My Vegas Trip Report.....Day 3 August 6th
On Sunday we decided we were going to check out the Bellagio and Caesars. We first went to Bellagio and the poker room was packed. Eleanor was interested in trying a SnG and they were running none. We decided to go to Caesars then.
Caesars has a brand new poker room, it was huge, when we got there they only had about 2-3 games running, two 2-5 NL and a 5-10 Limit (I think). After waiting about 5 minutes to talk a floor person we found they were going to run an $80 and we were interested however they said that they can last up to 8 hours. It was about 12:30pm at the time and we had reservations at a restaurant at 7, so we decided to go back to Bellagio.
At Bellagio they were advertising 7 card stud game of 1-5 spread limit with $0.25 ante, the minimum buy-in was $30, so I decided to give it a try. When I talked to the floor woman she said the only stud they were running was 20-40 or 50-100, I asked about the 1-5 and they said they had none. I then asked about the hold games and she said they were running 8-16 Limit and 2-5 NL. I asked which one had seat available and she told us that they 2-5 NL was starting right away. I told her to put Eleanor and me in and her response was “Are you sure? You can go All-in.†and when she said all-in she moved her hands as if she was pushing in two large stacks. It was the funniest thing. I said yeah no problem and we got seated. The min buy-in was $200 max was 500. Eleanor and I were the last at the table. I noticed most people had about $300 in front of them so I bough in for $300.
For the first ½ an hour I got no hands although I was watching the table and began to peg the players playing styles. There was an old man on my right and an older woman across from me and on Eleanor’s right. They both played the game a lot but they were reluctant to mix it up, so I knew if they started betting they had the nuts or pretty close to them. The player on my left played a lot too but was over all a pretty weak player. The player to his left was a young Asian guy and I put him on a solid but tricky player, some one to be avoided if possible. The player to Eleanor’s left was an older guy who was a calling station, he would only bet if he had a monster. The other 3 players were all OK players not tricky and mostly playing their cards, the only player I got no reads from was the player on the dealers’ right as I couldn’t see him and I didn’t really see him get into too many hands.
The first hand I played I was two off the cut-off. About 3 players limped in before me; I look down and see 9-10d. So I limp too, the cut-off limps, button folds and blinds check/call. 7 players to the flop $35 in the pot. Flop comes Qh Qd 2d. I have a flush draw. Everyone checks to me, I bet $25, the cut off calls and every one else folds. Pot is $85. The turn is an 8 giving me a gut shot. Again I bet $25, the cut off raises me an extra $25, total in the pot $135, I have to call $25 to win $135 (5 to 1) and I figure my chance are about %20 (Which is 5 to 1) to make the hand which gives me the proper odds so I call. The river is the awesome 3d making my flush. I bet out $60, the cut-off calls quickly and shows me Kh-Qs, I turn over my two diamonds, he gets a little pissed and starts to say how he doesn’t get pissed off when playing, he then says that he let me suck out on him and catch up and how he knew he should have push all-in on the turn. He then asks me if he pushed on the turn would I have called, which I said no I wouldn’t, mean while I thinking you thought you were stringing me along or were worried I had A-Q and that is why you didn’t push.
While there I saw Mark Seif, TJ Cloutier, Marcel Lüske, Jon Pham, Greg Raymer and Erik Seidel. Seidel was walking around the poker room. I saw him start talking to a petty woman who looked to be in her early forties. After talking for a bit they sat in Bobby’s room and I saw that he was teaching her how to play. After a little while some one said that the woman was Ellen Barkin.
A few hands later I was in the cut off, every one folds it around to me, I look down and see Q-10 unsuited and decide this would be a good spot to steal the blinds so I raise it to 15. The button calls. The flop comes Q-J-2. I bet 25, buttons calls, turn is a blank, I bet 35, button calls. River is another blank. I bet $50 button calls and quickly flips his hand to show K-J, I say I have a Queen and show the Q-10 and take down a nice pot.
A few hands later I’m dealt J-10 suited early and I make it 15, the calling station calls. The flop comes K-J-rag. I bet $25, calling station calls. Now I’ve seen him call down with bottom pair and no kicker so I think I may be good here, I decide to not let the pot get too large. Turn is a blank, I bet $25. He calls, river is another blank, one final 25 hopping for a fold, and he calls and shows K-J. I realize that he would only raise with monsters and would check call with any pair or two pair.
A few hands later I’m dealt A-K unsuited in the cut-off. Lot’s of limper before me. Big Slick has been killing me lately so I decide I want to take the pot right there so I raise it to 30. The player on the button who I had been killing goes all in for 57. Every one folds back to me, so I call. He shows A-J, I show A-K. Neither hand improves and he goes broke. He gets up and leaves.
He is quickly replaced by a quirky guy who thinks he knows what he is doing but is a just a big fish. The new guy can make some plays but when he gets some pressure he tends to fold. Also the Asian guy leaves and is replaced by an Italian woman who I get no reads or tells of as I really don’t see her play any hands or go to show down.
After a bit I go to the bathroom and when I return the quirky guy is on the other side of the table the left of the calling station. In his seat is a young guy who plays way too loose and over values his hands.
In one hand the young guy makes it 15, from mid position. The calling station calls from the button. Flop comes A-rag-rag. Young guy bets 25, calling station calls. Turn is another Ace. Young guy bets 50, calling station calls. River is a Jack. Young guy bet 100. Calling station raises and goes all in for an extra 150. At this point I’m thinking to myself that the calling station has to have a full house remembering that he just called me down with two pair. I’m trying to use my psychic powers to send a message for the Young guy to fold; as I want to take his money not the calling station, but he doesn’t get my psychic message and calls. The calling station shows an Ace-Jack for a full house, the young guy shows A-6 suited.
Another hand worth disusing is one I feel like I misplayed. I was in the in the BB. Several limper and I look down and see 3-5 unsuited so I check. The flop comes A-2-4 unsuited, I flop the wheel. I check, calling station bets 15, the player to the right of the dealer calls. I call the 15 and every one else folds. I am thinking to myself sweet this is going to be a nice pot. The turn is a Q which puts two spades on the board. I decide to represent the Queen and bet 25, calling station call, right of the dealer calls. At this point I am thinking to myself, no spade and don’t pair the board. The river produces an ace. At this point I think shit, and I bet $50. The calling station folds, the right of the dealer raises it an extra 50. I call and he shows A-J and I show my wheel. I was pissed with myself because if I thought about it he would have re-raised me when the Queen fell if he had two pair, but he just called. Trouble was he was right beside the dealer and I had no reads but he was playing such ABC poker that I should have known that he had only an Ace. I could have easily re-raised an extra 100 or even 150 and got paid. It was the biggest mistake I feel that I made at the game even though I won the hand.
The only other hand was when I was in the cut-off, every one folds to me. I have A-8 unsuited so I make it 15. The small blind calls and the wife in the BB call. Flop comes 5-5-8. The SB checks, the wife bets 25, I call the SB folds. The turn is a Q. The wife checks, I bet 25, she folds and appears disgusted. I show the 8. She gets pissed and says that she had me beat. I ask why she didn’t bet and she says she thought I had a queen. I later found out she had pocket 9’s.
I really got no more good hands or plays after that. After about 4 hours I had tripled my initial buy-in to just over 900 so I decided to cash out. As I was cashing out I saw Jon Pham and Raymer playing 200-400 as they were near the cashier. I think it was Hold’em but it could have been a mixed game too.
The wife cashed out up shortly after me.
Caesars has a brand new poker room, it was huge, when we got there they only had about 2-3 games running, two 2-5 NL and a 5-10 Limit (I think). After waiting about 5 minutes to talk a floor person we found they were going to run an $80 and we were interested however they said that they can last up to 8 hours. It was about 12:30pm at the time and we had reservations at a restaurant at 7, so we decided to go back to Bellagio.
At Bellagio they were advertising 7 card stud game of 1-5 spread limit with $0.25 ante, the minimum buy-in was $30, so I decided to give it a try. When I talked to the floor woman she said the only stud they were running was 20-40 or 50-100, I asked about the 1-5 and they said they had none. I then asked about the hold games and she said they were running 8-16 Limit and 2-5 NL. I asked which one had seat available and she told us that they 2-5 NL was starting right away. I told her to put Eleanor and me in and her response was “Are you sure? You can go All-in.†and when she said all-in she moved her hands as if she was pushing in two large stacks. It was the funniest thing. I said yeah no problem and we got seated. The min buy-in was $200 max was 500. Eleanor and I were the last at the table. I noticed most people had about $300 in front of them so I bough in for $300.
For the first ½ an hour I got no hands although I was watching the table and began to peg the players playing styles. There was an old man on my right and an older woman across from me and on Eleanor’s right. They both played the game a lot but they were reluctant to mix it up, so I knew if they started betting they had the nuts or pretty close to them. The player on my left played a lot too but was over all a pretty weak player. The player to his left was a young Asian guy and I put him on a solid but tricky player, some one to be avoided if possible. The player to Eleanor’s left was an older guy who was a calling station, he would only bet if he had a monster. The other 3 players were all OK players not tricky and mostly playing their cards, the only player I got no reads from was the player on the dealers’ right as I couldn’t see him and I didn’t really see him get into too many hands.
The first hand I played I was two off the cut-off. About 3 players limped in before me; I look down and see 9-10d. So I limp too, the cut-off limps, button folds and blinds check/call. 7 players to the flop $35 in the pot. Flop comes Qh Qd 2d. I have a flush draw. Everyone checks to me, I bet $25, the cut off calls and every one else folds. Pot is $85. The turn is an 8 giving me a gut shot. Again I bet $25, the cut off raises me an extra $25, total in the pot $135, I have to call $25 to win $135 (5 to 1) and I figure my chance are about %20 (Which is 5 to 1) to make the hand which gives me the proper odds so I call. The river is the awesome 3d making my flush. I bet out $60, the cut-off calls quickly and shows me Kh-Qs, I turn over my two diamonds, he gets a little pissed and starts to say how he doesn’t get pissed off when playing, he then says that he let me suck out on him and catch up and how he knew he should have push all-in on the turn. He then asks me if he pushed on the turn would I have called, which I said no I wouldn’t, mean while I thinking you thought you were stringing me along or were worried I had A-Q and that is why you didn’t push.
While there I saw Mark Seif, TJ Cloutier, Marcel Lüske, Jon Pham, Greg Raymer and Erik Seidel. Seidel was walking around the poker room. I saw him start talking to a petty woman who looked to be in her early forties. After talking for a bit they sat in Bobby’s room and I saw that he was teaching her how to play. After a little while some one said that the woman was Ellen Barkin.
A few hands later I was in the cut off, every one folds it around to me, I look down and see Q-10 unsuited and decide this would be a good spot to steal the blinds so I raise it to 15. The button calls. The flop comes Q-J-2. I bet 25, buttons calls, turn is a blank, I bet 35, button calls. River is another blank. I bet $50 button calls and quickly flips his hand to show K-J, I say I have a Queen and show the Q-10 and take down a nice pot.
A few hands later I’m dealt J-10 suited early and I make it 15, the calling station calls. The flop comes K-J-rag. I bet $25, calling station calls. Now I’ve seen him call down with bottom pair and no kicker so I think I may be good here, I decide to not let the pot get too large. Turn is a blank, I bet $25. He calls, river is another blank, one final 25 hopping for a fold, and he calls and shows K-J. I realize that he would only raise with monsters and would check call with any pair or two pair.
A few hands later I’m dealt A-K unsuited in the cut-off. Lot’s of limper before me. Big Slick has been killing me lately so I decide I want to take the pot right there so I raise it to 30. The player on the button who I had been killing goes all in for 57. Every one folds back to me, so I call. He shows A-J, I show A-K. Neither hand improves and he goes broke. He gets up and leaves.
He is quickly replaced by a quirky guy who thinks he knows what he is doing but is a just a big fish. The new guy can make some plays but when he gets some pressure he tends to fold. Also the Asian guy leaves and is replaced by an Italian woman who I get no reads or tells of as I really don’t see her play any hands or go to show down.
After a bit I go to the bathroom and when I return the quirky guy is on the other side of the table the left of the calling station. In his seat is a young guy who plays way too loose and over values his hands.
In one hand the young guy makes it 15, from mid position. The calling station calls from the button. Flop comes A-rag-rag. Young guy bets 25, calling station calls. Turn is another Ace. Young guy bets 50, calling station calls. River is a Jack. Young guy bet 100. Calling station raises and goes all in for an extra 150. At this point I’m thinking to myself that the calling station has to have a full house remembering that he just called me down with two pair. I’m trying to use my psychic powers to send a message for the Young guy to fold; as I want to take his money not the calling station, but he doesn’t get my psychic message and calls. The calling station shows an Ace-Jack for a full house, the young guy shows A-6 suited.
Another hand worth disusing is one I feel like I misplayed. I was in the in the BB. Several limper and I look down and see 3-5 unsuited so I check. The flop comes A-2-4 unsuited, I flop the wheel. I check, calling station bets 15, the player to the right of the dealer calls. I call the 15 and every one else folds. I am thinking to myself sweet this is going to be a nice pot. The turn is a Q which puts two spades on the board. I decide to represent the Queen and bet 25, calling station call, right of the dealer calls. At this point I am thinking to myself, no spade and don’t pair the board. The river produces an ace. At this point I think shit, and I bet $50. The calling station folds, the right of the dealer raises it an extra 50. I call and he shows A-J and I show my wheel. I was pissed with myself because if I thought about it he would have re-raised me when the Queen fell if he had two pair, but he just called. Trouble was he was right beside the dealer and I had no reads but he was playing such ABC poker that I should have known that he had only an Ace. I could have easily re-raised an extra 100 or even 150 and got paid. It was the biggest mistake I feel that I made at the game even though I won the hand.
The only other hand was when I was in the cut-off, every one folds to me. I have A-8 unsuited so I make it 15. The small blind calls and the wife in the BB call. Flop comes 5-5-8. The SB checks, the wife bets 25, I call the SB folds. The turn is a Q. The wife checks, I bet 25, she folds and appears disgusted. I show the 8. She gets pissed and says that she had me beat. I ask why she didn’t bet and she says she thought I had a queen. I later found out she had pocket 9’s.
I really got no more good hands or plays after that. After about 4 hours I had tripled my initial buy-in to just over 900 so I decided to cash out. As I was cashing out I saw Jon Pham and Raymer playing 200-400 as they were near the cashier. I think it was Hold’em but it could have been a mixed game too.
The wife cashed out up shortly after me.
Comments
I only looked disgusted AFTER you showed the 8. And I was disgusted at myself for not reraising your sorry ass.
great reports chris.
I just love reading all these vegas reports. i wanna gooooooooo sooooo badddddddd!!!!!!
haha
Johnny
Are you so competitive with your wife that you would rather pay rake to the casino than just check it down heads up, just so you could beat her?
The rake is the same regardless of the amount of money in the pot unless they hit the max rake.......5% is %5 is %5 so no matter what you are still losing the same percentage to the house.
In that situation there was still a person to act between me and her (the SB) and I was hoping that the SB would call as I thought (at the time) I had the best hand.
Unless it's 10%, like it was at the Bellagio
But to answer Moose's question....you better believe he's that competitive. We both are. I wouldn't "check it down" to avoid rake against any other opponent, so I wouldn't do it against Chris. I'll chop the blinds to avoid rake...but I won't conceed an active hand to do so.