Saturday, 29 December 2007

I want the one I can't have

Bad news on the Vegas front I discovered by chance yesterday - Maxjet, the all-business class airline I was supposed to fly with tomorrow (Sunday) filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Xmas Eve!!!

Only found out in an idle moment at work yesterday otherwise would have arrived at Stansted Airport on Sunday morning completely oblivious that there would be no flight. Managed to book a Virgin flight on Monday (New Year's Eve) for half the cost but obviously it will be 1/10th as comfortable.

Could have been worse I suppose but it means only arriving in Vegas at 2pm on NYE, missing out on valuable drinking time. Will stay two days longer to make up for it but the friends I am meeting out there will have gone by then and I was looking forward to learning a few things from them at the 2/5NL tables.

Wish me luck....

Thursday, 13 December 2007

I started something I couldn't finish

So, got back from Vegas yesterday and been catching up on some sleep. Will keep this short (ish) as there's no pictures and I want to do a proper one from New Year's.

Arrived Tuesday around 6pm and went to Bellagio buffet at 8pm with some fellow journos who were there for the fight. Very good food and a couple of beers later and I was ready for bed. Woke up at 4.30am but managed to snooze for a while longer and headed out for breakfast.

Had the buffet at TI before playing their 11am tourney - and ended up chopping it for first ever win in Vegas Great structure , $125 entry fee, 30 minute levels and each player has a $50 bounty on their head. 45 entries, I only knocked one person out with AA v AJs but made the money (top 4) and we did a straight chop for about $525 each, plus bounties and your own bounty back as you were obviously not knocked out.

Texted Stoner to brag and he replied straightaway apparently - however I had a problem with my phone and receive it on Tuesday morning - in the airport :(

Thursday I play the noon tourney at Venetian but never get anything going and end up playing 5/10 limit Omaha8b at Mirage with full kill. Take around $400 off the clueless old locals (including bluffing jack-high on the river when the low missed)
and had a couple of other good sessions there.

Also played a bit of 4/8 hi lo at the Orleans and won a quick $60 in the hour before their noon tourney where I ran AK into QQ and didn't improve. Could have gone back to the 4/8 game but wanted to play at Luxor and Mandalay Bay as I hadn't been before. Sick cooler at Luxor (not very nice room either) with full house beaten by higher full house, and lost KK to 99 on J94 flop at MBay before coming back nicely for a small win.

On Saturday night paid $50 to watch the fight on big screens in TI, as Hatton admitted afterwards his gameplan went out the window and Mayweather had more than enough class to just pick him off as he charged in.

On Monday played the Omaha hi tourney at Caesars, got my money in with a flopped str8but opponent had top set (he actually had AAQQds!!) and hit on the river. Then went to the Mirage until 6.30am before heading for the airport.

Sorry there were no pics but happy to give any details if anyone is interested.

Edit: I took exactly $2500 with me and came back with $2440, which obviously included food, drink, show tickets and a few Xmas presents. Vegas for a week on $60 :)

Monday, 3 December 2007

How Soon Is Now?

Very soon is the answer, as I'm off to the airport now for Vegas (via Chicago). Woot!

Not taking my laptop so next update will be next week, possibly sooner if I go broke and get deported for abusing someone for catching an inside straight draw on me :)

Viva Las Vegas!

Sunday, 2 December 2007

Let Down**

Mixed news on the poker front. Online I've qualified for Event 8 of the UBOC on Ultimate Bet (PL8b) and today's $300K guaranteed on Party Poker.

The first only cost me $20 in a rebuy, top two paid and I had a commanding chip lead when the tourney ended. Very satisfying, especially as there was lots of idiotic play early on with people going all-in with very marginal stuff - Omaha8b just isn't suited to that kind of 4-card bingo the hold'em clowns are used to!!!

Second one "cost" me $65 in a STT qualifier. These are great value IMHO, 6-handed, first wins a seat, second gets $144.

All this doesn't make up for playing like a complete idiot in a live tourney in Leeds on Friday night. Made a bad laydown and was obviously still thinking about that when I raised A9o after a few limpers. What followed is a great example of acting too quickly and donking off your chips with top pair, shit kicker.

I get three callers IIRC and flop is AK7 with two diamonds. A guy who flopped quad kings earlier and couldn't prevent his hands from shaking (I actually had him on AK during that hand) now leads out for 2000, approx 2/3 of the pot, and again looks really nervous/excited.

I have 4300 left and just jam them in like an idiot without thinking why he would lead out into the pre-flop raiser if he can't beat a shitty ace.

Your average clown in these tourneys will play any ace, but 99.9% of them will never lead out, they'll just check/call and hope for the best. The only hand I can really beat is a flush draw but again, donks in these things will call and chase but never lead.

Sure enough, he instacalls and flips over 77 for bottom set and I'm out. Let's hope I play better in Vegas, less than two days to go now :)

** From now on, all post titles will be names of songs, most likely from Radiohead or The Smiths. Let's see how long I can keep that up.