Vegas June 2023 (WSOP)

Day 6 - PLO8 at MGM

Last Updated: 2023-06-13 13:51:06

Usual start to our day, Starbucks and the pool to get our morning going.

I had only taken out a little more money than I needed for my two WSOP attempts, and since they didn't work out it was time to reload. A little shopping, a stop at Wells Fargo and back to the room.

We hadn't exactly rushed down to the pool and we spent more time there than usual, which was also partly because at times it was overcast. By the time we got back to the room after shopping and the bank we were just an hour or so until our dinner reservation.

Joann and I hadn't been to Il Fornaio, the italian restaurant in NYNY, since before COVID. Not because we didn't like the food, we actually really liked the food.

The issue was that the service was consistently terrible.

My most egregious example was the time that as they brought our main courses to the table I was finishing my drink. The waiter literally never came back to the table once between that time and when we finished our food. I actually put my empty glass on the edge of the table to give them the hint I wanted another drink ... but nothing. All around us, never came to check on us. Never came to check if the food was OK or not. Came back when it was time for the check.

We were really turned off by the place.

But after 4-5 years we decided to give it another shot. And exactly the opposite experience. Highly attentive waiter, very good food, Joann tried something that she really wanted to try but wasn't sure she was actually going to like it ... and thoroughly enjoyed it!

It really was a perfect meal! I guess Il Fornaio is back on the list of options for us :-)

At that point we parted ways. Joann hit the Hershey store and I headed over to MGM for Pot-Limit Omaha 8b.

And it started out looking like it was going to be a nightmare. Dude from Ireland sits down next to me and warns me he's going all in every hand. He's tired, he only bought in because his friends bought in, wants to either build a stack or get out of there. At least he's betting into me, but this is not good if true.

Well...

Didn't bother looking at his cards. No matter how many limps into him he made a pot-sized bet as soon as action was on him. I watched him to verify he wasn't looking. Any flop, as soon as action on him another pot sized bet.

At some point the guy on the other side of me decided to go after him ... and lost ... so now maniac has a double sized stack and is still a maniac.

Great...

But ... about 45 minutes in and after taking down some smaller pots he decides to just disappear for a while. And with him gone, the rest of us can try and play a little poker!

Even with him gone, though, it didn't get a lot better for me. I play a high-only hand, KKQJ with two hearts and the flop comes AT4 two hearts, it checks around, and the 7 of hearts comes on the turn. I make a pot size bet, one caller. River is Ace of hearts ... I have the nut flush, but on a paired board and I have no low ... and the other guy leads into me for full pot. If it was limit poker I'd have snap called ... but pot sized bet I have to go away or risk being crippled.

Then all-in guy comes back, but he's actually planning to play poker now. Except ... he makes some ambitious calls and doubles up two people killing off most of his stack.

He's early to act and now getting short (and my stack is going south rather than north) and he pots it to 1400 at 200/400/400 blinds. I call with 2-2-3-Q double-suited, one other person calls. Flop 4-5-K with two spades, I decide that's good enough for me to take my stand with my dwindling stack (did have Q-2 of spades rather than 2-3 of spades with the king gone) against a total maniac. He pots it, I repot it, other person goes away, all the chips are in.

All he has is 8-6-Q-J with no spades. 6 on the turn gives me a straight! But 7h on the river gives him a bigger straight and we chop it up. 3 outs to get half the pot was all he had because 7 of spades gives me a flush. Dammit!

Absolutely nothing going on for me between then and the first break, that split pot had got me up to 18k from my 25k starting stack but when we went on break I was just over 10k.

Not a great first two hours.

Got off to a good start when we came back tho. I doubled up without seeing a river! There was a min-raise into me and I pot it with A-2-7-7 with A-7 of spades. One caller and then the original raiser calls. Flop came Q-5-3 with two spades, I put in my last 5500 chips expecting at least one call ... but they both fold on a 15k pot against a 5500 bet. I'll take it!

But couple hands don't work out, back down to 13k and I get moved to a new table.

I actually take someone out! I raise out with A-3-3-6 with a suited ace, big blind is very short and just no-look puts in the rest of his chips. He has all big cards, I flop a set of 3s, ship it!

Finally after that I get a little going. Play another high only hand with KKQ3 double suited and flop a set, I bet everyone out and take it then steal blinds with A-2-7-7. Before I know it I'm up near a starting stack at least!

Then again me with suited kings, K-K-Q-6 with the same suits as the last time (diamonds and spades). I limp in, button raises to 5000 at 1000/1500/1500 and I call.

Flop comes K-J-7. I check, he immediately goes all in and I snap call. He had an A-K-face-small kind of hand, but no running low cards or gutshot for him and I get a full double up to around 45K!

My run continued, picked up a couple more pots first when I flopped an open end straight draw, potted and took it down and then someone min-raised and I looked down at AAT4, repotted and he went away.

55,500 at the next break, I'll take it! 200 players, 96 left, paying 25 places.

Drop down to around 35k when there are four limpers at 1500/2500/2500 blinds/antes and I'm in a blind with K-T-T-5. Flop 8-T-Q, a little scary 4-handed so I check thinking I might risk a check-raise but it checks around. I'm feeling real good about my set right now.

3 of diamonds on the turn, I pot it, one caller. River is am offsuit 9. About the worst possible card I could imagine putting four to a straight out there ... but it checks around an TTT is good!

72 left.

57k at the next break, 56 left.

I steal some blinds and make a flush on a couple hands I play, up to 70k. My table breaks, 48 left, 23 from the money. Better than 50-50 shot :-)

I don't have anything playable for a stretch, down around 60-65k, blinds now 2000/4000/4000 and about to go to 3000/6000/6000. A different table breaks and we're down to 40, just 15 from the money. But a 10-11 BB stack probably isn't making it through 15 players without some help.

I look down at K-K-2-3 double-suited and there is a raise into me.

This is actually a hand I really like to get all in with when I'm short stacked. As long as I'm only up against one ace and not two it can be a really good situation. If they don't catch an ace my kings have a very reasonable chance of winning the pot. But if they do catch an ace then I've probably at least got a shot at the nut low and get half the pot back. And with the added bonus of it being double suited my second nut flush will often be good if I make one. So ... really like this hand in this spot!

There is a raise to 12k, I pot it to 50k, all the chips are going in.

He has A-4-5-7 I believe (definitely A-4, no pair, rest 8 or smaller).

Flop comes Ace, Jack ... three. Fuck. I'm dead to two remaining kings or running 4-5 for a chop with my low counterfeited and even worse his can't be counterfeited. I get no help, done.

It was a good run, always love playing PLO8! Got close, not close enough.

Back to the room picking up a sandwich along the way, started typing this up until I got sleepy (gotta let the adrenaline wear off) and went to bed around 3am. First woke up around 7:30, actually got out of bed around 8:45, finished typing this up while Joann hit the pool and now it's time for me to get ready for 8-Game Mix at Aria at 11am!