Vegas November 2009 (Deep Stack)

Day One - Deep Stack part 1

Last Updated: 2009-11-08 04:22:47

Today I did something in poker that I have never done before.

And damn, it feels good.

My day started at 3AM mountain time, which is what time I had to get up for my flight. Hindsight I could have slept another half hour, but I did spend some productive online time at the airport.

Bumpy flight getting to altitude, but once we cracked 20,000 feet it was smooth sailing the rest of the way.

Had lots of time to kill, got in so early they wouldn't let me check in to the hotel for another half hour so I had to wander around with my bags. Thankfully I found a locker I could put them in at the IP for a little while. So I went to Ventian, bought in, came back and checked in, then walked from the IP to MGM and back to clear out my head.

I could have gambled, but if that didn't go well I really didn't want to be on tilt before I even sat down in this poker event.

So back to the room to pick up my iPod, then on to Venetian for the buffet being put out for the deep stack players. It was just cold cuts, omelets and soup but it was good food and the price was right (free!). Then another half hour on a final walkabout to get my mind off anything and everything else and it was time to sit down.

I wish I could, as usual, go on about my stellar play but to be honest for the most part I played ABC poker for most of the first few hours. I created a reputation for being very tight, my bets were respected, and I did from time to time take advantage of that. But aside from an early loss, I was winning almost every pot I played and I was gradually building a chip stack all afternoon a little bit at a time without getting involved in large, risky pots. I had very few difficult decisions to make, and I made good ones when those times came.

In the late afternoon I was sitting between two people who were occasionally flashing parts of their cards to me. They obviously had no idea. The one on my left, who I was therefore betting into, at one point flashed me what was definitely either a 7 or 8 of diamonds (couldn't see the numbers but saw enough of the middle of the card to know about what it was). He raised out under the gun. Everyone folded to me, and I had 9-10 suited in spades. Simple plan. I know one of his cards, most likely he's paired or suited connector type hand. I'm going to bet him out if a bad flop comes for him, go away if he gets a flop that may have improved his hand.

Flop comes I think J-2-4 two spades. If he has a pocket pair, then I have two overs and a flush draw and therefore should be a favorite. He's going to think this is a good flop for him (one over card and it's just a jack) but I KNOW it's a better flop for me. I make a bet of 6000 (which is about a pot size bet) and he min-pops it to 12,000. BINGO. He has a middle pair, thinks it has to be good and is trying to see if I'm just trying to buy the pot (which I am!!!). I immediately shove, he swears and with disgust throws away his hand.

Then I do something dumb, something I'm trying not to do too much any more in live games outside my house. I showed the semi-bluff. Obviously nobody knows that I sort of know what his hand was, so everyone at the table who thought I was tight as a drum got some insight into me I really didn't want them to have...although perhaps adding some doubt to their minds could have been a good thing...

Next hand I got A-J in the small blind and, ahem, my "buddy" in the big blind. I raised, of course, and he called of course because he's a little on tilt and I showed him a steal. Flop comes 7-J-7. I check trying to induce a bet, he checks. Turn a blank, but I think created a flush draw, can't let him have any more free cards. So I bet, he thinks and folds and I show the jack to try and repair my table image...

I do some more building, my big hands generally hold up and I'm able to get away when they don't work out. I stay above average stack for quite a while, but then have a card-dead stretch and lose more chips trying to buy a couple of pots and all of a sudden I'm under 20 times BB and well below average.

Then my next run starts. I decide to go over the top with pocket sixes of a guy who has shown willingness to raise/fold. He thinks a long while and calls w/ pocket ducks. Sixes hold up, then a few hands later I get in with the same guy him with A-Q and me w/ 88. He has Ah I have 8h. This is important. :)

Flop comes 6-7-rag two hearts. Turn is 9h, river is 10h. My heart sinks, what a crappy way to lose the hand...until the dealer says "straight flush" and every jaw around the table drops. Yup. He hit runner-runner nut flush but I hit runner-runner straight flush!!

Now, do I consider this a lucky break on my part? Not really. I was ahead preflop, I was ahead after the flop, I was ahead after the turn and the last card that came was one of the many, many cards in the deck I win with (any non-heart that wasn't an ace or a queen). Are the odds small against a straight flush? Of course they are. And it's WAY COOL to hit one because you don't hit them very often. But I didn't do any betting to get there, I raise, he shoved, I called and all the rest happened later.

So again I build up a very good stack, again I then go card dead and get blinded down, again I get another run of cards and build up to a sizeable stack again. This last runup came as we got closer and closer to the money. When we crossed the money barrier I was sitting in great shape with about 270K and the average 150k or so.

But then when we got to the money they redrew seats and that was the end of my run. I went card dead again, but on top of that I had a guy sit down next to me and I swear every time I had some hand that was definitely worth a raise he had a better hand and called me and ended up taking the pot. And every time he showed me and every time I was beat. Like I get a bad ace in the small blind, I raise to steal, he goes over the top and shows me QQ. I get sixes under the gun on a short table and raise, he calls, someone else calls, he eventually shows me pocket 10s. Every stinkin time.

So with my chips were dribbling away, then came the thing that Pete has never done before while playing poker.

I bagged up my chips, sealed the bag, signed it and left the building still alive in a poker tournament. I am playing on day two, folks. Then I did something I do pretty much every "first day" in Vegas - I walked out of a casino 24+ hours after waking up the morning before.

Good news is that I'm alive. Bad news is that I'm probably the 2nd or 3rd from the bottom chip stack. I do have barely over 10 times BB but one orbit will put me under. And I have a long way to go to put myself in a position for serious money.

But as it stands now there are 16 people left. 16th pays over $1600. 15th pays over $2,000. I think the next bump up in money is at 12th, paying $2400 or $2600. Top prize, a mere $31K. So I'm looking for an excuse, and another $400 would be nice but to have a chance at the big money I need to double a couple of times so I intend to take some risks.

I don't play until 4pm, so I get to watch all the football games tomorrow except the one I most want to see, Iggles/Cowboys on Sunday Night Football. But I'm sure Joann will DVR it for me in case I'm able to avoid all media coverage on Monday.

Wish me luck!