GG, Joseph Cheong, aka - subiime

The most absurd and reckless aspirations have sometimes led to extraordinary success. – Marquis De Vauvenargues


A 6-bet bluff for $1.4 million - some might call it a blow up, some might call it a meltdown, others may call it “baller” and 5th level thinking, but I call it unfortunate. Cheong appeared to be the best player and he was proving it by outplaying the rest of the table. He was a lock to get heads up with Duhamel and I think he had the skill advantage. It seemed as though the tournament was his to lose. And, lose it he did. Perhaps, it was impatience. Perhaps, it was hubris. Perhaps, it was simply his youth. Recklessness is one of the follies of youth, a momentary but costly lapse of judgment, a fleeting failure to keep the big picture in focus, maybe a consuming but false sense of invincibility. Regardless of what we call it, he cost himself $1,415,876. I think that amount by itself is larger than any of his previous tournament wins and that being the case, it wasn’t a smart play.

He didn’t need to 6-bet bluff there. He could have found a better spot. What did Cheong think Duhamel’s 5-bet range was? Surely not much that was behind A-7 offsuit? Cheong began the hand with the chip lead and approximately 75BBs (Racener approx. 30BBs and Duhamel approx. 70BBs). Why force that type of action until Racener was out? I think this is a spot where his youth did not serve him well. Cheong had already proven to be an extremely talented player and he seemed to know he was more than a match for Duhamel. Why forfeit one’s hard earned advantage so rashly? Despite his amazing talent and razor sharp poker mind, he made a play that was absolutely unnecessary and it proved to be his undoing. On the other hand, congrats to Racener for his patience (it worked well for Hachem, too). I am now rooting or Racener but I have to give it to Duhamel, he has played better than I expected him to.

Fellow old guys pay attention; this may be the Achilles’ heel of these young guns, the sick aggression that seems to give them the advantage may be offset by the recklessness of their youth. Now, how to put that to good use?

Welcome to the Future

For time and the world do not stand still. Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or the present are certain to miss the future. – John F. Kennedy


The common perception of poker used to be a table full of old guys, smoking, cussing, and looking surly. Now, it is a table full of 20-somethings that can probably barely muster a decent beard wearing hoodies, baseball caps, and shades. The torch is being passed. That seems clear - just look at all the young guys winning (in general) and the fact that this is the youngest Main Event final table in history. Does anyone honestly think we are ever going to see Doyle or any of his ilk at a ME final table again? Sadly, I doubt if we will see Action Dan at the ME final table again, either. Unfortunatley, the ME field has gotten too big and the tourney become too long for them to be competitive. At least, the huge fields and television have helped usher in the anti-buffoonery rules of the last few years.

The Grinder is the only “name brand” pro still standing and even he is one of the new young guns to emerge since the boom (but at least we won’t have to hear the suits bemoaning the lack of a big name pro at the table). I am not really familiar with the Grinder’s game but even if he were on Ivey’s level – which I am not prepared to say, he has a tough road ahead.  In any case, I am still not convinced that having a “name brand” pro win the ME would help poker in general. Maybe it would help ESPN and Harrah’s, but the actual poker community? Nothing brings in more prospective players (and dead money) to the ME than the knowledge that the field is full of amateurs (probably a higher amateur to pro ratio than any other big buy in tournament) and the fact that the biggest payday around can be won (and has been won) by amateur players.

I don’t know who will win but I don’t think it will be the Grinder or the 37 year old amateur. I think it will be one of the internet whiz kids that take it all. Hopefully, it will be one with a lot of class and savvy. A guy that could help bring legitimacy and positive attention to young poker players. Joseph Cheong has looked pretty good from what I have seen on ESPN and handled himself with class on a brutal televised suckout. I also like the way Jason Senti has handled himself. If I had to pick someone to win, it would be one of those two. Racener would be OK and has played well, too, but his disheveled look and ostentatious gum chewing isn’t endearing him to the tv audience. Candio or Duhamel would probably be the two I least want to win.

We might as well get used to seeing all these youngsters. They represent what the near future of poker will look like and are a fantastic source of new enthusiasm and thinking for our beloved game.

Poker Blogger Foucault on TV

Tardiness often robs us opportunity. – Niccolo Machiavelli


Sorry for the late report but I just watched my DVR recording of the Tuesday night ESPN WSOP broadcast last night.

Check out Foucault (AKA - Andrew Brokos) on TV at the World Series of Poker!

Too bad they didn’t mention his blog or that he is a blogger.

Congrats, Foucault!

Foucault - FTW!

The longer you play, the better chance the better player has of winning – Jack Nicklaus

A fellow poker blogger (and philosopher) is making another deep run in the Worlds Series of Poker, Main Event. In case you haven’t heard of him yet, please allow me to introduce Foucault, the blogger, the man.
He is a regular contributor at Poker Saavy and 2+2 Magazine. He also posts on 2+2 forums. On his blog, he has written some insightful book reviews and also has a lot of great content.

He finished the 2008 WSOP Main Event in 35th.  I wrote about it here.

This guy is smart and sick, yet disarmingly unassuming - a classy guy in every respect. His low key manner but aggressive style remind me of another guy with those characteristics - Allen Cunningham.

I have followed Foucault’s blog for years now and I would hate to have him at my table.

It’s time for a poker blogger to win it all. Good luck, my friend!

UPDATE:  He finished in 87th for a very nice cash.  Congratulations, Foucault!

January 2010, Las Vegas Trip Report, - Planet Hollywood Review

Life consists not in holding good cards but in playing those you hold well. - Josh Billings

Planet Hollywood was nicer overall than I expected but my expectations were rather low. Our room seemed small but it did have a good view of the strip and the new City Center. It was decorated with stuff from a crappy movie (Judge Dredd) that, to me, seemed cheesy instead of cool. I vastly prefered Caesar’s Palace where the rooms were much more luxurious, seemed larger, and the overall décor was more attractive. I would rate the rooms at PHO as comparable to Treasure Island but better than Excalibur or Sahara (the other hotels I have personally stayed at).

I do not know who conceived of the idea first, but PHO has this area of the main casino floor called the “Pleasure Pit”. All the dealers/game assistants are exceptionally beautiful women with attractive well maintained bodies. Caesar’s had a similar area outside their poker room, when I was there in 2007, named after the Pussycat Dolls. Do you think the casinos know that sex sells, huh? While at PHO, I did not notice very many working girls, if any. One would think lurking near the Pleasure Pit late night would yield a decent living. On the otherhand, maybe the girls in the Pleasure Pit are the working girls? Now there’s an interesting thought.

The music piped into the casino and poker room is surprisingly good - mostly classic and modern rock with some pop mixed in. I would rate the music as better than what I have encountered at other places.

As for the poker room, it was adequate but nothing special. It is not really separated from the rest of the casino and with some slots and such nearby; there is an abundance of unnecessary noise, smoke, etc. The tables were in good shape but, surprisingly, they did not have the automatic shuffling machines that I have become accustomed to. The dealers actually have to shuffle the cards between hands; meaning less hands per hour and the decks are probably not as well randomized. Despite rather garish colors and attire for most of the casino and staff, the poker dealer shirts were drab and bordered on ugly. Like every place I have been, they have a variety of types of dealers. I like dealers that are friendly and humorous. IMO, Dealers that are entertaining generate better tips. My award for funniest/most entertaining dealer (hands down) goes to Stefen – the thin Scotsman that was always lightning fast with humorous remarks and needles. Honorable Mention goes to Ryan, whose girlfriend plays high stakes and passed him juicy anecdotes about some well known high stakes players that he would share with the table for entertainment.

Another important measure of a good poker room is the cocktail service. Is it quick and efficient or do you have to leave the table to go in search of beer when needed? Are the waitresses shapely and easy on the eyes or are they portly and missing teeth? PHO had a good wait staff. They never seemed to disappear and they brought drinks promptly. They also wore uniforms that served them very well in helping them to enhance the experience of the patrons. I, myself, was served particularly well by Brandy, an attentive and highly attractive young woman.

The undisputed King of the PHO poker room is the courteous and sharply dressed, Joe Viator. Joe, and his team, made me feel quite comfortable in their domain and I had a good time even though I did not win. I definitely think Joe is way ahead of the curve technologically for using Twitter to reach more potential customers. After I introduced myself to him, and we talked about poker bloggers and such, he left me with a nice souvenir chip set as a parting gift.

Overall, while I would not recommend the hotel itself as a place to stay, I do recommend the Planet Hollywood poker room as a place that is fun to play and one that I plan to return to.

January 2010, Las Vegas Trip Report, Day 4 – Leaving Las Vegas

No wife can endure a gambling husband; unless he is a steady winner. – Thomas R. Dewar

While I still catch some grief from my wife for the amount of time I like to devote to poker, she never bugs me about the money or losing. She used to be somewhat worried but those concerns were put to rest long ago (by me consistently beating the games in Texas, as well as, maintaining a separate poker bankroll). This was my first trip to Las Vegas (been 4 times and won previous 3 times) that I would return a non-winner. I have lost in Louisiana (been 3 times, won twice) and Oklahoma (been twice and lost both times) but I had never lost in Vegas. As I left, I always felt like I owned the place, but this time, not so much so. To compound my misery, the weather is finally beautiful again but we are leaving.
Even though I sleep less per night in Vegas (4-5 hours) than I do at home (6-8), leaving Vegas always sucks because all I can think of is all the stuff I didn’t have time to do or did not get a chance to do. It always seems to come much sooner than it should. I always feel like, “We just got here. How can it be time to leave already?” But, it is. So, we packed up and headed to Ellis Island. They have an off the menu steak and eggs breakfast for 4.99. You cannot beat that price and the food is pretty good (not excellent) but still a great value. Ellis is (as usual) well patronized and the servers are swamped (as usual). Ellis Island absolutely crushes IHOP for about the same price and is equally good in food quality but not service with the PepperMill Lounge.

We return our rental car and get shuttled to McCarran. Although McCarran is reasonably nice as airports go, nothing makes me feel more like one of the hoi polloi than being herded like cattle at airports. I never really liked flying anyway and I like it even less now with all the added hassles. I absolutely loathe the practice of compelling everyone to remove their shoes before going through security since once upon a time one guy had an improvised explosive device in his shoes. I am still waiting for a similar practice of compelling everyone to remove their underwear (before going through security) to be implemented since the guy caught over the holidays hid his IED in his underpants.

Our flight is uneventful but seems to take forever. We also lose two hours in the flight back to Texas due to the time zone change so the whole day is effectively killed. Upon finally reaching my vehicle, I am delighted to pilot my German 5-speed again and we haul ass to get our sons. During the drive, I reflect upon our trip. Obviously, I would have preferred to have won again. However, the loss was minimal and well within my roll’s capability to withstand. As for Las Vegas itself, I already miss the damned place. I just love the energy and excitement of Vegas. It really is a huge playground for adults and an awesome destination for travelers. Although I have no specific plans, I know I will be there again in the not too distant future and I am already looking forward to my return.

January 2010, Las Vegas Trip Report, Day 3, part 2 – The Fall of “Spew”cypher

I used to be a heavy gambler. But now I just make mental bets. That's how I lost my mind. – Steve Allen

Following the show, we returned to PH. After I tucked my lovely wife in for the night, I made a beeline for the poker room. I was all too keenly aware that this was my last night in Sin City and I was hell-bent on getting my gamble on.
At approx midnight on Friday, there were 8-9 tables of 1-2 going. I immediately notice that there were really BIG stacks on almost every table. I get seated and quickly learn that 3-4 of the big stacks ($600 or so) on my left are actually good players and the going is tough. Why do these guys insist on playing 300-400bbs (or more) deep? Why not play 2-5NL? Anyway, I figure I will introduce them to my uber-tag short stack game. Unfortunately, I can’t get anything playable. Billy (from previous post) is on my right and loses approx $450 when his A-A loses to K-2 on flop of K-2-10, turn (2), river (7). Ouch. After a half an hour of folding and hoping for a good hand, a seat to the left of the tough players opens and I jump at the chance to have position on them. Soon, I get Ac-Kh in LP. I raise some limpers making it $15 to play and get two callers. Flop is Kc-Jd-10c. So, I have TPTK, inside straight draw, and backdoor nut flush draw. It is checked to me so I bet 2/3 pot. One guy folds the other check raises enough to put me all in. I put him on a pair and a draw like K-Q, Q-10, Q-J, maybe A-Q but less likely since he tried to limp in (also I thought if he had the straight he would have just called). I called and he shows Q-9 for a flopped straight. Neither the turn nor the river improved me and I am felted. Undeterred, I reload and keep playing.

Soon I look down to a beautiful sight, two red Aces. I open to $15 and the California cougar and one other guy call. The flop is 10-5-7.
I bet the pot on the flop. One guy folds but the cougar calls. Turn is a (4). Calif. Cougar checks and I bet pot again. Her hand trembled as she check raised, but before I stop to think (I have not seen her bluff all day, she has only raised with 2 pair or better, and I have played with her for 3 hours), I shove and she insta-calls. She then tables her 4-5s for a turned 2 pair. My over eagerness caused me ignore what I should have known - I was beat. The river is an immaterial King and I am felted a second time in under two hours (which is very uncommon for me).
As I am digging out more funds for another re-buy, the dealer says, “Don’t worry”, reminding me of the “Aces Cracked promotion”,” you just won $200!”
I go from rather dejected to somewhat elated instantly. The floor is called over to confirm everything. To my utter dismay, the floor nonchalantly says, “Sir, I’m sorry but the promo is only Monday through Thursday and this is early Saturday.” I am not tilted, but I was frustrated. I could not seem to get anything going and the mistake of seeing the shaky hand check raise and not going with my read against the cougar confirmed the apparent fact that I was not on my A-game. The goofy mix up about the promo did nothing to help either.

However, this is my LAST night in Vegas so I reload again. Before long, I get A-2o in the BB. I see a limped flop with three opponents. The flop is A-2-5! I lead out for a pot sized bet and one guy calls. The turn is a Q, which I do not think helped my opponent. I figure my opponent for a weak ace since he limped in. My stack is not much more than twice the pot so I overbet/shove and my opponent calls. The River is a 7. I table proudly my flopped 2 pair and he tables his A-7o for a higher 2 pair on the river. I groan audibly. I stand up and take a short walk to clear my thoughts. I watch the “Bambi legged” chicks, drunkenly stumbling around in their high heels, waiting to be devoured by some local predator as they emerge from the nearby club while I finish my beer. I quickly come to the realization that I am not on my A-game and not likely to be able to muster it at this point. So, as much as I did not want to, I called it a night. Although I thought to myself (as I walked to the elevators), I could not believe I was voluntarily leaving the poker room before dawn on my last night in the Capitol of the Poker World. However, in hindsight, I was rather pleased with myself for not losing more on a bad night (which I could have easily done). Sometimes, you have to know when to say when. I would never have been able to do that earlier in my poker life, but now, it wasn’t that hard. I know that deep down inside, for me, playing and winning is more important than just playing.

January 2010, Las Vegas Trip Report, Part 3 - Lucy(pher) in the Sky with Diamonds

You're only as young as the last time you changed your mind. – Timothy Leary

Friday was our 10th Anniversary. We celebrated by sleeping in and reminisced about our honeymoon, ten years prior in Las Vegas. The weather is supposed to improve but only barely does so. We enjoyed brunch at IHOP on the old end of the strip since we had eaten there during our first trip to Vegas together. It was decent, and in fact, better than both the IHOPs near home in Texas, but not great.
Sadly, the Holy Cow brewpub, another interesting eatery we enjoyed on our honeymoon (also located near the Sahara), has been out of business for a few years. After brunch, we went downtown to the Golden Nugget and Fremont Street. Downtown Las Vegas looks older, crappier, and more dilapidated every time I go there. It’s not even a shadow of its former self, it’s a sad reminder like an old faded poster of a band that used to be good. The Golden Nugget is the only decent looking place down there. Their poker room was almost empty on Friday around noon. I should have inquired about the room used to film High Stakes Poker. I would love to sit at the table, get a photo, and even buy some merchandise but if the possibility even exists, they don’t advertise it effectively since I did not see anything about it while we were there. Don’t they know that HSP is the best poker show (AINEC) around? One would think they would take advantage of this marketing and merchandising opportunity given all of the Nugget branding in the show.

After we left the Nugget, we headed over to the Mirage to get our pre-purchased tickets to Love from the will call window so we don’t get stuck in a long line the night of the show. They have a magnificent marine aquarium with lots of coral (photo above).

At approximately 2pm, the Mirage poker room appeared almost dead with only two tables going. I notice there are no CardPlayer magazines in the Mirage poker room either. Surprisingly, the waitresses at Mirage seem a bit long in the tooth, as well as, not as shapely as I would expect for people that spend all day on their feet.

After we left the near empty Mirage, we went to the Fashion Mall on the strip. Foolishly, we did not valet and had to tour the garage for about 20 minutes to find an available parking spot. Despite the sort of interesting exterior appearance of this place, the mall itself was bland, unimpressive, and un-Vegas like. It basically resembled any other shopping mall anywhere in the country. I thought it was a terrible waste of limited Vegas time. Why in the world do people shop while in Vegas? You pay to fly there. You pay to stay there. And then, with all the unique activities one could engage in while in Vegas, thousands of people shop.
I don’t get it at all. I saw nothing there that I could not acquire in a mall in Houston or from the comfort of my own home on the internet. Plus, you have to carry or haul your newly purchased crap back home enduring the airlines draconian baggage policies or pay to mail it. WTF? We don’t waste too much time at the mall. Once my wife sees the thing, she agrees with me that it’s no different than the mall back home and that coming to Vegas and shopping seems silly.

When we get back to Planet Hollywood, she wants to relax in the room and I, of course, head back to the poker room. I obtain seat 3 and immediately become acquainted with some interesting characters. Sitting next to me (in the 2 seat) is a redheaded woman I will call the “California cougar” since, judging from her hands and face, she is roughly 55 but her boyfriend (in the 8 seat) is at most 30. She is chatty, frontally augmented, and tells me she is from some place in California that has a nearby casino but I have never heard of. She also tells me she likes to play suited connectors but I don’t see her show any during the approximately two hours she is at my table. At the opposite end of the table (seat 7) is a big, affable gentleman from South Carolina named Billy. Billy is the table captain, a solid player, and has the entire table covered thanks to him felting a couple of opponents soon after I sat down. A new fellow, soon to be revealed as a complete neophyte, takes the seat to the right of the cougar (i.e. the 1 seat) and his buddy takes the 4 seat. I start straddling my button each time I have the chance. Soon, most everyone is doing the same. The neophyte revealed himself when he straddled his button, no one raised, and when the dealer looked at him and asked option? He folded. Yes, folded. Every time he was big blind and there was no raise and every time he straddled his own button and there was no raise, he folded when asked about his option. The dealer subtly grinned as she mucked his hand but never said a word about it.

Soon, the neophyte and Billy get into a big hand. Having watched the novice a few rounds, he never bets without a really solid hand although he called and chased a few times. The flop has two spades and the river brings a third spade. Neophyte shoves all in. Billy says call but does not move his chips forward since his stack is huge and he easily has the other guy covered. The neophyte apparently did not hear him say call and thought he said fold since he did not push any chips forward so he flips his hand forward face down and reaches for the pot. Billy tables Ks - Qs for the King high flush and stares at him. The dealer begins to gather the pot and push it to Billy when the noob says, “wait!” The dealer says, “Sir, you mucked your hand”. The noob says I thought he (Billy) said “fold.” The dealer begins to explain what happened, still preparing to push the pot to Billy, when Billy, the Southern gentleman, tells the dealer to turn up the noob’s hand and let it play. The dealer says OK and turns up the noob’s As-9s for the nut flush and Billy graciously loses a pot of approximately $450 with a shrug and a wry smile. Now that, my friends, is a true Southern gentleman. To make matters worse, the neophyte picks up all his chips and leaves right after that preventing Billy or anyone else from winning any back. Now, in my home game, if a new guy did that against me, I would definitely behave the same way Billy did. However, this is Las Vegas and the noob was a complete stranger, so I have to admit, I doubt I would have been so kind.

While I am still contemplating what I would have done, my button arrives and I straddle it again. I am dealt 4h- 5h. The flop comes 10 high with two hearts. When the 10h comes on the river, one of my opponents goes all in. I wonder if he has a higher flush so I replayed the hand in my head. I did not put him on a flush so I called. He tables K-10 for trip tens. I table my flush and he’s felted. Minutes later, my wife arrives and says she is ready to go eat so I cash out (up one buy in).

We dine at the Spice Market buffet, which had come highly recommended, and are regrettably underwhelmed. Great diversity of entrees but most of it has been sitting too long to be really good. Like everyone else mentioned in the Bible, I am quite fond of lamb but sadly, the lamb kabobs were overdone and chewy. I tried the osso bucco but it was also chewy and compromised from sitting too long under the heat lamps. The beef short ribs were good but not excellent. The prime rib was the best of the meats since it was deliciously juicy and rare. My wife, not being much of a food adventuress, stuck with her favorite and enjoyed the pizza - which was surprisingly good. While I usually skip dessert, I indulged and was glad I did. The desserts were very good. The service was reasonably attentive and kept our glasses full of their iced tea – which was tasty and definitely freshly brewed. Finally, the time had arrived to go see Cirque Du Soleil – LOVE. The Mirage poker room was packed to capacity at 9pm on Friday. Surprisingly, floor waitresses are no better looking on the night shift at Mirage than they are on the day shift. Maybe just another sign of how far the Mirage has fallen. The show, LOVE, was very good, and in fact, quite trippy. Someone in the creation/design of this show has enjoyed an altered state of mind and their influence and creativity was not lost on me. The music sounded incredibly clear and good. Seating is comfortable and no better/worse than any other large concert type venue. Given the success of this show and the fact that there is already a similar show about Elvis’s music, I am wondering how long it will be before we see a similar show about the Stones, Led Zep, etc. For good bands that made good music with wide market appeal, there are new fans waiting to be created. Suffice to say, my wife appreciates the Beatles more now than ever before. As we left, we talked about the music and the show. I hugged my wife closely and gently reminded her, I told you it was good stuff a long time ago but you know what they say about prophets in their own land.

January 2010, Las Vegas Trip Report, Day 2, - An Introduction to the Uncapped Button Straddle

Part of it went on gambling, and part of it went on women. The rest I spent foolishly. – George Raft

As I awoke on Thursday morning, I could still hear thunder and knew it was going to be another rainy day on the Strip. Getting dressed, I overhear the news and they say that Las Vegas has had more rainfall in January of 2010 than all of 2009 combined - FML.

We decide to have brunch nearby at a Vegas classic, The PepperMill Lounge on the Strip. The food is good and plentiful; imagine an upscale Denny’s or IHOP that serves twice the volume of food per plate. The service is friendly but swift, in short excellent. The atmosphere is also good although they would not let us eat by the cool looking fires they had in the lounge (even after I courteously pointed out that the lounge was open but empty). WTF? After brunch, we make a quick run to the Palace Station to pick up some information for relatives that would be staying there in a few weeks. I swing by their small poker room and see two tables going but no CardPlayer magazines to be had. The day remained rainy and rather cold so we headed back to Planet Hollywood to walk through their Miracle Mile of shops. Most of the shops seemed to be selling stuff that no one was buying – either because it was crappy merchandise or because it was overpriced or both. I discover a microbrew distribution site within the mall called Sin City Brewing Co.. Never being one to pass up an opportunity to enjoy a good beer, I belly up to the bar and order a pint of their Amber ale. It is good but while I am enjoying it, the serving wench suggests I try their seasonal special IPA. Rarely needing an excuse for a second cold one after I have enjoyed a first one, I agree and order one of the IPAs. She was absolutely correct and the beer was excellent (and would prove to be the tastiest I would enjoy during the entire trip). I celebrate the moment and reward the Sin City Brewing Co. (for their outstanding brews) by purchasing one of their bowling shirts emblazoned with their trademark “devil woman”.
We mosey back into the casino and take our daily free spin (on a gigantic slot machine) as members of the Planet Hollywood A-List Players Club. We weren’t expecting to win anything but just for entertainment value we figured why not.
As expected, my wife, who swears she isn’t lucky, won a silly hat. I, on the other hand, who do consider myself at least a little lucky, won $100 in free slot play – Ship it! Of course, since I completely eschew slots, I promptly give it to her to enjoy while I am playing poker and she graciously accepts. Speaking of player’s club bonii, an additional value of joining was the coupon book they give you when you sign up. Most of the stuff in it is crap but there was an additional slot play give away and even better (IMO), a match play coupon in each book for $25.00.
I head over to a blackjack table to use my coupon (I used to play blackjack before I discovered poker but now I play exclusively poker). However, this was a justifiable excuse since the coupon made my wager +EV. I whip out my cash and present the dealer with the coupon. I am the only one at the table. He deals me a 5 and a 2. I take another card and get a 10, so I stop at 17. The dealer busts, I say “ship it”, and he cheerfully pays me. I tip him and leave the table immediately. Meanwhile, my wife asks me to explain what just happened. I do so and she then produces her coupon book and asks me if I can do it again. I playfully ask, are you serious? Then, before she can say anything, I confidently answer my own question - Of course, I can. So, we walk over to a different empty blackjack table. With aplomb, I whip out one of the green chips I just won along with her coupon and place them on the table. The dealer proceeds to deal me two face cards for 20. She has a face card and a 5 so she hits and busts. I smile and before I can say anything, my wife excitedly says, “Ship it!” I laugh, tip the dealer, and we walk away quite pleased since we just netted a quick $200 ($100 in free slot play and $100 in match play blackjack) for taking the time to join the A-List Players Club.
As we walk by the poker room, I look around for a magazine to read. Evidently CardPlayer magazine is not being disseminated via poker rooms anymore. What’s up with that? Meanwhile, we hear some shouting and look to see what it is. It is a young guy with his buddies walking through the casino shouting “Viva, Las Vegas” with a beer in each hand and a belt resembling an ammo belt full of more beer. It is not even 4pm, yet. You gotta love Las Vegas and clearly, the young guys were having a great time. Anyway, we decide to go to the MGM and see their CSI exhibit/attraction. The wife is a big fan. While I am not the follower of the show she is, I have seen it a few times and the one set in Las Vegas is pretty good.
The concept has merit but the delivery/execution of the thing was well below my expectations for a Las Vegas attraction. It was OK but appeared to be more about selling CSI merchandise than entertaining the public. The whole thing was better than it might otherwise have been since the friendly lady with the accent selling us the tickets winked/smiled and said, you two are in the military, right? - and proceeded to sell us tickets for the military discount of half price.
We eat at Planet Dailies, the Planet Hollywood “coffee shop” for dinner. It is way overpriced for anything resembling a coffee shop. My baked ham and cheese sandwich was so salty that I could not finish it (I like salt so if it was too salty for me, look out). Wife’s Kobe burger is decent but not great considering the price - we should have taken the time to go to In/Out Burger.
We decide it is time to get our gamble on. She heads over to a bank of slots and I head to the poker room.
Immediate seating is available (it’s approx. 10 pm) and as I am taking my seat, an announcement comes over the PA system regarding the Planet Hollywood poker room’s “Aces Cracked” promotion that runs from 10am-Noon, 2pm – 4pm, and 2am – 4am. If one has their pocket Aces cracked during the promo, they get $200. I overhear some nits talking about playing their Aces in a way to help get them cracked. My opinion is that it’s just a little insurance in case the hand goes sour but if I get Aces, I will play them for full value in the hand. As I am getting comfortable in my seat and observing the table, I notice the player to my left is hilarious. He is making humorous remarks, good naturedly needling his opponents, and generally having a good time. I like having fun people at the table because it enhances my own entertainment, as well as, usually loosens up the table. It turns out, the funny guy is an off duty dealer and well known in the room. At Planet Hollywood, one can straddle one’s own button. Here’s how it works. Either the UTG player or the button may straddle. If they both attempt to do so, the button has priority. What is weird is that the button gets to act last pre flop, too. When it is his turn to act and he has straddled, the action passes the dealer and the blinds have to act – and, then it comes back to the dealer to act. The straddle has to be $5.00 period. No other amounts are usually allowed. The off duty dealer guy is straddling every time he can. He is also encouraging others to do so, too. I think about it and figure, who wouldn’t want to straddle his own button – thereby putting more money in the pot with the best position both pre and post flop? Most everyone is doing it when the off duty dealer guy tells the table that we could all agree to let the button straddle be for any amount if we wanted to. Clearly, he is a proponent of this plan and he succeeds in convincing the whole table to agree. This is where the action went wild.
Sadly, I am completely card dead and getting grinded down by the table full of action with no flop getting seen for less that $30 or more. So I am waiting for a spot to go to work. Finally, my patience is rewarded when I get A-K in the CO. The off duty dealer guy button straddles it to $30 pre. BB raises to $60 and before I can speak, button announces all in. I tell the dealer I have not acted yet and have live cards. I think for a minute and call which means I am also all in since the button has me covered. BB also calls. We table our hands. BB has A-Qo. Button has A-Ks. I have A-Ko. All five cards are dealt and no one hits anything so the button and I split the pot. However, the dealer, a female, splits the pot completely wrong and shafts me. I calmly but firmly speak up and, luckily, the off duty dealer agreed with me so he proceeded to instruct her how to swiftly and accurately split the pot. A few rounds later, a different guy button straddles for $30. I am in the BB and look down to see Q-Q. My only thought here is how to get the money all in as fast as possible. There is one other caller so $60 in pot and I have approx $130. I don’t like just calling and not having enough behind so I move in. MP caller folds and the button calls. I think I have to be way ahead of the straddler’s range but, unfortunately for me, he tables K-K. I don’t improve and he wins - bummer. I consider reloading, since the action is wild and I am certain I will win some money if I can play well for another hour or two. However, being honest with myself, it’s 3am and I am somewhat tired so decide I should call it a night.

January 2010, Las Vegas Trip Report, Day 1 - Anticipation and Arrival

Expecting is the greatest impediment to living. In anticipation of tomorrow, it loses today. - Lucius Annaeus Seneca

It was a soggy/foggy Wednesday morning as we prepared to leave for the airport. We are backing out of the driveway, I turn on the radio and, as if on cue, The Animals – House of the Rising Sun begins to play. As we made the long drive to the airport to get my vacation underway, I could not help but notice all the poor souls driving to work. I thought soberly to myself, all too soon, I would be returning to my job as a wage slave, too.

I could not wait to get to Las Vegas. The rainy drive to the airport, the loathsome pre-flight check in process, the seemingly endless wait before the flight, the flight, etc. - everything was just another obstacle to be overcome, another annoyance to be endured, another hour to be sacrificed - all for the sake of getting to Las Vegas. I was pleasantly surprised by the lack of discomfort I had to endure on my flight. It was the best flight ever - no headache or earache at the end, which is highly unusual for me. Nice job, Continental.

I had already obtained the weather forecast and, as we landed, we could see it was definitely raining in Las Vegas. And, it would continue raining all day in LV, including some flooding in the evening. We get our first jolt of unexpected excitement when, after watching the luggage conveyor go around repeatedly, our luggage never appears. I find an attendant and ask if any luggage was lost or late. He says, no, but some luggage arrived early on a different flight. We were greatly relieved to see our luggage was among those to which he referred.
We show our claim ticket and head outside to catch the shuttle to the rental car center. Once there, we obtain our vehicle (a thoroughly unimpressive but inexpensive Toyota yaris) and head in the direction of the Strip.

We ate our first meal at the Gordon Biersch Brewpub just off the Strip.
My Marzen burger was decent but not great. My wife’s pizza was very good. However, even though I am not normally a french fry lover, the pungent garlic fries are still my favorite thing about this place. The service was pretty good but also, not great likely due to the fact the place was packed for lunch. Despite the meal not being as good as in previous visits, it did not matter that much because now that we were actually in Las Vegas, all my anticipation was focused on how soon I would actually sit at a poker table and be dealt a hand. My “Poker-Jones” was peaking.

Since it was still too early to check in at Planet Hollywood, we drove back to the famous Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign. On past trips, it had been hard to park and get photos but a small parking area and Astroturf covered mound have been added since 2007 when I was last here. We brave the rain to get a few souvenir photos next to the famous sign.

We finally get to check into Planet Hollywood and I, of course, attempt the $20.00 trick (i.e. obtaining a room upgrade for a $20 tip). To my chagrin, the clerk refused to accept the tip and, although he went through the motions of checking for an available upgrade, I was not at all surprised that he did not find one. It wasn’t as bad as it could have been, although we did not get the upgrade, at least I got to keep the $20. First wager in LV = a push.

I make my way to Planet Hollywood poker room approx. 5:30pm. There are 4-5 tables of 1-2 NLHE going. I look for Joe Viator, whom I have been following on Twitter, to introduce myself but before I can find him I am called to my seat. The moment I have been anxiously waiting for all day, if not all week, has finally arrived. Notable hands included the following:

I am dealt A-A on first hand in CO, incredible! I bet $15 into a few limpers and get 2 callers. Flop is J high and checked to me. I bet 40 and everyone folds. I don’t show, of course. I probably should have checked behind to draw them in. I proceed to get A-A twice more in first hour and reduce my open bet to $10 but no one calls anyway.

I build my stack up with some more small wins with non descript hands but soon get K-K and open for $15. I get 2 callers. Flop is 10 high, and I bet $30 into $45 pot hoping for a little action.

A TAG re-raises to $130 (more action than I wanted with one pair) and from his demeanor, I sense he out flopped me (maybe set, maybe 2 pair). I do not think calling would be right since I would be committed, I need to raise all in or fold so after thinking, I fold (later he says he had 2 pair).

A few hands later, I get A-Jo. I open bet and flop is J high. I bet again and have one caller. Turn is another J so I check behind to act scared of the 2nd J. Opponent fires a ½ pot bet on bricked river. I raise, he insta mucks, and a I drag in a decent pot.

Soon, I limp in with Q-7. Flop is Q-7-4. Turn = 7 River = J and I win about a $100 pot.

Limp 3-3 from EP and turn a set of 3s but everyone folds to my ½ pot bet and another monster goes to waste. Not much later, I get dealt pocket 10s and I win another small pot. Within minutes, my wife arrives and it is time to go for now. I cash out 2 buy ins up for a nice start to my trip.

We decide to have an inexpensive dinner so Ellis Island it is. This place is one of the best values near the Strip. It offers consistently good food at ridiculously low prices. Added bonus is they are also a brewpub and offer $1 micro brewed beer, as well as my wife’s favorite, micro brewed root beer. I recommend the off menu steak dinner special.

After dinner, I had about a 10 minute wait to be seated on Wednesday night at approx. 11pm. There were 7 tables of 1-2 NLHE going.

Notable hands:

Early on, I get one of my favorite hands, 10-10, in LP. I always open bet with 10s (and Js, too) so I made $15 to play after a couple of limpers - the loose guy to my left calls and so does one of the limpers, so it’s three to the flop. Flop is Q-10-4. Limper checks, I check knowing the other guy would bet it if I checked, and he does not disappoint. He bets about $30, the limper folds and I raise enough to put the rest of his stack at risk. I have him covered and he calls. I table my set and he groans and says he has a Queen. He doesn’t improve and I felt my first opponent of the trip.

After (foolishly) choosing to fold garbage hands like K-3o and Q-4o (rather than just limping in) and then seeing those garbage hands catch flops like 4- 4-10 and some guy with the 10 winning, or 3-3-7, etc. I started playing/limping some junk trying to catch a miracle. All I ever got were some top pair/weak kicker hands that had to be folded to big bets on the turn or river. Finally, I get A-K. I open to 10 and get a couple of callers. Flop is A high, turn is K and I win approx. $80.

Later, I see a flop with 7-10 in LP and flop a made straight (flop = 6-8-9). An Ace comes on the turn and my sole remaining opponent leads into me confidently. Thinking the Ace helped him and my call here would commit me, I go ahead and raise all in. My opponent thinks for a minute before calling. I table my straight and he tables his. We both had 7-10 for the same straight and chop the pot.

Near the end of my session, I get 10-10 again. I open bet to 15 and get two callers again, one is a short stack. Flop is 6 high. I bet the pot and get called by the short stack (whom I think has 7-7, 8-8, 9-9, or a big Ace). Turn pairs the 6 on the board and I bet again, opponent raises, I 3 bet all in (because I have tight image and I could not believe the opponent called me preflop with a 6 in hand) and they call. To my surprise, they had called my open bet with 4-6s, then called my flop bet with top pair and no kicker(which is usually a recipe for disaster for my opponents) and then got lucky. Keep in mind, I have shown nothing but winners (with primarily good starting hands) all night. Arghhh….talk about unobservant opponents, fortunately, I had the opponent covered so I was not felted. However, it was after 3 am Thursday morning (I had been up since 4 am Wednesday) and I was feeling mentally fatigued so I called it a night (while I was still up for the day). There would be much more Vegas to be had and I didn’t want to make my traditional mistake of over doing it on day one.

It's Not About Serendipitously Getting Lucky

Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity. – Darrell Royal

I never liked homework when I was a kid and skipped it whenever I could.
As an adult, I understand that homework is useful and usually worth the effort. Thus, I set out to do a little reading to prepare for my upcoming trip to the strip.

After reading this highly germane thread by Las Vegas Michael on 2+2, I am now planning to get in a session at Treasure Island and considering skipping either Bally’s or Bill’s. I am also thinking about squeezing in a session at the Venetian if at all possible. Thank you, Mr. LVM.

I also recently finished buying and reading the e-book from Ed Miller, S. Mehta, and M. Flynn, Small Stakes No- Limit Hold’em. The thoughtful but aggressive tactics elucidated in the book have already helped me in my local game. I am hoping they will also contribute to my poker enjoyment and success in Las Vegas. I may do a review at some point but for now, suffice to say, I think the book is well worth the price.

Viva Las Vegas!

Although, still disappointed about missing the Winter Gathering of 2009, I just learned I am going to Las Vegas this month for my anniversary. That’s right; I am going to Vegas, Babeee! My wife and I honeymooned in Vegas so celebrating our 10th anniversary there will be awesome. She has already obtained us tickets to the Cirque de Soleil show “Love”. I have read numerous reviews that suggest this is a good show and I definitely hope it will be memorable. We will also stick to our usual plan and rent a car so we can more easily enjoy some of our customary off strip spots such as Gordon Biersch, Ellis Island, etc.

I plan to get three nights of serious poker playing in while I am there. We are staying at the Planet Hollywood so I will likely play at least one night there. I also plan to check out Bally’s and Bill’s – both of which are nearby and come highly recommended as well populated with fish. I might also squeeze in a session at MGM if possible.

I can hardly wait.

Trip report to follow so stay tuned.

Darvin Moon FTW!

Cherish your visions and your dreams as they are the children of your soul; the blueprints for your ultimate achievements. - Napoleon Hill

Go Darvin! While I have nothing against Joe Cada and also wish him well, I am pulling for the Moon Man.

While we hear a lot about the recent influx of young talent, and there is certainly no disputing the volume of young players we are currently experiencing nor many of their recent accomplishments, poker is an old guys game. Poker is about outsmarting/outlasting/outthinking/outplaying your opponents while sitting across a table - and that is what old guys do. It is what old guys have been doing for a long time. When knowledge, experience, wisdom, and cunning are what's needed, you need an old guy. Old guys are no match for young guys in football, baseball, basketball, etc. Those games are about physical strength and stamina first, and mental strength and stamina second. Poker is the other way around. Old guys are supposed to beat young guys at poker.

Besides, if Joe Cada does not win, it isn't going to slow down the onslaught of young guns at all. They will continue to pour in by the thousands and that is fine. Nothing is likely to deter that and we wouldn't want anything to do so. However, what is going to keep the older amateurs rolling in? Thousands of regular guys buy in every year and are often considered "dead money". However, year after year, one of them rises to the top despite the prevailing notion that they never had a chance. That is good for poker in general and also good for the World Series of Poker. A win by Moon perpetuates the rags to riches dream of an everyman. A regular guy that plays poker with buddies rather than for a living who goes to the WSOP and wins it all or at least comes close. Chris Moneymaker, Greg Raymer, Steve Dannenman, Jerry Yang, Dennis Phillips, and Darvin Moon are all great for the game in the sense that they truly keep the dream alive.

Good Luck, Mr. Ivey

Logic: the art of thinking and reasoning in strict accordance with the limitations and incapacities of the human misunderstanding. – Ambrose Bierce

All of the poker community, much of Las Vegas, and plenty of other folks are “a twitter” over Phil Ivey making the Nov 9. He is popular, photogenic, well known, highly marketable, etc., etc.
I admire Ivey, too. He is actually good at poker and he is not an ace-hole when on camera.
I would love to see him win and I sincerely wish him the best of luck. Perhaps he could usher in the next poker boom.
However, I don’t think he is likely to win. We have all witnessed plenty of well known players make the final table and fall short of winning. At the risk of stating the obvious, he is one of the short stacks. For him to win, he will likely need to either get really good cards or play very carefully until he can get it heads up or three way with one or two remaining amateurs. Think of when Joe Hachem won. With seven players left, he was the short stack at one point but he never went crazy. He played very patiently for approximately 12 hours and it served him well. The bigger stacks kept pummeling one another and he mostly avoided getting involved. He picked up a pot here or there but basically seemed to stay out of the way until all of a sudden, about 4:30am, he was the chip leader with four players left. He continued to let the other players self implode and when the smoke cleared, he was heads up against the lone remaining amateur.
He then (not surprisingly) went on to win the world championship. IMHO, this is the strategy that would give Ivey the best chance of winning.

However, I have seen him reach numerous final tables on the WPT and he is always one of the most aggressive players at the table. That worked well for Jerry Yang but that style of play has caused Ivey to be knocked out relatively early at most of the final tables I have seen him at. If he plays like that in November, I think it will be exceptionally challenging for him to win. He has said in the past that he is out to win the event and is not worried about the money. That is why he “goes for it” at those final tables. I hope he will mix up his playing style and remember that no one can win when there is still a table full of players. Even if he doesn’t win, I think it will greatly enhance the entertainment value of watching the WSOP Main Event if Phil Ivey is one of the last players to be eliminated.

The Whine Regarding the Nine

The gambling known as business looks with austere disfavor upon the business known as gambling. - Ambrose Bierce

Many poker insiders, bloggers, and so forth are lamenting the fact that the November Nine (i.e. final table of the 2008 Main Event) are not well known entities or established pros within the industry. Back in 2003, no one had ever heard of Chris Moneymaker.
However, the poker world would never be the same again after the previously unknown Moneymaker won. No big name has won it since and yet, it just keeps growing and growing. Guys like Greg Raymer and Joe Hachem that are now household names were unknown before winning the Main Event. It will be the same this year, one or more of these nine will go from unknown to well known when the tournament is over. So what is all the whining about? The World Series of Poker creates new “brand name” pros every year that will continue to grow the pantheon of poker legends well into the future. That is a good thing and keeps the pool of marketable pros from becoming stagnant. The WSOP is such a “brand name" now that it will never again matter if a pro wins it or not. The thing that has become the Main Event will live on and on. In fact, I think it encourages more amateurs and would-be semi-pros to play BECAUSE an amateur seems to win every year. Nothing could be worse than for all the amateurs to begin to think that only a real pro could win the thing. Why do we need or want some well known poker pro to win? If they are already well known, the only folks that really benefit are the WSOP and ESPN. It doesn’t make the prize pool any bigger, it doesn’t net the dealers any bigger tip, it doesn’t change the volume of entrants, sure more people might watch it on television but I think they will watch anyway. I love the “democratization” of the whole thing and that an “everyman” or “regular guy” will probably win. C’mon, does anyone really want to see someone like Hellmuth or Matusow win the Main Event? I sure don’t. I don’t even want any of the supposedly well known “internet pros” to win it. I definitely don’t want to see someone that is already a millionaire win it. I would much rather see Iggy or the Poker Philospher or some other blogger win the tournament. There is already a superabundance of the “rich get richer” phenomena in this country. Let’s watch a non-rich guy/non-pro win the thing and celebrate his success along with him all the while thinking…..next year…that guy could be someone I know or, even better yet, me.

Congratulations to the Poker Philosopher and Iggy

One secret of success in life is for a man to be ready for his opportunity when it comes. - Benjamin Disraeli

6,844 players entered the Main Event of the WSOP and two of our very own poker blogging brethren cashed.

I know the whole blogosphere is buzzing with the news of Iggy’s performance in the Main Event. However, another guy that deserves some kudos, as well as, respect is the Poker Philosopher.

He made a heck of a run this year but, unfortunately, was eliminated in 35th place, still not too shabby. I have been a reader and fan of both Iggy’s blog and Foucault’s (a.k.a. the Poker Philosopher) blog for a long time so it is great to see them both make a good run.

They both won their seats on PokerStars and then proceeded to go to the biggest poker tournament on Earth, the World Series of Poker - Main Event in Las Vegas, and stake their claim to a share of the big money.

Talk about living the dream.
Nice work, guys. Very nice, indeed.

How to Invade Las Vegas and Play Poker for a Profit

If you are going to Las Vegas to “gamboool it up”, have a good time, and are not concerned with building up your bankroll, this post will have little or no applicability.

However, if you are serious about increasing your bankroll by going to Las Vegas and playing poker, you have come to the right place.

First, do some reconnaissance by scouring the 2+2 forums regarding “brick and mortar” play and the AllVegasPoker.com site for info on the various poker rooms in Vegas.
A good sized room known to attract fish that also spreads the game you want to play is what you are looking for. A small room is less likely to have enough fish for you to take advantage of. You also want to avoid rooms that are known to be frequented by too many local grinders. Other “intel” worth gathering is the “$20 Trick” for upgrading your room and to use Koval, Paradise, Frank Sinatra, and Dean Martin as expedient roads to navigate the Strip without driving on the Strip any more than necessary.

When you get there, avoid the temptation to play the usual “table” games and slots. These will only siphon off your poker bankroll and/or reduce what you can use to buy in. These games will also drain away any potential winnings after a good session if you are not wary. Stay out of the sportsbook. I don’t know about you but I can place a wager on sports from my living room anytime I want to by using a local guy. Why people go all the way to Vegas and then bet on sports is beyond me. Only play games you have an edge in and that are not available back home. For me, that is NL or PL Hold’em cash games and nothing else. Tournaments are much more difficult to win at consistently. Although there are plenty of home games in Texas, to access a never ending supply of tourist/fish, you have to go to Vegas. Cardrooms in Louisiana or Oklahoma (or just about anywhere else) will not have the type or volume of fish you find in Vegas.

Eat well during the day so you will not be hungry later in the evening and limit alcohol intake. Eating a big meal right before playing takes away my mental sharpness and makes me a bit sleepy. You want to arrive at the tables less intoxicated than the players already seated. This will give you an edge over them that you do not want to give up.
Cheap eats are available if you look around and time it right. Eating breakfast in the morning is expensive but eating breakfast between 11pm and 5am is cheap. If you are like me and want to maintain some semblance of a normal schedule, go to Ellis Island anytime and eat inexpensively.

Play at night. Avoid playing during the day if you can. The reason for this is your prey, the drunken donkey tourist, primarily comes out at night. During the day, most of the players are sober and not ready to “donk off” too much cash just yet. 10pm – 3am is the prime time to play.

Leave the iPod at home or in your room. There are lots of tells to be obtained if you are paying attention. I also notice the iPod wearers are always asking how much the bet is when the action is on them. Both the player and dealer have already stated the amount, and then the iPod wearer removes an earbud and asks again. I also do not recommend shades although it is a personal preference, I guess. I do recommend wearing a cap to keep the overhead lights out of your eyes over the course of a long session.

You also want to be able to stay up late and remain mentally sharp. Be prepared by having an energy product or two on you. I avoid the usual energy drinks due to the “crash” when they wear off. I have found a product called “5 hour energy” that is inexpensive, sugar free, and does not cause you to crash when it wears off. I highly recommend it for maintaining mental clarity late at night while drinking. You may also want to have some other pharmaceutical grade caffeine (e.g. no-doz) with you just in case.

You should drink beer or something while you are playing. You want them to think you are a reckless gambler just like they are. I think drinking only water or coffee all night will cause you to receive less action from the rest of the table. They will think you are trying to wait them out by not drinking and staying sober.

Remain well hydrated. Las Vegas is in the desert and is arid. Drinking alcohol in the desert will catch up with you and you will get a hangover. Have plenty of water and gatorade in your room to drink late nights before going to bed and mornings when you get up. Trust me on this. You will probably also want some sort of lip balm to keep from getting chapped lips.

Set a goal. Know when to get up. If you are serious about making a profit, you will want to establish some sort of criteria for when to get up and leave. I decided once I was up 3+ buy-ins or was off my “A” game, I would leave the poker room. If I was up but not tired, I would cash out and take a walk. I could then return and buy back in for one buy-in or I could go to a different casino and obtain a seat for one buy in. Either way, I pocketed the additional buy ins and only had “in play” the amount I wanted to gamble with. If I was tired or off my “A” game, I would simply go home for the night. If you do not leave while you are ahead, you will eventually lose your winnings back to the table. It is called variance and sooner or later you will feel her wrath. Make a preemptive strike on variance and leave while you are ahead. As I stated earlier, if you really want to play more, fine. Buy back in after a short break or go to another casino but pocket your profit and buy back in for your usual amount. You will thank me for this advice later.

Las Vegas Trip Report, part 5

Saturday morning we went back to (yeah, you guessed it) Ellis Island for what else – steak and eggs. If you have not figured it out yet, this place is awesome for inexpensive but good food. I am going to try their ribs next time but I never got around to them on this trip. From there, we headed to the Venetian where the Blogger Tourney was going to be held. I was really looking forward to playing and meeting more of the guys and gals whose blogs I really enjoy reading. At the top of this list was Tripjax whom I had not had the pleasure of meeting the night before. He is also a blogger that writes about balancing poker with family stuff and I can relate to that. While we were walking around the ridiculously overpriced shops in the Venetian mall waiting for the tourney registration to begin, my lovely wife advised me she had really felt somewhat neglected on the trip and would appreciate me spending the day with her sight seeing around Vegas instead of playing more poker. Wow. This was definitely not what I had planned. I really wanted to play with the bloggers. But, upon careful reflection, I knew I had gotten the sweetest end of this deal. We were there in Vegas solely as a result of her business conference and I had been able to party and play poker the entire time while she had been forced to actually work and sleep. I could have said F’ it and been a jerk but I knew that would be wrong and would bring a deluge of bad karma down on myself. So, I made the +EV play and agreed to toss my opportunity to play a poker tourney with the bloggers on the proverbial fire. We did go into the really nice (although open with the general casino) Venetian poker room before we left and I found Jordan. He introduced me to Tripjax. Tripjax was really friendly and sat with me for a photo before returning to the tournament which was already in full swing. After that we left the poker room and I mentally resolved to have a good day with my wife and not think about the action I was missing. We went to the Madame Tussaud’s wax museum at the Venetian and had a good time taking funny photos with the figures. After that, we went downtown to see the Golden Nugget. It is owned by Tillman Fertita, a local legend and businessman from Galveston.
It was recently remodeled and it is by far the swankiest of all the downtown casinos. Good work, Mr. Fertita. While there, we saw Montel Williams playing poker and he waved and smiled at us as we looked on. After walking around downtown for a few hours and going by Binion’s, etc. we headed back to the castle. We had honeymooned at Excalibur back in 2000 so we decided to return to the nearby Wild Wild West where we had eaten plenty of cheap T-bones back then. Unfortunately, it was not as good as we remembered. Then we headed back to the MGM to hopefully see some famous people. The MGM was packed with fight fans and others. We never saw anyone famous and by the time we were through walking around, it was already midnight and although sorely tempted, I decided not to play any poker since we had to get up at 5am to catch our flight home.
Leaving Vegas always sucks. The time/date to leave always seems to come too soon and for some dumb reason we always seem to have to catch an early flight. So, we got up even earlier than necessary since my wife insists on being early and not just on time for flights and such. I do not like airports or flying so I am fine with arriving at the last minute and not wasting any time sitting in the airport lobby buying overpriced drinks or food. The flight home was uneventful and seemed long. The only good thing about coming home was I really missed seeing my Son. We had been away for almost 6 days and I was ready to see and hold him again. We picked him up from the In-laws and finally made it back to our home, cat, and 2 dogs. All in all, a great trip and one I am ready to do again as soon as possible.

Trip Report, part 4 - Night of the Bloggerati

Friday morning was the last day of my wife’s conference and she wanted to do a bunch of things after she got out at Noon so day-time poker was not in the cards. First, we headed back to the Flamingo coffee shop for brunch. Guess what we had (again)? Yep. You guessed it – steak and eggs! Once again the place delivered an excellent meal perfectly cooked and with superb service. After our meal, we went to Excalibur and checked in. Since her business was complete, we now had to secure a room with our own funds. Yes, that’s right. I have been staying at Caesar’s Palace and living it up on someone else’s dime. Now that is what I call +EV. After checking in and successfully using the famous $20.00 Trick again, we went to our room with whirlpool bath built in. Sadly, after being totally spoiled at Caesar’s, the Excalibur Deluxe room did not quite measure up. I was fine with it but my wife was completely disappointed. We then headed over to see the new Planet Hollywood. It was OK but nothing that impressive. Some of it wasn’t even open yet. The poker room at PH was OK but not spectacular and was open to the rest of the casino. Their chairs looked more comfortable than the usual, though. From there, we went back to Ellis Island for their award winning Metro Pizza. The pizza was darn good. Not the best I have ever had but much better than any chain could produce. We washed it down with some microbrews, amber and hefeweizen for me and root beer for her. She wanted to see some celebrities so we went over to the MGM Grand. The MGM is huge. We walked all over the casino, checking out the lion habitat and then into the mall-type area with lots of overpriced restaurants. While in there, we volunteered to review a television show prospect and provide our opinions. This was actually sort of fun and the wife, being a TV addict, thought it was very cool.
After walking my wife back to our room at Excalibur, I headed back to the MGM for some poker. Upon arriving, I encountered a gathering of the Bloggerati. I have read some of these guys since I began playing poker about 2-3 years ago. Jordan, Pauly, Iggy, Al, Falstaff, Waffles, and lots more were there. They were all very friendly and some even paused to take a photo with me. Pauly, the undisputed King of all Poker Bloggers, has been my window to the vast poker underworld for a couple of years and he really writes well. Jordan’s blog has also been a favorite because I really relate to his writing and situation of trying to balance poker with a healthy wife/family relationship. My wife claims to be a poker widow and that claim is not entirely in jest. They were playing mixed games and hanging out in the sportsbook drinking liberally. This really got my evening off to a roaring start and I had to focus on poker when I got my seat and not let all these celebrities distract me. I was seated in the 9 seat (which I do not like since it is really hard to see the 1 and 2 seats) and started getting a read on the table. The mix kept changing and did not really stabilize for about an hour as players left and others were seated. I was card dead for the first hour or so. Then I started getting a few decent hands. A Swede dressed like a cowboy limped his pocket Kings from middle position and after a few other limpers came in, I limped my Q-10s from the cutoff. The flop was Q-10-6 rainbow. The Swede led into me and I doubled his bet. He called and all others folded. The turn was a blank, he bet and I raised all in. He called and tabled his K-K. I tabled my Q-10 and when the river was another blank, I scooped my first big pot of the night. That got me going and I never looked back. Brett Jungblut (a friend of Dutch Boyd who was also at the MGM that night) was seated at my table and a guy from LA named Tom. These guys were pretty good so I did not try any moves on them and waited for a big hand. Then, the table complexion really changed when these 3 older British gents were seated at our table. These guys were ready to gamble and definitely had their “drink on”. Not long afterwards, I looked down at 2 beautiful black Aces. The first pair of pocket Aces I had been dealt my entire time in Vegas. I was in early position so I opened the pot for 5xBB. A guy in middle position raised to $35 all day and an old guy that had been playing fairly loose re-raised all in. I quickly re-raised all in and the middle position raiser called which put him all in. So, here it comes, three guys all in to the flop, original raiser had Q-Q, the old guy that first went all in had a red A-2s, and I tabled my A-A. My Aces held up and I scooped the biggest single pot I had won during my trip. I played about another hour until about 3:30am when the Brits left and the game dried up. I cashed out for the night with about $420 in chips. On my walk back to the castle, a lady of the evening offered me her company but I politely declined her offer and joined my wife in our cozy room.

Las Vegas Trip Report, part 3 - the Variance

I slept a bit late on Thursday and then headed out for a late morning breakfast at the famous Peppermill restaurant on the Strip. The place was bright, neon, and shiny. The breakfast was enormous. The food was good, the steak was not quite as tasty as the one we had at the Flamingo coffee shop but the service was excellent. I love eggs and I always finish all my eggs and half of my wife’s so when I tell you I could not eat all the eggs they served me with my breakfast, that gives you an idea of the massiveness of this breakfast. After the feast, I went back to Caesar’s and decided to try out their new poker room. The room was plenty big and had a lot of tables. They had 3 tables of 1-3NL going at approximately 1:00pm. I bought $100.00 in chips and I was seated after about a 10 minute wait. The players were a mix of young guys that seemed to know what they were doing and a handful of older players that seemed fishy and deep pocketed. I folded everything for the first 40 minutes and then looked down to see two red Kings. An early player had opened the pot for 5xBB and had 2 callers before the action got to me. Having only $95 or so in chips, I raised all in. The initial bettor called and everyone else folded. I thought to myself, could I really be so unlucky as to have run my Kings into pocket Aces? The caller quickly tabled his Aces and I had that all too familiar feeling of being kicked in the junk. Then, lo and behold, another King comes right out on the flop. He did not improve and as he enjoyed the receiving end of that “kicked in the junk” feeling, I stacked the chips and tipped the dealer. Surprisingly, the dealers at Caesar’s were not particularly friendly and the cocktail service downright sucked. Sticking to my plan of leaving while I was up, I played for about 2 hours and cashed out with approximately $400.00 in chips. After my wife was done with her conference for the day, we headed out to Battista’s for some Italian food. This place was right around the corner and had been highly rated on the internet so expectations were high. The place itself did not disappoint and had a little old man that wandered around and played the accordion. He would ask guests where they were from and then play a brief song associated with that place. For us, he played “Eyes of Texas” and then “I have but One Heart” by request. While we were there, he also played the British national anthem, Australian national anthem, and some songs that referenced other US States. Sadly, the portions were small and the food was only mediocre. We then went to tour the Rio and the Stratosphere. The Rio was thoroughly unimpressive and I doubt I will ever return unless the WSOP is going on. The Stratosphere was also unimpressive. Their poker room was behind the sportsbook, about half full, and open to the casino. After tucking my wife in to bed, I headed back to Harrah’s for more poker. As usual, I bought in for $100.00. Although there were plenty of donkeys, I was card dead for the first hour. I met a guy from Houston and we were both aiming to play pots with the three donkeys in the 3-5 seats (we were in the 7 & 8 seats). I built up my stack to about double my buy in before that Witch known as variance reared her ugly head. I flopped 2 pair and rivered a full house. Sweet. I make a substantial raise hoping to get paid and an off duty dealer in the 5 seat smooth called. The river gave him 8’s full of 6’s for a bigger boat and (I held 6’s full of 8’s) he takes my pot. OK, not good but I wasn’t steaming. About 30 minutes later, I’m down to about $80 in chips and flopped bottom 2 pair in the big blind. I check-raised all-in after the 3 seat opened the pot for 20 with one caller. The caller folds and the 3 seat tables his A-4 for top and bottom pair. Neither of us improved on the turn or river and I am busted out for the first time during my trip. About that time, the table goes sour as most of the donkeys leave so I do not re-buy. The walk back to Caesar’s seemed a lot longer and colder than it had when I was leaving a winner.