ThinkerJE takes a trip to Vegas

[APAT]

So it is definitely Saturday.  How do I feel this good after only 5 hours kip?  Anway off for some breakfast now then to Binion"s this afternoon for their 2pm tournament and to absorb the history of the place.

I was in Benny"s Bullpin for the last ever WSOP final there.  There is incredible poker history in that old building.

[Bodddders]

Great stuff James keep um coming. GL at the tables.


Apat  -- any chance of putting a face to the name (if James dosent mind)

[FlyingPig73]

Nice one James,,,, Keep up the good reports.....

Best of luck....

As someone who has an interest in construction, I loved this place, I had a sore neck for a couple of days, I was always looking up at the buildings..... I found it amazing that you think "I will goto that Hotel" but you dont realise how far away it is, becuase of the size of the building and the car park it looks like you are close, but it takes 15 minutes to get there...,,

Hope you do well at the tables....

[APAT]

Great stuff James keep um coming. GL at the tables.


Apat  -- any chance of putting a face to the name (if James dosent mind)

APAT mod James, pictured in Dublin two weeks ago.

[janc]

Enjoying reading this,
take a look at the 9pm torney at the fitz its usually very loose for the 1st hour and you can make some decent money there. good luck.

[ThinkerJE]

Ok latest news from LV.

As I was up early I headed of to Binion"s early to play in their 10am tournament.  $50 NLHE freezeout, pretty fast structure so not ideal but an introduction to poker in the states.  Very first hand I get pocket rockets in middle position, raise to 3x BB and get no callers.  No sure if I wanted action or not.  I show to create my rock like image and no one bats an eyelid.  Only other hand I play is J2 in BB (no raise).  Jack high flop, I bet to find out where I am, get 2 callers and so shutdown.  Have to fold to a bet on the river.  Only about 8 BB"s now, commit halve my stack with AK and get called and re raised!!!  Have to call, up against JJ & KJ off, no king and I am out in 69th out of 81 runners.  No complaints, the structure dictated the play and move on to check out he poker history of Binion"s.

Binon"s poker room is quite simply magnificant.  It has an old school feel and I felt shivers down my spine when I walked into the place.  The hall of fame & the wall of champions are in pride of place in the poker room.  The poker classic events have gone down well, lots of runners and big prize pools.

Downtown Vegas & Fremont street is very much the poor relation of the glitz of the strip.  It looks run down and in need of repair, has a very seedy vibe to it.

Now to the 2pm $10k guaranteed NLHE (1 rebuy) tournament at Binion"s.  143 runners turned up meaning the total prize pool was nearer to $12k.  Buy in $70 plus $40 rebuy (any time during the first hour).  2,000 starting chips with 1,500 rebuy chips, I took the rebuy straight away to get full value for all my chips.

Up to 4,475 at first break, got AK & QQ with no action, found K2 hearts in BB (no raise), flop 4 flush, call small bet & turn another heart.  Manage to extract value bet on the end.  Just keeping out of trouble at the moment.

Chip leader at second break.  Big hand was when in middle position and 2 limpers, find AK and put in big raise to take it down.  Call from passive lady limper leaving her only 1,250 left (pot 4,500).  Jack high rainbow board, she leads out for 400?!?!  I know she has hit but with so much in the pot and I must have outs so I move all in and she turns over the worst hand AJ.  River King to knock her out and win big pot for me.  Nearly donked it all off during a ThinkerJE blow up moment last hand before break, but they folded.

25,000 chips at third break, well above average with 29 left, top 14 get paid.  This is mostly due to another suck out.  Raise 40% of my stack with AK spades, matey with more chips goes all in.  I have to call, he flips over QQ and we are off to the races.  Flop Q J 8 (oh no), turn 10 (yeah), river 9 (double yeah).  This was a crazy table, with stuff like this happening all the time.

So far I have played well and I am happy with my play UNTIL MY EXIT HAND, which was quite honestly dreadful. I finished 24th, after over 4 hours of good play, with this shameful play.  Matey UTG min raises, all fold, SB calls, me in BB find KJ off, getting great odds, I call.  Flop J 10 8 (2 diamonds), I think for a longer than normal period when it is checked to me and decide te check-raise is the play to make (MUPPET!!!).  Anyway matey bets big, SB folds, I push and get insta called by AA (cilla black or what!!!).  The min raise is so fishy I should have got away from this big time.  I am so mad at myself , I hit the bar for some beer and then headed back for some kip.

I played ok, got lucky alot, but made a stupid error when it mattered most.  Will learn from this and not do it again...

Lots more to tell you about including today"s poker classic event.  However need to get ready a off to late night tournament at Ceasars so will update when  get back.

No bad beats, just bad play.

[ThinkerJE]

Great stuff James keep um coming. GL at the tables.


Apat  -- any chance of putting a face to the name (if James dosent mind)

APAT mod James, pictured in Dublin two weeks ago.

Cheers Des.

Not my greatest photo, although Lord Lichfield would struggle to take a good one.

[frosty]

James,

Excellent read, keeping me entertained in rain drenched India.  Unlucky on your first few tables, i"m sure fortunes will change.

All the best

Frosty

[MAIR]

Excellent report - thoroughly enjoying reading.

Best of luck to you James.


Mary

[ThinkerJE]

Okay, it is 5.18am local time and I have just got back to my room.  More on that later, but first to update from where I left off.

After my bad play at Binion"s I headed back to the hotel, furious with myself, the plan being to grab a pizza, quick change and off out to get drunk.  Well I managed to get the pizza, but then made the mistake of resting my head for 5 mins at about 9pm.  Next thing I know I wake up at 4am, having been asleep for 7 hours (must be this time zone thingy).

Some general observations at poker at Binion"s.  The standard of play was very varied.  Some good players, some not good players, some professional players, some very amateur players (not APAT standard).  The tournaments are run very very well.  Play starts on time, breaks are as advertised and level changes are announced to all by the TD.  The dealers are top notch aswell.  A couple that stood out were Norris (the most experienced dealer in Vegas - still showing the youngsters how to do it), Mike (former addict turned fastest dealer in Vegas) & Keith (Chris Moneymaker"s biggest fan - won"t hear a bad word said against him).  Great characters and add to the special place Binion"s is.

I was not the only person to benefit from sick suck outs on our "crazy" table.  There were at least 5 or 6 that occurred.  2 examples are below.

Last hand before break, short stack all in UTG.  All in from Hijack with slighter more chips, button flat calls and does BB.  2 all ins & side pot that gets checked down.  Board 7 9 10 6 8 !!!  Chop chop 4 way...

All in from late position, folded to BB who calls with K 7 (made alot of dodgy calls and then proceeded to tell the table how he only called cause they were suited, I had to bite my lip!!!).  All in matey shows A 8, flop 10 3 7 (standard), turn 8 (the best hand pre flop re gains the lead), river 7 (sick sick sick...).

I have never seen a table with as many crazy suck outs as that.

Other random thoughts about Vegas.

People think that I am Austrailian (it is starting to annoy me).
All you can eat breakfasts rule.  Fuel up for the day for $10.
All the sports books only cover US sports, so I am knackered for Royal Ascot this week.
Tipping - everybody in Vegas gets tipped, it is expected.  The service is good and all the people are smiley smiley, but to be expected is wrong surely???
Slots - still don"t get them but to give them a go I put $1 on a machine hit the button and won $10, cashed out job done.  My first (and only to date) cash is on the slots, hope this is not the case at the end of the 2 weeks.
Test match special on BBC online is even better than the text updates we have to put up with at work.
Toilets flush differently in Vegas - far too much suction for my liking.

[APAT]

Good updates James.  What is your poker schedule looking like for the remainder of your stay or are you "going with the flow"?

[ThinkerJE]

Now onto Sunday.  I woke early and headed for breakfast at 7am sharp (when it opens) as I was hank marvin.  Over an hour later I was re fuelled and raring to go.  Plan today was to play the $200 6 handed NLHE at Binion"s Poker Classic.  Registartion started at 2pm with cards in the air at 4pm.  So I had some time to kill.  I bought an all day bus ticket (great value at $5 for 24 hours) and headed south down the strip.  I walked round most of the casinos but two stood out.  The Wynn is fantastic, oozes class everywhere and doesn"t still slots in your face like other casinos do.  his had been my favourite place in Vegas for about 45 mins until I arrived at the Bellagio.  Wow this was even better, class everywhere, money everywhere and a top card room.  Cue first name drop - I spotted Sammy Farha in the special poker room with a stack of chips and an unlite cigarette, playing heads up.  I ound not identify who he was playing or for what stakes (although I imagine they were huge).  So now the Bellagio is my favourite place in Vegas, for about 11 hours until I went to Ceasar"s Place late on Sunday (more on this later).  I then hopped on the bus to fremont and registered for the poker tournament.

6 handed is very different, the blinds come round so fast and with running antes aswell, you need to get grooving sooner rather than later.  I was pleased with how I played in the comp.  No mistakes (for a change), and some good play at times.  The only thing being that the table was quite passive (limping and calling) so I should have picked up on this ealier and got alot more aggresive. 

5,350 at first break (starting stack 5k).  Nothing silly, using position and playing my hands strong.  234 runners in total, 60 gone at this stage.

Gone before second break after about 2 hrs 50 mins in total in 109th place.  Short stacked (about 4M only), started moving in in position and winning uncontested.  Found QQ UTG nd want to double up, so raise about half my stack.  Called by SB, don"t want to see A or K.  Flop 10 10 5.  Check, I push, insta call with AA (slow played).  No problems with this, played itself, he would have been mad i he let me flop a queen, not than any of us were folding anyway.  So pleased with my play and move on in better spirits than the day before.  Back on the bus to Circus Circus, quick shower and bite to eat then on to Ceasars for the 11pm poker tournanment.

No bad beats, better play today.

[ThinkerJE]

Right Ceasar"s Palace, as soon as I walked in my new favourite in Vegas (never to be beaten).  They have this pu$$ycat Casino, with gorgeous ladies in lingerie dancing in cages.  All the dealers are also dressed in a skimpy manner (and none of them are blokes).  My eyes nearly popped out!!!  This place is fantastic.  I wasn"t sure if it was right to take photos or not, so I didn"t.  The drinks girls are also by far the sexiest in Vegas aswell.  I have never drank some much diet coke at the poker table (and I don"t mind a $1 tip here).  When I finally could tear myself away from the ladies the poker room is again magnificant.  It is huge with a designated tournamnet area and a cash area.  I register for the 11pm tournament, $120 NLHE freezeout, fairly quick structure but 30 mins clock.  127 runners in total, top 9 pay with about $4.5k to the winner.

3,450 at first break (starting chips 2,500).  Mainly due to this bizzare hand.  I raise in cutoff with A 9 diamonds (happy to take blinds).  BB calls, flop A 10 5 (rainbow, 1 diamond).  Checked to me, I bet out about half my stack (3/4 of pot ish), matey raises (think I am dominated now), but with so much in pot I reluctanly call.  He flips A 7 off, turn 8, river 4.  Double up, not sure if good play or lucky, wierd.

Out before second break after about 2 hrs 25 mins in 59th place.  I have been short stacked for a while, but I feel I am playing it well.  For example hand before my exit I am in SB, all fold to button who limps, I have about 4M and look at a King and move in.  BB folds and bitton calls with 10 6.  King high wins, double up and I have some chips now.  Next hand rasie from chip bully in early position (he has been doing this alot).  I find A K on the button and move all in.  He calls with K 10.  Flop 3 4 5, turn 10, river 3.  I tap the table, say nice hand sir and wish then luck as I exit (class eh, I was steaming inside).  NO BAD BEAT STORIES - just reporting the facts.  I feel I am playing well and making good decisions, just one of those things.  I hit the bar for a beer and an ogle at the ladies, but I am not up for it (I KNOW I FELT THAT BAD), so I get the bus back to Circus Circus with the intention of getting some kip.  On the ride home I calmed down a bit and decided I would like to play some more poker, as I feel I am playing good and I am sure that I am not on tilt.  So I check out the card room at Circus to find a juicy loosey $1 $2 NLHE cash game.  I don"t normally play cash, but I wanted to keep playing and that was where the action was.  I sat down at 2am with $200 and walked away at 5pm with $404.  I played really well all night and made some very good decisions.  This has picked me up no end and I think this may become a regular thing in the early hours, especially if it can help with my tournament buy ins.  So I was up on the evening, but down on the day, but I feel good and I am playing well, onwards and upwards.

NO BAD BEATS - JUST REPORTING THE FACTS

[ThinkerJE]

They have this *****cat Casino, with gorgeous ladies in lingerie dancing in cages.

Mrs Slocum liked to stroke hers on Are you being served...

[Mod comment] Original post amended for readability. Auto-censor glitch noted.

[ThinkerJE]

Good updates James.  What is your poker schedule looking like for the remainder of your stay or are you "going with the flow"?

I have set events I will definitely be playing.  These are as follows;

Wed 20th $150 NLHE - Binion"s
Thurs 21st $200 PLHE - Binion"s
Fri 22nd $100 NLHE - Binion"s
Sat 23rd $1,500 NLHE - WSOP Rio

I may also play the $150 Limit at Binion"s on Tues 19th, not sure yet, don"t play limit much.

Apart from that I will probably play the Caesar"s again, more regular tournaments at Binion"s and there is a deep stacked freezeout at the Wynn that has a fantastic structure (but is $300 buy in though).  I also will play some more cash ($1, $2 only no higher) after today and see how I get on with that.