San Jose Redeaux...

8/2/08

San Jose Redeux

I guess Vegas could be considered the center of the world sometimes. I met up with some other folks from back home last night. I picked them up (it was my old real estate agent M. and her sister P., again no permission to use their names) from their hotel the Hilton, behind the Riviera. They are here for a business seminar from Thursday to Saturday. Every week, it seems like I see someone from back home. Again, that’s besides the Bay Peeps that have been situated in Vegas, before me.

I decided to take them to V-Bar at the Venetian. It was already about midnight when I picked them up, and it would be too late to try to get into Tao or any club for that matter on a Friday night (in Vegas). Well, unless you paid for table service, but we didn’t feel like paying the premium bucks for a secured spot at one of the hotspots. Anyway, I like V-Bar, as they don’t charge cover – it seems like there are more locals there and you always get the Tao line rejects heading over there, after their unsuccessful line jumping escapades.

We got over there and found that the bar was pretty jumping already. They have a DJ playing old school hip hop. It must have been a pinoy one from the Bay, as the playlist reminded me of a party at Booty Hop or Raffles from back in the day, circa 1992. It’s kinda’ funny observing the out of towners to Vegas party and get drunk. Those commercials on tv stating what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas seem to get the tourists (hehe, like I’m OG in this town already…) to work out their inhibitions. Our group was chillin’ at the rear of the bar area, where there was an unused VIP seating area. We started to drink and groove over there. In front of us were a group of women, probably my age (mid thirties), who were just having a good time. They were bit on the plus size, and I’m not saying that this was bad. Beauty comes in all versions, sizes, backgrounds and what not. It was just funny to me that they kept on grabbing up guys at the bar who were skinny as hell. Freaking and grinding ensued, everybody was having fun. It was an image to me that did not match, I’m bad, sorry…It’s Vegas, so who cares. Like Tarantino says on his dvd extra interview regarding Sam Jackson’s character Ordell, in the movie Jackie Brown – "You gots to match (your clothes)", before heading out the crib. Sorry again, thinking about it, I don’t think that correlates.

We all left the bar at about 4 am. Wow, this place actually closes. Anyway, we headed out to get some late night sushi, with one of their friends from the seminar. That’s good and bad about this town. You can find almost anything you want to eat, anytime of the day. This truly is a 24 hour a day city. What’s not to love? 24 HR workout is just down the road, lol.

I forgot to mention that I made another final table last Thursday, at the Caesar’s 12 pm NLHE tournament. The buy in was $135.00 total, including your add on ($5,000.00 + $2,500.00 add on, in chips). I like this format, as you start off with $7,500.00 and the blinds change every 30 minutes. The player count is usually capped at 50, but they take alternates for the first 2 levels of blinds. I was actually the number 2 alternate and started play about 20 minutes into level one.

By the last 12 players, I was one of the chip leaders. Played my game, the chips and cards complied with me once again. But alas, that was not to last. The downslide started was when I held pocket Queens. At this point, blinds were $600/1200 with a $100 ante. Playing six handed at my table, the pot held $2,400.00 in chips. It was folded to me in the cutoff, where I made a standard raise of $3,600.00 (I had a total of $57,000.00 in chips at the time, and I covered everyone at my table). The button player folded and the small blind player when all in for a total of $17,600.00 in chips). The big blind player quickly folded. Now the pot held $23,600.00 in chips. I would have to call $14,000.00 to continue in the hand. It’s pretty much a no brainer, I thought I had the best hand and hoped the small blind player went all in with a smaller pair or ace rag. I didn’t really want to see Ace/King, but I still would have the best hand preflop. I called of course and was up against Ace/King OS. The dealer pealed out the King of Hearts on the door. The flop, turn and river did not help me. I doubled up the other player. But hey, I did not all risk all my chips on the hand. I wouldn’t have played it any differently. Sometimes the best hand gets outflopped. I’ll take those races all day.

I managed to get to the final table of ten players, in mid chip stack position. Originally the final 7 players were going to be the money table. We all decided to donate $45.00 bucks each to give the 8th, 9th and 10th players $135.00 when they busted out (you would actually win back $90.00 bucks back in those places). At least that gave you some insurance to get most of your money back. It sucks to bubble out of the money, which I definitely know. It should have been taken out of the prize pool, but the floor manager did not want to get involved in determining the chop, nor did any of the players want to work those numbers out.

Well, to make a long story short, I lost two races to bust out in 10th place. The first race involved me raising with Ace/Ten Spades under the gun , a mid position player went all in with King/Queen OS, and I called his all in. I hit a Ten on the flop, but he hit his King (with a Two of Spades). The turn came a Seven of Spades. Cool, I now have a spade flush draw, which gave me 9 Spades, 2 Tens and 3 Aces for outs to the win (a total of 14 outs, I believe I have still a 30% chance to outdraw the other player, with the river card to go). The dealer dealt out a Two of Clubs on the river. Sucks, hehe. My other race involved me going all in with Ace/Two OS in the small blind against the big blind player’s Jack/Ten OS. He hit a Ten on the River (that’s hurts even more, when it’s the last card – but again, I’ve been on the other side as well – it’s what it makes it exciting). I still had 2 bets left at that point, and went all in two hands later with Queen/Seven OS (a shitty hand, the "Computer Hand"). I was up against another all in player who held pocket Kings and the chip leader who held Ace/Six OS. I had a gut shot straight draw on the turn with my Seven, but the river hit an unneeded Five – I am busted out.
I’m not happy with busting out of the tournament, but I’m happy with my play in it. You need to have your cards hold up when the chips are on the line. Otherwise you don’t get to play anymore, hehe…