The Joker in Vegas

[Goltigami]

Will there be updates?

[Joker161]

Sadly the Vegas dream is over for another year. Since Vegas, I played the Goliath for the first time and made Level 13 at the end of Day 1. Running KK into AA on Level 10 didn't help. I then played the APAT Main Event and came 13th out of 420. A bit card-dead towards the end. Tonight I taking my virginal (in the casino sense) 18-year old godson to the Rendezvous to play his first £30 affair. Might be a car crash...

[Joker161]

My annual Vegas trip in two weeks time. Excited! I'll be blogging on here as usual. Fingers crossed!

[ian.ski309]

VBOL Joe, looking forward to the blog as always

[Joker161]

The story starts the night before. I check my bag in on Sunday evening before staying at the Premier Inn overnight. The woman tucks the boarding pass into my passport and off I go. A couple of hours later I have a look at the boarding pass and it says JAMES CARR. The woman had typed in "Carr" and just picked the first one that came up on the computer. She didn't even bother check the first name. I go back, mainly because I'm worried about the bag, and a different woman has to go and see the manager - it's a very big deal, apparently. Security issues, of course. It sounds like the first woman might be in quite a lot of trouble.

[Joker161]

Flight delayed by two hours. As I board I ask about the James Carr issue. They know nothing about it, obviously. They check their records and apparently the bag is definitely on the flight. We shall see. I'm the last to get on the plane, apart from some bloke whose name is...James Carr! Clearly the cock up affected his check in too. I'm typing this on the plane, so hopefully all will be well when we land. I watched a Beatles documentary and then finished "The Secret Barrister". If you haven't read it you must. Our criminal justice system appears to be f**ked. Next, I had the last three episodes of "Chernobyl" downloaded onto my iPad, so I knocked those off. Best drama of the year. Must-watch. Watched one more film. One final thing. This was the coldest flight I have ever been on. People had blankets over their heads! I managed to get a hot water bottle from one of the stewards.

[Joker161]

Landed. Security quite quick. And my bag is there. Phew!

[Joker161]

I was checked into Harrah's by 5pm and met my mate, Matt, for a quick drink before getting myself sorted and getting off to the Rio to buy in for tomorrow. He'd never been there before so we did the tour and registered for Tuesday's $500 event. 25k in chips and 40m levels. Back to Harrah's for the 7pm but it was full!? So we went to the Flamingo which had an 8pm. It was looking very like my usual first night effort - hovering around starting stack as I begin to get very knackered - but then I double up twice and then the big stake shoves on my aces! That certainly wakes you up! With six left and stack sizes of, roughly, three at 150k and three at 100k, and blinds at 10k/20k, we chop up and I get $300 (I was one of the small stacks). Nice start! It's now coming up to midnight, so 8am UK time, so I've basically missed a night's sleep. Oops! Time for a melatonin!

[Joker161]

Not bad for the first night sleep. Woke at about 5am, and struggled to get back to sleep, but that's better than the usual 2.30am. Got the tennis on the TV, and managed to hold off on breakfast until about 7am. The usual eggs and bacon. They definitely don't have bacon like this in the UK; always a treat. Met up with Matt at 9.30 for the second breakfast and an Uber to the Rio. Let's do this!

[Joker161]

40m levels, so three levels until each break. Level 1. I get 66 twice and win small pots, then get AK twice and lose small pots. I lose a bit with AQ too. Down to 24k. Level 2. Won a bit off the loose player with KT. AKx flop and a ten on the turn. A second ace on the river. He called me all the way with 44. Won some more with AJ at the end of the level. Ace high board and loose player calls the flop bet but folds on the turn. 28k. Level 3. Not much happens until the end. I'm on the button with KsQs. CO raises, I make it 2k, BB calls and the CO calls. Hmm. Flop is ace high and all clubs. Check, check. I decide to bet 4k on that scary board. They both call. An error, in hindsight, but they both were the types that could fold in that spot. We check the turn and river. BB has QQ and has the flush after the river. Down to 21k.

[Joker161]

Next three levels. Level 4 is 200/300 with a 300 BB ante. We have no 25s, hence the odd numbers. BB antes are so much quicker! So I get to see a few extra hands, but they are all **** this levels so it makes no difference. Just over 20k at the end. Level 5. Finally I get JJ UTG+1. I raise and get two callers, despite playing no hands for an hour. Flop is queen high, I C-bet and they both fold. Bloke who arrived very late has just gone out. Last to arrive, first to leave. Why play tournaments if you have no patience? I raise LP with A7. Both blinds call. Flop is king high. Check, check and I bet. BB calls (who is the loose guy). I stare at him as the turn is dealt and bet without looking. He calls. He bets the river, and the board is now 4578 with the king. He could easily be pushing me off the river, but I decide not to risk it. Down to 15k. Hmm. Level 6. AK in the SB. Not been good for me today. Loose player calls in EP (hmm) and there's another call then another loose bloke goes all in for about 10k. I obviously push over him and the other two fold. All in says "kings", but is was actually "kings?" He had AJ. I'm on 28k. Phew. 26k by the end of the level, what with 1300 going on each round.

[Joker161]

Levels 7-9. Late raise, I re-raise with AK from the button, he folds. Card dead. Level 8. I raise LP with 44. Button and BB call. Flop J54, but all clubs. Check, I bet, they both fold. Next, an annoying hand. I raise with QhJh and get two callers. I bet the 776 flop and get a call. I know I'm giving it up. Silly. I get TT MP. I raise to 2k, button calls and the loose SB makes it 8k. I go all in for 20k, button folds (AQs he says afterwards) and obviously the loose bloke calls. He has Q9! I swerve his gutshot, and double up. 42k. Level 9. Not much happening, except losing 2,500 each round. Finally! I get AA. UTG raises and I re-raise. He calls. The flop is **** - check, be, fold. The very next hand I get 44 and raise. Two callers. Flop is 882. I bet and get one caller. Hmm. Turn a king. I bet and he folds saying "I really didn't need that king. 56k.

[Joker161]

Level 10. Nothing for a while then I get 99 in LP. A loose guy raises, a tighter one calls, then I re-raise. They both call. Flop comes 863. Check, check, I bet 20k, call, fold. Turn a seven. Check, I push, he calls. He has 66. I've got straight outs too, but miss. Hmm. It feels like I was a bit too lively in that hand. If I check the flop, perhaps I get away with some chips? I had too many chips to push pre-flop. Annoying. My mate Matt is still in with about the same as I had a few minutes ago.

[Joker161]

Wednesday 3rd July

So far, this has been the best sleep Vegas trip ever. I didn't wake up until 6.30am! That's over six hours continuous sleep in a Vegas hotel room. Definitely a first. Watched tennis and the Eng/NZ World Cup match, then down for breakfast with Matt. Uber to the Golden Nugget for the PLO high/low. Pretty rare to get live tournaments in this variant, so I'm very excited.

[Joker161]

It turns out that this $570 event is virtually the most expensive of the whole GN series. Also, it's limit O8, and it's half O8 and half Stud8. So of course, there are only 30 runners, and, at 50, I'm virtually the youngest player in the tournament. This is going to be interesting. Levels are 30 minutes, so there's a break after every four levels. As with all limit tournaments, it's tough to go out early, and at the first break I'm on about 27k with a couple of stud hand of note and a huge Omaha hand. I get KK52 and call a raise, which is a bit naughty (but it's limit, so...). Flop comes KK9! Two players are betting into me, and it turns out they both have AA and flush draws! Also, quite a few players are drifting in during the first four levels and by the break we have nearly 70 players.