the WU reborn

sixteen-hour session goes well

***Warning: This post is completely poker related, and uses common poker technical jargon, so if you are not as such literate or have no interest in individual hands, it may bore you.  If not, read on, and feel free to give comments or suggestions.***

On Saturday, I awoke at 11 a.m. with the intention of going to River Rock to try to scoop up a cheap ticket into the $2500+200 B.C. Poker Championship.  They had been running satellites for months, and surely there was a superstar who had won ten seats who would be willing to let one go last minute for under 2k.  Unfortunately, this was not the case, and not only did they sell out the 500 seats, they also were adding tables to accommodate the growing list of interested players.  I decided to not wrestle with the masses and instead try to beat up on the 3-6 NL cash game that should be soft, given that most of the major players would be in the tournament.

I signed in at 12 noon, and was seated by 1 p.m.  After buying in for $500, I played very tightly for the first few rotations mostly folding.  Finally I was dealt TT.  I limped in early position with them, and the pot was raised to 15.  Three callers, and I called.  Five to the flop of T82 rainbow.  I checked, the initial raiser bet 35, everyone folded to me, I made it 140 with top set, and he called.  The turn brought a Q of another suit, and I led out for $160.  He raised all in for his last 250, and I was forced to call the extra 90.  He turned over J9 off suit for the straight, and I bricked the river.  I was frustrated, but hell if someone is going to call a 4x check-raise on a draw, God bless him.  I lost the rest of the first buy-in on an inconsequential hand.

The second buy-in of $500 was much the same.  I built up to about $700, after which I got AK spades on the button.  UTG (same guy as last hand) raises to 35, 2 callers, I pop it to 100, and the initial raiser calls.  The other two guys fold.  The flop is AA4 with 2 diamonds.  He checks, I check.  The turn is 8 of clubs.  He bets 100, I make it 300, he moves all-in and I call leaving me with 100 left.  The river is a 9, and he turns up A8 off-suit.  I’m pretty sure there was no way to not lose all my money there.  Even if I had bet the flop, the guy was going to call.  I mean, if you stay in with A8, what the hell could you be looking to hit other than trip aces?

The last buy-in was $400 to top up the remaining $100 to $500.  I ground it out for hours, watching some of the worst poker play I’d ever seen in my entire life.  Thankfully I was not involved in too many of the 2-outer and the 1-outer hand that I saw.  These two hands could be some of the sickest things I’ve witnessed to date: 

1. There was a loose aggressive (martini drinking) guy (we’ll call him LAG from here on out) who blind raised to 50.  Naturally, he gets three callers.  The flop is A74.  LAG checks, someone bets 100, everyone folds to the drunk guy who calls.  The turn is a 3.  LAG moves all in for 350!  The other guy calls, turning over AT.  The river is 8.  LAG has 73! 

2.   The same guy raises under the gun to 25 and gets 5 callers.  The flop is KJ6.  Everyone checks to the button who bets 100.  LAG calls, everyone else folds.  The turn is 8.  LAG checks, button moves all in for 360.  LAG calls.  He turns over T6.  The crowd oohs and ahhs as the button turns over KJ.  A guy sitting next to him comments that he had a 6, leaving LAG with only one out in the entire deck.  Obviously that 6 came on the river giving him trips.  LAG felt bad about it, and offered to buy KJ guy a beer, and he readily accepted.

Right around midnight, I was starting to give up hope that I would get back to even.  I had ground out small wins on small pots to bring me up to $1200, which was 200 short of the $1400 I had invested so far.  Then, the most beautiful pot ever came:

I was on the button with AQ.  A loose guy raises to 40, another guy calls, I call.  The flop comes QQT, with 2 clubs.  Raiser bets 60, caller calls, I call.  The turn is 7.  Raiser bets 100, other guy folds, I raise to 300, he calls.  River 9.  He checks to me.  I thought about it for about a minute thinking about all the horrible hands he could be holding that would beat me with bad straights or full houses, and decided that loose as he was, the most likely holding was KQ.  I value bet for 400, and after about 2 minutes, he called with KQ, and I dragged down a pretty monstrous pot.  After that I took down another big pot when I raised with KJ and got 2 callers.  The flop came J high.  A guy led out 35, the other guy called, and I popped it to 100, both called.  The turn was a brick.  They check to me, I bet 150, and they both folded. 

In the end, at 4 in the morning, I was up to $2300 or +$900 on the session.  I was pretty proud of myself for not going on tilt after the initial stupid losses, and having the mental game to stay in there and grind out the win.  Even at 16 hours, that’s a pretty good hourly rate.  Although I'm disappointed in not being able to play in the tournament, it would have been a big chunk to drop all at once, and as it turned out, it was a winning day anyway.  I've had a few people ask about staking a piece of me for a larger buy-in tournament, but I'm a bit leery of that until I feel certain that I am a good investment.  I suppose I shouldn't care, as it's their choice to gamble on me if they like, but still, I want to give good value.

november in vegas

New photos in the November Vegas album!

I just got home from ten days in Las Vegas last night.  Mom and Dad were out there looking for real estate, so I figured I’d plan my trip to coincide. 

The first three nights we stayed at the Golden Nugget in downtown Las Vegas.  I had no problem with it, but I think it left a little to be desired for my parents.  It’s nothing like the strip, and more like the old Vegas you probably remember from 70’s movies like Diamonds are Forever.

During the day, they met with various realtors, and I played poker.  We met up a few times for food at random local Chinese restaurants.  One night we met up with Johnny and Lisa at the new 3 billion dollar Wynn hotel to check it out and have a cocktail.  They have a really cool lounge overlooking a body of water with a waterfall that they do light shows off of which rocks.  In my opinion however, the rest of the place isn't as nice as the Bellagio, that cost half as much to build.

The next three nights were at the Mandalay Bay resort.  Dad had a conference there, and so we got a two-bedroom suite.  I love that place for poker, and in general.  I think from now on I’m going to try to stay there or the Mirage, unless another hotel on the strip with a good poker room has a good rate.  In general, I play at the Mandalay anyway because the action is good and a lot of people play horribly.  Also, it’s right next to the sports book and has a great snack bar that features decent pastrami sandwiches, which I get free because of poker play.

We had a drink at Red Square, and dinner at Wolfgang Puck’s restaurant, Trattoria del Lupo.  On the last night there, I took them to Nobu over at the Hard Rock Hotel for some nouveau Japanese fusion.  It’s my favorite restaurant in Vegas, and they seemed to like it as well.  Johnny, Lisa and I met up with his uncle and cousin at Binion’s Steakhouse one night, and had a good time too.

Thursday, Mom and Dad left, and I moved into Binion’s downtown for four nights.  Mike and Cory who flew in from Madison and Grafton respectively joined me.  We played a lot at Binion’s, the last day playing at the Mandalay for a marathon 18-hour session.  Cory and I bet on a 60-1 carriage race (Cory picked the horse), and won $270 on an $18 bet.  So funny.

Most of the time we ate crap at casinos, but we made it to the steakhouse at Binion’s one night, which everyone liked.  I had to send back my pasta, as it was overcooked and nasty.  If there’s one thing that annoys me it’s overcooked pasta at a restaurant.  I mean, it costs them like one dollar at the most for something they are making a million on, so at least make it fresh and don’t boil it for 30 minutes.

Some of the tournaments I played in:

$300+30 at the Wynn.  I went out first hour when AK ran into J6 (a guy defending his blinds).  Flop came K66 and that was all she wrote for me.  There has been a lot of hype about this room and I think it sucks.  I won’t play there again.

$100+10 at Binion's.  I played several of these coming in 14^th, 20^th, and 25^th, with the bubble bursting at 10^th.  In the one where I placed 14^th, I spent an hour at former world champion Chris Moneymaker’s table, and won both hands that I got involved in with him.  He went out 11^th on the bubble.

$50 satellite at Bally’s.  I went out 3^rd when my AK flopped K92 and lost to JT that caught runner runner tens on the turn and river.

$300+30 World Series of Poker Circuit Event #1.  I went out 70^th out of 490 with the bubble bursting at 45.  I was short stacked and moved in with 33 and was called by JJ. 

$200+60 Binion’s Poker Open.  I went out 60^th out of 200 with the bubble being 18^th on a stupid hand.  I was short stacked again in the big blind.  A guy in middle position raises to 3x the blinds.  A Filipino girl (who happens to be a dealer at Binion’s too) decides to call (rather than moving in, which she should have done with her short stack).  The big stack on the table raises, and I move all in with the first playable had in 30 minutes, AQ suited.  The original raiser now re-raises again, the girl calls, and the small blind calls.  The flop comes 245 and the original raiser moves in, and the small blind sheepishly calls.  The turn is a king and the river is a 3.  I have AQ, the girl has AQ the original raiser has 99 and the retard in the small blind had 86.  He makes an 8 high straight and scoops it all.

I made no money at all on tournaments this trip, but made up for it by grinding it out in the side games.  I don’t feel like I learned that much either, which is annoying.  I guess you have to play at a higher buy-in to start playing against people who aren’t crazy. 

Pros I saw while in Vegas: Doyle Brunson, Mike Matusow, Scotty Nguyen, Gus Hansen, and Chris Moneymaker.

new pad

i just got a new apartment in the westend of vancouver.  if you'd like to see a map of where it is, go to www.maps.google.com and type in "jervis and pacific, vancouver, bc" (without the quotes).  it's a block from the beach, and a few blocks from shopping and tons of fun ethnic restaurants.  it's also just also just across the bridge from the famous granville island. 

although i was entertaining the idea of trying to buy a multi-unit building, i haven't found anything that makes sense on paper.  so, for now, this is the same as what i've been doing for the last few months (renting), and it allows me to be closer to an area that i would consider buying, should anything pop onto the market.  also, it seems to be the area of town that's got activity going on 24 hours a day, which is more up my alley than the suburban hell that i currently reside in.

the apartment itself is on the 6th floor (there's an elevator), and has big windows, so it's bright.  it's a studio, but seems large for one.  it's got hardwood floors, which i prefer to carpeting.  the appliances are newer, and the building manager promises it will be painted and patched come december 1.  she's a nice eastern european woman.  she's also said that i can move in a few days early, which is nice.  i like having that overlap.  the place is unfurnished, so i'll get a nice bed, and then scour craigslist for random pieces of furniture very likely including a futon for a couch.  then i'll probably have to succumb to the almighty ikea for everything else that i can't find.

i have no photos yet, but will post some once i have access to the pad, probably in mid- to late- november after returning from vegas.