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A sort of one-step forward day. Again.
Jul. 2nd, 2015 05:30 amWell, Wednesday was rather more interesting than Tuesday. It started off with the freeroll for a Main Event Seat, plus 10 spots paying $200, plus $300 cashback for all the hours that I put in at Harrah's in the past two weeks.
85 runners.
Of those three rewards, I got only one.
It was a fast structure. A Polish chap sat to my right, declined to pay $10 extra to increase his stack to T7000 from T3000, and shoved every hand. He got a double through, lost half his stack to the man who had beaten a couple of hands before, pushed a couple of shoves through, and finally lost to the same man again, being eliminated after about 12 hands.
Meanwhile I had hardly played a hand. I thought about giving the mad Pole some business with Ace-8 off in the cut-off, but I decided against it. Turns out he had 7-7 on that one.
After 45 minutes or so I was down to 5100 chips. Button (the big stack) raised to 1600 and I shoved with Tc Td. He snap called with Js Jh, so I am not in good shape. I am in worse shape when flop comes down Ks Qs 9s.
There's an argument for not shoving pre flop on the grounds that the big stack won't be folding, so I have no fold equity. On the other hand, I'm in good shape against his range, so I don't really mind a race, especially with a fast structure.
The immediate sight of Ks Qs 9s might make you think that I now don't have Ts as an out because that gives opponent a straight flush. So, just Th to help me, right? Wrong, obvs. That also gives opponent a straight. In fact I still have two outs, but they have become Jacks instead of 10s.
The turn is a blank and the river is, of course the ten of hearts, giving me a set and opponent a straight.
I hate that fucking dealer as well.
On to the Flamingo for a cash game and the nightmare continues. This is an interesting one.
I was on about $95 when I picked up KK on the button. It's passed rorund to the cut-off who raises to $6. I raise to $18, and an old guy in the small blind raises to $36.
Now, there are a few old sayings in Las Vegas, and one is "the old guy always has it". A four bet min reraise in the small blind just SCREAMS "Aces".
But, this is why I sit down with a smallish stack, so that I never have to make difficult decisions with kings. I now take a line that I don't like but which is perhaps the best strategy against a conservative player. I flat call. Anyhoo, It makes no difference. Down comes xxx. He goes all-in and I call and he shows AA. A buy in down.
I rebuy, but leave about a round later. Walk away when you are running bad at a table.
That brought me to a rather entertaining hand in Bally's. I'd drifted down to $75 with zero cards. Bally's now runs nine-handed; it also offers a $5 straddle, rather than the $4 straddle in the Flamingo.
And, in the vital hand, we were six-handed and I was in the small blind. Button straddled, it was me to act first and I saw AQ off. I completed to $5, guy in MP2 calls and button raises to $20. I shove, MP2 promptly reshoves for $130 and Button calls! Whoops.
Board comes Kjx … T …. x giving me the straight. Button turns over AcKc and MP2 turns over AA, having played the same game as me, waiting for the button raise!
I don't even apologize for these any more. I've had enough bad beats with all ins pre flop in the past two weeks to take the good beats as well. I did nothing wrong – just happen to come up against two monsters in a short-handed game.
So, that put me roughly level for the day.
I went to Planet Hollywood and had definitely the best-value meal of the week; the 8oz Prime Rib, with fries and a salad starter, comes to $10.80 with a Total Rewards card. That's $2 less than a Johnny Rockets burger and twice as nice. I paid with my points.
Played another hour in Bally's and picked up KK in the small blind with a button straddle. Played the old limp game again and got a rise to $30 from a decent player in middle position. I shove, he thinks, and shows AQ suited as he folds. Left after an hour, up $50.
Drove back to the apartment and suddenly I was in the middle of a lightning storm! Luckily, the rain didn't hit the road, but I could see lightning strikes every few seconds to my left. Quite frightening.
Also to my left was a sequence of planes, presumably in a holding pattern. At least eight of them.
And, on TV, Back To The Future II. Next, Back To The Future III. Excellent.
Profit for the day, $328. Profit for trip, $101.
Rest of the holiday really is very much "do as I wish". Haven't decided yet what that might be.
85 runners.
Of those three rewards, I got only one.
It was a fast structure. A Polish chap sat to my right, declined to pay $10 extra to increase his stack to T7000 from T3000, and shoved every hand. He got a double through, lost half his stack to the man who had beaten a couple of hands before, pushed a couple of shoves through, and finally lost to the same man again, being eliminated after about 12 hands.
Meanwhile I had hardly played a hand. I thought about giving the mad Pole some business with Ace-8 off in the cut-off, but I decided against it. Turns out he had 7-7 on that one.
After 45 minutes or so I was down to 5100 chips. Button (the big stack) raised to 1600 and I shoved with Tc Td. He snap called with Js Jh, so I am not in good shape. I am in worse shape when flop comes down Ks Qs 9s.
There's an argument for not shoving pre flop on the grounds that the big stack won't be folding, so I have no fold equity. On the other hand, I'm in good shape against his range, so I don't really mind a race, especially with a fast structure.
The immediate sight of Ks Qs 9s might make you think that I now don't have Ts as an out because that gives opponent a straight flush. So, just Th to help me, right? Wrong, obvs. That also gives opponent a straight. In fact I still have two outs, but they have become Jacks instead of 10s.
The turn is a blank and the river is, of course the ten of hearts, giving me a set and opponent a straight.
I hate that fucking dealer as well.
On to the Flamingo for a cash game and the nightmare continues. This is an interesting one.
I was on about $95 when I picked up KK on the button. It's passed rorund to the cut-off who raises to $6. I raise to $18, and an old guy in the small blind raises to $36.
Now, there are a few old sayings in Las Vegas, and one is "the old guy always has it". A four bet min reraise in the small blind just SCREAMS "Aces".
But, this is why I sit down with a smallish stack, so that I never have to make difficult decisions with kings. I now take a line that I don't like but which is perhaps the best strategy against a conservative player. I flat call. Anyhoo, It makes no difference. Down comes xxx. He goes all-in and I call and he shows AA. A buy in down.
I rebuy, but leave about a round later. Walk away when you are running bad at a table.
That brought me to a rather entertaining hand in Bally's. I'd drifted down to $75 with zero cards. Bally's now runs nine-handed; it also offers a $5 straddle, rather than the $4 straddle in the Flamingo.
And, in the vital hand, we were six-handed and I was in the small blind. Button straddled, it was me to act first and I saw AQ off. I completed to $5, guy in MP2 calls and button raises to $20. I shove, MP2 promptly reshoves for $130 and Button calls! Whoops.
Board comes Kjx … T …. x giving me the straight. Button turns over AcKc and MP2 turns over AA, having played the same game as me, waiting for the button raise!
I don't even apologize for these any more. I've had enough bad beats with all ins pre flop in the past two weeks to take the good beats as well. I did nothing wrong – just happen to come up against two monsters in a short-handed game.
So, that put me roughly level for the day.
I went to Planet Hollywood and had definitely the best-value meal of the week; the 8oz Prime Rib, with fries and a salad starter, comes to $10.80 with a Total Rewards card. That's $2 less than a Johnny Rockets burger and twice as nice. I paid with my points.
Played another hour in Bally's and picked up KK in the small blind with a button straddle. Played the old limp game again and got a rise to $30 from a decent player in middle position. I shove, he thinks, and shows AQ suited as he folds. Left after an hour, up $50.
Drove back to the apartment and suddenly I was in the middle of a lightning storm! Luckily, the rain didn't hit the road, but I could see lightning strikes every few seconds to my left. Quite frightening.
Also to my left was a sequence of planes, presumably in a holding pattern. At least eight of them.
And, on TV, Back To The Future II. Next, Back To The Future III. Excellent.
Profit for the day, $328. Profit for trip, $101.
Rest of the holiday really is very much "do as I wish". Haven't decided yet what that might be.
