No Limit(s) on Labor Day weekend
SATURDAY
I arrived at 10:40 and by 11:05 was in my seat in the TI tournament where I joined M who had bought both of us in. Lasted a couple hours before busting out nowhere near the money.
After a quick bite of lunch, it was time for 1/3 cash game. I flopped sets twice and got paid, but neither opponent had a deep stack. After I couple of hours, we started a 3/6 mix game heads up with Bagudi, Chinese Poker, Double Flop Omaha, and Crazy Pineapple. Eventually we got up to five players when LasVegasMichael himself joined us. I lost my shirt making stupid plays in double flop Omaha and Bagudi (tip: don’t fold a pat 7) but had fun doing it. I highly recommend trying the mix game and at 3/6 you can afford to drink and play at the same time.
At 9:30 we switched back to no limit where I won a very interesting hand in a splash pot (details in the forum) in an otherwise uninteresting session. Crashed about 3 AM.
SUNDAY
Got up early to play Mandalay Bay’s 11 AM Crazy Pineapple tournament. It was horribly run and thus sucked; see my comments in the tournament forum and my room review. Then I got felted twice in the cash game – once with QQ vs. KK (see the strategy discussion) and another with a monster draw that missed. So much for yesterday’s winnings.
Went back to TI and played for a while at a tough table where I never could hit a flop. After dinner M and I walked next door to Mirage for 1/2 NL. While waiting for a seat, we sat in a 3/6 game. After literally one hand they called us for a new 1/2 table; making that was my best session of the day only down $6. We played for just an hour as we weren’t too crazy about the room, but boy was there lots of action. There were some bad players at the table, including the guy next to me who said he’d never played no limit live before, but I couldn’t get in a pot against them.
Crossed the street to Venetian which is the nicest room in Vegas. Finally hit some flops and made some money until the game broke about 3 AM. Headed for bed but not before a brief nightcap in the TI poker room.
MONDAY
Slept in. Went downstairs to play TI’s NL game for a few hours before we headed to Planet Hollywood for the Grinder tournament. I’d heard good things about PH’s tournaments but however “the Grinder” was in Europe and that tournament lacks the same good structure as their $60 buy-in. M donked out early and when the antes kicked it became an all in fest and I took a big hit when my all-in pre-flop AQ lost to AJ. Busted out just short of the final table. Room was pretty dead other than the tournament.
Went back to TI for quick bite and Canter’s before joining Yappy Dave in a mix game which was a blast. About 1:55 we started talking about joining the 2 AM tournament but there was only one spot left. By the time we jumped in at 2:45, it was double up or go home – I went home and Yappy doubled up on the same hand and went on to win the tournament.
TUESDAY
M and I played a brief four-handed session at TI before checking out the action and view at Wynn. Cashed out a nice profit though much of it on a three-outer. Wound up back at TI for my final four hours, playing next to LVM. Just as I started running good and plugging the holes in my game, it was time to head to the airport.
Could have stayed another four days and not been bored. I can’t wait until next time though don't know when that will be. I'm glad to see TI is finally a happening place with the mix game running on a regular basis.
Wanted to add some more as I worried the trip report would be unbearably long if I tried to get everything in; I could have done a report for each day.
This was a good trip for meeting people. I got to see LVM again, meet his wife and brother-in-law, and also met TI Danette, Yappy Dave, Other Dave (who I played with last time I was in Vegas, but didn't know it was he), TI Poker (Chris), talon, and a few other avp'ers, and many of the other TI staff that lurk or post here. I got to play alongside the avp'ers including a couple of short-handed mix games with Yappy and LVM that were high on fun and low on profit.
I played two splash pot hands that became very interesting, one of which I noted in OP. I called a raise holding ATo on the button -- a loose call but I suspected the splash pot might lead to a loose raise and I had position. The flop came A-Q-T, BB bet out -- I'd seen him call a raise OOP and fire at the flop a few times and wasn't convinced he was strong -- and original raiser folded. As I’m trying to decide how much to raise to win BB’s remaining $80, he says “if you go all-in, I call”. The player next to him pointed out that his verbal action was binding which was confirmed by the dealer and the floor person. So I pushed, he was forced to call and mucked after the river and left the table not very happy. But he learned a lesson about running his mouth. The splash pot got me an extra $25.
The other splash pot was a bit more daring/wild. UTG (or UTG+1) went all-in blind for his last $58; he's directly across from me and I know he hasn't looked at his cards. N.B. that there has to be a flop or the splash pot carries over to the next hand; he can't "buy" it here. The next two players call. I know UTG has a random hand and the other two guys aren't strong, but there's already $160 in the pot. I have A9 suited, "know" I'm ahead of all three of them, and raise to 200 all day, which is 40-50% of my stack but more than either of the callers. I'm in trouble if someone wakes up with a monster, but I hold one of the aces making AA less likely and even if a big pair puts me all-in, I'm getting 4:1 on my call. I'm hoping to get heads up with UTG's random hand with dead money in the pot -- the callers didn't really feel good about their hands and now are playing for their stacks. Had I thought more about it, I would have realized the pot odds compel them to call, but still I shut out AT, AJ, AQ and have a big pot with the best hand going in, especially considering UTGs blind all-in.
The first caller calls for all his chips and I think the second does as well. After the board is out, I have ace-high and know I can't possibly win four handed. The first caller shows K6s for a pair of kings (nice call) to take the side pot and UTG show 64o for a straight to quadruple up. Better to be lucky than good I guess
UTG and Mr K6 are convinced they made good plays; ooh, I like this table.
It was a pleasure to play alongside you and I'm glad you enjoyed your time at TI, and in Vegas!
Nice report Adrock.