Psuedo Trip Report

More an update, really. I'm having a good time here chillin' in the Vegas, and one of the things I'm enjoying the most is not having a plan. The past two blogger gatherings I've been the one coordinating things, and December I had Suzy and her dad along as well. I hadn't realized how much stress that put on me until I came out here with no set plans other than to hang out and do whatever the hell I felt like. It's been nice. I'm relaxed, and other than being stuck a bit, I don't have any regrets about how it's going.

I've played 3 tournaments since I've been here, and have yet to make the real money in any of them, despite getting close last night in the 7PM Planet Hollywood tourney. I busted in 15th or so out of 80 or so, with the top 9 paying. I played well, won a couple races, lost a couple races, stuck my chips in the middle with ridiculous frequency, wasn't too far ahead or behind any time, and finally lost a race late with A-10 to pocket sixes and was crippled. Meh.

Then this morning I played the 9AM tourney at Caesar's and made the final table, only to bust out when the big stack limped with Aces and I came over the top of a middle position player's raise with K-Q off suit. Middle position guy folded and I didn't hit my two pair draw, and I was done. We had done a save earlier for 7-9, since only 6 players were supposed to get paid, so I got $60 of my buy-in back. The tourney cost $90 when all was said and done, and frankly I think I would have preferred to avoid the save and just play it out. I offered a 9-way chop, but that was shot down, not surprisingly.

I don't think I played any looser than normal because I knew there was a partial save out there, I made the move I did because I thought I could push everyone off their hands and pick up some chips cheap. I didn't anticipate Aces, and I think the middle position guy lays down anything smaller, so I'd make the same move again.

Oh wait, I did. Just about 45 minutes ago in the 7PM tourney at Planet Ho. I like that tourney because the field is soft, but I don't care for the structure. That's gonna be the same issue with any event I can afford, so I may as well play the best ones I can find. So far that's been Caesar's and Planet Ho. Caesar's has slower levels, but the jumps are bigger and you start with fewer chips. Planet Ho starts you off with nearly 100 BB, but the levels are only 20 minutes and it turns into a shove fest almost immediately after the break. So in both events you can play poker for an hour, then you have to start moving all your chips in with abandon.

Tonight I sat down and almost immediately put in both earbuds, which I seldom do at the table. Seems the 10s had just sucked out on the 6s really badly, and the 6s had plenty of opinions about it. My favorite response from the 10s was "Why do I always get the big-time poker pro playing the $50 buy-in tournament?" The 6s busted soon after and went off for his first rebuy. He blew through that one pretty quickly as well, and went off for buy-in #3. At least that time he got sent to a different table. I had brought my iPod mainly as defense against the shitty piano player in the bar next to the poker room, but I needed it against the jawing of the players.

So now I'm off to meet the Asian Jew, Bacon Bikini Mary and Robert of Vegas Year fame as the Venetian in search of the elusive winning session. I dumped off more money today playing non-hold em games, which, while very entertaining, can get expensive, especially 4/8 Omaha 8 with a half kill. I was happy to get out of that only down $100.