…It never gets old.



IT NEVER GETS OLD.



Everyone’s gotta keep their priorities straight.



Other than MULTIPLE candidates for Parents of the Year bringing their screaming toddlers along for the Friday midnight flight to Sin City, the flight was uneventful. I was very happy to have an empty middle seat next to me for the flight

On the way to my condo!

There’s some construction right out on the road in front of my building, but my Uber driver was able to get me through the drive in gate, and I was able to check in.

It’s small and cozy, but I don’t need a ton of space. I have a sitting area right next to my bed:



…With ol’ Kurt Cobain watching over me while I sleep.



An efficient bathroom. Good water pressure.



A little kitchen area, with a full-sized fridge, microwave, and stovetop:



AND, one of the reasons I chose this place, an in-unit washer/dryer!



In all, I’m pretty pleased. The total came to about $81 a night, which is way better than I could have done on the strip, for as long as I’m staying.

Hopefully the road noise won’t be a problem…. It IS Friday night, and I can see some bars and a brewery from my balcony. Will definitely need to make a grocery run and stock up on some essentials.

But for now, a little nap, some breakfast, and then let’s get some cards in the air!

10-4!

I woke up around 7 am Vegas time and couldn’t go back to sleep…. So I decided to go ahead and get this day started!

There’s a Denny’s about a 3 block walk from my condo, so that’s where I headed. I got seated and put my order in just before the morning rush of people filled the restaurant, so that was nice. I’m a pretty simple creature when it comes to breakfast:



That’s “red, white, and blue” pancakes, with blueberries in the batter, and topped with strawberries and cream cheese icing.

A hearty, filling breakfast for $26. From here on in, all restaurant prices will be before tip (I’m a good tipper).

On the agenda for today: Play a bunch at Venetian, probably find something to eat around there (maybe Yardbird if it’s not too busy), then head over to the Horseshoe. I’ve never been inside, so I want to walk the grounds, see what food options are convenient, and buy in to the Sunday $600 deepstack, and the Wednesday Gladiators event for $300.

The lines at the tournament cage tend to be shortest at night and during vampire hours…. And a freaking mad house the morning of the event. We’ll get two registrations for one trip through the line this way.

My kind of breakfast as well. Eggs,bacon and hash+ black coffee is mandatory.

Why start at Venetian? I’m aware Sheldon Adelson was a terrible human being, even as he’s rotting in hell. I know they don’t treat their players great, and 5 + 2 drop is kinda BS. So why play there?

Well, it’s a big room, with great table selection at the stakes I’ll be playing. Generally competent dealers, and a floor that keeps lists moving. Out of all the resorts, I like the food options here the most. But the real reason I start every Vegas trip at Venetian?

I’ve run SCORCHING hot here in the past.

My first long trip to Vegas, I started here and ran $300 —> $1200 the first night, with the big hand being TT > AK > KK all in preflop (skill game, obv ). I had a +3200 Labor Day weekend at 2/5, including a $1700 craps hit. And then, of course, winning the biggest pot I’ve ever won at 2/5, $2700 or so… middle set held vs bottom set and the nut flush draw, all in on the flop. That was the start of a heater flopping 4 sets in an hour and a half, getting paid on three of them.

So yeah, I’ve always been fond of the place.



If you’ve never seen the architecture and decor at the Venetian, it’s quite stunning.



I plan to play more at 2/5 this trip, but like I said earlier, avoid getting buried on the first day. We’ll stick to 1/3 for now…. Unless we win, in which case we might press it up to 2/5. Or if we lose, in which case we might move up to chase

I know it’s kinda meaningless to set results-based goals in a small sample size of live poker…. But I’d like to hit a stop-win of $900 today, to freeroll my tourney buyins.

In for $300, let’s gooooo!

My drink just arrived

Long time members of this forum know what the lucky drink is to activate the run good. RIP Gavin Smith.

“I’ll have a greyhound…. Hold the vodka.”



(I.e., just grapefruit juice )

Table isn’t great for 1/3, there’s a fair amount of squeezing/3 betting… but also some limping, and a spot two to my right sitting on almost 200 bb. Haven’t hit much, no interesting spots yet. As new games start and tables fill, I may ask for a change.

But for now, feeling patient and focused, and enjoying myself

Agree on the food options,that often gets me to play there as well. + As you say,the floors really gets the lists moving overthere. They deserve praise for that imo.

Having Grand Lux open 24/7 is the nutz for me regarding playing there. If i just want a small healthy meal,or a heavy one after a long session they got you covered.

Not that you’re planning on showing up late, but just a reminder that if you register before the event, your chips are in play from the moment the tourney starts. Don’t know if that’s a change from previous years, but Kevmath was tweeting it out from every account he’s on this year so I’m guessing it’s different. Anyway, all this is getting me hyped to get into town! Good luck!

Yes, thank you for the reminder, I do plan to be there at the start.

One interesting hand so far.

Villain 1 is loose/passive and clearly inexperienced. Needs to be reminded to post, string raised, and tried to raise a $60 bet to $100.

Villain 2 is up a good amount, plays LAG, raises pf some and limps pf some. He has a check/raise button, and he prefers making big bets or raises rather than calling, post flop. He will bet if checked to in position, and fire multiple streets.

I’m playing about $300, both Villains cover. V2 limps UTG+1, I raise to $12 with Th8h from hijack, V1 calls from SB, V2 calls.

(Pot 36) Flop Tc 6s 4h, check, check to me, I bet $20, call, call

(Pot 96) Turn Tc 6s 4h, 7h. Check, check to me.

I’m not sure my ten is good, but I turn double gutted to go with the back door flush draw. I think I’m ahead of V1 and can bet for value…. But I’m concerned that if I bet and V2 wants to continue, he’ll make me commit stacks.

Still…. No matter what they have, I have initiative, position, and surely so much equity. The three 8 outs might be good against a better ten, and I think I can rip river if I hit a flush or a straight. So I bet $55. They both tank and both call.

River pairs the 4, check check to me. I check back, Villain 1 fast rolls top set, two tens, and Villain 2 mucks.

I think I played it fine, and I think I came to the correct conclusion that I need to bet the turn… just need a better runout. If villain 2 stacks off on the turn, with villain 1’s money in there I think I’m ok living with my equity…. Even against a set, I’m way live.

So I’m down a bit, but staying topped up. We’ve got some new players, and the game is better and deeper than it was earlier.

Switching to carrot juice, we’ll see how that goes.

Seems fine the way you played it. I like a turnbet with this much equity,you can consider going larger with the turn bet to make it as non attractive as possible for these guys to continue in this hand. If you do get shoved on,okay then we calls it off and is in decent shape against basically everything.

I dont mind checking back the turn sometimes for deception and so you dont get check jammed off your equity.

Frustrating session, finished -535 but I’m generally happy with my decisions. I was in for 800 at my deepest, all from topping up…. And in the whole session I never got stacked or gave someone a double. Which seems hard to do at 1/3.

My internal alarm clock went off at hour number 4. I feel like the bad sessions I must improve upon are when I get in too deep, and play too long in a not great game. I felt fine today, but I have to admit my focus wanes and I autopilot too much after hour 4.

But by that point, the game was actually starting to get good. I was 150-200 bb effective with a guy I thought I read well, and there was another very loose/passive opponent stuck piles who kept reloading full. I think he was in as deep as 1500 or more… unfortunately, not to me.

I got back as high as 650, but slowly went in reverse from there. When the deep opponent and the loose/passive spot left within half an hour of each other, that’s when I decided to pick up the rest of it. Sucks to book the loss, but I’d be really angry with myself if I blasted off the rest of it… tired, hungry, unfocused, and playing in a game I couldn’t realistically get unstuck. For a long trip like this, I need to take a longer view. This is progress.

Next up, Yardbird!

Is there ever a time when checking flop here makes sense? IDK maybe I'm way off in my multi-way live thinking

When I heard multiple people tell me Yardbird had the best fried chicken, I was skeptical. It’s fried chicken, how special could it be? So I got it, and it was REALLY good.



What makes it good is the texture. I don’t know how they bread it, but the skin is both crumbly and crispy at the same time…. And the meat falls off the bone like it’s really good ribs.

I got the mac and cheese for a side, and that was good, too. Real sharp, which I like.

All that, plus a sweet tea, was $60…. Including 18% gratuity. He would have gotten more out of me, I blame the Euros for that

Now I’m gonna walk over to the Horseshoe, explore the WSOP areas, and buy in to the first two events I’m gonna play

Eh, with initiative, in position, when checked to, and a read on a loose/passive opponent with top pair and some backdoors?

Feels like betting is way, way better than not betting

Yeah, fair enough! Didn't mean to derail as you were posting more updates. Run good and GL man!!! Enjoying the style and gambling

It’s all good, I post detailed hand histories because I invite strategy discussion.

Unrelated… MAN the people-watching in Vegas is something else! I’m out by the front valet entrance to Venetian, sitting on a bench, minding my business, and updating my little corner of the internet for the fans…

Apparently it’s perfectly normal for girls to walk around hotels in bikini tops, thongs, and see-through wraps… there’s a delightfully British lady venting to security an apoplectic stream of consciousness in the Queen’s English because she’s missing her flight back to Heathrow…. And what appears to be a divorce in progress playing out at the cab stand.

I suppose I should get walking now

Re: the hand, I wondered if having an aggro opponent check to you twice might not set off some bells. That said, you turned the world and I’d likely be betting here as well.

Re: people. My trip changed directions in the last month as my gf decided she wants to tag along, since she’s never been. And honestly I’m very interested just watching her reaction to everything that Vegas is and that doesn’t faze me anymore.

We dont get check/jammed off our equity. We call it off if we get shoved on.

In keeping with the theme of interesting people-watching only in Vegas, the short walk from Venetian to the Horseshoe down the Strip was…. Interesting. I was approached for flyers for escort girls 3 separate times (I did not partake), there were topless girls in pasties posing for pictures, you could have your photo taken with about a 7 foot long yellow snake around your neck (I’ll pass, thanks), and passed some girl puking on the sidewalk in broad daylight. Only Vegas.

So I get there and check out the Horseshoe for the first time. I’d never seen it as Bally’s, but now that it’s rebranded as the Horseshoe, it seems like a nice place. The poker room is fine, if a bit smaller than I’d thought. The top rooms (Wynn, Venetian, Resorts World, Aria, Bellagio, imo) are much bigger and can accommodate higher volume, for sure. Still, it’s a venue worthy of hosting the World Series… unlike Rio or even Caesar’s Palace.

They offer 1/3 (300 cap), and 2/3 (500 cap), and the lists for both were about 40 people long. Not knowing how long I’d be in the convention center, I put my name on both lists, and got to exploring.

I found the Uber pickup/drop off, and looked at the mass of humanity in the huge, sprawling Paris ballroom. I went to the tournament cage, and at 7 pm at night, there was no line, so I was immediately seen.

I’ve got seat assignments for tomorrow’s event, and the first flight of the Gladiators event Wednesday. Tomorrow starts at 10 am, and since I pre-registered, my stack will be out of the well and in play at the start.

I was feeling so unseyatisfied with how poker had gone on the day…. And while I didn’t want to be out too late for tomorrow, I can’t just let a Saturday night at the World Series pass by without putting some of it in play.

I had just eaten, and the walk had helped me clear my mind. I set a strict 10 pm bedtime, and bought into 2/3 for the max, 500.

…And I’m really pleased with how I played, and feeling redeemed about the results. There were several spots in multi-way or head up pots where I wanted to continue, and then I said to myself “wait a minute…. I have position, why not play this more aggressively?”

And, unsurprisingly, when you play more aggressively in later position, good things tend to happen. This game is simple, and I’ve been playing for a long time. Don’t need to make it complicated.

Posted into the blinds, and folded both, then literally the 3rd hand I’m dealt is A7o on the button. Two limps in front, and while I generally hate ace-rag-off with a passion, PARTICULARLY A6-A9…. I will not stand for this limping insolence when I have the button, so I make it $15. BB and both limpers calls.

Flop A-7-4 two hearts, I have none. Checks to me, I bet $30, bb calls, one limper calls. Turn is a black 3, and now the BB wakes up and leads $40. Limper folds, and I’m confused. Well, 5-6 just got there, and so did 5-2, but I think I’m ahead and call. River is a non-heart 8, and now he leads $45.

Obviously no reads, so I go with what I see. Villain is a middle-aged, overweight black guy, glasses, with a sterling silver WSOP-branded card protector. Hmmmmmm.

For that, plus his bet-sizing, I think I’m way good here. The sizing is a little awkward, as he had about another $250 behind after betting the river. 5-6 is still the stone super nuts, so I feel I can raise for value and fold if he comes over the top, because that’s the only hand that bets/3bai there. So I make it $145, intending to fold to a ship, and tell myself I can live with it if I just value-towned myself vs a slowplayed set or A8, because I think worse hands will still call. He tanks a bit, calls, and my hand is good.

Next orbit, I’m on the button with Ah3h. UTG+1 makes it $12, cutoff calls, I consider squeezing but call. Flop A-4-5r one heart, raiser bets $15, cutoff calls. That’s less than a half-pot cbet. Since cutoff flatted and didn’t raise himself, and since I wanted to continue… I have position, why not put pressure on both of them? I make it $55, original raiser folds, cutoff calls.

Turn is a black 6, so now I have open ended to go with my top pair. He checks. I think about betting again, but I have position here and can take a free card, and now I don’t love my kicker, so I check back. River 7, and he checks, so he doesn’t have the 8. I make it $90, he calls and loses with ATo. I don’t know if he was more tilted with himself for how he played it, or with me for getting lucky, but he’s definitely tilting. Just goes to show how good things happen when you play aggressively in position, and how you win more with your winners when you have position vs not.

I later stacked that guy for the rest of it when he flopped two pair vs my flush draw, I turned open ended to go with it, and rivered the straight. Bet/bet/shove no good for you, sir.

Then it got short, to 5 handed for a while, and with my stack advantage I became a positively abusive LAG. I had it just often enough to win nice pots at showdown, and was getting enough credit to win without showdown often.

Racked up at 10 pm sharp for a +915 win, unstuck on the day and feeling very validated and redeemed. Rationally I know there are going to be swings like this inherent in any game playing this much poker… I should stay dispassionate, and not let the results affect my mood, or, more importantly, my play. As all gamblers know, that’s easier said than done. Just keep making good decisions.

I’m very glad I decided to start with $3 big blind games rather than jumping in at $5, because the swings would be an order of magnitude higher. I decided I really like the stack depth of the 500 cap 2/3 game, it’s a nice compromise between 1/3 and 2/5.

Well, that’s a lot of text. Time to go to bed, because hopefully it’ll be a very long day tomorrow! If I bust, I think I’ll just stay at the Shoe and play some more 2/3.

Catch y’all on the flip side

Nice start! Gl today

Definitely overslept, then got lost walking around Paris looking for the Horseshoe convention center, where we’re playing today. Annoying, because I came over last night to avoid specifically this scenario.

Anyway, sat in by 10:45, with my stack blinded off only 1200 from 30k. Table seems competent, there was a raise, 3bet, and cold 4 bet, fold, fold in the first orbit. The players are all taking about other tournament events they’ve played, and they don’t seem like recs.

I guess we’ll see! Let’s gooooo

First break…. I bled down to around 20k, missing flops and not going to showdown. Then I found a double when I raised AQo from the SB, and bet/bet/shoved an A-K-4-Q-5 runout. Now sitting on 42k from a 30k starting stack, coming back to (I think) 300/500/500.

Joe Cada played at my table! He lost his first pot of consequence, got down to 23k…. Then cold 3bai over a 1k raise and three callers, and lost the flip 99 > AQo. He laughed and said he knew he was done when the opponent showed 99… saying that hand’s been good to him in the past

I didn’t recognize him, and only found out it was him after he left when the rest of the table talked about it.

Definitely still a tough table. I’m focusing on playing tighter and observing more. It’s difficult to change from a cash game mindset to a tournament mindset…. Folding 97s to raises from the blinds, open folding AJo from MP, stuff like that. I think it’s what you have to do.

Just peacefully grinding!