Sunday, June 3, 2007

Welcome To The World Series of Poker

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Rio Resort & Casino 6/2/07

World Series of Poker Walk through


Today I got up early (Not something I am proud of), and made my way down to day two of The 2007 World Series of Poker. Well first of all I showed up at 11:40am. There was thousands of people waiting in long lines to get into today's event. The event a No Limit $1500 buy in event. Soon after I entered the madness I made my way around the room to see what this years series was offering.

Located in the back was a dry erase board with info posted for cash games. They were offing $2-$5 No Limit & $10-$20 No Limit Hold Em. Now these are not the only games they are spreading for cash, but were the starters. As I approached all I could hear was griping from players that were alternates, saying that they were told to be there at the start time. Yet while they grumbled, over the loudspeaker they were being told to wait in the hallways.

All I could think is, "You have a year to plan this? And it starts like this!" I finally got up to the cash game podium and asked the young girl working there, when they thought the first cash game would start, or if I could even get on the list. She told me, "We are not going to start any til around 4pm." I was amazed, I said, "Really?" She started telling me that today's event was way larger then planned and that they would not have any tables available til then. I decided it was time to head out from the Rio.

I worked my way through the crowed again. Once in the hallway, I am weaving in and out when all the sudden some guy steps back and shoulder checks me. I am about to say something (but I realize there are so many people), I look up and he says "Oh sorry." I look at him, he is familiar to me, I say "No problem Layne," and continue walking off. It was Full Tilt Poker Pro Layne Flack who like most others had made his way to play in that days event. On my way out I started noticing a lot of Poker Pros, I saw Phil Ivey talking to a couple Average Joe's (Not to be confused with the Dogeballs Average Joe's Team, although that would make this more entertaining). I passed an autograph signing, Chris "Jesus" Ferguson as I turned the corner. I saw the likes of Paul Wasicka, Dutch Boyd and more.

The most noticeable of these Pros is this little guy who cut me off, just before I exited the building. He was in an extreme hurry, and was weaving in and out of people with his eyes low and his backpack hiked high. He cut me off so abruptly I had to move quick, to keep from falling over him, he just looked up and smiled. I expected for him to say, "No time to waste, I'm late, I'm late for an important date." This little guy looking more like the White Rabbit in Alice In Wonderland was none other then Daniel Negreanu. He just smiled said excuse me and waved to a couple people as he walked on.

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I finally made it out of the Rio, got in my car, took a second to reflect and thought, where to now? Home? Planet Hollywood? Nah I decided on the MGM. I made my way on the backstreets, and within moments I made I was asking to be added to the $1-$2 No limit list, and the $2-$5 No limit List. After about a 5 minute wait I was seated in a $1-$2 game. Bought in for $200, and started my first session of June.

MGM Resort & Casino
$1 - $2 No Limit
June 1st, 2007
Start 1pm
End 5:30pm
Total Hours: 4.5
# of Bets Called Pre-flop, then fold to re raise: 4
# of Hands: 177
# of Flops: 27
# of Turns: 12
# of Pots Won: 11
# of Showdowns: 4

Total Profit: (+440)
Hourly: $97.78/hr

This session started fast and furious. I planned on playing tight, but felt like i looked like pure action. Within the first 20 minutes I had been in three showdowns, had check raised 4 people and been all in twice. When the smoke cleared I was up to $740 in chips. All of this in less then a half hour. I had pocket Kings, AK, pocket 9's, Pocket 6's & KQ all good.

The rest of the session was me on cruise control. Folding to most raises and only playing back when I had big hands. It worked out, I was very happy with the results, and defiantly helped ease my mind of the last Planet Hollywood session I played. There were a few hands to note during this session. But only one stood out to me in this session.

An hour in I was in the Hijack position with the KQ of clubs. A player in early position made it $15 to go and was called in 3 seats. I thought about folding, especially since the player to my right exposed the K of spades when she was folding. But I thought, what the heck I have good position. 2 other players called and we saw the flop 6 ways for $15 (Pot at $90). The flop was Kh 9s 7h. The original raiser bet $40 and it folded to me. I called as did one other player. The turn card was the 7d. It was checked to me, I checked and the player on the button checked. The river was the 3d. It was checked again, and I made a bet of $40. At this point the pot was at $190. The button thought and then put in a raise to $120. The original raiser folded and I thought for a minute. I knew there was something he did not like about the turn card, the I thought that he was actually playing off his trips. I folded and was shown 8s 6s. Yeah he had a busted straight draw, I was mad, but I said nice hand and showed no emotion. He tried to put me on tilt by saying, "8 high, ship it".

I realized as soon as I folded, that he could not have me beat there. Trips would have wanted to make a flush draw pay when he made his hand on the turn, and; when you pulled in my bet of $40 with his call before he raised the pot was at $270, and was only $80 more to call. I was calling $80 more to win $350. What was I thinking....uggggghhh. Mike says he thinks I sometimes play more tight and passive when I am in situations like this. Well I guess I found something I need to work on. Improving my reads when I have top pair or two pair.

It seems I do not call enough hands when I have top pair, and have a tendency to overplay 2 pair. I will work on this, maybe make this a project to improve my reads etc. Overall this session was good. I will be playing more this next week, I hope to put in somewhere around 100 hours this month, although 80 would be OK. Good luck and keep grinding.


The Gamblin Duke

Saturday, June 2, 2007

Day 4....Judgement Day!!!!!!

Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino
$1 - $2 No Limit
May 31, 2007
Start 6pm
End 2am
Total Hours: 8
# of Bets Called Pre-flop, then fold to re raise: 7
# of Hands: 337
# of Flops: 94
# of Turns: 22
# of Pots Won: 17
# of Showdowns: 7

Total Profit: (-$600)
Hourly: $0/hr

Well day 4 did not go so well. I ended up re buying on the second hand I played, when I raised to $17 got two callers, ended up going broke when the BB, (who was the table chip leader)busted me with pocket 7's. 3 hands later I raced pocket 7's for his $100 with Ac Qc, and lost when the flop was 9c 9d 4c. So of course I maxed out my stack again, and before I could get them stacked I lost another pot for my stack when I flopped top two against pocket J's. I got him all i on the flop, and the turn card was a J!!!!

How do I feel? Maybe I should have just walked then. But I thought, no I can make this happen. So I gutted up up and kept playing. Now in this session, I was straddling pots. I also saw a lot more flop in position, and this would ultimately be my downfall.

By the end of the session I was in almost every hand, I even saw a $32 flop 7 ways with the Kd Qd on the button. The flop of Ks Jd 3d came down there was a $70 bet, called 4 ways, then the turn was the 5c. The player who bet $70 went all in for $140, one player called then the other pushed for $250, at this point I figured top pair was no good, but with the flush draw, just seemed like too big of a pot for me to fold. I called and the the original raiser went all in for $340. The other three players were all in, so I called. The river was the 3s. The original bettor showed down Kc 7c, then the second player showed down 6s 3h, and I felt a sick feeling in my stomach. Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket
All in all the guy won over an $1100 pot with his trip 3's. What can I do there, nothing I sure cannot fold, turns out my Q and Diamond were good also, as well as a complete whiff would help me also. Pocket 7's was in this hand also all the way to showdown.

This was a bad session, but will not get me down, I really feel I player too loose, but i do have to find a happy medium, one that will hopefully be very profitable.
On a side note, The 2007 World Series of Poker started yesterday, and one of the first events was the $500 buy in Casino Employee event. At 2am Highwaytime Mike informed me that two of the Planet Hollywood's staff (Hadi & Filipo) were still alive & kicking, I wish them luck.

I think I will make my way down to the Rio to see some of today's action, I may also check out a sit N Go or two and Todd and Mike are planning on living there this month and playing these mini tournaments. We will see how this goes, I think they have a good plan as long as the structure, is what they expected it to be. I will keep you up to date on how this goes for them also.

The Duke