Vegas baby!

Having been in America for over two weeks now, you would think i would have had time for a blog entry.... If i was to say i haven't had time i would obviously be lying, but i have hardly spent a moment resting - ok I'm lying again.

Myself, Neilmc and the beej arrived in Vegas a little earlier than planned and checked into the Rio on Wednesday afternoon, a full 5 days ahead of the rest of the team. The plan was to play in 3 preliminary wsop events - the 2k on the friday, the 1.5k on the saturday and the final 1.5k on the monday. Two out of three isn't bad right?

Our debut in the wsop didn't exactly go as planned. Neil got it in with 2nd set (the 2nd nuts) on the turn and was called by a gutshot draw which duly hit on the river. I had a similar experience in that i couldn't do anything about my exit. I shoved AKs after a limper for 300 and the sb woke up with AA, and unbelievably he held - so rigged.

That night saw us out in the voodoo lounge in the rio - an open aired club. 5am arrived and we still weren't in our beds and the 1.5k event at midday was looking doubtful. "Of course we'll be playing" we kept uttering. I say uttering, i should probably add an "s" and a "t" to the beginning of that word and it would be remarkably more accurate of our state at that moment. 10+ mojitos, 4 hours sleep and 12 hours of poker don't really mix, so when we woke at 11.30, we made the executive decision to give the $1.5k a miss - "It's a crapshoot anyway" was the (still half drunken) consensus.

Saturday and sunday rolled by quickly and we were refocused for Monday's $1.5k event. This time it was Neilmc who busted when running inferior hands into superior ones, losing a couple of 70/30s to bust. I on the other hand had an interesting hand, which i definitely could have played differently, and certainly played one of the streets badly (although it didn't matter).

At 100/200/25 i had 4.8k and opened in 2nd position with JJ to 600. The chip leader who had been in every hand called and the button called.

Flop 2c Ad Tc

Ok, i'm done with the hand, i check, then they both check behind... interesting. At this point i really don't think either of them has the ace, especially the button, as I was sure with the T on the board and the two clubs he would bet an ace. I didn't think the chip leader had it either, as it had been his style to lead at these type of hands.

Turn 6d

I check and the leader fires 1.7k, button folds. I decided at this point i was good, and if i wasn't, gg. If i shove he can only call with an ace, so I felt there was no value in doing so. Sure there are now two flush draws out there, but you can't be afraid of that, he can only have one of them max and more likely neither. I felt if i called here, i could check the river and call an all in when/if it came.

I called leaving back about 2.5k, which may sound strange, but i really thought he was full of it and this was the way to get max value.

River Js

Ok... i have to confess that this threw me, i should have stuck to my guns and checked, but i didn't and moved in, he snapped called and tabled KQ for the nuts - whoops! However, my read was right and had it not been for that river i would have doubled.

The next night saw the arrival of the team, and the first party of the trip followed the next evening - and some party it was.... (to be continued)