Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Tournament Report 9/25/2010
It was a balmy night outdoors, as 20 (count-em) 20 players settled in to three tables under the new patio cover at Pepper Street.
Tight was right (or at least prevalent) for a long time, as no one busted before the break, and the first to fall - Dave G., finally succumbed after almost 2 hours of play.
Then it was a trickle, then it was a gush. Yours truly stacked off at the midway point - finishing in 10th, when my blind became too big to relinquish and I stuck the rest in blind.
Our bubble boy (or should I say man, because he took it so well) was Tom L., always a class act - and very good taste in movies as he selected "Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid" for his DVD.
Always near or in the money, Dog D, pocketed $72 for fifth place.
Fourth place, and $88, went to the always classy Robert A.
Marc F., 2009's Player of the Year, took down third place for a delectable $120.
After a brief but intense heads up battle, Noah P. walked away with second place and $200 for his efforts.
Taking down his third tournament this year, Mike P. scooped up $320 and the trophy, and propelled himself to a sizable POY points lead. Holy crap! Well done Mike!
A big thanks to everyone who attended, including PSP virgin Sean T., who also, at my request - brought along his SLR camera to shoot what is sure to be a super groovy timelapse of the evening.
Also a special shout out to all the peeps, and there were quite a few of you, who stuck around to help with the larger than usual clean up (moving all the stuff in and out of the garage is quite a bit more of an effort) it was GREATLY appreciated.
Our next one is coming up fast! October 9th looks to be the only workable date for me next month, hope you can make it on such a short notice! There likely won't be a cash game until November.
Word up!
Tight was right (or at least prevalent) for a long time, as no one busted before the break, and the first to fall - Dave G., finally succumbed after almost 2 hours of play.
Then it was a trickle, then it was a gush. Yours truly stacked off at the midway point - finishing in 10th, when my blind became too big to relinquish and I stuck the rest in blind.
Our bubble boy (or should I say man, because he took it so well) was Tom L., always a class act - and very good taste in movies as he selected "Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid" for his DVD.
Always near or in the money, Dog D, pocketed $72 for fifth place.
Fourth place, and $88, went to the always classy Robert A.
Marc F., 2009's Player of the Year, took down third place for a delectable $120.
After a brief but intense heads up battle, Noah P. walked away with second place and $200 for his efforts.
Taking down his third tournament this year, Mike P. scooped up $320 and the trophy, and propelled himself to a sizable POY points lead. Holy crap! Well done Mike!
A big thanks to everyone who attended, including PSP virgin Sean T., who also, at my request - brought along his SLR camera to shoot what is sure to be a super groovy timelapse of the evening.
Also a special shout out to all the peeps, and there were quite a few of you, who stuck around to help with the larger than usual clean up (moving all the stuff in and out of the garage is quite a bit more of an effort) it was GREATLY appreciated.
Our next one is coming up fast! October 9th looks to be the only workable date for me next month, hope you can make it on such a short notice! There likely won't be a cash game until November.
Word up!
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Going to Vegas Baby!
The good Dr. David (my brother) and myself are off to Sin City, from Thursday, October 21st through Sunday, October 24th.
It also looks like long time Pepper St. regular Marc F. will be coming along.
I'm hoping that some, maybe even many, of you all will read what the long weekend holds in store below - and perhaps decide to join us!
*********
Vegas to me is all about tournament poker. I won't be dabbling in any cash game activity, but wherever I go there will doubtless always be plenty of live game action available. It's just my preference - I like having a stop loss on how much I can lose for the day - and I find tournaments inherently a lot more exciting as well as a less desperate and degenerate venue.
In a tournament, everyone has paid their entry fee - a regular tournament in Vegas is typically around a hundred bucks - so everyone is on equal footing and no one is going to lose their mortgage in a single event. In a No Limit cash game, even at 1/2, a player can reload over and over and potentially lose everything. The result of this is a very noticeably different vibe and clientele at the table. There are always literally sharks at a cash game in Vegas, regulars who could care less if they are taking food off your plate. Sure, these guys play in the tournaments too - but the most money they are going to get off of me there is what I've already plunked down, money that is in my mind simply for entertainment.
As I said, it's just my preference - but where ever I play there will for sure be cash games, and I will concede that in most rooms in Vegas they are very soft. So if cash games are your thing, don't let me dissuade you from joining us. We'll have lots of time to hang and eat.
*********
This will be the fourth time in under two years I have journeyed out to the poker mecca of the world - I have exhaustively researched where the best tournaments are. Now what makes a tournament good you might ask? I have a bit different criteria than others, because I am not looking first and foremost to make money.
Yes, that was the needle getting ripped off the record. You heard me.
I'm not in this game for the cash. I'm in it for the fun.
As a live player, and online as well, I have pretty good results - I know because I've been pretty meticulous about documenting my bankroll over the last five years. But I don't play often enough, or at high enough levels to seriously supplement my income.
And I wouldn't want to. Poker in large doses can be a real grind and not very fun. I play solely because I am passionate about the game. It is a great challenge, and in moderation and with the right mindset it is a hell of a lot of fun.
If poker weren't big fun for me, I wouldn't bother.
*********
So with fun as the primary goal, what makes a great poker tournament for me?
- #1 is starting chips and blind structure.
I can't have fun if I can't play poker. Without a decent amount of ammo to start with, and without a reasonable length of time to splash around, a poker tournament can be simply a series of coin flips. Give me chippies and give me reasonable blindies.
I will be playing at some of the best structured dailies that Vegas has to offer, read on below to get the scoop.
- #2 is the entry fee.
Believe it or not, I don't like the super cheap tournaments, for two reasons. One, is that if a tournament is super low priced it inevitably means that it is an epic fail in reason number one above. 2000 starting chips and blinds doubling every 15 minutes seems hardly worth it to try and win the second and most important reason that a cheapo tournament is no good - a tiny prize pool. I have to have something worth playing for. Chopping 5 ways for $80 is better than a poke in the eye with a burnt stick, but not by much.
On the other side of the chip, I'm not going to seek out the top end weekly tournaments - the $330 at the Venetian or the $540 at the Bellagio. I simply don't have that kind of coin lying around, and I certainly don't crush the game well enough to justify digging it up. The tournaments I'm looking at average around $100 - the least expensive being $75 and the most topping off at $150.
- #3 is the room.
I love, love, love playing in a kick ass poker room. Nice atmosphere, good dealers, attentive cocktail servers and most importantly friendly management. As I said, I've done a lot of research - including in the field, and every room I'm playing in on this trip meets this criteria.
- #4 is the clientele.
Is it a room loaded with locals? Swarthy degenerates? Or is it boisterous tourists? The rooms I keep coming back too are the ones that have more people like me - enthusiastic and friendly recreational players. Calling station drunks can be pretty tiresome, both on my head and my wallet. Every day semi-pros I don't need, there are enough of them at Hollywood Park. I'm looking for nice people looking to have fun, who also know how to fold middle pair. No room is ideal for this, but there are some that are better than others. In any case, there is probably no place better in the world for beatable games than in Vegas.
*********
With all these things in mind- I've drawn up a hypothetical schedule containing what I consider to be the very best regular tournaments in Las Vegas.
Nothing is set in stone, I like to stay pretty flexible, but these are the rooms I'm hoping to hit. I plan to play 2 major tournaments a day, plus at least 2 or 3 minor events in the late evening and/or early morning.
The great thing about this kind of trip though, and I've done this 3 other times with a group of friends, is that everyone is free to set their own schedules, and yet we will still have lots of time to hang out over meals and on the rail.
Hopefully this will entice some of you to come along!
-Thursday, October 21-
My super cheap flight arrives at 945am.
Pickup my super cheap rental car at 10am.
I know, I know, why rent a car in Vegas? Simple, do the math - a cab ride to the strip, if you're lucky and they don't take the tunnel is $20 minimum. That's $40 roundtrip. More than likely it will be $50, or even $60. I've booked a car that comes to just over twice that last amount for four days. So I get complete freedom to go when and where I want - without relying on the time consuming, and potentially smelly hassle of cabs or shuttles. If I get the urge to play in Binion's downtown, it's a snap. If I'm at the Venetian and need to get to the MGM quickly, it's a done deal. I can still take long walks on the strip, in fact I plan to, but after the sun goes down there's no reason to risk life and limb anywhere off the strip - or for that matter risk getting puked on or punched out anywhere on the strip.
Arrive at the somewhat super cheap Orleans and sign up for the $75 NLHE nooner with time to spare.
The Orleans is my dump of choice - slightly nicer than the Imperial Palace or Tropicana, but still easy on the wallet.
The poker room itself is run really well and has fantastic tournaments, probably the best structured for a low entry in all of Vegas.
The room's downfall is it's clientele - a grumpy mix of idiot blingers and crusty old codgers that have been around as long as the increasingly worn out furniture. I'm not saying this gang isn't beatable - but in the half dozen or so tournaments I've played at the Orleans, I've never cashed once. Still, because this trip is not about making money first and foremost - it's about having fun, I am happy to take the trade off and get my feet wet in this outstanding event.
After I stack off with bottom set in the third hour, my room will likely be ready. I'll grab a bite and take a nap before heading back downstairs to register for the Omaha/8 tournament. That's right, an Omaha/8 tournament!
This is the main reason I picked the Orleans - nowhere else in town spreads fixed limit tournaments. Again, as with the NLHE crowd here, I'm basically dead money. But it is a thrill to splash around in Omaha-land! Plus I can take it easy and not worry about going outside the hotel on my first night - the food at the Orleans is pretty decent and not too painfully expensive as I recall.
I should get about 4 hours of play (if my last Omaha tournament here was any indication) and probably not be anywhere near the money when I get blinded off - but I'll just keep telling myself it's a real privilege to play in an Omaha tournament, plus I'll likely grab some ice cream afterwards, hopefully nothing too calorically disastrous, before heading off to bed.
-Friday, October 22-
The next morning - it's off campus - to the Friday Nooner at Venetian!
$150 brings me the best structured regular tournament in all of Vegas.
The trade off here is - the competition is a bit stiffer, lots of locals (though not as incestuous as the Orleans) but the room is first rate. Here is my first real chance to cash - tight ABC will actually do the job (or at least get me close to the bubble) barring any massive coolers - if I get lucky and get hit with the deck I need to hunker down and play for first place; bet, raise, re-raise!
Hopefully I won't get felted early on - but if I do I must stay disciplined and refrain from rushing off to register for another tournament right away. I need to take a walk, maybe grab a bite, enjoy myself and not beat myself up too bad if I misplayed a hand or two, or six or seven.
Need to stay strong and hold out until 7pm, when I'll stroll on over to the Mirage for some boisterous bounty action! At $150, the Friday night tournament is quite a bit steeper than their usual $80 donk fest, but it is sooooo much fun! Plus as a bounty event, you only need to bust 1 player to get back $50. It makes for a lot of action and is an absolute blast to play.
The Mirage is by far the softest poker room I have ever played in. It is typically full of tourists. It is the site of the one tournament where I was a truly dominating table captain. I will always love playing at the Mirage.
Hopefully I'll be tired and exhilarated from chopping final table money - so I can head back to bed. More than likely though, on a Friday night in Vegas - I'll be ready to stroll on over to Treasure Island and sign up for their spectacularly bad structured $50 turbo tournament at 10pm.
This room is a real hoot to play in. Truly smoke free, fantastic dealers and even the locals (which are outnumbered at least 4 to 1 by tourists) are about as fishy as they come. Believe it or not, I've won two tournaments here (chopped for first with the chip lead) - though I really believe the structure makes this virtually a "no skill required" event. The main reason I keep coming back, is because this is probably the most fun room in Vegas.
-Saturday, October 23-
Saturday morning - I will awake to either the comforting thought that I've cashed at least once, or the slightly melancholy realization that I've dropped my entry fees with no return on my investment.
Either way - I will do the same on this trip that I have on the others - REFUSE to let my results, which are over a teeny tiny sample of hands, color my trip enjoyment level beyond a very small amount. People run hot, people run cold - when I'm only playing 10 tournaments in 4 days, I can't get hung up on the showdown. I need to relax and enjoy 3rd and 4th street - because that's where the major fun is. Besides, I always play better and win more when I try my best not to worry about results.
Having said that - my Saturday schedule is actually a bit dependent on my results.
First things first, no matter if I am up or down, I will start with the $50 9am tournament at the fabulous Monte Carlo.
Again, it seems I am breaking my criteria severely. The tournament here is another $50 donkament - with an even worse structure than T.I. But I absolutely love the ultra-mellow vibe and old school atmosphere of this room at 9am. The house fee may make this tournament unbeatable, but the room is populated on any given morning by 80 to 100 percent tourists. The dealers are slow, but super friendly, they explain the rules thoroughly before we start as there are truly people sitting around the table who have literally never played poker before - this is my kind of place. The structure is terrible - but this has to be even softer than the Mirage.
Afterwards, if I am up at all (even a few dollars) I'll head on down to the 2pm $225 big weekend event at Caesar's.
I really, really, really want to play in this one. 15,000 chips, 30 minute levels - very nice. My poker compatriots have long told me that this room is soft - in the few times I've played here, I found that to be anything but true. Still, I look forward to stumbling across that miracle table someday. Even if I don't, it would be a great privilege to play in the third best weekly in Vegas (the better two being the Venetian and Bellagio, which at $330 and $540 apiece respectively, are a bit much for me even if I've happened to cash).
If I haven't made any profit - meaning I haven't cashed, or have cashed and not booked more than my buy-ins so far - then I'll wander on down to the 1pm tournament at Aria.
For only $125, this is a fantastically structured event with 30 minute levels. Plus, unlike Venetian or Orleans, the room is typically loaded with tourists - and these are the best kind of tourists! Moderate to serious recreational players like me, who have been known to think through a hand and are actually capable of folding fairly strong cards once in awhile. There are some locals to watch out for of the maniac (or is it manic) kind - but easily detectable and avoidable.
For the 7pm tournament - it's a toss up. Depending on how soft the Mirage was on Friday night, I'll either head there again (for their $80 version of a bounty tournament) or head on over to the $125 Venetian for it's superb structure and starting stack.
If I started the day at Aria I'm unlikely to remain there for the 7pm tournament, only because I'm going to need a change of scenery. However, if I played at Caesar's at 2pm - then I'll make a bee-line for the Aria.
Finally, if I'm winning a lot - I'll likely crash into T.I. for the 10pm push and pray. Or, if I'm 0 for 7 at this point - I'll... likely crash into T.I. for the 10pm push and pray. Only if I've made some money, and am exhausted, will I pass on the late night merriment and head back to the ranch.
-Sunday, October 24-
Sunday - will be the 11am $80 bounty at Mirage. Gotta love these tourist-aments.
After, I may hit an afternoon turbo at Planet Hollywood or T.I. if I have time or inclination.
At 7pm I will be back home at Orleans, for what is sure to be a highlight - a $75 H.O.R.S.E. tournament. Dead money. Good times. I love mixed games so much - though I haven't devoted my time enough to them to be as proficient as I am with NLHE (along with everyone else in the world).
Because I'll already be back in my hotel, I will have already gassed up the rental and can go straight to bed so I can be up and out for an early morning departure. Very nice.
*********
By the way, let me repeat - this entire schedule is subject to change - it is potentially very hypothetical, but as of now it's where I'm inclined to play. Like I alluded to, I might get the impulse to go downtown - I've never played at Binion's or the Nugget, so that has always been in the back of my mind.
In any event, as if you couldn't tell - I am SUPER excited about this trip.
*********
-Objective-
My main goal, believe it or not - is not to make money.
My main goal is to push myself poker-wise. To really focus and play my hardest, expanding my game and losing my fear of the dollars attached to the chips. In my mind, the money is already spent - I'm not counting on it coming back. I don't care about the cash. I care about bringing my A-game and leaving my anxiety at the door. The biggest component this equation will be having fun.
I plan to not talk strategy at the table - but at the same time, I'll be eager to socialize about any other subject. I'm here to get loaded on diet cokes, and maybe enjoy a massage or two. I plan to show a busted bluff - and get paid later. I hit quads last trip - and checked to the better, who checked behind with a full house! This time if I get quads and it's 5th street - I'm a shovin'.
I do want very much to talk poker strategy though, away from the tables and with all of my traveling companions.
I normally stay silent on strategy at Pepper Street, at least for the tournaments - but all bets are off in Vegas. I'm eager to chat it up about hands and how to not butcher them too badly - I always learn something when discussing poker with you all and I hope you'll partake if you come along.
I am also very much looking forward to some good ass meals. I don't need to stuff myself till I'm sick - but I definitely want to savor some culinary goodness. Long walks through City Center should help alleviate some of this indulgence.
Hope you can make it! Until then, I'll be biding my time, pre-visualizing my chip splashing and river hitting.
Can't.
Wait.
It also looks like long time Pepper St. regular Marc F. will be coming along.
I'm hoping that some, maybe even many, of you all will read what the long weekend holds in store below - and perhaps decide to join us!
*********
Vegas to me is all about tournament poker. I won't be dabbling in any cash game activity, but wherever I go there will doubtless always be plenty of live game action available. It's just my preference - I like having a stop loss on how much I can lose for the day - and I find tournaments inherently a lot more exciting as well as a less desperate and degenerate venue.
In a tournament, everyone has paid their entry fee - a regular tournament in Vegas is typically around a hundred bucks - so everyone is on equal footing and no one is going to lose their mortgage in a single event. In a No Limit cash game, even at 1/2, a player can reload over and over and potentially lose everything. The result of this is a very noticeably different vibe and clientele at the table. There are always literally sharks at a cash game in Vegas, regulars who could care less if they are taking food off your plate. Sure, these guys play in the tournaments too - but the most money they are going to get off of me there is what I've already plunked down, money that is in my mind simply for entertainment.
As I said, it's just my preference - but where ever I play there will for sure be cash games, and I will concede that in most rooms in Vegas they are very soft. So if cash games are your thing, don't let me dissuade you from joining us. We'll have lots of time to hang and eat.
*********
This will be the fourth time in under two years I have journeyed out to the poker mecca of the world - I have exhaustively researched where the best tournaments are. Now what makes a tournament good you might ask? I have a bit different criteria than others, because I am not looking first and foremost to make money.
Yes, that was the needle getting ripped off the record. You heard me.
I'm not in this game for the cash. I'm in it for the fun.
As a live player, and online as well, I have pretty good results - I know because I've been pretty meticulous about documenting my bankroll over the last five years. But I don't play often enough, or at high enough levels to seriously supplement my income.
And I wouldn't want to. Poker in large doses can be a real grind and not very fun. I play solely because I am passionate about the game. It is a great challenge, and in moderation and with the right mindset it is a hell of a lot of fun.
If poker weren't big fun for me, I wouldn't bother.
*********
So with fun as the primary goal, what makes a great poker tournament for me?
- #1 is starting chips and blind structure.
I can't have fun if I can't play poker. Without a decent amount of ammo to start with, and without a reasonable length of time to splash around, a poker tournament can be simply a series of coin flips. Give me chippies and give me reasonable blindies.
I will be playing at some of the best structured dailies that Vegas has to offer, read on below to get the scoop.
- #2 is the entry fee.
Believe it or not, I don't like the super cheap tournaments, for two reasons. One, is that if a tournament is super low priced it inevitably means that it is an epic fail in reason number one above. 2000 starting chips and blinds doubling every 15 minutes seems hardly worth it to try and win the second and most important reason that a cheapo tournament is no good - a tiny prize pool. I have to have something worth playing for. Chopping 5 ways for $80 is better than a poke in the eye with a burnt stick, but not by much.
On the other side of the chip, I'm not going to seek out the top end weekly tournaments - the $330 at the Venetian or the $540 at the Bellagio. I simply don't have that kind of coin lying around, and I certainly don't crush the game well enough to justify digging it up. The tournaments I'm looking at average around $100 - the least expensive being $75 and the most topping off at $150.
- #3 is the room.
I love, love, love playing in a kick ass poker room. Nice atmosphere, good dealers, attentive cocktail servers and most importantly friendly management. As I said, I've done a lot of research - including in the field, and every room I'm playing in on this trip meets this criteria.
- #4 is the clientele.
Is it a room loaded with locals? Swarthy degenerates? Or is it boisterous tourists? The rooms I keep coming back too are the ones that have more people like me - enthusiastic and friendly recreational players. Calling station drunks can be pretty tiresome, both on my head and my wallet. Every day semi-pros I don't need, there are enough of them at Hollywood Park. I'm looking for nice people looking to have fun, who also know how to fold middle pair. No room is ideal for this, but there are some that are better than others. In any case, there is probably no place better in the world for beatable games than in Vegas.
*********
With all these things in mind- I've drawn up a hypothetical schedule containing what I consider to be the very best regular tournaments in Las Vegas.
Nothing is set in stone, I like to stay pretty flexible, but these are the rooms I'm hoping to hit. I plan to play 2 major tournaments a day, plus at least 2 or 3 minor events in the late evening and/or early morning.
The great thing about this kind of trip though, and I've done this 3 other times with a group of friends, is that everyone is free to set their own schedules, and yet we will still have lots of time to hang out over meals and on the rail.
Hopefully this will entice some of you to come along!
-Thursday, October 21-
My super cheap flight arrives at 945am.
Pickup my super cheap rental car at 10am.
I know, I know, why rent a car in Vegas? Simple, do the math - a cab ride to the strip, if you're lucky and they don't take the tunnel is $20 minimum. That's $40 roundtrip. More than likely it will be $50, or even $60. I've booked a car that comes to just over twice that last amount for four days. So I get complete freedom to go when and where I want - without relying on the time consuming, and potentially smelly hassle of cabs or shuttles. If I get the urge to play in Binion's downtown, it's a snap. If I'm at the Venetian and need to get to the MGM quickly, it's a done deal. I can still take long walks on the strip, in fact I plan to, but after the sun goes down there's no reason to risk life and limb anywhere off the strip - or for that matter risk getting puked on or punched out anywhere on the strip.
Arrive at the somewhat super cheap Orleans and sign up for the $75 NLHE nooner with time to spare.
The Orleans is my dump of choice - slightly nicer than the Imperial Palace or Tropicana, but still easy on the wallet.
The poker room itself is run really well and has fantastic tournaments, probably the best structured for a low entry in all of Vegas.
The room's downfall is it's clientele - a grumpy mix of idiot blingers and crusty old codgers that have been around as long as the increasingly worn out furniture. I'm not saying this gang isn't beatable - but in the half dozen or so tournaments I've played at the Orleans, I've never cashed once. Still, because this trip is not about making money first and foremost - it's about having fun, I am happy to take the trade off and get my feet wet in this outstanding event.
After I stack off with bottom set in the third hour, my room will likely be ready. I'll grab a bite and take a nap before heading back downstairs to register for the Omaha/8 tournament. That's right, an Omaha/8 tournament!
This is the main reason I picked the Orleans - nowhere else in town spreads fixed limit tournaments. Again, as with the NLHE crowd here, I'm basically dead money. But it is a thrill to splash around in Omaha-land! Plus I can take it easy and not worry about going outside the hotel on my first night - the food at the Orleans is pretty decent and not too painfully expensive as I recall.
I should get about 4 hours of play (if my last Omaha tournament here was any indication) and probably not be anywhere near the money when I get blinded off - but I'll just keep telling myself it's a real privilege to play in an Omaha tournament, plus I'll likely grab some ice cream afterwards, hopefully nothing too calorically disastrous, before heading off to bed.
-Friday, October 22-
The next morning - it's off campus - to the Friday Nooner at Venetian!
$150 brings me the best structured regular tournament in all of Vegas.
The trade off here is - the competition is a bit stiffer, lots of locals (though not as incestuous as the Orleans) but the room is first rate. Here is my first real chance to cash - tight ABC will actually do the job (or at least get me close to the bubble) barring any massive coolers - if I get lucky and get hit with the deck I need to hunker down and play for first place; bet, raise, re-raise!
Hopefully I won't get felted early on - but if I do I must stay disciplined and refrain from rushing off to register for another tournament right away. I need to take a walk, maybe grab a bite, enjoy myself and not beat myself up too bad if I misplayed a hand or two, or six or seven.
Need to stay strong and hold out until 7pm, when I'll stroll on over to the Mirage for some boisterous bounty action! At $150, the Friday night tournament is quite a bit steeper than their usual $80 donk fest, but it is sooooo much fun! Plus as a bounty event, you only need to bust 1 player to get back $50. It makes for a lot of action and is an absolute blast to play.
The Mirage is by far the softest poker room I have ever played in. It is typically full of tourists. It is the site of the one tournament where I was a truly dominating table captain. I will always love playing at the Mirage.
Hopefully I'll be tired and exhilarated from chopping final table money - so I can head back to bed. More than likely though, on a Friday night in Vegas - I'll be ready to stroll on over to Treasure Island and sign up for their spectacularly bad structured $50 turbo tournament at 10pm.
This room is a real hoot to play in. Truly smoke free, fantastic dealers and even the locals (which are outnumbered at least 4 to 1 by tourists) are about as fishy as they come. Believe it or not, I've won two tournaments here (chopped for first with the chip lead) - though I really believe the structure makes this virtually a "no skill required" event. The main reason I keep coming back, is because this is probably the most fun room in Vegas.
-Saturday, October 23-
Saturday morning - I will awake to either the comforting thought that I've cashed at least once, or the slightly melancholy realization that I've dropped my entry fees with no return on my investment.
Either way - I will do the same on this trip that I have on the others - REFUSE to let my results, which are over a teeny tiny sample of hands, color my trip enjoyment level beyond a very small amount. People run hot, people run cold - when I'm only playing 10 tournaments in 4 days, I can't get hung up on the showdown. I need to relax and enjoy 3rd and 4th street - because that's where the major fun is. Besides, I always play better and win more when I try my best not to worry about results.
Having said that - my Saturday schedule is actually a bit dependent on my results.
First things first, no matter if I am up or down, I will start with the $50 9am tournament at the fabulous Monte Carlo.
Again, it seems I am breaking my criteria severely. The tournament here is another $50 donkament - with an even worse structure than T.I. But I absolutely love the ultra-mellow vibe and old school atmosphere of this room at 9am. The house fee may make this tournament unbeatable, but the room is populated on any given morning by 80 to 100 percent tourists. The dealers are slow, but super friendly, they explain the rules thoroughly before we start as there are truly people sitting around the table who have literally never played poker before - this is my kind of place. The structure is terrible - but this has to be even softer than the Mirage.
Afterwards, if I am up at all (even a few dollars) I'll head on down to the 2pm $225 big weekend event at Caesar's.
I really, really, really want to play in this one. 15,000 chips, 30 minute levels - very nice. My poker compatriots have long told me that this room is soft - in the few times I've played here, I found that to be anything but true. Still, I look forward to stumbling across that miracle table someday. Even if I don't, it would be a great privilege to play in the third best weekly in Vegas (the better two being the Venetian and Bellagio, which at $330 and $540 apiece respectively, are a bit much for me even if I've happened to cash).
If I haven't made any profit - meaning I haven't cashed, or have cashed and not booked more than my buy-ins so far - then I'll wander on down to the 1pm tournament at Aria.
For only $125, this is a fantastically structured event with 30 minute levels. Plus, unlike Venetian or Orleans, the room is typically loaded with tourists - and these are the best kind of tourists! Moderate to serious recreational players like me, who have been known to think through a hand and are actually capable of folding fairly strong cards once in awhile. There are some locals to watch out for of the maniac (or is it manic) kind - but easily detectable and avoidable.
For the 7pm tournament - it's a toss up. Depending on how soft the Mirage was on Friday night, I'll either head there again (for their $80 version of a bounty tournament) or head on over to the $125 Venetian for it's superb structure and starting stack.
If I started the day at Aria I'm unlikely to remain there for the 7pm tournament, only because I'm going to need a change of scenery. However, if I played at Caesar's at 2pm - then I'll make a bee-line for the Aria.
Finally, if I'm winning a lot - I'll likely crash into T.I. for the 10pm push and pray. Or, if I'm 0 for 7 at this point - I'll... likely crash into T.I. for the 10pm push and pray. Only if I've made some money, and am exhausted, will I pass on the late night merriment and head back to the ranch.
-Sunday, October 24-
Sunday - will be the 11am $80 bounty at Mirage. Gotta love these tourist-aments.
After, I may hit an afternoon turbo at Planet Hollywood or T.I. if I have time or inclination.
At 7pm I will be back home at Orleans, for what is sure to be a highlight - a $75 H.O.R.S.E. tournament. Dead money. Good times. I love mixed games so much - though I haven't devoted my time enough to them to be as proficient as I am with NLHE (along with everyone else in the world).
Because I'll already be back in my hotel, I will have already gassed up the rental and can go straight to bed so I can be up and out for an early morning departure. Very nice.
*********
By the way, let me repeat - this entire schedule is subject to change - it is potentially very hypothetical, but as of now it's where I'm inclined to play. Like I alluded to, I might get the impulse to go downtown - I've never played at Binion's or the Nugget, so that has always been in the back of my mind.
In any event, as if you couldn't tell - I am SUPER excited about this trip.
*********
-Objective-
My main goal, believe it or not - is not to make money.
My main goal is to push myself poker-wise. To really focus and play my hardest, expanding my game and losing my fear of the dollars attached to the chips. In my mind, the money is already spent - I'm not counting on it coming back. I don't care about the cash. I care about bringing my A-game and leaving my anxiety at the door. The biggest component this equation will be having fun.
I plan to not talk strategy at the table - but at the same time, I'll be eager to socialize about any other subject. I'm here to get loaded on diet cokes, and maybe enjoy a massage or two. I plan to show a busted bluff - and get paid later. I hit quads last trip - and checked to the better, who checked behind with a full house! This time if I get quads and it's 5th street - I'm a shovin'.
I do want very much to talk poker strategy though, away from the tables and with all of my traveling companions.
I normally stay silent on strategy at Pepper Street, at least for the tournaments - but all bets are off in Vegas. I'm eager to chat it up about hands and how to not butcher them too badly - I always learn something when discussing poker with you all and I hope you'll partake if you come along.
I am also very much looking forward to some good ass meals. I don't need to stuff myself till I'm sick - but I definitely want to savor some culinary goodness. Long walks through City Center should help alleviate some of this indulgence.
Hope you can make it! Until then, I'll be biding my time, pre-visualizing my chip splashing and river hitting.
Can't.
Wait.
Monday, September 13, 2010
Cash Game Bedlam
Just a quick note to report, our little cash game last Friday night was a hell of a lot of fun!
8 of us total - playing mixed games, mostly fixed limit, with more than a dash of pot limit Hold-em and both varieties of Omaha.
There was lots of table talk, as usual the worst offender was probably yours truly - but all of it was in good fun. A few spectacular bluffs here and there, a few suck-outs on the river - all in all a very enjoyable nights work.
Our next cash game probably won't be 'till November - but it will be $25 NLHE, PLO and PLO8.
Tournament 9 is coming up in two weeks, September 25th at 7pm. Hope to see you there!
8 of us total - playing mixed games, mostly fixed limit, with more than a dash of pot limit Hold-em and both varieties of Omaha.
There was lots of table talk, as usual the worst offender was probably yours truly - but all of it was in good fun. A few spectacular bluffs here and there, a few suck-outs on the river - all in all a very enjoyable nights work.
Our next cash game probably won't be 'till November - but it will be $25 NLHE, PLO and PLO8.
Tournament 9 is coming up in two weeks, September 25th at 7pm. Hope to see you there!
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