Vegas on Business (a rambling and some poker)

This entry has been re-titled in my mind no less than 6 times. Read into that what you will.

Vegas Business Trip Report

What are the Pros and Cons of staying off the strip? Price is what I expected the answer to be. But I sorta found the exception to the rule. I stayed at the RIO, which is on strip, but only if you take the shuttle over the highway. Which means you need to be back by 1am. Since I am here on business, this has not been a problem. But otherwise, not good.

The RIO is all-suites which means the rooms are twice as large than say, the Paris, but also cost exactly twice as much.
It’s nice because the pool has a sandy beach, but they also charge $18 for a large Pina Colada. That’s a big number for something that is held in a plastic cup.

My room air conditioning is barely keeping up, while the hallways are a refrigeration unit at 65 degrees. The weirdness of Vegas. (note: later in the day, the hotel will lost power for a good hour. I wonder if its related to keeping cavernous hallways at 65 degrees?)

#1 Tip for Vegas, ALWAYS get a player card. It makes check in so much more pleasant.

Tip for Vegas #2: Find the nearest coffee (such as starbucks). Its too hard to locate them in the morning when you need them. The RIO has two Starbucks and a 3rd coffee and pastry stand.

Tip for Vegas #3: Bring your own cigars. The cigar booths are typically out of the way places with high prices. Counter to the trend, the RIO had one by the front desk. Not counter to the trend, cigars were expensive.

I stayed on the 11th floor with a strip view. If you are not here on business, get a strip view. How? Use your gold card to check in and be VERY NICE to the check in clerk. Especially if they are new and their supervisor is helping them learn the ropes.

The RIO shuttles run to Harrah’s where the monorail is and to Caesars Palace. But its 5-10 wait for the shuttle and a 5-10 minute ride. It add up when the temperature is over 90.

Card rooms:
The RIO poker room (not where the WSOP will be obviously) is very small and their lowest NLHE game was 2-5. I am very bankroll driven, so I always look for a 1-2 game.

After business concluded on day #1, we had a wonderful dinner at the RIO steakhouse. Tremendous . My previous trips to Vegas have been very anti-climactic in the food area. Not this time. Go for the expense restaurants or stick to subway. The “inexpensive fare” restaurants are so bad, its almost a crime. I swear that at the imperial palace burger place someone should be sued over what they call edible.

I took the shuttle to Harrah’s and since they had a 1-2 NLHE game, sat down. I had maybe a 5 minute wait (if that). Nice room, sequestered off (which I prefer).

I am playing for about an hour, but never had a hand better than AJ or TT. I held my own but was coming up about even. I have a rule when playing live NLHE 1-2. If there are more than 3 players in the pot, don’t bet or call bets bigger than ½ pot with anything less than 2 pair. So, I rarely get into trouble with these types of tables.

They start their evening tournament (which I decided to skip) which had but nine players (resulting in a SnG for their tournament.)

Some players from each of the 1-2 tables went over to the SnG and the rest collapsed into our table. The guy on my left was a regular since the dealer knew him by name (alex). Here now is the second hand after he sat down.

I raise it up to 10 with ATs from EP and he calls. No other players.
The flop is AT6 with 2 clubs. I have flopped top two and all worries about being out kicked are gone. I am just concerned with the 2 clubs.
I decide to play this aggressively, because I expect he will pay me off with Ax, hopefully A6. I bet $25 into the pot of $23 (defend against the flush) and he raises $25. With top two pair I figured him for a flush draw semi-bluff with a pair or Ax (hopefully A6, but more probably AK).

I decide since I will have committed 50% of my stack if I call, and he has a big stack, I need him to leave that flush draw on the table and fold if he has just the draw. I push my remaining stack in and he calls. He turns over 66 for the set. Its not often you flop top 2 vs. a set in a cash game. I am not sure I could escape based on our stack sizes.

I buy back in for a second buy-in. I spend the next hour+ working it back. Just solid play, taking opportunities, not getting greedy. I have gotten 90% of it back.

Meanwhile an interesting hand comes up that I was not in. The flop is AAx with two players. The out of position player postures and says “I am trying to figure out if my Kings are good.” He then checks. The other player takes the bait and bets the flop. The “kings” smooth call. “kings” now check the turn and the other buy gets, again the smooth call. The river is x and this time the “kings” bet. The other player folds. “kings” turns over Ax for a boat.

The boat player cashes out and leaves. Classic.

For 10 minutes I fold. Solid play.

I now find AcJc in MP. Two early players have limped in and I pop it to 5xBB. I get the original limper and the SB to call.

The flop is Ad7c6s

SB checks, I bet 35, hoping to get a AJ to fold if there is one). The first limper folds, but the SB calls after thinking about folding for about 15 seconds.

The turn 5c and I have picked up the nut flush draw. SB checks, I bet 35. He check-raises all-in. (Its 100 more or the remaining 50% of the starting stack on this hand). I go into the think tank. This is not a tournament I say to myself, I feel like I a supposed to make this call. I doubt the club helped him, and I think he is trying to grab the pot from me. I don’t consider the 5 a worry card. Still, something is wrong. But, I call figuring I have the flush redraw. He has 89. (he made a straight on the turn)

I look for the club. The last card is a red K. All my work flushed down the toilet.

I always leave the table when I make a bad decision. Sort of self imposed imprisonment. I review the hand over and over in my head…

mistakes:
1. Didn’t I eat the Peppered beef? I called an all-in (check raise no less) with less than two pair.
2. Check raise, heck any re-raise at this table. In retrospect, I realize I did not see a single re-raise at this table where the player did not have a big hand. (this goes for my 2 pair vs. set hand also)
3. I did not completely think out big decision because I don't play live enough. I am not even sure that the check-raise registered. No, that is hiding the truth. The check raise did NOT register at all. I felt the pressure to respond because everyone was waiting. In a home game, I would have made them wait.
4. I Did not really address the turn card. When a turn card comes, you have to evaluate its impact on the value of the hands. It greatly diminished mine. Why did I think A8 vs. 89?? Because of the call on the flop? I figured A weak kicker. The check raise should have said I was wrong.
5. Counted my redraw as too many outs. Sure it was 8 or 9 outs, but I was still a DOG to get there. I was getting 3-1 ish on a 4.5-1 draw (assuming I cant win with 2 pair or its even more). This was the fatal clincher and a psychology lesson in one. In a CASH GAME, it’s HARDER to lay down a draw to the nuts.

Worst of all, I realize the next day that this was a similar mistake I made last December at Excalibur!!! I had a guy pull a straight out on 4th street and did not re-evaluate my holding and paid it off. (Although I did not have a redraw in that situation. That’s what really screwed me up here, the re-draw.)

If I hit the club, I am up $200 for the night and think I am king of the table. But I have never been what you would call “lucky”.

"walking back to Dallas" as TJ would say. Went broke from behind. Embarrassed and defeated I went to bed.

The next night, I have a wonderful dinner at the China Griil at Mandalay. Afterwards, it is off to play again. Mandalay no longer spreads 1-2, only 2-5 in low NLHE. So we took the train to the castle. They had 1-3, which would normally qualify. But after last nights sting, I wondered over to MGM instead. And let’s face it, it’s an easy thing to do. MGM runs an excellent card room. They will post games based on interest, they process the wait quickly, and they have lots of dealers. (I have not played at the big rooms at Bellagio or Wynn).

I come in after the button and as is my habit, decide to wait for the BB so I can watch the table. Twice in one rotation I see a raised flop called by 5, checked around on the flop and the turn, and someone stab at the river only to get no resistance. These guys are not bullies or bluffers it seems.

10 or so hands in, I realize I have seen zero flops. Here come my blinds AGAIN.

There are 4 callers and I look down to see AJo in the SB. This is absolutely the hardest position to play this hand from. I do know, however, not to raise with AJo from the SB. I reluctantly pay the extra ½ bet and see the flop figuring I am going to have to fold unless I get a strong flop.

Flop JT6 rainbow. Nice, strong flop for me. The UtG limper makes it 10, there is a caller and back to me in the SB. I raise it to 35 (25 more). Without even a delay he puts me all in.
I go into the tank again, only this time I take a good 2 minutes. The dealer was accommodating. After much thought fold. My read was that he limped with AA waiting for the re-raise pre-flop that never came. After the flop, he led out to build a pot and when I showed strength, went for the stack. If I had a set, he would be broke right now. Neither of us showed, but since he had not done that and did not do it since, I feel I was exactly right. So even though I lost $35, I felt pretty good about my play. It was very similar to last night’s hand where I called, but this time I escaped.

10 minutes later I have about $90 in front of me.
I am UtG and look down at two Jacks. Another difficult hand, but I am going to play it. I decide to raise to 10 UtG with JJ. This might have been a bit light for this table, but if I bet 15, the only caller is AA or KK or QQ. I want worse hands to call and better hands to give me a chance to out-flop them. UtG+1, a nice older lady who played too many hands pre-flop, calls. The Button then raises to 25. I actually think for a moment about folding. Then reason and rational return to my brain and I call as does the old lady.

The flop is 68J 2 diamonds. FINALLY, I have a big hand. And top set no less. It seems obvious that in a cash game I check here. If they have something I get extra money in the pot, if they don’t I give them a chance to catch up as a BIG dog. I check and the other two check after me. The old lady probably has zero. (I really expected the button to bet here and he does not. Curious that he did not make a continuation bet. Ax?) pot is $78. I have about $55 left in front of me.

The turn is a Q. I quickly notice that I cant check. I wish to “bid” up the pot and allow the other two to make a mistake. Maybe 1 of them just made two pair or top pair with that Q. I bet 25, hoping the old lady will stay. She does not. The button, however, says “I’ll donate” and calls. I expect that because of that comment he has an 8, maybe even 78. (I have a about 30 left)

His call was with AK and he was drawing to a 4 outer. He mistakenly thought his overcards were good as he put me on AJ (or so I expect).
River is a T and the stack gets pushed the other way. All I can do is get up and walk away. My 3rd buy in is gone.

If I am all in on the flop, I bet 40 instead of 25. But I expect to be way ahead on this flop (and I am!). That would chase away hands that are big dogs. I feel I played this hand well and just did not get the results. I should win this showdown 11 of 12 times.

I don’t know if I can take playing again. Instead, I will go to the corporate event and see Richard Jeni for free. Having been in stand-up in the past, and having seen Richard work, there are few better. There are maybe 6 comics I would go see. He is one of them. (I wrote this before I ran into Richard in the hallway.)