I wanted to get a feel for the WSOP so I booked a flight for me and my brother for a couple of days at the RIO. In hindsight, it was a mistake to book for the weekend, as the hotel cost was relatively high, paid about $460 total for the Friday and Saturday night. And, 2 1/2 day was way too short and probably cost my brother a shot at the money as he played in the Millionaire maker.
One of the reasons for such as short trip is that work has picked up significantly and I did want to take days off. Flight was Friday 2:30 pm, so I went in to work in the morning, picked up my brother, made the 3 hour flight from Houston, and got to the hotel by 5 pm Vegas time. I went to check in and my brother went straight to the poker room. It was my first time at the Rio, so I had no idea where the poker room was so I texted him. He told me that he already got a seat at a 2/5 game. I assumed it was the tournament area and headed that way. Turned out, he was at the regular poker room. I finally found the room, dropped off our bags in the hotel room and headed back. The room was not bad in itself, but definitely not where you want to be when the WSOP is going on. In 3 hours, I lost $150 and my brother dropped about $2500, as he played for about 7-8 hours. Game was too tight. After a late dinner, I headed to the pavilion to play. I don't take notes, so I really can't remember much of the first night. I played until 6 am, got myself back up in the black, about $500.
Went to bed, but the adrenaline was flowing so I could not sleep very long. Brother got more sleep, maybe 5 hours, and woke up a 8 am, so that woke me up.
During the dinner break the night before, we both got our player's card and signed up a tournament. I signed up for the 3pm deepstack and my brother signed up for the Millionaire maker. His tournament started on time, but mine got delayed twice. It was pushed from 3pm to 6pm and then eventually to 8:30 pm. I didn't mind it too much at first, since I just waited it out at the cash game. I only play 1/2 for now as I'm more comfortable at those stakes. I actually tried 2/5 in the last couple of poker trips. I don't feel that the players are that much better, if at all. If anything, the players at 2/5 are, in a way, more predictable as they all know how to play; vs. 1/2 table players, who can be a mixed bag of decent local and/or younger grinders, weaker women players, fish, and the tight older men. The problem that I had at the 2/5 game is the bet size. My weakness at Holdem are the same predictable ones as most have. I lack discipline when I get a strong hand early, play it slow, get caught in the end, and failing to give up. Also, when I lose or lack time to play, I press and sometimes tilt. But, the strength of my game is bet sizing, especially on bluffs. At the 1/2 game, I have enough in front of me to make the proper bet. In the 2/5 game, that amount can be 4-5 times when faced with the same situation. So, a $75 bet at a 1/2 game to get someone to fold, may need to be $300 at a 2/5 game, and my bank roll for poker is not there yet.
Anyway, I started the Saturday at 11 am, after a quick breakfast, at the 1/2 game. I ran pretty good just about the entire short trip. I got my share, and more, of pocket pairs and flopped or turned sets, which always make it easier to play. But, I did feel that I played well overall. I won a majority of the hands when I bluffed. I decided that I was not going to bluff too much as I did before. Example, I would limp in more with big hands like AK, AQ instead of raising and c-bet after hitting nothing on the flop. This type of play kept me from feeling like I needed to bluff. I mostly semi-bluffed, but since I did this sparingly, it worked the majority of the time. The only two times that it did not work, the same guy got a small pair, but called on a multiway draw, only to river two pairs. So I played this way for the better part of 8 hours and built up my stack to be $600 in the positive for this session. The only other player at the table with more money was a donkey who was getting hit with the deck. He was also a calling station, not wanting to fold, at all. But the cards were kind to him. I did make it a point to stay away from him, not that I was afraid of his play, but sometimes, players go on good runs. I'm in the BB and see 22. After about 5 limpers, I decide to bump it up to $12, just in case I get lucky. I did. Flop comes K92, with two diamonds. I like the K, but not the diamonds, so I bet $40. Get one caller, but donkey raises to $80. I know he has a K. I know that I'm raising, but think for a little bit about the size. Part of me wants to just take the pot, as I don't want a draw to get there, but I want the raiser to call. I re-raise $200 more. First caller folds, but donkey deliberates for more than a minute but decides to call. Turn is third diamond. I still feel that I'm ahead. I have $400 behind, but only bet $200 as I want him to call. He thinks for a couple of minutes and calls again. River is horrible, a fourth diamond. I check and he inexplicably checks behind and shows K9. I thought that I had won the pot, but then the dealer pushes the chips to him. He had the K of diamond. In hindsight, I should have pushed on the turn, but I guess that saved me my last $200. I don't think that he folds two pairs and a flush draw with $1100 already in the pot. So, I cash out to start the tournament.
I get there a bit late. It was my first time so I didn't realize that you needed both of the registration tickets to play. I left one of them in the room. I came into the tournament telling myself that I wasn't going to get blinded away, wasting 4-5 hours at this time of night, especially having just slept 2 hours in the past 36 hours. So, I played pretty aggressive. Second hand I see, I raised, and get re-raised. I call but fold as nothing hits the flop and guys shows off his AA. Very next hand, I get 910s in the BB. UTG raises 3x and a bunch of callers, so I call as well. Flop is 910x, nice. I check raise original raiser and take the pot to go above starting stack. I'm still agressive, playing a few hands and drop some if it back. Then I get 74c, and call 3x bet from the button, with maybe 4-5 others. Flop is two clubs. I'm thinking to myself that I'm taking this pot with a bluff, but I get cut off. Guy to my right goes all in. I checked my stack, have him covered, so I called. We flip it over and, surprisingly, I have him dominated. He has 36c. I'm ready for a potential chop, but a club hits the board, and my stack is now pretty healthy, but, I wanted more chips. I win some and sit maybe at 40,000 (start is 15,000). Blinds now at 150/300 and 100 ante? After 5 limpers, I see AKs from BB. I raise to 6000, expecting to take the pot, only to see everyone call. I was a bit surprised, because I think 6000 is about 50% of most of their stacks. Flop isn't great, but not terrible, JJ10, two spades. I bet 10,000, ready to go all in if need be. Chip leader at the table, maybe 60,000, goes all in. I call. he shows KK. I think that his all in may have been a bit wreckless since someone else could have had a J. I'm out when turn and river bricks. At least I played the way I wanted to play. I actually got to play a bit for the 1.5 hour that I was still in. When the tournament was delayed it also got moved from the Pavilion to the Brazilia room. Both the Brazilia and the Amazon are really nice settings for poker play. The room is dark, but each table has its own table light. Also, I really liked the chips that they use for the tournament. It's different from the Paulson clay chips that most casinos use. These chips are smooth, great feel, weight, and stacks well, without sliding, very high end.
I went back to the cash game and grinded my way to a $400 win. Again, cannot remember many hands. I did continue to get good cards. On one short stretch, I straddle to liven the table a bit, and get JJ. A bunch of callers and I raise to $35. One caller, I c-bet and take the pot. Very next hand is also straddled. I get QQ from the BB, and raise to $35 again. One caller, same result. Next orbit, I straddle again and get dealt JJ. Same betting pattern, except this time, everyone calls. Nice pot, maybe $175 preflop. Flop is nice, but not quite perfect, AKJ. The problem was, I was first to act and cannot slow play on that board. I've lost many hands when turn gives someone straight before, so I bet out $100 to take the pot. Went to bed and get 5 hours.
Sunday was short day, since flight was 7pm, so I could play until 5 pm. Same pattern of play for me. I was patient and then got aggressive at times. I did make one mistake when flop came 884, two hearts, which gives me nut flush draw. Of course, I hit my flush on river, only to see a nice size bet in front. I call and he shows 44. I did make some of it back from same guy, maybe should have gotten more, but the hand was a bit deja-vu. I see 22 and flop a set. Guy raises my bet. I re-raise. He calls and turns blank. I bet, he calls, rivers blank, but I check behind to take the $400 pot. Again, should have been more, but it was enough I guess. Won a couple of hands with $75 bluff raises on the turn.
Overall, I had a really good trip, but it was definitely way too short. The Pavilion is really cold. I don't normally wear hoodies, but I actually used the hoody each time. It was also neat to see some pros (P.Hellmuth, V.Selbst, M.Affleck) and celebrities roam the room. It was kind of funny. I said to the table, did you see Michael Phelps, and they all did a double take as they all noticed the girl that was walking with him instead.
I'm looking forward to next year for the WSOP. I'm pretty sure that I'll be back to Vegas before then, but for next WSOP, it will definitely be 4-5 days minimum. I'll have to try one of the low buy in bracelet events.
As for bro, he made it to second day, with above average stack, but he got it all in on A high board with AJ against AK against table chip leader. Said that he thought guy was trying to bully. I think that if we were booked for one more day, it may have changed his play.
Thanks for reading and good luck at the tables.