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!

x

Two tourneys, one proposition bet

Today I got up after 5 hours sleep and got myself ready for the Wynn $120 12pm tourney. By the time I was ready it was 12.30 so I had to get there ASAP before the late registration closed at 1pm. I got there in time and sat down to hit a run of good cards that put me in a decent standing at the table. I had AQ flops KJ5, I bet out like I've got it and get called. Then the turn brings the T and I bet and get called again. The river comes the 9 so that all the villain needs is a Queen for a straight, so I push all in. Unfortunately the villain doesnt have the Q, but I doubt he'd have called any river bet anyway. It was a +ev move for sure.

Later I donk off 5k chips with a bad read and leave myself semi-short. I get QKh and raise to 2k but get reraised to 4k, I just called that bet. The flop is TJx so I'm up and down and first to act. I check it to induce a bet and it happens as I expect. I push all in and she snap calls me with trip T's. Not a big deal because I have to hit when she calls regardless of what she's got. I miss the draw because the turn is a Q and river is a K giving me 2 pair, but thats no good to me! Early exit, but not really badly played except a single bad read.

I head back to the hotel and on the way do some souvenir shopping. The heats really bad and it reminded me to get sunblock. By the time I got back to Circus, Waitsey and Arian up and about. It still took over an hour to get out of the hotel. I tried to steer the lads to Freemont Street in downtown so I could check out the guitars and see if I can get a cheap one that I can maybe sell back to them at the end of next week. We were told not to bother going by the bellboy dude and ended up in a shopping district in downtown. Not good at all really, loads of designer shops but I don't shop! We spent a fair few hours there then we decided to go back to Caesars for the 7pm $160 I placed in the night before.

Yesterday Waitsey and Arian wanted to put a proposition bet on for whoever lasts the longest wins $50 from the other(s). I didn't go for it since I was low on funds and feeling a bit down in confidence from all the cash game beats. I'd have won an extra $100 ontop of the 842 from yesterday. Today none of us got cards, but I managed to hold out and get 28th place or so out of 105 players while never going above 130% of my starting stack. I went ahead with the prop bet tonight, but only for $20. Waitsey and Arian had to pay me $40, which lessoned the blow from the $160 entry fee.

Tomorrow we're going to play the $230 WSOP 2 day Circuit event at 12pm and we're putting the $50 prop bet on again, but this time I'm $40 up from the last bet so I'm almost freerolling it :)

The winner should get around 10k and a WSOP gold ring. The rings worth more emotionally to me than the money, but they're combined anyway. I'd still love to cash in this event, so we'll see. I may even meet a few pro's, although its more likely ill meet people who've met pro's and want to talk about it all game long lol.
I suppose its another psychological factor, you gain status by proxy.

Wish me luck!

Hottest day yet, with a tourney win!

Went to the see if I can find a loose table full of eejits at Excalibur or Luxor yesterday morning. After my mega snooze it was really nice to jut get out and see a bit of Vegas. I got some breakfast and jumped on the Deuce using my bus pass we bought the first day, I have to twist Arian and Waitseys arm to get on it because they say a taxi is just the same as a preflop cash game raise lol, but I enjoy moochin around early doors.

No game at Circus, Excalibur or anywhere except the MGM at 7am. I sat down with 100 when they all had 300-400 in front of them and was slowly blinded. Its like $15 a go, and every hand I had was missing the flop. After busting out I put another $150 on and made it to $250, but lost that too after I played 89d to the death.

Flop is 6d 7s Kc so I'm up and down. Turn is a Td giving me the straight and the straight flush draw! 3 left in the pot and the first guy betes $10 into a $70 pot, I call, other guy pushes for $120 and I snap call him. He's got two pair with 66's and 77's and the river is a 7 to bust me. Can't believe how bad I'm running, and again I'm almost all out of cash before 9am.

I spent a bit of time looking through gift shops at the side of the strip I've not been at, and then spent the day in the hotel and pool. It was so hot yesterday, I must get some suncream sorted!

Later we saw the Bellagio fountains and its incredible! The force and height of some of the shots of water is unreal, no photo or video can do it justice ever. We tried shopping but the walking and heat was just killing us, so we went to find a tournament to pass the day. I'm several days ahead of myself with cash at this point, but hey ho, when its gone its gone. We decided on Caesars Palace and the 7pm $150 freezeout.

The tourney was held in a big room that was running three tourneys, including the WSOP circuit events. All the big names are on huge portrait photos around the wall. I decided not to take a $50 proposition bet for 'Lasting Longer' than Arian or Waitsey, and at first it seemed that it was going to be a short tournament for me! It was 10,000 chips and in the end 95 people were in.

Some hands I can remember:

In the first couple of hands I call with 68o and flop trips, but everyone had folded to the small blind and after checking the turn which filled a boat for me, I bet 200 into a 100 pot on the river and took it down. That hand is not something you want when theres only one other and nothing in the pot!

Another hand and after some guy was reraising the table and showing down real 0strength, I get AA. I raise a decent amount preflop and get 5 callers which doesn't bode well, and on the flop of a 3Q5 rainbow I bet like a continuation bet and immediately get reraised for 2.5k by this guy, and I think for a moment and visualise me going home early again...then go all in. He snap calls me...and shows Q4o... I can't believe he hasn't got at least two pair over me given the snap call, then take down a nice 18k pot :)

Arian was doing very well, like chip leader with 47k in a ridiculously short time. Waitsey was donked out early by an idiot who couldn't lay down 77. It was a re-entry tournament for the first 120 minutes though so he reenetered and was put on another table.

I pretty much go card dead for the majority of the tournament, and somehow manage to get Ultimate respect at the table when I raise or reraise. I get no pair above TT's, hit nothing above two pair, and yet still take down some nice pots when scary flops come or people make a continuation bet. I'm liking the flop call-turn checkraise moves at the moment!

My stack grows to 45k with nothing but awesome post flop plays, respect and the stars aligning. 5 callers for 600 and I reraise preflop to 3000 with QTh and manage to get 66 and AQ to fold lol! They said 3000 was way too much and screamed JJ or something, I thought it was the correct sized bet given the limping and pot size. From that point on people were laying down hands all over.

I've got 44 and raising limpers with one caller, flop 882, turn 3, river 8. I check the guy bets and I reraise to see him fold for a nice pot.

Another hand I call a raise of 1800 from my bb of 600 with 45h because there were so many limpers and the pot was decent (bit of cash game play really, but makes it easy to lay down the hand!). Flop comes a 3K5 rainbow and I check raise a guy who lays down AQ for the second time that night. I had the table done in because they were getting no information on my hands yet I was kicking their arses lol.

Biggest hand of my tourney came quite late on when the blinds were 600/1200 or so. My stack was 50k and so was this old guys who was next to me. He was a really good player and was in the bb and me in the sb with 57o. He says shall we chop it and I motion that'd be ok and he laughs and says its against the tourney rules, so I end up calling anyway although feeling like a bit of a noob. Flop comes 69J and I check, he bets and I call. The turn is an 8 and gives me the 2nd nuts. I check and he bets 5k and I reraise to 15k. He calls at the river is a 7, a horrible card for me putting 4 to a straight on the board and making my hand now a single card which fills the bottom straight. I bet out again leaving me with 15k chips and he reraises me all in. Argghh, did I just donk my tourney chips at this stage?!

I take a long time to decide what to do, but end up calling and he turns up 62o and I take the tourney lead with 100k chips. My reasoning was he must have paired the flop somehow to be calling til that point. I expected to see two pair though, or at least the top pair on the flop! I was so shook up from that hand I just left the table and had an extra five minutes before the break.

Eventually we get broken up and I'm seated next to Arian to watch a nasty hand in which he's counterfeited and fails to bet the river. Then he watches me race AKo vs. AKh and lose to the flush. That halfed my stack...

Some woman, who I gave too much credit too after hearing her talking with Arian in a break, kept getting involved in hands with me until I busted her ass lol. She raised my big blind when I've got Q9o. It was a 5k raise into a pot of 9k. I call and flop is 9TT. I check raise her all-in and she snaps me with A3o? I've no idea what the hell that was all about, but she did get to a showdown with me and I took her chips as a gift from above lol.

Finally at the 2nd from last table, after Arian and Waitsey have busted out (wish I'd made that prop bet now!), I start getting some real strong hands. On the final table I take two short stacks out with AA and QQ, and even take 25k off the chip leader with a preflop reraise with a mid-Ace. I was hollywooding so many hands the entire tourney it was unreal. Its starting to be a real bonus to my plays, and getting me paid a lot. If I wanted to get a walk and the blinds I just put my card guard on the chips and my head really low and make it look like im trying to be inconspicuous. The other players were decent enough to know it as a warning sign, but not quick enough to catch me doing it to win blinds.

In the end though my luck ran out, and I began losing chips at a ridiculous pace. I went from chip leader with 7 left to out in 5th. Major hands were betting 50k on the river when the flush diamond came, and raising the bb with A8o and then calling his allin and seeing A9!

Shame I didn't hold out longer, as everything else went awesomely and it was $4000 for first place. I took $842 though, and made my mark at Caesars!

Bit disappointed that I got a bit of 'donkey' abuse from Waitsey and Arian when they didn't like a move or two, or my final table play (they didnt see relative stack sizes or anything and buggered off from Caesars). Arian claims I should pay for a lesson off Waitsey to improve my game. Waitsey asked me this morning if it was pride why I don't, and it may well be, but its more my reluctance to pay for advice from a friend and a lack of confidence in any teaching ability other than watching. My games improved a lot this last 6 months I've been playing again, and theres definitely room for improvement. But its all a gamble at the end of the day. Sometimes the technically correct thing to do isn't the right thing to do given the table situation and image.

Anyhow, I patted myself on the back and blew my own trumpet for my performance as I did awesome given the cards I was getting and the competition. Its been a long time since I saw a final table, I was cold, tired and hungry when I got there and my confidence is redeemend.

Tourney play only now I reckon. Wish me luck!

No sleep, no wins

Managed to blow all my days stake before 11am today, hows that for progress!
After I finally managed to get to sleep I was rudely awoken by the plane crashing in my dream. Then I was hungry and the damn noise outside kept me up so I thought I'd play some tired cash poker, and hopefully get ahead for the day. When that turned sour for the tune of $100, I got a McD's breakfast then threw $150 at video poker trying to hit four Aces or the Royal. Got 4 to the Royal 3 or four times, but no Jackpot. Found a new machine though, put $3 in and played for 15 mins with a shot at 90,000,000 cents! lol. Almost got it too, damn the randomness. It'll be a good one for us to put 10$ in each on the way out the casino.

I split tomorrows money in two because of the excellent Wynn $100 tourney at midday. Only 50 players. I played it til level four, had some canny crack with a yank who compared his AK to Anna Kournikovadoobery, looks great, rarely wins lol. He used it as an excuse to show a picture of him and Anna with him holding AKd out in front of the two of them. He knows film makers and stuff, and for some reason he looks familiar. Probably some pro Ive seen in passing at some point.

So with 10 players already out, the blinds 150/300 with 25 ante and 4 limpers, I raise to 1200 with AQc and two call (My Yank pro buddy and Aggressive lady). Flops Tc 7c 3d, lady bets 5000, yank pushes in for 10k and I know what my decision is with a three way pot and the chip lead up for grabs. Lady has KTo so Tens and a K kicker. Yank has T7o! (Whatcha got to bet to stop that kind of call lol) If he wasnt in I'd have took the pot coz I spike the Ace on the river, but no clubs means I'm out of that great tourney.

Probably for the best since I'm really tired and feeling very faint at the moment. So the rest of my day will consist of a little nap, some food, and finally some films on the laptop. I'll play at the Wynn tomorrow again, and this time I'll sleep properly and be freshened up and ready to fire some more barrels at the Vegas high life.

Awful, just awful!

Had an awful day yesterday, starting with an early morning cash game in Circus Circus. Me and Waitsey went down to see if anyone was playing at 7am and they were! The game was 1/2, which seems to be our usual limits (£0.75/£1.50 ish).

After buying in a couple of times through some awful luck, I was on my last $100 from my winnings the first day. Everyone called 2, I raise to 12 with JJ and get 4 callers including waitsey. Flop comes 663 and I lead out with a bet of 25. One folds, another raises to 50 and Waitsey flats it. I decided I've had enough of the BS and knowing Im probably beat by one person I go all in for my last 80 or so. Both call and the random guy who raised me first is on TT, waitsey is on Q6o for trips. I turn to a guy who rivered a full and ask him for some of his luck. River was a nice tasty J lol. That left me only 60 down from my winnings.

So we go back to the room and off to the Venetian for around 10am. Get some breakfast, and try and signup for the daily 130$ tourney. No joy because they're currently running a Deepstack Extravaganza with a $350 buyin. We all decided we'd play it, but would try and satellite in for $80 (sounds like a bad deal but its a sng that pays 2 seats). I miss in the satellite and hear the main tourney starting. We agreed we'd play the main anyway, so I toddle off and enter myself.

I sat down at the table with 12k chips, got up to 13k, then down a little, back up, then down. I was getting called more frequent due to the action I was giving, so I decide I'll stop playing around and wait for a good hand. 2 seconds later I get KQo. I bet 400, 2 callers. Flops KQ4 with 2 diamonds. Since I had two callers I expect one to hit so I check to let them lead. They all checked and the turn came a J. I come out betting for 800, one calls, another raises to 2800. Now if I'd thought about it, a raise at this point means trouble, but I'm more focused on the fact I've been stealing a lot of pots and leading out a lot. I raise all in and the guy goes into the tank to think, I'm pretty sure he doesnt have the straight as he'd have snapped me, but eventually he does call and shows 9T... ouchy, level 1 exits are never fun...so much for the 2 day event.

I sat down at the cash for another beating, KK got beat by 47 after he called my $25 flop bet with bottom pair and hit the 7 for two pair. I was completely done with poker for the day. 350-80-100=530... I still stuck $50 in the video poker and come away with nowt -580... My roll for the day was gone, it was 1pm.

I wandered around the Venetian oggling the shops where nothing has a price tag, never a good sign. They've got a shop thats full of things made of coral reef. A tiny slice of it as a pendant was $450. A foot long Egyptian boat made from it decorated with gold and diamonds was a cool $145,000! I didnt ask about the Golden goblet with all the different faiths symbols decorated on it with diamonds and some other gems. The signing gondoliers are cool, heard a woman gondolier singing like a siren with a family in her boat.

After mooching around a bit, I decided to go back to the hotel on my own and regroup. We've still not sorted communication between us, so I ended up pottering between Circus Circus and the Riviera. I've pillaged the last days money to keep me playing and sat down in Riviera. Built my stack from 100 to 160 with some nice safe plays, pissing a few off in the meantime. Then I got KK and raised to 6. A guy reraises me to 25. I raise him to 50 and he goes all in. I think a little, hoping its not AA, and call to find him with AKh. Flops QQ3, turn 5, river A... My god, i'm sick of this day! -680 (ouchies!)

Another guy got his aces cracked and because he hadn't signed in with his players card he missed out on $50. I ran off and got one at this point lol. Later I've got 44, only me and another in, flops AK8, checked, turns a 4, I check that too as I doubt he'd call if I'd bet it. Rivers another 4 for quads! There was only $5 in the pot, so I decided to overbet to try and get a call and end up sticking $15 down. He thinks for a while and folds his pair of 8's. When I show it I'm suddenly told the high hand rule and that there has to be $10 in the pot!!! I'd have won $240 for nowt and I screwed it up with an overbet for value! what a donkey, not impressed. Rest of the game I got my 2nd buyin almost gobbled up til i was on $35, then managed to pull my head out my ass and got it to $110 before the table split.

I went back to the hotel and slept for a few hours waiting for Waitsey and Arian to come back from the Venetian.

We went back out later, clubbing at the Palms. It was pants, I forgot my passport and you need ID everywhere, had to taxi it back. I got todays money out last night as Waitsey had paid for the taxi as I was ready to quit for the night. So I'm getting ahead of myself now and not in a good mood. When I finally get back to the Palms we go to the Ghost Room, a club on the top of the building. Awesome view! Beers not so good, $39 for 3 double vodka and cokes... To think that its free when im playing poker... They only took me up there to show me the view, then we went to the Playboy room, which is just a fancy high stakes pub/casino where the dealers are wearing bunny ears and its $25 minimum stake on blackjack! we got 3 bottles at $27 and decide thats enough paying for beer.

Arian and Waitsey stick $20 in the video poker as its the lowest limits in the place at $1 (I usually play $0.25). They lose all the money quickly and because they're not even playing the maximum, if they'd hit the Royal Flush they'd have got a measely $4000 instead of $25000! Arian insists on keeping his pairs and also a high kicker and slowly his money goes. I decide to screw it, we'll be sleeping in anyway tomorrow, I'll stick in $50 and see what happens. After playing for 5 mins Arians telling me to come as if we're leaving, but I still had over $50 left! I decide to ramp it up to the maximum and play $5 spins. I hold 55 and hit quad 5's for a tidy $250 win. Woo!

We made it back to the hotel late, as me and Waitsey are walking very slowly like two cripples due to a huge mountainous blister. Due to my afternoon snooze and the damn air con/buzzing unit right out my window, I can't sleep. I think today will be an early one, with a go of the Circus buffet and the cash game here (15 hours played gets you into a 3k freeroll, last week there were only 17 players!). Then some video poker, and later a cheapish tourney. I'm ramping back on the tourney entries until I'm past this awful run or luck/playing.

Starting to miss home, it coincides with losing lol, I must want a hug off the missus and the kids. I'll try and post what happened today later on tonight.

Arrived at last!

We had an awful trip over, with only 1.5 hours sleep each. The bus wasn't that bad, but facing another 11 hour journey on the plane wasn't very cool. Even though I have loads of cameras, Arian wanted a decent one from duty free. I wasn't happy about spending $50 before we'd even got to LV, but we got one anyway because we did need one I guess. $210 left!

The plane did have in seat entertainment via some video screen things with games built in, but our 3 seats didn't work! The whole plane was busying themselves and we were being driven up the wall. Sun was awesome when we arrived though but after deciding we'd stay in and have an early one on the plane, when it came down to it we decided to go out and see the sights.

I managed to steer the party to the Venetian to get signed up for players cards. We turned up in time for the 7pm 100$ tourney but decided to play cash instead so we could leave early. I got seated first at a $1/$2 NL table and put a $100 down. I bounced around $75 to $100 and stole a few unraised pots when it was clear no one had anything.

Noteworthy hands:

I got KK after 5 people had called the straddle making the pot $23, so I raised it to $25 and got no callers. Hey ho.

Next big hand I had KJo and after a blind straddle that I'd called and reraises to $15 and 3 callers, I called for speculation. Flop was 89T with two clubs. Nice flop for me, but I was under the gun so I check and everyone checks behind. Turn comes a Q and gives me the absolute nuts, again I check hoping one of the players has a J, everyone checked - not good because of the possibility of the flush arriving! So I hope for a blank card to make sure I've got the nuts and try and get some value by betting $25, one caller, thanks dude! Finally I was up with $150+

Lastly, right as Waitsey and Arian are leaving, I've called a small raise with A3o and flopped a set of Aces. Now I'm pretty sure another ace is in the action as 4 people paid $7 to see a flop, I check and the last guy to act raises to $15. I hum and har for hollywood and finally call. Turn comes the 3 giving me a full boat. He checks and I check. Turn comes a blank and he checks. I stick $30 in and the guy immediately pushes all in for $190. After I ask how much it is, which was naughty because I wasn't folding a boat, I call hoping he doesnt have a bigger boat. Nope!

So we leave and I was up to $315 from my initial $100 investment, not bad for an hour of play.

I stuck $40 in video poker while waiting around and got 1 off the Royal once, still a bit of waste but hey.

We got some food and basically zombied around for a bit, and now we're going to grab a few hours before the Venetian freezeout tourney tomorrow. Oh, Jennifer Harman was doing some charity auction event while we were playing, although I didn't leave me seat to say I'd actually seen her, I may have saw her back though lol.

Blastoff in 5 days...

Well my 'followers', last few days to prepare for a fortnight of Poker action. I'm taking just under $4000 for the fortnight, which works out about $260 a day with a bit extra for a larger tournament, higher stakes, a show or whatever. I'm only really interested in playing for some large sums of cash, so I'll probably spend it on a larger tournament.

Quick recap of what I need to remember:

14 days worth of clothes (all trouser pants must have a secure pocket!)
Shoes
Trainers
Passport
eTickets for Bus
eTickets for Plane
VISA Waiver Number
Money!
Mini-Michael, a good luck charm
Netbook and charger
Phone and charger
Nintendo DS
Ear Phones
Poker Guards
Ukelele (Vegas is bad for the soul, Music will cleanse it im sure ;)
Pillow for travel/in case hotel pillows are flat/infested!
THE American phrasebook "Sidewalks and Sneakers"

Toiletries
-------------
Inhaler
Antihistamines
Lanzaprozole
Gaviscon
Skin Cream
Toothbrush/Paste
Hankerchiefs

Hopefully I've not forgot anything important so far...except LUCK!