Vegas Gambling (Part Three - Poker!)

I've been to Vegas about 15 or 16 times and all but one of them I've played poker. Every time but one I've left Vegas up in playing poker. I'm not saying I'm a great player or anything. I just know how to beat down the bad tourists that play at the level I play at which is usually 2-4 or 3-6 limit. I've played some NL and then a few tournaments. Online poker I almost exclusively play NL tournaments. This trip to Vegas I didn't want to play too much poker because Pretty Bird doesn't play poker and we were on vacation together. I did get about four hours on 2-4 play (about two hours at the MGM Grand, an hour at TI, and an hour at Excalibur). I also played in two NL tournaments at the Treasure Island. Each of the tournaments lasted about three hours so I got about 10 hours of poker in the seven days we were there. I've had days before in Vegas when I played over 10 hours so this was much smaller. In other news there is actually a lot to do in Vegas outside of the poker tables, who know.

The limit play was pretty uneventful. The MGM isn't near as loose as it used to be. The Treasure Island is as loose as the MGM used to be. The Excalibur still has the same mix of cheap tourists and weird locals so a pretty steady game. I was probably up about $80 or so total in my four sessions of limit. There wasn't any memorable hands. I did lose the nut flush to a full house on the river which cost me about a $60 pot.

The first tournament was the 2pm on Saturday at the TI. They have room for 50 players and take alternates. We got there 30 minutes early and were the 16th alternate, oops. My buddy said they almost never fill up until after it starts. I ended up getting in only a few hands before the first break. I had a regular full stack of 3500 chips but there were plenty of players with more.

I played a little timid for the first 40 minutes or so and was down to about 2200 chips. I then got moved to another table and was dealt my first decent hand of the day, TT. I was in good position on a new player so I just limped in, wanting to see how the good/bad the players were. The flop gave an Ace and a Ten, mixed. Perfect. Sure enough two people had an Ace and I almost tripled up, knocking one player out. I played a little more aggressive, especially after the flop, from then on but still nothing memorable. Not too many good hands but I was able to cripple the big stack with AJ vs. her A4. Why people think A4 is good from bad position I'll never know. Actually A4 is never good in any position but it can be played from good position.

The blinds were getting expensive and I was still on the bottom 1/3 of chips with about 16 or 17 players to go, time to make a move. One from the button I get dealt AK (which I normally have horrible luck) with a caller ahead of me. I double the bet and then the button pushes all-in, he's got me covered. There is another caller and of course I call. I'm vs. 88 and AQ (I think) and a King shows up. That ends up being enough chips to last until the final table. With nine players to go I'm 6th in chips on the BB. I get KK and the button pushes me all-in and I double up. I end up going out 6th on my 8-9suited vs. K4 on the big stack. The final table was very tight, I caught no cards, and I needed to make a move. After the BB I wouldn't be left with enough for another BB so I didn't to try it. Still money went to 6th so I made a nice $110 profit, the first time I hit the money in Vegas in a tournament.

On Monday after urging from Pretty Bird I decided to try my hand at the same tournament, this time the 7pm version. This one only had 38 players register but you could rebuy for the first hour. We ended up having over 60 players worth of chips in the pool after all the rebuys. This one started off great and other than a little hiccup in the middle went great most of the way. I didn't catch anything for the first 20 minutes or so then I got 88 two away from the blind which I doubled the blind. Most people were still timid and I hadn't played a hand yet. A nice 8 on the flop gives me about a 700 chip pot. My very next hand was AA under the gun. This time I bet 4x the BB fairly certain most people will think I'm full of shit. Sure enough two people did. The rockets hold and I'm liking my chip stack.

The next hand, as the BB, I get JT suited. The flop is AJx and I'm a little worried about the random A players. The turn gives me a T and now I'm much happier. The river gives me tens full of jacks and I rack up my first player with A rag. I get AQ a few times in before the first break and I'm first in chips overall. The session between break one and break two is not kind. I catch a bad beat with AQ (I got it 6 times in this tournament, it was bound to lose once) and then blinds eat a lot of my chips.

After the second break I only have 5000 chips and the blinds are 1000/2000 which isn't good. I'm three away from the BB when I push all-in with A-9 suited. I get a caller and steal the blinds vs. K something. I'm able to triple up with 88 putting me in pretty good position to make the final table. Two players go out at once bringing the final table a little early and I make it near the bottom in chips.

I use AQ and a pair of Jacks to get to about 14,000 in chips then comes my favorite hand of the weekend. This tournament only paid to four players and there are six left. There are two with almost no chips so it looks pretty good. I have about 14,000, another player has about 13,500, second place has probably 22,000 and first has at least double if not 3x second place. I'm the BB when the button (with 500 chips less than me) limps in, the SB folds.

I have Jack Bauer, 2/4. The flop is 2T2 which is pretty damn good. I check, the button checks. The turn puts a J out, I bet the minimum and the BB pushes all-in and I call. He's got JT thinking I had Jx. Rack 'um. Now I have almost 30,000 chips and I rack one of the small players. The super big stack takes the 22,000 chips with quads. He then beats me with two pair vs. my top pair. All in all over a $600 payday isn't too bad.

It will be much harder for me to go back to limit. Limit was already really starting to bore me but I get intimidated because I don't have unlimited funds. Not that most 1/2 NL players have unlimited funds either but they act like they do. Next time I think I'll try NL a little though.