Vegas Trip Report - around WSOP Main Event
07-18-2018
, 08:42 AM
Ok, the day has finally arrived, probably seven months after I got management approval to go (Thanks love x), and I set off. My sick preparation included buying new suitcase, backpack and “man bag” for the trip, and planning pretty much what to wear each day – I’ll not go into some of my superstitions about those things, but I’m pretty sure I put more thought into them than most.
One of my concerns was getting cash safely there. I brought with me $9000 in cash to cover a worst case scenario of fallback tournaments. That is within the allowable limit, but I have heard stories of cash disappearing on the way through airport security. I divided my 90 “benjamins” into four piles, putting them in two wallets, a money belt and an envelope, thinking that those smaller piles should not be too conspicuous in the scanners. I tried to keep my backpack in sight as I went through each security check, and all went smoothly.
First Class was nice, although not the “wow” I was expecting. On my return I got a window seat in Club World, and I would not pay extra again for the upgrade. In First, you get pajamas, proper sheets and a duvet, but BA Club already gives you a flat bed that is easy to sleep in. Here are a couple of pictures. I followed my usual formula for long-haul – two scotch and gingers, two glasses of wine with dinner, and I am usually able to sleep after that. So it proved, and I arrived in Vegas feeling quite fresh.
One advantage of First, though, is that you move swiftly through the airports, so it was quite a short time from touchdown to arriving at the hotel.
As I walked in to the Aria room, the TV came on playing soft music, the blinds drew back slowly, revealing a view over the Rio and other resorts, and the lights came up slowly. Fairly simple technology really, but unexpected and I was impressed.
I knew it would be silly to play on the 2nd, and I had actually booked a Cirque de Soleil show to make sure that I would not end up getting tempted, but I realised that I had time to make the 10pm Deepstack game at the Rio (not bad, considering I left London at 5.30pm UK time). I thought that made sense, to get me used to the surroundings and the feel of the tables, and I certainly did not feel ready for bed.
Uber to Rio. Uber works really well here, with one caveat – most of the casinos seem to have chosen locations for Uber pick-up that are deep in parking garages or similar, where wifi and cellular networks have no signal. This means you have to book the car first, then hurry to the pick-up point and hope for the best. I suppose their concierges get more tips from regular cab passengers. Once I got used to this, Uber was easily the best option for me.
It took only a couple of minutes to pick up my Main Event seat at the FasTrac table, and then about three quarters of an hour of queuing to register for the Deepstack. Lots of people getting $10k counted, and there seemed to be quite a few problems with ID issues etc. I later found out that there is a separate dedicated desk for Deepstack registration that would probably have saved me time.
This Deepstack has 10k chips and 20 minute blinds, but it plays really badly. There are a couple of hours of re-entry, and there were a lot of people playing double-up or re-enter gambles, and generally splashing around. I went out quickly after getting it in twice with top pair against optimists with flopped flush draws and nothing else. I decided not to bother re-entering.
I later found out that the 1pm and the 10pm games play this way, and the other two, at 4pm and 7pm are much better. I think the 1pm game starts crazy because it ends up with the biggest prize pool, and people are prepared to gamble at the start to build a big stack.
I had planned to spend the 2nd by the pool, looking over my preparation, but when I walked out there I walked straight back in again – much too hot for me, even in the shade. I spent the afternoon in the room, getting organised and then watching PokerGo – 2017 coverage, and some of Day 1a this year.
I had an early dinner at PF Chang, a nice Chinese restaurant at the front of Planet Hollywood, before heading to my show. It was Zumanity, at New York, New York casino. I had not researched it – just picked it because it was nearby - and it turned out to be a poor choice. It is an “adult” show, and much less original than the other Cirque du Soleil shows I have seen – standard adult cabaret with beautiful dancers, stand-up comedians embarrassing those near the front (I used some of my poker skills to become invisible in my front row seat, and managed to avoid being picked on), and the usual aerial tumbling. There were a few world class acrobatic performances thrown in, and a memorable set involving two perfect women, a large goldfish bowl full of water, and no clothing, but overall it was just ok.
I had a couple of beers in a hotel bar, deflecting the usual offers of “company”, and was back in the room by 11pm starting to anticipate my 11am start.
Another thing I will mention that is prominent any time I play poker is our syndicate. Around ten years ago, a friend started a poker syndicate, six people in total, with the idea that we play a league of ten or twelve evening games, contributing some money each time, and the league winner gets to represent us in a big game. Most years the Irish Open has been our target tournament. There has been a bit of turnover of people over the years, and the rules have been refined a bit, but it has been a great success. We chose people who all take it quite seriously, and have a variety of playing styles, and there is no doubt that it has helped develop our games significantly.
Sadly, one member, who was our best player and a remarkable guy in many ways, succumbed to cancer a few years ago, after a long and brave fight. The syndicate now bears his name, and his place is now taken by his son. I will keep this report anonymous, so this is not the place to name him and pay tribute, but I always consider that he, and the rest of the syndicate, deserve a lot of credit for any poker successes that I have.
This tournament is out of the reach of the syndicate budget, but they always provide a great Whatsapp rail, and if I get a deep run in anything they will always have at least a small piece.
End of post two – more poker in the remaining posts, I promise!
One of my concerns was getting cash safely there. I brought with me $9000 in cash to cover a worst case scenario of fallback tournaments. That is within the allowable limit, but I have heard stories of cash disappearing on the way through airport security. I divided my 90 “benjamins” into four piles, putting them in two wallets, a money belt and an envelope, thinking that those smaller piles should not be too conspicuous in the scanners. I tried to keep my backpack in sight as I went through each security check, and all went smoothly.
First Class was nice, although not the “wow” I was expecting. On my return I got a window seat in Club World, and I would not pay extra again for the upgrade. In First, you get pajamas, proper sheets and a duvet, but BA Club already gives you a flat bed that is easy to sleep in. Here are a couple of pictures. I followed my usual formula for long-haul – two scotch and gingers, two glasses of wine with dinner, and I am usually able to sleep after that. So it proved, and I arrived in Vegas feeling quite fresh.
One advantage of First, though, is that you move swiftly through the airports, so it was quite a short time from touchdown to arriving at the hotel.
As I walked in to the Aria room, the TV came on playing soft music, the blinds drew back slowly, revealing a view over the Rio and other resorts, and the lights came up slowly. Fairly simple technology really, but unexpected and I was impressed.
I knew it would be silly to play on the 2nd, and I had actually booked a Cirque de Soleil show to make sure that I would not end up getting tempted, but I realised that I had time to make the 10pm Deepstack game at the Rio (not bad, considering I left London at 5.30pm UK time). I thought that made sense, to get me used to the surroundings and the feel of the tables, and I certainly did not feel ready for bed.
Uber to Rio. Uber works really well here, with one caveat – most of the casinos seem to have chosen locations for Uber pick-up that are deep in parking garages or similar, where wifi and cellular networks have no signal. This means you have to book the car first, then hurry to the pick-up point and hope for the best. I suppose their concierges get more tips from regular cab passengers. Once I got used to this, Uber was easily the best option for me.
It took only a couple of minutes to pick up my Main Event seat at the FasTrac table, and then about three quarters of an hour of queuing to register for the Deepstack. Lots of people getting $10k counted, and there seemed to be quite a few problems with ID issues etc. I later found out that there is a separate dedicated desk for Deepstack registration that would probably have saved me time.
This Deepstack has 10k chips and 20 minute blinds, but it plays really badly. There are a couple of hours of re-entry, and there were a lot of people playing double-up or re-enter gambles, and generally splashing around. I went out quickly after getting it in twice with top pair against optimists with flopped flush draws and nothing else. I decided not to bother re-entering.
I later found out that the 1pm and the 10pm games play this way, and the other two, at 4pm and 7pm are much better. I think the 1pm game starts crazy because it ends up with the biggest prize pool, and people are prepared to gamble at the start to build a big stack.
I had planned to spend the 2nd by the pool, looking over my preparation, but when I walked out there I walked straight back in again – much too hot for me, even in the shade. I spent the afternoon in the room, getting organised and then watching PokerGo – 2017 coverage, and some of Day 1a this year.
I had an early dinner at PF Chang, a nice Chinese restaurant at the front of Planet Hollywood, before heading to my show. It was Zumanity, at New York, New York casino. I had not researched it – just picked it because it was nearby - and it turned out to be a poor choice. It is an “adult” show, and much less original than the other Cirque du Soleil shows I have seen – standard adult cabaret with beautiful dancers, stand-up comedians embarrassing those near the front (I used some of my poker skills to become invisible in my front row seat, and managed to avoid being picked on), and the usual aerial tumbling. There were a few world class acrobatic performances thrown in, and a memorable set involving two perfect women, a large goldfish bowl full of water, and no clothing, but overall it was just ok.
I had a couple of beers in a hotel bar, deflecting the usual offers of “company”, and was back in the room by 11pm starting to anticipate my 11am start.
Another thing I will mention that is prominent any time I play poker is our syndicate. Around ten years ago, a friend started a poker syndicate, six people in total, with the idea that we play a league of ten or twelve evening games, contributing some money each time, and the league winner gets to represent us in a big game. Most years the Irish Open has been our target tournament. There has been a bit of turnover of people over the years, and the rules have been refined a bit, but it has been a great success. We chose people who all take it quite seriously, and have a variety of playing styles, and there is no doubt that it has helped develop our games significantly.
Sadly, one member, who was our best player and a remarkable guy in many ways, succumbed to cancer a few years ago, after a long and brave fight. The syndicate now bears his name, and his place is now taken by his son. I will keep this report anonymous, so this is not the place to name him and pay tribute, but I always consider that he, and the rest of the syndicate, deserve a lot of credit for any poker successes that I have.
This tournament is out of the reach of the syndicate budget, but they always provide a great Whatsapp rail, and if I get a deep run in anything they will always have at least a small piece.
End of post two – more poker in the remaining posts, I promise!
07-18-2018
, 01:55 PM
Subbed.
Spoiler - I will be appropriately disappointed if(when) you bust out of the Main AND appropriately happy if you should have success in a fallback event.
Spoiler - I will be appropriately disappointed if(when) you bust out of the Main AND appropriately happy if you should have success in a fallback event.
07-20-2018
, 10:28 AM
Unsurprisingly, I woke up early, at around 8am, and I soon realised that I was not going to be able to get back to sleep. If you don’t have at least a wee bit of childish excitement going into the Main Event you probably shouldn’t be playing!
The Aria cafe has a good range of breakfast options, so I headed down, armed with a tablet to watch some of 2017’s live PokerGo coverage, to get in the right frame of mind. I also keep a small notebook where I have been noting down bits of last-minute advice to myself, for reading before the start. Most of the advice is about forcing myself to take time for any decision that could commit me to a big pot, and about choosing lower variance options in this tournament – obvious stuff, but most big poker decisions that I have regretted in the past have been made too quickly.
After double-checking that I have packed everything that I might need for the day, I headed down early, to get tuned to my surroundings, find the table, grab a water bottle and a Starbucks etc.
The last time I came over for the Main, I was disappointed that the tournament areas became quiet and lacking in atmosphere as the tournament moved on, leaving Main survivors playing in the corner of fairly empty rooms. This year, the schedule is better, with more side events coinciding with later stages of the Main. The atmosphere was great here throughout the entire trip. I hope the organisers agree that it is an improvement and stick with this approach.
Waiting for the doors to open:
I sat down at my table in good time, and started checking out my table-mates. About three seats stayed empty for the first half-hour. I decided this was not good news, as pros are more likely to sit down late, but the players that did turn up gave me no cause for alarm. Several of them looked to be in their fifties, fitting the stereotype of the wealthy small businessmen that make up the bulk of the amateurs playing the Main. There was a Japanese-looking lady of about 40, who looked a bit nervous. The youngest player was an athletic looking big man of about 35, wearing headphones – the most likely to be a pro so far.
Obligatory stack photo:
Loving the structure, as I knew I would. Slow structures suit my game in general, and I like having time to assess the table before getting too heavily involved.
After half an hour or so, I was feeling very comfortable. No one is playing particularly aggressive or crazy, and it is not too expensive to see flops. There are two players at the table that seem bad – the Japanese lady, and a serial limp-caller of about 55. The Japanese lady plays a tight starting range, but she does not seem to take account of how the board changes the strength of her hand. She has paid off a couple of times with big starting hands on raggy boards where she could never still be good. I have successfully punished the limp-caller a couple of times, raising his limp and c-betting to take the pot.
One quite lucky hand in the first level (75/150). The limp-caller limped in early position about three places to my right. I limped behind with 66, preferring to set-mine than try and punish this time. One other limper and the big blind checked his option. Flop was T45 rainbow. The first limper bet half pot, and I called. The other two folded. Turn was a 3. Check-check. River was an off-suit 7 – not bad! He bet 1k. I made it 3k and got the call. He had pocket fives – unlucky sir!
Played one hand of significance this level with the Japanese lady. I raised in early position to 350 with 6d5d. The Japanese lady made it 700 from the small blind, and I called. The flop came 975, with one diamond. She bet 800, and I called with a pair and a gutshot. Td on the turn gave me more outs, and I called her bet of 1200. The river was another 5, giving me trips. She bet 1200. I made it 3200. She called, and mucked – I’m guessing an overpair.
I finished level one on a very satisfactory 62k. Although I got lucky in those two hands, I played plenty of other more standard ones. I am feeling very comfortable at my table and “in the zone”.
The table has got a bit tougher, with two of the three empty places taken by sub-thirty players who seem quite strong, and the third by a guy in his early forties who is active and fairly aggressive. I have chatted a good bit with a young guy to my left. He is an Irish on-line pro, who has played the Main three times before with one deep run to three-hundred and somethingth. Likeable young lad, and he certainly seems to play well.
Level two did not go so well. Early on, I ran 88 into 99, and 99 into TT in successive hands with raggy boards, and paid off a bit in each case.
One key hand was against the forty-something player, whom I will call Splashy. He plays a lot of pots fairly recklessly, not counting bets but throwing in a handful of chips. He raised from the cutoff, and I decided to flat with AhKh in the small blind. I like to mix it occasionally, and slow-playing a hand that can hit big against a loose and aggressive player seemed like a good time to do so. The flop came JTx, with two hearts. We both checked (I was ready to check-raise, and was surprised when he checked behind). I led on a small black turn card. He called. The river was a black king – one of only a few outs that did not give me the nuts. I bet 2600. He made it 7500. I thought for a good while, and decided to call – my hand was under-represented, and I decided he had some worse holdings, and maybe some bluffs (given my image) in his raising range. He had KK – the hand could have gone a lot worse.
After that, I laid down two pots to the same player, in both cases when I checked decent bluff-catcher hands to him and he fired big overbets.
That player has dominated the table since he arrived, running like god and playing very aggressively. I am not the only player to give him chips – he has had unlikely winners each time he has been called.
I have some decisions to make in this spot. I came to the competition with a clear strategy of taking my time and playing small-ball, arrogant enough to think that I have an edge on the Day One field. With this guy on the table, your chips are on the line each time you enter a pot with him. He is prepared to put you all-in in a heartbeat, either with a strong draw, or with a bluff. I decided that I can’t just batten down the hatches and survive. Even if I folded my way to Day Two, I could easily find a similar table captain tomorrow. I decided to tighten up a good bit, but be prepared to go with it if I think I am in a strong spot.
I started level three at about 38k (starting stack was 50k) – still a huge stack in terms of BB. Splashy raised form the hijack to 800. I found black kings, and made it 2300, with him the only caller. The flop was a beautiful / ugly KJ8, all hearts. We both checked the flop. Turn was Qd, and I bet 2500, getting a call. The river was a small black card. He bet 3500. I made it 10k, and he folded.
At the start of level four, the Japanese lady has gone, and the other possibly bad player, the limp-caller is down to 9k. The table has become a lot harder.
I struggled badly in this level, all against Splashy. I paid him off with 77 on a TT632 board, when he had the unlikely ten (T6o), and a couple of other similar ones. He does not seem to miss, and is inflicting similar pain on the rest of the table.
I went into the last session of the night with 27k – still over 50bb.
Early in the level, he raised his button (my bb) as he had done every time. I had AQo, and made a standard 3-bet, which he called. The flop came ace high with three spades, but otherwise fairly safe (no spade in my hand). I made a standard-sized 3-bet, which he called. At this point, I am 100% sure of my read, that he has a junky hand with a single spade. I have just over a pot-sized bet. I decided to make a committing bet of about 90% of my chips. For some reason I feel he will call that but fold to a shove, and I want his chips in as a >80% dog. That is exactly what happens, and my heart sinks as the ugly spade comes. I don’t have the heart to try and spin up my remaining change into a playable hand, and throw it in. My read proves exactly right. Despite being a nightmare to play against, he is a nice guy, and graciously apologetic about busting me. I manage to exit fairly graciously myself, although it almost feels like someone else talking.
I walk up and down the corridors of the Rio, stunned and too tilted to even think straight for about half an hour. Eventually, after ranting to my syndicate friends for a bit, and registering for a $1500 no-limit side event two days later, I start to calm down.
I have thought a lot about it since then, and –painful and inevitable as it all was – I don’t think I have any regrets. I put my chips in with better odds than AA v KK pre-flop (not quite sure why I was so certain of my read, but it proved correct), and was rightly pleased to get the call. If the spade does not come, I more than double up on the hand.
I go through the rest of the night feeling fairly lost, without even enough enthusiasm to get drunk. One bright side of it, which makes me feel a bit better, is that I came with a programme of fallback tournaments in several different casinos. Although a deep run in the Main would have been very exciting, I would have ended up seeing only the Rio Convention Center, and I will now get a broader view of Vegas, which may be better fun overall.
The Aria cafe has a good range of breakfast options, so I headed down, armed with a tablet to watch some of 2017’s live PokerGo coverage, to get in the right frame of mind. I also keep a small notebook where I have been noting down bits of last-minute advice to myself, for reading before the start. Most of the advice is about forcing myself to take time for any decision that could commit me to a big pot, and about choosing lower variance options in this tournament – obvious stuff, but most big poker decisions that I have regretted in the past have been made too quickly.
After double-checking that I have packed everything that I might need for the day, I headed down early, to get tuned to my surroundings, find the table, grab a water bottle and a Starbucks etc.
The last time I came over for the Main, I was disappointed that the tournament areas became quiet and lacking in atmosphere as the tournament moved on, leaving Main survivors playing in the corner of fairly empty rooms. This year, the schedule is better, with more side events coinciding with later stages of the Main. The atmosphere was great here throughout the entire trip. I hope the organisers agree that it is an improvement and stick with this approach.
Waiting for the doors to open:
I sat down at my table in good time, and started checking out my table-mates. About three seats stayed empty for the first half-hour. I decided this was not good news, as pros are more likely to sit down late, but the players that did turn up gave me no cause for alarm. Several of them looked to be in their fifties, fitting the stereotype of the wealthy small businessmen that make up the bulk of the amateurs playing the Main. There was a Japanese-looking lady of about 40, who looked a bit nervous. The youngest player was an athletic looking big man of about 35, wearing headphones – the most likely to be a pro so far.
Obligatory stack photo:
Loving the structure, as I knew I would. Slow structures suit my game in general, and I like having time to assess the table before getting too heavily involved.
After half an hour or so, I was feeling very comfortable. No one is playing particularly aggressive or crazy, and it is not too expensive to see flops. There are two players at the table that seem bad – the Japanese lady, and a serial limp-caller of about 55. The Japanese lady plays a tight starting range, but she does not seem to take account of how the board changes the strength of her hand. She has paid off a couple of times with big starting hands on raggy boards where she could never still be good. I have successfully punished the limp-caller a couple of times, raising his limp and c-betting to take the pot.
One quite lucky hand in the first level (75/150). The limp-caller limped in early position about three places to my right. I limped behind with 66, preferring to set-mine than try and punish this time. One other limper and the big blind checked his option. Flop was T45 rainbow. The first limper bet half pot, and I called. The other two folded. Turn was a 3. Check-check. River was an off-suit 7 – not bad! He bet 1k. I made it 3k and got the call. He had pocket fives – unlucky sir!
Played one hand of significance this level with the Japanese lady. I raised in early position to 350 with 6d5d. The Japanese lady made it 700 from the small blind, and I called. The flop came 975, with one diamond. She bet 800, and I called with a pair and a gutshot. Td on the turn gave me more outs, and I called her bet of 1200. The river was another 5, giving me trips. She bet 1200. I made it 3200. She called, and mucked – I’m guessing an overpair.
I finished level one on a very satisfactory 62k. Although I got lucky in those two hands, I played plenty of other more standard ones. I am feeling very comfortable at my table and “in the zone”.
The table has got a bit tougher, with two of the three empty places taken by sub-thirty players who seem quite strong, and the third by a guy in his early forties who is active and fairly aggressive. I have chatted a good bit with a young guy to my left. He is an Irish on-line pro, who has played the Main three times before with one deep run to three-hundred and somethingth. Likeable young lad, and he certainly seems to play well.
Level two did not go so well. Early on, I ran 88 into 99, and 99 into TT in successive hands with raggy boards, and paid off a bit in each case.
One key hand was against the forty-something player, whom I will call Splashy. He plays a lot of pots fairly recklessly, not counting bets but throwing in a handful of chips. He raised from the cutoff, and I decided to flat with AhKh in the small blind. I like to mix it occasionally, and slow-playing a hand that can hit big against a loose and aggressive player seemed like a good time to do so. The flop came JTx, with two hearts. We both checked (I was ready to check-raise, and was surprised when he checked behind). I led on a small black turn card. He called. The river was a black king – one of only a few outs that did not give me the nuts. I bet 2600. He made it 7500. I thought for a good while, and decided to call – my hand was under-represented, and I decided he had some worse holdings, and maybe some bluffs (given my image) in his raising range. He had KK – the hand could have gone a lot worse.
After that, I laid down two pots to the same player, in both cases when I checked decent bluff-catcher hands to him and he fired big overbets.
That player has dominated the table since he arrived, running like god and playing very aggressively. I am not the only player to give him chips – he has had unlikely winners each time he has been called.
I have some decisions to make in this spot. I came to the competition with a clear strategy of taking my time and playing small-ball, arrogant enough to think that I have an edge on the Day One field. With this guy on the table, your chips are on the line each time you enter a pot with him. He is prepared to put you all-in in a heartbeat, either with a strong draw, or with a bluff. I decided that I can’t just batten down the hatches and survive. Even if I folded my way to Day Two, I could easily find a similar table captain tomorrow. I decided to tighten up a good bit, but be prepared to go with it if I think I am in a strong spot.
I started level three at about 38k (starting stack was 50k) – still a huge stack in terms of BB. Splashy raised form the hijack to 800. I found black kings, and made it 2300, with him the only caller. The flop was a beautiful / ugly KJ8, all hearts. We both checked the flop. Turn was Qd, and I bet 2500, getting a call. The river was a small black card. He bet 3500. I made it 10k, and he folded.
At the start of level four, the Japanese lady has gone, and the other possibly bad player, the limp-caller is down to 9k. The table has become a lot harder.
I struggled badly in this level, all against Splashy. I paid him off with 77 on a TT632 board, when he had the unlikely ten (T6o), and a couple of other similar ones. He does not seem to miss, and is inflicting similar pain on the rest of the table.
I went into the last session of the night with 27k – still over 50bb.
Early in the level, he raised his button (my bb) as he had done every time. I had AQo, and made a standard 3-bet, which he called. The flop came ace high with three spades, but otherwise fairly safe (no spade in my hand). I made a standard-sized 3-bet, which he called. At this point, I am 100% sure of my read, that he has a junky hand with a single spade. I have just over a pot-sized bet. I decided to make a committing bet of about 90% of my chips. For some reason I feel he will call that but fold to a shove, and I want his chips in as a >80% dog. That is exactly what happens, and my heart sinks as the ugly spade comes. I don’t have the heart to try and spin up my remaining change into a playable hand, and throw it in. My read proves exactly right. Despite being a nightmare to play against, he is a nice guy, and graciously apologetic about busting me. I manage to exit fairly graciously myself, although it almost feels like someone else talking.
I walk up and down the corridors of the Rio, stunned and too tilted to even think straight for about half an hour. Eventually, after ranting to my syndicate friends for a bit, and registering for a $1500 no-limit side event two days later, I start to calm down.
I have thought a lot about it since then, and –painful and inevitable as it all was – I don’t think I have any regrets. I put my chips in with better odds than AA v KK pre-flop (not quite sure why I was so certain of my read, but it proved correct), and was rightly pleased to get the call. If the spade does not come, I more than double up on the hand.
I go through the rest of the night feeling fairly lost, without even enough enthusiasm to get drunk. One bright side of it, which makes me feel a bit better, is that I came with a programme of fallback tournaments in several different casinos. Although a deep run in the Main would have been very exciting, I would have ended up seeing only the Rio Convention Center, and I will now get a broader view of Vegas, which may be better fun overall.
07-23-2018
, 01:21 PM
With my ticket for Event 66, Thursday’s $1500 bracelet event in hand, I notice that there is a nice game on the Wednesday in the Wynn Classic series. I phone them to check whether there should be plenty of room, and the lady at the desk suggests that it might be no harm to register tonight, as some of the games have had alternate lists.
I decide that going to Wynn to buy in, and have a few drinks, may be just the medicine I need, so that is what I do.
The Wynn always fascinates me – people there just seem to drip money more than anywhere else in Vegas, and it is a good people-watching spot. As I step out of my Uber at the entrance, I notice a white Ferrari pulling up, and after the gull-wing doors open upwards, a seventyish man in a white suit struggles out. Out of the back pop two pneumatic eighteen-year-old girls on huge high heels, who proceed to grab an arm each and escort him along the lobby toward Pensioner Paradise.
After getting my red Wynn loyalty card and seat assignment for the next day, I get myself a Scotch at the “Lake of Dreams”, a Wynn cocktail bar with quite a cool free animated show. Not a bad spot to lick my wounds, and I return to the hotel a bit later feeling more optimistic.
There is no better antidote to a poker hiding than sitting down with a full stack at the start of a new tournament, so I am feeling myself again as I sit down in the Wynn the next day. For me, the Wynn has now taken over as the best place to play in Vegas. The last time I played here, there was a different poker room which was quite comfortable, but a bit dark and sombre. They have now cleared away an area of slot machines to create a nice bright poker area which has taken the Aria’s crown.
One criticism and one mixed blessing; for some reason, their cocktail service is very poor. I heard a lot of regulars complaining about it, and a few times there was a fairly crazy wait, even for a bottle of water or a coffee. It seems the waitresses arrange informally who is covering which tables, and they don’t manage it very well. The other ?negative? is that the tournament area is outside the Wynn’s Beach Club. This means that at some times of day you have a very distracting parade of scantily clad young people (I’m curious about the demographic – I wasn’t sure who was there on Daddy’s money, and whether some of the girls were working), and later in the evening it gets VERY noisy.
Almost everyone I spoke to in this event, and subsequent Wynn events, was a Main Event casualty, which all helped with the healing process. I noticed that Greg Raymer sat down in the tournament, but unfortunately I did not get a chance to play with him.
I also noticed an English older gentleman whom I will not name, who re-entered at least three times that I noticed. I have played with him often, in London, Ireland, and a couple of foreign locations. He is a complete nightmare to play against, because he tends to bet several times the pot frequently, with any part of the board, or any draw, and plays exactly the same way when he has hit a set or two pair. He is hopelessly negative EV, but he will re-enter any number of times, and sometimes runs deep when he stumbles on a stack. He seldom makes money, but knocks out a chain of decent players on the way.
He was at my table for a while, and I played a couple of hands with him, but fortunately he did not last long there.
Nothing worth dwelling on as far as tournament play is concerned. I passed the break with about an average stack, and lost a “race” soon after that when my QQ failed to hold up against a strangely 4-bet A7s. I was surprised at that play, because the standard was pretty good overall. I enjoyed the tournament despite the abrupt ending, and I will certainly come back.
The good news was that gave me an opportunity to visit my favourite restaurant in the world – the Ruth’s Chris Steak House at Harrahs. I always find an opportunity to get there when I am in Vegas, and their New York Strip Steak has never let me down. (Whatever you do don’t touch the plates – I heard the waitress warning my about 400 degrees plus, but quickly forgot, and spent ten minutes with my thumbs in my iced water glass!).
I finished the night playing a cheap rebuy tournament in Planet Hollywood – wild poker, lots of drink, great fun, no prize. A good day overall though.
A little bit of poker success coming soon, I promise!
I decide that going to Wynn to buy in, and have a few drinks, may be just the medicine I need, so that is what I do.
The Wynn always fascinates me – people there just seem to drip money more than anywhere else in Vegas, and it is a good people-watching spot. As I step out of my Uber at the entrance, I notice a white Ferrari pulling up, and after the gull-wing doors open upwards, a seventyish man in a white suit struggles out. Out of the back pop two pneumatic eighteen-year-old girls on huge high heels, who proceed to grab an arm each and escort him along the lobby toward Pensioner Paradise.
After getting my red Wynn loyalty card and seat assignment for the next day, I get myself a Scotch at the “Lake of Dreams”, a Wynn cocktail bar with quite a cool free animated show. Not a bad spot to lick my wounds, and I return to the hotel a bit later feeling more optimistic.
There is no better antidote to a poker hiding than sitting down with a full stack at the start of a new tournament, so I am feeling myself again as I sit down in the Wynn the next day. For me, the Wynn has now taken over as the best place to play in Vegas. The last time I played here, there was a different poker room which was quite comfortable, but a bit dark and sombre. They have now cleared away an area of slot machines to create a nice bright poker area which has taken the Aria’s crown.
One criticism and one mixed blessing; for some reason, their cocktail service is very poor. I heard a lot of regulars complaining about it, and a few times there was a fairly crazy wait, even for a bottle of water or a coffee. It seems the waitresses arrange informally who is covering which tables, and they don’t manage it very well. The other ?negative? is that the tournament area is outside the Wynn’s Beach Club. This means that at some times of day you have a very distracting parade of scantily clad young people (I’m curious about the demographic – I wasn’t sure who was there on Daddy’s money, and whether some of the girls were working), and later in the evening it gets VERY noisy.
Almost everyone I spoke to in this event, and subsequent Wynn events, was a Main Event casualty, which all helped with the healing process. I noticed that Greg Raymer sat down in the tournament, but unfortunately I did not get a chance to play with him.
I also noticed an English older gentleman whom I will not name, who re-entered at least three times that I noticed. I have played with him often, in London, Ireland, and a couple of foreign locations. He is a complete nightmare to play against, because he tends to bet several times the pot frequently, with any part of the board, or any draw, and plays exactly the same way when he has hit a set or two pair. He is hopelessly negative EV, but he will re-enter any number of times, and sometimes runs deep when he stumbles on a stack. He seldom makes money, but knocks out a chain of decent players on the way.
He was at my table for a while, and I played a couple of hands with him, but fortunately he did not last long there.
Nothing worth dwelling on as far as tournament play is concerned. I passed the break with about an average stack, and lost a “race” soon after that when my QQ failed to hold up against a strangely 4-bet A7s. I was surprised at that play, because the standard was pretty good overall. I enjoyed the tournament despite the abrupt ending, and I will certainly come back.
The good news was that gave me an opportunity to visit my favourite restaurant in the world – the Ruth’s Chris Steak House at Harrahs. I always find an opportunity to get there when I am in Vegas, and their New York Strip Steak has never let me down. (Whatever you do don’t touch the plates – I heard the waitress warning my about 400 degrees plus, but quickly forgot, and spent ten minutes with my thumbs in my iced water glass!).
I finished the night playing a cheap rebuy tournament in Planet Hollywood – wild poker, lots of drink, great fun, no prize. A good day overall though.
A little bit of poker success coming soon, I promise!
07-24-2018
, 03:47 PM
07-25-2018
, 11:43 AM
The following morning began with a rush to the Rio to meet the two guys and split the remaining money. Murphy’s Law – the one time that I had a hard deadline to be there was the time that Uber let me down totally. I’m not sure whether I made a mistake when booking, but the car did not show up. It happened also that Uber had allocated me a deaf driver, so when I phoned (in a noisy area of poor reception) to find out what was going on, the conversation was difficult, to say the least. I eventually found out that my car was at the Rio (ie my drop-off point rather than my pick-up point), so I had to give up and sprint to another part of the hotel to get a standard cab.
Fortunately, all involved were patient and understanding, and we got our business done at the Rio. I headed back to the Aria to late register a two-day event in their Aria Classic series.
The poker room at the Aria is comfortable and well-run. During the Series, they add about a dozen tables in an area outside the poker room, which is a decent environment to play in. The picture below is of the main room – not the Series area.
A relatively uneventful tournament for me. I chipped up a bit for a few hours, but when the blinds were 500/1000 with 1000 big blind ante, I had about 33k, which was well below average, and looking for a spot to try and double up.
I picked up KK in early position, and raised to 2400. The player on my left made it 6300, and I chose to flat call, adding some risk but improving my chances of the double, planning to check-raise all-in on any flop. The flop came A63, with two diamonds – not ideal, but I proceeded with the plan. He insta-called my check-raise, not with the expected ace, but with 6d4d! Another six on the river took me out. Clearly, a 4-bet pre would have won it, but I am not unhappy with my plan at that stack size.
I played a bit later in another Wynn game, with not a great deal to report from a poker point of view, but a couple of things to mention. I was at a table for an hour or two with Matt Affleck, famous for one of the most painful Main Event bust-outs ever, one which arguably won the event for Duhamel.
He was pleasant and quite chatty. I was quite amused and impressed by his modesty when an awful player beside him was lecturing the table about how the Main Event was just luck – “anyone could go deep if they got the right run of cards”. The guy did not realise that he was sitting beside someone who is pretty good proof that it is a skill game.
Matt did not run well, and got knocked out fairly early. His place was taken by a guy I have played with before, and one of the people I least wanted to see at my table. I had played with him in Dublin years before, but I think he may be based in London, playing the “Old Vic” there. He is a very strongly built and exceptionally good-looking guy, possibly of Israeli or Middle Eastern origin, who dominates the table in every way when he is there, combining personal and poker aggression in a very intimidating fashion. He is in almost every pot, playing in a way that lets you know you are playing for stacks if you enter a pot with him. In one early example, he doubled up when he shoved a raggy flop with 73o, having missed it, and caught a 3 to take out his opponent who had been unable to get away from AK.
In another pot, he was called down to the river by a young French pro, sitting beside me. On the river call, he slid his cards face down to the middle,
saying “you’ve got it”. The French guy kept his hand face down, also, waiting to see his hand. He announced “ten high”, and the French guy said, “I would like to see those cards”. The dealer flipped them, rightly or wrongly (not sure what the house rule is there), and the aggressive guy said “You are a piece of ****!”. French guy was taken aback, but stood his ground, saying – “You’ve been playing very aggressively, I just wanted to see what you are playing”. The big guy stood up, put his face in Frenchman’s face and said again “You are a piece of ****”. The dealer was utterly pathetic, saying nothing and trying to look invisible. Several people, including myself, asked for the floor, who showed up a few minutes later, but after the big guy had thrown his chips across the table and said he was leaving. The floor told him his behaviour was unacceptable, at which point he pinched the cheek of the floor man, saying “you are a piece of **** too”.
I was not impressed, when leaving half an hour later, to notice this guy in a cash game. The Wynn’s operation impressed me every other way, but that guy should have been barred without question.
The following day I came back to the Wynn for a $200k guaranteed game, which went well for me. I did not note down any hands from the early stages, but made it into the cash 71 left of 689 players, apparently the biggest tournament the Wynn had held to date. Min cash is $2576, and when the bubble burst I had 305k, with average about 200k.
I continued to run well and play well – nice structure – and when 35 players were left, I had 448k, with average 394k. The tournament has got steadily tougher. At the beginning there were a mix of ages, including plenty of older Wynn regulars. At this point, the average age is about 30, and every pot is wrestled for.
In one hand at this stage, I raised in middle position with red tens. A guy with a monster stack flat called on the button. The flop was AKx. I decided he had a weak ace, and barrelled flop and turn. He folded to my pot-sized river shove – phew!
A redraw at 27 players left – I have about average stack.
In one key hand from around here, I had about 115k. A short stack shoved from mid-position for about 40k. A player on my right, with 130k re-shoved. I had QQ on the button. I decided that the player on my right would probably have flat called AA and KK, so I may be dominating everything but the likely AK. I did call, he did have AK, and I held, to give me enough chips for a real run at it.
Squeezed through to the final table a bit short-stacked. My brain is fried – it’s a young man’s game these days.
... and with 8 players left lost a race to the big stack – my 99 vs his KQ. Out in 8th for $15.5k. I know I will be pleased in hindsight, but that race would have been nice to win. First place was worth $130k!
I can’t complain about my luck though. Just before the final table, I had a desperation stack and twice cracked KK with AJs – once with an ace, once with a wheel.
If I don’t go too crazy from here on, that guarantees me a profitable trip, even allowing for my extravagant hotel and flight choices.
By the way, a shout out to Matt, who was in charge of the Wynn tournament through it's later stages. He was incredibly busy - I suspect they were not expecting so many players - and ran it beautifully, finding time to listen to, and deal with, lots of petty complaints about drinks service, at the same time as processing the paperwork of every player after the bubble burst, so that our payouts were ready for us. An amazing combination of professionalism, hard work, and pleasant nature.
Fortunately, all involved were patient and understanding, and we got our business done at the Rio. I headed back to the Aria to late register a two-day event in their Aria Classic series.
The poker room at the Aria is comfortable and well-run. During the Series, they add about a dozen tables in an area outside the poker room, which is a decent environment to play in. The picture below is of the main room – not the Series area.
A relatively uneventful tournament for me. I chipped up a bit for a few hours, but when the blinds were 500/1000 with 1000 big blind ante, I had about 33k, which was well below average, and looking for a spot to try and double up.
I picked up KK in early position, and raised to 2400. The player on my left made it 6300, and I chose to flat call, adding some risk but improving my chances of the double, planning to check-raise all-in on any flop. The flop came A63, with two diamonds – not ideal, but I proceeded with the plan. He insta-called my check-raise, not with the expected ace, but with 6d4d! Another six on the river took me out. Clearly, a 4-bet pre would have won it, but I am not unhappy with my plan at that stack size.
I played a bit later in another Wynn game, with not a great deal to report from a poker point of view, but a couple of things to mention. I was at a table for an hour or two with Matt Affleck, famous for one of the most painful Main Event bust-outs ever, one which arguably won the event for Duhamel.
He was pleasant and quite chatty. I was quite amused and impressed by his modesty when an awful player beside him was lecturing the table about how the Main Event was just luck – “anyone could go deep if they got the right run of cards”. The guy did not realise that he was sitting beside someone who is pretty good proof that it is a skill game.
Matt did not run well, and got knocked out fairly early. His place was taken by a guy I have played with before, and one of the people I least wanted to see at my table. I had played with him in Dublin years before, but I think he may be based in London, playing the “Old Vic” there. He is a very strongly built and exceptionally good-looking guy, possibly of Israeli or Middle Eastern origin, who dominates the table in every way when he is there, combining personal and poker aggression in a very intimidating fashion. He is in almost every pot, playing in a way that lets you know you are playing for stacks if you enter a pot with him. In one early example, he doubled up when he shoved a raggy flop with 73o, having missed it, and caught a 3 to take out his opponent who had been unable to get away from AK.
In another pot, he was called down to the river by a young French pro, sitting beside me. On the river call, he slid his cards face down to the middle,
saying “you’ve got it”. The French guy kept his hand face down, also, waiting to see his hand. He announced “ten high”, and the French guy said, “I would like to see those cards”. The dealer flipped them, rightly or wrongly (not sure what the house rule is there), and the aggressive guy said “You are a piece of ****!”. French guy was taken aback, but stood his ground, saying – “You’ve been playing very aggressively, I just wanted to see what you are playing”. The big guy stood up, put his face in Frenchman’s face and said again “You are a piece of ****”. The dealer was utterly pathetic, saying nothing and trying to look invisible. Several people, including myself, asked for the floor, who showed up a few minutes later, but after the big guy had thrown his chips across the table and said he was leaving. The floor told him his behaviour was unacceptable, at which point he pinched the cheek of the floor man, saying “you are a piece of **** too”.
I was not impressed, when leaving half an hour later, to notice this guy in a cash game. The Wynn’s operation impressed me every other way, but that guy should have been barred without question.
The following day I came back to the Wynn for a $200k guaranteed game, which went well for me. I did not note down any hands from the early stages, but made it into the cash 71 left of 689 players, apparently the biggest tournament the Wynn had held to date. Min cash is $2576, and when the bubble burst I had 305k, with average about 200k.
I continued to run well and play well – nice structure – and when 35 players were left, I had 448k, with average 394k. The tournament has got steadily tougher. At the beginning there were a mix of ages, including plenty of older Wynn regulars. At this point, the average age is about 30, and every pot is wrestled for.
In one hand at this stage, I raised in middle position with red tens. A guy with a monster stack flat called on the button. The flop was AKx. I decided he had a weak ace, and barrelled flop and turn. He folded to my pot-sized river shove – phew!
A redraw at 27 players left – I have about average stack.
In one key hand from around here, I had about 115k. A short stack shoved from mid-position for about 40k. A player on my right, with 130k re-shoved. I had QQ on the button. I decided that the player on my right would probably have flat called AA and KK, so I may be dominating everything but the likely AK. I did call, he did have AK, and I held, to give me enough chips for a real run at it.
Squeezed through to the final table a bit short-stacked. My brain is fried – it’s a young man’s game these days.
... and with 8 players left lost a race to the big stack – my 99 vs his KQ. Out in 8th for $15.5k. I know I will be pleased in hindsight, but that race would have been nice to win. First place was worth $130k!
I can’t complain about my luck though. Just before the final table, I had a desperation stack and twice cracked KK with AJs – once with an ace, once with a wheel.
If I don’t go too crazy from here on, that guarantees me a profitable trip, even allowing for my extravagant hotel and flight choices.
By the way, a shout out to Matt, who was in charge of the Wynn tournament through it's later stages. He was incredibly busy - I suspect they were not expecting so many players - and ran it beautifully, finding time to listen to, and deal with, lots of petty complaints about drinks service, at the same time as processing the paperwork of every player after the bubble burst, so that our payouts were ready for us. An amazing combination of professionalism, hard work, and pleasant nature.
07-31-2018
, 02:04 PM
08-03-2018
, 06:47 AM
