It's Good to Be Back In Vegas

After spending eight days in Florida, where yes indeed I had a great time, its nice to be back in Vegas. So nice in fact I'm going to head up to the Red Rock today for some $2/5 NL and to also throw some money on the Bengals -3 to whip that Raven ass. Sure beats making those virtual bets although I did make some cash playing an extremely soft $200NL game after busting out of both Mookies last night. Man is it me or has the level of player dropped on Full Tilt since Party went down?

Alright last chance to play the Big Game before the Bloggers invade Vegas. Get some tokens and come play.



I'm seriously thinking of making the Big Game a monthly event since the amount of players has dropped each time. The goal was to get 30 players every event and to have a $2000 prize pool with at least a $1000 going to first place. Is the entry too high for most people? Does everyone wait for the last minute to try for tokens? The Deep Stack format and entry fee will remain the same but some feedback on whether you think we should do this monthly or keep bi-weekly would be appreciated.

Hope everyone has been staying profitable.

Florida

Greetings still from Florida. I've been here a week and man has the time flown by. It seems like only yesterday I was getting off my red-eye flight and stepping into the beautiful 42 degree morning. After a couple days of 60 degree highs the weather finally made its normal ascent into the 80s and I was able to enjoy some time on the beach. I get back to Vegas Tuesday night where I hear its been down in the 30s lately. Yuk.

Being back in Florida reminds me that I do miss it here...sometimes. I miss the warm weather, the ocean and the all the green but its not like I'm I could find any joy heading to the local race track to go play $1/2 Limit Hold'em. Nope not a misprint, $1/2 Limit Hold'em. WTF is that? Also no sports books, no $4.99 steak and eggs from midnite to 6am, and no 24/7 fun. So maybe I'll make a few trips back and forth this winter but my home will definitely continue to be in Vegas.

I haven't played poker in a week and I don't even come close to missing it. Now you must admit poker can sometimes be as exciting as watching paint dry and I know I'm not the degenerate as some of you jokesters that play every waking minute available so its nice to know maybe there is some hope. Of course I'll be playing live again as soon as I get back to Vegas and I plan on final tabling the Blogger Winter Classic and there is also the Mookie on Wednesday and the Big Game on Sunday etc.

Well thats it for now with my little update from the road. See all you donkeys on Tuesday night if you're still up and if not definitely Wednesday at the Mookie.

Wow Again

Holy Shit, take a look at this.



Max and I two-way chopped first for a nice cash with Budohorseman coming in 3rd. We had agreed to send the buy-in back to what would have been the 4th place bubble boy xkm1245 so unfortunately our true bubble boy was Pauly in the 5th spot. Well played but tough luck Pauly.

Thanks to the 17 players who made it out. This was an awesome event with an extremely tough field and basically we played a two table SnG but with Double Stacks. We saw a lot of good post-flop poker without all the push monkey business and it took two hours forty-five minutes to complete.

The banner needs to be updated but don't forget in two weeks we do the Big Game again. Start working on the tokens and join the toughest game in town.

On the sports front it was practically a wash as a couple of tight loses, including Ohio St., made for a what could have been weekend. Dallas saved the day though with their win against Indy to keep things manageable. That game was another prime example of "when a line looks to good to be true it probably is." The sports book was loaded with Indy players who must have thought, "Wow this is like free money," who were screaming pissed when Dallas pulled out the victory.

I'm off to Florida on the Red Eye tonite for an eight day Thanksgiving vacation. Let's hope for some nice weather so I can get some time at the beach and clear my mind for the run to the end of the NFL season and everybodys favorite time to make money the college Bowl Season. There will be no live poker but I will have computer access so I'll be able to play online and update the blog a couple of times too.

Hope everyone had a nice weekend and most importantly made some money.

Iak is the Man

As most of you know since there were about thirty of us on the rail, congrats to Iak for his Final Table at the FTOPS Event #6. Well done brother.

Hey Pauly, it took some work but we picked up those chicks at the bar and although it wasn't twice at least we banged them once. Now Saturday we pick up those other chicks and we bang them at least once too to cap of the weekend. If we get them to we try again on Sunday? Did the rest of you get that?

Okay I left you hanging with those hands I posted the other day so here are the details.

#1 I saw the flop, hit top pair and got check-raised. Once he pushed the turn though I thought I was good. I really felt he was trying to push me off since he didn't like the King on the flop. Why else check-raise instead of lead out or smooth call my bet? Also I was pot committed on his turn push so no backing out now. He turned over QQ. Nice call Falstaff.

#2 Well since the stacks were all about $1000 I thought the push might be a little much so I re-raised it to $370. I was nervous doing so but if it's set-over-set so be it and if a donkey wants to chase a flush that hard bring it on. Everyone folded and I took down what I think was the maximum I could.

#3 Probably not a good way to play this hand but it was one of those instances where I played the player and not my cards. I called and turned over my J9 and the guys face dropped to the felt. He said, "Wow nice call," and he mucked. I'm guessing he had a small pair from the hesitation on the turn.

#4 I push and the fucker insta calls. You know what that means right? Yup 9T sooted and I get stacked. Yes I probably shouldn't have played it but when it hit I thought I was gonna get some of the guys stack. For those of you tighties out there, good players raise with any two cards, and they mix up their play and that's why IMO they're winning players. I notice its a lot harder for players to peddle nuts as I move up the ladder because the rocks never get any action when all they bet is AA, KK, QQ, and AK.

Don't forget about Sunday, get your tokens and get to the Big Game.

Cash Game Hands

Well would you look at this shit. We chopped first for $105 each. Not bad for a MTT donkey.



Alright here are some interesting cash game hands from the last couple weeks. Lately I've been raising more with a wider range or crap/cards, limping from early position in hopes to see a cheap flop, and calling raises in position in the hopes of out playing players post-flop.

#1 $2/5 $500 max buy-in MGM. MP AdKd sooted. UTG raises to $15, I make it $45. Folds around to a super tight player in the small blind who raises to $115. UTG folds. I usually muck this but with position I call.

Flop is KsJc3h. SB checks. Well lets see where we are, I make it $125 he immediately check-raises it to $250. AA, KK, JJ, or did he miss? Now a lot of time I call check-raisers and get to the turn and see how they act then. Most don't handle smooth calls too well, and with position I want this guy to wonder about my call pre-flop and my call of the check-raise.

Turn is a 7d and SB pushes remaining $275. Now what?

#2 $2/5 $1000 max buy-in Venetian. All players in hand have at least $800. In the CO I get 6d6h. Solid local limps UTG as does tourist in MP. I limp also and and aggro tourist on the button raises to $25. We all call. Flop comes Qc9s6c. First two players check to me whats the play?

I know 90% of you say its a scary board don't slow play a set so I'm sure you fire out a bet. Theres a good chance I lead out and everyone folds and I get $75 but with Mr. Aggro tourist I'm going to slow play this and see if I can't get some of his stack.

Sure enough Mr. Tourist fires $50 into the pot. Local UTG calls the $50 and MP tourist raises to $120. Fuck, this might have blown up. I have bottom set there is a club flush draw, I'm facing a re-raise and I still have two players to act. What's the play?

#3 $2/5 $500 max buy-in MGM. On the button with Jc9s. Soft tourist in middle position opens and makes it $25 to go, its folded to me. I decide to float and play this hand post flop to see if I can push him off a hand. Flop is 8c7d3s. He makes a C-bet of $50 and since I have a gut shot I decide to call him and see one more card.

Turn is a Jh. Tourist checks. Hmmm just what I thought he missed and that J scared him. So do I fire and take down the pot? Nope I check too. I'm trying to sacrifice winning his $75 right now to take a shot at getting more from him on the river. River is 5d and fuck the tourist goes all-in for $300. I have just about that much in front of me. What the fuck do I do know?

#4 $2/5 $500 max buy-in MGM. Very tough local with about $1400 in front of him opens for $20. The button calls. I'm in the SB with 9d4c. I call the $15 and hope to hit the flop and get some of his stack.

Flop comes 8c7s6h. I have an OESD but I'm out of position. I check and local makes it $40 to go. Button folds I call hoping to hit this. Turn is a 5d. Bingo. I lead out for only $50 trying to look as if I'm trying to steal as the board is 5678. Local reraises me to $125. What? Is he just thinking I'm trying to buy the pot and testing me or does he have a hand? I have about $325 left in front of me whats the play?

Those four hands will do for now. I have a bunch more but I'm interested in your feedback on these. I love me some Vegas cash games.

Don't forget tonite, 80 players needed. I'll be playing live so I'll miss but get your asses there.



And also Sunday night, get your tokens lets see if we can get 30 players.

Life is Good

Man I haven't posted in a while, all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy, if you count sports betting and poker as work. I do. During the week my life has consisted of two to four hours in the morning/early afternoon studying the games and the rest of the day playing live poker and weekends are spent with all day sessions at the Red Rock Sports book. Life is good.

Did anyone make the mistake of betting on Kansas City, Baltimore, and Denver this weekend? I had a break even Sunday with Cincinnati's collapse to San Diego costing me a big day. Home Dogs baby! They were barking all day Saturday and Sunday.

Poker has been been going well lately. Aaron was in town last week so we played a ton of poker bouncing between Red Rock, MGM, and the Venetian for some juicy $2/5 NL games.

For those who haven't been to the Venetian the room is awesome and the games are very juicy. The $2/5 game allows for a $1000 buy-in and is a mix of tourists and tough locals. It was nothing to see a $35-50 raise pre-flop with three to five callers seeing a flop. Although this game seemed like a step up for me from the usual $500 buy-in games I held my own and walked away a winner all three sessions.

I've played poker online twice in the last three weeks. With so much good live action here in Vegas I've been pushing myself to get in the hours live instead of being lazy and playing online. I played in the Big Game a week ago Sunday and played $50 cash with some fellow bloggers last night. Online just doesn't do it anymore especially now that I've given up MTTs pretty much for good. I like post-flop poker and I don't find much excitement playing push monkey pre-flop poker. Maybe I suck at it too who knows.

Oh my political two cents. It will be interesting to see what happens with the Democrats in charge of the House and Congress but thankfully the Great State of Nevada where I reside is still being run by Republicans. The rest of you can deal with the Democrats, good luck with that BTW.

Are there any odds on Bush getting impeached? I'll bet it if the odds are right.

In the be careful what you wish for department, lets hope we don't have a Democratic President along with a Democratic House and Senate. You complainers think things are bad now, fuck I can't even begin to think what that will be like. Hopefully we won't find out.

Speaking of tree hugging liberals, I was just reminded of a bumper sticker I saw in years past, or maybe it was a T-shirt.

Jerry's Dead
Phish Sucks
Get a Job

Too fucking funny. Are you really taking me seriously BTW?

Okay that was my long overdue update. I have some nice hand examples from games I was in that I'll post this week. In the meantime start pimping this again. Let's get at least 30 this week.

Wonderful

Man I've been so busy betting sports and playing poker I've neglected to blog or pimp Sunday's Big Game.



Not many signed up yet so win those tokens and get ready for the monster pay-out on Sunday.

I will say that life is fucking fantastic. Cardinals won the World Series, hockey and NBA are in full swing, $2/5 NL games are juicy as ever, football is heating up as we get past the halfway point, and Saturday is the greatest day in racing with the Breeders Cup. Vegas absolutely Rules!

Hope everyone is doing well in your online battles and that you are staying profitable.