river without being a club was about the worst card I could see the Ah but something really strange happens. The villian goes to muck his cards thoroughly disgusted with the river literally like someone shot him. So finally the dealer says to him "you dont have to fold you can check" So dejected he checks to me and I think he has around 6k left at this point. I figured shoving at this point was almost going to guarantee me the pot and I was so sure I was wrong and he had a Q or K, so I shoved and he looks totally disgusted at this point and says: "well I dont feel like playing anymore anyway I call" and shows Kc9c. ugh that was sick.

I did the only thing that seemed right at the time, I went and got drunk with Mark at the only place we found open which was some kind of WPT holdem game which sucked. Needless to say I paid about $200 for 8 coronas. Ange lost with KK vs AJ who call all his chips off on a draw for a huge chipleader pot with about 12 left which was really disappointing.

Session 7

The last session was at 1/2 again at mgm. We were leaving at 11:30pm so we pretty much had all day but I didnt get to the table until about noon and I am pretty certain that for the first 3 hours I did not win one hand and I was down $200 except I didnt really play any hands bad except I made one terrible river call for $30.

The hand that kind of got me going I raised to $11 in EP with Qc9c and there was a call in mp and a local player called from the sb. The flop cam JT2 with one club and the local player led out for $25. I made it $75 and basically decided I wasnt folding and then the mp player called all his chips off and I didnt realize he was so short. The local player folded and showed QJ. The board ran out T and then T on river. When it came time to show my cards I didnt want to but have learned from experience not to muck them so I waited for the mp player to show. In the meantime the local player is saying he wants to see my cards. I argued a bit and finally decided whatever and show and the MP player also turns over Q9s for a chop which sent this vegas local into a long speech about how he knows how to play against me now.

The next hand I limp with KQ UTG and there are a few limpers, the button makes it $12 and I call and there is one more caller. The button cbets a QcJc7x flop and I call and so does the other player in the hand. The turn is a 6d and it checks around. The river is 2x and I decide to bet $27 and the other caller in the hand calls, I show and he mucks and now I know my image is set.

A few minutes later I raise UTG with 5c3c and a half decent player flats me in the sb. We had been heads up before and because I knew he was pretty tight I always cbet every flop. The flop came K53r and I bet $17 and he called, the turn was an Ace which I thought might kill my action but I bet $22 and he called again. The river was a 7x and he checked again, i was sure I had the best hand did the Myst chip fumble on the river. I lined up 30 to bet then put it back. Then got 35 out, added 5 to it and at the very last minute changed my bet to $42. He tanked forever and at one point I thought he might hace aces up and I was making a bad value bet but he finally called, I showed and he mucked.

I started to get going after this and was dealt several pocket pairs where I hit a set but they were all on dirty boards I couldnt really slow play. Again I went back to taking down a tonne of small pots and after awhile I got back in the black. Around 5pm Ange came and told me everyone was going for a dinner so I cashed out up a very small amount.

All in all I was happy with how I played and cant wait to go back.