By StrayBullet on October 6th, 2007 (more posts by author)

Day4, 9/24:

Monday ended up being a light day, as will the next two most likely since I actually have to do some work this trip

Got some “sleep,” did some laundry and packed up so I could check out the corporate apartment and into the hotel. I did this because I hate being too far away from where I have to conduct classes, no need to add stress where it’s not needed

But I’m getting ahead of myself, before all that I’d decided to head over to Planet Hollywood to check out the filming of CSI. Photoc had passed along that they’d be filming and they might need extras, you just needed to show up by 8am The alarm went off, I hit snooze….the alarm went off, I hit snooze….the alarm went off, I hit the snooze, you get the idea! I finally drug my arse outta bed, got cleaned up, and headed on down to check out the potential action. I figured a few people would show up just to watch what was going on and a few more would be there hoping to be an extra. And that’s where my mindset was, I was hoping to fill a seat at one of the tables, mugging it up for my 15 seconds (love ya Andy). Nearing 8am, they still didn’t have any of the lighting, cameras, etc setup so I knew it’d be a long day. I was directed to where the extras where staging as they’d moved the location, so off I went. When I got up to the Extras Lounge, I was greeted with a sea of “pretty people” and just as easily and quickly as I’ve been able to size up tables lately, I KNEW I was outta my league. These people looked like this did this for a living and/or looking for their big break. I guess I could’ve slept in later, oh well.

After a quick stop at ‘Bucks for a mocha frap, I headed back downstairs to retrieve my car from valet. It wasn’t too busy but I was VERY impressed when the captain called me by name as I approached the stand. I wasn’t there long, but I was still impressed! I didn’t stay long at all so it’s probably not really a fair assessment, but I got an odd vibe from the casino itself. Maybe because it was early morning or the relative absence of players, the layout or the color scheme, but for some reason it just felt odd to me. I’ll have to visit again and give it a more fair shake, but for now it stands. Since I was on that side of town anyway, I decided to stop by our corporate office and see if my co-worker needed any help in setting up the classes this week. Thankfully he didn’t need anything from me, so I was free again until Tuesday It was still early but I decided if I could check into the hotel already and get that knocked outta the way. They weren’t busy at all, and I was able to check into my king-room early in the morning. A drive back to the northwest end of town to get my stuff, check out then drive back down to the Henderson area gobbled up the rest of the morning and early afternoon. After a quick bite, I got settled into the hotel, checked emails and returned phone calls, then caught a nap before deciding what to do with myself for the evening.

My friend Cindy called and suggested either the MGM at 6pm or Caesars at 7pm for a tourney. We ended up at MGM but with a less than stellar turnout, we’d decided on a cash game, thank you Tommy . I got on the list and it didn’t take long to get seated. Seems there were some table changes going on at the same time that lengthened my wait somewhat, but nothing too bad. Those table changes had opened up seats on the table I drew, hmmmmm. In no short order I clearly understood why. Let’s call him Colorado Lag, this guy was literally playing EVERY hand with an odd pre-flop fold mixed in every orbit or three I’d noted one other player that would be trouble and since both of these players were on my immediate left, this wasn’t going to be easy by any stretch of the imagination! Cash games are not my forte, not that I don’t understand the differences from tourneys but I just don’t get to play cash games nearly as often and I’ve played tourneys for so much longer. Do you know how to spell d-i-s-a-s-t-e-r? Now it’s hard to get into too much trouble with a $200 cap and being UNWILLING to dig in for buy-in after buy-in after buy-in, but I detest $200 lessons although not nearly as much as I dislike $29 mixed-game lessons! Onto the memorable hands…

I didn’t feel like playing 6s from early position so into the muck they went and of course the set making 6 was right in the window of the delivered flop, oh well. I did decide to play my pocket aces from late position, raising after a couple of limpers. All that did was encourage several callers, The flop came down Qxx, 2 clubs. Thankfully an early position player pushed all-in for his remaining $58. Folded to me and before I could act on my clearly visible capped cards, the sb proceeded to call. When we finally straightened out that mess, I decided not to play multi-way and over-pushed hoping to get heads up, it was successful. Villain tabled Q5o for top pair, what the f’kicker and I flipped over my red aces. Turn produced his 2-pair 5 and I was off to a rollicking start, until the board pairing 7 appeared on the river, making me a nice pot to start off the session. During the next orbit, I misplayed pocket kings about as bas as one possibly can. I don’t know what the hell was running through my head but I decided the best way to play ‘em was to flat-call the $10 raise from Colorado Lag as several others had done, leading to 6 of us seeing the flop I guess I’d decided to play for set value only, giving up control of the hand. The flop was a 2-suited, non connecting board with a lone jack, damn sure looked pretty safe even if I was playing for set value only. The table damn near checked around to me but just prior to being able to donk it up, the player on my immediate right led out into the $60 pot for $15. At this point, I figured anyone who already had a set would have HAD to lead out and the lone $15 bet just didn’t say “set” to me. So what do I do, of course I raise it up, making it $60 to go. The player on my immediate left, proceeds to push-in without missing a beat. The table folds around to the $15 bettor who also pushes. I guess I could’ve just mucked but I wanted to see how much more it was to call. $36 was the determination and to complete the utter donkification of the hand, I called. They flip their cards immediately and I hold onto mine. I’m facing a set of 7s and the flush draw. I get no help but the flush materializes on the river and my kings go flying into the muck. So much for being up early, now I’m down to $140 or so. I decide to move seats to get position on Colorado Lag and the sunglass wearing big stack. I wave off comments about the move saying I don’t like having the room to my back, yeah, that should through them off, you psycho fool

I had a plan for Colorado Lag but never got the chance to set the twigs and spring the trap (thanks Vince). I couldn’t ever really catch the cards to do it and a bluff would cost me my stack as he was calling down! I did call a few times in position with his straddles, taking down pots once or twice. The first time he commented about me having paired the boarded queen to which I responded, “I needed the queen when I was in seat 2, don’t need it any longer.” With the table dynamics being what they were I should have left long before I did. The good thing about cash games is you can wait for the nuts, but it doesn’t mean you’ll get paid off with the nuts and sometimes, you’ll simply get your nuts stomped on!

After treading shark-infested waters for longer than the downed sailors of the Indianapolis, I finally decided as others did, to call the straddle from Colorado Lag. At least I had 78s, the button and a plan. Just about regardless of the board, I’d decided to run a bluff. How could I not use my “tighter than Scrooge McDuck” image to take down a pot with napkins?! Turns out the flop transformed my complete bluff into a semi-bluff, when A56 came floating down to the felt. Colorado Lag led out for $15 and was flat-called by a player in seat 5. She’d been playing only high cards and as observed, I knew she was tight as well. Even if she had hit the ace, with plan in full effect, I was sure to be able to wrestle the pot into my stack. I raised to $60 and the table, including Colorado Lag, quickly folded back around to her. After some fumbling and not realizing exactly how much it was to call after she started calling, the dealer straightened it all out, forcing the extra $45 into the pot. Even with her call, I had outs and still thought I could take the pot down considering how she called the flop. When another 5 fell on the turn and she checked to me, there was only one way for me to win and that was to take it down without getting to the river. I put my last $70 or so putting her to the test. She hemmed and hawed, finally deciding on, “well, I guess I have to call now…” We held onto our cards awaiting the river. I didn’t get my nut wining straight card but I did pair my eight. The dealer asked for a winner and I tossed my 78s, face up onto the felt. And she studied the board…damn, am I going to take this down with a lone eight? Nope, she finally figures it out, tabling A6o for 2-pair. I doubt it was a purposely executed “slow-roll” but it damn sure did nothing to stem my absolute infuriatingly, mind-numbing anger. I got up from the table, leaving for good as I should’ve done long ago! I still think it was a great plan that just wasn’t timed well against an opponent playing nothing but their hand only.

I made the stroll of the walking dead over to my friend Cindy for some poker commiseration before heading out into the night, letting the steam roll off like sheets of rain. I decided to drown my sorrows with a Fat Tire and a pie from Metro Pizza, yummy! Tales of a cash game moran, you just gotta love it!