Quote:
Originally Posted by sw_emigre
Great updates guys! I agree with Canoe, a bit of sleep and sun will make everything seem much brighter. No point in grinding just for the sake of grinding.
Speaking of grinding, it's time for an update of my endeavors yesterday. Will include some TLDR at the end in case it ends up being too long.
Still sick unfortunately, which is annoying, but it's not the first time it has happened to me in Vegas. So will just fight through it as much as possible, and hope for some relatively quick improvement.
After I last posted yesterday, I felt pretty fine and went out for some Saturday evening grind. First met up with 'The Trooper' here at Harrah's and bought a "Go Gamble" hat from him. Really nice guy, who I think get way too much undeserved criticism here on 2+2. Anyway, I don't really like to play poker with a hat on, but will certainly wear it to shield my bald head a bit from the sun! Was super hot yesterday, and I assume the same today (still haven't been outside the hotel room).
I crossed the street and went into Ceasars, and got seated immediately in a $1-$2 game there. The room looks really nice I think, very bright and welcoming, but the game was nothing more than mediocre. I first lost a bit on what in hindsight was a way too risky bluff, but won it back with
Q9ss after I made a flush on the river and got paid off on a river-raise.
Highlight of the session was getting it in with
AKo against AJ on an
A-6-3 board versus a very weak player who clearly hadn't played much live before. He limp-called my raise, lead out for 20 on the flop, and pushed over my raise (I made it 52). Unfortunately he only started the hand with around $100, and after losing another hundred he left the table.
Another guy, who was clearly on tilt towards the end, also left the game and it got much less good. The two players to my left were calling way too many raises, but were decent at putting pressure on post, and I was unable to hit any flops. So I left after 1 hour and 45 minutes, as I started to become a bit hungry and wanted to find a better game. Result: +$43 USD.
Took a taxi over to New York, New York, and from there went here:
It didn't disappoint, and after briefly checking out "The Park" and T-Mobile arena etc. I headed over to Excalibur. Hadn't played there before, but always wanted to try it out as I have read and heard many places the games can be good.
The game were good, but unfortunately I ended up -$64 USD after 2 hours and 45 minutes. And I really really feel that could have been avoided, and that I should have played some spots much better. Let's run though some of them.
Basically was even for a long time in the game, being card-dead, winning some small pots here and there. Then I won a nice pot when there was two limps, and I raised to $11 with
TT in position. Short stacked shoved for $16 behind, one of the limpers flat-called, and I call (not allowed to raise).
Board runs out
A-J-5-7-T, and I just checked it down until the river where the fun stars. My opponent bets out $20, and even though he could have KQ, there is no way I'm not raising here. As he only have around $75 more I just put it all-in. He does not snap-call, but mumbles something about "what the hell, it's been a bad night anyway", and calls it off with QQ ..
Up over $110 then, but that would soon diminish. I limped into a pot with
KJo - yes I should raise, but the two limps before me were from UTG and EP1. It's a 6-way limped pot and flop comes
A-T-6. It gets checked around, and turn is a
Queen. Second limper leads out for $15, and I just call. River is another
Ace, and he bets $25.
I consider just calling, but realize that is way too nitty in case he only has Ax. So I make it $57 to ensure I get a call from any A, only to see my opponent move all-in for $125. I really should fold here I think, but the nagging feeling of not knowing whether he could overplay AJ/A9 type of hands makes me call it off. He obviously have it, with ATo.
Still think I should be able to make the fold. When I raise for value and get such a clear answer, I should fold regardless of decent pot odds. It feels super nitty of course, and might not even be correct, but against an predictable player I should do it still.
Won a pot with
99 to get back to even, before I once again misplay a hand. Two limps to me, and I make it $11 with
AJo. We go 4-way to the flop, which comes
J-9-3 two diamonds. Checks to me, and I bet $22. Two callers, and turn is another
3. Now the SB leads for $30, the second guy folds, and I call. Could potentially raise here though, as he should never have a 3 from SB and I beat everything besides J9.
River comes with a
Q, and he quickly bets $75. I sigh, and fold way too fast without thinking about it thoroughly. I strongly thought QT/QJ were likely holdings, but is he really betting at least QT that strong on the river? He shouldn't really, so unless he has QJ or 99 I don't really think his bet makes a lot of sense. Especially when he tells me he only had a Jack (I made a random comment while folding). To me it makes no sense to bet KJ or JT like that, but maybe that's what he did? Maybe I should just call down more often?
Anyway, not a big loss at Excalibur, but I feel that I too often misplay the big pots and that hurts me in the long run. Generally when a game is fairly nitty, it's super important to be alert when a big pot comes up, to ensure you make the right decision.
I was getting pretty exhausted, but wanted to find another game before going to bed as it was still fairly early. I took the Monorail from MGM Grand over to Flamingo, and immediately got seated in an $1-$2 game there. I quickly realized this was a more active game, especially in the form of a young maniac directly to my right. He 3-bet my first open with T3o (I had
A5hh and whiffed flop), and was opening around 60% of hands and straddleing both from button and UTG. His sizing was also huge; usually between $15-$45 pre.
When a seat opened up 3 to his left, I immediately claimed it, and then decided to go on a card-rush. I got
QQ five times during the 2.5 hours I played, and made good use of those.
First I 3-bet the maniac's open to $16 (I made it $45), then I 4-bet after the maniac made it $6 pre (randomly small), and another semi-compentent player made it $19. I made it $60 and they both folded.
Next time I had Queens I also 3-bet the maniac in position, but this time he called. I actually don't remember the sizings, but the flop came
5-4-2 and I bet $32. He quickly made it $85, and I had a decision to make. Should we fold, and put him on a set or a better pair? .... NAH, just kidding
Shoutout to Jeff Boski for that type of joke though.
The only decision is whether to call or raise, and with a draw-heavy board I didn't really want him to see the turn that 'easily'. I move all-in, and he snapcalls.
J on turn and
4 on river, I show and he mucks. He mumbled something about double gutshot, which means 86 as his holding.
Won a few smaller pots, as the game quieted down a bit and the maniac eventually left after dusting off some more. Then I (obviously) got
QQ again, and made it $10 over two limps. I get 3 callers, and flop comes
8-5-3. I c-bet $22 and one of the limpers make it $65. Bit unsure what to make of this, but the guy have seemed a bit tilted after losing to the maniac in an earlier hand and had to rebuy. I call, wanting to see what he does on the turn.
J is the card, and he immediately moves in for $192. I give it a few seconds, study him a bit (looked really uncomfortable), and don't really see a fold-button here. I call, and opponent slams his cards into the muck as soon as river hits, mumbles some profanities (not at me) and storms out of the room
So yeah, this looks rather .. favorable:
From a stack over $900 USD at one point I unfortunately cashed out $757 USD a while later, due to running
A5hh into AJ on
A-J-5-2. Opponent was young, short stacked, American, and clearly inexperienced. In other words, the type of player who would overvalue any Ace there. Unfortunately he had better two pair, but that's just a cooler I can't get away from.
Regardless, a profitable night, even though I'm not 100% happy with my play. I'll be more than happy to take some slaughtering from you guys, in case any of you have input on hands.
Now it's time to get ready for the day and find a game
Results-tracker:
Cash:
Hours played: 15:00 h
Amount won: $701 USD
Hourly rate: $46.7 USD
Tournaments:
Amount won: -$80 USD
TLDR; winning