Vegas & The Aftermath - Diary

[tikay]

Vegas 2014, End Of Term Report (cont'd).

I'm determined to do this, which will involve much rambling, but it's quite important to me. Methuselah & his stories keep interrupting me though.

Anyway....

Preparation.

I headed out in good heart, & as prepared as I've ever been, with very litttle in the way of work to make excuses for.

My last three Live PLO outings had all resulted in Final Tables, & nearly £11,000 in cashes. Small fields in 2 of them though. I was a little concerned that variance had, & would, enter stage left, but not much we can do about her.

There is very little "Live" PLO8 in the UK, but I played well over 3,000 PLO8 DYM's (just £3, £5 & £10) Online, next door, in the preceding months, & did so profitably. Part of that logic was to experiment & play with opening, betting & calling ranges. This may have been a mistake, as they are so shallow, play so fast, & are effectively exercises in standard SNG play, which is much removed from Tourney play. But playing more of the game can never be a bad thing.

The crucial change I made in my game was to deliberately play for stacks much earlier than previously. I'm a determined, stubborn, & infinitely patient short stack grinder, with, literally, dozens of min-cashes on my THM. I wanted to shed that style, & open up.

As it turned out, I only recall 3 spots where I played for stacks when reasonably deep, & I lost all three.

I still think the change of policy was correct. I did need to choose my spots better though. Clearly.

[tikay]

Oh no, TV Star Conky Cos itt. 

I'll need to lay low for a bit, whilst he tears me a new one.

[tikay]

Early Optimism.....

A couple of early cashes felt good.

The big let down was that Final @ Binions, where I finalled as 2nd chippie, but only 7 were paid.

I exited 8th. I could NEVER exit in that spot in previous years, I'd just fold to the money, but I was determined to steel myserlf, & go for it.

It all went terribly wrong, but I can't regret how it happened.

My nemesis was this man, who damaged me twice, the 2nd time fatally. He began the Final as Chippie, & was different class to the rest of us.

http://pokerdb.thehendonmob.com/player.php?a=r&n=307657

To save you reading all those numbers, he was the guy that Flushy beat Heads Up in PLH to win his Bracelet in 2010.

This year in the Series, his best effort was to Final Table the $1,500 LIMIT PLO8, for $45,000, so he knows his way round the various format PL tables.

Anyway, in that Binions Final, we tangled quite early.

I Posted about the Hand at the time, but in brief, we saw a flop of Q-Q-4, & I was holding A-Q-x-x

I lead out, he potted me (with 2 still to act behind him), & after an agonising dwell, I folded. 

As I'd dwelled so long, the Table guessed I'd folded a Queen, & I got a bit of mocking & rolling eyes from the lads either side of me. "HOW CAN YOU FOLD A QUEEN THERE?"

He had 4-4, & was protecting his hand against Overs, as he must. I've no idea if, technically, it was the correct fold, but I did exactly identify his likely holding, & it seemed the correct play to me. He could have had an airball of course, but I felt very sure of my read, later confirmed. Not bad luck, & not bad play, just one of those odd spots that happen.

Less than an orbit later, I was busto, again after clashing with the same guy.

Someone had opened, he had come along, I had the Aces & re-potted with plenty of dead money in the middle. As played, my hand was face-up, & he knew it.

He dwelt for an absolute age, & then sort of sigh-called. I was as certain as certain could be that he had some sort of rundown. He can't really call with K-K or similar here, or even a flush draw.  I can't put him on any particular rundown, but I have it at the top end, 8-9-10-J & up, that sort of range.

As played, it was him to lead out on the Flop, as I recall, & I either give up, or go for it.

We saw a middling flop, which I hoped was south of his rundown

He potted it.

He can have nothing, & just be stop & go-ing me.

He can be wrapped.

Even if wrapped, he is not forced to hit. I decided I had to go for it. play for stacks I told myself.

In fact he had hit it perfectly, with a full wrap, & I was spared a prolonged sweat as he turned the absolutes & I had no outs.

Just one of those spots - again. I think we both played it correctly. I suppose I could have slow-played my Aces, but multi-way I think that is horrendous. Aces getting beat in PLO is no big deal, either.

I shook his hand, & went & jumped in a cab back to my hotel.

Afterwards, I was very disappiointed, my initial thoughts were "slow down, bring back the patience", but with the benefit of a month's hindsight, even though I knocked it in, I still think I was right to make both those plays the way I did. 

As a PS, I became quite friendly with Steve during the Trip, played a dozen or more Comps with him, & liked him a lot. We never shared Tables again though.

A year ago, I am GUARANTEED to cash there. Playing more aggro is right, I'm sure it is, but it has to increase variance.

Anyway, with that behind me, I thought we were on the right track for the rest of the trip. If I did but know.....

[celtic]

Happy anniversary tone x

[tikay]

Happy anniversary tone x

Crikey, how did you spot that?

7 years, if there was a Twaddle-O-Meter, this Diary would be up near the top, right behind the "arty bollox & how to make a cup of tea" Diary.

Some water flowed under the bridge in those 7 years.

The Opening Post mentioned me collecting Compo on the way to Vegas. What memories. Don't want to go into too much detail, but I am reliably informed Compo is back home, & living in the same area as before. Hope he's OK, miss him loads. 

[tikay]

Will continue with the Vegas Report later, need to get it finished really, but it's quite important that I do it, warts & all.

The nasty are bits still to come.

But there are some "Best/Worst of the Trip" to come too. Mix it up a bit, like.

[mondatoo]

Very well done sustaining a diary for so long, happy anniversary.

[tikay]

Very well done sustaining a diary for so long, happy anniversary.

sustaining

Great choice of word, from our resident Norweigan wordsmith.

Thanks Ray.

You still crushing (bugger, I LOATHE that term almost as much as "flicking it in" & "joke"") those SNG things on 'Stars?

[RED-DOG]

Very well done sustaining a diary for so long, happy anniversary.

sustaining

Great choice of word, from our resident Norweigan wordsmith.

Thanks Ray.

You still crushing (bugger, I LOATHE that term almost as much as "flicking it in") those SNG things on 'Stars?

I hate "Sick".

[tikay]

Very well done sustaining a diary for so long, happy anniversary.

sustaining

Great choice of word, from our resident Norweigan wordsmith.

Thanks Ray.

You still crushing (bugger, I LOATHE that term almost as much as "flicking it in") those SNG things on 'Stars?

I hate "Sick".

Me too, though I'd not go quite as far as "hate". I just yearn for a little more originality.

There was an incident in Vegas, & a lad just sat there, refusing to table or muck his hand, for what seemed minutes.

He kept looking at the board, looking at his hand, looking back at the board.

sick

so sick

This is so sick

sick.

sickest thing ever

Oh my god, this is so sick.

[Doobs]

Very well done sustaining a diary for so long, happy anniversary.

sustaining

Great choice of word, from our resident Norweigan wordsmith.

Thanks Ray.

You still crushing (bugger, I LOATHE that term almost as much as "flicking it in") those SNG things on 'Stars?

I hate "Sick".

Me too, though I'd not go quite as far as "hate". I just yearn for a little more originality.

There was an incident in Vegas, & a lad just sat there, refusing to table or muck his hand, for what seemed minutes.

He kept looking at the board, looking at his hand, looking back at the board.

sick

so sick

This is so sick

sick.

sickest thing ever

Oh my god, this is so sick.

Would have been the best slowroll ever if he then turned over the nuts. 

[celtic]

Happy anniversary tone x

Crikey, how did you spot that?

7 years, if there was a Twaddle-O-Meter, this Diary would be up near the top, right behind the "arty bollox & how to make a cup of tea" Diary.

Some water flowed under the bridge in those 7 years.

The Opening Post mentioned me collecting Compo on the way to Vegas. What memories. Don't want to go into too much detail, but I am reliably informed Compo is back home, & living in the same area as before. Hope he's OK, miss him loads. 

Just have it fixed in my mind that it started 7/7. Not sure why. Having fat fingers helps too I suppose, and clicking on the title rather than the new post button, which directs me to the first page a lot of the time

[tikay]

As Vinni-Dad-Bloke mentioned it, this Diary has now managed 38,000 replies & 1.23 million views in exactly 7 years.

For context, The "Missing Malayasian Aircraft" thread on PPRuNe has managed 11,000 replies & a staggering 18 million views - in exactly 4 months.

http://www.pprune.org/rumours-news/535538-malaysian-airlines-mh370-contact-lost.html

What an extraordinary thing, that 'plane just plum disappeared, & they don't have the faintest idea where to look for it.

Someone said "its a bit like looking for a needle in a hsaystack - but we can't even find the haystack".

As the aircraft range was 5,000 miles, plus or minus a bit, it could be 10,000 miles from where they are currently looking. That's London to Vegas - & back.

I'm sort of between sad for all the families, who have no idea what happened, & cant get closure, but equally agog at what happened, & eager to know the details. All a bit ghoulish really.

One day, the truth will out, & what a great story it will make.

[tikay]

Very well done sustaining a diary for so long, happy anniversary.

sustaining

Great choice of word, from our resident Norweigan wordsmith.

Thanks Ray.

You still crushing (bugger, I LOATHE that term almost as much as "flicking it in") those SNG things on 'Stars?

I hate "Sick".

Me too, though I'd not go quite as far as "hate". I just yearn for a little more originality.

There was an incident in Vegas, & a lad just sat there, refusing to table or muck his hand, for what seemed minutes.

He kept looking at the board, looking at his hand, looking back at the board.

sick

so sick

This is so sick

sick.

sickest thing ever

Oh my god, this is so sick.

Would have been the best slowroll ever if he then turned over the nuts. 

That reminds me of a chap in Vegas this trip. I had intended it to be in my Trip Report as "Best Slowroller All Trip", but might as well do it now.

He played all the PLO, PLO8 & Mixed Games in GN & Binions.

Elderly, perhaps 70, never spoke a word except to grunt at the dealer & other players, a total wet blanket. He had bad catarrh, too, which, to our chagrin, he gargled with great dexterity & fluency, before the obligatory full throat clear, with players diving for cover in all directions.

We all got used to him eventually, & knew EXACTLY what to expect, every single time, but he never varied his routine.

I'm not sure of the rule or etiquette in Limit Poker as to who shows firrst, but I know one thing, he was always last.

So, geezer in Seat 2 would table his hand, ditto Seat 4. Wet Blanket in 8 would squint, stand up, then say...

"what's he got, whats he got, I can't see from here, what's he got?".

Eventually he'd be told, say, 2nd/2nd.

Rinse repeat for the seat 4 hand.

"what's he got, what's he got, I can't see from here, what's he got?".

And Seat 4 would say "2nd nut high, no low" or whatever.

Wet Blanket now sits himself down, with some difficulty, I believe he must have had piles. 

Now he picks his hand up, right close to his face, eyes squinting, & examines it, left to right, then back again. 

Now he looks at the board again, then back at his hand.

Eventually, he peels a card off, & casually tables it.

It's a dead card.

After some more examination of his hand, & the board, he peels off another dead card.

Now it's getting good, as we know what's coming next.

After some more looking back & forth, he tables (say) the 2 of diamonds. On it's own, it does nothing, but now he has draws.

And then, eventually, & e-v-e-r  s-o  s-l-o-w-l-y, he uses his finger to motion to the Dealer "everything to me, I've got the lot" & slowly tables the Ace of Diamonds for nut nut.

He did it every single time, & it became quite an event which we all looked forward to.

I could not help wonder what he is like away from the Tables. I had him bookmarked as Noel Edmonds & his oh-so-humourless "Gotcha" thing, but of course the name of Noel Edmonds was lost on the locals.

You do meet all sorts at the tables.

[sonour]

Very well done sustaining a diary for so long, happy anniversary.

sustaining

Great choice of word, from our resident Norweigan wordsmith.

Thanks Ray.

You still crushing (bugger, I LOATHE that term almost as much as "flicking it in") those SNG things on 'Stars?

I hate "Sick".

Me too, though I'd not go quite as far as "hate". I just yearn for a little more originality.

There was an incident in Vegas, & a lad just sat there, refusing to table or muck his hand, for what seemed minutes.

He kept looking at the board, looking at his hand, looking back at the board.

sick

so sick

This is so sick

sick.

sickest thing ever

Oh my god, this is so sick.

Would have been the best slowroll ever if he then turned over the nuts. 

That reminds me of a chap in Vegas this trip. I had intended it to be in my Trip Report as "Best Slowroller All Trip", but might as well do it now.

He played all the PLO, PLO8 & Mixed Games in GN & Binions.

Elderly, perhaps 70, never spoke a word except to grunt at the dealer & other players, a total wet blanket. He had bad catarrh, too, which, to our chagrin, he gargled with great dexterity & fluency, before the obligatory full throat clear, with players diving for cover in all directions.

We all got used to him eventually, & knew EXACTLY what to expect, every single time, but he never varied his routine.

I'm not sure of the rule or etiquette in Limit Poker as to who shows firrst, but I know one thing, he was always last.

So, geezer in Seat 2 would table his hand, ditto Seat 4. Wet Blanket in 8 would squint, stand up, then say...

"what's he got, whats he got, I can't see from here, what's he got?".

Eventually he'd be told, say, 2nd/2nd.

Rinse repeat for the seat 4 hand.

"what's he got, what's he got, I can't see from here, what's he got?".

And Seat 4 would say "2nd nut high, no low" or whatever.

Wet Blanket now sits himself down, with some difficulty, I believe he must have had piles. 

Now he picks his hand up, right close to his face, eyes squinting, & examines it, left to right, then back again. 

Now he looks at the board again, then back at his hand.

Eventually, he peels a card off, & casually tables it.

It's a dead card.

After some more examination of his hand, & the board, he peels off another dead card.

Now it's getting good, as we know what's coming next.

After some more looking back & forth, he tables (say) the 2 of diamonds. On it's own, it does nothing, but now he has draws.

And then, eventually, & e-v-e-r  s-o  s-l-o-w-l-y, he uses his finger to motion to the Dealer "everything to me, I've got the lot" & slowly tables the Ace of Diamonds for nut nut.

He did it every single time, & it became quite an event which we all looked forward to.

I could not help wonder what he is like away from the Tables. I had him bookmarked as Noel Edmonds & his oh-so-humourless "Gotcha" thing, but of course the name of Noel Edmonds was lost on the locals.

You do meet all sorts at the tables.

Well I might have mellowed but I couldn't have stood that.

That would have driven me absolutely crazy. I'd have had to have said something. In a mellow manner of course