Ok, just busted from the Rio deepstack in about 160th place. 431 runners, most so far. They expect to get over 600 by the weekend. Yesterday they had approx 360 which went until 3am... Thats 14hrs for a $200. tournament and paid like 13K for 1st... Suggest any of you on a limited budget to give this a try.
Basically I was card dead most of the day. Had 9's, 10's J's and 3 AK's I think.. Lots of bad play around this. Saw 3 of 4 ppl that built big stacks early playing lots of hands and all went out before me.. Double up with 1 AK hand vs AQ about 4 hours in, stole blinds a few times and got it all in preflop to end my day with my 9's vs villians 10's...
Think I'll just take it easy this evening, try to get rested and go back at it tomorrow in the GN's seniors as planned.
Observations of note. Rio seems much more organized this year, I like the layout with the move of the main room to the Pavilion room.
Saw Eli and Eric Lingren sitting side beside each other in the PLO event.
Busted from the Nugget seniors, level 9... Just can't get anything going, still looking for my 1st AA,KK or QQ.... Saying alive with a combo of steals and doubling up with 2nd best hands... Think I'll play Binions tomorrow then back to Rio for either the 1pm deppstack or the WSOP seniors (only if I cash tomorrow).
You know it only cost me $130. for the rental car. It doesn't take long for it to add up using taxis and buses (shudder)... And the convenience can't be beat especially since I will split my time between downtown, the strip and the Rio..
For sure.....I was there 2 weeks, probably spent $300+ on cabs
For sure.....I was there 2 weeks, probably spent $300+ on cabs
Was there for 9 days in July last year and I was around $300 alone - and I stayed mid-strip at the Bellagio + I walked to places like Venetian and even MGM Grand a couple of times (I don't know what I was thinking)
Not a great start today, but ended up with little save at least..
Brian and I (Gogie) drove downtown this morning and had breakfast at the diner in the Golden Gate... He played the NLH event at the Nugget while I played the Binions Classic NLH this afternoon... I think the Nugget had 110 runners while Binions had 138. He lasted until around 8 pm I think perhaps 19th place... I busted out of Binions with about 74 left... Think I played it perfectly but oh well..
Bust out hand, I have about 18K, maybe average, villian has me covered, maybe 25K.. Blinds are 400/800 He has been moved to the table a couple of orbits earlier and has been liberaly stealing.. On top of that he has been making cocky remarks constantly... He has twice stolen my blinds froim his #1 seat, I'm in the 5 so I am looking to catch him... I'm in mid position with AQ suited and open limp on his big blind looking to see what he does. 3 or 4 others limp after me, if a tighter guy reraises me I can get away... He looks at me and I could just tell what he was thinking, a steal should work here... I just knew it...
Villian raises to 4500, I insta jam, everyone else insta folds... he thinks for while, shrugs his shoulders and calls... Q,10.. bonanza, got him!
Board runs out rag, rag, rag, 10, rag... Damn, where's the justice in this world.. Three or 4 comments from the rest of the table on how well i trapped him, small consolation but oh well...
At this point Brian was still in at the Nugget so I decided to play their 7pm bankroll builder, turned out to be 60 runners.. $65. buyin for 4000 chips with a $40. addon or rebuy for 4000 more...
I went on a nice run early on, these guys would mostly stack of with top pr no kicker, etc... By break and end of rebuys I was chip leader and even with the others adding on I was still the chip leader by a fair bit (I didn't add on). Think I was at about 22K. If it wasn't for doubling up a couple of short stacks I would still have been chip leader when we made final table. As it was I had 60K, just slightly over avg, two biggest stacks had about 80K and no one had less than 30. Blinds were at 1/2k and were just about to go to 2/4k. No play left at all... An even chop was suggested and almost immediately agreed to. We got $484., in between 3rd and 4th place money so everyone went home happy, cept maybe for the 11th place finisher...
Playing the Golden Nugget deep stack... 346 runners, about 240 left. I've chipped up nicely to 23K from a starting stack of 12K, blinds 200/400, ante 50. Both table bullies to my immediate right. I've been there 2 orbits and taken down the blinds and antes after 2 limpers with a raise to 1200 with 9's.
This hand I'm on the button with AA. Ultra tight UTG limps, 2 others also limp making comments about how they are going to crack his expected AA. Table bully to my immediate left raises to 2100. I call since I put him on a steal and wanted to let him hang himself, or have UTG push. Both have me covered but not by much.
UTG folds but 1 other limper also calls.. We go to the flop 3 handed with approx 7500 in the pot, I have just over 20K left. Flop K,J rag 2 clubs. 1st limper checks, bully bets 5K, I think for a minute, not sure how to play this but decided to push my 20K since there is still 1 player and a possible flush draw. He doesn't think very long but calls and turns over KQ...... Turn...... F#@#@$%;ck... damn Q....... Would have been at about 50K, with chip avg around 17K..
he apologized.... didn't make me feel any better....:(
Ok, my final day in Vegas yesterday.. Much better and although I didn't get the big $$$ win I was hoping for I did claw my way back to almost even..
Couldn't play any more big tournaments as none would be sure to finish before I had to head to the airport so started the day playing my old favorite, the Excalibur 1pm donkament... God I love that place.. I think I could make a living playing exclusively there..
$40. buyin (optional 1 rebuy or add on...), 21 runners paying 3 places. Starting chips 4000, blinds 50/100, 15 min, 2 hrs start to finish... Most, I would say 75%, have no idea of push/calling ranges. Plays like a super turbo really... I played pretty tight early and other than one set I flopped taking out 2 people didn't really win anything. Down to 6 players and I would say I appeared very tight, at least to those that noticed. I would say the other 5 were reasonably competent so decided to use my image to pick up some blinds. In 2 orbits I raised 6 times with an assortment of hands and either took down the blinds perflop or with a continuation post flop. Had built my stack to lead 2nd place by close to 2/1.
Raised twice the blind again with AA on the button and got two all-ins from both blinds, 66, and JJ.. I held to eliminate 2 and have a monster chip lead 4 handed... A couple of ppl wanted to chop at this point but I said ok, I'll take first and you three chop 2nd and 3rd.. lol.. no go... 1 more elimination and we were at three. Again they suggested chop, again I suggested the same chop.. Prize pool was $820. with a breakdown of 490/240/90 or very close.
Each of the others had about the same stack and I had each covered a bit better than 2-1... I knew I could take advantage of their fear of finishing 3rd so proposed I take 450 and they chop the balance... We settled on I take $430 and they each take $195. I knew I really didn't have that much equity as it was push or fold time each hand and luck would play a huge part so was happy with that... Does that sound good for me?
Boyed by my success in donkoments I decided to play 1/2 at the Excalibur since most of these "tournament players" were playing as well and figured it should be profitable. Started with $100. and built it to $340. when I cashed out to go catch my plane.. Saw so many stupid plays that I really wonder about the sanity of so many.
Had one interesting character from New Zealand in the one seat, (I was in the 2). he was a quadraplegic apparently broke his neck playing rugby a long time ago. Dealer would pick up his cards and show them to him, then he would bet and bet he did, rarely folding a hand preflop and mostly raising. He had about 250 when I sat down, built it to 550 then proceeded to donk it all off over a couple of hours non of it to me really. One hand I remember I played with him, he raised to 12 I called all the rest fold. Flop KK rag, he bets 20, I call. turn another rag, he checks (this was rare), I bet $40, he folds... I said how did you know...:) I'm sure I was ahed anyways. He was very talkative and friendly, especially to me since I helped him with his beer and chip stacking.. until he started to spew...
All sorts of other characters from all over the world wandered through the table during the 5 hours I was at the table. I saw young wanna be Dwan's, tilting Helmuths, and crazy asians (aka Wes's) Really was a fun time. Saw ppl triple barrel bluff off their stacks more than once.. At this sort of table there was zero value in bluffing it appeared, you were going to get paid off..
Just value bet city... over and over...
Was sorry when it was time to head out. I really should have spent the whole week there..:) Not really as I enjoyed the bigger tournaments despite my lack of success but you know what I mean.
Summary, back home safe and sound and just trying to figure when I can get back..
Comments
Basically I was card dead most of the day. Had 9's, 10's J's and 3 AK's I think.. Lots of bad play around this. Saw 3 of 4 ppl that built big stacks early playing lots of hands and all went out before me.. Double up with 1 AK hand vs AQ about 4 hours in, stole blinds a few times and got it all in preflop to end my day with my 9's vs villians 10's...
Think I'll just take it easy this evening, try to get rested and go back at it tomorrow in the GN's seniors as planned.
Observations of note. Rio seems much more organized this year, I like the layout with the move of the main room to the Pavilion room.
Saw Eli and Eric Lingren sitting side beside each other in the PLO event.
For sure.....I was there 2 weeks, probably spent $300+ on cabs
Was there for 9 days in July last year and I was around $300 alone - and I stayed mid-strip at the Bellagio + I walked to places like Venetian and even MGM Grand a couple of times (I don't know what I was thinking)
I guess when its 100 degrees, a car is a must. I have only been there in the winter.
Good luck w the rest of the tournaments.
Brian and I (Gogie) drove downtown this morning and had breakfast at the diner in the Golden Gate... He played the NLH event at the Nugget while I played the Binions Classic NLH this afternoon... I think the Nugget had 110 runners while Binions had 138. He lasted until around 8 pm I think perhaps 19th place... I busted out of Binions with about 74 left... Think I played it perfectly but oh well..
Bust out hand, I have about 18K, maybe average, villian has me covered, maybe 25K.. Blinds are 400/800 He has been moved to the table a couple of orbits earlier and has been liberaly stealing.. On top of that he has been making cocky remarks constantly... He has twice stolen my blinds froim his #1 seat, I'm in the 5 so I am looking to catch him... I'm in mid position with AQ suited and open limp on his big blind looking to see what he does. 3 or 4 others limp after me, if a tighter guy reraises me I can get away... He looks at me and I could just tell what he was thinking, a steal should work here... I just knew it...
Villian raises to 4500, I insta jam, everyone else insta folds... he thinks for while, shrugs his shoulders and calls... Q,10.. bonanza, got him!
Board runs out rag, rag, rag, 10, rag... Damn, where's the justice in this world.. Three or 4 comments from the rest of the table on how well i trapped him, small consolation but oh well...
At this point Brian was still in at the Nugget so I decided to play their 7pm bankroll builder, turned out to be 60 runners.. $65. buyin for 4000 chips with a $40. addon or rebuy for 4000 more...
I went on a nice run early on, these guys would mostly stack of with top pr no kicker, etc... By break and end of rebuys I was chip leader and even with the others adding on I was still the chip leader by a fair bit (I didn't add on). Think I was at about 22K. If it wasn't for doubling up a couple of short stacks I would still have been chip leader when we made final table. As it was I had 60K, just slightly over avg, two biggest stacks had about 80K and no one had less than 30. Blinds were at 1/2k and were just about to go to 2/4k. No play left at all... An even chop was suggested and almost immediately agreed to. We got $484., in between 3rd and 4th place money so everyone went home happy, cept maybe for the 11th place finisher...
This hand I'm on the button with AA. Ultra tight UTG limps, 2 others also limp making comments about how they are going to crack his expected AA. Table bully to my immediate left raises to 2100. I call since I put him on a steal and wanted to let him hang himself, or have UTG push. Both have me covered but not by much.
UTG folds but 1 other limper also calls.. We go to the flop 3 handed with approx 7500 in the pot, I have just over 20K left. Flop K,J rag 2 clubs. 1st limper checks, bully bets 5K, I think for a minute, not sure how to play this but decided to push my 20K since there is still 1 player and a possible flush draw. He doesn't think very long but calls and turns over KQ...... Turn...... F#@#@$%;ck... damn Q....... Would have been at about 50K, with chip avg around 17K..
he apologized.... didn't make me feel any better....:(
Couldn't play any more big tournaments as none would be sure to finish before I had to head to the airport so started the day playing my old favorite, the Excalibur 1pm donkament... God I love that place.. I think I could make a living playing exclusively there..
$40. buyin (optional 1 rebuy or add on...), 21 runners paying 3 places. Starting chips 4000, blinds 50/100, 15 min, 2 hrs start to finish... Most, I would say 75%, have no idea of push/calling ranges. Plays like a super turbo really... I played pretty tight early and other than one set I flopped taking out 2 people didn't really win anything. Down to 6 players and I would say I appeared very tight, at least to those that noticed. I would say the other 5 were reasonably competent so decided to use my image to pick up some blinds. In 2 orbits I raised 6 times with an assortment of hands and either took down the blinds perflop or with a continuation post flop. Had built my stack to lead 2nd place by close to 2/1.
Raised twice the blind again with AA on the button and got two all-ins from both blinds, 66, and JJ.. I held to eliminate 2 and have a monster chip lead 4 handed... A couple of ppl wanted to chop at this point but I said ok, I'll take first and you three chop 2nd and 3rd.. lol.. no go... 1 more elimination and we were at three. Again they suggested chop, again I suggested the same chop.. Prize pool was $820. with a breakdown of 490/240/90 or very close.
Each of the others had about the same stack and I had each covered a bit better than 2-1... I knew I could take advantage of their fear of finishing 3rd so proposed I take 450 and they chop the balance... We settled on I take $430 and they each take $195. I knew I really didn't have that much equity as it was push or fold time each hand and luck would play a huge part so was happy with that... Does that sound good for me?
Boyed by my success in donkoments I decided to play 1/2 at the Excalibur since most of these "tournament players" were playing as well and figured it should be profitable. Started with $100. and built it to $340. when I cashed out to go catch my plane.. Saw so many stupid plays that I really wonder about the sanity of so many.
Had one interesting character from New Zealand in the one seat, (I was in the 2). he was a quadraplegic apparently broke his neck playing rugby a long time ago. Dealer would pick up his cards and show them to him, then he would bet and bet he did, rarely folding a hand preflop and mostly raising. He had about 250 when I sat down, built it to 550 then proceeded to donk it all off over a couple of hours non of it to me really. One hand I remember I played with him, he raised to 12 I called all the rest fold. Flop KK rag, he bets 20, I call. turn another rag, he checks (this was rare), I bet $40, he folds... I said how did you know...:) I'm sure I was ahed anyways. He was very talkative and friendly, especially to me since I helped him with his beer and chip stacking.. until he started to spew...
All sorts of other characters from all over the world wandered through the table during the 5 hours I was at the table. I saw young wanna be Dwan's, tilting Helmuths, and crazy asians (aka Wes's)
Just value bet city... over and over...
Was sorry when it was time to head out. I really should have spent the whole week there..:) Not really as I enjoyed the bigger tournaments despite my lack of success but you know what I mean.
Summary, back home safe and sound and just trying to figure when I can get back..
I hear September 14-21 is a going to be a good time!
Nice TR Jeff, better luck next time
and yeah, sounds like an extremely +ev chop in the Xcaliber donkament.....