like most of you, I love reading the various TRs posted in LVL. I spent a lot of time reading through the legendary Matt Moore's TR back in the spring, and when I went out to Vegas back then I decided I would write a TR to make my own contribution to 2p2. that idea quickly went out the window though as the nonstop action from the moment you land makes pausing to write a thoughtful TR even harder than it seems.

this time would be different though. I again failed to write during the trip, but afterwards as I kept replaying some of the hands and stories in my mind I felt a need to put them down in writing. none of my friends back home appreciate poker stories so I'm hoping the 2p2 crowd will get some entertainment out of them.

my TR is a mix of general summary with some more detailed poker hands/stories later in the trip. hands/betting may not be 100% accurate since I'm writing this after the fact. also I'm changing names in some HHs. here goes ... hope it's not too boring!

Background

Let me start with a little background on me. I'm in my late 20s and spent the last five years working in the finance industry where my career was stagnant. I quit my job earlier this year with no plans but knowing it was time to make a change either way. I came out to Vegas in March for the second time in my life to try playing poker here for the first time. I had a great time but the poker didn't go too well. I played the lowest stakes, 1/2 and 1/3, tried a bunch of different poker rooms, only really got into a good rhythm on my last day, and came out slightly down for the trip.

I got into playing online poker back in 2008 and 2009, and was the typical small stakes tourney donk. Pretty good in short stack push/fold poker, no clue how to play after the flop. I had a few deep runs in small stakes tourneys but essentially was breaking even. At some point before Black Friday, I remember it became impossible to deposit on FTP using a credit card. This basically ended my interest in online poker. Which is a shame, because it was only after that point that I got interested in cash games and learning how to play after the flop.

Since I couldn't play online easily, I've played live here and there. Mohegan Sun, Borgata, Charlestown. After my last Vegas trip, I found out I got into grad school for this fall, so I've basically been hanging out this summer. I've made a few trips to the Borgata where I get comped rooms during the week. My game has improved by leaps and bounds during this time, and I've made some decent but not great profits at the Borgata. The 1/2 game there is a miserable nit fest and during the week the 2/5 game is infested with grinders. Last time I was there I also played a daily donkament and I was amazed by how soft the field was. (Way below the level of even 1/2.)

All this leads up to about 6 weeks ago, when I realize the WSOP is on in Vegas and decide I should come give it a shot since this may be the last chance for a while that my schedule is totally open. I had another trip planned with my girlfriend for the beginning of the series so I decide to come out after that for the last 1.5 weeks leading up to the ME. I plan to play the 1K NLHE event 54, and cash games at Aria, my favorite poker room. Of course if I run really good I can always extend my trip for the ME ... So my story begins.

Days 1-4

I'm writing this all after the trip so it's a bit hazy in my memory, especially the first few days.

I start day 1 running bad, as my flight is delayed by 5 hours. I quickly and quietly get in line at the gate and after showing the moronic Southwest agents on my phone that they have flights leaving every hour with empty seats, I convince them to put me on a flight that will get me to Vegas 40 minutes earlier. Great. Except, oh yeah, we can't move your checked bag, even with 3.5 hours until take off. WTF. After my heroic flight change effort, I end up having to wait 40 minutes at LAS for my bag to show up anyway. Eventually, I get settled in at the Flamingo, which I'm really happy with, and head over to Aria to play poker.

Las Vegas is paradise for poker players. Of course, Vegas has something to offer for everyone. But for most people, I think Vegas is just this weird blingy place full of sex, money, and alcohol. As poker players, we have the most legit reason for being there. We come to Vegas to make money. At least in theory. Whether it actually happens is another story.



I start out my trip playing some 1/3 to get settled in, since I haven't played any poker in 2 or 3 months. I am quickly reintroduced to the glamour of the Aria poker room and its excellent staff. (I also notice they've upgraded their cocktail waitresses ...) Since I was here last time, they've expanded into part of the slot area and business is booming, no doubt thanks in part to the WSOP. My first table of the trip finds me seated next to a guy about my age from the Bay Area, where I'm moving this fall. One seat over is an exotic looking Asian girl from Europe who I'm happy to delude myself is flirting with me. Of course, to the disappointment of me and the Bay Area dude, she is here with her boyfriend (there's an unwritten rule that all girls playing live poker are there with their boyfriends, usually high stakes pros) but I still enjoy chatting with her. At the other end of my table is a young former internet pro who mentions at some point how he got crushed for a large 5 figure sum on FTP when Black Friday went down. Ouch. Luckily for me, I was a fish and couldn't deposit any more money there so I didn't lose much. I play a few hands with him where I use tricky lines and get some good value but he's gracious about it. My trip is off to a good start and after 4 hours I call it a night 550 dollars richer.


Day 2 I mostly spend making a trip to the Gold and Silver Pawn Shop, aka Pawn Stars. I'm a big fan of the show so I definitely wanted to come see their shop while I was here. Now let me tell you, I love the desert air in Vegas. It just has a relaxing feeling to me, different than anything I'm used to. Because I enjoy the desert weather so much, while almost any rational person would cab the 3.6 miles from my hotel to the shop, I decide to walk it in the noontime summer sun. Honestly it's not that bad ... Until I get there to find a line around the corner because they're filming and not letting anyone in. Crap.


The line after about 30 minutes. The misters are a nice gesture, but honestly useless.

It's hot but I decide to wait it out since I walked all the way here. There's some methed out homeless guy who's harassing people in the line trying to get them to buy some piece of junk from him. No one's buying and he eventually wanders off into he desert. 50 minutes later they let us in. They're still filming, I see Rick (seems like a nice guy), and one of the appraisers. The experience is a bit weird because most of the people are only there to see the filming and buy Pawn Stars t shirts. I at least pretend to look at the store items as if I might buy something. The most interesting thing I see, a Yale Ivy League championship ring, is not for sale. Overall, I had fun seeing the shop and would recommend it. Afterwards, I hit up the outlet mall because I didn't bring any pants with me (only shorts). I don't play much poker this day and end up going to Tao at night.

On Day 3, I play some more 1/3 at Aria at night. I get seated at a very social table with a group of middle aged players who all seem to know each other. At the other end of the table from me is a very classy looking white haired gentleman and to my right is a lady I later learn is his wife. These folks are playing slightly wild, aggressive poker, joking around and just having a good time. I chat a bit with the guy on my left and he explains that they came up from LA for the weekend, which makes sense since they seem like a very Hollywood group.

Now at this point in the story, the sports fans out there may want to kill me. The guy on my left explains to me how his friend called them and said to come over to play poker at Aria, where he's playing with his client Orel Hershiser. To which I'm like "Oh cool ..." I recognize the name but only later in the night do I realize the classy white haired gentleman seated down the table from me is the baseball great himself.

You can run into anyone in Vegas, but usually not at a 1/3 NL table. Orel and friends are a nice group of people with some funny stories, and it's another great night at the Aria. Turns out Orel is sponsored by Pokerstars too!


Day 4 I have very little memory of except that I decided to step it up to 2/5, sat next to a friendly Canadian guy whose brand new headphones were a bit flimsy, and witnessed some big all in pots none of which involved me. I finished the day up about 800 and prepared for my first WSOP run on Sunday.

nice read, keep it going!

Great beginning. Funny about Orel h. Subscribed! How was TAO?

TAO was ok - without a table you're definitely on the outskirts there. Next post coming up ...

Day 5: At the WSOP

On Saturday night, I cab it over from Aria to the Rio to register for my first WSOP event on Sunday. Walking into the Rio poker area for the first time is sort of like ascending to poker's Valhalla. It's total chaos and excitement with multiple convention rooms filled with poker tables, thousands of poker players rushing around, TV cameras running, and WSOP sponsors vying for some of those poker dollars. When I go over at night, things are a bit more quiet, but I'm still able to get a taste of the tournament action from the rails. While I'm there, one of the 25k satellites into the One Drop tournament is on its final table, and I recognize Gus Hansen and Elky amongst the final nine. (It ends up being Gus and Shaun Deeb heads up with some amusing final hand antics.)



I would never play a 1k tournament online. The fields are just way too strong, and even if one has an edge (I wouldn't) the variance would be insane. My experience playing the daily tournament at the Borgata earlier this year, along with some safe assumptions about the WSOP field, led me to think a live 1k would be substantially different. So as I walked around the Rio taking in the sights and sounds of the nighttime WSOP action, I was getting more and more excited. Because, like anyone who has played a decent amount of live cash games, I feel like I can quickly sort tables into estimates of their skill level based on stereotypical appearances of players, with a decent degree of accuracy. And from what I'm seeing, these fields look soft. Really soft.

I head back over to Aria to get some sleep. I forgot to mention but I switched my hotel to Aria for Sat night, because I refused to pay >100 for the Flamingo on a Sat when I could be staying at Aria for a bit more. This ending up being a big mistake and waste of time as I was pretty content with Flamingo and should have just swallowed my pride. I made the reservations before I knew Flamingo would be decent though so I just followed my original plan.

Either because the bed at Aria is too soft or I'm nervous about playing my first WSOP event, I don't sleep too well on Sat night. Nonetheless I rouse myself at 11am, throw on some clothes and grab a jacket, and cab it over to the Rio. I make it there a little early and proceed to my table which is in the Amazon room. Today is the kick off day for the Big One for One Drop so there's a lot of excitement in the room. As my table shows up, I start to wonder where are all the atrocious donkeys I saw yesterday, as I would say most look competent based solely on appearance.



The One Drop tourney gets started around 2pm but in the hour preceding they keeping banging this absurd drum as part of the opening ceremonies and announce everyone's name. (Yea if I put up a million dollars I'd better get a red carpet roll out too.) At 2pm we get our first break and I make the mad dash to the restrooms (which are not bad surprisingly, was expecting the sporting event trough set up... Ugh.) and grab some food from the cafeteria.

Not a lot of interesting poker takes place all day, although I'm reminded quickly how tourneys differ from cash games. If I could play these fields all day in cash games there's no doubt that I would crush. But due to creeping blinds and the whole "tourney life" thing, which you can't just reload with cash from your wallet, you're forced to take spots and moves you wouldn't normally. Tourney variance is a *****.

I get a few interesting table draws. At one of them a Euro online player discreetly asks another player if he was considering playing the One Drop today. I find this interesting as I'm wondering who could be considering playing a 1 mil buy in yet sit in a 1k. He responds that no he wasn't but he has some pieces of people in it. The guy looks and sounds like Christian Bale's younger brother so I'm really wondering who it is but he busts soon after. I later ask the German guy and he informs me it was high stakes online cash game pro Hoss_TBF. At my next table I'm seated with a notable online tourney pro who is telling the table how he moved to Mexico to play after Black Friday. So the field really ranges from pure donks to the best of the best.



Anyway my stack goes up and down and by the end of level 4 I find myself in a short stack situation, hovering just above 10bbs. I like to think that I'm pretty good at playing a short stack in tourneys from my online days, knowing which spots and cards to push with, and when to wait. I keep squeaking by on my short stack until just before the dinner break where I go on a heater and get up to 30bbs. This is great and I'm feeling good thanks to a diet of Red Bull and Aleve. Finally I can play some real poker.


The situation quickly changes though as I pull a terrible table draw after dinner and get moved from a super soft donk filled table to a table full of young tourney pros (one of which being some Indian guy I recognize from TV) and two of the chip leaders. The field is getting stronger as it gets smaller so this is to be expected but this table is awful. The chip leader is to my right and he's playing just about ATC and is in a war with the other table chip leader who he proceeds to decimate over the next half hour. (Older guy who goes on monkey tilt and plays terrible.)

There's not a lot of spots for me to play here and the blinds and ante quickly eat up my stack. I'm down to about 10bb again soon after the next break, it folds to me and I look down at 88. All in and it folds to the BB who has the same amount of chips as me and calls. "**** you have a pair?" he says as I flip my 88 and he flips his AKo. We're off to the races but it doesn't last long as he binks an A on the flop. Brick brick and it's gg gl folks. I'm out with 500 remaining, 318 cash.

On the long walk out I'm reminded how depressing it is to lose tournaments. You're forced into a lot more all in coin flips where pure luck decides your fate. And there's a lot more emotional investment in putting in the long hours and watching the excitement of the field shrinking smaller and smaller. This is magnified in live tourneys where you can actually see the other tables, and are constantly running around for table changes. But eventually almost everyone loses and you don't get to be part of the excitement any more. It sucks.

I head back to Aria, play a quick 30 min session to get my mind off the tourney and then head back to the Flamingo for my next few nights.

MOAR PLEASE!

i'm flying back to Vegas tomorrow so trying to post moar. go go go

Day 6: WSOP pt 2

Last night before calling it I played some 2/5 at Aria with Steven from Canada. He also played the 1k yesterday and mentions there's a 1.5k tomorrow that he's playing. I came here planning to play one tournament and one only. But when I think about how close I came to cashing, how good my edge must be in these events, and that I might be stuck in another office job at this time next year with no time to come play in WSOP tournaments, I decide to join him and give it another try. I can afford the risk and can probably grind it back up in cash games if needed.

So I wake up early again after getting a good night's sleep at the Flamingo an head over to the Rio again to register.

I get to my table 5 minutes late and start my day with the breakfast of champions, Red Bull. I heard they banned this stuff after Hevad Khan so I'm really glad to see it's a staple at the WSOP. I'm seated next to an old dirty guy on my left who proceeds to file his nails for the next 1.5hrs, leaving a disgusting pile of human debris on the felt in front of him. If you're reading this nasty old dude, you suck. My table is full of old nits, and after the break I get moved to another table with about a starting stack.

Oh yea I think while getting lunch this day (or yesterday?) I saw LVL's own norcaljew from afar. (Pink hair unmissable.)

The new table is better and I decide to play more aggressively today to try to build up a stack. I make a few moves, double up 88 vs 44, and I'm generally doing OK.

On level 5 the following hand happens. Late 20s street looking Asian guy who has about 8k chips and has been playing above average number of hands raises to 550 UTG (blinds are 100/200) folds to Euro guy with about 12k in mid position who calls, then to me in the CO. I look down at AThh and decide with 1400 in the pot and about 4500 in my stack, now is a good time to make a squeeze play. All in, folds to Asian guy, he's all in, Euro guys tanks then folds JJ face up.

I know I'm screwed when I get called here, and the Asian guy flips KK. At least my ace is live. Flops comes all black and one K, and I'm out in a blaze of glory. Looking back I wonder if this move was standard, too aggressive when I could have waited for better spots, or just flat out bad since I'm dominated a lot when called. I also wonder if I should have put UTG on a tighter opening range here based on his position. What do you think of my move?

I head back to the Flamingo, take a nap, then head over to Aria at night. The wait list is absolutely insane tonight. I call in to join the wait list around 9:30pm, arrive at 10:15, and I'm literally at the top of the 2/5 list until 11:30 before they can seat me. WTF!

On the bright side, while waiting I see poker legend Tom durrrr Dwan enter Ivey's Room where he's joined by 2p2 and life legend blitzforce as well as Aria reg slash broke living expert JRB (I think he was there) and probably some of the Macau crew I don't recognize. There aren't many competitive venues in life where you have the very bottom (eg me) and the very top in such close proximity for all to see. It's an exciting environment and despite busting my WSOP event in pathetic fashion today I feel good to be participating in some small way.

By the time I'm seated I'm too tired to play much, so I cash out after 30 min with 150 more in my wallet and head back to the hotel.

Awesome TR

Yes bad play with the shove, A10 is garbage

Late 20s, 4 years exp in finance, born and raised here in the Bay Area. Let me know if you need any pointers and suggestions regarding the area! Perhaps play a bit in the card rooms, too.

Great read.

Keep writing, OP!

OP, i have played those 1-2 NL games at borgata during the week. At first i thought i was the only one seeing nitty players at every table and i see you mention this as well. Those guys were pretty much nut peddlers right? I assume 2-5 there was at least a bit more action at least? Were the 2/5 players there pretty good though?