Days 4-6 ( Monday through Wednesday, long report)

As I mentioned in my last report, Mike flew in from Atlanta for a few days. He landed at 1:00 on Monday and we decided to head over to Binons for their 2pm deep stack tournament. $210 got you 6000 chip with 30 minute blinds.

I lasted about three hours. Couple of bad plays, but real card dead also. Last hand I have about 6000 in chips with the blinds at 300-600 w/$50 ante. I decide to make a push from the cut-off with JQs. Getted called by the button with AJ, small blind with AK, and the BB with AA. I gues you could say this was the wrong time for a push. I’m out in ~88 place out of 210. Mike, playing in his first tourney, is able to grind it out foe 8 hours but finishes in 27 place. (Paid top 20)

While sweating Mike, I played a little 1-2. Took my $100 up to ~300 when the tourney went on a dinner break so I headed up to the comped Binons buffet. When I got back from dinner the 1-2 table had totally changed. An older gentlemen sat down and was ready to gamble. I don’t recall his name, but apparently hes old Vegas and has a couple of braclets and also won the $5000 Bellagio tourney a few years back. Of course he seemed to know everyone at the Binons.

Anyway, he was able to take his $100 buy-in upto $500 in about 1 hour playing every hand and raising and catching some crazy cards. I probably donked off $100 or so myself. Anyways, the only hand of interest was when he was ready to go. Before the cards are dealt, he states that if he has a playable hand hes betting $100. Luckily he finds a playable hand, KQ I think, and bets his $100. I look down and find QQ and push in my last $220. He insta calls and I drag a pot over $440. He was a real nice guy and was there just to have fun.

We leave Binons ~ 10:00 and get Mikes stuff into the room at Excalibur. Then it is off too MGM to introduce Mike to the great world of 1-2. We grind it out until ~3. I wish I could remember some hands but it was rather fuzzy. Broke even for the night.

Day 5
Tuesday

We already up by 8:00 on Tuesday morning and decide to do the buffet at MGM using my 20+ dollars of comps. After breakfast it back to the tables. We make the walk to PH and give that room a shot. It’s an excellent room with a good mix of players. I was able to make $200 and Mike dumped ~200. He’s still working on his live game. Our typical home game is $0.50 poker and a lot of beer. Hes not used to pots of $50 and tended to under bet and give odds to his opponents.

After 6 hours at PH we deice food is in order, so we shower up and head over to Crafts steak house @ MGM. Had a couple of excellent steaks. I would recommend this plac if your in the mode for a $100/ea dinner. (Minimum) After dinner its back to the table at MGM. I have a 12:00 bedtime, playing in event #7 on Wednesday, so we play for ~5 hours. Can’t remember any hands other than builing me stack to ~800 then donking it off on some really bad play. There were a couple of player reading me like a fiddle.

Day 6
Wednesday

We head over to the RIO for Event #7, $2000 NL. After having a burger at the All-American Café, I head over to play while Mike heads over to Ceasars to shop for the wife.

I wish I could state that event #7 was better then event #2, but sadly to say I was only able to last a little longer this time around.

4 big hands of note.

Middle second round, I limp with J9 in late position. Flop is Jxx all diamonds. SB bets, I push him all-in. He calls with a flush draw, and hits it on the turn. This knocks me down to ~900 and I’m on life support.

Last hand before break, I find KQs with a K high board. I push all-in and get called by the player on my left who shows KJ. I double up to ~2100.

First hand after break, early position leads out with a raise ~450. I look down at AA and push. Everyone folds and I drag ~700. I’m still wondering if I should have played this one any different. With the size of my chip stack, I was pot committed with any raise. Well I guess its better to win the pot then let some crack my AA’s.

After that hand I literally don’t play a hand for the next 1.5 hours. Totally card dead. Final hand of the day is up against the big chip stack at the table. He was a very aggressive player who had built up a large chip stack with a great run of cards. I only remember him losing 1 showdown. Anyways, villain is in the SB. Blinds were 100/200 w/$25 ante. I’m down to ~900 and look down at JQs in middle position. With the blinds bearing down on me, I figure its time to push. It fold around to the villain who call with AK. I get teased when a Q hits the flop only to be followed by an A on the turn and I’m off to the rail.

I track down Mike and after a little shopping; we decide its time for some poker at the V. We park the car at the Excalibur and taxi it over to the Venetian.. Played until ~3am because Mike has a 6am flight. Don’t remember many hands but it was a wild table. Towards the end of the night a couple of tables consolidated, which brought some new big stakes into the mix, while I’m treading water ~400. Every pot was raised and reraised with some pots cracking $1000. These guys liked to gamble. I ended up dropping ~100 and Mike dropped ~200.

Got Mike to the airport and made it back to bed ~5. Thinking of playing in the Caesars’ deep stack at 12:00 on Thursday.

Rider