Leaving Las Vegas

After a good run, its time to come home. I played teh $300 rebuy event at the Bellagio, 1st place was 8.5k and there were only 31 runners. I had to rebuy after I was crippled by a guy running so good he flopped trips first hand against my AQd on a two diamond flop, turn an A, river misses draw. After another bad hand I was forced to push or fold. This doubled me up but the next time I was out so I rebought. I played for 5+ hours and when I went out there was still 23 players left, whats up with that?!

I've spent the last day or so playing slots as there's not been time for tournaments. I'll be coming back slightly down from the 3.9k I took with me, but you can't beat that for going to Vegas and coming back with cash after two weeks!

When I get home I'm going to seriously consider playing Live as my main game of Poker. See you laterz!

WSOP Circuit Event 6 $540

Started with 10k, then I was short stack with 5k after I had good drawing hands that never came to fruition. I laid down the straight flush draw when I check raised this woman on the flop and knew she had a good spade when she called. The turn was another spade and I knew I had to lay it down despite the straight flush draw. whenever your relying on miracles your in bad shape.

I had QT, flops Q9J and one person bets out 300, the other one raises to 1200 and I push all in wih top pair and best draw. She turns the made straight with 8T and I end up on a 1.2k chip count... I managed to double up with AJ vs. QK and no help to either of us. I got the two red aces tatooed on my arm so felt this could be the hand to double me again, but no one played so i picked up the blinds + antes. 3k at the break, average is 14k.

After the break my luck changed and with some good playing and a double up with 88 vs AK I'm hoping my coinflips keep falling on my side. Average stack is 22k and I'm on 25k! 60 left of 142.

The next 3 levels I managed to get to 30k but quickly lose that advantage.
I get AQo under the gun and raise to 3000 (blinds 400/800 with antes of 100), and this lady reraises me to 10k. I fold and show AQ and she mucks AK face up. An asian cash game player says I play well, showing discipline :)

So I'm on 20k and get TT. I call the womans raise and the flop comes T67 so I've hit trips. I bet out 2k and she calls to catch her miracle 8 card on the turn, by the river we're all in and she shows A9 to munch my well earned stack back to 3.5k.

I managed to steal the antes/blinds with K9o then the blinds at 600/1200 were almost on me and I get 78o. I push all in for 8k and get called off KK. Flops 689 giving me a pair and up and down draw, turns a K....rivers a blank and I'm out of there.

Gave it my best shot, but the cards weren't as golden this time around. I should have gave more thought to the call with trips and the eventual all in. At least I've learned more this trip than I could have playing online.

I might give the Venetian deepstack tourney a look tomorrow, go for another big one.

More luck at the Wynn

Well I've had another shift playing the Wynn tourney at midday for $120. After some battles and great luck (67 flops 58, 2 all ins, I call and one guy shows 99 so i'm pretty screwed with my draw, turns a 4! I easily covered them anyway, but it was still jammy!) I place 2nd for $930. Bit disappointed really as the guy I was playing was a poor heads up player and I didn't use my post flop advantage on him. Ended up Allin with KTo and he had ATo. Sucks but its better than 3rd prize of 650 or 4th of 450 lol.

Not much else has gone on, except my arms hurting from my new tatoo. Its 2 red Aces on my arm with Jack and Kayleigh on them, the best thing to come out of my 'deck' lol. I came back to the room to catch up with Arian and Waitsey and they were out, so I decided to go play the Caesars palace game but bust out in a stupid tired way. 10+ hours of poker dims your wits!

So tomorrow I'm going to play the $540 circuit event and hope to score big before I come home. Its a 2 day event and I think 1st place will be something like 40k or maybe more. Shame if you win over 5k they withold it until you get a lawyer to free it up which costs you 10-33% of it.

More luck would be cool Michael, lots of it :)

1st place in tourney pays for holiday!

So we got up this morning and found out our Grand Canyon trip was off due to the weather, gutted, but at least we get to see it in the sun instead of rain. We headed to the Wynn for the midday tournament, and after I butt heads with Arian over a pot where he has KK and I have KQ and hit the Q on the flop, I lay it down and end up short stack. Basically I went out of that tourney when I pushed on a open ended draw and raggy board and got 2 callers both with two pair! Ouch!

I head back to the room and get myself some sleep, and when Arian and Waitsey come in Waitsey thinks its funny to squeeze toothpaste onto my pillow and arm. I woke up when I felt him standing over me, and immediately wiped it all over his T-Shirt. Arsehole. We've all got no clean clothes left either...

So I lock myself in and have another snooze until its time to get showered and head to Caesars for the tourney there, $160 106 people in.

I start slow then catch a good run of cards that puts me on 45k by the 2nd break. I get moved to a new table and stupidly call a small raise with 46h against the chip leader there hoping to snatch his chips. Flop comes JKh and he bets 10k so I push and he snaps me with AK and I miss the draw. I'm back down to 14k and you start with 10! Stupid arsehole I am. I'm thinking I've screwed up.

Anyhow, I managed to double up twice and sneak into the last two tables. I'm on 26k and the average is 45...oooh. I made a move with ATo in late position and the big stack that almost busted me with AK puts me all in...I give our Michaels picture a rub then say screw it and go. He had A7 and I doubled up. Happy days!

Next hand I get TT and its raised to 14k with one caller. I really don't know if I want to play it, but I count my chips and see I've got 80k+ so I call. Flop comes QTQ and I've hit a hidden full house and a guy pushes all in for 40 and another calls! I try and go all in myself but the bets not big enough or some rule or other. I'm still thinking this is it, Someone could have AQ and hit the Ace on the river. I stand up sweating my bazookas off and a crowd appears around the table to watch a mammoth hand. Someone asks if I had a Q and I say no and they frown at me as if I'm a loony. Then I rake an absolute massive pot to get chip lead and make the final table and take it down for 1st place. $4700 dollar baby, holiday paid for.

Rock on!

Gangsta style

We got up this morning determined to do something on our TODO list. We decided to go to the Gun Store and try some real guns out. I got the zombie package, which meant I fired 4 guns at some Zombie targets and one Bin Laden picture lol.

The first one was a shotgun and had some kick! Because of the long barrel it was easy to aim and I shot the hell out of my target lol. Afterwards I shot a pistol of some description, another big ass gun I've no name for, and an automatic machine gun. The machine gun was awesome, although as soon as the first shot fires it rises up and up with every shot. Pictures on my facebook: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?id=512411998&aid=213593&s=40&hash=db141fa3f2115389f4b393874bae56b7

Then we took a taxi to Fremont Street to go to the gambling store. I bought a new poker set and a book and some more cards. I think I've got 10 decks at the moment lol. Presents for all! We stopped by Binions to get a picture of us all with the million dollars they've got there.

After we messed around in the room, we went downstairs and me and waitsey stuck $20 each in two Wheel of Fortune machines. Waitseys ate his cash fast, but mine hit the wheel several times and I cashed out for $250. We went halfs on it.

We at at the Garden Grill, played a little guitar hero arcade and played around in this oxygen bar. After tasting/sniffing oxygen or whatever you do with it, we had a go on the water massagers. Not brilliant and it lasted too long. It was very repetitive.

We then headed to Caesars to play the $160 tourney at 7pm and had a last longer bet. I got nothing and was half my starting stack when I flopped two pair in a raised pot with 4 callers and JTh. I put 1500 in and the guy calls. Turn brings an 8 which makes it dangerous and instead of pushing i put another 1500 instead of pushing. The guy calls again leaving me with 2k left and hits the nuts with his AK when a Q comes. Doh! Stupid bet sizing mistake. Waitsey won the bet but got nowhere still.

Tomorrow is the Grand Canyon helicopter flight, so hopefully we'll have a laugh and cross that off our TODO list too. Really missing home now though :( xxx

Down and Up, Tourneys are the future!

I went shopping for a new guitar after a few hours sleep while the lads were snoozing from playing cash til late. I managed to get a nice deal on a 3/4 size parlour guitar from Taylor, a decent make. It'll be easier to carry around than the dreadnought I've got. $300 gone. We went shopping and had some nice food after we had a prop bet on who could stay on the bull in the bar longest. I was off in 4 seconds lol. Arian and Waitsey tied for 23 seconds and had to ride it again. I lost but I was glad I didn't have to ride again. It wrecked! Arian took it down with 1 second difference lol.

Later when we went out again I also picked up a few bits a pieces, including some sound activated equalizer shirts from some stall or other. Arian bought us some huge drinks that were in plastic glasses nearly as large as me. I was half cut by the time I got halfway down lol.

The lads went to play cash but I wanted to try my hand at the Texas Bonus game I played to win that $1500. I decided to watch a couple of songs at the Bellagio Fountains before playing, the 2nd song was All That Jazz, choreography was spot on and it looks class with the lighting.

I sat down at the table and lost hand over fist but got more pissed on vodka. I left $700 down, just about all my new roll. Never mind, at least it passed a couple of days and I got something material out of it.

So this morning I get woke up by Sarah telling me the volcano has blew its top again, and after checking find out that it hasn't. I tried to sleep again but I coudln't because I kept dreaming of Armageddon lol, the hotel crashing down around me while the world falls into fiery pits of DOOM! Damn these weird ass dreams. Last time the pilot crashed into the Nevada mountains, mint!

So I woke up sweating, feeling hung-over, skint, and generally unwell. I think I was massively dehydrated and on the way to play the Wynn midday tourney, but on the way the heat and walk was doing me in. It took me 3 hours of sitting in the Wynn to really get my head together.

I got to the Wynn at the start of Level 2 and lost a lot of chips drawing to the nuts. You start on 9k, I ended up on 5k, not good. So I give my head a shake and sorted myself out.

I got TT and after a lot of callers some guy pumps it to 700. I didnt want to throw away the TT or risk it all so I call rather than reraise all in. I flop a set and the guy whacks 3000 in. I push in the for rest of my stack, he shows AA, and I double back up :)

Next hand I get two red AA and after I raise and get 1 caller, the flop comes 5JK all diamonds. The guy bets 1500 and I push all in. He calls with QKo and I turn the nuts. Happy days!

Next level I get 99 and raise to 900 and get 1 caller. The guy bets 1500, I min reraise to 3000 and he rereraises to 6000! Ouch. I flat call because the pot is getting silly (not a good move!) and the turn helps me out with my set! Booyaka. We end up all in and the guy shows 45 for two pairs. The river gives me quads! Ship it!

At the break im a massive chip leader, 45 left of 56 and im on 50k!
By the time its the next break, thanks to a few massive pairs, theres 18 left and Im on 98k! Average is only 34k.

I basically keep the pressure on and battle it out until the final table where i'm the chip leader. We lose 3 players before the rest of the table keep asking to share the money out. I'm not too keen, but after losing a big hand and doubling an asshole up, I agree to chop it. The new chip leader says no, so we play a few more hands and I win them all with pure aggression lol. AJ against QK allin with a small stack and he spikes a Q. We end up chopping it at that point so people can move on to the next tourney. Im up $700, but I want to get 1st in a Vegas tourney damnit!

We headed to the Steak house in Circus as its meant to be awesome and pickup some tickets for the Blue Man Show at the Venetian. That was one weird ass show, but pretty cool if you only get to see one show. We got pictures to post coming up.

WSOP Circuit Event 6 and Texas holdem against casino

Well I entered the WSOP event #6 today for $230, 311 players. Starting stack was 6k, and the blinds were 40 minutes. I was on a table that included the A3o lady I rinsed last tourney I played in Caesars, and I saw her reraise and go to the showdown with pocket 33's despite every card on the flop beating her, so I knew she was playing shit. She had a fair few chips though through some big moves on dangerous boards.

I had 44 and called the 300 raise to see a flop of J63 rainbow. Checks all around. Then the turn comes another Jack and I call a 200 raise to see the river. The river comes a 4 to give me the full and I reraise all-in and get called off the nut flush who hit it with my 4spades to double up very early in then tourney. Happy days!

Next big hand I have 67c (waitseys jackpot hand!) and flop the nut straight against A3o lady and manage to get a bit out of her before the river. She was the 2nd big stack and had 9k behind her. I push all in to look like bluff when there was a J and K on turn and river and after I hollywood it to look like a bluff she calls with AJo. Nice one, thanks for the gift donkey girl! Great that I had a read on her and even Arian had said she's a calling station. 2 doubles up in the first level and I'm rolling good baby yeah!

I got moved to another table and call with 89 and the flop comes 7J3 in a raised pot. The turn comes the T to give me the nuts and one guy pushes all-in for 5k. I push for 25k and the big stack at the new table lays down the same hand as me and is tilted due to me pushing him off the same hand. They call me ballsy and I laugh it off while secretly loving the new table image, it buys me quite a few blind steals for the next hour or so. 1st break I've got 35k and theres 250 players left.

In the 2nd round I've got AJ and raise 2k and get reraied to 6k from another decent stack. The flop has an Ace on it, and the guy bets out. I reraise to 3x his bet to see where im at and when he calls it I know I'm up against AK. Turn comes a J and I ship it in and the guy calls so I win another massive pot!

I get aces 2nd from under-the-gun and raise to 3k. Everyone folds and I pickup an easy pot. Next big hand I've got two red aces under-the-gun and just call, but no one reraises and im left in a 4 way pot with an 8TJ flop with 2 diamonds. Theres betting then the turn comes a 9 so alls that is needed is the T. Someone bets out big and after thinking a while I reraise allin with the semi-bluff on the Ace of diamonds. Everyone folds and I take another big pot.

I raise with A8d to steal the blinds and get reraised all in from the short stack. Its only 4k more when I'm on 45k so I call and he has QK. Flops got a Q93, turns a J and rivers a T so I take another decent pot. Sick but I'm loving it lol.

Total count at next break is 65k, average is 18k, 100 left.

I get nothing when we get back, and even lose a few races with the best hand for a few thousand each time. By the time the tea-time break comes I'm back to average and have nothing to do for an hour, so I stick $260 dollars down on Texas Hold-em against the house. I get told to leave it alone from a chinese dude whose just been rinsed.

Basically you have to put at least 10$ on the ante, and double it to see the flop. The turn and river you can check, but if you bet its the same as the ante bet. You can also put 5$ on a bonus bet, which pays if you get pocket pairs or Ace-paint/AA etc. It pays 30:1 for Aces, 1000:1 for aces in my hand and dealers hand. 15:1 for AK etc. I go down to $80 from 260, then hit a run that puts me back up to $250. I go back to the poker room with 1minute to spare without even timing it.

Back to the tourney and on the bubble im bobbing around average and end up calling an all in with AJo because of a bad read on a player re-raising one off the button. He has AK and I end up going out in 40th place, top 36 pays! Gutted, but still happy overall with my performance.

I decide I'll get pissed at that Texas game so stick the $250 dollars down and get $10 more for drink tips, then I hit the double vodkas and coke. I saw a mexican guy come with $1000 and lay $50 on the bonus every hand and hit nothing, not even win his hand. I played for 6 hours there, although it didn't feel like it. I saw that mexican dude come back 3 times with 1000-1500 each time and he only hit the bonus once. He must have lost at least $4500.

As this was going on I was hitting hands and bonuses for fun. At first I was tipping when I hit the bonus. Eventually I was putting the bonus on every round and another $5 tip on the bonus too! I hit aces 6 times and the dealers must have been tipped $1500 easy. I went from $260 to $800, back to $300, then I hit Aces three times in an hour. I was pissed by then, had been comped free cigarettes when I ran out, and was playing a $5 tip on the dealers every hand. We were high-fiving every other hand as I was paid over and over on the bonus and hitting full houses and beating the house 80% of the time. I doubled my bet, and suddenly I was being handed a $500 chip, then the dealer made me change up some of my chips into a $1k chip and refused to let me break it down into $5. They were loving the tips but weren't letting me lose it at all, forcing me to quit while im ahead and we were all laughing our heads off when I kept announcing they're getting paid again :)

I left when I used up all my spare $5 chips, and headed off to the cage for a nice cash of $1500! What a night its been. Tired and drunken, I'm off to sleep with a nice score in my pocket that puts me even from when I arrived.

Great day all in all. Waitsey and Arian were asleep when I went out this morning, and were getting worried until I turned up drunk and rich after a great run in the WSOP circuit event.

My confidence is back up and so's my bankroll. Tomorrow will be fun whatever happens, because I'm rolled for it and running good mofo's!

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