Oliver Gill

I manage to wake up in time for the midday tournaments for a change and decide on a $330 Caesar’s Megastack. 15k/50mins/177 runners/18 paid.

I find my way to a table of randoms which seems fairly soft. I splash around in small pots with limited success and eventually find myself involved during the second level at 50/100 with 15k effective stacks.

Dealt to SwoopAE: Kc 8c

Weak player in MP limps, MP2 limps, I raise to 550 on cutoff, SB calls, both limpers fold.

Flop: Qc Tc 4d

Sb checks, I bet 800, SB calls

Turn: Kd

SB checks, I check behind so that I can call down if I miss the river or raise a likely donk bet if I hit.

River: 3c

SB bets 1000, I raise to 3300, SB thinks for a moment and calls then flings his cards into the muck in disgust when he sees my hand.

I hover around 18k for a while and then eventually find myself involved again at 100/200/25. I have 18k, villain covers easily.

Dealt to SwoopAE: 7s 6s

Folded to me on the cutoff, I raise to 550, button calls, everyone else folds.

Flop: Kh 6c 5s

I check, button bets 500, I call.

Turn: 6d

I lead 1300, button raises to 5000, I casually dump the rest of my stack into the pot, button quickly calls. I figure i’m up against KQ or 55 and i’m hoping it’s the former. I turn my cards first and button winces then shows Ad Kd. Wait, wat? Okay then.

River: Ts

I double up to around 37,000 and suddenly i’m in good shape.

I find myself involved in a lot of small and uninteresting pots without making any legitimate hands and with about 36k, I find myself moved to a new table with the blinds now at 200/400/50.

Dealt to SwoopAE: Ac Kh

UTG (who has ~45k) limps for 400, I raise to 1800 in MP, folded around, UTG quickly raises to 6000. I go into the tank and UTG seems a bit concerned. I ask him if he has aces and he quickly replies no in a way that I feel he is almost certainly telling the truth. He shoots back with ‘why, do you have kings’ and I reply with ‘maybe, i’m all in’ and slide my stack into the middle. Villain thinks it over for a while and then mucks Ah Ks face up. Cool.

I find my way to about 42k. At 300/600/75, I raise to 1700 in early/mid position with AQ, a tight-passive Asian guy in his 40s calls and a young guy with a hoodie and sunglasses who is new to the table moves in for 11k, I deliberate for a bit and then reshove, figuring it’s a perfect spot to squeeze and he’s young, the Asian guy folds and villain turns up KK. Fucking live poker nits.

Flop: QT6

Well that’s a start. I don’t suppose I could hit an ace perhaps?

Turn: 4

River: 4

I brick out and i’m back down to 28k after the hand. A few hands later, a young, aggressive Asian guy open shoves 6600 (11bb) in MP and I wake up with AQ in the BB and call, he has nines and I brick out again. I really suck at winning races in Vegas. I’m down to about 20k and things aren’t looking so good anymore.

Over the next level and a half, I climb my way back winning small pots with the only notable hands being when I find KK on two seperate occasions and raise, get a caller, an ace hits the flop and I check behind twice both times and call villain’s river bet on each occasion, both times my kings are good. By the start of 600/1200, my stack has climbed back to around 38k and I slowly chip up to about 41k by the start of 800/1600 without picking up a hand or winning any noteworthy pots. At 800/1600, I announce that i’m going to get aces on the BB (I have been doing this once every two orbits or so all tournament) and a young, aggressive but not particularly good villain in MP raises to 5000 with 22k behind. It folds around to me and I find a beautiful Ad As in the hole. I deliberate for a moment and then move all-in, figuring a 3bet looks stronger and a young guy isn’t going to raise to more than 3x with the intention of folding with about 16bb. He says ‘really?’ and I reply with a noncommital ‘yeah’ and after some deliberation, he hesitantly announces call then sighs in disappointment when I turn over my aces. Villain turns up 7c 7h

Flop: 245

Turn: 6

Oh god, don’t do this to me…

River: 2

I nearly double up and suddenly I have about 70k. I chip up to 80k by the start of 1000/2000/300, finding a nice spot to 3bet against a button raiser with A6o and winning the blinds once per orbit. At this point we have about 40-45 players left and the average is sitting at about 68k.

During the 1000/2000/300 level, I find myself involved in another major pot with about 73k in my stack.

UTG (weak/loose/passive player with ~70k) limps for 2000, I raise to 7000 in MP with Kc Qd, young/bad African American player flats on the button with only about 18k behind (??), folded around, UTG calls.

Pot: ~25k

Flop: Kd Tc 9s

UTG donkbets 5,500. WTF? I deliberate for a moment and ask him to count out his stack, he seems particularly weak and I figure he has some sort of pair+gutshot type hand like JT/J9/KJ or something. I think over my options for a moment, decide that the AA guy is so short/bad at poker that he doesn’t matter with 30k in the pot and then figure if i’m raising it’s to 30k+ which commits me so it might as well be all of it. I announce all-in and AA guy starts tanking, muttering to himself that he isn’t good enough to lay this hand down. Eventually, he makes the call and UTG quickly folds. AA guy turns over 99 for button set and i’m drawing pretty thin. Jack please?

Turn: 7
River: 6

I brick out and a monster 60k pot is shipped to the AA guy who just setmined for a third of his stack then almost folded when he actually flopped the set. LOL, Donkaments. I’m back down to about 45k with the average at about 70k. That one hurt. Oh well, i’ve still got a playable stack.

I lose some blinds but find a spot to jam over a raise and take it down with something like a low PP, anyhow, i’m still hovering at 45k when the blinds go up to 1500/3000/400 with about 30 left.

On the second or third hand of the level, I find myself involved again.

Folded to me in MP, I look down at Kc Qs and figure that with a couple of short stacks behind me and only two players who cover; I have to move all in for 15bb to get rid of the livedonks who might reshove A6o thinking they have fold equity with 10bb. Unfortunately, the small blind who covers me snapcalls and flips aces. Shoving into the nuts is fun. I’m 0/1 in flips, 0/1 in 30/70s, 1/1 in 80/20s and 1/1 in 95/5s today. If I can suck out here, i’m going to be cashing for the second time this series.

Come on suckout gods, let’s see that a king and a queen on the flop.

Flop: Q77

Well, it’s a start but the paired sevens hurt. I don’t suppose I could have another queen on the turn, dealer?

Turn: J <— Oh so close. I thought I had it.

One more shot at glory. QUEEN!

River: 2s

I tap the table, shake hands with the guy who busted me and walk off, disgusted with myself for going from a slightly above average stack with 35 left to finishing about 30th. I accumulated well and didn’t run particularly above or below expectation in all in spots, but certainly finding AA at the right time helped today. Sadly, I couldn’t string a run of hands together when it counted late and I head off to the rail with another top 20% without cashing finish under my belt.

I head home after getting some food at the Augustus Cafe at Caesars (their chicken quesadillas are delicious) and decide to play a random $22 Omaha/8 HU match on FTP so that I can hopefully end the night on a winning note. I ship it to recuperate one seventeenth of my buyins for the day and then decide to register for a random $33 donkament with 169 players and 1400 for the win. It would be sick if I managed to win back my buyins so far by shipping a random lowstakes donkament in my unwind session. I’m playing that as I write this and fully intending on taking it down. Currently 19/111. Fun times. Fucking live nits and their sets and aces. Give me a laptop and a connection to Full Tilt any day. I came close today though.

Cash: $0
Tournaments : -$340

Another day, another chance to fail at the live pokers.

The day gets off to it’s usual start; I oversleep and skip the midday deepstack tournaments. Eventually, I climb out of bed and wander over to Caesars Palace for the 4pm $225 Turbo Deepstack event. Yes, I realise that’s a contradiction but we’re starting 200bb deep at 25/50 with 10k and it’s 20 minute levels, so turbo deepstack seems accurate.

I find myself involved in a few small pots early but as the blinds increase, I become incredibly card-dead. My stack hovers between 10-12 for the first few levels and I manage to stay afloat opening more than my fair share of pots with air and taking some of them down with cbets despite not having made a pair or better at any stage over the first two hours. At 200/400, I raise UTG, get 3bet by an aggressive guy and 4bet all in with AsKs for about 10.5k. Villain calls and flips AdKh and I pray for spades.

Flop: Qs 9s 4h

’cause i’m free…………. freerolling…………..’

Turn: Tc

Damn it, I thought that was a spade.

River: 5h

My freeroll fails to pay off and we chop it up. I’m not involved again until the first hand of 600/1200/100. I’m under the gun with 11k, we’re six handed after two players busted on the previous hand and I instantly move all-in with 9c 8h after having made up my mind to move in with any two before the hand was dealt. Cutoff reshoves to isolate and i’m up against Ac Ks.

Flop: 7d 6d 5c

What a helpful flop

Villain is drawing dead and I double up to 23,000 which is roughly the chip average. Our table breaks and we redraw with 20 left (it was a very small field of just under 50 for this event today)

I stay afloat stealing once a lap and find a nice spot to squeeze all-in over two limpers to maintain my stack at about 25k when I find myself involved again with 16 players remaining (and 5 places paid). The blinds are now 800/1600/200.

UTG+2 (chipleader, middle aged woman who is beyond awful) raises to 4800, I find As Qd on the cutoff and reshove for about 25k, folded around, UTG+2 instacalls and tables 5c 5d like it’s the nuts. There is about 55k in the pot which makes me equal chipleader if I can get there.

Flop: Ad Qs 3c

A beautiful ace in the window followed by a queen and suddenly things are looking up.

Turn: 5s

Well, that’s unfortunate.

River: Jc

I lose the flip and head to the rail in a disappointing 16th place. I feel I cash about 80% of the time if I win the flip here but hey, whatever, my time will come.

The woman who eliminated me, despite having about 30% of the chips in play with 15 left, ended up finishing 14th. Epic fail.

Fortunately, it’s not my last chance to chase my first MTT victory of the summer. The $160 tournament at 7pm has just started and I register just in time to miss the first hand. I sit down with 6,000 chips at 25/50 with 30 minute levels and promptly spew off 1,000 when I get involved in a three way pot with 9d7d, flop an open ended straight draw, fire the flop with one caller and then fire the turn and get raised off it with an ace on the board. I spend the next two levels slowly climbing back to 6,000 without picking up a premium hand, although I do flop two pair with Tc 9c once and get no action when I cbet the flop. At 100/200, I find myself involved again with Ah Ks.

UTG raises to 600, UTG+2 moves all-in for 4200, I reshove for about 5600 from MP, folded around, UTG tanks for a while and decides to fold. UTG+2 shows Ad Kc and I find myself in my second AK vs AK spot today. We have all four suits covered between us this time but the flop is a rainbow and we chop it up. Two hands later, I find Ad Ks from UTG+1 and raise to 600. I’ve had Ace King more than all other premium hands combined today. UTG+2, who is fairly deep, stares me down for a moment and then raises to 1700. It folds back around to me and I quickly jam my 6k into the middle and UTG+2 snapcalls and turns over Kd Kc. Looks like i’m going to need some help.

Flop: 3c 3d 6d

An ace on the turn would be nice.

Turn: 3s

I pick up an additional out. Wouldn’t it be sick if the river was a three…

River: 4s

I tap the table, wish everyone luck and head out to grab some Pizza. Some fat lady is attempting to use an expired coupon to make a purchase and doesn’t seem to understand what the attendant is saying. The line of two people quickly becomes five, then ten, then twenty. It’s been about fifteen minutes and this is getting ridiculous. The drunk guy in line behind me is telling anyone who will listen about how a stripper made him buy her a $12 bottle of water at a club last night and then ditched him. Well, yes, they will do that. Eventually, the fat lady shuffles off and I get my pizza. A taxi driver asks what I do for a living and then lectures me about how I should be building a career while i’m young. Listen mate, you’re driving obnoxious tourists around in a taxi for a living, how about you run your life and let me run mine. Is it too much to ask that you just drive me to my destination without a lecture?

Back on the central strip outside Flamingo, I get hassled by the obnoxious swarms of illegal immigrants handing out cards for strippers that come to your room. By swarms, I mean, literally, swarms. They hang around in packs of 15 of so all over the strip and all hand out the same cards to anyone who will take them. I had heard about it before I got here on the forums and stuff and the novelty of it all on the first day was fun but it gets really old, really fast. If I want to find a stripper or a hooker, i’ll find one, it’s Las Vegas, I don’t need smelly middle aged men without shirts trying to hand me strippers business cards as i’m going about my daily business.

The rest of my evening is uneventful (I wasn’t even approached by any hookers today) and eventually I head home at around 10pm, fully intending to get to bed early enough to wake up for tomorrow’s midday deepstack tournaments.

I wake up at 11:35, decide i’m too tired for the second day in a row and crash for another six hours. Eventually, I climb out of bed and after a quick shower, I walk down to the Venetian in an attempt to acquire Wayne Brady tickets for tonight. Sadly, they’re sold out of everything except the most expensive tickets and I don’t plan on paying $164 or whatever when I can see the show for $50 another day. I decide that now is as good a time as any to explore the southern half of the strip.

I purchase a 24 hour monorail pass and head south to the MGM Grand station. The MGM Grand is greener than I expected. I don’t mean environmentally friendly, I mean bright green. Whatever. MGM Grand seems decent if unspectacular, the poker room is full of tourist types but otherwise bland and I head outside and make the walk over to the Excalibur. Wow, this thing is right out of a cartoon; it’s the strangest piece of architecture i’ve ever seen. I find my way over to the poker room where all of the tables are electronic ‘PokerPro’ tables; we have those back in Australia at Crown, so i’m familiar with the setup.

I watch a few tables and decide to put myself on the list for a particularly fishy 1/2 game that is running; it’s certainly one of the softest tables i’ve seen in Vegas and the average stack is in the vicinity of $250. I buy-in for the max which is $200 and watch in horror as the biggest fish stacks off on the first hand to someone else and then leaves. Fortunately, the table is still soft. I remain fairly uninvolved for the first 100 hands (about 2.5 hours on these tables instead of the usual 4-5) and i’ve chipped up to about $250 when players start leaving and we’re down to about 7 handed. I pull off a massive 3 barrel all-in bluff with 53o for five high air to chip up to about 350 then have to abort a bluff on a paired flop against a villain who clearly has top pair when the river kills my represented hand. I manage to flop a gutshot with nut flush draw against a fish and get a raise in on the flop and cbet on the turn when I make my straight; villain folds to my halfpot river shove. A few players leave and i’m 3 handed with a young guy who is solid but too passive and an old guy who is loose-passive preflop and weak-tight postflop. I’m sitting with about 290, young guy has 350 or so and old guy has about 330. We start chatting and I casually steamroll the table, chipping up enormously without showdowns since they’re both playing like it’s 6-8max. I’m only involved in two major pots; one both against young guy; I get three big streets of value when I flop top set against his top two on a 3flush board and he gets two streets out of me when I flop bottom two to his top set. Fortunately though, old guy is bleeding chips and is completely outclassed at the table and over the next three hours, we bleed him dry without either of us having to put more than $20 into a pot without the nuts against him to win almost every single pot he’s involved in. If he plays back which is very rare, we fold. Everyone’s having a good time and we all order some delicious grilled chicken burgers with avocado and fries from the cafe next to the poker room; when it’s all said and done, old guy is busto, young guy has 405 and I have 520 in front of me. We play a couple of hands of HU and although I would eventually grind him down, the rake means it isn’t really worthwhile and we decide to call it a night. I book a win of $320 (a little over a buyin and a half) without winning a single showdown for over $50 (in the two biggest pots I played; villain folded on the river, once I had the nuts and the other time air).

Only interesting hand of the session. We’re about 8 handed and my image is fairly TAG at this stage. Effective stacks are approximately $250 at 1/2NL

UTG+1 limps, MP limps, I raise to $13 on the button with 5c 3d, folded around, UTG+1 folds, MP calls. MP seems to be a generally bad player who bets for no reason because he has a pair and stuff like that, but he isn’t particularly nitty or stationy and seems to value his money more than most. His range here is basically low pairs and about J9-Q9-K9-A8+ but weaker than AQ type hands.

Pot: $31

Flop: 6c 6s 8d

Villain checks, I bet $15 (everyone’s standard cbet seems to be about half pot at this table), villain calls.

Pot: $61

Turn: Jc

Villain checks, I bet $40, villain calls.

Pot: $141

River: Ks

Villain thinks for a moment and then donkbets $20. I go into the tank as I try and decide whether I can move him off his hand more than half the time since there is $161 in the pot and I have ~$170 behind, villain covers (but only by about $20).

After about 30 seconds, I move all-in. I figure my line looks a lot like JJ/KK/AA and villain pretty much always has a mid pocket pair, jack or at best a weak king. Villain thinks for a moment and then folds, claiming he folded a jack.

Overall, it was the softest table i’ve sat at since I got to Vegas and I would have played deep 3 handed poker with those guys all day if I got the chance. I consider staying for the $75 HU tournament starting at 9am but it’s only 6:30 so I decide to explore for a while and then get some sleep in time for the midday tournament tomorrow.

I head down to Luxor which is thoroughly unimpressive; although beautiful from the outside i’m very glad everyone talked me out of staying there. At Luxor, I get propositioned by my second Las Vegas hooker; she’s not as hot as yesterday’s one, probably a 7. She doesn’t seem overly enthusiastic either (yesterday’s hooker at least attempted to make it seem like she was interested in me), so I politely excuse myself and wander down to Mandalay Bay.

Talk about class. Mandalay Bay is easily the nicest hotel i’ve seen in Vegas, the beach/pool area there looks awesome and the casino seems almost on par with the Bellagio as far as the ‘upper-class’ casinos go. Their poker room seems really nice, although there is only one table of 1/2 running; fair enough, I guess it’s almost 7am. I head over to Shark Reef to look at the aquarium but find it isn’t open for a few hours so I decide to call it a night and head back to the monorail. I grab breakfast (or dinner if you prefer) at the MGM Grand, find the monorail station and set a course for home. I get off at the Flamingo station which is a quick 500m walk back to the Meredian, then catch up on some writing and crash out at about 8am.

Today’s stats

New Casinos Explored: 4, plus one monorail.
Cash: +$320
Tournaments: $0
Number of hookers I was propositioned by: 1

Okay, I really need to do that crash out at 8am part now. More tales of donkaments, exploration and hookers will tomorrow.

I wake up at 11:30; decide that i’m way too tired to play my A game after 4 hours of sleep and immediately turn off the alarm clock and roll over. I wake up again at 7pm (lol, oversleepaments) and after an hour or two of hanging out at home, I decide to head in to the strip.

I head over to the ticketing office to see what time Wayne Brady’s show is and find that the ticketing office is closed. Whatever, i’m here for five weeks, i’ll see it another day. After some deliberation, I decide to wander over to Caesars Palace to get some food. A few delicious slices of pizza later, I check in at the Caesars poker room and find that a $125 tournament is starting in a couple of minutes. With nothing else planned for the rest of my evening, I register for the tournament and wander outside to watch at the Pussycat Dolls dancers. I take a look at their merchandise stand and decide that i’m going to purchase a few of their items as souveneirs for female friends back home. After a few minutes, I head back into the cardroom and find my seat at Table 45. We’re starting with 5000 chips at 25/50 with 30 minute levels and only 61 runners since the tournament starts at 11pm, it’s a remarkably good structure for a $125 donkament and i’m looking forward to what will hopefully be my first deep run.

Unfortunately, i’m rather card dead early and I drop to 3k after my isolation raises are 3bet from the blinds, my open raises are 3bet by random players and when I 3bet I find myself getting 4bet by an old nitty man. Fortunately, I manage to turn it around a bit and start running over the table, chipping up to 5.5k without a chowdown by 100/200. I stay afloat raising once a lap without any legitimate hands through 100/200/25 and at 200/400/50 I finally find myself involved in my first significant pot. I had open shoved the previous pot for about 4200 with no caller.

Dealt to SwoopAE: Tc Ts

Folded to me in MP, I open shove about 5200, folded around, SB (a decent online player) makes the call, BB folds. SB shows Ah Th.

Flop: KQ9

Turn: 3

River: 6

I double up to about 11k and find myself back at the chip average.

I hover between 11k and 14k for a while without finding any legitimate hands but remaining reasonably active over the next two levels and I find myself involved again with 12k at 400/800 under the gun.

Dealt to SwoopAE: Ah Ks

I raise to 2000, Asian villain in MP quickly shoves 7300, folded to me, I call. Villain shows Kd 7d. What?

Flop: Q65

Turn: 7 <— Ouch

River: 6

I find myself crippled to about 5k and cursing my broken luckbox.

A few hands later, I find myself with 4k and the cutoff raises, I jam in SB and the BB wakes up with a hand and decides to reshove. Cutoff folds and I find my AJo in trouble against AQo

Flop: J67 <— Well that’s helpful

Turn: 2

‘Give him his queen and send me home already’, I tell the dealer.

River: 4

I manage to pull off an epic suckout and suddenly i’m back to 12k

I find a few hands and start chipping up nicely without showdown, then find myself involved again against a short stack.

MP1 limps for 800, MP2 (old nitty man) raises to 2000 with 6000 behind, I find Ah As in the big blind and raise to 5000, MP1 folds, MP2 calls (lol).

Flop: 8c 4d 2c

I bet 2500, old man tanks for a while with his 3300 behind and eventually decides to fold. LOL Donkaments, live poker, etc.

By now i’ve climbed to about 28k and I continue chipping up nicely to about 35k without showdowns or real hands; including several reshoves over raises. After getting played back at a bit and generally being card dead, I find myself involved again with about 28k at 600/1200/100

Folded to me on the button, I find Ac Ad (yes, I know i’m a luckbox nit, but I do have a very loose image), I raise to 2600, BB (deepstack who covers me) shoves, I quickly call, he tables KQo and is drawing dead by the turn. I double up to about 55k.

By now we’re down to about 14 players with 7 places paying. I lose a bunch of pots in quick succession including getting pot committed with an open raise with 44 against a short stack’s KK and missing and open raising light and being 3bet twice and with the blinds at 800/1600/200, I find myself back down to 42k by the time we start the final table, meaning i’m starting the final table with a 4/10 stack.

At the final table I find exactly one premium hand (JJ, which wins the blinds) and with the blinds at 1000/2000, i’m reshoving or raising once a lap with air to stay afloat. I’m getting fairly drunk at this stage after I started drinking with about 20 left and i’m getting loud. The Irish girl at the table blows up at me a bit (lol, tilty donks) and promptly tilts off her stack. We reach the bubble 8 handed and agree to chip in $20 each as bubble insurance, meaning we’re in the money for a guaranteed $15 profit. Ship it, obviously. I ramp up the aggression and steal my way back to 60k on the no-longer-the-money-bubble and eventually someone busts and I find myself with a slightly above average stack 7 handed. The blinds go up to 1500/3000/400 and then 2000/4000/500, we’re now 5 handed and i’m back down to about 48k after several orbits of being card dead. The payout structure is roughly 2350/1430/880/600/420 at this stage. It folds to me on the button with 48k at 2k/4k/500 and I jam Q6dd as I have been doing once a lap to stay afloat for as long as I remember, SB wakes up with A9o and calls (he’s been very nitty so i’m impressed with the call, I didn’t think he calls that wide), BB folds. I brick out and find myself down to about 23k. Two hands later I find KJo on the SB and move in, BB calls without looking and tables K9cc. He turns the nine and i’m off to the rail in fifth place for $420ish. It was a crapshoot at the final table and I won 2 of 5 all in pots all tournament (dominating favourite twice, flip once, 40/60 once, dominated once) and still managed to finish fifth somehow so I was very happy with my play.

Most importantly, despite this being the smallest buy-in tournament i’ve played in Vegas… I had a winning day!

On the way out of Caesars, I decide to stop in at the Augustus Cafe. As i’m browsing the menu, a random hot chick with a tattoo wanders up to me and says ‘how about having some of me for breakfast’. I make polite conversation and try to ascertain whether she’s a working girl (lol, as if normal girls ever hit on a guyu that directly), find out she is indeed an ‘entertainer for the gentlemen’ as she puts it, I politely decline her services (she’s an 8, but if i’m going to pay for it, she needs to be a 10 thank you very much) and then grab some food and make the five minute walk back to the Meredian. I catch up on some writing, check my emails and crash out. Maybe tomorrow i’ll actually wake up in time for the $330 Megastack.

Stats

Cash: $0
Tournaments: +$300
Number of hookers I was propositioned by: 1

Cliffnotes: I slept in until late afternoon, made money playing poker and got propositioned by a hooker. A good day.

I wake up, go for a swim then head over to the Venetian for the $330 deepstack event, 12k with 40 minute levels starting at 50/100. I’m thinking Caesar’s again tomorrow since the fields are softer and the structure is just as good now and deeper early. I find myself seated at a table with seven professional poker players. This is going to be fun. The opening raise is 2.5x and extracting value at the table is like squeezing juice from a rock. Nevertheless, I manage to chip from 12000 to 16000 by 100/200 with the only notable pot occurring when I get two streets of value out of a turned set against top pair in a three way pot.

I find myself moved to a new table, fortunately minus the seven online pros and quickly find myself involved again.

Dealt to SwoopAE: Ad Jh at 100/200/25

I raise to 550 with ~16k, loose-passive-bad player with a similar stack calls, BB has about 3700 and moves all-in, he’s wearing a pokerstars hoodie and ipod so I figure he’s squeezing wide enough, I move all-in to isolate, loose-passive guy folds. Villain turns up As Qc and I feel really, really stupid. Live poker and nits, seriously. The flop is QQ2 to seal it and I drop back to the starting stack.

I find myself card dead for the remainder of the level and on one of the last hands of the level I find myself involved again with ~11k on the button.

Dealt to SwoopAE: Ad Kc

Loose-passive fish limps for 200 in MP, loose aggressive cutoff who looks like an online player raises to 850. I consider my options for a moment on the button and then decide that reraising leaves me with an awkward stack size and flatting is bad for obvious reasons and that leaves me with one option. I stack up my chips and move all-in, the limper quickly folds and loose aggressive guy goes into the tank. He covers me by about 6-7k. As he’s tanking, he starts asking me questions which lead me to believe he either has JJ or AQ. At this point, i’m starting to think I have him dominated so I don’t mind a call. After about three minutes, villain reluctantly announces call and tables JJ and then fistpumps when I turn over AK. Really? Okay then, time to win a race.

Flop: Jx Qx 9x

A jack in the window is not helpful, but I pick up a gutshot.

Turn: 9x

Oh well, i’m drawing dead. Wonderful.

The river peels off a meaningless 8x and I tap the table and head to the rail early once again, disappointed with my flip loss in a key pot yet again. I realise Seb is probably still in the $1500 HORSE at the Rio and head over to Harrahs to get the free shuttle. Unfortunately, after five minutes waiting, the shuttle arrives, people pile on and the bus driver announces it’s full and we’ll have to wait for the next one in half an hour. Fuck that. I grab a couple people from the line and we agree to split a taxi which works out to something like $3 each.

I arrive at the Rio and find a poker haven unlike any other. Millions upon millions of tables, pokernews and pokerroad stands, books stores, people whining about being stuck 2k, about 100 dealers on break smoking outside… yes, this is poker heaven. I wander inside and get directions to the HORSE event where I find there are two remaining tables and 14 players left.

The tournament is on break and a pokernews guy is counting the stacks. I ask which stack belongs to Sebastian Sabic and he points at a measly stack of about 16k, good for slightly less than one big bet. Not looking good. The tournament resumes and as Seb finds his way to his seat I introduce myself and tell him that my luckbox will now be activated on his behalf. On the first pot, Seb finds 22 (my lucky hand) and flops a set to triple up. So far so good. Seb proceeds to go on a sick heater and wins about 8 pots in a row to climb to about 220k (about 10-12 big bets), close to the chip average with 12 left. Sadly, disaster strikes and he commits a large portion of his stack with a low draw in Stud8 and misses, then commits to another large pot in O8 with a nut flush draw and nut low draw on the flop and somehow manages to miss everything, leaving him back with one big bet.

He stages a mini comeback before eventually falling when his A55x (I think) goes down to A24x when his opponent makes a nut low and nut flush against his non nut low and straight. Seb seems really cool about it all and even manages to get in an ‘LOL Donkaments’ to the table before he heads off to the rail.

Seb finishes 11th for 13k and change; definitely disappointing after the epic comeback with a bracelet in reach with 12 left but still a very nice score and a sick deep run in a 700+ field. As Seb heads off to collect his prizemoney, I disapppear to find a bathroom and when I get back I can’t find him anywhere. I figure i’ll catch up with him later in the week and head back to Harrahs, this time finding a seat on the shuttle bus which takes for freaking ever to get back to the strip due to traffic.

I get dinner at the Venetian (American pizza is so much better than Australian pizza) and catch up with Michael, my housemate, who is up a few hundred at 2/5NL. I then decide to head over to Caesars Palace (which has become my official favourite poker room in Vegas) to play the nightly $150 tournament. We start with 6000 chips at 25/50 with 40 minute levels and no antes until 600/1200/100, a surprisingly decent structure (late antes aside) for the buyin. I chip up to 8100 without playing a notewothy pot over the first two levels then find myself involved at 100/200.

Dealt to SwoopAE: Qs Ts

Folded to me on cutoff; I raise to 500, button is tilty after taking a massive hit on the previous pot and has the exact same stack as me and he almost minreraises to 1000. I call the extra 500 and we take a flop.

Flop: 5s 3c 3d

I check, villain checks.

Turn: 8s

A flush draw is better than complete air, I guess. I check, villain bets 2000, I quickly move all-in for about 5000 more, villain tanks for a moment, asks if I have ace king and then folds. My stack climbs to almost 12k.

I remain mostly uninvolved for the next few levels, picking and choosing my shots to isolate weak-tight limpers with 4-5x raises and take down pots with cbets, sometimes with a hand and sometimes without. With about 14k in my stack at 200/400, I find a spot to squeeze with KQo when a super loose UTG raiser makes it 1200 and attracts a call from a weak-tight player; I quickly move all in from the BB and they both fold.

I move tables, chip up a little more and find myself seated next to Rounder481 (or similar name) from FTP who I play with in MTTs a bit. The table is super weak and I move over 20k when I raise KQdd on the button and the BB jams about 11bb with TT, I call and win the race.

I stay uninvolved for a few orbits and we move tables again. The blinds are up to 300/600 and I take down some pots raising limpers and jamming over a SB limper, blinds go up, I find AK and jam over a 4.5x raise by the big stack, he tank-folds and the very next hand I move in over another raise to climb to 30k or so. At 600/1200, I pick up some small pots and i’m quite healthy with about 37k when I find myself involved again at 800/1600. I raise to 4100 in MP with 7c 7s, Rounder481 makes it 11k to go with only about 6k behind, a short stack moves all in for less than 2bb and it folds back around to me; I figure he has 11bb and because he looks so strong, surely he’s trying to move me off my hand because if he had QQ+ it’s too too obvious since he knows I play online too so I figure he’s on the weaker part of his range, I put the rest in and he calls with Qh Qd and I feel really stupid. I flop a gutshot but brick out in a massive 40k pot to fall back to 20k. I pushbot my way back to 30k without showdown and then find myself involved again. UTG moves all-in for 5000, folds to a big stack who seems hesitant to call, then elects to minraise to 10000, folds to me in the BB, I find 9s 9c and confidently snap-shove my 25k or so, villain looks pained and eventually lays it down getting nearly 3-1 on his money. UTG tables A4 offsuit and I just need to dodge an ace.

Flop: Ks Ts 3x

So far so good. Hold please so I can be back above 20bb and abuse the hell out of the weak-tight table.

Turn: 8s

I kill one of his ace outs by picking up a flush draw

River: Ah

Epic disaster; villain more than triples up and I break even for the hand, unfortunately this means I’ll have 11bb in a couple of minutes.

The blinds go up to 1k/2k/300 and i’m fairly desperate now with 20 left out of the starting field of about 135 with the average stack at about 38k. After an orbit, I find myself with 22k on the hijack in an unraised pot with tight players on the blinds; I decide to move with the top half of hands since there is 6k in the pot and I still have fold equity and I find Qd 7d and decide to go with it; unfortunately BB wakes up with Ah Qs and starts tanking before eventually calling and proclaiming ‘I always lose with this hand’. I brick out and head to the rail, bitterly disappointed that it all fell apart at the end but quite happy with my game for the second day in a row. After all, I got up to 6x the starting stack without any doubleups and only busting one shortstack, so I must be doing something right to accumulate this well without getting above average holecards. If my 77 cracks QQ or my 99 holds over A4, I almost certainly go on to cash and potentially make a really deep run at it.

Oh well, there’s always tomorrow.

I walk home and drink some beers with John and watch him multi-table PLO8 for a while; he makes a quick $1500 (he’s a baller, obviously), we discuss random stuff and decide we’re going to organise a BBQ later this week at the Meredian for anyone who wants to attend (PM me SwoopAE on the forums if you do) and I do some writing then get to sleep at 6am.

Today’s stats

Cash: $0
Tournaments: -$500 (but at least I made a deepish run losing more flips than I won which is a start)

Tournament record for the trip so far: 0/5

…but i’m feeling it for tomorrow…

I wake up and head into Caesars Palace for the $330 Megastack. We start with 15000 chips at 25/50 with 50 minute levels.

During the first level, i’m completely card dead but our table loses four players out of only eight in the field and we have two big stacks moved to the table so there are a lot of chips on the table early.

During the 50/100 level, I find myself involved in my first big pot. I have 15k, everyone covers.

Folded to hijack, hijack raises to 300, I find Ts 7s on the button and call, SB calls, BB calls.

Flop: 9s 8s 7c

Well, hello!

SB checks, BB checks, hijack bets 1200, I raise to 4000, SB calls (??), BB folds, hijack calls.

Turn: 8c

SB checks, hijack checks, I think for a moment, decide that I can represent a set quite nicely with my flop raise and that it really isn’t a large part of either villain’s range. I move all-in for 10,200. SB folds, hijack tanks for a few minutes and then folds, claiming he folded 97. I’m fairly sure he had an overpair. After the hand, i’m up to 23,000 or so. I remain uninvolved for the next level or so and then the table breaks. I’m very card dead and I take very few flops and those I do take I end up missing and either taking the pot with cbets or check/folding. I make a big laydown with KQ on a QQxxx board with three clubs when I get raised on the river, villain shows a flush. My stack has dwindled to about 20k by the time i’m involved again at 100/200/25

UTG is an old nitty man who limps regularly but hasn’t raised in about eight orbits at the table. I find Qh Qd in mid position and UTG raises to 600 with about 10k behind. Really? A horrible loose-passive player calls and I deliberate for a moment before raising to 1700. Normally this would be an awful raise but i’m absolutely certain that if UTG only jams his 10k with AA or KK and will flat call with a wide range and checkfold most flops. A pretty blonde woman in her late 20s coldcalls the 1700 on the button with only about 8k behind (?? live poker I know), the old man calls and the loose passive player calls and we take a four way flop.

Flop: Qs 6c 7d

Well that’s helpful

Checked to me, I donk out 1450, blonde woman raises to 3100, UTG folds, loose passive guy folds. I call, since the woman only has about 5k behind but I figure she’s folding the non-overpairs/queens to a shove but will stack off later in the hand with them and she’s getting the big hands in on the turn anyway.

Turn: 2c

I check, blonde woman checks. Sigh, she’s got tens or jacks then.

River: Ks

I bet 6,000 putting blonde woman all in, she tanks for a while and is about to fold, so I tell her i’ll show in an attempt to get her to reconsider, eventually she folds TT face-up and I flash her a queen, she gets upset that I didn’t show both cards. Okay, whatever. I’m up to about 29k.

I stay fairly uninvolved again, winning and losing a couple of small pots after missing flops until I find myself involved at 200/400/50

UTG (old nitty man) limps as he has been doing quite regularly with a 15k stack, UTG+1 limps behind with 7k, I raise to 2125 with Qh Jh in MP, folds around, UTG folds, UTG+1 announces all-in. WTF? Okay, i’m pot committed getting 2-1 and he can’t possibly ever have anything, I call and villain tables As 6s and we’re off to the races. Limp behind/shove with no fold equity with ace six is optimal, sir. Live poker, obviously.

Flop: Kd Ks 5d

Villain stands up and starts walking away from the table.

Turn: 2d

River: 3d

Villain taps the table, says good game and starts walking away. The dealer tries to tell him that he won the hand and he doesn’t seem to understand what’s going on. Eventually, he looks at the board again and says ‘oh, I thought you hit your pair’ and then sits back down. I sink back to 20k and the blinds go up to 300/600. I 3bet light twice with 76o and 73o against loose raisers and take one preflop and one with a cbet to move back to about 28k before I find myself involved in another big hand. Loose passive guy with a massive stack to my right limps at 300/600/75, I find Ac As and raise to 2275, folded around, loose passive guy calls.

Flop: Ad 9d 6c

Villain checks and looks like he’ll give it up to a cbet so I check behind and decide to try and get 1-2 streets of value if he has a pair.

Turn: 8d

Villain checks, I bet 3800, villain calls. No diamond, please.

River: Ts

Villain announces all-in. What? I’m certain he doesn’t have a flush, but how can he possibly have a seven? I ask some questions and he sits there staring silently at the table. There’s about 13k in the pot and I have about 18.5k behind, villain has about 60k. I’m trying to put him on a hand, he shouldn’t have A7 since that would require the case ace, I think he raises sevens preflop? He can’t have a flush based on the way the hand went down since I know he whiffed the flop based on his reaction so he didn’t flop the draw. 77 seems to be the only hand that makes any sense. I tank for about four or five minutes and the floor announces our table is splitting after the hand. Eventually, someone calls time on me. Can he have a really badly played set? Is he panic-shoving air or a hand with one diamond that didn’t get there because he saw a 4-straight hit and knows a seven isn’t in my range? Eventually I decide that he can’t have anything other than a missed diamond draw, 77 or some sort of badly played turned or rivered set. When it doesn’t make sense, I call. I announce call. Villain turns over Qs Jh. Really? I feel pretty stupid since it’s live poker and they’re never bluffing because it’s live poker. Oh well. I tap the table, wish everyone luck and head to the rail, finishing about 60th out of 120. The Caesar’s field was smaller and slightly softer but the structure was slightly worse. I get some food, head home and chill with John and Michael then crash fairly early.

Day 5 morning – I wake up and go for a swim in the pool here at Meredian which is actually quite nice. I decide i’m going to play the $330 Deepstack at the Venetian today, catch up on some writing and then head into the Venetian. TR to follow for my Day 5 entry.

I wake up late in the afternoon and catch up on some writing and send some general updates back home. By around 9pm, i’m feeling up for some action and I head to Caesar’s Palace for some 1/3NL

Unfortunately, the session doesn’t go so well and I end up dropping a quick $180 when my tptk goes down to tp2k after I committed the stacks (about 65% of stacks were in by the turn) and villain rivers 2p and I make a somewhat crying checkcall for the last third of our stacks, since I had him on a range of KJ/QJ I figured it’s QJ often enough to make the call but who knows. Maybe I should have just jammed the turn but whatever, I committed the stacks while ahead so i’ll take the beat and move on.

In any case, a $100+20 donkament was starting at 11pm and I decided to register, The tournament started with 5k stacks and 30 minute blinds starting at 25/50 with a remarkably decent although by no means good structure. I chipped up to about 6k winning some small pots during the first level and then went card dead. After a while, I found myself involved late in the second level (50/100) with a stack of about 5300 to villain’a 4500

Dealt to SwoopAE: Qs Qc

UTG limps, I raise in MP, villain calls.

Flop: 8d 3d 2s

Villain checks, I bet 400 hoping to induce action from the PPs in villain’s range, villain raises to 1100. I figure he could have anything from a PP to a set or fliush draw here so I decide to call with the intention of getting it in on a safe turn

Turn: Kc

Villain quickly checks. I figure if he has a flush draw or set he’s going to be checkshoving here and if he has a pocket pair he has two outs, so I change my plan for the hand and check behind, intending to call down any non diamond river. Villain has something like 1.2x pot behindand bet/fold and bet/call both seem so bad on the turn here.

River: 2c

Decent river. Villain quickly open shoves and I go into the tank. He never has a deuce, so it’s always either a set of threes or eights, quads, a busted flush draw, or some sort of pocket pair under the king that he doesn’t think has showdown value against me. I think it’s pretty marginal since I only have a bluff catcher and without a stronger read maybe I should fold here since it’s live (I think it’s a call against certain types of villains online) but in any case, I decide to go for the hero call and villain quickly tables 33 while I much and feel really stupid. On the plus side though, it’s only a $120 donkament so i’ll have wasted the minimum amount of time possible. I’m crippled to 800 and a few hands later I find JJ and open shove, the button calls with AQ and I hold to double up. The blinds go up to 100/200 and i’m back to 9BB. A few hands later it folds around to me on the button, BB seems to be a tight player and SB appears to be an internet LAG, although my image is fairly tight so I decide any two is good enough. I look down at 92o and move in, SB thinks for a moment and calls, BB folds and SB turns over… K4dd? For about 40% of his stack. Okay then. A king on the flop seals my fate and I head back to the 1/3 tables. I find myself at my old table and the stacks have gotten deep, so I buy-in for $300. After a few failed set mining attempts and missed draws I leak down to about $220, then get involved in a big four way pot where I flop the nut flush draw and we get to the river four way with a bet on both the flop and the turn. Sadly, I brick it and check/fold the river in what turns out to be a sizable pot. With about $160 left, I find myself involved in a six way limped pot again with Jd 9d. With something like $18 in the pot preflop, we see a flop of 7d 6s 5d. SB bets $5 and four players call behind with me last to act on the button. I consider raising then realise there’s about $45 in the pot, a raise commits my stack, i’m 40% at worst against basically anything and I only have $160 or so behind so I move all in and find a quick caller in SB who flopped the straight, everyone else folds. He’s only got about $110 though and I have nine outs and three additional outs for the chop. Amusingly, the board fills out with a jack and a nine giving me a useless two pair and I miss my fifth flush draw and sixth major draw in a row in a big pot. With about $50 left, I blind down to $45 or so without bothering to rebuy since i’m planning on leaving soon and then get the rest in with KK against AT; villain binks the ace and i’m busted without winning a single hand in the four hour session. I consider rebuying, decide against it since my table, although perfectly beatable, is actually quite tough for live 1/3NL.

I get some pizza, wander around the casino for a while and then eventually wander home to get some sleep before tomorrow’s tournament at 12.

What i’ve learned in Vegas so far…

Friendliest Dealers: Caesar’s Palace
Hottest Cocktail Waitresses: Venetian
Best Currency Exchange Rates: Bellagio
Best Poker Room: TBA; although i’m leaning Caesar’s so far because of the awesome dealers and no smoking area anywhere near the poker room (the smell of cigarette smoke in the playing area at the Venetian is really, really annoying)

Also, for those of you who don’t know yet; Caesar’s Megastack changed their schedules to be comparable to Venetian Deepstack, fields are 200-300ish instead of 400-600ish so i’m going to play there tomorrow and report back on how the structure compares as well as the level of competition since as far as I know, most online players in town who aren’t at the Rio are playing at the Venetian.

Today’s Stats
Cash: -$480
Tournaments: -$125

Trip so far: -$1200ish

I arrive at Brisbane International Airport at 4:30am with plenty of time before my 7am flight. I look at the departures board and find that there isn’t a flight leaving at 7am. Wait, what? I check my ticket and find that I arrive at LAX at 7am… and depart Brisbane at 11am. Fantastic, I now have seven hours to kill. I get a few hours sleep at thre airport before eventually checking in and boarding my flight.

I start my trip with a fantastic seating draw, next to a cute blonde in her early 20s. We chat for a while and I find out her name is Brianna and she’s living in Adelaide but originally from Orlando and heading home to visit her family. After a couple hours, she falls asleep and I decide to watch some movies. The V Australia entertainment system is awesome with a huge selection of new releases available free. I end up watching Taken, The Wrestler and Rocknrolla back to back and then catch a few more hours of sleep. Eventually, the captain announces we are landing and we touch down in LAX at 7am PST.

I quickly head over to the SouthWest terminal and ask if there are any flights to Vegas leaving today; the lady informs me that they have exactly one seat remaining on the next flight which is leaving in about an hour. I snapcall this offer and head to Gate 11, where amusingly enough I find myself seated next to Brianna who is catching a connecting flight from the next gate. Eventually we get underway and after a short flight, the plane touches down in Vegas at about 11am. I get a taxi to the Meredian where luckily enough security lets me in despite the fact that I don’t have a key or gate code and knock on the door; fortunately John and Michael have the sleeping schedule of professional poker players and both are still home.

I check out my condo, it’s fairly awesome and eventually I decide that playing a tournament on about four hours of sleep over the past 48 hours is probably not a good idea, so I chill for a while at the apartment with Mike and John and crash out a few hours later.

I wake up at 5am and decide that it’s time to explore Las Vegas, baby!

My condo is a quick 5 minute walk from the strip so I grab my wallet and head into the heart of Las Vegas for some early morning gambling. I check out the Bellagio, Paris and Flamingo before heading over to the Venetian for some 1/2NL. I play for a few hours and make about $120, with the only interesting pot occurring when I get all in with AQ against a shortstack who has JJ and I spike an ace on the flop.

At midday, I register for the $560 Venetian Deepstack event and find myself seated at a table with a solid internet LAG, two maniacs and several tight/passive players. We start with 15k and I slowly leak down to 11k over the course of the first level by missing flops, having cbets raised and having my opens 3bet at 50/100. It’s not looking too good until the blinds go up to 75/150 and on the first hand I look down at Ah Kc from UTG+1. I haven’t noticed that the blinds have gone up and minraise to 300 by accident. Oh well, no big deal. One of the bad maniacs in MP raises to 750 and the other maniac on the button pops it to 2250. I stare him down for a moment and then slide my 11k into the middle; MP folds and button insta-calls. Fuck. Villain turns over Ad Qd. Wait, what?

Flop: Kx 9x 6x
Turn: 4x
River: 2x

I double up to about 23,000

I play and mostly lose a few more small pots over the next few levels and my next interesting hand occurs at 200/400/50

I find Ad Ks in early-mid position (we’re either 9 or 10 handed, I forget which) and I raise to 1200, a TAG villain directly behind me bumps it up to 3200, folds around, I look and see he has about 8k behind, I dump a stack of red 5000 chips in the middle, villain quickly calls and tables As Ac. Well that’s unfortunate.

The board bricks out without giving me any hope and I fall back to around 10k

I finally win a couple of pots 3betting the internet LAG who is opening way too many pots (although its fine at this mostly nitty table since both maniacs have busted) and my next key hand occurs at 300/600/50. I find Ad Ah on the button, folded to me, I raise to 1525, BB calls.

Flop: As 7s 3c

Villain moves all-in for about 8,000, I call. Villain tables 7d 8h and is basically drawing dead

Turn: 7c… don’t you dare…

River: 8d, giving villain a lower full house, which everyone finds hilarious. I climb back over 20k and the table breaks.

I stay mostly uninvolved at my new table and two orbits later the table breaks and I find myself at a table with three huge stacks to my left, including an young African-American guy who is raising to 4-5x every hand.

After a few laps of stealing the blinds once a lap to stay afloat at 500/1k/100 with a stack of 19,300, I find myself involved again.
Folded to AA maniac on cutoff, he raises to 3000, button calls, SB folds. I look down at As 5s and shove, AA maniac calls, button folds. AA guy proudly tables his Qc Jd like it’s the nuts.

Flop: Axx
Turn: x
River: x

I double to 40k. Winning flips is helpful.

At 600/1200/100, I find Ah Jd on the button and raise to 3600, middle ages Asian lady shoves for about 9000 total in BB, she’s very tight and I know she normally has me dominated but it’s obviously impossible to fold getting 2-1 here; I call and she tables aces which holds, knocking me back down to 30k. The blinds go up to 800/1600/200 with about 120 left in the field of 442, 45 paid. It’s a very top heavy structure with 67k for the win and 35k for second. I would imagine a lot of deals will be made at final tables this series.

I find Jd Jc in MP and raise to 4400, BB calls

Flop: Qd 6s 8d

Villain checks, I check behind

Turn: 2d

Villain bets 5000, I call

River: 4c

Villain throws out a purple 500 chip. I look at him strangely and he says ’5000′ then notices that he threw out a 500 chip and says ‘oops’, takes the chip back and throws out a 5000 chip. I ask the dealer to call the floor, the floor rules that villain’s 500 chip constitutes a 1600 minbet, i’m almost certain villain has a queen due to his insistence on betting 5000 but I can’t fold for 1600 with 20k in the pot so I call and villain tables QJo. Sigh.

I’m down to 9.5bb within a few hands and it folds to loose-passive station in the button who limps, I look down at J9o and I know I have no fold equity against button so I do something strange and complete, BB checks.

Flop: Tc 8h 2d

I open shove my OESD, both villains call. Turn is a brick and goes check/check. River is a six and button moves in, bb folds, button shows 97 for the straight. I tap the table and wish everyone luck then head off to dinner.

After dinner, I play some 1/3 at Caesar’s Palace. I run into Michelle, a friend from Crown and we catch up for a while. I drop $200 over the next few hours, mainly when I get all in 3-way for a 3 buy-in pot with a flush draw against both villains having top pair, sadly I fail to get there and then I flop a straight and checkraise to a quarter of villain’s stack, he calls with a gutshot to a higher straight and makes it then stacks me obviously. I execute a sick 4bet bluff all in with T8dd and get a villain to lay down AKo face up, that was fun. Sadly I end up down about $80 for the day from cash games and $560 from tournaments. I check out the sirens show at TI and wander into their poker room while the headhunter tournament that Ozone is always talking about is going on hoping to run into him, but Ozone isn’t there so I head to Bally’s for a while and eventually heads home. I then realise I don’t have a key and no one is home (it’s nearly 4am) but fortunately John turns up with his girlfriend a few minutes later so I don’t have to sleep on the concrete outside. Yeah, I should probably get a key. I also drank about 10 litres (about 3 gallons) of water yesterday. Las Vegas is really, really dry. I guess that happens when we’re in a desert.

Today i’m skipping the major events but I might play the 11pm mini-deepstack at Caesar’s Palace or something, not sure really. I’m playing my second deepstack event tomorrow.