blonde poker forum

I'm not really one for diary writing (witness the death of my blog) but I thought I'd do a temporary, ten-day only special, about AndrewT in Vegas. It might be fun.

After spending Wednesday night down at the Empire Casino, watching my horses having a good time with my money, I awoke fairly bright and definitely early at 5.30am. The airlines say to get to the airport three hours before your flight if it's a long haul one. My flight was at 10.05am so I aimed to get there about 7ish. Due to some faffing by the trains I got to Heathrow at 7.25. I was checked in by 7.30 and through security by 7.40, leaving me over two hours to kill in the soulless capitalist fly-trap of the terminal shops.

Scored my first instance of running good at Eat. Ordered two sausage muffins and, once sat at a table to eat them, found I'd actually been given two full English muffins - with sausage, bacon and scrambled eggs. The fact I'm such an anti-glutton meant I could only eat one, however hopefully it meant that Lady Luck was up for a good time with me.

I flew with Air Canada via Vancouver, which managed to get me into Vegas quicker than any number of other flights via US cities, even though Vancouver is further from London that Vegas is, so I was going the long way round.

I'm usually quite the hermit on flights (on all public transport actually). I will never initiate conversation with the person I've been assigned to sit next to (unless they're an attractive woman ldo), as I'm a rubbish conversationalist with someone I don't know quite well. Ted from San Francisco didn't know this, so he asked me who I was and what I did and that. We chatted a bit about poker (he played a bit for quarters) and was very happy when I said I'd seen Phil Hellmuth get knocked out of the WSOPE the night before by one of my stable of horses I had in the event, as he didn't like him.

He told me I should stop biting my nails as I had 'beautiful hands'.

Hmmmm, a 50 year old guy living in San Francisco, wearing no wedding ring, told me I had beautiful hands. I think Lady Luck is getting her wires crossed as to what I might be after.

As I'd landed a nice touch recently, I decided to eschew the bargain basement hotels and instead booked a room in the West Wing tower at the MGM Grand. It was my favourite place to play cash the last time I was here, so I thought I'd stay here as I'll be able to play enough to get the poker rate discount on the room. The room is great. It's not massively big (which has led some people on review sites to criticise them) but the perfect size for me. It has a very modern feel to it (frosted glass doors, TV in the bathroom mirror) along with the two most important things for me (comfy bed and good shower) so I'd definitely recommend it.

As I was so exhausted I went to bed last night at 8pm (4am in my head) and woke up today at 5.50am. Managed to actually have a breakfast at breakfast time and decided to play the noon comp at Caesars Palace. Very good tourney - $340 gets you 12,500 chips and a 40 minute clock. There were 53 runners and after getting a few small pots early on, everything went to cock.

I missed every flop, every continuation bet was called and few of the other players were that strong. As an example, I raised with AQ from the cut off and just the button called. Flop is K93 with 2 clubs. I cont bet and he insta-calls in a very flush-drawy way. Turn is a red 5 so I fire again, again he calls. On the river I actually hit with a Q and bet again (not a good bet as what worse hand calls, but I was loath to check once I'd hit). He ums and ahs and eventually makes what looks like a crying call.

'Queen', says I.

'Straight' says he, and turns over JT clubs. I curse my luck, say 'nice hand' and move on. Only halfway through the next hand, as I'm replaying the previous hand in my head, that I realise on a K935Q board, with no flush, JT is the stone cold nuts. Now, I wasn't slow-rolled - he genuinely didn't know the strength of his hand. As the comp progressed, it quickly became apparant the guy was a complete station, who a couple of other players spewed chips at by bluffing.

I barely won a pot after the first level and went out in about 40th after pushing when short stacked with T9 and running into AK. Going to play cash downstairs later on, but the Presidential debate is starting in 20mins so I might watch that first.

On my list of topics to discuss in further posts - Apostrophes and Breasts.

more breasts less 's

Has Lynn Truss taken up poker?  http://www.profilebooks.co.uk/author.php?author_id=2

Did you wear your BB7 shirt or something to give him the wrong idea?

  Looking forward to reading this,i've often thought of taking a trip to vegas on my own although it would probably finish me off as i can easily slip into degenerate mode.However Caesars noona,Venetian deepstack tournies combined with 1/2--2/5 at the MGM just sounds like the perfect trip.Regular updates please MrT.

Great thread, send us more

Very nice post Andrew - really looking forward to this, apart from...


 :redcard: instaban


errr, rescinded, for a while...

did you take a camera with you Andrew?

Good start, looking forward to more.

Good luck at the tables.

The best of luck Andrew -- nice read, (now how about some pictures please)

(http://onthemarkwriting.files.wordpress.com/2007/08/apostrophe.png)

Right that's one subject out of the way, now waiting for Andrew to sort out the other.

Posted by: AndrewT

No shit! :)

Pictures of apostrophies or they didn't happen.

Have a great time Andrew, looking forward to more updates :)

Yeah - I've learnt I need to make adjustments to my game. :)

Andrew,
I am out there in a couple of weeks.  If you find yourself in the Bellagio, would you mind having a look at the mid limit games and reporting back please?  E.g. what time of day you were there, how many 15/30 -30/60 games were going, were they shorthanded or full with a long list, etc.  I've heard the games are drying up a little bit, would appreciate a preview of what I am about to encounter...TIA!

My body clock is still totally out of whack - I'm waking up earlier here than I do when I have to go to work at home. It does mean that I'm able to have proper breakfasts - I would never have guessed that sausages, eggs and pancakes with maple syrup would be served on the same plate.

After breakfast yesterday I played a little bit of cash and managed to drop $275. Ran TT into AA when if I'd been a bit sharper (ie not full of eggs, sausages and pancakes) I'd have made the fold preflop that I had sensed might be the right move. I managed to pick up tells on two of the players at the table, but sadly never got a chance to get involved in a big pot with either of them before I went over to Caesars Palace for the noon $340 tourney.

There were 65 runners and I managed to get put on what was easily the toughest starting table. All the other players bar one knew what they were doing which, while making it difficult to accumulate chips, actually made for an interesting time. Bluffing and picking off bluffs played more of a part than usual over here and I particularly enjoyed calling bets on turn and river on a KT6K3 board with JJ, knowing they were good.

Got off to a flyer flopping a full house with A5 on the second hand and by the time our table was the first to break I had moved up to 14k from 12.5k. On table two the players were a lot more donkeyish and I managed to knock out a shortstack with KK before that table was broken. I bounced around at or below average chips, grabbing some blinds and antes every now and then, until just before we broke for the final table when I dispatched a player with KK v his push with J8.

I had a great seat at the final table, with the world's three biggest nits directly to my left, meaning at least one cast-iron blinds steal per orbit. Had to fold once to one of the nits' big blind push (a very genial old guy who later told me he had KK). The table was generally very tight and once the shortstack had got knocked out (meaning we were all in the money) we played for quite a while without losing anyone.

I eventually went out in 7th for $946. See if you can guess my exit hand.

a) Ran KK into AA
b) Had AA v KK and got sucked out on
c) Lost a race with AK v JJ
d) Restole from the BB with 78o to find the raiser had KK...

In fairness to me, he was one of the only two other players at the table (both from my original starting table) who showed real signs of game, and he'd raised my BB something like 4 times in the last 5 orbits. Still, the money wiped out my cash losses from earlier.

Caesars Palace is home to possibly the greatest idea anyone has had - the Pussycat Dolls Casino. This is essentially a group of blackjack tables where the croupiers are dressed like strippers. Whilst other similarly attired young women gyrate around poles behind them. I know I'd struggle to remember perfect strategy in such a situation.

Many of the croupiers had clearly had boob joobs. Their breasts had no 'give' in them at all when they moved about. I've noticed that boob jobs are far more prevalent here than in the UK, and not just among 20-something women in the entertainment industry. Many older women have ridic pneumatic frontage, totally out of proportion to the rest of their bodies, and they appeared to be just regular women (ie not hookers), out and about with their very ordinary looking husbands. A good, honest cleavage appears to be something of a rareity in Vegas.

On the tube to the airport, and out here, I've seen the following places.

Earl's Court
Barons Court
Bally's Casino
Caesars Palace
Players Club

I've tried to rationalise the apostrophisation on display here but I can't - it hurts my brain.

I had a quick shufty at the Bellagio on Friday just to see how many runners the $1,000 tourney had got. Not many was the answer (don't think they even filled two tables) and the room did seem emptier than I was expecting. Didn't look at the particular limits being played but will have a look next time I'm there.

One disadvantage of coming here whilst the WSOPE is on is that I probably won't get to see Bobby's room in action, as most of the players are in London.

Andrew, i dont know what stakes you are playing in the Cash Games, but i was out in Vegas a couple of weeks ago, and the Monte Carlo had very soft 1/2 Cash. Not the biggest card room in Vegas, but they were all very friendly, and there was always a game running.

I'm just playing $1/$2, with a view to maybe playing some $2/$5 next weekend if I run good.

I don't think there really is a 'tough' $1/$2 out here - the biggest barrier to profit is your own discipline to just play basic ABC stuff and not do anything fancy. There will always be a couple of people who don't know what they're doing to donate.

Hey I don't get there till November

did you go and sit in there on your own safe in the knowledge that no one else would turn up?

There are no easy or hard rooms in vegas, that is just down to the players that are there at the time. If a game is too rocky just go somewhere else, there is always a good game somewhere. Also the games are considerably tighter during the week, if your going to play higher do it from Thurs-Sun as a general rule when the games are likely to be weaker.

Where's the pictures Andrew ?

Loving the thread Andrew but defo need pics.

I have a picture of Caesars Palace

My motorbike jump across the fountain was fun

Had to try it 3 times before I got it right

Pictures will have to wait - I only have my phone with me and I haven't got the cables to upload them.

And I haven't taken any photos anyway - but will promise to get some Pussycat Dolls Casino action.

I have finally booked a winning cash session - woooo! Won my one big hand calling a $15 raise from a quite aggressive English guy (plays at the Gutshot) with  5d 4d. The flop is  4h 3d 7d and he bets $30. I raise to $100 and he pushes. I snap call and we see blank cards and my 4 is good, so I can only assume he was pushing with two diamond overcards. That bumped me up to a $515 stack.

Dribbled down a bit with hands that never worked out before I made my first soul-read out here. A completely tight player, who only ever put chips in the pot with a monster, check-called a turn bet from me on a three heart board. The river was a non-heart and he bet out. The thing that struck me was that he put his chips down on the felt at me. I was in seat 3 and he was seat 6, yet he almost stretched his right arm out at me to put the bet down. This is a famous bluff tell (the bet is a challenge - 'call that!!') and, even though I only had third pair, 6 kicker, I was sure I was good and made the call.

'Can you beat Jack high?' he said, and when I tabled my hand I got a load of 'Whoa, nice call' comments from the other players. Even though it was only a $60 pot, it was the highlight of my cash poker thus far.

I finished up $109. It is now 9pm - I'm going to go get some sushi and then see if I'm still awake to play some more poker.

Have you checked out the Hard Rock's new card room yet Andrew, it's supposed to be lovely.

Love that information Andrew - more tells/bluffs please.

Nice to know you are having a good time but what's it like doing Vegas solo? Does it help concentrate the mind towards poker?

It should do, but the biggest drawback to my poker thus far has simply been my body clock - I'm ready to drop at 10pm. Don't know what it is (air-con, possibly) but I'm getting properly tired at night, going to sleep as soon as my head hits the pillow before 11pm. I'm then waking up early and the cycle continues.

Did a bit better today, as I woke up at 5am for a drink of water, turned on the laptop for a bit and then had to spend over an hour sorting some stuff at work and it was 7am by the time I got back to sleep, and I re-awoke at 10am, so I might be able to go a bit longer today.

I have discovered that proper big breakfasts are great - after stuffing myself when I get up I don't need to eat anything for at least 12 hours. Back at home I normally just have a pastry when I get to work and at weekends I can go for a while on just tea and toast so I'll try and fit proper big breakfasts into my life when I get back.

Go find RichEO (is he still there?)  He'll teach you how to stay awake :D

Proper big breakfasts FTW.

his moby still has an international ring tone

but of course the tight bastard never answers

Yes, RichEO (and associates) is still out here - they were due to fly back yesterday but changed their flights and are in the Luxor for the week.

We went out on Sun night for what was planned as a night of debauchery but, due to them having a Sat night of debauchery (involving wearing dresses and fake boobs) and me having had five beers in the afternoon it ended up as getting food and then falling asleep playing cash at the MGM.

I managed to put in a seven and a half hour session last night, from 8pm to 3.30am. After dinner (steak skewers, followed by grilled salmon and sorbet) I went to the poker room and found there were a few seats open. Woo - I get to do table selection!

One table had the only free seat on the right of an aggressive Norwegian I'd played with before, so that was out. Another table looked to be fully of grumpy looking old men, a couple of who I'd seen playing a bit, so that table would be too nitty.

A third had a useless guy I'd played with before (seemed kind of Middle-Eastern, but pronounced 'queen' as 'qveen', so possibly more Russian) and the seat was on his left so that seemed good. He seemed to be addicted to seat changes - any time anyone left, he would take their seat, even if it meant posting more blinds - he must had changed seats 8 times in 7 hours.

That was the single best decision I made all evening - the table was a dream. Full of loose calling stations, most hands would have 5 or 6 limpers and be played super passive post flop. Two of the players would call with any piece of the flop to the river before mucking if they didn't improve. Two of the players displayed the bluff tell I mentioned earlier (this is so golden) in hands with other players (though never managed to do it in a hand with me).

I was also hitting hands. In the first two and a half hours, I had AA, KK twice and QQ twice. One poor guy pushed with AK first hand from the BB when I'd raised AA UTG - happy days.

I managed to spin my $200 up to over $700 without any problems at all - just hitting hands and taking people to valuetown.

Then it all went a bit wrong.

The 60ish American guy two to my right (imagine Richard Attenborough wearing a baseball cap) had two different pre-flop raises. About $12 with a big pair, and $25-$30 with a big non-pair hand. I limped with 88, a few other limpers and he made it $25 more from the BB. I called and the flop was JJ3.

He bet $20 and I made it $65. After a dwell of about 90 seconds, he called. Turn was a 6 and he checked. I bet $100 and he insta-called. At this point I should have realised that he actually had something here, but when he bet another $100 on the 5 river I made what could be the very definition of a crying call as I don't like folding to $100 river bets in $500 pots.

He had KJ, so I made the right read initially, but then butchered the hand once he called my flop raise.

Down to $400 and another $100 or so went chasing a couple of combo draws which missed, then I ran KK into AA (luckily the frontagely-enhanced 40-something Chinese lady only had $50).

Down to about $275 and I decided to call it a night. Went to get a rack for my chips and came back to the table to wait for my big blind before leaving. There was a bit of fannying about from the dealer - he had received a rack of more rake chips and was spending time counting them out. I thought about just leaving there and then, but instead waited for my three free hands.

He deals me AA. Richard Attenborough limps UTG and I make it $12. He calls and the flop is T75. He checks, I bet $20 and he check-raises me to $60.

Whoa! I think this was the first check-raise the table had seen in seven hours. I immediately thought he had a set, and knew I should fold, but I made the call for $40 more. The turn was a 5, and he bet $100. After about ten seconds of pained anguish, I folded the AA face-up. He gave a sharp intake of breath. One of the other players at the table said to me 'nice fold - he had you crushed', but I immediately thought I had folded the best hand - he loved the fold and must have had something like AT.

As my last two hands passed by uneventfully, he told me that I was ahead, and I knew he was telling the truth. Counted up my chips and I had exactly $200.

Trudged off to the cashier who counted them and actually found I had $205 - I'd eked out a profit from somewhere.

66 cents an hour - woo.

I have managed to give my body clock a kick though - went to bed at 4am and got up at noon, so I should be set up for some more good evening poker sessions.

Enjoying the trip report.  Thanks for taking the time while you're out there.  Hope you cash big over the next few days to make up for the rough start.

Really enjoying this diary Andrew, I can relate to a few days to get the body clock aclimatised.

Now you can go and do some shit-kicking  ;nemesis;

Loved this phrase  ;D
Great reports Mr Tracey - go buy a camera and post some pics please.

Just found this Diary (been busy, the lads have been playing up), but great read Andrew.

Tell me, did you take "the Shirt" with you?

However, I am not best pleased with this, & may have to report you to the Age Discrimination Board, or whatever they are called.

Another table looked to be fully of grumpy looking old men, a couple of who I'd seen playing a bit, so that table would be too nitty.

good read andrew defo my favourite "vegas" diary reads

have fun and good luck

'The shirt' is at home, resting. But you'll be pleased to know that I bought four new shirts at Macy's today - two of which are 'better' than 'the shirt'.

Ugh.  That means the other 2 aren't near as 'nice'?  Double ugh.

Ths feels to me like a shirt continuation bet and I will not believe you until I see the picture.....
Have a great time and thank you for the diary...it is indeed a great read

Macy's - get your 'out of town' discount card for nothing by presenting your passport at customer services. Macy's = amazing value. I spent at least half a day in Macy's last time I was in Vegas/Florida/New York. Best shopping in the world for bargains.

2 doors down last time I looked they had 'botox while you wait' ...I was confused by that.....but it was cheaper there than what it cost me to buy it in at the clinic.

Andrew - there is lovely little jewellers on the lower floor, on the right as you come down the escalators which has a lovely beautiful necklace. Price $18,000, they went down to $6,000 before boyfriend of the moment decided he wasn't going to buy it in any case. Lots of circles of diamonds all joined together, different sizes, and 'puddles' gracefully to fall between the wearers my boobs. Just the right length - it was the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. I have never wanted a piece of jewellery more.

If you see it can you buy it for me? Thanks. Hoping this subliminal message stays in the brain for when you have a big win, xx

:D

After a great deal of faffing about today, I didn't make it down to the poker room till 11pm, and played a very non-descript two hours for a loss of $15. The table had a couple of loose players early on, but when they left it was just me and mostly local rocks and it was clear it was a bad table. As I was feeling tired I just packed it in after two hours rather than start afresh at a new table.

sounds lovely - perhaps they'll give you a discount if you buy two?

Yeah, Macy's is great - its essentially a US House of Fraser but much cheaper. I went there today because there was a 20% off sale on men's clothes if you had a leaflet (which I did). Only when I came to pay did it become apparant this only applied if you paid using a store card, so the guy at the till tried to sign me up, but the computer was completely flummoxed by the fact I wasn't from the US or Canada.

I did get the 'out of town' discount (11%, I think) though which, when added to the fact there was a general 40% sale meant I was getting stuff that would be £70 at home for about $40.


There were puddles of what between your boobs?

Whatever you want if you buy it for her ldo.

 ;busted; You have found my price....

Yesterday I played one four hour session in the afternoon (nitty -$45) and one short two hour spell in the evening (+$107). Our table had become short-handed and they were breaking it and as I had a bit of a stomach ache I decided to book a small profit and head to bed instead of getting reacquainted with a new table.

Went and played the $340 at Caesars this afternoon. Got off to a tidy start winning a few pots and bumbled along above average for a bit.

There was one absolute donkey at our starting table who was butchering hand after hand. Odd min-reraises with raggy aces pre-flop, calling a river bet (after a lot of thought) with Ace high, having called a re-raise pre-flop, that sort of thing.

He went out after suffering what I thought was a brutal ruling. On the river, his opponent bet 900, and he went all-in for 5000. His opponent turned over 99 face-up on the table over the betting line without saying anything or moving any chips forward.

There was a moment's pause.

"Is that a call?" says the donkey.

"Yes, it's a call" says the opponent, finally tossing a 5k chip in the pot.

The dealer asks for the floor, who rules that the 99 are live and the called bet stands!!!

Me and the other English guy at the table sit there open-mouthed as the donkey (quite rightly) starts a scene. Surely this type of ruling is an angle-shooter's paradise - just turn your hand over and watch for your opponents reaction before deciding what to do?

The guy wasn't turning his hand over (deliberately, in front of him) to get a read - he had tossed it face up onto the felt about 18 inches in front of him, in exactly the way you would do if you were folding face-up.

Not only that, but later in the comp, another player, facing an all-in pre-flop (who had not been at the earlier table) asked the same floorman who had given the earlier ruling if he could turn his hand face-up to get a read.

"No you can't. Or rather, you can, but you will then have to sit out a one round penalty." (he called with AK, was up against AA and hit a four-flush to win, before happily spending his penalty watching the baseball with his buddy).

My stack took a hit when I button raised with  Kd Ts and both blinds called. It was checked to the turn when a fourth diamond fell. Checked to me and I bet at the pot and the small blind check-raised allin. I'd bet 5k into the 14k pot and he only had another 3k so I had to call with the 2nd nuts, knowing he only does this with the Ad.

From there I was in grind mode and got by with punishing limpers (still amazed how much the US players do this with marginal hands when stacks are relatively shallow) until I went out in 12th shoving from the BB with  4h against a button raise (heard this before?) and mateyboy made a big call with  5d 5s.

Someone asked about the Hard Rock poker room earlier. Whilst I've not been there, I have heard two table conversations about it and the reports are that it was nice, the chairs were comfortable, the music was low, but the tables had very little padding on the felt.

Also, they have a strange rule in cash games whereby you could straddle from the button, but that the action still started from UTG (I believe that normally, button straddles mean SB is first to act) and that action would then pass over the button, the SB and BB would act, then the button would play, provided there was no 3-bet pre-flop (or something). All a bit confusing.

Finally got around to seeing the fountains at the Bellagio - always managed to miss it before. Also, sadly, the early exit from the Caesars comp means no Pussycat Dolls Casino photos (they don't start work till later).

It is now 8pm, so off to get some food and then cash downstairs.

Pussycat Dolls Casino is open on Saturdays as well...

Sod the poker - have you been to the jewellers yet?? Oh sorry - you need to win more ......... ;slavedriver;

Just played five hours of cash.

To say the table was a lively affair would be an understatement. If there were pokertracker stats for live play, one guy would have been about 100/84 for the first three hours before the long island iced teas took their toll and made him sleepy.

Add in the fact that stacks were quite shallow early on and there was a called all-in just about every hand. I bought in for $200, then topped up for another hundred after a play in which I surprised myself. Limping with  Aspades 3s in EP, it was called in three places before the recklessly aggressive button raised to $35. He'd done these big raises before and they were not strong. Still, with three other people behind me, I couldn't really get involved. I half went to muck then, or some reason, decided to recheck my cards (even though I knew they were  Aspades 3s). However, as I was looking, the three players behind me all folded. Suddenly, it was just me and the button, and I decided to make a value shove. He called with KQ and hit.

I rebought for another $200 when I got swept up in the moment and made a donkey call against the one guy at the other end of the table who wasn't mucking about and had hit a set.

I then managed to drop down to $120 and got that all-in pre-flop with KQ v AJ against the loose button from earlier and this time I hit. A flopped set of threes also got paid off by a French guy and I'd somehow managed to get out of the hole and get my stack up above the $500 I'd bought in for.

The table was very soft, but totally unbluffable, so I had to hit some hands and, unfortunately, managed to miss every single flop for about 2 hours. I lost $250 here and there having a look at flops, and managed to get an up and down straight draw on one, which added a flush draw on the turn, but that missed. Once it got to 3am I felt myself getting sleepy and when the two guys with big stacks left the table, I decided to call it a night.


I think the only way I'd be getting that necklace would be to smash the window of the jewellers with a crowbar.

"Crow bar" where this then

Good stuff Andrew. The Saturday night tables should be lively too.

If you fancy a change of scene tomorrow, The Venetian cardroom is lovely and they did a decent Sunday evening tourney when I was there.

So, Saturday night (and my last night) in Vegas.

After feasting on the Maple Syrup Glazed Pork Chop at the Studio Cafe (yum yum) I started playing cash at 8.30pm. I had a great seat, and that was nothing to do with the other players at the table.

Table 7, seat 6 meant I was on the table by the rail, looking out at the casino behind the poker room, meaning I had a great spot for perving at all the dolled-up women walking by people watching.

Bought in for $200 and managed to win a bit from a guy two to my right when he open-raised from the button and I called from the BB with KJ. Flop came Jack high and I check-raised him.

He then 3-bet me and sat, elbows on table, hands clenched in fists held out from him, staring right at me. He was almost straining to appear strong, so I 4-bet bluffed him (KJ is beating no hand which calls the 4-bet) and he folded.

I then went with another read which didn't go quite so well. There was a $4 straddle (from a guy who looked like Ned from South Park (http://www.discogs.com/image/A-150-269738-1108588419.jpg)), and I called with 99, which was called in another two spots before the straddle raised. This was not an uncommon occurance and I realy wanted to re-pop him, but chickened out and flat called and the two of us saw the flop.

The flop was T84 with two clubs and he checked, I bet and he raised. This was a strange bet as I think any proper made hand bets out, as they can't rely on me to bet if checked to, and it's a dangerous board to give a free card on. I decided to go with my read of silly bluff and set him in, only to see him call with his set of eights...

I rebought for the last $100 in my pocket and did a really good job of spinning this up. Had AA v Ned's KK (just flat-called his re-raise pre-flop then got all his chips on the raggy flop).

Limped on the button with T3 after about six callers and hit the jackpot with a T33 flop. The Chinese guy who had limped UTG with J3o got ironed out for about $180.

Had a few other hands where I flopped two pair and got money out of players over-valuing top pair and eventually cashed out at 3am with $691. A very satisfying session at a table with value, but no real aggression to stop me from seeing lots of flops.

So that is Vegas just about over. My flight tomorrow isn't till 11pm but that should be it for poker, as I'll do some non-poker things before heading to the airport (still haven't been on the rollercoaster at New York New York yet). It's been fun and I have learned some things along the way (games are much much better at the weekend), and also now know to sort my body clock out before I get here in future as my first weekend was a bit wasted from a cash poker point of view due to me being asleep when the games were juiciest.

Final score from poker was -$295 which I'm blaming on variance (obv).

Nice diary Andrew, it sounds as though you really enjoyed yourself.

Tell me though, how would you go about getting your body-clock adjusted before going ?

Thanks, made for enjoyable reading.  Look forward to seeing pictures of the pussycat doll variety.

PS - We do NOT wish to see a picture of your hands!

Thanks for the post Andrew.  Really informative Cant wait to get out there next summer

Thanks for this Andrew........good thread

Good diary andrew enjoyed it