Vegas, July 27 (Day 2)

I'm up at 10 am ready for a full day of gambling. Getting a good night's sleep was definitely the right idea.

Paris
I'm in the mood for a tournament, but never played a live one before, so I thought I'd start out small. I walked over to Paris, as they have a tournament going every two hours, and bought into a $40 MTT with 40 players. Roughly a $1,200 prize pool, so nothing big, but just enough to get started and comfortable. The structure was pretty fast, 2000 chips to start, blinds start at 25/50 and double every 20 min. I'm in the 2 seat which I hate, but whatever, I dealt with it.

I hit a huge rush early. I get AA in the CO about 5 hands in, I raise to 150, relative nit calls in the BB. Flop was AKx rainbow, we check through. Turn comes a 6 of clubs, he checks to me, I bet 200, he folds. Eh he wasn't paying me off anyway.

Very next hand I get AKo, I raise to 250 after two weak limpers in early and middle position, and one EP limper calls (blinds folded). Flop comes Q72 with two clubs, he checks to me, I cbet 300 into a 650 pot, he folds.

Very next hand I pick up TT, people are getting sick of me raising as they're all moms and people who don't know how to play very well. Too bad. Three limpers ahead of me, I make it 300 to go, and a woman in the SB calls. Flop comes 863 with two clubs, I bet the pot, she calls. Pot is about 1k now. Turn comes 8c, every hand pretty much got there, so I check behind her check. River comes 9h, we check, she shows AJo. Haha I love it.

I take the next few hands off, and after the blinds pass, I get 55 in mid/late position after 3 or 4 limpers (this is standard). I call for set value, and the flop accomodates with KQ5, but two hearts. I bet 300 into a 350 pot, she calls. I put her on a draw or some kind of K. Turn comes a 6c, I bet 700 into about a 1k pot, she tanks for a bit and folds. I probably should've bet 600. Anyways my original 2k is up to 4.5k and I'm feelin good, as I'm pretty deep stacked.

Blinds now 50/100.

I get 66 in the CO, UTG goes all in for 600. He hadn't played too many hands but was pretty weak/tight. It's a small percentage of my stack and I think he's on some kind of unpaired overs, so I flat call, but so does the SB (one who I ran my set of As into early). Flop comes QJx and I decide if he bets I'm done with it. We go check/check. Turn is a blank, he bets 1k, and I instafold. He tables QQ and the all in guy shows AK, but no T on river to save him. I'm down to 3.9k, no biggie.

Then comes a crazy, terrible but great at the same time hand. A young kid who seems to know a decent amount limps UTG, three limpers follow behind him, and I complete in the SB w/ Q9 of clubs. Flop comes J62 with two clubs, so it's a good flop for me. It gets checked around. Turn comes Tc and yahtzee I hit my set. I check, UTG bets 600 (about size of pot), all limpers fold, I raise to 1500. He buries his head and calls after about two minutes. I'm not too worried because I think he has a set, but also could be limping with AT of clubs or something like that. River comes 2h and pairs the board. I check, he puts his last 1.1k in. I go in the tank for about 3 minutes and finally fold my Q high flush face up. He thinks I said "I call" so he shows me his A5 of clubs, and I'm happy I made the right play. It was tough to lay down, especially with that soft field, but I had a feeling he had it (or a boat, either way I was screwed). The table is AMAZED with my "expert" play and I know I can take down this field. I'm down to 1.8k at this point.

I steal some blinds and stay afloat til the blinds raise.

Blinds now 100/200.

I get AK of spades in mid/late position. It's folded to me. I have an M of 6, it's a weak field, so I push. The blinds go up so fast I need some chips. The BB calls (has about 800 chips) with AQ of hearts. I have to sweat it when two hearts come up on the flop, but I dodge em and I'm up to
2.4k or so.

I fold the next few hands, knowing I need to pick my spots wisely. I get J9 of clubs in the CO and pop it to 600. SB who I played my AA against calls, and BB folds. Flop comes JTx with two spades. There's about 1300 in the pot and I have 1800 left. I push (might be a mistake) and he instacalls with AK of spades. He's got 18 outs and is ahead in the hand. I dodge it on the turn but the Ac on the river finishes me off.

I think I played pretty well, and I found live tournament poker to be so much more fun than online. I focus so well in live games, so that definitely helps. I hope I can apply what I learned to my online games when I get back and maybe actually win a few.

Session Total: -$40
Trip Total: +$153

Excalibur
I go back to the hotel and drop some cash on the 1/3 NL. I don't really know why I don't get up right away. It's a bunch of kids my age, but they take it way too seriously. Some are laggish, but nobody's really giving away chips that easily. There's a huge toolbox sitting in the two seat with sunglasses calling people's hands like he's a pro, and I hate him for that reason only.

I raise QQ about five hands in after two limpers, and get no call. Whee for blinds. Then I raise T9o in the hijack, and the SB calls. He seems pretty tricky. Flop comes QJ7 with two spades, and I stupidly bet $15 into a $20 pot after he checks. He raises me to $50 and I muck. He shows me K8o. Ooooh good hand you dick, go play in the big game now son! I'm not that pissed, but I definitely misplayed that...should've preserved my draw. Other than that, I lose a few small pots, blinds eat me, etc. and I cash out at $109 about an hour later.

Session Total: -$91
Trip Total: +$62

Excalibur, round 2
I take a break and go up to my room, talk to people, then go back to the tables. I like this table a lot, pretty soft competition and chatty and fun. Unfortunately my cards didn't cooperate. I got nothing playable and had to lay down a lot of hands.

Not too many hands to talk about, but here's one. Asian girl who plays too many hands limps UTG, two other limpers, cool guy from CA raises to 12, I call in MP w/ AK, and the girl calls. Flop comes As 8c 7c and I'm flipping out cause this is literally the first flop I hit all night. The girl LEADS for 25 into about 40, guy raises to 75. Shit are you serious? I think about it, but I trust my instincts (for once) and fold, cause there's no way I'm ahead there. Girl calls, and the turn and river bring fireworks. Guy has 87 and the girl mucks? Must've been on AK or AJ (Q fell on river) but what a weird hand. At least I was right.

Now I'm down to about $45 when I get T8 in the SB, four limpers, I complete, and BB checks. Flop comes 79x with two clubs, and pretty poor player bets 10 into 20 pot, I call, and all others fold. Turn comes a 6 and I make my straight, and we check through. River comes Ah, and I push all in thinking he'll call any size bet if he has an A, so might as well make it as big as I can. He calls with A4 and I scoop the $100 pot. Then I donk off more chips with mistimed bluffs and cash out at $65. I suck.

Session Total: -$135
Trip Total: -$73

Excalibur ROULETTE
Yes, roulette. Merfert told me, "If poker starts sucking, go play roulette." I decide what the hell, I need a break anyways, and take $50 to the table. Four hours later at 3 am I cash out at $265 :) Now all I need to do is transfer the luckbox to the poker table.

Session Total: +$215
Trip Total: +142

I pass out, and am excited to visit the Rio in the morning for Day 1A of the World Series of Poker Main Event. I'm bummed that I didn't qualify though.