The Fossil does Vegas

[pokerpops]

Have a great time out there, you of all people deserve it.

[Erimus]

Susan kicked me out tonight as there might of been an overlay in the 2k gtee at the G, there was a small one but we did a cash, finished 3rd for £310, tipped the valet a fiver (best valet in any casino by a country mile, before I took my seat my drink was waiting for me, this happens to almost every one as well), also paid Dave his 10% we do an auto swop if we are in the same tourney.

Got to the final table embarrassed at the size of my stack 8 bigs I think, wasn"t nitting it up to make the points just no spots or cards to get a double, the next hour though was ok, I would like to say it was all skill etc but whoever was in my seat would of done pretty much the same, JJ v AJ holds, QQ v AQ holds, turn a house and guy jams drawing dead,mbn, old adage of chip and a chair holds.

I did take advantage of the chips and stole from the people on my left, one semi reasonable player and one who is a bigger nit than me so it was easy to steal and keep my stack in shape, eventually lost a lot with AQ v AK, v the the tight guy, I was priced in even though I was certain I would be dominated, I hit a Q but he flopped the flush,  I managed to ladder to 3rd as one guy got unlucky when his A10 was outdrawn by K10, gave me another £100 so was ok with it.

Let"s hope this is  the start of some run good in Vegas, it"s a freeroll let"s take advantage.

[Erimus]

6 hours Middlesbrough to Gatwick, 10 hours London to Las Vegas in the company of Mr S Ward, we decide to play the $100 bounty hunter, who do I get sat next too, yup Stuart.

Crap shoot, tired drunk hungry definitely not +ev, 21 runners, we both reach the final table, I know not exactly a massive field, bit of a laugh, Stuart still in with 6 left, I went when I missed my flush draw with villain having hit trips after limping with K4.

Been up 26 hours and its starting to tell, Binnions daily game on the cards today think quite a few will be going to play, never visited downtown last time so play the Binnions pm tourney, then a night down town, on the bubble now Stuart still in, bubble deal discussed so Stuart in profit as he has took a couple of bounties.

Stuart chopped it he got $300 plus bounties, good start.

Food, sleep beckons.

[Erimus]

Update on yesterday (Friday I think), headed downtown to play the Binnions afternoon game 20k starting stack 20 min blinds but a slightly better structure than the Harrahs game.

With a lot of the Apat lot playing it got 4 or 5 tables going and the waitress who got that shift must of been pleased as I am fairly confident she had her best Friday for a while.

Seat draw wasn"t particularly kind as I had Ger and Stephen (aka the mole online) who I had met before the flight over so knew he was very good, we had another 3 Apaters including myself, Matthew and Susie, the rest were random Us guys.

Uneventful start, but managed to get back to starting stack when I cold 4 bet KK, and got folds from AJ and 10 10, miss a bit of value when hitting the nut flush on a paired board versus an American guy but as played I could of been beat, these are the hands were top players get max value, me I get min value but happy to be still in.

Ger has knocked Steven out and has chipped up nicely with a cooler KK v QQ against a capable young American.

I lose a few when I raise Q 10 suited utg, the break was imminent so thought it was an easy steal. I get one call from a passive American, flop was Q high 2 clubs, I led out, he insta jams,and has me virtually covered, I tanked a while and I didn"t think he would do that with a draw so I gave him the benefit, he had AQ, if he had 3 bet me pre I would of folded but under the circumstances I lost the minimum.

We are now down to 14and I am in shove mode and get most of them through, get a double up with QQ v J 10 and have 23 bigs, next hand I get 99 utg, I raise and it"s folded to my room mate who picks up raising chips, but he is shaking fairly visibly, this is due to either a massive hand or because he is on his 10th Contreau and lemonade.

Phil plays pretty standard so I have to put him on a hand here or we  are flipping, his 3 bet was quite big and I didn"t think set mining was an option, I folded,he didn"t show but claimed pocket , owned there then ( still not convinced), this was the same guy who last night couldn"t get into the room so made the long trek back to reception complaining his key wouldn"t work, only to be be told he had been trying to get in with his total rewards card, (perhaps I should of called then), well played to him anyway.

I get to the final table but I am a short stack but get a full orbit to get a hand as i am given the button, eventually get it in with 99 v 10 10 v AQ, I was in bb with the nines and it looked a good chance for a treble but the AQ scooped and I was gone in 8th, payouts were top 6 but a bubble had been agreed, never folding 99 there just to get the bubble payment, overall played well enough, but didn"t get the double required when down to the last 2 tables.

We had 5 players on the Ft including my room mate who eventually bubbled running 44 into 99, Ger and Matt ( not our Matt) done a chop 4 handed so well played to them,

Popped over to the D casino and played a game called Sigma derby, basically a mechanical horse racing game, pretty retro in these high tech times, I had 4 quarters in my pocket and deposited them, and cashed out for $25, pretty impressive roi that one, perhaps I have found the game for me.

Hogs and Heifers for the last drink of the night then back to the strip.

Playing at Ceasers Palace today in the Apat event which I think is now a one dayer, and will make a decision on which Venetian deepstack to play, it will be Sunday or Monday depending on todays efforts.

So played 2, 2 final tabs but no cashes so far but loving the game and enjoying Vegas.

[Erimus]

Quick report from Ceasers palace game from yesterday, folded  777 after 4 card straight on the turn,guy jams all in, he had it, 5k lost, this was 3rd hand in at 25/50 level, still have 10k left, no need to go bust here me thinks.

Hit 2 pair with Aj, flush gets there on the river, he had it I didnt pay him out of spite,and hit 2 pair v a flush draw, he got there, then got it in with live cards,by the end they were no longer live, all good fun.

Went for food and tried to get tickets for a show but the ones available i didn"t fancy so popped along to the Venetian to play the 7pm deepstack.

Table was pretty aggro but i got up to 13k without showdown, someone benefitted on an 88 10 flop when a Texan(with more Gold jewellery on than the local Ramsdens) Mis read his hand and jammed 5 high  into the pot, guy with A8 got a double up mbn, Texan thought he had 58, it helps to look at the cards mate, just a little tip.

I then flop quads but its very difficult to get paid when nobody has much,that was slightly annoying.

I then went on a massive run of poor spots/cards, as a lot were gambling so they could re enter.

Jammed over a min raise from the button with 10 8 spades in the big blind, got called by Q6 ( must know our home game at Stockton), got a double to 22 bigs after turning trips.

169 started there was 55 left when guy min raises from the button, I didn"t see this tbh and jammed 67 suited  blind on blind (18 bigs) bb was very tight and was confident he would fold, he did,button then tanks for ages some one calls the clock on him and he eventually sighs and says I must be beat and calls, wtf, he tables A5 off, I flop dead as it contained 2 aces so that was that finished late 50ish.

Evn though it was a mistake by me, and the guy was ahead it was a very marginal call as he wasn"t massively stacked and I had been fairly snug, some one else asked how he made the call but I didn"t stick around for the answer, nh move on.

So far 0/4 in mtts, playing the $400 Venetian deepstack today this starts at 12 and is a 2 dayer, playing ok, morale still high, lets get lucky.

[adilong1]

Gl,  

[Zozzy]

I don"t usually find time to look through members blogs but found this a very interesting read.
All the best in Vegas Brian !

[Erimus]

3rd break in Venetian deepstack got 20k at 500/1000 double up this level would be good
150 started 52 left 15 paid lets get lucky, the skill part was going from 5k to 30k. Moan in the good spots.

Cheers Zozzy thanks for reading.

[Erimus]

Second best hands all the time from 30k, got slowrolled in the end jammed from big blind 14 bigs, guy had min raised with Aj, door card the jack, didn"t get a sweat, finished 40th, the game continues onto the next.

[Erimus]

Up bright eyed and bushey tailed, only winnings so far been on the sigma derby thing, poker so far been a washout but happy with how I am playing so got to keep grinding, think a few people are playing the big o at the Venetian, I have opted for the Aria 1pm game, I think there is a lot popping over here tomorrow as well so this will be a double header.

There is another $400 deepstack on Wednesday and I have enough left to take another shot at that may as well go for a score in that, got 4 more games to play to get a hit will be giving it a good go.

[Erimus]

Browsed a few Art Galleries, had Lobster for lunch, Aria $125 beckons, normal Monday then.

Good start at Aria 17k from 10k at break

[Erimus]

Ran jj into kk 12 bigs left shove time

[Erimus]

And finally Esther KK me v 33 for last 12 bigs flop 3QQ, it"s how we are rolling, onwards.

[Erimus]

After busting the Aria with the above hand, actually it was the next hand as I had 2 bigs left got it in good again with A5 v QJ but the  J Binked, guy who busted my kings was really apologetic about his suckout, it sounded like he was more upset about it than me.

Currently running as bad this year as I ran good 2 years ago, playing mtts is such high variance and when it"s not happening just got to play through it and hope it turns around.

Didn"t fancy another game tonight although Adam and Rodders were off to play the $200 at the Venetian, I was in the queue at the ticket place looking for a show to see, got a ticket for Penn and Teller at the Rio so popped over there for that.

Enjoyed the show nothing spectacular but a break from the poker, went over there on my own and felt a bit yuk as I thought about Susan at home, although it"s a nice break for me, she could be here enjoying the shows shops etc whilst I am out and about playing poker, in the great scheme of things health is everything, bloody hell welling up here, pull yourself together man, you are in Vegas.

I think a few are going over to the Aria today for the 1pm game so may as well go for that one, hopefully we can get one or two to  a cash position and have a final table rail, would be nice.

Depending on how the above game goes will continue the grind tonight but there will be no cards involved, last Tuesdays cheeky 3rd place at the G, the one I wasn"t supposed to be playing will be aiding and abetting young ladies fund their college educations,and once they get their law and medical degrees you will all be glad I made this small donation to help the world cause.

I have enough left to play another $400 deepstack at the Venetian tomorrow (Wed I think) and another $200 one to finish off the stake, it"s still not over hopefully we can pull a rabbit out if the hat and do a bink in my last 3 games.

Run good, be lucky, stay healthy.

[Erimus]

Aria tournament report, this may be slightly incoherent as I am typing this at 1pm sat at a video poker machine on my 4 th jd coke added to the 4 bottles of corona already drunk feeling slightly typsy.

First bullet  3 bet Ak 3 x first level did I hit,did I ******, had to fold to subsequent bets including Adam calling a 3 bet with kj and hitting his jack, doesn"t he read this blog, no problem rather it go to a fellow apater than some random.

A Canadian lady every time I raised she 3 bet me and she totally owned me  she had it every time though ak v qq blah bla blah.

Pivotal hand of first bullet 3 limpers including Adam I 3 bet from small blind with 99 ( total nit), get 2 callers Adam folds, he does read this blog then,  I can"t remember flop, but to be honest cant remember what day it is but was fairly safe, 2 clubs I think, one over card, bet the turn which was a brick get one caller, river card is an 8 but of the parsley variety, I have now improved to a straight but the flush had also arrived villain bets 2k5 but I have the nut straight, it"s my turn to act and nearly unload the lot but notice the flush at the last minute, so I call her value bet, k3 of clubs Is good then why wouldn"t it be, because they always get there, (another 50p in the tin, this tin is halfway to funding next years trip).

I should actually fold here as the villain in question is never buffing,although it is the ideal bluff card, but we need to get chips at the beginning so we can move on in the game.

In these games we are really deep at the start but once it gets to the mid game unless you have accumulated some chips you are almost always in the 20bb shove mode looking for good spots.

I pick up 77 utg, i min raise but get 3 callers flop relatively safe j8x, I just jam hoping no one has hit ( it was only 15 mins before re entry I can rep the Jack or a bigger pair Canadian lady calls i ask if she has a Jack, she replies no, but she has an 8, I thought I was safe then realised 8 is one up from a 7 so I was gone, nice call Miss, (probably put me on AK).

Rebought and to cut a long storey short was so card and spot dead it was ridiculous, eventually shoved A8 into buttons  99, didn"t hit, why spoil the habit of a life time.

Back to Harrahs spent some time with Rodders and Colin, decided to hop over to treasures, readers of this blog from 2 years ago may recall a similar journey 2 years ago, the action was fairly similar no need to go into detail, but was a very pleasant 2 hours, the others from the North East had decided on an early night, so this was a lone excursion, and i would like to thank the regs from the G for their small contribution to this trip.

A synopsis of my poker this week would be, playing ok running like a 3 legged dog so cashes have been non existent. Talking to the guy sat next to me I said I had been running like a 3 legged dog. He said he has a dog at home with 3 legs and runs ok, that killed that conversation stone dead.

I have $600 left on the stake and although the phone number given to me by Katrina from treasures would take at least 90% of this I have decided resist Katrina and her Mexican/ Spanish charms to play the $400 Venetian deepstack event later today and a final event to be decided depending upon how the 2 day Venetian event goes.

Incidentally if any of the stakees would prefer me to take up Katrinas kind offer I will gladly forsake the Venetian deepstack game.

We have 2 chances to get out of this and i would be made up if we do a bink.

As I said in my original proposal variance may bite me back hard on the backside after the decent run 2 years ago and so far this has proved to be the case but we have 2  more chances to get out of it.

I could make a list if all the mtts I have played but tbh it would be too brutal to look back upon, and may put me on tilt when re reading in the future and it may put me off returning, all games played are mentioned in previous posts except for a $100 one at Harrahs, decided not to write that up as even I was becoming sick of reading about more bad beats.

I would like to thank you for the opportunity to play through the year and although I got the best of it, a virtual Freeroll to Vegas you all at least got your cash back and enough to buy a new hat, hoping for some run good at the Venetian today, or am I putting a call into Katrina ?, peace. Run good, be lucky, stay healthy.

Morning after the night before, head a bit heavy nothing a decent breakfast and some rehydration won"t cure.

Well done to Adam on his cash at the Aria, our chip dump at the 25/50 level paying dividends.

12pm start for the Venetian deepstack event, morale still ok, so looking forward to it.