My last few trips last spring and summer to Vegas had been frustrating. I don't play for a living. But I try to get in around 20 hours a week split between some online tournaments and some live 2/5/10 NL, as well as be down in Vegas for a deepstack or other tourney event at least once every 8-10 weeks or so, and I make an ok side income from my play.

So after my (really) crappy spring and summer, it was great timing to try and get things back on track with the new MGM Grand Challenge series that was being launched. A nice choice of deepstack events, including daily $340 40-minute level events, and to make it even better, the AVP XIV meet was happening and part of the MGM Grand Challenge Series.

I arrived in late on Friday night, MGM had done a stellar job of offering a great AVP'er rate for my 4 nights (and which was way less than the going rates online). I dumped my bags and headed down around 1am to play some 1/2 NL, and hopefully get me limbered up for the weekend ahead...

Friday, MGM Grand 1/2 NL

I bought in for $200 and got comfortable at a table with a mix of friendly and sociable, but fairly weak young players. There were one or two other solid players, but with one of them apparently card dead, it was easy to steer clear of too many big pots against one another. And really, why bother when there was far easier money to be made with the other 5 or 6 weak players calling off their stacks.

I largely played an abc-TAG type of game for about 2 hours or so without needing to step out too much, showing down "the goods", or flashing an Ace here, a pair there… not overly exciting maybe, but I was sitting at around $350 and was having some fun and a couple of drinks. I decided to mix it up a bit and push the action a little bit. My tight image seemed to let me to steal with some flop continuation bets. A few times I floated the flop, planning to check-raise the turn with a broad range of fourth street cards.

My natural style of play is somewhat tight, and sometimes a bit too cautious perhaps. I'm also susceptible to becoming somewhat predictable; when I finally realized that several regulars at my local 2/5/10 B&M cash game had me completely pegged, I knew I had to mix it up a bit… So I've been working pretty hard lately at trying to add some variation to my play, and it felt great to be feeling quite comfortable "mixing it up" and switching gears out of my normal comfort zone. Playing at a lower level also made it more comfortable to experiment without the $2k session stack swings I could have in my regular local game. I dragged a few decent pots, and was close to $600 when I grabbed a rack, planning to "play to the button" and then leave.

I was on my penultimate hand in the small blind, the pot had been opened for a raise to $15 by UTG, a young Eastern European tourist player who liked to splash around in a lot of pots but who was a loose weak player. There were a couple of calls before it reached me in the SB holding ATs. We saw the flop four handed, which came out AT4 with two hearts. I decide to not get too cute here with this somewhat draw-y board, and I also want to know where I stand - so lead right out for $40/around two thirds the pot. The initial UTG raiser seemed to agonize forever about whether to fold or call, and finally seemed to very reluctantly call. After all this humming and hawing, the other two quickly folded and we were heads up. The turn bought the 7 diamonds, and I had a decision as to play out the hand. UTG had started the hand with around $300 and was now sitting with about $240 so had plenty of chips yet. I would have expected a quick call or even perhaps a raise on the flop if he held a big Ace. There was still a chance here that he was holding a more marginal Ace, and if so, I wanted to price him in to call, basically drawing dead. But I also knew how much he loved chasing draws, even gutter balls, so I didn't want to give too cheap a price in the event he elected to stick around with some random draw.

I eventually decided on a bet of $90, a bit under 2/3rds the pot. To be honest, I don't know if he's really that sophisticated with his poker theory - but I'm hoping 2.5-1 will encourage a call with an ace, but give a bad price with a naked draw. I announce the amount, and slide the bet into the middle. To my surprise, with completely different demeanour, he very quickly and confidently calls. I literally do an involuntary double take and stare over at the turn card again, wondering if I missed seeing a flush or something. But nope. So what changed? Trip 7s? Would he have made that call on the flop with just 77 with the A out there? I'm still musing about this as the river is dealt - a complete blank. I check.

Some might argue with $330 in the pot and he having $150 behind, I should perhaps have just moved all-in on him on the river. After all, if he did have a weak Ace, he may feel committed to call my all-in, whereas if I were to check he'd almost certainly check behind - and I'd miss some value. On the other hand, if he did have a busted flush draw, there was still a small chance he could bluff/shove the river whereas he could never call a bet. Feeling kind of lost in the hand, I decided to just check-call whatever he bet, or be ok with check-checking to showdown. He paused for just a moment before announcing all-in for $150, and I really didn't feel great about it. Now I'm getting 3-1 and really have to call here with top two, but I also now really feel that I'm behind here. A set was possible, though if not 7's, would have required some real Hollywooding on the flop. I hum and haw for a bit, and make a crying call, and he proudly flips up AA for the flopped top set. Eek. His "oh-I-really-want-to-fold-this-hand " Hollywooding on the flop really sucked me in I guess.

I'm still up $100 for the night, but I've just blown off $300 in one hand with top two and I wonder - wtf just happened?! Not happy about this pot, reasons to bet strongly on both the flop and turn here, but still feel like an idiot for blowing off $300.

Saturday, 7pm AVP XIV Tournament, $100 + $0, MGM Grand.

One thing I love about the MGM rooms are their beds which are actually pretty conducive to a good nights sleep (if you've stayed anytime recently at the Luxor, you'll empathize with me here). I get a good kip, get up and grab a bite and then spend the afternoon in the room, and feel relaxed enough to go grab a drink before the 7pm tourney. I bought my ticket around 6pm - apparently a wise decision; as I head back just before 7 there is a line at least 100 long for the podium, eek! Tournament start time ends up being pushed back to around 7.25pm because of the high number of entrants - 356, with many alternates crowded around waiting for spots to open up on tables. And once we finally got started, they didn't have long to wait.

Despite being a deepstack tournament, with 10,000 in starting chips and 30 minute levels, the casualties came quick and fast. I reckon about 40 alternates were seated by the time we were into the second level. But things settled down and I found myself at a table with a good balance of both solid players, and a few pretty terrible agro-donk style players that were pushing the action, and making big calls recklessly.

I played very tight, largely card dead, making a few raise-and-take-it moves here and there in position, but basically treading water. There had been several large pots, but we're still at relatively low blind levels and I don't feel the need to be splashing around just yet with too many crappy holdings. Finally, I wake up UTG with AA. Despite, (or rather, because of) the raise-happy nature of the table, I decide to lead right out with a 3.5x raise, figuring I'm 50/50 here to be re-raised somewhere. Sure enough, an aggressive maniac style player puts in a big re-raise to about 15x BB. It folds around to the big blind, who has a similar stack size of around 12,000 in chips. He pauses for a while, before announcing all-in. After I snap call for less, it's then on the maniac who hums and haws for a bit before open folding JJ, and I go to the flop heads up with the BB. It's his KK vs my AA and my Aces hold to more than double up.

With my tight image and the recent big hand with the AA, I play aggressively at a few pots and put some of my new found chips to work on a couple of opportunistic bluffs; A tight, solid player to my right open-raises in mid position with TT, and I flat call with 77. It's folded around and we are heads up on the flop of A9x rainbow. He c-bets his TT, and I pause before putting in a 3x raise, and he doesn't take long to open fold his TT. I've built up a nice stack of over 30,000 in chips with the chip average around 20,000, but go into a long period of being largely card dead. Worse, our table mix changes up with some smart aggressive players who aren't going to be pushed around. In a lot of last years large fiels MTTs, I often found myself at the mid-way mark having to somewhat urgently accumulate chips and struggle to keep above 15 or so BBs. But here I'm still feeling ok. With such a big field, this tournament is clearly going to be a 10 hour, maybe more - and after around 5-6 hours, with around 200 players still remaining, I still have enough chips to be able to be selective in picking my spots.

My table finally breaks around 1am, and I now need to get to know my fellow players all over again. I still have around 30,000 in chips - just under the chip average, but blinds are starting to creep up. I sit tight and mostly observe for a few orbits, and it's quickly clear that there is a loose and dangerous player, with a big stack, that is not afraid to splash around in big pots. She makes some big hero calls and ends up busting two short stacks at the table in the first few orbits I'm seated. I make mental note to play a big pot with her soon, and waste no time open-raising 3x UTG when dealt AKs in the next orbit. She stares me down for a while and I wonder if she is going to re-raise me, but eventually she makes a flat call. There's another caller on the button, and we see the flop three handed.

The flop comes out K74 rainbow. I lead right out for about half the pot; she quickly calls, and the button folds. Based on what I've seen, she can have a broad range of hands here. I think she'll call what she perceives as a possible c-bet from me, holding almost any mid-pair or higher… it's also quite possible she has a hand like KQ or KJ here. I figure that if I check the turn, she'll almost certainly bet in position with any K, and possibly even with several lower pocket pairs. However, though she does more staring, she eventually checks in position. The river is a T and I am certain I have the best hand here. I am certainly planning to bet, but I just need to figure out how much. I decide that my choices, really, are an obviously tiny value bet, or an all-in shove. Any kind of mid-size bet clearly pot commits me anyway, so I decide to hum and ha for a bit and then shove all-in. She still has me easily covered, she could call off on yet another hero call - particularly if she thinks I missed or am weak and bluff shoving the river, and even if she lost, she'd still have plenty of chips to play with. She does end up tanking for a while before finally open folding AQ. I am shocked that she seriously considered calling the end with the ace-high, and suddenly feel irritated with myself for shoving. A small bet would almost certainly have been paid off, or possibly even been interpreted as weakness and elicited a repop all-in. But, I still have a nice sized pot and it pushes me above chip average with a comfortable amount of chips to work with.

Play continues on and 9-hours in at 4am some folks are getting a bit weary. We're also at around 50 players with 36 places paid. I feel fine, I've been drinking mostly straight red-bull along with the odd vodka red-bull and I am feeling relaxed yet alert. Play changes noticeably as the bubble draws closer. We come back from a 15 minute break and LasVegasMichael takes over the mic before we restart the clock to remind us that 36 places play, and that once we reach 40 players, dealers should alert when there is an all-in and a call. We're also reminded that MGM has hosted this huge turnout tournament rake-free ^^ and to take consider taking care of the crew if we make the money. A professional videographer is filming, and there is an air of excitement. Sure, it was only $100 to buy-in, but with a respectable 1st place cash of over $8k who wouldn't want it? Not too mention the AVP trophy! :D

With the blinds and antes relentlessly increasing, I find myself becoming somewhat short stacked. I repeatedly attack the tight players to my right in the blinds, showing an Ace here, a King there, and manage to stay alive with the stolen blinds… but I need to be picking my spots carefully here. I am avoiding unnecessarily all-in moves out of position, but am replaying a chapter in a book I just read about bubble play and the tactics advocated to aggressively acquire chips in bubble play. There is a lot of jostling at my table however, and despite temptation, I stay out of the way. At one point, there is a raise, and a reraise all-in behind from a shorter stack. The original raiser has me covered, and I'd be pot committed with a call, so I take a few moments to think about my situation as I look down on the button at AQs. I throw the hand away, the original raiser calls the extra with AK which goes head up with JJ. The johnnies hold up and the original raiser is crippled, and I thank my stars I avoided a bust-out 6 away from the money. I make a few more opportunistic stabs to steal blinds and stay alive, and we are suddenly on the bubble.

There are shouts of "all-in and a call" everywhere. People are crowding from table to table, and there are groans and howls as yet another short stack survives to see another hand. The videographer is catching the action. It's exciting, but also easy to lose focus. Suddenly though the bubble is broken and applause breaks out.

My table quickly breaks and I find myself reseated at what will be the last table used. The blinds and antes go up again and there is carnage as about a dozen people bust out within the first level after reaching the money. I largely stay out of the melee, mostly because I continue to be largely card dead. At my table is Jon Friedman, along with two-time bracelet winner Dutch Boyd, and a couple of other good, solid players. There is a dramatic pot where AJ, AK and AQ all get it in pre-flop and AK ends up scooping the pot and busting two players simultaneously. Play continues for about another half hour, and I am now short stacked and really only have one-move left. Jon Friedman is seated to my right, and is on the button when I'm in the big blind; he aggressively raises in position frequently and often. I hate that he is playing so strongly into me, I know exactly what's going on, but at this point I have no fold-equity if I were to re-pop. Finally in this very spot, I look down at AQ in the BB after it's open raised by Jon from the button. I move all-in and he quickly calls the extra. He tables A9, and my AQ holds up to more than double up. The antes and dead money alone are adding a sizeable amount to every pot, and with this pot, I'm now able to breath for a moment.

I put my new found chips to work on applying pressure to the blinds to my right, and I move all-in from the button with pocket 4s at one point, the short stacked small blind calls, and we end up chopping the pot after the board makes a straight. We're now down to the final two tables and there's about 15 of us left. LasVegasMichael is still doing a great job of MC'ing the event, and the the increases in money keep being announced as people bust out. After being patient, after grinding for hours, now every few minutes that knowledge you're earning even more guaranteed money - yup, that always feels not too shabby.

I stay alive without anything too notable and we're finally at the final table. We've arrived here with some 11+ hours of play, no dinner break, and it now being 5 or so in the morning. The blinds are so insanely huge, even the chip leader has only around 30BB/M of around 13, and most players are single digit M and less than 20BBs. I am on the lower end of mid-pack, and I've really only got a few moves in me here to make it or break it.

I fold for the first two orbits with shocking holdings, and am starting to get a bit ansy when I finally see TJs in the SB. Better still, it's been folded around to me, and with blind against blind, it's an easy raise here. I feel I have slightly too high a stack to justify an all-in move here, and so I raise to 4xblinds with about 20BB remaining behind. The BB is the same aggressive female player I played earlier with the AK vs AQ hand, and there is history here. She immediately announces all-in and I feel sick. With the blinds and the huge antes, there is now so much money in the middle I'm getting almost 2:1 on a call here. Against an underpair, I'm only a slight dog. Against two random unpaired cards, I'm still probably close to 40% here. I'm only really behind against TT or better, or a dominated T or J. The odds say call here. Probably, I should have either open-shoved this hand, and certainly should have called the reraise all-in. As it happens, I fold, and she shows 77. I'm pragmatic about it, but I feel I played this hand incorrectly.

Player 10 busts out, and we're down to 9-handed. Another two orbits go round, and I'm still getting junk. Everyone is playing cautiously, and I know I need to make something happen here. It's all-in or fold, and I'm down to an M where those all-ins need to be with a broad range of hands. KJs was more than good enough, and I shipped it in from the cut-off. The SB calls with AQ, and flops an A immediately to give me almost no chance. I'm drawing dead by the turn and it's all over.

Poker is full of what-ifs, who knows what would have happened if I would have played the TJ hand differently. It's always important to replay the tournament back, and when I recap things, this is the one hand where I screwed up. But, I'm hyped to have made final table… and reinforces my comfort-level with Deepstack formats for my style of play. I was only all-in twice through the tournament before reaching the money - one of those times being pre flop with AA. I like the creativity in play that a Deepstack allows, and (hopefully!) rewards for the patient.

I cash out for $1k, and head up to bed just after 7am. My plans for the Noon Saturday tourney have now evaporated after such a late (early) finish, and so I end up playing a cash game on Sunday.

/Part 1