I am enjoying your TR, keep it up!!!

I say we shoot for something further away than the moon, man has already been to the moon, but I do love that previous posters roulette strategy. Why did you go to Vegas? To keep grinding? Do you want to lose your hair and get a belly like everyone else in the poker room? Sac up, don't listen to these jokers that want you to play 2/5, go play 10/20 and win some money. Then you will be ready to partake in wholesome, kid friendly, parent-approved activities with me in 9 days. God knows the girls won't chose you over me for your jude law looks, so you better have a thick wallet to go with your glasses.

this is excellent and i do not read blogs due to ADHD but you are a good writer even i can sit and read this.

Love the posts man. Hope you keep the updates as in depth. Im thinkin of going after vegas 2/5 games sometime soon and like to hear your journey

dont know if you have a car OP but theres a monday night $3/5 blinds, mandatory $10-100 button straddle game at the Red Rock that has lot of action and is deep stack. you might like it. good luck

Following this thread closely. Your taking a shot that most dream of. I'm in awe, good luck and congrats.

ps baltimore def. smashed us some bears

Ryan (from Baltimore)

i enjoyed reading this. esp.

"Somehow in a fairly crowded plane I was able to land a row with only me and one other guy. I had the window, he had the middle seat. Naturally, I expected him to move over once he realized no one was sitting in the aisle. I’m actually pretty sure it’s a man law. But 20 minutes into the flight he was still snuggled up on my right shoulder. So I tapped him on the arm and politely said, hey dude I don’t think anyone’s coming for that aisle seat if you wanna move over and stretch out a bit. “Nah I’m good man, I actually like the middle seat”.

keep up the good stories

Great Tr's OP.
I'll be following along for sure

nice tr, good read so far

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 56 on the BTN to 20. SB called and we saw a flop of 34Q. 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 8T. The big blind hops in too and we see a flop of AKJ. 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 K8 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 AQ8. 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 Q9 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 1042. 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 A74 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 AK. 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 KK UTG. I raise to 25 and 4 players call. Flop comes 954 I bet 75 and a middle-aged white guy shoves in for 225. I call. He shows AT. Turn comes the A and the river blanks. Karma I suppose for my suck out?

A bit later I pick up 910 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 1087. 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.

Enjoying your posts very much.

Question: how are you remember the details of these hands? Are you making some notes at the table? Just excellent memory?

I have iPod touch with a notes section. Probably just looks like texting to others

dont play more poker if you believe poker cost your life. $30k is a decent size roll but dont blow it. i would recommend betting a $5k blackjack hand. if you lose it, take $25k and invest it somewhere. if you win it, then spend your $5k like crazy on booze, etc and have a blast in vegas.

Liking your trip reports very much. Keep em coming and good luck on your future endeavors whether they be poker or in the professional arena somewhere. LOL at some of the people suggesting taking a portion of your bankroll and blowing it on the house games.

Keep it up!!

Keep up the good work, and like ******* said

I mean needsFH2win, you say this

and then you go on to recommend him 5k on one blackjack hand?

Come on...

If he wanted to "gamble it up" he'd be much better of taking that 5k and taking a shot in a 10/20 or even 25/50 game.

yes he wants to gamble but its poker that ruined his life. (not really but) what if he goes on a magical run and turns his roll into 6 digits? what then? im sure he will continue playing until he hits his mid life crisis.

But what if he stops playing, goes to work for the corporate world and then hits his mid-life crisis?! Gaaaaaaaaasp!

In all seriousness, I don't care (or dare) to have the audacity to judge or tell what's best for anyone. All I say, do what makes you happy, because that's really all that matters at the end of the day.

I definitely do not want to derail this excellent thread with more BS like this, so that's all I will say about that.

This is the hard part about live poker, ego. Yes, you are probably the best player at the table. I will give you that. But you simply cannot start live sessions with bluffs and moves. I know, it's really tempting, down right irresistable, but you've got to keep your demon locked up UNTIL you have a read on the table and have established a solid poker image. THEN let the dogs of war loose but not before. I get the feeling from your posts (the past couple of days) that you are coming out of the gate with both guns blazing. Sometimes that works, sometimes it doesn't.

But what almost ALWAYS works is playing ABC poker for 45 minutes to an hour, getting a read on all the villians and THEN fire it up.

And if i'm misreading your posts, then I apologize.

Anyways, good luck, great read

Worst advice ever and I'm one that likes to gamble on occassion.

If you really want to gamble $5k like this, you'd be much better taking a shot at a 10/20 game.

I'm not going to post TR of my day today because I have an early flight tommorow and then family time. However I will say a few things:

1. While I appreciate the advice to "degen" it up with both hookers and Black Jack, I am not going to be doing either of those things. I don't judge those who choose to (In face I have several friends who participate in both) but I'm here to play poker and hookers go against my morals (I know morals lol).

2. In response to DGIHarris, you are absolutely not misinterpreting my posts. My biggest flaw right now is my early game aggression. I have the strategy all backwards. I'm giving off a lose/bluffing image and trying to play off that, instead of establishing a solid image and using it to bluff. I have been coming out with both arms swinging and trying to bluff any and everyone. This most certainly will be adjusted, as poker is not as fun when spending all day trying to get unstuck.

Another day of climbing back to even really has me stressed. I'm leaving for Chicago down 1200, and If I plan on turning it around, I most definitely need to adjust my strategy and goals.

The important thing is you realize your mistakes. Also, leaving a little down is not bad at all, really. You stood toe to toe with Vegas for several days and survived, that is more than most can say.

Its great that this thread serves as kinda your journal so you can study it for your next trip to Vegas.

Lastly, it is important for Young Guns to know that when you go from the internet to live play that many of the veterans are just itching to call you down, to show you internet kids that you aren't as good as you think you are.

So use that to your advantage. Play rock ABC poker at first and you won't believe how often the table will pay you off when you are sitting there with the nuts.

I think sometimes players get in their own way (if that makes any sense) and make live games more complicated than they need to be.

Good posts, good stuff, wish you the best and all that, enjoy the holidays.

4 bet light and fold to shove, play deeper... oh and tell everyone you are a nit.. 4bet live has to be aces right? lol gl

To the OP i wish you the best of luck!!! Have you ever thought about writing a book? If not you should cause you have a way with words. Merry Christmas

I think you should play much tighter. I've got no experience playing at those stakes but it looks like you're occassionally getting too aggressive with draws etc.

Anyway... Merry christmas and keep the stories coming.

Reading about your hands in 2/5, i think youre out leveling yourself quite a bit. Actually, i think the way youre playing the 2/5 game is probably better suited to 5/10 (lol, yes. I am telling you to move up to where they respect your raises)

Also, it is very tough to be a winning player at 2/5 by "out-agressing" the game. Simply because many of the worst 2/5 players are bad lags. That is, they play way too agressively in the first place. If you try to ramp up your aggression to out do them you just cant be playing good poker.

First off, even though the player in question would probably tell you hes making a decision there on the turn, if hes like most players at this level he is calling 100% of the time, and the time he spends "thinking" he's really just girding his loins.

At 2/5, most players aren't going to making a sophisticated enough analysis of your play to check-raise-fold or to check-raise-call your three-bet then check-fold the turn. I don't think your line in this hand would have been totally unviable in a 5/10 game, but i think in a typical 2/5 game with typical opposition its pretty hopeless.