Get out to Vegas on the Thurs. the 20th, a buddy picks me up and we go str8 to the Rio. I wanted to register for Sat event ASAP b/c I heard the lines were horrendous. We get in, zipzip Im registered. I get to the Rio 11:30 on sat for a 12pm start. Saw a bunch of big names shuffling through the hallways; Helmuth, Matasou,Jesus, Ivey etc. The air is definitley charged and I start to get excited. With @ 2500 runners in this event 1st place should prob pay $600k+, at this point I feel confident and figure I have a shot. I get to my table and I am happy there are no familiar faces. 8 out of 10 are 40yrs+ and I figure I could crush this table being aggresive. We start with 3,000 chips, and I take down 4 of the first 10 pots without a showdown. Then I get QKs it late position. 55 yr old limps in early position I raise to 300, he calls. Flop is something like AQ2, he checks, I bet 600, call. Some Im thinking he's on A-rag and I should be able to get him off the hand. The turn is AQ2Q, beautiful. He checks, I bet 1000 , he calls. River AQ2QK, nice. He pushes, WTF!!!, Iknow im beat before I call and he turns over AQ. GG me, out in 40 mins. I then play the Venetian deep stack tournament on Sunday, $1100, but start with 10k chips. There are 450 runners 1st place is $135k. Venetian poker room is awesome!!! Anyway I get into my aggesive mode, basically running over my table for the first few hours and Im in the top 10 with 40k in chips. Blinds are 400-800 and I am UTG with 22. I limp UTG+1 (a youg internet kid)limps, late position limps, button (55yr old local) limps, and BB checks...5 to the flop. Flop is AdKd7c, I check, internet kid raises to 4000, folds to Button who calls. I think a sec and reraise to 15k more (basically putting internet kid allin and old guy for almost his stack). Internet takes a min and folds. Old local takes longer, muttering "you limped with aces" and folds 77 face up. I flip my 22 over to oohs and ahs of the table, and the pot is pushed to me. After a few more rounds, unfortunately our table breaks, and I arrive at my new table with about 60k, one other person has about my level. However this table is filled with younger "kids" half that are foreign so I know I must slow down. Unfortunately I rarely take my advice. I dont play a hand the first orbit. I do notice that a Scandanavian kid across the table with about 40k has been involved in most pots. Next time he's in Im raising to isolate. The next hand he is UTG+1 and raises to 4k, fold to me on the button with 10-J and I make it 10k, he calls. Flop is QQ8 w/2 diamonds. He checks, I bet 14k, he insta pushes,wtf? Though my odds are real good, I think I am only drawing to 3 or 4 outs and even then they might be good. I fold. Nothing like making a really bad play to slow you down. I fold the next bunch of hands. The guy 2 to my left (the big stack) has starting to become more aggresive as my stack has dwindled. I am in the BB with 7-8. Action fold to the button, he raises to 5k, I think a sec (thought I already to planned to resteal his steal attempt) and raise to 15k leaving me 15. He instafold, thatll teach him. I chip up back to around 50k which is above average with about 100 ppl left. Blinds are 1-2k. Aggresive Scandanvian makes it 4k in mid position, agg blind stealer makes it 10k, I look down to KK, I just call. Agg Scand moves allin for about 35k, blindstealer thinks a min and pushes and has me covered. Im not too worried abouth the Scand, but the stealer has me a little shook. I say fuck it, if win this Im chip leader and in great position. I call Scand, turns over JJ and blindstealer flips AK(I was so expectingAA). Of course flop is AAJ no K comes out and Im sent packing. ...to be continued
Gun - thanks for sharing, very entertaining read! Do you have a poker blog or anything by chance? Question for gun and others that play @ these events - where/how did you get started into getting more serious about playing? I'm just curious as I've always enjoyed playing poker but I assumed that in the US you can't play for $ online anymore and was just wondering where and how to start if I wanted to get a little more serious... I'd appreciate any ideas/suggestions.
Good read Gun, you play an aggressive style, something that I had not mastered. The first blowout, it's unfortunate, you have to trust your instincts, not nerves. I'm also really impressed at the AdKd7c bluff when the old man had triple 7 and put you on trip aces, what went in your mind when you pulled that move, what was the reasoning? It's also too bad about that last hand where you were beat with KKs, KKs is the second best hand in heads up, but as you probably know pre-flop pairs weaken the more players are in play while weak hands get stronger.
As far as online, Pokerstars, fulltilt , ultimate bet and absolut still do business with the US. I would recommend Pokerstars, most players, best game selection and tournament. I think you can now deposit using Western union or opening an Ewallet. Cashing out by check ony takes 5 days and they are written on a Us bank so they clear in 1.
The 22 bluff was somewhat of a misread on my part. I thought UTG+1 was trying to make a play with A-rag, and old guy was perhaps on a draw. I thought I repped AAA or KKK welll, however if I knew he had 777 I neer would have tried it.
And it's perfectly legal in the US? Why am I under the impression this stuff was shut down in the US?
My next tournamment is the $2000 nl wsop event at the Rio. I was a little discouraged, but happy I have plugged up my biggest leak, which is big bluffing, 3 barrels , with air. I get to my table as its starting. My first impression is that it will be a good table. Only two people younger than myself, a kid decked out in a mouth grill, and a young Asian kid directly on my left. I start out in my usual aggresive mode and Im able to chip up from the starting 4k to about 5500 by just stealing blinds and taking down pots on the flop. I am playing well and fell very comfortable. However, the Asian kid to my left has been coughing a lung out. I have literally moved my chair 2 feet from the table and only lean in to check my cards or play a hand. This hand then comes up. An early position raiser makes it 300, I call in late position with KQs, and SARS boy calls as well. Flop IRC was KJ7. EP bets out 600, wanting to know where I stand, I raise to 1600, SARS calls and EP folds. The river brings a non friendly 7, I check, he bets 1800 of his 2500, and I fold. Somehow I manage to chip down to 1800. The 10 seat which has had a starting stack, but no player is finally occupied by no other than David Williams. David was the runner up to Raymer in the '05 Main Event, as well as a lot of impressive finishes. David wastes no time, and open raises 2/3 of the pots. People will play with him till the turn then fold. David doubled through a 50 yr old tight player by calling the players preflop raise in position, then calling the players push on a 7710 board. 50 yr old flips ove aces, David 7-4 suited. david has about 9k and has become very chatty with the table. David is now the table captain, frequently raising any 2 cards in position and basically running over everybody. Me, Im sitting there with about 1600 and worrying Im going to catch influenza. David gets trimmed doen to 6k when his Aces get cracked. Two hands later I am in middle position with A7s. Blinds are 10-200, UTG limps, UTG+! limps, I limp, SaRS limps and David raises to 700. Folded to me and I say " I hope your're playing your style" and put the rest of my chips in. Folds to him and I guess he was a little offended b'c he asks "is that is some kind of backhanded comment"? I didnt correct him and tell him he meant "complement" not "comment" and Im happy to see he makes the call with K4s. My A holds and I am up to about 4k. The very next hand, I open raise to 600 with JJ. Folds to David who calls. The two of us to the flop. Q33, I bet 800, he calls. Turn is a blank, I check, he bets 1000 I call. River a blank check,check and he mucks. A few hands later, David is in the BB with about 4k in chips and I have about 6k. I pick up Q8s one from the button and it gets folded around to me. I make it 800 and of course David makes the call. Flop is J8rag. I bet 600 David calls. Turn is a Q. I bet 800 David calls. River blank, I bet 1000 he calls. I show the 2 pair and he mucks, but first shows me a Q,,,,yeah so? David has gotten very quiet and busts out the next hand. To my delight SARS boy busts out a few hands later. I pull my chair up to the table and am the tables chipleader with 11k. A few hands later I get bumped to another table. This table has chips as I am now 4/10. Still I have enough to play my style. I dont play a hand the first orbit. Then I open raise 5 outof the next 10. I tokk them all down either pre or on the flop. The old guy on my right says" We gotta cowboy here". "Not me sir, I have just gotten ACes dealt to me 5x". Im up to about 14k an have Ak UTG. I make my standard 3-BB raise to 1200. I get 2 callers, one is the big stack. Flop is K83 all spades, I hold the A spades. I bet 2000, mid guy folds, bigstack makes it 5k. Knowing he either has a small flush, a set or total air, Ipush my remaining chips in. He instacalls and flips over 88. The board pairs, and I am on dead before the river has been dealt. TOurney over!!! Ill be back with more.
Sure looks like you can hang with any of those guys, gun. If you get the cards, and just a tiny bit better luck, you are going to roll! Thanks for the interesting play-by-play.
Brownsfan, I play on and would also recommend PokerStars as well. There is alot of misconception about the law that was passed regarding online poker. I am no legal expert, but from what I understand, it basically related to banks handling of gambing funds and really didn't in any way make online poker or gambling illegal in the U.S. Again, however I am no lawyer or anything. cardplayer.com has a legal person who has written quite a bit on this subject. In my understanding, a bank COULD get in trouble if they partake in gambling transactions, but an online poker site would NOT get in trouble (again, only my understanding). Anyways, what happened was SOME of the online poker sites, including PartyPoker, which at the time was the biggest decided they could no longer take the possible legal risks of offering poker to U.S. players. One reason I think they did that is they are a company listed on a stock exchange in Europe and didnt' want to risk legal action. On the other hand, Pokerstars is privately held (as I understand it, I'm not 100% sure), and they have a lot of U.S. business and quite honestly did not want to shut down U.S. players under any circumstances. So, I think unless the feds specificially threaten them, they won't shut down poker for U.S. players. The only problem I have seen is that some ways you used to be able to get money into Pokerstars don't work anymore (for example, your Visa card probably won't work). I would love to go to the WSOP someday - maybe just play a $1500 or $2000 event. I guess I am just waiting for a solid win in a smaller tourney first. JJacksET4