Vegas Diary - The Final Chapter - The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
Day 5 - $2000 NLHE - The Bad
This was the event I was really looking forward to. I thought everything was in my favour. I was well rested, the deep pockets didn't have unlimited bullets for rebuys, we had a slow structure and loads of dead money.
So, why I did play so terribly?
I had a dream start. I flopped a nut flush and got paid handsomely. I cracked aces. I flopped a set. Bloody hell, they were giving me chips right, left and centre before the break. I reached the first break with 8500 in chips. The average was probably about 3500. Surely I was set for a good run.
No.
I moved to new table. A geezer had about 15000 already. It soon became clear how he had got them. He must have reraised over 50% of raisers. Literally. I have never seen anything like it. I hunkered down and waited for him to double me up.
But, for some reason, despite a great stack, I didn't show any patience. What a wanker I am sometimes. If I waited 2 levels I surely would have been given a golden opportunity on a plate. But, I didn't. He raised at the 100-200 level to 800. I called with 77. Fair enough. Flop came J32. He bet 2000. I called????? i thought this would scare him. Did it fuck. The turn came 9 and he simply moved in. Perhaps I should have called. But, I chickened out and passed leaving over 30% of my chips.
Then I proceeded to bluff away most of the rest of my chips in a pot I should have never been involved in.
I was sick by the time I was finally put out of my misery.
Three observations sprung to mind after the tournament:
1. Thank god the tournament is not in a casino. If it had been I was so tilty on getting knocked out, I would undoubtedly have done my bollocks on the bones straight away.
2. The excuse for pissing my chips away? I guess I was scared someone else would get the lunatics chips. It is not a valid excuse, but an excuse nonetheless.
3. John Juanda was on the table where I get knocked out. He impressed me greatly. He was very short stacked when I arrived and hung around for ages waiting for the right spot to get his chips in. He didn't get a double up, but he gave himself every chance, unlike many of the "big names" who if they haven't got a biog stack with 2 levels just throw their chips and look forward until the next event.
Day 6 - The Good.
Virtually a day off from poker.
Managed to split a one table satellite before going for a bbq at the house Asher and Dee Derei had rented.
It was a very enjoyable afternoon/evening.
The party was to celebrate Tomer Benvenisti's (who finished 5th in the WSOP main event 2 years ago and is a great guy) birthday.
The other guests included Bad Beat Channing, Ben Akiva, David Levi and Amir Vahedi + his brother.
If you have seen Amir on tv, the image he portrays seems very close to9 the real Amir. He is a larger than life character and has a ton of funny stories and anecdotes.
I drank altogther too many Budweisers and had many a laugh. A thoroughly enjoyable occasion.
Day 7 - $2000 PLHE - The Ugly
I don't enjoy pot limit as much as no limit. I enjoy having the ultimate weapon of the allin push (Bushy reckons it's because I'm not good enough to make decisions after the flop...he is probably right)
But, here I played probably the best I've played all trip.
I was focussed and relaxed. I picked my spots perfectly. I never put my chips ion danger and my chips stack rose slowly despite having KK twice and seeing an ace flop both times.
I was moved tables with the blinds 100-200. I had approximately 4000 in chips which was about average.
I was positioned one off the button on my first hand at the new table.
A couple of limpers before me, so naturally I limped with T9 diamonds.
The sb now proceeded to raise the pot (I found the vast majority of yanks simply bet the pot when raising...very strange). One caller, so with position I made a dubious call (but one I almost always make). Flop comes J98 with two hearts. The sb bets the pot. I have no read on the guy, except that this is a very scary flop for any holding. I *think* I'm winning but have no way of being sure. I decide to call and see what develops on the turn. The ace of diamonds peels off. He checks. Hmmmm. Now it really looks like he's got KK or QQ. If he has any hand that beats me he must bet here. A free card is just too dangerous. So I push in with a virtual pot size bet. He goes into the tank. Finally he pipes up "I need to get lucky" and calls showing KQ hearts. He is taking 2-1 about a near 4-1 shot with 10 clear outs.
River is 2hearts. Exit Camel.
Fuck.
This was the event I was really looking forward to. I thought everything was in my favour. I was well rested, the deep pockets didn't have unlimited bullets for rebuys, we had a slow structure and loads of dead money.
So, why I did play so terribly?
I had a dream start. I flopped a nut flush and got paid handsomely. I cracked aces. I flopped a set. Bloody hell, they were giving me chips right, left and centre before the break. I reached the first break with 8500 in chips. The average was probably about 3500. Surely I was set for a good run.
No.
I moved to new table. A geezer had about 15000 already. It soon became clear how he had got them. He must have reraised over 50% of raisers. Literally. I have never seen anything like it. I hunkered down and waited for him to double me up.
But, for some reason, despite a great stack, I didn't show any patience. What a wanker I am sometimes. If I waited 2 levels I surely would have been given a golden opportunity on a plate. But, I didn't. He raised at the 100-200 level to 800. I called with 77. Fair enough. Flop came J32. He bet 2000. I called????? i thought this would scare him. Did it fuck. The turn came 9 and he simply moved in. Perhaps I should have called. But, I chickened out and passed leaving over 30% of my chips.
Then I proceeded to bluff away most of the rest of my chips in a pot I should have never been involved in.
I was sick by the time I was finally put out of my misery.
Three observations sprung to mind after the tournament:
1. Thank god the tournament is not in a casino. If it had been I was so tilty on getting knocked out, I would undoubtedly have done my bollocks on the bones straight away.
2. The excuse for pissing my chips away? I guess I was scared someone else would get the lunatics chips. It is not a valid excuse, but an excuse nonetheless.
3. John Juanda was on the table where I get knocked out. He impressed me greatly. He was very short stacked when I arrived and hung around for ages waiting for the right spot to get his chips in. He didn't get a double up, but he gave himself every chance, unlike many of the "big names" who if they haven't got a biog stack with 2 levels just throw their chips and look forward until the next event.
Day 6 - The Good.
Virtually a day off from poker.
Managed to split a one table satellite before going for a bbq at the house Asher and Dee Derei had rented.
It was a very enjoyable afternoon/evening.
The party was to celebrate Tomer Benvenisti's (who finished 5th in the WSOP main event 2 years ago and is a great guy) birthday.
The other guests included Bad Beat Channing, Ben Akiva, David Levi and Amir Vahedi + his brother.
If you have seen Amir on tv, the image he portrays seems very close to9 the real Amir. He is a larger than life character and has a ton of funny stories and anecdotes.
I drank altogther too many Budweisers and had many a laugh. A thoroughly enjoyable occasion.
Day 7 - $2000 PLHE - The Ugly
I don't enjoy pot limit as much as no limit. I enjoy having the ultimate weapon of the allin push (Bushy reckons it's because I'm not good enough to make decisions after the flop...he is probably right)
But, here I played probably the best I've played all trip.
I was focussed and relaxed. I picked my spots perfectly. I never put my chips ion danger and my chips stack rose slowly despite having KK twice and seeing an ace flop both times.
I was moved tables with the blinds 100-200. I had approximately 4000 in chips which was about average.
I was positioned one off the button on my first hand at the new table.
A couple of limpers before me, so naturally I limped with T9 diamonds.
The sb now proceeded to raise the pot (I found the vast majority of yanks simply bet the pot when raising...very strange). One caller, so with position I made a dubious call (but one I almost always make). Flop comes J98 with two hearts. The sb bets the pot. I have no read on the guy, except that this is a very scary flop for any holding. I *think* I'm winning but have no way of being sure. I decide to call and see what develops on the turn. The ace of diamonds peels off. He checks. Hmmmm. Now it really looks like he's got KK or QQ. If he has any hand that beats me he must bet here. A free card is just too dangerous. So I push in with a virtual pot size bet. He goes into the tank. Finally he pipes up "I need to get lucky" and calls showing KQ hearts. He is taking 2-1 about a near 4-1 shot with 10 clear outs.
River is 2hearts. Exit Camel.
Fuck.
3 Comments:
Good to see you up and running again Keith. Best of British in Vegas.
chaos
btw I'd liked to have called your 77 with someone else's money ahh the joys of being sponsored...
Are you not coming back for the main event Monsieur Dromedary?
hmmm yes, I missed the 'final chapter' bit when wishing you luck :)
chaos
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