Annual Fish Fry - Winter Break Trip
12-30-2021
, 06:13 AM
I’m going to stay in Las Vegas for the next month and figured to record my play in a trip report. I am a 3L in law school; this is my last chance to run it up and focus on the tables before second semester & bar prep. I will be guilty of punting stacks, firing in the pits, and overworking my liver.
Am I the frying the fish, or the fish being fried?
I can promise $2/5, 5/T, some low stakes PLO, dice, and a lot of restaurant reviews.
After successfully isolating myself from the New York City omnicron attack during finals week, I made it to JFK two weeks ago and got slapped with a four hour delay. Delta is usually pretty good for me so I took the L in stride, relaxed at the airport, and had a couple glasses of wine. Uneventful flight, but within two days developed a light cold. A PCR test in Las Vegas confirmed COVID 19 for the second December running - my trip and holiday season would be spent alone, at least for the first two weeks.
After my quarantine ended, I met family and friends to exchange gifts, visited Lee’s to restock on Coronas and scotch, then plotted my first heist on a poker room.
Target #1: the warmup game - Aria $2/5
Into the Aria for my first live session since my brief Borgata weekend hit in October.
Took a seat at $6/12 mix - I’d never played the mix - while I waited 90 minutes! for a $2/5 table. The Aria was completely slammed, the $1/3 and $1/$2 PLO lines were even longer. I had no clue things were this busy in Las Vegas right now.
Into the 6/12 mix for $600, minus $-5 for a vodka cran and water. Sorry I don’t remember the “real” names for these fake ass games.
I sit in just as the table switched to Stud eight or better, but with 3 down cards originally dealt to players. There would be a discard from the three down cards after the first round of betting, turning the rest of the hand into normal Stud8.
I split a couple pots on the orbit before the game shifts to Badeucy Drawmaha? I think? I was only one drink in and they already launch made up poker lingo at me. Players got 5 cards, saw a flop, then discarded and drew. After turn and river, the best badugi hand would win low and best Omaha hand would win high.
Very first hand I flop quads with A24-7J on the button.
Flop 777. Checks to me, I bet and get called four ways. I pitch the J, holding the seven suited to my ace, and fail to make a badugi, getting a suited K.
Turn 5. Someone bets, I raise, it gets 3b, calls, I raise, it caps. 4 callers and myself to the river:
River 9o. One bet, calls to me, I raise, three of the four call.
My quads are obviously good for half but eight-hi badugi takes the low. A bit of grumbling how the new player flops quads but I should mention - almost all of the players were very kind to explain the rules to me. I definitely am dead money walking here, as the next hand exemplifies:
A52-5K. UTG raises pre, two callers between, I reraise from the button, and we go four ways to a flop of:
Flop: Tc 5d 3h. It checks to me, I bet, UTG raises, all four of us call. I’m confused here since I have to hold both 5s, and only pitch the K. I get lucky when a badugi 8 slides in.
Turn: 2c. Now I have the nut flush draw with my A5cc to go with third set and an eight badugi. UTG bets, both call, I raise, UTG 3 bets, both call, I 4b, UTG caps, and both players between cap. I often play my draws fast in NL and PLO, but this aggression backfires..
River 7h. UTG bets, MP fold, HJ call, and I aight call, expecting to be scooped.
Indeed, UTG rolls 64 with the 6-badugi and tackles a big pile of $3 chips. HJ flashes TT no badugi, so I guess my boat outs were dirty too. Tough game, and I leave after some uneventful 2-7 triple draw as my name gets called into the $2/$5. Down a hundred, I write it off as an expensive hand-warmer and chip shuffling practice. Time to spin up a stack before dinner…
Am I the frying the fish, or the fish being fried?
I can promise $2/5, 5/T, some low stakes PLO, dice, and a lot of restaurant reviews.
After successfully isolating myself from the New York City omnicron attack during finals week, I made it to JFK two weeks ago and got slapped with a four hour delay. Delta is usually pretty good for me so I took the L in stride, relaxed at the airport, and had a couple glasses of wine. Uneventful flight, but within two days developed a light cold. A PCR test in Las Vegas confirmed COVID 19 for the second December running - my trip and holiday season would be spent alone, at least for the first two weeks.
After my quarantine ended, I met family and friends to exchange gifts, visited Lee’s to restock on Coronas and scotch, then plotted my first heist on a poker room.
Target #1: the warmup game - Aria $2/5
Into the Aria for my first live session since my brief Borgata weekend hit in October.
Took a seat at $6/12 mix - I’d never played the mix - while I waited 90 minutes! for a $2/5 table. The Aria was completely slammed, the $1/3 and $1/$2 PLO lines were even longer. I had no clue things were this busy in Las Vegas right now.
Into the 6/12 mix for $600, minus $-5 for a vodka cran and water. Sorry I don’t remember the “real” names for these fake ass games.
I sit in just as the table switched to Stud eight or better, but with 3 down cards originally dealt to players. There would be a discard from the three down cards after the first round of betting, turning the rest of the hand into normal Stud8.
I split a couple pots on the orbit before the game shifts to Badeucy Drawmaha? I think? I was only one drink in and they already launch made up poker lingo at me. Players got 5 cards, saw a flop, then discarded and drew. After turn and river, the best badugi hand would win low and best Omaha hand would win high.
Very first hand I flop quads with A24-7J on the button.
Flop 777. Checks to me, I bet and get called four ways. I pitch the J, holding the seven suited to my ace, and fail to make a badugi, getting a suited K.
Turn 5. Someone bets, I raise, it gets 3b, calls, I raise, it caps. 4 callers and myself to the river:
River 9o. One bet, calls to me, I raise, three of the four call.
My quads are obviously good for half but eight-hi badugi takes the low. A bit of grumbling how the new player flops quads but I should mention - almost all of the players were very kind to explain the rules to me. I definitely am dead money walking here, as the next hand exemplifies:
A52-5K. UTG raises pre, two callers between, I reraise from the button, and we go four ways to a flop of:
Flop: Tc 5d 3h. It checks to me, I bet, UTG raises, all four of us call. I’m confused here since I have to hold both 5s, and only pitch the K. I get lucky when a badugi 8 slides in.
Turn: 2c. Now I have the nut flush draw with my A5cc to go with third set and an eight badugi. UTG bets, both call, I raise, UTG 3 bets, both call, I 4b, UTG caps, and both players between cap. I often play my draws fast in NL and PLO, but this aggression backfires..
River 7h. UTG bets, MP fold, HJ call, and I aight call, expecting to be scooped.
Indeed, UTG rolls 64 with the 6-badugi and tackles a big pile of $3 chips. HJ flashes TT no badugi, so I guess my boat outs were dirty too. Tough game, and I leave after some uneventful 2-7 triple draw as my name gets called into the $2/$5. Down a hundred, I write it off as an expensive hand-warmer and chip shuffling practice. Time to spin up a stack before dinner…
12-30-2021
, 07:08 AM
You want to see a very bad man? Make an ordinary man successful beyond his imagination. Let’s see how good he is when he can do whatever he wants.
- Min Jin Lee, Pachinko
I saunter toward the $2/5 feeling a slight edge that, just before my HS basketball games or college debates, **** even before coed flag football or intramural dodgeball, I used to call anxiety. Now I just accept it as my body focusing energy for competition. I feel pressure to play well and win some money; I consider myself a solid cash game player and love battling with regs.
Nonetheless, I decide against buying for the max until I’ve shaken the cobwebs off my game. I’m in for $700 and leave my remaining $3 chip to the runner. Seat 2, my favorite. I feel confidence start to build as I take a look around and recognize an OK table, especially for Vegas.
First orbit is uneventful as I fold offsuited garbage and examine the personalities. Seat 1 is a very young Asian playing deep, who constantly checks his watch when making decisions. How random.
Seat 5 is his friend, another young Asian guy with two friends backsweating him. Seats 3 and 4 are middle aged loose guys, seats 6 and 8 are loose/passive shortstackers unafraid to call off light and minrebuy.
After I fold for a while and win a couple small ones on the flop, I see my first real hand. I open AKhh $20 UTG, +1 calls, SB calls, then the LAG asian in seat 1 bumps it to $120. I’ve seen him do this with a wide range of hands so far, but with the two short stacks ($~200 and $300) between us didn’t want to take a multi-way flop. We’re about $650 effective.
I make a mistake and ship it. It seems so bad in hindsight that I’m almost ashamed to share it, but I leveled myself against raising to $260ish in the moment, which is probably my regular line. I hated all of the stack-sizes behind for anything less than a jam, but i also don’t think I ever just stuff AA like this. I look full of ****, but get folds from the betweeners. Seat 1 tanks for a bit and makes me feel good about the jam. Eventually, he looks at the Casio and sees its calling time.
I roll the suited monster and he instantly shows TT for us to sweat the $1400 flip together. J8K6Q and we hold strong. The dealer gets a red bird for coming through and starting my trip off right…
I play pretty tight for another down or so, passing up squeeze opportunities with Q7s and K8s in late positions, plus making some hero folds from the SB with suited three gappers. I usually don’t come to Vegas disciplined pre-flop, and all the folding takes a toll on me.
The next dealer comes in and I raise 3 pots in his first orbit, taking down two pre and one on the flop. Then I open 98dd to $20 MP, middle aged man to my left calls CO off $400, HJ calls after just sitting down with $1k, and BTN (seat 6, now a third young asian who is friendly with the first two) bumps to $100 sitting on $1000 as well. I get a little sticky, as do both CO and HJ. BTN was 3 betting very aggressively in his first orbit, although I don’t think that justifies the out of position call.
Tx 9c 5d flop and I devise devious intentions when it checks to the original raiser. BTN continues for $115 and I am the sole caller.
Qc turn checks through.
A river bricks the bdfd. I doubt my ability to win with a check and fire $350. After about a minute, BTN mucks and sighs. I flash the 8d and steal one here.
A few uneventful orbits include me giving up on a few pots on the flop before I open A9ss in EP to $20. MP, BTN, and SB all call - the SB is sitting on $150.
We check the T63 flop, the 9 turn, and SB leads $20 on the 4 river. I am the lone caller, but he refuses to show his hand.
These spots can get awkward because I take the (sometimes unpopular opinion) that when I call a river bet, I am paying to either see V’s cards or get them to muck, so that I don’t have to show. They have every right to table their hand or muck it, but I refuse to show first. It’s just a principle thing I guess, but SB acts like I’m offending him by making him hold his cards face down over the muck for 15 seconds while he stares at me.
Eventually he flips A5 and I can roll my winning second pair.
I make a couple of light 3 bets on the button when CO (seat 1 lag) would open to $25 or $30 over some limps, and I get folds each time. The table seems to be drying up as more young guys take the seats of the older men departing, and the final straw for me is the weak shortstacked player busting to seat 1 with AK < TT aipf for a reversal of my big hand, albeit for about $200 each.
I rack it and call it after about three hours, up to $2100.
I felt like I didn’t play too well but somehow won $1300; poker can be a cruel game, but sessions like this make up for all of the unjust ones.
I want to spend more time at $2/5 before I hop back into $5/T and massage the kinks out of my game.
- Min Jin Lee, Pachinko
I saunter toward the $2/5 feeling a slight edge that, just before my HS basketball games or college debates, **** even before coed flag football or intramural dodgeball, I used to call anxiety. Now I just accept it as my body focusing energy for competition. I feel pressure to play well and win some money; I consider myself a solid cash game player and love battling with regs.
Nonetheless, I decide against buying for the max until I’ve shaken the cobwebs off my game. I’m in for $700 and leave my remaining $3 chip to the runner. Seat 2, my favorite. I feel confidence start to build as I take a look around and recognize an OK table, especially for Vegas.
First orbit is uneventful as I fold offsuited garbage and examine the personalities. Seat 1 is a very young Asian playing deep, who constantly checks his watch when making decisions. How random.
Seat 5 is his friend, another young Asian guy with two friends backsweating him. Seats 3 and 4 are middle aged loose guys, seats 6 and 8 are loose/passive shortstackers unafraid to call off light and minrebuy.
After I fold for a while and win a couple small ones on the flop, I see my first real hand. I open AKhh $20 UTG, +1 calls, SB calls, then the LAG asian in seat 1 bumps it to $120. I’ve seen him do this with a wide range of hands so far, but with the two short stacks ($~200 and $300) between us didn’t want to take a multi-way flop. We’re about $650 effective.
I make a mistake and ship it. It seems so bad in hindsight that I’m almost ashamed to share it, but I leveled myself against raising to $260ish in the moment, which is probably my regular line. I hated all of the stack-sizes behind for anything less than a jam, but i also don’t think I ever just stuff AA like this. I look full of ****, but get folds from the betweeners. Seat 1 tanks for a bit and makes me feel good about the jam. Eventually, he looks at the Casio and sees its calling time.
I roll the suited monster and he instantly shows TT for us to sweat the $1400 flip together. J8K6Q and we hold strong. The dealer gets a red bird for coming through and starting my trip off right…
I play pretty tight for another down or so, passing up squeeze opportunities with Q7s and K8s in late positions, plus making some hero folds from the SB with suited three gappers. I usually don’t come to Vegas disciplined pre-flop, and all the folding takes a toll on me.
The next dealer comes in and I raise 3 pots in his first orbit, taking down two pre and one on the flop. Then I open 98dd to $20 MP, middle aged man to my left calls CO off $400, HJ calls after just sitting down with $1k, and BTN (seat 6, now a third young asian who is friendly with the first two) bumps to $100 sitting on $1000 as well. I get a little sticky, as do both CO and HJ. BTN was 3 betting very aggressively in his first orbit, although I don’t think that justifies the out of position call.
Tx 9c 5d flop and I devise devious intentions when it checks to the original raiser. BTN continues for $115 and I am the sole caller.
Qc turn checks through.
A river bricks the bdfd. I doubt my ability to win with a check and fire $350. After about a minute, BTN mucks and sighs. I flash the 8d and steal one here.
A few uneventful orbits include me giving up on a few pots on the flop before I open A9ss in EP to $20. MP, BTN, and SB all call - the SB is sitting on $150.
We check the T63 flop, the 9 turn, and SB leads $20 on the 4 river. I am the lone caller, but he refuses to show his hand.
These spots can get awkward because I take the (sometimes unpopular opinion) that when I call a river bet, I am paying to either see V’s cards or get them to muck, so that I don’t have to show. They have every right to table their hand or muck it, but I refuse to show first. It’s just a principle thing I guess, but SB acts like I’m offending him by making him hold his cards face down over the muck for 15 seconds while he stares at me.
Eventually he flips A5 and I can roll my winning second pair.
I make a couple of light 3 bets on the button when CO (seat 1 lag) would open to $25 or $30 over some limps, and I get folds each time. The table seems to be drying up as more young guys take the seats of the older men departing, and the final straw for me is the weak shortstacked player busting to seat 1 with AK < TT aipf for a reversal of my big hand, albeit for about $200 each.
I rack it and call it after about three hours, up to $2100.
I felt like I didn’t play too well but somehow won $1300; poker can be a cruel game, but sessions like this make up for all of the unjust ones.
I want to spend more time at $2/5 before I hop back into $5/T and massage the kinks out of my game.
12-30-2021
, 08:03 PM
For when you get in love you are made all over again.
Robert Penn Warren - All the King’s Men
My girlfriend convinced me to try Din Tai Fung and I was quite impressed; forgot to take pics but I’ll do better moving forward. Much better than the dumpling houses in the upper west side, a few dishes stood out: the soup xiaolongbao, chicken dumplings, and chocolate dessert xlb were all fabulous. We also tried the green beans (amazing, but what isn’t when drowned in garlic butter), spicy noodles (solid), and pork buns (a miss).
Back in the Aria for some more $2/$5, I again have a long ass wait, even arriving at 1:30pm. I’ll call ahead in the future. The mix isn’t even running to waste time before I can get into a game. Yet I still reflect, staring at the city center fountain, that I love the game of poker. My excitement is palpable but I feel more relaxed than yesterday, at home amongst the chips shuffling and slot machines ringing.
I’m seated after 45 minutes and I notice my table seems much tighter + the game worse than yesterday. I would ban tablets from poker tables personally, players on them kill the gambling vibe - although I’m sure they’d just watch videos on their phone anyway, so idk the best solution to the problem. I ponder a table or game change but I’ll give it a chance first. In for $1000
After a couple orbits I get a squeeze through, then I open J9s from CO to $15. BTN (shortstacked middle aged asian man) bumps to $45, I call.
Flop J72dd I x/c $40.
Turn 6x I check then snap off his $120 jam. He rolls A7o, I show my leading hand and expect a nice start again today…
River A. Instead I hit the hole.
UTG opens $15, MP calls, I squeeze button to $60 with 53dd. UTG asks how much I’m playing and I lift my hands. He thinks then calls.
Flop 866dd checks through.
Turn Ks bdfd. He checks, I fire $80, he thinks again and calls.
River 2x bricking both FDs. He checks and I decide whether to fire the missed front door flush draw. I do way too often but I launch $250 and get snapped by AKo. Very surprised to see it after preflop action but wp. I reload for $400 more, now in for $1400 total.
MP (young asian) starts talking to me about his company and law school when he opens to $20 over a limp. I 3b CO to $60 and BTN (same short stack from J9/A7 hand, now on $500) tanks.
BTN is getting a massage and seems like he’s in lock-up mode after doubling his short stack, but then he says let’s gamble and cold calls the 3b. Limper folds, MP calls too.
Flop Kc Td 7c. MP checks, I fire $130, BTN calls again and MP calls.
Turn 6d MP insta rips $410ish by verbalizing all in. I go deep into the tank and have no clue what this is - the line seems so full of ****. I ask if he will show if both BTN and I fold, but the dealer steps in to let me know I can’t do that in a multi-way pot. The rest of the table starts an argument mid-hand about whether I should be allowed to ask that, but it ends up costing MP in the end as he immediately changes his demeanor. I read this as him wanting a fold and stick it in with no clue w/r/r BTN possibilities.
BTN himself goes deep into the tank and asks if he can tell us what he has. The dealer admonishes him too, but then he just says he has AK. And I have no clue what to make of things, but eventually Button folds!
MP says nice call, and we see the 2c for good measure to scoop a $1600 pot, the trip’s largest so far. Unstuck and in fact up $200 after the failed bluffs, I realize my table image must be pretty reckless right now and change gears.
About 45 minutes of whiffing and giving up goes by before I pick up bullets in CO. MP limps (same V from ATcc hand), I bump to $25, BTN calls, SB calls, BB calls, MP calls.
Flop QQThh checks through.
Turn 7s checks through.
River 3c SB leads $80, folds to me, I call, BTN fold. SB rolls KTo and Aces are good.
Some more giving up occurs as I’m in a very tight mode - the table has gotten tougher and very 3b happy, but there are still a couple guys calling loose and limping a lot so I stay.
Hand I’m uninvolved in has an accidental mis-call where OOP put in $200 in response to a $130 bet. He claims he wanted to call when dealer asks if it’s a raise, but then the dealer asks IP if he has any objections. I keep my mouth shut until after the hand but it ends and I suggest dealer shouldn’t have asked the IP player if it was ok because that makes IP give away information for a mistake that wasn’t his own. Dealer stands by his decision and I don’t press the issue, but it seemed wrong to me. Anyone have thoughts on this situation?
Stack at my smoke break
Robert Penn Warren - All the King’s Men
My girlfriend convinced me to try Din Tai Fung and I was quite impressed; forgot to take pics but I’ll do better moving forward. Much better than the dumpling houses in the upper west side, a few dishes stood out: the soup xiaolongbao, chicken dumplings, and chocolate dessert xlb were all fabulous. We also tried the green beans (amazing, but what isn’t when drowned in garlic butter), spicy noodles (solid), and pork buns (a miss).
Back in the Aria for some more $2/$5, I again have a long ass wait, even arriving at 1:30pm. I’ll call ahead in the future. The mix isn’t even running to waste time before I can get into a game. Yet I still reflect, staring at the city center fountain, that I love the game of poker. My excitement is palpable but I feel more relaxed than yesterday, at home amongst the chips shuffling and slot machines ringing.
I’m seated after 45 minutes and I notice my table seems much tighter + the game worse than yesterday. I would ban tablets from poker tables personally, players on them kill the gambling vibe - although I’m sure they’d just watch videos on their phone anyway, so idk the best solution to the problem. I ponder a table or game change but I’ll give it a chance first. In for $1000
After a couple orbits I get a squeeze through, then I open J9s from CO to $15. BTN (shortstacked middle aged asian man) bumps to $45, I call.
Flop J72dd I x/c $40.
Turn 6x I check then snap off his $120 jam. He rolls A7o, I show my leading hand and expect a nice start again today…
River A. Instead I hit the hole.
UTG opens $15, MP calls, I squeeze button to $60 with 53dd. UTG asks how much I’m playing and I lift my hands. He thinks then calls.
Flop 866dd checks through.
Turn Ks bdfd. He checks, I fire $80, he thinks again and calls.
River 2x bricking both FDs. He checks and I decide whether to fire the missed front door flush draw. I do way too often but I launch $250 and get snapped by AKo. Very surprised to see it after preflop action but wp. I reload for $400 more, now in for $1400 total.
MP (young asian) starts talking to me about his company and law school when he opens to $20 over a limp. I 3b CO to $60 and BTN (same short stack from J9/A7 hand, now on $500) tanks.
BTN is getting a massage and seems like he’s in lock-up mode after doubling his short stack, but then he says let’s gamble and cold calls the 3b. Limper folds, MP calls too.
Flop Kc Td 7c. MP checks, I fire $130, BTN calls again and MP calls.
Turn 6d MP insta rips $410ish by verbalizing all in. I go deep into the tank and have no clue what this is - the line seems so full of ****. I ask if he will show if both BTN and I fold, but the dealer steps in to let me know I can’t do that in a multi-way pot. The rest of the table starts an argument mid-hand about whether I should be allowed to ask that, but it ends up costing MP in the end as he immediately changes his demeanor. I read this as him wanting a fold and stick it in with no clue w/r/r BTN possibilities.
BTN himself goes deep into the tank and asks if he can tell us what he has. The dealer admonishes him too, but then he just says he has AK. And I have no clue what to make of things, but eventually Button folds!
MP says nice call, and we see the 2c for good measure to scoop a $1600 pot, the trip’s largest so far. Unstuck and in fact up $200 after the failed bluffs, I realize my table image must be pretty reckless right now and change gears.
About 45 minutes of whiffing and giving up goes by before I pick up bullets in CO. MP limps (same V from ATcc hand), I bump to $25, BTN calls, SB calls, BB calls, MP calls.
Flop QQThh checks through.
Turn 7s checks through.
River 3c SB leads $80, folds to me, I call, BTN fold. SB rolls KTo and Aces are good.
Some more giving up occurs as I’m in a very tight mode - the table has gotten tougher and very 3b happy, but there are still a couple guys calling loose and limping a lot so I stay.
Hand I’m uninvolved in has an accidental mis-call where OOP put in $200 in response to a $130 bet. He claims he wanted to call when dealer asks if it’s a raise, but then the dealer asks IP if he has any objections. I keep my mouth shut until after the hand but it ends and I suggest dealer shouldn’t have asked the IP player if it was ok because that makes IP give away information for a mistake that wasn’t his own. Dealer stands by his decision and I don’t press the issue, but it seemed wrong to me. Anyone have thoughts on this situation?
Stack at my smoke break
12-31-2021
, 12:10 AM
It is not that the meaning cannot be explained. But there are certain meanings that are lost forever the moment they are explained in words.
Haruki Murakami - 1Q84
The middle aged asian from the previous hand has been tilting the younger guy who tried to bluff me on the ATcc hand.
I pick up AKo in the big with the former player straddling. The latter limps his button, SB completes, and I bump it to $100. Straddle folds, BTN calls, and SB folds.
BTN is clearly steaming and I expect some shenanigans this hand.
Flop 652hh, I have Ah and bet $80, he calls quickly.
Turn Qx and I check. He fires $225 in green without hesitation, I snap and plan to call a lot of rivers.
River is the beautiful Ad and makes my decision simple. I check, he jams $350ish and I snap it off. He rolls… T8o.
There is beauty in the game of poker, a game that feels so easy when running hot and downright disgusting when ice cold. I view each hand as a war over all of the chips on the table; the small bluff catches, blind steals, and marginal folds are the tiny battles that elite players navigate to boost their win rates.
I know I’m playing my A game when more of those decisions go my way than not. Of course, as things go well, good decisions are inevitable. When they aren’t, every possibility must be reconsidered and regretted.
Things go well today.
EP open $20, I 3b CO with AKo $80, BTN cold call, EP $400 with $800ish back. I tank fold and BTN folds too, but I get EP (clear recreational player) to roll KK by tipping the dealer $10 for him. As a non-professional, I take the $10 hit for peace of mind and a little ego boost.
I go card dead for the next couple hours and pound hot chocolates, waters, and bud heavies. Get a decent bluff through but mostly give up on flops. Hit a set of 9s and original raiser folds to my flop x/r on A93cc. Mostly, however, the afternoon hours are an exercise in patience.
Eventually I get AJo in the SB vs a deep stacked bad reg in BB. He never chops, I open $15 and he 3b $50. I call.
Flop J73cc I x/c $50.
Turn Jd checks through.
River Qc I lead $110 and he raises to $350. A bit confused, I call to see the Ac… and he slowrolls the Kd. I’m good and win a nice one.
The table begins to morph at this point, with most of the solid players leaving. A few older gentlemen buy in for $700 and $800 each and I think we’re back in business, albeit for a tight game.
I squeeze QThh 6-handed from CO to $80 over EP $20 and MP cold call. MP, 65ish white guy is the only caller to Kx7d3h. I double barrel for $55 and $120 on the Kx turn and pick up a fold. Lots of small pots are the theme for the next couple hours.
Eventually I chip up in a BB vs Straddle hand where I raise to $80 over some limpers and get 3b to $350, then shove QQ for $500 more. He snap folds.
Go card dead again for an hour and dust off $100 on a very relaxing 20 minute massage. Eventually the table gets tighter except one guy limp/calling at least 80% of hands, even cold calling 3 bets as the aggro regs battle for this guy’s chips. I regret that dinner reservations force me up, but it’s off to Old Homestead with a $2220 win locked up.
I love the NYC location for Old Homestead, time to see how the Vegas bread tower compares.
Finally, I really appreciate everyone’s comments and kind words. The support is a good motivator to continue writing.
Haruki Murakami - 1Q84
The middle aged asian from the previous hand has been tilting the younger guy who tried to bluff me on the ATcc hand.
I pick up AKo in the big with the former player straddling. The latter limps his button, SB completes, and I bump it to $100. Straddle folds, BTN calls, and SB folds.
BTN is clearly steaming and I expect some shenanigans this hand.
Flop 652hh, I have Ah and bet $80, he calls quickly.
Turn Qx and I check. He fires $225 in green without hesitation, I snap and plan to call a lot of rivers.
River is the beautiful Ad and makes my decision simple. I check, he jams $350ish and I snap it off. He rolls… T8o.
There is beauty in the game of poker, a game that feels so easy when running hot and downright disgusting when ice cold. I view each hand as a war over all of the chips on the table; the small bluff catches, blind steals, and marginal folds are the tiny battles that elite players navigate to boost their win rates.
I know I’m playing my A game when more of those decisions go my way than not. Of course, as things go well, good decisions are inevitable. When they aren’t, every possibility must be reconsidered and regretted.
Things go well today.
EP open $20, I 3b CO with AKo $80, BTN cold call, EP $400 with $800ish back. I tank fold and BTN folds too, but I get EP (clear recreational player) to roll KK by tipping the dealer $10 for him. As a non-professional, I take the $10 hit for peace of mind and a little ego boost.
I go card dead for the next couple hours and pound hot chocolates, waters, and bud heavies. Get a decent bluff through but mostly give up on flops. Hit a set of 9s and original raiser folds to my flop x/r on A93cc. Mostly, however, the afternoon hours are an exercise in patience.
Eventually I get AJo in the SB vs a deep stacked bad reg in BB. He never chops, I open $15 and he 3b $50. I call.
Flop J73cc I x/c $50.
Turn Jd checks through.
River Qc I lead $110 and he raises to $350. A bit confused, I call to see the Ac… and he slowrolls the Kd. I’m good and win a nice one.
The table begins to morph at this point, with most of the solid players leaving. A few older gentlemen buy in for $700 and $800 each and I think we’re back in business, albeit for a tight game.
I squeeze QThh 6-handed from CO to $80 over EP $20 and MP cold call. MP, 65ish white guy is the only caller to Kx7d3h. I double barrel for $55 and $120 on the Kx turn and pick up a fold. Lots of small pots are the theme for the next couple hours.
Eventually I chip up in a BB vs Straddle hand where I raise to $80 over some limpers and get 3b to $350, then shove QQ for $500 more. He snap folds.
Go card dead again for an hour and dust off $100 on a very relaxing 20 minute massage. Eventually the table gets tighter except one guy limp/calling at least 80% of hands, even cold calling 3 bets as the aggro regs battle for this guy’s chips. I regret that dinner reservations force me up, but it’s off to Old Homestead with a $2220 win locked up.
I love the NYC location for Old Homestead, time to see how the Vegas bread tower compares.
Finally, I really appreciate everyone’s comments and kind words. The support is a good motivator to continue writing.
12-31-2021
, 06:04 AM
Cut through the B to get from the Aria to Caesar’s and got to see the polar bears
The meal at Old Homestead was good but not as solid as the Manhattan location, but the Old Fashioned, mashed potatoes, and bread loaf were excellent.
My Las Vegas steakhouse rankings, updated:
1. The Cut (Palazzo)
2. Prime (Bellagio)
3. Primal (Boulevard Mall. Yes, this place is that good. Buy the kitchen a round of drinks and eat like a king for 1/3 the price of on-strip locations.)
4. SW Steakhouse (Wynn)
5. Barry’s (Circa)
6. Golden Steer (just off strip)
7. Craftsteak (MGM)
8. Echo & Rig (Summerlin - Tivoli Village)
9. Old Homestead (Caesar’s Palace)
10. Sonoma Cellar (Sunset Station)
11. Gallagher’s (NY NY)
12. Hugo’s (Four Queens)
13. Oscar’s (Plaza Hotel)
14. Edge Steakhouse (Westgate)
15. Silverado Steakhouse (South Point)
16. Hank’s (GVR. Hated this place both times I went.)
On my list with due time: Jean Georges, Bazaar Meats, Cleaver, Joe’s Prime Seafood and Steaks, and the Resorts World Steakhouse. Open to other suggestions too.
Started with the Lagavulin 18 at Old Homestead and cutting into the Glendronach for the rest of the night. Doing serious damage with the scotch but I’m celebrating a good start to the trip. Will be getting blasted with friends off-strip tomorrow at their house with a nice view of the valley, so no poker until after New Year’s.
I wish everyone well, and as always, the resolution for next year is to run pure
Last edited by apricotjello; 12-31-2021 at 06:25 AM.
12-31-2021
, 06:15 PM
they certainly are and it probably impacts game quality a ton (what drunk rec is gonna wait 2 hours to punt off stacks), but the Aria still seems much easier than the Wynn and much less tight than the Bellagio $500 cap game, so I’m probably going to keep my 2/5 at Aria and Caesar’s this trip.
I plan to call 1 hour ahead every time from now on too.
12-31-2021
, 06:22 PM
12-31-2021
, 09:25 PM
I have heard good things
Will add both of these places to the list for sure.
Also, I lied about no poker today. Got the degen itch, even though I didn’t want to be on-strip tonight…
01-01-2022
, 12:44 AM
Aren’t you somehow right here with me? I mean, who doesn’t still dream of a world other than this one?
Garth Risk Hallberg - City on Fire
Sit in $3/5 and my first two hands are fireworks. I’m in for $1000 and pick up A7cc in the HJ, bump to $15. CO and BB call.
Flop 876d checks through.
Turn Ad BB leads $15, I raise to $50, CO calls, BB jams his last $230, I have no clue and just call. Then CO calls behind.
River 5x. I check, CO jams into the dead side pot and I have an easy fold.
BB shows AJo and CO shows K4dd, so results-oriented thinking would tell me I played the hand well. In reality, I was lost on the turn.
Very next hand I reload to $1k and get TT in MP, shooting it to $15 again. CO calls again behind me, as do SB and BB. SB covers me.
T85cc flop and I bet 40, SB raises to $85, I repop to $200. He calls after a little thought.
6x turn and SB x/calls $225.
7x river and I’m hating life. Back to back monsters crushed by 4straight rivers. SB checks after a tank and I make a possibly nitty check back. He rolls T8 but I’m happy to take the pot down.
Open J9 from the button over two limps to $25. SB cold calls off $400, older asian man, along with both limpers.
Q96 flop checks through.
Jx turn SB leads $45 and I am the sole caller.
Qx river he bets $140 and I think it over before calling to see AJo. Probably a fold but I am, of course, an idiot.
Again within the first down, I raise $15 / 3b to $40 with 77 then fold to $200 flop overbet on J32. The asian woman sitting on $1500 who bombed it said she had ATo unsolicited but I have a strong feeling she was lying. Nonetheless, swingy start to the session.
Lose a couple more pots, opened or 3b, without showdown and drop down to about $1k.
And there it is! First time all year I’m on the right side of the timeless rivalry, Aces versus Kings. In a straddled pot, I’m in the SB. MP opens $40, BTN cold calls, I bump to $200, MP makes it $500, I ship $1038 total and get snapped off. Bang that **** home dealer, and he obliged with a clean runout (albeit with paint - Qc - on the river just to get my heart rate up).
Go stone cold card dead after that hand for an hour, which is a fair move by the card gods. It’s time to start drinking, coronas and Jameson always get me going.
Eventually I get 88 in MP, straddled pot. I open $40, HJ (aggro asian woman sitting on $3k) bumps to $150, BTN cold calls. I like our depth for set mining and call.
Flop QJ6cc checks through.
Turn 5 bringing bdfd and I bet $150, HJ calls.
River 9 bricking FDs and I decide to bomb again for $350, not holding either suit on the board. I get it through.
Another half hour of pure folding goes by and I am checked out. I’ve had a couple more shots and I’m losing brain cells listening to an angling argument between two bad regs where one guy was accused of pump faking a river call before folding.
Third straight day booking solid wins.
Girlfriend wants to blow off steam in the pits when she comes by the south point before dinner, so we play Ultimate for an hour and I run well there too. She books a nominal win and I’m +400 (never playing trips tho). I rip a few more Jamos.
Couldn’t have asked for a better end to 2021 than running a little heater. Let’s hope it continues in 2022
Garth Risk Hallberg - City on Fire
Sit in $3/5 and my first two hands are fireworks. I’m in for $1000 and pick up A7cc in the HJ, bump to $15. CO and BB call.
Flop 876d checks through.
Turn Ad BB leads $15, I raise to $50, CO calls, BB jams his last $230, I have no clue and just call. Then CO calls behind.
River 5x. I check, CO jams into the dead side pot and I have an easy fold.
BB shows AJo and CO shows K4dd, so results-oriented thinking would tell me I played the hand well. In reality, I was lost on the turn.
Very next hand I reload to $1k and get TT in MP, shooting it to $15 again. CO calls again behind me, as do SB and BB. SB covers me.
T85cc flop and I bet 40, SB raises to $85, I repop to $200. He calls after a little thought.
6x turn and SB x/calls $225.
7x river and I’m hating life. Back to back monsters crushed by 4straight rivers. SB checks after a tank and I make a possibly nitty check back. He rolls T8 but I’m happy to take the pot down.
Open J9 from the button over two limps to $25. SB cold calls off $400, older asian man, along with both limpers.
Q96 flop checks through.
Jx turn SB leads $45 and I am the sole caller.
Qx river he bets $140 and I think it over before calling to see AJo. Probably a fold but I am, of course, an idiot.
Again within the first down, I raise $15 / 3b to $40 with 77 then fold to $200 flop overbet on J32. The asian woman sitting on $1500 who bombed it said she had ATo unsolicited but I have a strong feeling she was lying. Nonetheless, swingy start to the session.
Lose a couple more pots, opened or 3b, without showdown and drop down to about $1k.
And there it is! First time all year I’m on the right side of the timeless rivalry, Aces versus Kings. In a straddled pot, I’m in the SB. MP opens $40, BTN cold calls, I bump to $200, MP makes it $500, I ship $1038 total and get snapped off. Bang that **** home dealer, and he obliged with a clean runout (albeit with paint - Qc - on the river just to get my heart rate up).
Go stone cold card dead after that hand for an hour, which is a fair move by the card gods. It’s time to start drinking, coronas and Jameson always get me going.
Eventually I get 88 in MP, straddled pot. I open $40, HJ (aggro asian woman sitting on $3k) bumps to $150, BTN cold calls. I like our depth for set mining and call.
Flop QJ6cc checks through.
Turn 5 bringing bdfd and I bet $150, HJ calls.
River 9 bricking FDs and I decide to bomb again for $350, not holding either suit on the board. I get it through.
Another half hour of pure folding goes by and I am checked out. I’ve had a couple more shots and I’m losing brain cells listening to an angling argument between two bad regs where one guy was accused of pump faking a river call before folding.
Third straight day booking solid wins.
Girlfriend wants to blow off steam in the pits when she comes by the south point before dinner, so we play Ultimate for an hour and I run well there too. She books a nominal win and I’m +400 (never playing trips tho). I rip a few more Jamos.
Couldn’t have asked for a better end to 2021 than running a little heater. Let’s hope it continues in 2022
01-02-2022
, 04:48 AM
Got hammered and fell asleep on my buddy’s couch this morning. Woke up at noon and got home for another 8 hours of sleep.
GF wanted to gamble so we made another late night run to the south point pits. In for $800 in craps and play my usual routine, with table mins on the pass, $50 behind no matter the number, $30 each on 6 and 8, and $25 each on hard 6 and hard 8.
Instantly I hit hard 8 twice within three rolls and get up before rolling forever, but mostly hitting 9s and 5s lol.
Either way I’m happy to crush for the table, and make a few points plus a couple more hard ways before crapping out. My girlfriend hits one more hard way and a few points as well. The rest of the table shits the bed and I’m up stuck a few hundred but still around $14xx.
The guy to my immediate right gets the dice and does something I love - sets them both to 2&2 before throwing. My favorite number is 22 and he rolls for quite a while as well as I expand my range to include $30 9s and 5s. Eventually he craps out and I roll, but one roll after I set a point a crowd of loud players squeeze into every available spot and buy between $40-100 each. I have no problem with lowrolling but I hate when they buy in during my roll instead of waiting for a new point to set.
Next toss is ofc 4, 3 and I just pick up. Up $600 from craps, I dust back $300 playing pai gow.
Here’s the pic I remembered to take after coloring up from the first unlucky pai gow table.
GF wanted to gamble so we made another late night run to the south point pits. In for $800 in craps and play my usual routine, with table mins on the pass, $50 behind no matter the number, $30 each on 6 and 8, and $25 each on hard 6 and hard 8.
Instantly I hit hard 8 twice within three rolls and get up before rolling forever, but mostly hitting 9s and 5s lol.
Either way I’m happy to crush for the table, and make a few points plus a couple more hard ways before crapping out. My girlfriend hits one more hard way and a few points as well. The rest of the table shits the bed and I’m up stuck a few hundred but still around $14xx.
The guy to my immediate right gets the dice and does something I love - sets them both to 2&2 before throwing. My favorite number is 22 and he rolls for quite a while as well as I expand my range to include $30 9s and 5s. Eventually he craps out and I roll, but one roll after I set a point a crowd of loud players squeeze into every available spot and buy between $40-100 each. I have no problem with lowrolling but I hate when they buy in during my roll instead of waiting for a new point to set.
Next toss is ofc 4, 3 and I just pick up. Up $600 from craps, I dust back $300 playing pai gow.
Here’s the pic I remembered to take after coloring up from the first unlucky pai gow table.
01-02-2022
, 07:05 AM
Update: went on a mini heater playing $30-60/hand BJ.
Gave back $180ish playing Ultimate with the gf. I hate ultimate lol, I might stick to minbetting when I have to play with her
Nonetheless cashed out of southpoint in for $800 and out for $1600 with two tickets,
Steelers +3.5 & Eagles -4 for $100 to win $260
Bama +3 for $120 to win $109
Plan tomorrow is to watch the games and sweat my 12-team fantasy championship, my team on the left:
Also starting Gould @ K and Eagles D vs Carlsen @ K and Indy D.
Winner of this matchup will be a two-time winner of our 8-years-running league and the undisputed best manager, along with $1100 ($550 already locked up for 2nd).
Coming up:
I’ll get back in the poker rooms this week, although I’ve got a paper to do and job interview on Thursday. The GF and I will then drive to LA for the weekend.
Thanks to everyone who posts support and follows this stuff. It’s nice to share my stories because my family and friends don’t really know / care what’s going on in Vegas, plus when I’m running hot it feels kind of braggy to keep texting my friends chip porn. Who knew 2+2 would feel like a safe space
Gave back $180ish playing Ultimate with the gf. I hate ultimate lol, I might stick to minbetting when I have to play with her
Nonetheless cashed out of southpoint in for $800 and out for $1600 with two tickets,
Steelers +3.5 & Eagles -4 for $100 to win $260
Bama +3 for $120 to win $109
Plan tomorrow is to watch the games and sweat my 12-team fantasy championship, my team on the left:
Also starting Gould @ K and Eagles D vs Carlsen @ K and Indy D.
Winner of this matchup will be a two-time winner of our 8-years-running league and the undisputed best manager, along with $1100 ($550 already locked up for 2nd).
Coming up: I’ll get back in the poker rooms this week, although I’ve got a paper to do and job interview on Thursday. The GF and I will then drive to LA for the weekend.
Thanks to everyone who posts support and follows this stuff. It’s nice to share my stories because my family and friends don’t really know / care what’s going on in Vegas, plus when I’m running hot it feels kind of braggy to keep texting my friends chip porn. Who knew 2+2 would feel like a safe space
Last edited by apricotjello; 01-02-2022 at 07:31 AM.
01-02-2022
, 11:04 PM
Man only likes to count his troubles; he doesn’t calculate his happiness.
Fyodor Dostoyevsky - Notes from Underground
South Point $2/$3 waiting for the $3/5.
Dump a couple quick pots calling two river minraises, once with AJ on A67TKr and seeing 76. Older guy from Northern Georgia sits in to my right buying for the max ($600) and talking about his video poker score, so I decide this game is worth locking into.
A few orbits later I pick up red KK in EP. UTG fish limp, I $20, three callers behind and original limper folds.
Flop A54ccc checks through.
Turn Ad SB bets $30, I call, everyone else folds.
River 8c SB checks, I fire $105 and he folds.
A few hands later I’m in the SB with K2o. A woman who open jammed AA for $150, got folds, then showed (lol) limps CO. BTN limp, I toss in $1 from the SB with K2 and BB call.
Flop KQ7ss and it checks to CO who ships $110ish this time. Into a pot of $12 minus rake. I think a bit and make the call, then I’m good on a K3 turn/river runout. She says she misread her hand and wanders off. Such is life.
A few small pots go my way as I continue to play tight and enjoy the football games. I usually am play very loose and aggressive, bordering on spew, but these loose passive games are just value city. I lock up my fantasy football championship just as the late games start which feels great. Not much to do but sit back and relax…
Called into the $3/5 game and I book a $75 win from the $2/3. Into the $3/5 for $1175, covering the table except the very deep reg sitting to my immediate left.
Lose two pots early, one double barreling air and giving up OTR and one very light river call vs the reg on my left. I note not to get involved with him too much.
A couple orbits of inactivity later I pick up 76cc and bump to $20 in CO to find 4 callers. 664hh flop checks to me and I fire $45, only a 10-gallon hat-wearing cowboy with a ranch vest known as “Cactus” calls from the BB. He leads $50 on an A turn and I call. He leads 50 more on the slickest river in the deck, the case 6. I raise to $350 and he tank calls it off. Back in the green for the session.
I play some more texas foldem for the next hour then run a couple bluffs to build the stack a bit before a massive hand ignites the table.
The deep reg to my left opens $20 UTG and gets 3b by the geriatric buttoned-up gentleman in town for his son’s wedding to his immediate left to $115. Theyre $1200 effective and get it in with x/b/r/3b jam on a QT9cc flop and the board runs clean. Reg rolls TT and then OMC shows QQ for a classic set over set situation. But the reg, who I had thought was pleasant, shows the grace of a feral board and erupts, screaming that “this is so unfair” and “it’s always him” and more tantrum-type **** for a few hands. He whips his cards recklessly at the dealer, then finishes with a flourish, ripping his iPhone and charger from the table port and his jacket on while flailing. The poor OMC is so scared he gets up and leaves for the sportsbook, but comes back after the reg tilts off one more call and gets up.
Don’t act like this people! What baby back bullshit - I empathize with running horrible for weeks, months, even years. But not with people who act like that.
We continue to play very tight pre and very aggressive post.
Eventually it’s my turn to cooler the **** out of somebody else this trip as I open 86cc in HJ and get called by old asian lady on the button and BB. I cbet small on 974cc to get called by both, then bet $75 on the Tx turn. She raises $200 and I ship the $190 she has left behind. She snaps with 99 and fails to fill up on the river.
I catch a couple bluffs and make a couple myself to chip up before going berserk BVB. Cactus limps button with three toothpicks tucked in his hat’s design, very weird playing old guy opens $20 from SB, and I $80 from BB with 52hh. SB tank calls with $300 behind. We check the T86 flop and he checks again on the 4x turn. I just rip it in and he smiles at me for a while before folding. I decline to show the bluff.
Couple hands later it’s soul read time. I open T9hh over a limp to $20 in MP, HJ (loose gambly asian) calls along with 4 others.
A97h flop checks through.
Kh turn I bet $60 HJ call.
7x river I check HJ $150 and I tank call after some speech play. I don’t believe he’s valuebetting thin enough and he rolls the 8 hi flush draw; I’m good. This call actually breaks the game because the guy gets up immediately, then two others follow suit. Short term gain for night-ending pain I guess, but I’ll book a $1305 win after tips. Another four figure session, I’m in love with the game and how I’m feeling the table and other players right now. Maybe it’s just a few days of luckboxing, but I’ll enjoy the high.
Tequila time after the sesh..
Fyodor Dostoyevsky - Notes from Underground
South Point $2/$3 waiting for the $3/5.
Dump a couple quick pots calling two river minraises, once with AJ on A67TKr and seeing 76. Older guy from Northern Georgia sits in to my right buying for the max ($600) and talking about his video poker score, so I decide this game is worth locking into.
A few orbits later I pick up red KK in EP. UTG fish limp, I $20, three callers behind and original limper folds.
Flop A54ccc checks through.
Turn Ad SB bets $30, I call, everyone else folds.
River 8c SB checks, I fire $105 and he folds.
A few hands later I’m in the SB with K2o. A woman who open jammed AA for $150, got folds, then showed (lol) limps CO. BTN limp, I toss in $1 from the SB with K2 and BB call.
Flop KQ7ss and it checks to CO who ships $110ish this time. Into a pot of $12 minus rake. I think a bit and make the call, then I’m good on a K3 turn/river runout. She says she misread her hand and wanders off. Such is life.
A few small pots go my way as I continue to play tight and enjoy the football games. I usually am play very loose and aggressive, bordering on spew, but these loose passive games are just value city. I lock up my fantasy football championship just as the late games start which feels great. Not much to do but sit back and relax…
Called into the $3/5 game and I book a $75 win from the $2/3. Into the $3/5 for $1175, covering the table except the very deep reg sitting to my immediate left.
Lose two pots early, one double barreling air and giving up OTR and one very light river call vs the reg on my left. I note not to get involved with him too much.
A couple orbits of inactivity later I pick up 76cc and bump to $20 in CO to find 4 callers. 664hh flop checks to me and I fire $45, only a 10-gallon hat-wearing cowboy with a ranch vest known as “Cactus” calls from the BB. He leads $50 on an A turn and I call. He leads 50 more on the slickest river in the deck, the case 6. I raise to $350 and he tank calls it off. Back in the green for the session.
I play some more texas foldem for the next hour then run a couple bluffs to build the stack a bit before a massive hand ignites the table.
The deep reg to my left opens $20 UTG and gets 3b by the geriatric buttoned-up gentleman in town for his son’s wedding to his immediate left to $115. Theyre $1200 effective and get it in with x/b/r/3b jam on a QT9cc flop and the board runs clean. Reg rolls TT and then OMC shows QQ for a classic set over set situation. But the reg, who I had thought was pleasant, shows the grace of a feral board and erupts, screaming that “this is so unfair” and “it’s always him” and more tantrum-type **** for a few hands. He whips his cards recklessly at the dealer, then finishes with a flourish, ripping his iPhone and charger from the table port and his jacket on while flailing. The poor OMC is so scared he gets up and leaves for the sportsbook, but comes back after the reg tilts off one more call and gets up.
Don’t act like this people! What baby back bullshit - I empathize with running horrible for weeks, months, even years. But not with people who act like that.
We continue to play very tight pre and very aggressive post.
Eventually it’s my turn to cooler the **** out of somebody else this trip as I open 86cc in HJ and get called by old asian lady on the button and BB. I cbet small on 974cc to get called by both, then bet $75 on the Tx turn. She raises $200 and I ship the $190 she has left behind. She snaps with 99 and fails to fill up on the river.
I catch a couple bluffs and make a couple myself to chip up before going berserk BVB. Cactus limps button with three toothpicks tucked in his hat’s design, very weird playing old guy opens $20 from SB, and I $80 from BB with 52hh. SB tank calls with $300 behind. We check the T86 flop and he checks again on the 4x turn. I just rip it in and he smiles at me for a while before folding. I decline to show the bluff.
Couple hands later it’s soul read time. I open T9hh over a limp to $20 in MP, HJ (loose gambly asian) calls along with 4 others.
A97h flop checks through.
Kh turn I bet $60 HJ call.
7x river I check HJ $150 and I tank call after some speech play. I don’t believe he’s valuebetting thin enough and he rolls the 8 hi flush draw; I’m good. This call actually breaks the game because the guy gets up immediately, then two others follow suit. Short term gain for night-ending pain I guess, but I’ll book a $1305 win after tips. Another four figure session, I’m in love with the game and how I’m feeling the table and other players right now. Maybe it’s just a few days of luckboxing, but I’ll enjoy the high.
Tequila time after the sesh..