Nice job Whale

NFL display at Aria:

Sat next to BigWhale for a while at 1/3 until I got it in with KQ on QQ6 vs AQ for 1.1k and lost. Took $600 to blackjack for the rescue and I’m happy to say that it once again worked out:

I can do the HH since MuckPls doesn't like those. Not sure if the pot was $1.1k though, more like $800-$900 ?

MuckPls $15 from hijack with KQo
Button calls $15
BB calls $15

Flop ($46): Q-Q-6 two hearts
BB Check
MuckPls bets $20
Button calls $20
BB checks-raises to $80

MuckPls raises to $220
Button folds

Big Blind then agonizes for ages, and takes at least a minute before making up his mind. He clearly indicates he doesn't like it, but says that if he doesn't have 66, then he should be ahead. He then jams, and turn over AQo, which holds up. MuckPls obviously snap-called the jam, which was for not much more, maybe $100 or so?

Extreme nit-roll from the BB, who should high-five the dealer and get it in there much sooner than he did. I would have played the hand the exact same way as MuckPls did; piling money in on the flop against the Big Blind who could have a ton of worse Queens defending in that spot - and likely not be good enough to fold one.

UL - on to the next one!

was waiting for you to reveal that bb was bigwhale all along

You've had some real nice runs at BJ. What kind of table are you sitting at?
have you had any big BJ loss?

Well done to both of you. MuckPls, do you follow a BJ system?

BigWhale, $700 for a pair of shoes? I guess it's not the money loss at poker that bothers you, but just not winning (I shop at Good Will and spend my money on food, wine, and travel!)

I bought the shoes, not BigWhale.

For bj: I don’t count but I do play perfect strategy.

3/2 $50 or $100 table. Surprisingly only had winning sessions so far.

Ah. Those shoes must be incredibly comfortable! And considering how you run (pun), you can treat yourself

Cool on the BJ. Where is the 3:2? I thought most on the strip were 6:5 now. Is it just the higher-limit games at certain casinos?

They have 3/2 everywhere, including Aria, but at nights it’s usually $50 or $100 min.

Edit to add for some context:

I’ve been absolutely CRUSHED the past years on blackjack, down around $15k or so in Vegas. So these runs this trip are amazing but only evens it out kind of.

I had 650 starting the hand and cashed out 150 so was exactly 500 each from the two of us + the side pot.

But yeah cooler, nothing to do there. Doesn’t really matter.

Gambling stats so far:



This does not include a $1500 loss at Caesars obviously, only MGM properties.

Plush cash game:




Obviously insanely happy to be up 10k with 5 more days to go of the trip. Couldn’t ask for more.

Or actually there is one small thing. If the elevators at Caesar’s would work and I could get back to my room that would be absolutely amazing!!

Holy cow, what a run!

nice, I wish I was able to withstand a -$1500 session.
nice job and hope it continues for you. this is much more fun to follow than last time haha

For yesterday evening's session, MuckPls inspried me to try out Aria again. The game I played in earlier that day was pretty meh, but I assumed it would be much better in the evening.

After making the short trek over from NYNY, I only had to wait around 10 minutes before getting a seat. The game didn't look amazing at first glance, but I bought in for $400 and folded for two orbits while noticing how the others played.

A few players had left so we were down to 6-handed when I decided to raise JTo to $12 from second position. Small Blind (a fishy player) called, and a woman around 50 years of age called in the BB. I had already seen that she was playing somewhat loose, but she seemed to have some idea of what she were doing and could potentially be some kind of semi-pro at least.

The flop comes J-5-3 two clubs, and after they both check to me I make it $17 for value with my top pair. SB folds, while the woman in BB check-raises to $55. Given what I had seen so far I didn't' think this raise had to be nutted, so I call in position to see what develops. Turn is a 9, and she quickly checks it. I debated on once again taking control of the pot (as I have talked about before), but decided to check this one back.

River is a Q and she checks again. Doubt she is very strong, but there is not many hands I can get value from. So I just flip over my hand, instead of forcing her to show. She mucks.



Then I lost a hand back to the same player, which I think I could have won. I raise 99 to $12 from UTG, and get a call from the same two players as last time, exept this time they are in position. Flop comes K-T-7, and I decided to check. It checks around, and we see an 8 on the turn. I check again, cutoff checks, and the woman bets $40 on the button. Pot sized wager, and my first thought was to raise as I didn't think this represented a whole lot, but I called with the reason that I likely could not represent J9 for example from UTG.

However, if I think about this more deeply (as I failed to do until after the hand), she is never checking a K in position on the flop, so she is very capped to Tx. She could have ran into a set of eights on the turn, but would she bet pot when two players clearly have shown no interest in the hand? I don't think so. I really wish I had these thoughts before considering my turn-action, and not after.

River is a 3, it goes check-check, and I lose to JTo. Definitely a hand that I could have won, especially since I can still represent hands like AA and KK on turn, for example. I wouldn't slow play them like this, but she doesn't know that.

The same 3 players again in the next spot; the fishy guy limps for $3, she makes it $15 right behind him, and I find KQcc on the button. I make it $45, and they both fold quickly.

Then there is a limp for $3, and I make it $15 on the button with AQss. Small Blind and Big Blind calls, while the limper folds out. Flop comes J-7-6 two spades, and they check to me. I bet $15, which is small, but I obviously do this to have options if a raise come in. I can either call, or consider 4-betting and playing my draw hard. That said, I will also choose other sizes at times. Both opponents folded in this instance.

I am dragging in a couple of small pots here and there and am up around $80 or so. The woman then leaves the table, and is replaced my a guy that looks a bit like a miserable grinder. He also buys in for the max + raises his first hand to $15, which is a good indication that my assumption was correct.

(am I a grinder when I am in Vegas? I guess. Do I look miserable? Probably sometimes, but hopefully not too much).

MuckPls then informs me he has requested a table change as his current table is bad, and where does he end up but straight on my right. He joins the table, so we ended up playing together for maybe 1.5 hours or something? I considered table changing away from him, but never really found the energy to do so. That said, the game was pretty bad with most players having some kind of idea on how to play (the one fishy guy got stacked a bit earlier). So I should have asked for a change.

MuckPls puts out a straddle in one of his first hands, and I find 55 right behind him. We are only 7-handed, so I raise it up to $20. The new grinder-guy does however make it $100 on the button, and I can't defend against this huge sizing OOP. And my hand is not strong enough for a 4-bet, so I just fold.

A bit later I find a great spot, when the same grinder guy raises to $15 from CO, an active guy on the button calls, MuckPls calls SB, and I have KJcc in BB. Great squeeze-spot, and I raise it up to $85. They all fold quickly, and we take it down. My hand is certainly playable enough to just call as well, but this seemed like such a great spot when 2 players have a very capped range.

I then go card-dead for a long time, and the game in general is pretty dull and uninspiring. Then there is a limp for $3 from a new player, the active guy mentioned above (not the grinder) raises to $10, MuckPls calls SB, and I call BB with A6dd. Briefly debated 3-betting, but landed on a call this time. Limper also calls.

Flop is A-5-9 one diamond, and checks around. Turn is a 7, and MuckPls leads for $25. I call with TP and gutshot, and the rest folds out. River is an 8, and he checks. I wanted to bet $76, then changed my mind and went for $66 instead. In hindsight should have chose another sizing, as I do have a 6 for a straight after all. But as it was, MuckPlus turned two pair and probably felt obliged to call, which he did.



Not much happened after that hand either. Was very card-dead, raised A8cc once against the active guys limp, but flop came T-9-6 no clubs and he lead straight into me for $25. It was tempting to call since I actually have parts of that board with a gutshot, but I decided to be sensible and save the calls for when there is a club out there. So I just folded.

Not a ton of value in the game, so I left after 3 hours and 15 minutes, plus $156 USD. I'll take it, and I am generally happy with almost all of the lines I took while playing.

Seems MuckPls have already beat me to it with a picture of the SuperBowl-display at Aria. Looks pretty cool however:



Today is my last full day in Vegas, but at least plane does not leave until 10:30 at night tomorrow. So there are still some hours left to do some good work at the tables.

Cash Games:

Hours played: 38h 00 min
Won/lost: -$747 USD
Hourly rate: -$19.7 USD

Tournaments:

Won/lost: -$200 USD (1 played)

Brag: AA vs KK at Bellagio for full double

Beat: currently locked out of room as elevators are not working

Variance: not too sure.

I guess that's one advantage to a lower floor

I lost 13 or 14 buy-ins in a row on a 3 day weekend. That trip was amazing, I never improved to a pair or better with the cards in my hand. I started keeping track after the second buy-in.

Slow/broken elevators are tilting for me...

Seven hundred dollars for shoes??!?

Not for shoes, for Air Jordan’s!

Does MGM have any promos going? Sometimes promo grinders can be good to play against.

Nike, right? I can't wear Nike's anyway (like i would if I could) because my feet are too wide.

I have a friend that does that. He thinks poker is a waste of time, because if you buy in for $500, you're lucky if you win $200. The way he plays blackjack is to bet $100 a hand on a $500 buy-in, and come out with $1000. He thinks that's normal because that's the way he does it.