10th and 11th

7-10-10

Today Steve and I hung out with Corinne and Kendyl on the Strip. We met them at Caesars’s and played blackjack at Bally’s for about an hour. I was down about $40 but then managed to book a $2 win, Corinne made a $100 and was “stoked”. We decided to try another place because everyone was either up or even. So we played blackjack at the next $5 table we saw, at shitty O’sheas. Corinne and Kendyl both lost there, but I managed to break even again. I’m noticing a trend, I like to play blackjack, but I always get stuck right off the bat, and then when I get back even, it feels like a “win”, and then I call it quits.

But after that, we all take the monorail back to the Hilton to see their hotel room. I was very impressed with it, the hotel and everything looked pretty old, but the rooms were very nice. We end up going to eat at Trevi in the Forum Shops at Caesar’s which was a decent Italian restaurant. After, Kendyl really wanted to see Kathy Griffin’s stand up at Caesar’s. She was pretty entertaining, but not Russell Peters-status.

After, Steve and I walked to Bally’s to try their poker room out. I wasn’t impressed, it was extremely loud the whole time we were there, and the players we’re all pretty nitty. But fortunately, I hit quad queens and won a “high hand” jackpot worth an additional $100, so that was nice.

In my other big hand, there were 2 limpers (one was an old guy in a “WSOP” hat), I have JJ and raise up to $15, both limpers call. And the flop is KJ6, no flush draw. I bet like $10 I think, pretty small bet, but there’s not that many scary turn cards. The old WSOP-fart just calls, and the turn is a 2. I bet $30 because I need to make some money. True to form, he min raises (WHICH IS NEVER A BLUFF, if I had aces, I would throw up all over the table, and fold), so I pause, and shove, he of course calls, and shows his pocket twos and I scoop the pot. There’s nothing I like more than stacking an old guy in a WSOP hat.

We played til 2:30 in order to catch the monorail, and I book a $220 win. For the 2nd time in 3 days, we had Chinese food and I lost credit card roulette, so Steve’s pad thai? was my treat. I didn’t really know this happened in the summer, but it started to rain around 3:30 when we were walking back to the Stratosphere. Weird.

So at Bally’s, to be completely honest, the cocktail waitresses were the worst that I have seen so far. This one cocktail waitress was extremely rude to our table every time she asked for drinks, and she was not attractive, so she didn’t have any reason to be rude. But there was this one cocktail waitress, who was probably pushing 60 years old. If I had to set an honest line, I would say 57.5 years old, it was just gross because of what she was wearing. Just ugh.


7-11-10
Went to the gym today, and then went to the sportsbook to watch the Soccer final between Spain the the Netherlands. Vamos Espana! Bodog gave me a free $10 bet before the World Cup started, and I bet it on Spain to win $37.50.

Steve had one of the best ideas I’ve heard in a long time. When we were playing blackjack at Bally’s, if you were a dealt a blackjack, they give you “party beads”. However, after we had our beads on, we played poker, and at the poker tables, we looked like noobs. We just look like random tourists who had fun at the blackjack tables, and then wanted to try out some poker. I think this idea is brilliant. And today, once I sat down at the Venetian, this guy makes a comment and says “look at those beads, must be having a good vacation?” I said “yeah, just having fun”. Maybe I’m over thinking this, but it is always better for people at the poker tables to think I’m just there having fun, instead of thinking that I’m there to make some monies (which is of course, is the truth)

But yeah, today was rough. I bet on the Dodgers, run line (-1.5), at +155, $30 to win $46.5. The dodgers killed the Cubs, so that was nice. But the fun stopped there. I bought in for $240 at the Venetian, and stayed even for about an hour, and then I limp on the button after a couple limpers with 96. The flop is K78, rainbow. Young guy bets 10, I call, another caller, and I call as well. Turn is a beautiful 10, giving me a straight. Young guy bets $15, I raise $40 MORE. Young guy calls. I have about $100 left and the pot is about $140. River is a King (not a very good card for me), he checks, I shove my last $100. He actually sighs, checks his cards, and calls, and tables K10 for a rivered full house. Normally, I would get mad at this guy for somewhat “slowrolling” me, but I think he honestly was scared to put the money in and honestly didn’t know he had the nuts. He was a pretty nice guy, so I just said “nice hand” and then I went to go eat dinner. I think there is an argument for betting a little less on the river, than folding to a raise (bet/fold). For example, I could have bet about $60 and just folded to a raise (and save that extra $40), but I think he’s just as likely to have 3 kings, than a full house. And with weaker players, if he has KQ (just 3 queens), and I bet $60, he might shove thinking he has the best hand, and then now what do I do? So, I like my shove there, I could be wrong though.

I came back after dinner, untilted, and ready to play. However, about an hour into the session, I raise under the gun to $10 with red kings, Canadian Asian player raises to $40, button calls, I shove all in, Asian player folds, the guy on the button (had about $120) calls me. He tabled AA, and I said fcuk me. He was actually a nice guy too, so I didn’t get upset or anything. So, yeah, lost $363 in both sessions. But to be honest, I’m happy about how I played. I don’t want to worry about things that are out of my control (the cards). Oh well, I get to see John Wall tomorrow, so I’m pretty excited about that.

Steve decided to play downstairs at the Strat and texted me saying it was the softest table that he has ever played. I told him I wasn’t really in the mood but he convinced me by saying we would split our action 50%. However, I suck at poker, and to make a long story short, I lost, but Steve won, so I ended up losing about $70ish in that late night session. Blah blah, it was a good spot though.