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Anonymous says
what a great day you had!!! The play with AA is fine because hands like AK, AQ or even AJ are likely. Bluffing off your chips with nothing... hmmm... tough, but it happens to all of us.10/10/07
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Vegas Trip - Last Day, part 2 (TI Big Kahuna)
by StrayBullet on 10/06/07
Day9, 9/29: continued:
But it’s only one-thirty in the afternoon and it’s my last day in Vegas. I still need to mentally recover from the cooler, so there’s no need to find a game right away. I decide to head back to the apartment for a bit, getting ready to depart for tomorrow and to form up a game-plan. Note to self: once on the strip, STAY ON THE STRIP! 15N was STACKED so I decided to hop off at Sahara and hunt down the “Welcome to Paradise” sign that LVM had mentioned in the Vegas trivia thread. I’m not going to spoil the fun, but it’s not in the exact location mentioned, you’ll have to find it for yourself :). Once found, I took Sahara back to Decatur and it too was ass-packed with cars galore! I don’t what’s up with the traffic but damned if it didn’t take over 90 minutes to get back :shock: By this time, I needed food again, and the traffic was hurting my brain, so I made a top into Pop’s that made the traffic look like light-speed! I’d already decided to play the 7pm Big Kahuna at TI for $125, you get 5k in chips and 30 minute levels with a good structure (no antes) so at least that decision was out of the way.
After chowing down, doing laundry, emptying trash, packing up and relaxing a bit, I took another steam-cleansing shower ;) and headed back to TI. Thankfully, the trip back was MUCH easier than the trip leaving. I still got there pretty early so I decided to register, then went wandering. First walking over to the Fashion Mall, then meandering outside the Wynn, through all the lush greenery, all the while pulling on a Fuente Gran Reserve :). Along the way, I spied people talking to “Bill” and surprisingly, nothing much else to note. I got back in time so make a score at ‘Bucks and grab my seat, #3 this time around. We wound up with 3 full tables and some alternates waiting in the wings. It’s top heavy, but there’s nothing wrong with that, 50% went to first :D I’d ended up chatting up a nice lady from LA (who plays at HG, Commerce and Hustler) while waiting on the couch, she ended up at my table in seat #8. At 7pm, we’re underway and once again, I get a good sense of the table and in no time at all, it’s easy to spot that I’ve got a LAG once again, seated directly on my left! Early on he busts 2 players and garners chips galore calling down with flush and straight draws that miraculously materialize on the river or suited 8-gappers that flop 2-pair against pocket aces.
During 25/50, I’m able to chip up fairly well, taking down pots post flop being aggressive against a targeted opponent. One time, check-calling the flop looking to take it down with a leading bet on a blank turn, which is what happened (I held 99) and the other time taking it down with two napkins :). Nearing the end of the level, I catch pocket aces in early position and make a bet of T150. It’s folded around to the lady I’d talked to earlier (Linda from LA) who raises to T450 total from the sb. The bb also calls and it’s back to me. I guess there’s case that could be made for flat-calling here, but I’d like to hear it ;) I raise an additional T1000, making it T1450 total. Linda calls, the bb folds and we finally get to a flop, there’s now a pot of T3350. Heads-up, the flop comes down KQx, rainbow and she leads out for T1800 without missing a beat. Action’s on you what’s your line? What do you do? I think flat-calling is out of the question, so it’s either push or fold? What would she have raised with from the blinds after my initial bet? What could she have to call my 1000 chip re-raise out of position and action behind her? I didn’t make an instant decision; I really did take my time. So, what would you do? What does she have?
I could make a “Helmuthian” lay-down here and go back to work with about T4k in chips left heading into 50/100. There can’t be monsters under the bed every time, right? I mean it’s not like I’ve already busted from "major" tournaments with kings cracked by a set of queens, and a cooler of kings against aces. It’s not always going to be that harsh, right? So, you decide yet? I pushed, she called and my worst fears were realized, she held pocket kings and yet again, I went down in flames that would make a kamikaze fighter shed a tear of joy! I had her covered, barely and was left with approximately 800 chips. I doubled up against my earlier target when my top-pair, top-kicker held up against his open-ended straight and flush draws. I then busted when, against a new player, and facing the same situation as before, lost on the river completed his flush draw. BAM, and that was that. However, all the listed alternates had been seated and I could buy right back-in for another $125. With blinds at 75/150 and another T5k stack (33 blinds), that’s not a bad deal. I’d have to be seated back at my same table but with 2 seats open, I asked to be seated with position my tripled-up LAG friend, which was directly to the right of Linda. If they’d said no, it wouldn’t have been a big deal, I just wouldn’t have bought back in. They didn’t see anything wrong, so I peeled another buy-in off the now rubber-band crushed dwindling bankroll :D and settle back in acting as if I’d just been late for the start.
I take down a small pot or two then get involved with the aggressive player who’d already tripled up, then some. He’s a smart player and known by most of the staff, most likely a local. Anywho, he min-raises from early position and I flat-call with QJs on the button. We’re heads-up to the flop, that is all rags, 3-suited. He leads out for T600 and I make it T1200, looking to take it down right there, or he’ll give up control on the turn and I can steal it there. He’d been observant so it’s not like he thinks I’m playing poorly. After some thought, he finally makes the call. The turn pairs the board, making it 22xx, 3-suited. He checks, exactly as I suspected, and although that’s obviously not a card that would help me, there’s only one way to take the pot down, and that’s to follow through with the plan and bet. There’s T3225 in the middle and probably have about a pot sized bet left behind. I take control of the hand and bet out for T1900 (in hindsight, with half my stack, I should’ve pushed). He went into the tank for a long time. I was sure at times, that he was going to fold and at other times, I was just as sure he was going to call. Well, I guess I was wrong on all counts, because he pushed and it was back on me for a decision. I really feel I was beat at this point and don’t really know if my queen or jacks are really pure outs, and even if they are, I only have 6 cards that’ll help and only 1 pull to do it. I’ve got about 20% odds if he doesn’t already hold a deuce, but even so, with what I would be left with, it’s probably an auto-call. I wimp out and fold, trying to grind it back and he comments about not believing I can fold there…well, f’me, I felt I was beat there….narf!
I double up with AKo against a draw that never got there. Then after the break, at 100/200, I got it in with pocket 7s against AJs and when a jack spiked the turn, that was all she wrote. I just want to puke! So now it’s 8:30pm and I’ve been trounced from 2 good tournaments in the same day, the last day I can play cards. I’ve been beat down, chewed up then spit out, and I still want to play. I’m a sick human, but it’s got to fall my way at some point, right?!
But it’s only one-thirty in the afternoon and it’s my last day in Vegas. I still need to mentally recover from the cooler, so there’s no need to find a game right away. I decide to head back to the apartment for a bit, getting ready to depart for tomorrow and to form up a game-plan. Note to self: once on the strip, STAY ON THE STRIP! 15N was STACKED so I decided to hop off at Sahara and hunt down the “Welcome to Paradise” sign that LVM had mentioned in the Vegas trivia thread. I’m not going to spoil the fun, but it’s not in the exact location mentioned, you’ll have to find it for yourself :). Once found, I took Sahara back to Decatur and it too was ass-packed with cars galore! I don’t what’s up with the traffic but damned if it didn’t take over 90 minutes to get back :shock: By this time, I needed food again, and the traffic was hurting my brain, so I made a top into Pop’s that made the traffic look like light-speed! I’d already decided to play the 7pm Big Kahuna at TI for $125, you get 5k in chips and 30 minute levels with a good structure (no antes) so at least that decision was out of the way.
After chowing down, doing laundry, emptying trash, packing up and relaxing a bit, I took another steam-cleansing shower ;) and headed back to TI. Thankfully, the trip back was MUCH easier than the trip leaving. I still got there pretty early so I decided to register, then went wandering. First walking over to the Fashion Mall, then meandering outside the Wynn, through all the lush greenery, all the while pulling on a Fuente Gran Reserve :). Along the way, I spied people talking to “Bill” and surprisingly, nothing much else to note. I got back in time so make a score at ‘Bucks and grab my seat, #3 this time around. We wound up with 3 full tables and some alternates waiting in the wings. It’s top heavy, but there’s nothing wrong with that, 50% went to first :D I’d ended up chatting up a nice lady from LA (who plays at HG, Commerce and Hustler) while waiting on the couch, she ended up at my table in seat #8. At 7pm, we’re underway and once again, I get a good sense of the table and in no time at all, it’s easy to spot that I’ve got a LAG once again, seated directly on my left! Early on he busts 2 players and garners chips galore calling down with flush and straight draws that miraculously materialize on the river or suited 8-gappers that flop 2-pair against pocket aces.
During 25/50, I’m able to chip up fairly well, taking down pots post flop being aggressive against a targeted opponent. One time, check-calling the flop looking to take it down with a leading bet on a blank turn, which is what happened (I held 99) and the other time taking it down with two napkins :). Nearing the end of the level, I catch pocket aces in early position and make a bet of T150. It’s folded around to the lady I’d talked to earlier (Linda from LA) who raises to T450 total from the sb. The bb also calls and it’s back to me. I guess there’s case that could be made for flat-calling here, but I’d like to hear it ;) I raise an additional T1000, making it T1450 total. Linda calls, the bb folds and we finally get to a flop, there’s now a pot of T3350. Heads-up, the flop comes down KQx, rainbow and she leads out for T1800 without missing a beat. Action’s on you what’s your line? What do you do? I think flat-calling is out of the question, so it’s either push or fold? What would she have raised with from the blinds after my initial bet? What could she have to call my 1000 chip re-raise out of position and action behind her? I didn’t make an instant decision; I really did take my time. So, what would you do? What does she have?
I could make a “Helmuthian” lay-down here and go back to work with about T4k in chips left heading into 50/100. There can’t be monsters under the bed every time, right? I mean it’s not like I’ve already busted from "major" tournaments with kings cracked by a set of queens, and a cooler of kings against aces. It’s not always going to be that harsh, right? So, you decide yet? I pushed, she called and my worst fears were realized, she held pocket kings and yet again, I went down in flames that would make a kamikaze fighter shed a tear of joy! I had her covered, barely and was left with approximately 800 chips. I doubled up against my earlier target when my top-pair, top-kicker held up against his open-ended straight and flush draws. I then busted when, against a new player, and facing the same situation as before, lost on the river completed his flush draw. BAM, and that was that. However, all the listed alternates had been seated and I could buy right back-in for another $125. With blinds at 75/150 and another T5k stack (33 blinds), that’s not a bad deal. I’d have to be seated back at my same table but with 2 seats open, I asked to be seated with position my tripled-up LAG friend, which was directly to the right of Linda. If they’d said no, it wouldn’t have been a big deal, I just wouldn’t have bought back in. They didn’t see anything wrong, so I peeled another buy-in off the now rubber-band crushed dwindling bankroll :D and settle back in acting as if I’d just been late for the start.
I take down a small pot or two then get involved with the aggressive player who’d already tripled up, then some. He’s a smart player and known by most of the staff, most likely a local. Anywho, he min-raises from early position and I flat-call with QJs on the button. We’re heads-up to the flop, that is all rags, 3-suited. He leads out for T600 and I make it T1200, looking to take it down right there, or he’ll give up control on the turn and I can steal it there. He’d been observant so it’s not like he thinks I’m playing poorly. After some thought, he finally makes the call. The turn pairs the board, making it 22xx, 3-suited. He checks, exactly as I suspected, and although that’s obviously not a card that would help me, there’s only one way to take the pot down, and that’s to follow through with the plan and bet. There’s T3225 in the middle and probably have about a pot sized bet left behind. I take control of the hand and bet out for T1900 (in hindsight, with half my stack, I should’ve pushed). He went into the tank for a long time. I was sure at times, that he was going to fold and at other times, I was just as sure he was going to call. Well, I guess I was wrong on all counts, because he pushed and it was back on me for a decision. I really feel I was beat at this point and don’t really know if my queen or jacks are really pure outs, and even if they are, I only have 6 cards that’ll help and only 1 pull to do it. I’ve got about 20% odds if he doesn’t already hold a deuce, but even so, with what I would be left with, it’s probably an auto-call. I wimp out and fold, trying to grind it back and he comments about not believing I can fold there…well, f’me, I felt I was beat there….narf!
I double up with AKo against a draw that never got there. Then after the break, at 100/200, I got it in with pocket 7s against AJs and when a jack spiked the turn, that was all she wrote. I just want to puke! So now it’s 8:30pm and I’ve been trounced from 2 good tournaments in the same day, the last day I can play cards. I’ve been beat down, chewed up then spit out, and I still want to play. I’m a sick human, but it’s got to fall my way at some point, right?!
