Day 1

Flew into Vegas from San Francisco, I was there with work and managed to get a 3 night stop over in Vegas on the company…..great start!

Arrived at around 4pm, luggage and taxi no problem and I did not even have to tell the taxi driver not to take the freeway. Checked into
the Planet Hollywood – and managed to get a free (no use of the $20) upgrade because I am a gold member of the SPG hotel programme.

I was very tired but decided to play a little poker at PH and have a few beers. Bought into a 1-2 NL game for $200 and there were two memorable hands in the session.

Hand 1

The table was 8 handed, all stacks between 100 and 300 and I have not played many hands and would be perceived as a TAG. I pick up A5d near the button with 3 limpers and the blinds to go, I make a standard raise to 10 which is called by the BB, and the villain but I have position. I have ~225 behind and have they both just covered. – pot ~$30
Flop comes 4h 3h Kd and they both check to me, I make a $20 C-bet and gets called by the villain. – pot ~$70
Turn comes 2c to give me the wheel. Villian bets out $25 and I raise to $75, villain thinks for a bit and then pushes all in after asking me if I can beat top trips.
I go into the tank, he is a nice chap from Boston and whilst I have him down as a gambler, I can not put him on 56, I eventually call and he turns over 33 for trips. You know what happens next…..river is a 4 and makes his boat. This is the start of things to come!

Hand 2

I pick up 99 UTG and limp in, three callers. Flop comes down 99J to make my quads. Now planet Hollywood has a high hand and I guessed that mine was worth about 100. However I needed $10 in the pot (called and raked) to make it valid.
The flop is checked around…please make something someone..the turn is a J and I hope someone has a straight draw, I bet 5 and get one caller. River is a 2, I bet 10 but no caller – I win 112 for quad 9’s – sweet!

I leave $170 down and hit the sack.

[I am now paranoid about the cleanliness of poker chips and was washing my hands before and after whilst watching those guys at the table eat their hot dogs and play with the chips at the same time……]

Day 2

I decide to play at the MGM today – I walk down from PH around 11, it is nice and fresh, a bit like England!! I played for ~4 hours and I was suffering – I was into the game for 300, had ~150 behind when I pick up 2 7 on the button. The game is playing very weak and I decide to limp in – 7 limpers in all so the pot in $14
Flop come 2 6 7 rainbow to give me bottom two pair. Villain in mid position bets out $6, two callers then I raise it up to 30 total. Villain thinks for a few seconds then pushes his remaining ~$70 into the pot. Pot now 132 with 40 for me to call. I worry about trips but this guy has been playing LAG and seems to be very keen to go broke on TPTK of less!! I call and he shows 6 5 for top pair, turn comes a 6 then the flop a 5 just to rub salt into the wound! I leave MGM -$300 and hit the bar at PH.
I am playing video poker 3 handed jacks or better drinking the ‘free’ margaritas which were excellent. I flop (if that is the right term in 5 card) 4 aces, hold all four and win ~$50. Not much money but I thought that was pretty cool.

Day 3

My plan for day 3 was to play at MGM, build a stack at 1-2 and then move upto 2-5. I love the 2-5 game at MGM and have always found it very profitable.

2 hands that I will share,

Hand 1

I have been playing solid poker, somewhere between a LAG and TAG…MAG???? Lol but have taken a few pots without showing many cards. I have ~250 behind and villain has ~ 400. I find QQ in bid blind, 5 limpers and I make it 15 to go (standard for table). I get 3 callers with the pot at $60.
Flop come in Q37 rainbow – nice! I check and next guy makes it 10, it is called to me with now $90 in the pot. I raise it to 50 and I am called by villain. Pot now 190 and I have $185 behind. Turn is a J, villain checks, I make it $50 and he pushes, I snap call and villain almost throws his pocket 3’s at me thinking I am well behind. I casually turn over my nuts, the river is not a 3 and I double up- sweet.

Hand 2

After another couple of hours I have ~500 behind, I am happy with how I am playing and decide I want 2-5. Cards are dealt and the brush comes over for me to move. I stare down at AA (both red – not relevant but I love 2 red aces). 6 players in the hand – no raise when I make it 25 to go. I over bet slightly to make it look like a steel given my table image. V1 (200 behind) on BB calls – older tourist chap who likes TPTK and got felted earlier against a set. V2 (250 behind) in mid position calls – no real reads on this guy.
Flop comes 8s8c9s, check, check. I make it 40 to go, V1 checks and then V2 pushes all in. I go into the tank for ages, brush still there with my rack for the 2-5. V2 range, poket pairs- well I figure that if he had 88 or 99 he would not push here but suck me in. Over pair – KK? Or nut flush draw. After ages I call and then V1 goes into tank. Since he doesn’t snap call I have to have him on a poket pair, not 8’s or 9’s or a flush draw. He calls, Pot over 700 and I ask the dealer for an ace. Turn come Js, river 3d.
V1 show 5s 7s for the flush, V2 shows 10s Qs for the straight flush!! I show my AA and am gutted. I figured that I played this OK? In any case, I couldn’t play 2-5 after that cos I would be on major tilt so I left still up ~150 but gutted.
I went back to PH – ate at the Mexican there, good price and good food and tried to drink my body weight in corona to suppress the memories of that last hand….

All in all lots of poker but seemed not to get much luck on the big ones.