Caesars with Irie and Yugo

[Phil Van Sexton]

My first trip report. I'm in vegas this weekend for the super bowl. I'm not much for socializing, but I figured I'd pm Irie and see if he was around. Of course, he neglected to mention that Yugo would be there until after I agreed to meet him at the Wynn pre-super bowl. Oh well.

Anyway, I miss Irie at the Wynn, so I just sit the 1-3NL and build a mountain of horrible orange $3 chips while Irie, Zen and Yugo run all over the strip trying to find a spot to watch the game. They finally settle at the Flamingo, and save some seats so me and my friend Neil can stroll in during the anthem and sit right down. Nice.

I told them I wanted to play the 7pm Ceaser $220 tourny, and Irie responded "only if Seattle wins". Of course that was a lie, because he was so pissed by the 4th quarter that we left to take out the frustration on the table.

Zen had to go to bed or something, so me, Yugo, and Irie head accross the street. Technically, the Bowl was still on, so there weren't many players signed up when we get there, and we are all seated at the same table. The rest of the table was fairly solid since most of the tourists were still watching the game. No great players, but better than normal I'd guess.

Anyway, Yugo is seated directly to my left and starts chattering about PVSing me every time I limp. Irie sits at opposite end and was very serious. I think the other players thought he had his game face on, but I think he was just thinking about kicking Jerramy Stevens in the nuts.

On the 1st couple hands, Irie dumps a few hundred chips to Yugo, then steals my blinds with crap. So much for avoiding each other on this table.

On level 2, I limp in SB after a few limpers with AQs. Yugo raises from the BB. A PVS? The audacity! So I push and double him up with his AK. Brilliant.

Soon after, I raise UTG with JJ, Yugo pushes and I lay it down to his apparent AK. It's almost like we're dumping our chips to the man.....and yet he still manages to lose all his chips and get knocked out first with JJ vs KK.

Meanwhile, Irie is bullying the table and building a decent stack. A few people catch on and start playing back at him. I appreciate this because my chip stack left me with no ability to keep the man in line.

Luckily, a few bad players moved to our table at about the time I decided to enable my luckbox. 3 or 4 limpers and I look down at AJo and about 15BBs (there were antes too, but I'm too lazy to calc my M). I push and get called by a shortish stack wtih JTo. Thanks for playing sir.

Irie's stack takes a significant hit when a couple shortstacks decide to double up against him by winning coin flips with hands like 44.

I'm soon back in a spot where I'm not desparate, but I feel like I have to make a move if I want to cash. Again, 15bbs or so, 4 limpers and I'm in BB with A5s. They were loose players, but screw them....I push. Old lady calls, and big stack folds because he "doesn't want to bust Mama" (I think it actually was his Mama). He's somewhat pissed went I roll over A5s. Even more so when she flips 33 and MHIG.

That might have been dumb, but it certainly got me noticed. I was then known as the guy who will move allin if you limp or raise my blind. That didn't take long.

Anyway, I double up after limping and flopping top 2pair with QJs. Now I have a good stack. Irie does not, and has that "what time do I have to get up tomorrow" look to him. Fortunately, I was able to help him out. Small stack pushes for 3xBB~. I call from button with QQ because I know that Irie will have no choice but to play a Stop-And-Go-Home out of the BB with the odds he's getting. He did, and I was chip leader.

Irie and Yugo take off, confident that their 10% of me will be rewarded handsomely while they sleep. It wasn't quite that simple though. About 4 hands later, I'm BB with 88. Folded to SB who raises to 2400 (400/800bld, 100ante). I have about 28k. He has a decent stack of about 15k. I push. He calls with ATo and rivers an A. Dammit, I guess I have to play poker now. A couple people criticized my play there, but I certainly got a bit more respect after that.

The blinds are going up fast, but I pick up AKs just in time with about 8 left (top 5 pay). I'm BB with 12k (600/1200, 100). Button raises to 3k. He is a loose player, and has been quite vocal about my blind defense "strategy".....of course that doesnt stop him from raising me again. I push, and he goes all hollywood on me. As some point while counting his chips, his places them just inside the betting line. The short stack says "that's a bet", and it was. He had 75s and MHIG.

I soon bust a shortstack with TT v AJ, and we're in the money with 5 left. I have about 37k. 2 stacks a bit bigger, 1 slightly smaller, and 1 big stack (to my immediate left, bastard). Blinds 1000/2000, 200 ante. CO limps, and I look down at A8s on the button. I didn't think he was savvy enough to to try to slowplay AA/KK like this, so I push. He calls with AQo and I'm gone.

I'll have to analyze that play more when I'm more rested. I've been on a heater all weekend, so I was just shocked to lose a hand. Unfortunately, I must return to my boring life soon, so that's all until next year.