Day 4
It’s 10 O’clock on Tuesday night. The fourth day of my trip. I’m back in my room at the Signature, away from the felt. Away from the clicking sound of the chips as they’re shuffled from two stacks to one. Away from the Coco Butter smell of the Venetian and the sexy ass girls who serve drinks and rub shoulders. Yet all those senses have followed me back to my room, I can’t escape them. Poker has become my best friend, my obsession, my religion.
The excitement and animation of the city just make a 21 year old traveling solo feel that much more alone. However this type of alone is worlds away from sad or depressed. It’s quite the opposite, in fact. It’s as if the space and distance from everything and everyone I’m accustomed to has given my attention-riddled mind an opportunity to flourish. “I’ve never been soo alone, and I’ve… I’ve never been soo alive.” The quote from poet/songwriter Stephan Jenkins has never rang so true.
Is this healthy? Probably not. As I stated in an earlier post, constant concentration on one area of life can be detrimental to one’s well being if sustained over a long period of time. However, for the time being, I’m enjoying the mental freedom from schoolwork stress, family issues, and college drama. And I’ve certainly enjoyed the opportunity to focus my energy on a game that is so mentally stimulating.
With that being said, I’m looking forward to my 3 days at home starting on Thursday. Seeing my family and friends and getting the opportunity to take everything in from my first week, should be constructive towards my success in the final two weeks of the trip. I’ll be returning the morning of the 27th and staying until the 10th. The final two weeks will include visits from 6 guy and girl friends of mine. Instead of strumming the six string or reading about the life of Andre Agassi in my free time, I’ll be going out for drinks and shows, and shooting some dice. I imagine that some social interaction and the Vegas nightlife will help me relax when away from the poker table and come back stronger the next day.
Anyways, on to the poker. Went back to the V for another 2/5 deep session. Bought in for a G at the must move table and proceeded to do what I do best, get stuck early. 5 handed I opened 5
6
on the BTN to 20. SB called and we saw a flop of 3
4
Q
. He checked and I bet out 30. He made it 85. On a decently dry flop I imagined a reraise could get him off a good portion of the medium Q’s in his range so I made it 125 on top. He thought for awhile and called. The turn came the 8
and I shoved for his final 300 when checked too. He thought for an eternity, wanted to fold, but stuck his cash in with AQ. Can’t really blame him. River paired the 4 and I was quickly stuck around 600.
After rebuying and moving to the main table I got involved in another interesting spot. MP makes it 20, one caller, and I follow on the BTN with 8
T
. The big blind hops in too and we see a flop of A
K
J
. Original raiser bets 25 and I make it 75. He calls. Turn is an off suit K. Not a very good card. He checks and I decide to check back. Turn comes the 7
and I bet 150 after checked to again. Old man river makes the call and shows me A4. Should've bet the turn. God I suck.
Stuck 900 I still haven’t learned my lesson and try one more bluff. With 3 limps to me I limp with K
8
in the CO. Table fish raises to 20 in BB. He’s been doing this with very random hands, so I call after the original 3 limpers do as well. Flop comes A
Q
8
. Fish leads for 30 (his betting amount has been correlated to the strength of his hands so far), one caller, I make it 110. Fish thinks and calls. Turn comes the 6
. He checks and refusing to make the same mistake I made last hand, I fire a bullet of 180. Here's where things get interesting. He thinks forever, says your beating me now but I can catch up, flips over Q
9
and calls. WTF? You do know we both have about 700 dollars behind us right? He doesn’t seem to realize his mistake. River comes the 5
and I’m in a strange spot. He’s beating me but has already told me he knows he’s beat. I bet 220 and he quickly mucks. Phew. Up to about 1100 and only stuck 400.
An hour or so later I pick up KK and make it 25 in MP. SB calls me and covers. Flop comes 10
4
2
. He leads for 50. I smooth call. Turn is the 8
. He leads for 100 this time. I go to my stack and make it 300. He calls. River 7
he checks and I check back. My KK is good.
About even I head to dinner. Cathy at the check in desk is nice enough to give me a 20 dollar comp to Grand Lux even though the system was down and she has no idea how long I’ve been playing. I’ve noticed that the staff is particularly friendly at the Venetian.
After Dinner I pick up 10 10 in the SB. 4 limpers I make it 30. Tight weak Asian kid calls and so does an older fat guy. Flop comes A
7
4
I lead for 40. Asian calls, and fat man immediately shoves all-in for 220. Not the kind of thought out “is this the best move shove” the kind where there’s no other option. Obviously, I’m not beating both of them, but I’m 100 percent certain the scared money Asian will quickly fold his Ace if I call. I call expecting to see clubs the majority of the time. Asian folds and the fat guy shows me A
K
. WTF. Doesn’t matter, turn is the 10
. I quince. I never like to suck out, but hey I went with my read.
Up a few hundred bucks I pick up another big pair when I get K
K
UTG. I raise to 25 and 4 players call. Flop comes 9
5
4
I bet 75 and a middle-aged white guy shoves in for 225. I call. He shows A
T
. Turn comes the A
and the river blanks. Karma I suppose for my suck out?
A bit later I pick up 9
10
on the BTN. Aggressive, young player opens for 25 and 3 people call. A good time to squeeze I make it 125. Kid calls and everyone else folds. Flop comes 10
8
7
. He check calls 175. Turn brings the 5
and this time he check calls 280. I guess I need to hit my straight. River is the A
and we go check check. He shows his AJ off suit and rakes in the pot. That one hurt.
Down about 500 I burn through roughly 200 dollars calling with speculative hands in position against the two fish at the table, but can’t seem to hit anything. Feeling frustrated again, I rack up and accept my 700 dollar whooping like a man.
After two losing days and being stuck a little over 1000 for the trip, it would be easy to become discouraged. But I still haven’t run into a player at the 2/5 game who scares me. I’m only down a day’s worth of good play and hopefully can get back on the right track before I head home for the holidays.