Vegas Baby

I decided to get to Vegas a day early so I arrived Wednesday afternoon.  I figured that'd give me extra time for tournament play.  I got a great deal on a room at the IP....or so I thought.  $18 per night during the week and $25 on the weekend, and you know what?  It wasn't worth even that.

I was waiting for the elevator with this woman, and when the doors opened she said "Oh don't take that elevator it doesn't seem to be working right, wait for another with me."  That was bad sign #1.

This view of the elevator floor that I rode in, was bad sign #2:

Ewwwwwww

It just seemed such a shame, to stay in such a shabby place when there was beauty everywhere around me.  After a few days I realized the IP was blogger hub, so I stopped being so bummed about my accomodations.  But NEVER again.  If I can't afford the Mirage or the Venetian, well I'll wait until I can.

Okay back to reality.

Wednesday night only people in town that I knew of were Miami Don and Wolfie.  Donnie and I texted a few times, but I opted to hit a $80 tourney at Harrah's.  I sat down at a black jack table, played ONE shoe and was up $85 at the end of the session.  Had my buy in covered and signed up.  These people were extremely bad players.  :)  No fold buttons.  I laid low for the first couple of orbits and just watched.  There were bad players that were too tight, and bad players that were too loose.  I made it my job to torture both.  I raised the blinds of the tighties relentlessly and slow played the loosy goosies who kept playing into me, and built a decent stack.

Woman to my left just could not throw away her hand when she matched the board for a pair.  She limped in, along with a couple of others when I had A-K.  I made a big reraise, knowing she'd call, which she did.  Flop was K-3-5 rainbow.  I bet pot (knowing she'd call) but she jams all in, with less than half of what I have.

Hmmmmm maybe trip 3s or 5s.  I know she ain't calling with K-3 or K-5.  Even SHE can't be that bad.  I think about and decide I can always rebuild my stack and decide to call with my big slick, TPTK. She turns over K-9.  lol Yay!!!!  Jack on the turn.....9 on the river.  Yup I doubled her up.

Later on I knocked her ass out of the tourney and got a $5 bounty for my trouble.  And kept playing and playing.  Soon enough I was chip leader again and someone asked me if I lived in Vegas and did this for a living. :)  No higher compliment in the world if you ask me.  Meanwhile, Wolfie is waiting for me at the IP (ewwww) but this tourney is taking a while.  Finally we're down to 5 peeps and Wolfie calls to say he's done waiting and he's heading over.  I was really looking forward to getting my salt caramels meeting Wolfie, so I said, great. 

5 left, 4 itm blinds are 2k/4k and instead of waiting for itm I raise with A-J sooted.  Shortie shoves over the top and I call.  He's got The Josie (J-10) and I know I ain't getting a bounty on this hand.  he rivers a straight and doubles up.  No biggie.  2 hands later I get Q-Q and smooth call....and lose with it and now I'm the shortie.  I end up jamming all in with A-10 and some dick with 8-6 calls me and I end up bubble.

From chip leader to bubble all in the time it took Wolfie to get to the poker room.  I'm in shock, just as he shows up.  Now when I'm at the table and get beat other than punching a guy or 2 I take my beat with class.  No insults, no name calling, but when I'm knocked OUT of a tourney, whether it's 2nd place or 71st, I am just SEETHING....barely able to speak.  It takes me time to decompress.  So between clenched teeth I say to Wolfie "Where are the salk caramels?" He didn't bring them from the room.  Poor guy had to get slugged for that one....so what if he uses a fricking cane! :)

Thursday morning I met Wolfie in the IP poker room for a little 2-4 limit. He's playing away as I sit down and hand the dealer my players card, or so I thought.  The dealer says Wow your throwing your room key at me....what are you trying to tell me?  Frigging IP room keys and players cards are EXACTLY ALIKE. 

Everyone cracks up and one guy asks if that means I'm easy.....I say "Yes I am, but not at poker".  And then it's a flirt fest.  I love it when guys are distracted from the game.  More money for Mama.  There was a really bad player in the 8 seat that played every hand I was in and raised me.....and then had shit.  And kept talking about "if a woman is in the hand I'll play."  I just smiled.  Later on Wolfie asked me why I didn't get all up in his grill about the "woman" talk.  I told him, that there's no reason to clue this guy in.  The guy lost all his chips, did a rebuy, and then lost those too.  He ended up being at my table at the Venetian, and I was THRILLED, but more on that later.  After that little session we headed to the Carnegie Grill.  Wolfie got a Reuben that was the size of Rhode Island and bought me breakfast.  Obv he was trying to get lucky.  :)  Still no caramels at this point btw.  Poor man must've been bruised all over by the end of the weekend.

Still steaming from my bubble the night before.

Wednesday night I decided to grab a burger at KGB, not realizing that was the place CRaAAKKer had written about with the over priced nothing special burgers.  I got a turkey burger with gorgonzola and tomatoes and NO BUN.  It was one of those pick your own toppings.  It was good, but not THAT good.  One burger (no fries) and one drink (mmm) cost $30.  fuck me.  Now since the burger had no bun, one would assume it would arrive on a plate so I could eat it with a knife and fork, but no, it was served in a wire basket on a piece of paper.  Not thrilled.  Waitresses were hot though.  But since I'm not into waitresses, I did not return.

After the little cash session with Wolfie it's time for a 3pm tourney.  Only a disappointing 12 players.  Early on, I am down to 1,000 chips but make it back to chip leader.  2 itm btw.  When we are down to 5 players I feel some hands massaging my shoulders and a voice saying guess who?  Hmmmm I guess Lightning correctly while light keeps massaging.  Guys at the table ask me how I know him.  I say "Honest to God, I've never met the man before in my life."  lol 

Once again, not impressed with anyone's play at the table.  Light stays, rails and watches the wonder happen.  When we are down to 3 I suggest taking $60 off of first to pay 3rd place.  The 2 guys agree and we are in the money!  No bubble this time!  One of the guys keeps haunting me for a 3 way split, but i have alot more chips and he's an idiot, so ummmm no.  I'll take my chances.  Besides, if I split it would be about $142 ea, but first is a little over $300 and 2nd is a little over $180, and really if these 2 geniuses take me out 3rd well, fuck, I shouldn't be playing poker.

We play 3 handed for about an hour and finally take out this annoying guy.  I have about 80% of the chips....and then get bad beats 3 times in a row.  I believe the last hand was A-10 vs 6-2 off suit and I lost with my big ace.  I forget the other bad beats but they were BAAAAAAD.  I get my $180 but I am pissed. 

Now 3rd place guy has been hanging around for his $60 but 1st place guy isn't offering it.  I explain to him that he has to give the guy $60 and he's shocked!  I ask him if he remembers the agreement and he does, but he didn't know what "off of first" meant.  (and this guy beat me...jeezus)  I asked him where did he think the $60 was coming from.  He says 'I don't know" but finally coughs it up, not that I gave a fuck.

Time for the big get together at the IP.  I go back to the room, shower, do my hair, do my makeup, get dressed, and sit on the bed....then I put my feet up......and when I finally woke up, (fully dressed) it was 4am.  I frigging missed it!  I had quite a few texts on my phone, but that never woke me up.  I did get about 8 hrs sleep.  Lucky for me, cuz I didn't get much sleep Friday night.

The Venetian has big tourneys on Friday night.....not like the small shit I'd been playing and I really wanted to jump in the deep end, so my original plan was to play the 7pm tourney there and then head over to MGM afterwards...say midnight-ish.  I tell this to Donnie and he gives me the following advice (via text):

"That's right, you're a rookie and rookies play tons of poker.  Us vets drink and socialize."

I know good advice when I see it and blow off the tourney and head over for mixed games at the MGM even though I don't know how to play mixed games.  In the past Waffles has taught me a bit about Omitard, but never razz or stud, but wtf.  I'm not going there to make money, but to meet the people I've been reading about.  And Miami Don was right.  Friday night was the best night of the trip for me.  Had a frigging blast.

I'll tell you all about it latah.

Play smart, unless it's razz.

Josie