By Podiman on July 3rd, 2008 (more posts by author)

went to bed at 4:30am and up at 7am. Body thinks its 10am, havent adjusted yet, so time to catch you up on my first day in vegas.

Got in today around 3pm and staying at a friends condo, sweet hookup, no hotel bill! I headed over the the Venetian to play the 8pm $180 deep stack tourny. $5K in starting chips and 30min levels (177 players). Let me just say this was the craziest tourny I have ever played, I was down, then up, then down, then up....

Right off the bat, I am down to $2,000 within the first hour, lovely. But.. the blinds are only 100/200, so not desperate, but not in great shape. I grind that level to about $4k, and when it goes to 100/200 with a 25 ante, I run up from $4K to $20K in 30min. The big hand was..
Got JJ in middle position, raised to $800, and the button goes all in for about $8k, huge overbet and I read him for weak/middle pair, called and he had 99, and im up to about $20K. I lose that hand and i am crippled. phew.

I run up to about $30K when i flop 2pr and bust a player with top/top. Then i lose 3 races in a row:
1 - raise with AT from mid, short stack all in for a little more than my bet so I am priced in, he has AK and i lose.
2- very next hand - I raise with QQ, another short stack goes all in, i call, he has KK....
3- the NEXT hand - I raise with AK, a shorty shoves I call, he has AJ and hits a J.

(you will see a 3 out trend)

I am getting really short and have no choice but to shove in the Hijack seat with K7off for about $4,700. The button calls, the SB folds, and the BB goes all in for about $13K, the Button debates and finally calls. Button has TT and the BB has 88. Flop is blank, turn is blank, river... K! Wooohoo tripled up and sitting on $15K. (I get to hit my 3 outer too!)

two hands later, in BB when a short stack shoves in Hijack goes all in for $8800, I look down at AcJc (blinds are 600/1200) I put him on bad ace (im ahead) or a small pair (coin flip), so I call. I have only 12 BB's so I need to call with this hand and double up. He turns over 33. :-)
Flop is all rags but two clubs. I am actually a favorite at this point 54/46 with my two overs and flush draw. But of course I miss and am right back down to $5k.

grind up a little, blinds are now 800/1600, I am in SB and is folded to me. I squeeze two sweet KK's and min raise the BB to 3200. He goes all in, I insta call and he has QQ. Now up to $27K. There are 27 players left, 18 get paid.

Raise with A9, shortish stack goes all in I call, he has 66 and I hit my A and am up to $57, with 19 left. (my 3 outer)

down to 14 players, getting blinded to death with 24k with blinds at 1500/3000 with 500 ante..

dont remem the hand, but doubled up and at 35K.

blinds are now 2000/4000 with 1000 ante.. each round is 13K, a 1/3 or my stack..

In SB and the Button calls, I call 2k more with Q8 and BB checks. Flop is Q86, Yahtzee!!! i check (sly dog :-)), BB checks, button bets pot, I go all in, he calls, he has Q9, misses his kicker and I am up to 77K. got breathing room.

middle position and big stack makes it $12K, I have AK and make it $30K, he folds, am up to $98.5K with 12 left and 4 pretty short stacked.

Now final table of 10 and 2 short.

down to 9, have $90K and 1 very short, 2 pretty short.

8 left, 2 short.

in BB when hijack goes all in for $21K, 17K for me to call and I know I am ahead with 44. Have to dodge outs. Debataed for a while, but if i lose I am down to 50Kish and not in terrbile shape. if I win, I am up to over $100K and sitting pretty. I know I am ahead!!! shit! I finally call, he has even worse than I expected with A2, so all he has is 3 outs, and of course.. A on turn. MOFO!!!! (another 3 outer)

Try to steal blinds in late position and get re-raised and fold, down to $37K.

7 left, lose a short stack.

blinds are up to 4000/8000 with 2k ante. getting blinded away have about $26K and shove UTG with KcJC, folds around to the BB, who isnt paying attention. She looks around, and goes all in. then "Oh, I thought I was SB, I didnt realize he was all in" so sorta good news.. she turns over Q9 and has me covered by a bit. Flop is T72, phew. Q on the turn, DAMMIT! But gives me open ended, so need a Ace, 9 or K to win, and miss. Out in 7th place. She was so bad, I mean, how are you at the final table, 7 left and your arent paying attention?????

had best hand, so what can ya do, thats poker. Made the final table of my first event, happy about that. Made some $$ too, paid $1076. plus the $300 i was up earlier from 2/5 cash, not a bad first day.

Playing the Venetian standard 12pm Deep stack today $540 buy-in. $15K chips and 40min levels.