Back from Vegas

I am back from Vegas. It was probably the worst gambling trip I have had in a long time.

I started the trip with the $500 Sinsation Poker Classic at the Imperial Palace. The girls were hot, but my cards were not.

The only time I had a hand was when one of the girls came over and started to massage my shoulders when the blinds were $50-$100. I looked down and saw pocket kings. I raised to $300 and got 2 callers. The flop brought J high rainbow. I think a bit, looking a little upset, then bet $300 again. I got one caller. The rainbow ace came on the turn, scaring me a bit. I had him on AK or a middle pocket pair. I checked it after some more thought, but tried to look less upset, hoping he would think I might be slow playing my ace. He checked also. I fealt pretty good that he did not have an ace. The river was a blank, and I bet $300 again, hoping to squeeze some more money from this guy. He folded. I was up to $3500 after starting with $2500.

Then a few hands later I got moved to a new table. I hate that. I had a good read on most of the players, and had to start all over again. I then got a long cold streak of cards. Nothing playable at $75-$150. Nothing at $100-$200. My only playable hand was 3-3 when the blinds were $150-$300, which I had to call a minimum raise just to play. The flop didn't hit me and I folded to a pot size raise. I tried to steal a few blinds, but kept getting raised and sometimes reraised. Most of the time, one guy, he big stack, kept raising preflop, and when everyone folded, he would show a monster. If anyone called him, he would bet on the flop, then show his nuts after his opponent folded. I did not try to steal anytime he was in the blind or if he limped, which he also did with monsters. I was able to steal the blinds with A3o, and KQs.

After 4 hours of play, the blinds had withered me down to $1800 with the blinds at $150-$300 and we were 14 minutes from breaking for the day. The blinds were going to start at $200-$400 the next morning. I was in Vegas with a young, hot, partier. I really didn't want to have to wake up early the next day after a night of partying, only to last 30 minutes, if that. I decided to try to steal the blinds from one off the button with an all-in KTo. The guy to my left immediately called. The blinds folded, and he flipped over AQo. A flop of JTQ gave me an open ender, but when the Q on the turn came, I lost 4 of my outs. None of my remaining 6 outs came, and I was done, feeling pretty shitty. I regretted that move and thought maybe I should have sacrificed a partying night, and hoped to get some better cards in the morning with my tiny stack.

After going to my room and replaying many of the hands over in my head, I went back down to the poker room. I got seated at a $1-$2 no-limit game. I immediately went into aggressive mode, and was rolling over everyone. I had increased my $200 buyin to over $300 in 30 minutes, rarely having to show my cards. Then Vinny Favarito sat down on my left. Vinny is the standup comic at O'sheas. He was hiliarious. I was still playing many hands, but noticed that he did too. I got A3o and raised to $15. He called. The flop came A3T. I bet the pot, $45. He called. The turn brought an 8. I bet $100. He called. The river brought a 7. I bet $100 again, he reraised me allin. I only had about $50 more, I called. He showed 9J for the straight. Ugh.

I rebought for $200. Vinny took the seat that emptied to my right so he can hit on the girl that was across from me easier. Later we get into another hand together. He limped, I limped with ATs. The flop came 78T rainbow. He checked, I bet the $20. He called. The turn came another T, giving me three of a kind. He checked, I bet $50. He called. The river brought a 6. He bet $100. I asked him if he had 9J again. He shifted his eyes to me after he heard me ask, but didn't say anything. After about 60 seconds, I muck my AT face up. He was shocked. He flipped over one of his cards showing an 8, and smiled. Then he showed his 9.

I still had about $130 left when I get Q9 in the small blind. I pay the extra $1 with 5 other players. The flop comes QKQ, giving me a set. A player bets $12 (the pot). I put him on a K. Everyone folds until me, I call, big blind folds. The turn came a 2. I bet $35. He thinks for a bit, then calls. The river came an 8. He goes allin. I curse, and lean back in my chair. There is no straight, no flush on the board. I put him on K8, or a busted straight. I call. He shows Q8. Vinny tells me where the ATM machine is, but I tell him that with the way my luck is running, I am done for the day.

The next day I head over to Hooters and get into the empty seat at one of their $1-$2 no-limit games. So many calling stations. The table next to me is loud and rowdy. Chips flying as much as the curses. My table is quiet. The other table was flashing wads of hundreds. They were ordering bottles of Dom at $300 a pop. They were going allin for $1000 with nothing. It looked like a crazy game. I asked the manager to move tables when a seat opens, and he replies that I am 3rd on the list. Later a seat opens and the only action guy at my table moves over. Shortly after, I see a security guy standing next to me. He radios for more security. They come in and escort one of the players from the other table out. Then all of the people from the table, rack up their chips, and cashout. Some of them had 4 racks of $5 chips. I am bummed I missed the game. It turned out one of the players that was not with the young rich crew complained about one of them cursing. What a moron. Listen to cursing, or take a few thousand from some rich kids? Hmmm, tough choice. NOT! I lose a bad beat, but roll over most of the table with aggressiveness and end up about even.

That is it for this trip. Not very impressive, but I have booked my next trip for February 23, and will be staying at Hooters. So look for me in the poker room if you are there, and we can bust some fools together.