TR: Small Balla (and wife) take on Vegas (7/19-7/14)

[wiggs73]

Pretty awesome that you got to catch some of the Horse event. I really considered taking a flight out to Vegas while this was going on. Kinda wish that I had now.

[GtrHtr]

[ QUOTE ]
We weren't even in the room yet and Matusow goes running right by us into the bathroom.

[/ QUOTE ]

This is funny to me, last year at the ME, I was leaving the room and going to the bathroom and hit that first corner as you leave the hall where the tourney is going on and as I approach the corner I hear this ranting coming toward the corner from the other direction. I slow down to avoid the trainwreck and Matusow, yelling at himself (there was no one else around), comes barrelling around the corner into me with this startled look on his face. I gave him my best "wtf" look and he shut up and moved out toward the room. Funny to me.

[kevstreet]

Day IV (Evening Edition)

My wife purchased Elton John tickets for us a few weeks ago for tonight. He's filling in for Celine Dion at Caesars for a few weeks, which works for me because Elton John is good ($300)

We head over to Caesars and check out the scene at the Coliseum. There are lines forming but we still have about 45 minutes until the show. We had a Buy One Get One free drink coupon for Slice in Caesars so we figured this would be a good time to use it. We order a couple of mixed drinks and hand him the coupon. Seriously, he THREW our change back on the bar. Really buddy? I laugh and think that just cost you $5, stupid ass. Apparently he's not too keen on coupons ($10)

The Elton John show was fantastic. Although I like his music, I overheard several people say that they weren't fans but really enjoyed the concert. During each song there is a huge screen behind the stage that displays a film that explains what the song's meaning is. This was great, especially on songs like "Someone Saved My Life Tonight", "Rocket Man", and "Daniel".

We go across the casino floor to Mesa Grill. During some time around the pool earlier in the week I had a conversation w/ a guy from Chicago. He said the Margarita's at Mesa Grill are out of this world so of course I order a Tanqueray and tonic, my wife gets the margarita. She says it's delicious and worth the praise. The bartender is a real nice guy named "Cooper" and we get to talking. He shows me the bottle of tequila that her drink was made with and I accidentally smash it into my very empty drink glass and it shatters. He makes me another drink before I even ask and refills my wife's. I love a great bartender! He recommends we go next door to visit his girlfriend who bartends at Bradley Ogden's for their steak burger. He then tells us the drinks are on him ($0 / $15)

On to Bradley Ogden's, steak burger and fries for me, hummus for my wife and 2 amstel lights. It was quiet and we ate right at the bar. Perfect late night snack. ($48 / $12)

Coming up: I get stacked! [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]

[kevstreet]

DAY V - Part I

The fifth day of my vacation was the most eventful.

I wake up and head down to the Flamingo poker room, per usual. However, as I make my way past the WSOP slot machine sign and head to the PR there isn't one person playing. This is bad news.

One of the dealers I've become friendly with is sitting at a table reading Card Player. I ask "Man, where are all the drunks?" He let's me know that the game broke up about an hour ago and he thinks it'll start back up around 9 or 10 am.

I grab a Card Player and start looking aimlessly until I get to pictures of Sabrina Gadecki (WPT) IMO an improvement over Courtney Friehl. Anyway, there are random people coming down to the poker room but only to sign up for the morning tourney and then they head back to their rooms. Apparently there are only six spots left in the tournament so I take one and bounce to Bally's to see if there is a game.

The Bally's poker area is small but fortunately there is a 1/2 NL table going. I sit down in the 7 seat with a bunch of young guys talking about twoplustwo and neverwin w/ huge pyramids of chips in front of them. Whatever, I'm running fairly well and have a lot of confidence.

Within the first orbit I wake up to pocket aces in the SB. 4 limpers and I jack it up to $15 and get two callers. Flop comes A93 (monotone [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]s) I lead out for $50 and get one caller.

(The caller played in the only significant hand that I witnessed. He was an asian dude that chased the nut flush til the river and then took a stab with air w/ a $70 bet on the river. One of the young kids thought for 5 minutes, called w/ bottom pair and took it down.)

The turn is a brick and I lead out for $100 (pot $150) I don't want to give him a good price to call if he has a [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] although now I've come to realize I'm all but committed to this pot. Well much to my dismay he moves me all in and now I'm sick to my stomach. I tell him I'm calling and that I need to fill up on the river and of course he shows Q [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] T [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] The river sucks and MHIB. [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]

The neverwin crew tell me they go broke w/ that hand, especially given the read from the hand played before. I replayed this in my head for hours and I'm just not sure I can play this differently besides folding on the river.

Well, I lose $300 in 10 minutes and forgo a rebuy. I'm back to my dark room within minutes and go over that hand a bajillion times wondering what I should have done differently.

(-$300)

Flamingo 10 AM Tournament

After beating myself up for a few hours I grab my backpack and head downstairs for the tournament.

40 runners / $60 entry / top 3 get paid

Again, format is rough so you need to double up soon. Luckily that happens when my pocket Jacks holds up against J10s [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]. I also raise some blinds in position (stealing a few) and successfully c-betting the others. I'm the healthiest at the table.

Next important hand (blinds 50/100) and a tight older guy limps from LP, SB calls and I have A7o in the BB. I ask the older guy how much he has in front of him and he says t700.
"I raise, 700 more" My hand is not great to say the least, but I thought I'd send a little message to everyone at the table. Of course Villain makes me sweat for several minutes and then calls and flips over A9 (Yikes!) Flop 77T, thank you luckbox!

The most important hand of the tournament for me was a race I won w/ AQ vs. 66. The turn brought a beautiful Q!!!

I'll skip all the other trite hands that got me to the final table from that point and bring you right to the bubble.

Actually, when we were down to 4, I was short stacked and suggested a chop. One of the dealers told me that a lot of these tourneys end up in a chop when it's four-ways because of tax purposes ($600+ and you have to fill out a W-3 form)
Well a girl in her 30s is oppossed and "too excited to chop it now." I understand, and actually the only reason I wanted to was because of the results of my first FT at the Flamingo, the $300 beating I took earlier and I'm short stacked.

Well after a few steals and a couple BBs folded to me the bubble busts and the girl in her 30s is ass out!

Down to 3, blinds 2000/4000 the chip leader limped from the buttom, SB called and I get my first monster hand of the tournament (POCKET ACES) I shove and the chip leader calls w/ KTs. This time rockets hold up and I'm huge. The short stack blinded out a few hands later.

Down to 2, myself and a middle aged lady, who ALL of the railbirds are rooting for. I have a pretty good lead on her when I push w/ A5o and she calls w/ AQ. Flop A56 (yes), turn 8, river Q (so close!!!!) We are fairly even at this point.

I lean on her every single hand. When she limps I push, when I'm in the SB I push. She starts to get annoyed and tells me flat out she's calling me w/ any 2 the next time I do that. I look down and see K9s in the SB. I put a chip on my hole cards and ask her if she is going to call me, she says "YES" - "I'm all in" and she makes the call w/ 3 [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] 5 [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] I flop top top 2 pair!! This is the first time I've ever said this... SHIP IT!

My first live tourney win!

The poker room manager asks me if I have a good tax accountant while he's filling out the W3 form. "You shouldn't have to worry about this" he tells me.

+ $1,025 (- $60 tip for the dealers)



Coming next: $40 cover charges


Sorry for bad grammar, long paragraphs and going from past tense to present tense, etc. It's a bit laborious writing trip reports, who knew? By the way, is anyone still with me?

[wiggs73]

Not much you could have done on the AA hand. You're just playing poker when you go broke there.

Big congrats on the win though, that's awesome!

And yes, I'm still with you... I've enjoyed reading these.

[kcheel]

I am still with you too. Enjoyed reading these. Alot more detailed than most and since I am living vicariously through you as I have never made it to Vegas, the detail is great!

[cha59]

Congrats!

Very nice read. [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[kevstreet]

Thanks for the kind words fellas.



Oh and I needed to hear this:

[ QUOTE ]
Not much you could have done on the AA hand. You're just playing poker when you go broke there.

[/ QUOTE ]

[WebGuySteve]

grats on the win! I'm reading these, glad to see a fellow buffalonian doing well down there!

I also go broke there with the AA in a heartbeat. The things I have seen at those low stakes NL tables would make your head spin.

[adrockuk]

i'm still with you, waiting for the totalling up of $$$ which I anticipate will be in your final post. Very interesting reads and the time you've spent putting it together is appreciated. I hope you get to say "ship it" a few more times before the end :-)