Vegas June 2018 (WSOP)

Day 17 - Aria 8/b

Last Updated: 2018-06-26 17:36:25

Usual morning, bought into the 11am at Aria. Pot-Limit Omaha 8/b. My favorite game!

First level picked up a couple of small pots and just maintained my 20K starting stack.

In the second half-hour level I was completely card dead. Complained to the guy next to me I hadn't seen an ace in half an hour. I really hadn't seen an ace in half an hour...

Finally see an ace! Then a second one!! But just J-9 to go with them. Double suited so I raise out my high-only hand and get no action. Probably for the better...

Bit later I take a shot with another high only hand out of the big blind since not much else is working for me. I call a raise from a loose player with AKKJ with three spades...so if I can hit a flush it's the nut flush...but I have one of my flush cards.

Flop comes KTT. Gin! I'm first to act so I check, it checks around. Turn is another ten. If he has quads I'm going home...I lead out, he calls. River K. Wow. Now if he has a ten I'm probably doubling up!

I lead out again, he calls and rolls over AAQX, so no ten but he did pay me off in case his boat was good. 20300 at the first break.

The next hour and a half was rough. Every time I picked up an A-2-3-X or A-2-4-X or a good A-2-X-X/A-3-X-X hand I got almost all of them out of position (usually first two to act), but also I never hit one decent flop on any of them. 100% of flops were either pair-pair-face or counterfeited my low. I did not win a single pot that I recall in that timespan, tho there probably was one or two I just forgot about. Certainly didn't scoop a pot. 11800 at the next break.

Didn't get any better. Shortly after break A29J with a suited ace. Flop A23. Can't make it up.

Finally had one hit, don't ask me how I won this pot. I pick up AA25 first to act. Since I didn't want to get reraised when early to act I tended to limp with good-but-not great A-2/A-3 hands in that situation. So my limp just looked like another limp, but this time guy at the other end of the table potted it! He has to call my shove, says "well played" with a disgusted look on his face. He only has a not very good A-3 hand (A-3-T-X, all you need to know) and the board runs out 23K5X - two pair 5s and 2s good! I get back close to a starting stack at 18,400!

But that was pretty much it. Eventually I'm on the other end of the same situation, getting blinded down and pot it with a not-great A-2-X-X hand from the button and the big blind wakes up with AA3X, goes over the top and obviously I'm not folding with more than half my stack already in. He flops an ace, I did have a low draw with my other cards but got no help and I was done.

Actually not really done, I was crippled down to less than a big blind, figured I might as well take a shot with a 2-pair starting hand that didn't have any shot at low...not only did I not hit my set, someone flopped quads!

#OnToTheNextOne

Late-registered for the 7pm. Started out pretty well...

I'm in the small blind, peek at my cards as soon as I get them and see two aces. Nice! Folds around to the button. Bummer. Button limps. Blinds 400/200/400, I intend to make it 1000 but I pull back my two 100 chips and toss out a 1000 chip without saying anything. That's a call. Looks like a limp.

Short stack big blind immediately shoves all-in. Button folds, I call, he has J-7 with a spade.

Flop comes 9-T-Q with two spades

Seriously???

Turn comes 4 of spades

Seriously??????

River a blank, aces hold up. Whew!

Bit later I call a loose players raise with JJ hoping to flop a set and stack him. I flop a set! I check/call the flop. But the turn brings a 3rd heart and some straight draws as well so I have to lead out and not give him a free river. He goes away. Got paid some tho! 30,100 at the break.

Just after break I get aces early to act, raise my usual 2.5X and a short-ish stack goes all in. She has KK, AA holds up, 44900.

But...here we go again.

I lose 1/4 of my stack in three hands. In a blind with just Q2, flop comes 7Q7. I lead out, get called. Turn a 5, bet again, called again. River a 9. I check, guy who didn't pay my jacks off earlier leads out. I have top pair, no kicker, I give it up. Later I overhear him telling someone he had 5s and sucked out on the turn. I knew something was up...

Two hands later I lead out late to act with A5 suited. Blinds call. Flop comes 4-5-8. I lead out, both call. Turn brings a 6. First guy leads out, second guy goes over the top. If my pair of fives was ever good, clearly not any more.

Then a little while later I flop a flush draw with a gutshot, miss everything, try to buy the pot on the river and don't just get called, get raised! Another quarter of that 45k stack gone.

Drop under 20K with blinds at 1000/500/1000 soon to go up. I have Q-T off on the button, several limpers. I decide to call, arguably should have just shoved, but I call. Flop comes Q-9-rag with three diamonds and I have Td. So...under 20BB, top pair OK kicker, decent flush draw, back door straight draw...someone leads out for 2000 with 5-7k in the pot between blinds/antes/limps ... what am I supposed to do here? All in. He has AA with the ace of diamonds. I'm down to 5 outs or running non-diamond straight cards. No help, done.

Overall this was obviously not a great trip in the poker department. Don't think that means Joann and I didn't have a great vacation! The poker was frustrating, but we spent a lot of quality time together when I was away from the table. Spent time with friends, stocked up on liquor for the year, did a lot of shopping, ate a lot of great food, etc. It was very good vacation. Success at poker would have made it better, of course :-)

On to November...