Back from vegas...
(warning: sickest beat ever with Aces full on Saturday to lose a $1100 pot in 200nl)

as expected, i played a lot of poker this weekend. i wanted to get in as much as i could during the Superbowl weekend. i added up all the hrs i played the 3 days i was there. it was over 45hrs total. this included a marathon session on Superbowl Sunday of 20hrs. the only break i took was when i headed over to Venetian to play their 8pm tourney Sunday night.

i got into vegas around 2:30pm Friday afternoon, checked in and met Don and Weak over at MGM's poker room. we played a few hrs when i got a text msg from Chad that the single table sng's to the $550 were running at Venetian. i finished that short cash session at MGM up about $70. i took my first bad beat of the weekend during session when sum donk called my all in on the turn with AQo. i had AK with K-J-x-x on the board. a 10 came on the river. luckily he had about half as many chips as i did at the time. he ended up donating his stack to another player with AJo. ran into KK. i had JJ on that hand and had to fold after he put us all in on a flop of Q-Q-Q. there was a raise and reraise preflop. so, i was pretty sure i was up against AA or KK.

Don drove us over to Venetian in his pimp minvan. we see Chad is already 3 handed in the first single table sng satellite they ran that night. he took out the 3rd player in a coin flip and won his seat to the $550 on his first try. we got our names on the list for the next sng. but, they didn't fill up. i played 200nl while i was waiting and lost over half my chips with Q-J on a Q-J-x flop. i bet the flop and some donk pushes with Q-T. turn T, river T.

all of us signed up for the 8pm tourney. i never really got much going. i ended up pushing in preflop after the 1st break with AQo and got called by ATsooted. he turns a T and i'm out. Don ended up final tabling it and cashed. wtg Don!

i sit at the 200nl game for a while, when they finally call us over for the $130 single table satellite to the $550. top two places get paid. you start with T1500 in chips, 25/50 blinds, 15 min levels. a few hands in i pick up Jh-Jd utg and limp. sum donk who i've seen go to war with Q-8 on a Q high flop earlier in the 8pm tourney, raises it up 3x. i smooth call and we're heads up. flop comes all rags with two hearts. he bets and i push. he calls and flips Ah-Kh. heart comes on the turn and i'm the first one out at the table. Weak ended up winning his seat in that one.

i wait around for another satellite to fill up and finally get called. i lose some chips early with J-T sooted on a low board with an OESD. but, have to fold to an all-in on the turn. later, i pick up 9-T in the blinds and push on a T high board. some guy contemplates for a long time and finally calls with 4-4. a 4 comes on the river and i'm out. so, i call it a night after dropping over $500 at Venetian on the tourney, sng's and cash games.

Saturday, i wake up fresh, ready for war and head to MGM's cash games around 9am. i couldn't win my seat into the Venetian $550 tourney so i skipped it. there are a couple of donks at my table along with some locals. the play is not as bad as usual. not many hands to note for the first 4hrs. i run my stack up to over $300 at the 200nl game and tread water for a long time. finally, the donks start showing up in force around 5pm. i try to find a good spot to double. after alot of patience, i finally find my spot. some clown was playing super aggressive on the button every orbit. i pick up QQ in the BB. he makes his standard $20 raise from the button and i smooth call. flop comes 8-7-x. i check raise him all in saying "all you can eat baby". normally, i won't raise all in with just a pair after the flop. but, i know this guy either has a pocket pair or some draw. i'm very sure i'm ahead and willing to gamble here. he takes forever to think about the call asking me if i have a big pocket pair, etc trying to get a read. i tell the dealer to call the floor over to put a clock on him. floor comes over and tells him he's got 1 min to make a decision. he keeps talking. i tell him, "look, you're not gonna call. obv, you have nothing." he asks if i have AK. i said "ya, that's what i have". then, i tell him "just fold, you know you can't call". just then he calls. i flip my QQ and he just looks at the board hoping to hit. he misses and i win a $600 pot with my sweet little ladies. he runs off to another table.

i don't get in many big pots and just sit around $600 for a few hrs. then, i get into the biggest pot of the night.

i pick up As-Ac in the cutoff, raise it up to $20 preflop after everyone folds to me. i'm hoping to get at least one caller obv. both blinds call. one of them is a shorty with about $100 behind. the other one has $500.

flop comes: 4d-4h-2d

they both check, i bet out $50. shorty moves the rest of his chips in ($80). BB smooth calls, i call. i'm a little worried the BB might have A-4. but, it feels more like he's on a draw. i'm not worried much about shorty cuz he can't hurt me.

turn brings another deuce (2c)

BB checks. i bet out $100 to see where i'm at. if he comes over the top, i'm instafolding. if he just calls, i'm pretty sure he's on a draw. BB calls. i feel like i'm getting trapped with A-4 tho. i'm ready to fold this hand.

river brings Ad

i river a boat that completes a straight and a flush draw. BB checks, i bet out $200 and he instapushes. i think about it for a while. i put him on A-4 or a draw. leaning more to a flush draw. it wouldn't be smart for him to call all the way down with a straight draw on a flush draw board. but, this is MGM. i've seen much worse. i really don't see how i can fold this. i call.

he flips 3d-5d for the straight flush and doubles on me. the perfect card came on the river for him to hurt me. he says "sorry man" and scoops an $1100 pot. i pick up what's left of my chips and head back to the room feeling like i've been kicked in the stomach. i don't see how someone calls a $20 preflop raise out of position with 3-5 sooted. there was no way i could put him on that hand. that was the sickest bad beat i've ever experienced in live or online play.

i spent 14.5 hrs Saturday playing kick ass poker and came away down $100.

Sunday i woke up still feeling the pain of that beat. but, i was determined to turn it around. i was stuck $600 on this trip so far.

i played a marathon 20hr session Sunday/Mon from 9am Sunday thru 6am Monday morning. this included mostly cash games at MGM. the only break i took was when i shot over to Venetian for their 8pm tourney Sunday night and came back to MGM after i busted with Ah-Th vs Ac-Kc pushing my short stack on a flush draw after the flop. i even caught an OESD on the turn. but, i bricked the river. there was some rediculous play early in the tourney. but, i was never able to take advantage of it.

i was down $300 in the cash games Sunday. before i left for the 8pm tourney. i get back around 10:30pm. buy-in at the 200nl game, pick up A-8sooted in EP and limp. four players limp behind and the flop comes A-4-8 rainbow. i bet out $20. one guy calls. a 9 hits the turn. i bet out $50 and he pushes. i've got over $70 in the pot and feel somewhat committed. i put him on a bigger Ace like A-T or A-J and call. he flips A-9, takes it down and i reload.

the table is extremely loose. i double with 7-8sooted later on a Kh-Qh-7-7 board against the chip leader. he tilts and leaves after calling my all-in on the turn. he had Kd-9d. obv, i didn't want to see him leave. i spent the next 3-4 hrs playing cautiously trying to double one more time. then, i go on a heater around 4:30am. i catch 3 full houses in the span of about 30 mins and run my stack up to over $700. i'm the chip leader until they move a big stack from another table at around 5:30am Mon morning. i'm feel uneasy about having this guy at the table and i'm getting really tired. i decide to call it a night (morning) at 6am and head off to bed.

i wake up around 9am and decide to head home to beat the traffic. i was hoping to come home a big winner. but, it just wasn't meant to happen this weekend.

it's good to be home.