November 2009 - Las Vegas - Day 1

I am over for a few days on my way to my brother's wedding in Chile.

I had pretty much the best possible journey from Gatwick direct to Las Vegas.

Arrived 2 hours before departure to tumble weed blowing across the check-in area rather than the usual total chaos. I had been hoping the flight would not be that full when changing my seat on-line the previous day in that rather absurd guessing game of trying to wangle yourslef the one spot on the plane with the empty seat next to you. There had been plenty of seats available, so I was rather surprised when a random Virgin (with a big V) blonde asked me if I would like to buy "slightly more" legroom at £30 or "much more" leg room at £60. I was vindicated for declining this fine offer when sitting down in the middle seat of 4 where I was the sole occupant and the row in front of me was completely empty.

Watched "the hangover" - quality Farelly style humour, Terminator 4 - first reel rather too contrived but sort of improved - disappointing overall. Also slipped in a Potter - I must have missed some of the earlier ones but it did not seem to matter - not sure if fancying the girls is acceptable now - presumably it is OK if the characters are under age but the actresses are not. Decided in the end I would go for the Weaselly (sp?) sister because she was probably a bit dirty rather than the more conventional charms of hermoany.

Even the customs queue was tolerable but clearly I am going to Vegas too often because the computer only needed to scan a few fingers before recognising me.

I am slumming it at Ballys but at $37 you can't complain - and my room is absolutely fine. However it is curious how in some ways the US is quite backward. For example the TVs are exactly the same as when I first stayed in Vegas over 10 years ago. In the unlikely event you would want to watch something there is no EPG. They don't even have the Welsh internet (teletext).

Bally's is opposite Bellagio / Caesars so I do my standard reccy of the current tournaments by following the poker trail of Bellagio ($330 2pm) / Caesars ($160 7pm) / Mirage ($80 7pm forgedabout it) / Wynn ($220 midday) and end up at the Venetian where unfortunately the main event of the umpteenth Deepstack extravaganza will be taking up Monday and Tuesday so looks like I will not be playing the usual noon tournament there.

Grab my first random meal at about 5pm before heading back to Caesars for the 7 pm. Decide to play an hour at the "pussycat dolls" blackjack where the price of having an attractive (rather than the usual hag) dealer is a slight worsening of the rules. Those blackjack pros amongst you will no doubt be able to give an accurate assessment of what only being allowed to double down on 10 or 11 nor after a split is worth but it seemed a price worth paying. Had a very foxy dealer and at one point I was the only player. I wonder if you could combine blackjack with speed dating? Could be a good concept - since the shuffle up time seems about the right length for those searching questions. Discovered that Renee (not her real name?) was going to Hawaii in a weeks time and her friend had deserted her so she was going to be all on her own. Quite tempted to ditch my trip to Chile.

Manage to do half my money in about 10 minutes but then claw it back to end up about $30 up. Just as I am leaving the table one of the recently sat down Brits turns to me and says - hello - are you charlie? I am rather taken aback to discover it is one of the betting syndicate boys who I have met a couple of times but of course I did not recognise. Turns out he had dinner last night with the other degenerate David Hargreaves who I am hoping to meet up with - so he had been warned to look out for me ("probably doing his brains on a table game near the poker room waiting for a tournament to start") - a pretty Derren Brown like prediction. Don't have time for a chat since tournament is about to kick off.

The tournament has 76 runners. 30 minute blinds. Starting stack of 10k.
L1 25/50. Get off to a bit of a flyer when raising with KJ from the cut off. Only called by the BB - a young chinese guy (YCG). Flop is AK8. He calls my c-bet of 200. Turn is 5. He checks to me. River is a J. I am hoping to get action from Ax so so I bet 300 and he promptly check raises me 2000 more. Now I think may be he has A8 or A7 but I have to call. He mucks when I show 2 pair and does not look too happy. Also have my KK hold up on an 88545 board so I am up to 14k by the end of Level 1.

L2 50/100 This is when I get that bit of luck you need. Our table had been invaded but some Germans - there were 3 of them and there was that whiff of soft play in the air - a little too much checking when 2 of them were heads up. One had been involved in a big pot early on so was down to about 4k so I was not surprised when I make a standard raise to 300 with TT and get called by the YCG that the tanks roll into action and he pushes all in. He had been itching to do this so I am pretty happy to call and the standard play here is to eliminate YCG so I move all-in. This does not seem so clever when he instacalls and flips over KK. The german has 88 and looks in good shape when an 8 flops. But I turn a T to knock them both out, and boost my stack to 26K

L3 75/150
Get a further charity donation when calling with KJs after 2 limps. Flop is AJ9 with 2 spades. Original limper bets 150 and there is a min raise to 300. I am tempted to move all-in but decide to call and when the turn is a 7 spade I get a major result when we get bet then all-in ahead of me. Guy had A7 and did not hit so up to 34k.

After the first break not much happens at all on levels 4,5 and 6 but I get up to 40k with the odd raise.

After the second break blinds are 400/800/100. I raise with KK preflop to 4k after 2 limps and get one caller. He checks and I bet 7k to put him all-in and he calls with 88 with a board of 764. He does not hit so up to 50k.

For the rest of this session I lose a couple of biggish pots - a race with TT from the BB against a short stack and have to fold AK after flop action.

So after the third break on L10 when blinds are 300/1000/2000 I am down to 28k and starting to get into danger. However get a great coup when after 2 limps I look down at 57 diamonds in the cut off. I call and the blinds make up. The flop is T85 with 2 diamonds and when an early limper bets 5k I ship over the top. He grumbles and folds - this nets me a nice pot so I am up to around the 50k mark as we get closer to the bubble. I knock out the nice lady from Memphis with my AA vs JJ and I then eliminate the 11th player with QQ vs AT and so we get to the final table I have 130k in chips of 760,000 in play. we agree to pay off the 10th place by putting in $15 each - since the tourny only pays top 9. He is soon eliminated and we are in the money.

At this point it is 2 am in Vegas and 10 am in the UK - so I am a bit tired (!) so my inclination is to get on with it. I'd like to think in other cirumstances I could have avoided my elimination but perhaps not.
Blinds are now 3000/6000/400 when a shorty is all-in UTG for 8000. Former chip leader to my right who is a bit clueless min raises to 12k and I look down at AK. I raise 30k on top and the pro local to my left then raises all-in. The FCL folds and I am working out whether I should fold here. My reading of the situation is that his range is wide - he thinks I am picking on the weak player so he can then pick on me. As to whether he would do it with AQ - perhaps not. Also my fatigue is a factor - if I call and win we can probably do a deal and be home for horlicks in 30 minutes. So I call and he shows AA. Ironically the short stack had 97 and makes 2 pairs so I am out in 9th place for $400.

When the cashier asks me if I would like to leave something for the dealers I manage to restrain myself...