Back to Vegas....Day 0 and 1

Hello dear readers. I'm back for a few posts about the recent trip to Vegas! This was the yearly trip around the PLO8 events at the WSOP, Binion's, and the Golden Nugget. I was also excited to play at the new room (at the Aria) as I had yet to see it.

Headed out with my buddy Boats on the Sunday night flight. Lots of folks in town, including The German. We got in and checked in pretty late and went out to meet up with some folks who were trying to get a mixed game going at Caesars. I hadn't had dinner so we hit the food court. Then we got a call about the mixed game at the IP where we were staying. It was sick. All kinds of Donk games and 3/6 limit. Double flop O8. 3-2-1 Omaha hi where there are 3 flops, 2 turns, and a river. Badugi. Baduci. 4-card Crazy Pineapple with an Ocean (discarding 1 after the flop and turn, with a 6th board card - the Ocean). I was in!

It turned out that I should have slept. I dropped $87 in about 2 hours. It would turn out to be my only losing cash session for the week. But it was fun.

Went up and slept for about 4 hours. Got up and headed back while Boats kept sleeping. And before you ask, Jodi, we had 2 queen beds. Don't get all excited.

The game was still running. Some of the same players were still there! I had a chance to make some cash back! And I did. I played for about 2 more hours and when the game finally broke at 10:30 I was up $79.

I called Pred to find out what was going on for the Binion's Poker Classic that day. PLO8 $210 buyin. I was hoping to cash big enough to play the WSOP $1500 the next day. I ran up and woke up Boats, and Pred picked us up and we headed downtown.

Last year, if you remember, I min-cashed in this event for $305. The goal this year was to get to the Final Table at a minimum. I ran into an issue right away when I ran into a set with the nut low, where I had 2 pair and a nut low and got 1/4ered but not quite for stacks. The event is great and you start with $15k in chips. This knocked me down to about $7k, but the blind structure was great so I didn't have much to sweat. As we approached the first break, I managed to double up when my flopped wheel held up vs an all-in shove by AA6x. Uh, what did you think I had, sir? Got to $16k.

I then floated for a while again, not getting up or down much. At the second break I had $27k as I hit another double through in the last hand before the break. It seemed to be a trend.

Then we hit the middle levels and players started dropping like flies. I had a few good hands hold up and managed to chip up, but going into the 3rd break I had a big hand that I needed. It was the last hand again and I had Ad3dJhKs UTG and limped. A shorty raised from the CO and the button, SB and I smooth called. I had everyone covered. The flop was Qd 4d 9h. The SB checked. I checked. The UTG potted and was all in. The button smooth called and left himself with about 4k behind. The SB mucked and I had a decision. I had a the nut flush and backdoor straight and low draws. I decide that I better get the button in now so I re-potted. He insta-called and showed A 2 Q 9 for 2 pair. The UTG player showed AA3J. The turn was a T to give me some more outs but the river was a beautiful 8d. I scooped the pot and counted down, having $105k. I was definitely the chip leader with about 70 players left. I headed to dinner with Boats, who had just busted. Pred was out too, as were a few of the other guys we had come in with.

Coming back from dinner, there were quite a few other online players left, and I got to meet and chat with a few folks. I ran the stack up to $240k at the 3/6k blind level so I was feeling pretty good. I was able to start using the big stack to put pressure on folks as we approached the money bubble. I showed down one hand with a few online folks that was AhKhQhJs after an UTG pot raise and had a few eyebrows raise. Just setting them up for later....

The button was starting to raise 2 of every three when I was the BB. He was at about $160k and didn't want too much resistance. I finally re-potted with AQQ6 and he went into the tank. He had seen my AKQJ hand and really struggled. It was nice to see that I had folks off-balance.

I knocked a few more folks out and got up over $300k. Folks were trying to pay off 21 so that we could quit hand-for-hand but there were holdouts that said no. I'm always for a deal that keeps us moving, but such is life.

Finally, we got down to the money and I was feeling good. I kept pressure on the mid-stacks and only went after the shorties with premium hands. Things were looking good. We went through a few more hand-for-hand times when we moved up the pay scale. And then, we were finally at the final table! I'd made it!

When we redrew for seats I asked the TD to make an even chop suggestion as we were all pretty close in stacks. There were two guys with less than $100k but the rest of us were really tight at $300kish each. Two players didn't want to talk deal, even though we would have all made better than 4th place money, but such is life.

We busted the 2 shorties, and still everyone had between $270k and $420k when I asked for the TD to stop the clock to negotiate. I asked for a chip chop count and no one seemed to think it was a bad idea. TD went off and came back. The short stack would get $2300 (the next payout was $1555) and the big stack would get $4300. Not a bad deal. Then the shortie started complaining, but I couldn't hear him. He finally said "no deal" and we played on. Afterword, I found out that he wanted $2500 minimum. I was getting $3k and would have gladly given up $100 and I think another guy would have. Then I find out that #2 wasn't happy with his $4k and wanted more. These guys were idiots, and I told them that. The blinds are at 20/40k and none of us has a stack of more than $420k. It's a crapshoot. But they are young and dumb. Bad combo.

Finally get it in with the #2 stack and I have him in bad shape on a flop of A 3 6. I have A248. He has A25Q. The 8 on the turn means I have him in bad shape and am getting 3/4 of the pot unless he hits a Q or a miracle 3-outer four on the river. Guess what he gets? The four rolls off for his wheel and I am out in 7th. He gets lippy and I say "That was bad karma, and it's gonna bite you in the ass". He says "I'm sorry that my decision for you to make less money and me more money has you upset". I laugh. I collect my payout, drop $30 in the dealer toke and have my buyin for tomorrow. It's around 3am and I grab a cab back to the IP.

Oh, and as a preview, I found out the next day that the lippy kid busts just after me. Bad karma, indeed, as his payout went from $4k to just under $1900. Serves him right. He also doesn't cash in any other events. Maybe he will learn next time to take the deal.

I never did catch up with The German, as my cell phone died Monday around dinner and he didn't head to Binion's, even knowing my good run there :) Maybe next year!

Come back later for more. Meanwhile, I'll cya at the tables.