Another Day, Another Dollar...

3/15/09

Another Day, Another Dollar...

This past weekend, some of the homies from the Bay and LA
came into town. Friday was pretty much a blur. If you know
me, I usually wake up automatically by 800 am or so, without
the use of an alarm. I actually slept in until about 1 pm on
Saturday. I would have slept in longer, but woke up due to
the smell of bacon, spam and eggs in the air.

Funny, just had spam and eggs at California Casino at about
600 am that morning. But yo, spam is good anytime of the day.

I did wake up at around 1030 am that morning to take a peepee,
but went right back to sleep, as soon as the tank was on empty.

Now I remember why I do not like taking tequila shots. It's
that damn headache you get the next day. I only had one
shot and maybe 3 other drinks spread out thru 5 or six hours.
That lone tequila shot, put the hammer to the head though.

I decided not to party with them on Saturday night, due
to the fact that I was feeling cheap (I didn't want to pay
for bottle service - I'm pretty much desensitized to the Vegas
club atmosphere in my old age), plus I wanted to have a clearer
head the next day, if I was planning to play in a poker tourny
on Sunday, which I planned to do (as I probably won't play for
the next couple of weeks, because of next weekend's trip
back home and work this week).

Anyway, I planned to play the 12 noon tourny at Caesar's.
Those plans got squashed, when I couldn't get a hold of a
couple of the poker homies that morning. They were probably
still sleeping in after partying the night before. I also
wanted to check out a couple of the last episodes of season
5 of the Soprano's. The past month and a half or so, I've been
rewatching each season. God, I miss that show and Entourage.
Maybe, I need to get into watching Big Love, a Mormon style
Soprano's on HBO, as well.

I decided to make the 3 pm tourny at Caesar's. It has a
buyin of $70.00, with a starting chips stack of $2,500.00.
I really don't like starting with a shortstack off the bat.
The noon tourny starts you off with $7,500.00 in chips, but
the 3 pm tourny would satisfy my poker tourny jones for the
day. Plus the blind levels went up every 30 minutes, so at
least you had more time to try to chip up each level.

Into the second level of blinds, I about doubled up my
starting stack to $5,000.00. I then proceeded to give
chips away until the end of the second level, where I went
back to my starting stack of $2,500.00. At least I was above
10 big bets and had some fold equity at the start of the
3rd level of blinds.

Again, I really had no premium hands throughout the
tourny. I had pocket Kings once where I went all in with about
7 big bets, with no callers. Better to win the dead money,
then get coolered by Ace Rag on the river.

The tourny started with about 55 people and would pay the
top 6 finishers. Luckily, we got down to 7 handed and we
all decided to give 7th place $60.00 for a bubble finish.

I was reading the other players pretty well and won a few
coinflips.

My all in over the top of another all in player with Ace/Ten
of Spades. I had the the other player outchipped 2 to 1,
but was looking to win the blinds/antes as well. I felt
the other player was just making a move with any hand,
and I was willing to race him with my ace suited hand.
Good thing the other player had King/Ten OS, I was
in the lead (which I thought anyway). We both flopped
a Ten on the turn, but no river King for him.

My all in with pocket Sixes, faded Ace/Nine OS (thanks for
the call you donk!, hehe - I can't believe I got called
by that hand. He practically called off all his chips
with that hand, after just putting in one bet initially.
Well, that's a call I wanted. The longer he took to call,
the better I felt, that I was ahead in the hand. Cool,
another double up.

My all in with Ace/Eight of Spades against pocket Jacks,
brought me an Ace on the flop, plus I runner runnered
the nut flush. Lovin' it. Double up time again.

My all in with Ace/Six of Spades (while in the money),
got called by Ace/Ten OS. I rivered a straight. I
couldn't believe that I was called by that hand either.
There are such a range of hands that beat Ace/Ten OS.
I can't blame the guy, he did make the right call, if
he put me on Ace/Rag or a baby pair. I think even, if
I put another person on Ace/Rag or a baby pair, I would
fold Ace/Ten OS, if I had no money in the pot. But hey,
that call from the other player doubled me up.

I had to make a couple of key laydowns, where I felt I
was behind in the hand (even with top pair). The other players
showed their hands after I folded, and was indeed behind in the
hand. It's better to save chips, then dump them off needlessly.

Kinda' surprised myself gettin' that far without really
any premium hands. Well, I had pocket Jacks a couple of
other times - but I got no callers with my raises at those
times. I could have raised with air and still get the dead
money.

Oh yeah, my bust out hand was King/Eight OS. I had only
about 6 big bets at the time and was under the gun.
The dead money in the pot was about a 30% of my stack at
the time. I might as well try to steal it. I went all
in and was called by the chip leader (who actually deliberated
folding his hand). He called my with Ace/Ten OS (saw
alot of Ace/Ten combos throughout the tourny, weird).
Anyway, the flop came out Nine/Seven/Six rainbow. About
the best flop I could get. I was on a open end straight
draw with a King. I had ten outs twice (3 Tens, 4 Fives
and 3 Kings - on the turn and river - I'll take
that). The turn came a Jack - still have the same outs.
The river hit an Eight. The other player thought he lost,
by me making a pair of Eights. The dealer and I pointed
out that he made a straight. The luck tank ran out.
I can't say it's all luck - I was the one usually initiating
the action with my raises and all ins.

God, so close...When can I get a first place again?
Again, better to cash, than, bust out right before the money.
So close...

Maybe, I'm leadin up to the winner's circle again.

Feels cool...even though the amount I won is what Mr. Wynn
wipes his nose with each day.