Vegas Trip Report

As I said in the previous post,  I won (chopped really) Venetian Event 12 for $16.5k.  First was $24k, 2nd was a bit less than $15k and 5th was only $5.9k when we made the deal.  I was fine playing it out as I felt I was the best player remaining, though there were 2 other decent players too.  And, of course, I had over 40% of the chips in play.  But logic told me to take the deal as my ICM was ~$15.7k.  They initially offered me $16k but I said I needed $16.5k and they quickly agreed.  Think I got a good deal.

Basically I came back to Day 2 with like 8th most chips out of 33.  I had a really good table draw as I had a really passive woman on my direct left and the spew box chip leader 2 to my left.  So while he had a lot of chips, he was truly terrible and no threat to put me in any tough spots.  I quickly ran my 150k stack up busting 2 short stacks and winning a big pot vs. the chip leader described above and had in excess of 300k. I was 3b a ton and floating, putting a lot of pressure, etc. and picking up a ton of chips without showdown. In fact, during the time it took to go from 33 to the 24 pay level I doubled my stack and was chip leader once we were in the money.  Here is a fun one where I actually cold 4b jammed and picked up 65k or so in chips:

Folds to HJ who opens to 12k at 2,500/5k/500a, CO calls, BTN then 3b to 32k with like 70k behind.  I am in the SB with ~400k+ and I wake up with AQ.  We are like 2 away from the cash so I figure their calling ranges are super tight.  BTN is a competent, observant player so I think he can squeeze with a lot more than just premium hands.  So I rip it in.  HJ and C/O fold rather quickly and BTN tanks a bit and folds 99 face up.  Just standard big stack poker but felt easy and just picked spots really well.

Finally we got the final table and I had just under $1M at 6/12,000/2ka level.  Pretty deep stacks really. Average was probably around 450k but me and another dude represented ~2/3 of the chips in play. Obviously this means the remaining 8 players only had about 1.2M between them.  Several shortstacks busted and we got 5 handed right before dinner break.  At this point the stacks had flattened out a bit though I had increased my stack to ~1.25M.  The next biggest stacks were ~700k and the 2 shortstacks had about 400k or so each.  I ran the numbers at dinner and although I wasn't really going to ask for a deal I was prepared to listen.  Had pretty much decided if I could get more than my ICM (which was considerably more than 2nd) I would likely take it.  Deal was offered to me at $16k, I responded I needed $16.5k and they snap accepted (probably could have squeezed a few more $$ out of it).  So with the biggest stack I was officially the winner of the event and obv got the most cash.  FWIW, the 2 shortstacks really took a terrible deal IMO.  The breakout was :

16.5k, 14.75k, 14.75k, 9k, 9k

Essentially they took between 3rd and 4th place money to lock it up with no ability to ladder up at all.  They were pretty fishy and clearly had no concept of ICM which I had calculated for them as being ~11k.  The two middle stacks clearly got the best of it IMO.

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Anyway, I busted the Millionaire Maker in rather undramatic fashion.  I got short and ended up having to shove 10bb at the 75/150 level...here was a quick recap I did for a few people that had bought small pieces of me:

Quote:

Lost hand 30 min in T9 flop A99 ch to me in LP I bet 250 into 300. 1 call. Turn 5 I bet 600 into 800 he call. River J he weak leads 400. I tank a bit and call...K2 Then 10mins later I turned straight, rivered a flush on paired board and paid off small to rivered boat of 9T4K9ddd. I had QJdd. So basically was down to like 2k chips in first level. Grinder to middle level 4 (75/150). Shoved 10BB BTN with KQo...BB said he had his favorite hand and I knew it was over JT>KQ

Hand 1 the river is a fold.  Just didn't do it.  Hand 2 not sure I can ever fold in that hand.  Hand 3 I obviously want that call with 10BB left.
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Didn't play anymore MTTs and played mostly the 1/2/5 PLO game at the Venetian.  Game was very good with a $1k buy-in and probably 50% of the hands having a $10 BTN straddle it played more like a 5/10 PLO game (or at least a 5/5 game).  Didn't play a ton of memorable pots as I won a ton without showdown. Did win this hand which illustrated the value of position:

Quote:

Flop was K56r and ABC nit led into 4 people. His range is KKxx here most of time IMO. I had 3467. I considered raising but we were 500+ BB deep and I think on certain runouts I can win unimproved. Turn was J and he pots again I now know he has KKxx for sure. Pot was like $600-ish with 900 effective behind. River was 9 he check...I bet $425 and he puke folds. Right player, right spot, in position, etc.

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So it was a profitable trip for sure.

Cash games +$3.5k
MTTs ~+$12.8k
Expenses ~-$2.5k

Will be playing a bit of cash at MD Live over the next week as my wife and kids are out of town.  Probably going to use this newfound cash to try and stick at 5/10.  I have beat 2/5 rather handily over a pretty sizable sample (in excess of 750 hrs).  I will play lower, however, if 5/10 isn't good or I just want to relax and not grind it as hard.  We'll see how it progresses.

WSOP 2014

Heading to Vegas tomorrow for summer camp.  Be nice to sun run for once.

Here are the MTT's I am looking at:

Quote:

Event 3 $1k PLO Event 4 $1k NLH Event 8A $1500 Millionaire Maker Event 9 $1k NLHE Venetian 18A $1,100 NLHE Venetian Event 22 $600 PLO

As usual, I doubt I will play all of these events if I luckbox a day 2, feel burned out or simply don't feel up to a multi-day MTT. But I am pretty committed to the first 3 on the list. Also a little unsure of my return date so that may affect some of the events on the back end.

If anyone wants to follow the hijinks on twitter, my twitter is @bwoodspoker.  I will update here time permitting with anything interesting or note worthy.

Playing again

Session 1--April 23, 2014-MD Live

20 mins 2/5 NLHE +$494
5:20 mins 2/2 PLO +$440

Welp I'm back. Tax season was a typical PITA but it's over now. I may not post as much going forward but wanted to post something since it has been so long. We shall see. Once or twice a month may be doable. 

Things have been really good IRL. Lost about 15 lbs since beginning of the year. Goal was to lose 25 before I left for WSOP so with a little over a month that may be a stretch but progress is progress and I am sticking with it. 

Other stuff good too. Going to play a bit of competitive golf this summer with the state Amateur at my home club. But the weather post April 15th has been horrendous so haven't played more than 9 holes since then. Playing this weekend.

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Anyway on the pokering. I played last week and had a $1k session without any particularly interesting spots. Then I played last night. Got there about 6:45 and was immediately seated for 2/5 while I waited for PLO to open. Only played a few hands and then this happens and there is some post hand lullllz.

Stacking Semi-Reg (Hand 1)

I open 56 to $20 from MP, 2 call, SB calls, BB calls. I have been pretty active in the 2 or so orbits I have been there probably open raising 4-5 times.

(Pot $100) Flop T55 Blinds check, I bet $70, BTN calls, BB then tank c/r to $210 with $260-ish behind. BB is young fat Asian kid I have played with before. He is mildly tilting with sunglasses and he tanks on every decision. My read is that he is a break-even semi-reg and is probably nittier than one would think given his look/physical image. I can flat here and just let him pile the turn and maybe keep BTN in with his T or  draw but I ultimately decide to stick it in. BTN flashes his cards to the guy next to him and folds. 

BB then tanks for like a good 3 minutes. And this is where I think I say he is a baddish reg. I don't know how you c/r flop putting in over 40% of your stack and then have no clue what to do when I pile. The reverse of this is still a leak of mine I think. I figure there is just no possible way this cat is folding so let's just get it in and then suddenly they go in the tank and I'm like wtf is this fish really gonna fold? 

Ultimately I guess he realized (I guess) that there was over $900 in the pot and cost him $260 to call. So unless he had a total airball I assume he can get there. If I ever have AK/AQ in my range it should be a trivial call off. Anyway he calls 

Turn 5 

River X

So no big deal but I get called for 2/2 PLO at that moment. I check out the table and decide to go. Villain says something under his breath and I say "sorry I came to play PLO tonight. I am not hitting and running you." He starts in about how lucky I got and he had JJ, and must be nice to run so good, raising that crap, etc. I bite my tongue though the irony should not be lost.

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Loose call pre leads to dumb spot post-flop (Hand 2)

I moved to PLO and was pretty active. Raising a lot, playing and position but really just making some good hands. Was up a few hundred when this happens.

Few limps, guy in HJ raises to $10, I make a pretty meh call (being kind) with A3T8. Mostly called because there were two fish that were relatively deep and I was in position. Anyway BTN calls, few other callers and we are 6 to the flop. 

(Pot $60) Flop 863 Checks to me and I bet $50, BTN calls with ~$80 behind, SB is super gambly Asian on his 3rd or 4th buy and he c/r pot to $260 with $25 or so behind. Back to me and I start thinking. SB is clearly on a draw, no question. Problem is if he has a pair with a draw he is probably ahead of me. The BTN is obviously calling and he too is 100% on a draw. Ideally they are sharing some outs. So if I assume the pot will end up being $525 costing me $235 to call off (I assume everyone is all in). So I need somewhere around 27-28% to be profitable here. It's always harder to range in PLO but I figured he SB had some bare draws in his range so I could probably get to 30% equity. Of course, I am only doing this post hand as I can't calculate these EV's at the table. But in game, I did figure I had more than 27-28% so I called off.

These are pretty strong ranges and I still have over 30%. I don't know. Any thoughts on this?

ProPokerTools Omaha Hi Simulation

600,000 trials (Randomized)

board: 863

Hand	Pot equity	Wins	Ties
AsTd8d3s	31.44%	183,712	9,914
cc8, cc57, cc67, cc	36.75%	215,868	9,236
cc8, 57cc, 579, 457	31.81%	183,553	14,669

Anyway I held and they didn't show. I'm guessing their drawing ranges were actually a little weaker even then what I ranged.

So ended up with a pretty good night. Will be playing a decent amount over the next month and then headed to WSOP on 5/27 for about a week.  I actually considered not going at all this year. With all the games at MD Live, travelling to play 2/5, 5/10 and <$1,500 buy in MTTs didn't make a ton of sense.  But the Millionairre Maker is on when I am there and that seems like it should have huge equity so WTF.  There is also a $1k PLO for the first time that week that I will play.  Plus it is a vacation of sorts where I can just focus on the pokering.