Just got back from a 2 day trip to Sin City. They had the WPT going on at Bellagio. It was packed near the poker room. Everyone wants to take a glimpse at the poker stars. I saw Gus, Daniel, Phil I., Evelyn, and a whole bunch more. It was awesome! Ate dinner at Bellagio, very very awesome buffet (sliced crab legs, prime rib, lamb leg, colossus cocktail shrimp just to name a few).

Back to poker. I wanted to try the highly praised Venetian tourney. Weekdays 12pm $150 tourney starts you with 7500 chips, 25/50 blind at 30 mins. You absolutely cannot find a better structure tournament. Simply the best, just wish they offer that during the weekend as well. Unfortunately, the competition is much tougher. I will only write about a few key hands. 25/50 looked down at KK, raised to 150 at late position. 1 caller looking at the flop T 7 4 rainbow. He checked, and I wanted to show weakness and let him catch up so I checked. Turn some junk with diamond, so now 2 diamonds on board. He bets 150, I pumped it up to 300, he called. River another diamond junk. He bet 500, I called shipping my chips to his backdoor flush. I was sick to my stomach losing close to 1000 chips.

Very next hand I looked down at AK, and raised to 150 (still 25/50), 2 callers. Flop A 9 6 all heart. This time, I am not going to play cute and wanted to take the pot down right there. Betted out 500, lost 1 player but the late position aggressive player raised it to 1500. I went into a tank fuming. Did he really flop a flush? I had no heart in my hand, so couldn't really play. I tossed my hands away again. (-650)

A few orbits later at 50/100, I limped in from early position with A T suited. 4 players, flop T 6 4 rainbow. Everyone checked to me, so I wanted to take down my first pot, betted out 500, some guy check raised me to 1000. Turn a brick, he betted another 1500. At this point, I was pretty agitated for not winning 1 single pot, kept on being re-raised by other people. I chickened out at his check raise and follow through bet and tossed my cards again.

These 3 key hands cost me almost 3000 chips. Some more limping around and I saw my stack down from 7500 to 3000. Almost 1.5 hr into the tourney, with blinds at 100/200 and going to raise to 200/400. I looked down at 44 with about 2500 chips. I had to push. 1 caller with AT and beat me with 2 pairs!

It was an embarrassing tourney for me, couldn't even win 1 pot with 7500 chips! LOL! I must suck really bad. How did I come 4th in Caesars tourney before? Poker god knows!

Went to Planet Hollywood to play the Grinder $60 tourney. He wasn't there due to WPT. Still 10 tables. 20 mins blind started at 25/50, 4000 chips, no auto shuffler and the dealers were slow. 1 misdeal per dealer in 20 mins. Didn't do well either, at lease I won a pot with AK.

Anyway, both tourneys are excellent depending on your budget ($150 or $60). Thanks for reading.