Realizing my equity of playing professionally in Vegas
01-01-2019
, 04:47 PM
Took a week off from poker and now it's time back to work and update.
The weekend of 12/15&16 --- California poker
I start driving west with Jerry at around noon. It takes us around 4 hours to arrive the quality inn near bicycle casino. Drop our bag and head to bike immediately, but fail to find self-park, have to valet instead. As walking into the poker room, the atmosphere seems spacious and...chill? Anyway we get seated into a new 1K max 5/5 game pretty quick. California has its own chip color system so it's pretty awkward at cashier to say "Can I have thousand in green, ummm, I mean purple." Pretty card dead into the session as usual and find all my nutted hand and bluff all get not called #balanced. The first noticeable thing to me is the rake of course. I know there is a $1 preflop drop, but what I don't know is $5 dollar flop drop no matter of the size of the pot. Let me drive back to Vegas... Later, Salva, an euro reg from encore, sits down with us. We look at each other and laugh. Must think why the heck we drive 4 hours and still play against old opponents from the inside. Got to say the local player pool is soft, probably the only good thing so far. When it turns to midnight, we decided to check out commerce, 108 tables going on. Nothing eventful at bike, down $150. The valet only costs me $5, 2nd good thing!
Arrive at Commerce around 12:30 am and hop into the 5/10 $1500 must move right away. The table seems pretty good and up $200 early, until a very aggressive Russian 5/10 pro from Vegas joins us. I start feeling headache, please send me to the main game. The very first hand I sit at the one of main games develops from an open from EP, a 3 bet from next position, a cold 4 bet from next position and a cold 5 bet jam ~$1100 from next position. WOW. Still nothing fun for me to share, lost a medium one with JJ and won a small one with 45s. Return to the hotel around 3 am, down 400 for the day.
Next day we drive to Pasadena having a nice brunch and haircut for both of us (3rd good thing) then head to bike for a long 5/5 session. I start this session pretty smoothly. Stack an opponent KQv78 on AJ9T9 runout, induce 2 bets from 2 different recs with top pair better kicker, win a flip QQvAK AIPF. Up $1200 very quickly then Jamie Gold sits on my direct right with 10 baccart chips then I start struggling dogging coolers. I fold AKhh on Q56ssx flop after Jamie 3bet preflop and I cold call. He shows AA. And fold another AK on KQ77 board when my opponent check-shoves the turn and I think it is QQ. Then the hand of the day happens:
I open KK UTG 20, 2 callers between and SB make 155, I flat heads up to the flop, He has 1.7K and I cover.
Flop $350: TT9r, SB 300, I call.
Turn $950: 6ss, SB jam ~1200, I immediately start hating life since I witness this player flat AKo in HJ against a LJ open earlier. I double check my hold cards. I do have Ks, eliminating one reason to call off. I take another 20 seconds to agonize and finally let it go. Ask "AA?" and yes it is AA.
Even though my correct fold saves me $1200, I still feel burning and steam from the inside. Late into the night, some local pros sit down and start talking about how Berkey brings actions to the LATB show. I can't bother but decide to call it a night. To avoid the Monday morning traffic we will drive back to Vegas tonight (cuz we think LA traffic is even wilder than its poker action). I end up with ~500 profit for the day and a slightly losing trip after expenses, not a fun one lol.
My final session of 2018 12/26:
After celebrating Xmas at home, I go to Encore play a session. In for 1300 at must move. Call off my stack w/JJ against AA of an Indian guy who plays a maniac style. Rebuy for another 1200, then the hand of the day happens:
I open UTG JJ 20, got 3 calls from UTG1 rec and 2 good pros from blinds.
Flop 80: JxTh3h, check to me, I bet 40, and SB make it 125, I check my cards, no Jh, then 3 bet to 350 to set up a 1.2x PSB jam on the turn. He call.
Turn: 780: 3o, he checks, I hollywood a bit then jam all in ~900. Got snap called and he said "I got the nuts." I study the board..what??? He turns over 33. Well that's how my 2018 ends. It's just great. I flip over my JJ while pushing forward my stack. Then the table suddenly wow: the dealer flips Jack of heart for the river card. QUADS OVER QUADS. I honestly don't know how to act properly there, maybe a bit sorry for my opponent after seeing him handle the beat so well.
Happy new year boys. May the flop be with you in 2019.
The weekend of 12/15&16 --- California poker
I start driving west with Jerry at around noon. It takes us around 4 hours to arrive the quality inn near bicycle casino. Drop our bag and head to bike immediately, but fail to find self-park, have to valet instead. As walking into the poker room, the atmosphere seems spacious and...chill? Anyway we get seated into a new 1K max 5/5 game pretty quick. California has its own chip color system so it's pretty awkward at cashier to say "Can I have thousand in green, ummm, I mean purple." Pretty card dead into the session as usual and find all my nutted hand and bluff all get not called #balanced. The first noticeable thing to me is the rake of course. I know there is a $1 preflop drop, but what I don't know is $5 dollar flop drop no matter of the size of the pot. Let me drive back to Vegas... Later, Salva, an euro reg from encore, sits down with us. We look at each other and laugh. Must think why the heck we drive 4 hours and still play against old opponents from the inside. Got to say the local player pool is soft, probably the only good thing so far. When it turns to midnight, we decided to check out commerce, 108 tables going on. Nothing eventful at bike, down $150. The valet only costs me $5, 2nd good thing!
Arrive at Commerce around 12:30 am and hop into the 5/10 $1500 must move right away. The table seems pretty good and up $200 early, until a very aggressive Russian 5/10 pro from Vegas joins us. I start feeling headache, please send me to the main game. The very first hand I sit at the one of main games develops from an open from EP, a 3 bet from next position, a cold 4 bet from next position and a cold 5 bet jam ~$1100 from next position. WOW. Still nothing fun for me to share, lost a medium one with JJ and won a small one with 45s. Return to the hotel around 3 am, down 400 for the day.
Next day we drive to Pasadena having a nice brunch and haircut for both of us (3rd good thing) then head to bike for a long 5/5 session. I start this session pretty smoothly. Stack an opponent KQv78 on AJ9T9 runout, induce 2 bets from 2 different recs with top pair better kicker, win a flip QQvAK AIPF. Up $1200 very quickly then Jamie Gold sits on my direct right with 10 baccart chips then I start struggling dogging coolers. I fold AKhh on Q56ssx flop after Jamie 3bet preflop and I cold call. He shows AA. And fold another AK on KQ77 board when my opponent check-shoves the turn and I think it is QQ. Then the hand of the day happens:
I open KK UTG 20, 2 callers between and SB make 155, I flat heads up to the flop, He has 1.7K and I cover.
Flop $350: TT9r, SB 300, I call.
Turn $950: 6ss, SB jam ~1200, I immediately start hating life since I witness this player flat AKo in HJ against a LJ open earlier. I double check my hold cards. I do have Ks, eliminating one reason to call off. I take another 20 seconds to agonize and finally let it go. Ask "AA?" and yes it is AA.
Even though my correct fold saves me $1200, I still feel burning and steam from the inside. Late into the night, some local pros sit down and start talking about how Berkey brings actions to the LATB show. I can't bother but decide to call it a night. To avoid the Monday morning traffic we will drive back to Vegas tonight (cuz we think LA traffic is even wilder than its poker action). I end up with ~500 profit for the day and a slightly losing trip after expenses, not a fun one lol.
My final session of 2018 12/26:
After celebrating Xmas at home, I go to Encore play a session. In for 1300 at must move. Call off my stack w/JJ against AA of an Indian guy who plays a maniac style. Rebuy for another 1200, then the hand of the day happens:
I open UTG JJ 20, got 3 calls from UTG1 rec and 2 good pros from blinds.
Flop 80: JxTh3h, check to me, I bet 40, and SB make it 125, I check my cards, no Jh, then 3 bet to 350 to set up a 1.2x PSB jam on the turn. He call.
Turn: 780: 3o, he checks, I hollywood a bit then jam all in ~900. Got snap called and he said "I got the nuts." I study the board..what??? He turns over 33. Well that's how my 2018 ends. It's just great. I flip over my JJ while pushing forward my stack. Then the table suddenly wow: the dealer flips Jack of heart for the river card. QUADS OVER QUADS. I honestly don't know how to act properly there, maybe a bit sorry for my opponent after seeing him handle the beat so well.
Happy new year boys. May the flop be with you in 2019.
esome 