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Browse by Tag - No Limit Holdem

• GG Running Bad At The Golden Nugget

  July 08, 2009

  Well I busted the tourney and headed straight to the Rio while listening to 30 Seconds To Mars looped (really emo, self-hating, wanna slit your wrist stuff) with the volume booming so loudly my BOSE headphones were close to bursting!

  Once back at the Rio I moped round telling anyone I could my bad beat story, and after coping the frankly I don’t give a damn expression from GG he asked me if I wanted to head Downtown to be wing-man for Dave King. I choose to join the fight to get DK hooked up, and Donnie also joined us.

  We arrived at the Golden Nugget and walked through the carpark, pass the pool and then to the middle of the casino floor to hit a crossroad of what to do. Donnie wanted to play BlackJack, GG wanted to play Craps and I (obviously) wanted to play Baccarat. Since Donnie didn’t want to play craps, and either didn’t know how to play baccarat we all sat down at our own blackjack table.

  I have no idea why I even sat down at the table because it is definitely –EV for me as I have no clue on any strategy. Donnie and GG just told me what to do and I followed; eventually returning to even after an early down swing. I quit, Donnie continued to grind and GG got stacked.

  Over to Craps we went.

  Me and GG started our roll pretty well with us both banking some profit before meeting up with some friends as DK had messaged that he would have to ditch us because the girl wanted to ‘stay in’.

  We met up with Melissa (our camera girl) and her boyfriend Eddy at the roulette tables and I grinded a small profit before we threw $2 each on the number ten as Donnie quickly slammed down $75 on black.

  ”Number 10 for the PokerNews crew!”

  Bang! The ball bobbled into the ten and we all banked a nice win while we headed back to the Baccarat room so that I could grind the $10 shoe as GG went back to BlackJack. He won what he was losing all back . . . and then lost it all again while I pushed my profits up to the $200 mark. Donnie and GG decided it was time for some old fashioned poker and they sat down at an uncapped $1-2 No Limit Holdem table.

  

   

  Donnie and GG in action

  I railed them for a while before returning to Craps to take my profit up to $350 for the night as we rolled past 4am. Back to poker I returned to see GG playing like a complete nutter as Donnie grinded a steady profit. After GG pushed all in dark for around the 100 bb mark and won some and lost some he cashed out to head to craps. I sat with Donnie for a little bit more before heading to join GG.

  We stood near the craps table for nearly three minutes waiting before GG walked over to us.

  ”I’m done”
  “Ok, craps it is then”
  “No . . . I mean I’m done!”

  With GG dropping the last of what he had in just eight hands of Blackjack we made our way home just as the sun was starting to rise. I booked a $350 win, Donnie was even to up and GG . . . well GG advised me not to repeat how much he had dropped . . . so let’s just say it was between $5 and $5000 . . . I’ll let you be the judge!

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  Read more: Baccarat, BlackJack, Craps, David King, Donnie Peters, Eddy Sabat, Garry Gates, Golden Nugget, Melissa Castello, No Limit Holdem, Roulette

• Venetian Deep Stack Extravaganza III – $330 NLH

  July 08, 2009

  Another day off . . . and another tournament to be played!

  I decided last night while playing Chinese poker with the guys that I would play the $330 Venetian Deep Stack instead of the HORSE at Binions or a cheaper deep stack at the Golden Nugget.

  

   

  Playing Chinese Poker with the boys - my balla $1 roll, setting our hands, showdown

  I took my seat and noticed that my table was a mix of old men and young kids around my age with more then half wearing dark shades and / or listening to an iPod. Leaked some chips early before taking down a multi-way pot with after opening to 250 and getting four callers, and then continuing with a bet of 550 on an Ace-high flop. I flashed my Ace to try and build a tight image and finished the level with over 13,000.

  During the next orbit I kick my stack up a little before encountering this hand. It folded round to the small blind who completed, and I checked my option with . The flop fell and I bet 225, only to be check-raised to 500. I make the call and then call 1,500 on the turn when it drops the . The river of course bricked on my nineteen-outer when it fell the and I folded for 3,000. The small blind showed me which didn’t make me feel any better as I the pot was definitely up for grabs.

  Back to starting stack I took down a few small pots to climb back to 15,200 before I bumped it to 750 on the button with following a limper during the 100-200-25 level. The limper called and checked the flop of over to me. I bet out 1,100, got check-raised to 3,000 and I slid in a stack to put my opponent all in. He insta-called and I thought I was in a world of hurt until he turned over . The turn and river bricked and I was up to 28,675, and finished the level on over 30,000 after taking down pots with Queens, Ace-Queen and King-Jack.

  I ran a bluff with the nut-straight draw and slipped down to 22,150 and then lost a few pots when my Jacks were outflopped etc to slip down to 20,000. During the next level of 300-600-50 I played one of the most retarded hands ever – firstly I try to button steal with and am shoved on by the big blind (didn’t know he was so short as he was hidden by the dealer in seat one) and priced into call. Now down to 14,000 I call a preflop raise of 1,600 in the cutoff with , before the button makes it 6,000 total. This guy had been re-raising with terrible and marginal hands, and consequently wanted to try and stop-n-go him on any board.

  Making the call and seeing the flop of , there wasn’t too much I could have asked for without flopping the nuts, and therefore I moved the rest of stack into the middle. I was (obviously) snapped off by a set of Queens, but after turning a flush draw and rivering my straight I was back to 31,700.

  The table broke straight after that hand (phew) and I played yet another marginal hand on my new table when I opened from the cutoff, only to be three-bet to 4,050 from the small blind by this young internet kid. I tanked for over three minutes and made the call to see the flop of fall down and a continuation bet of 5,850 follow. I tanked for even longer this time before making it 18,000 more on top. He started moaning and groaning about how sick it was that I had flatted him with Aces and he laid his Queens down. I showed him the King and raked in the pot to soar to over 42,000.

  I pushed to 46,000 during the next level when I called a 3bb all in with and value-bet my rivered flush when the small blind also joined in. She called and I thanked her for her chips as the all in player exited. During the 500-1000-100 level I limped behind an under-the-gun limper with along with three others before the big blind made it an additional 7,000 on top. Only three of us would see the checked flop of and when the fell on the turn the preflop aggressor fired 15,000. I moved all in for 19,000 more and he folded, and just like that I was up to 75,400 in chips.

  I moved tables once again and slowly began to slip until I called another 3bb all in with out of the big blind, and checked it down with the small blind to see me table the best hand, and the jump to 81,100 in chips.

  Forced to move again, I sat down and fluffed one flop following my preflop raise until this hand came up. This old dude raised to 3,500 with blinds at 800-1,600-200 from under the gun, and was met with a call from an online player as well as from me in the cutoff with . The flop fell down and the old dude checked, the online player fired 7,200, I raised to 15,000 and the old dude shipped it in. Online player folded and I double-fist-pump-snap called to see the old dude tabled and a lovely 150k pot looking at being shipped to me as we go to dinner.

  ”Hi Tim, this is God. Just letting you know that I don’t think you really deserve having the chip lead with 90 to go until the money from the original 957 starters. Oh, and by the way, I don’t think you really need the US$68k first prize either . . . talk soon mate!”

  Of course the fell on the river to shatter what hopes I had of shipping a (relative) huge score while here in Vegas to send me to dinner absolutely tilted, but still with a shot as my 38,800 remaining chips were only a handful of pots under average.

  After lying on the steps in front of the Venetian for the majority of the dinner break to try and cool my head I headed back to the table, but only lasted seven more hands when the old dude that one-outered limped from late position and I checked the big blind with . The flop fell down 9c{} and I check-called 3,500 to see the fall on the turn.

  I checked, old dude bet out 6,000 and I check-raised all in for 34,400 more. Old dude called and tabled for a flopped straight and flush re-draw, and when I saw the land on the river I jumped and walked out the door in 181st place.

  (coming soon)
  Venetian Deep Stack Extravaganza III – $330 NLH Chip Stack Graph

  * * * * * * * *

  I was really happy with the way I accumulated chips and played some particular pots, but at the end of the day I’m solely disappointed in the one-outer I copped.

  Four times in my poker career I’ve hit a crossroad; and each time I’ve fallen on the wrong side of it – the WSOP Main Event bubble, the Vic Champs Final Table bubble, the Aussie Millions bubble and now this one!

  Some of the beats that you can cop can do your head in, but I’m just sick of being on the wrong end of them at the wrong time – it nearly wants to make me puke and give up!

  All in all, there isn’t much I can do expect knuckle down, analyse my game and take a seat in the next one that comes along.

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  Read more: Chinese Poker, No Limit Holdem, Venetian Deep Stack Extravaganza

• Keep It Even Shoot!

  July 08, 2009

  With Donnie having the day off as well, we obviously sleep in way too long (standard on the days we get off now) and chill at the condo watching TV and surfing the net for a while. We finally pick the nightly $150 Harrah’s tourney as our choice and hail a cab to the strip.

  Once there we scoop out the Caesars Palace Forum Shops and then the Mirage before heading over to register for the tourney before grabbing a bite to eat at the food court just outside the hotel.

  We take our seats with mine being opposite a guy I played the Venetian Deep Stack with yesterday. I try and spark a conversation with him, but like most middle-class middle-aged and white Americans – he is a complete arse and waves me off like I fly to a dog that doesn’t give a shit!

  Starting with a 10,000-chip starting bank and a decent structure for this buy-in I fold my first hand, but then proceed to raise five of the next six and play both my rags out of the blinds:

  - raise to 150, re-raise to 450, call, check-fold fluffed flop

  - raise pre, bluff turn and get called by bottom pair

  - raise 150, four callers, check flop, call 500 on turn and then 2,000 on river on Jack-high and flush heavy board . . . of course its good when I get showed bottom pair

  - raise 150, six callers until big blind bumps it to 500, everyone calls, Ace-high board checked down, Kings are good

  - raise to 150, re-raise to 450, check-fold flop and he shows Queens

  I then chip up to 14,000 with tens again until I finally get knocked out. With blinds at 75-150 I open from late position to 400 and the big blind calls. He check-calls 525 on the flop and we both checked the on the turn before the landed. He led out for 1,200, I made it 3,500 and he shipped it for 6,000, I called and his was good . . . puzzled looks followed from me.

  I ended up shipping it with from the button, and the big blinds Queen-high was too good.

  * * * * * * * *

  There was an open seat on the $4-8 HORSE cash game and along I went to donk off while Donnie continued to grind it out.

  Rich Ryan – the pocket fives intern – and some random German midget (not being rude; he actually was) called Toto started playing props on my up-cards and the Holdem and Omaha boards. Rich took red for $5 and any King for $20, while Toto took black and any Deuce for $20. Rich started off bad, blowing out to $80 before pulling it back to the $20 mark while I ran my $300 buy-in up to $380.

  Rich and Toto both got seats in the game and my profit slowly was worked away as Rich’s prop bets extended back out to the $120 mark then the $200 mark, back to $125 then out to $355 before he cut his losses at $300.

  Donnie ran terribly in the tourney finishing 14th and then took that run-bad and put it into place in the cash game when he lost his buy-in, after winning a handy $80 off Rich in What Lodden Thinks?.

  I cashed out up $2 and we decided to head to Craps to see if Toto could continue his hot run and make us a fortune!

  

   

  I call it . . . The Bridge

  * * * * * * * *

  I played Craps properly for the first time the other night and really enjoyed it – regardless on how well I knew the rules!

  I bought in for $200 and saw it work its way down to $70 then $30 before the other guys went busto. I decided to see if I could run it up, and after a few good rolls and calling out, “keep it even shoot,” I was back to more then even – a tidy $14 profit.

  Being the complete degen gambler I am . . . there was no way I was pocketing that $14; instead it was Rich’s job to find one last bet for me.

  “Bet Boxcars”
  “What the hell is that?”
  “It’s when the shooter rolls two sixes”
  “Yeah, why not”

  I threw the last $14 on the boxcars and its one in thirty-six chance for a thirty-to-one payday and the shooter picked up the dice. He shuffled them in his hand before flinging them up towards our end of the table. They bobbled round, avoiding chips and bets that littered the board heavy . . . six . . . six.

  In an instant Rich went running off to the other end of the room and back in a complete state of shock that I had won on my first Boxcars bet, and like a dumbfounded noob I had no idea if I had won or what I had won!

  The dealer casually cut down a stack of green $25-denomination chips and handed most of them over to me to amount $420. I quickly cashed out $600 after placing one last bet (true degen style) and tipping the dealer to see me profit $400 for the night on craps and $250 overall.

  With Rich and Donnie having a cry about how good I run I bought them some 8am breakfast at Maccas before a nice long sleep in could occur with each of us not having to start until 5pm!

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  Read more: Craps, Donnie Peters, Harrahs, HORSE, McDonalds, No Limit Holdem, Rich Ryan

• Venetian Deep Stack Extravaganza III - $330 NLH

  July 08, 2009

  Having a day off is always great while in Vegas; you can head to the outlets, catch up on some sleep or play a deep-stack tournament.

  Being the poker degen that I am . . . I obviously decided to play a tournament!

  

   

  
  The Venetian Hotel

  I headed over to the Venetian to play the $330 No Limit Holdem event in their Deep Stack Extravaganza, and once I had coughed up an additional $10 for the staff bonus for an extra 2,000 chips I was at my seat and ready for a long slog of grinding.

  We started with a 12,000-chip starting bank and a solid structure with 40-minute levels, and early on I took a small pot here and lost one there until I decided to run a bluff with out of the small blind.

  It was folded to me and I bumped it to 250 with the big blind defending. I lead for 325 on the flop of , then 800 when the fell on the turn and gave up on the on the river when I check-folded for 2,200. I finished the level on 11,475 after winning a nice multi-way pot with trips.

  During the 75-150 level, I saw Aces twice, but both times got no action and headed into the next level above my starting stack. My first major hand came up when an early position player limped and it was folded round to me in the small blind – I called an additional 100 with and the big blind checked his option.

  The flop fell down and I checked, as did the big blind to see the limper lead for 300. I called, the big blind passed, and when the fell on the turn I checked again, only to be faced with a 500-chip bet. I felt that I wanted to get some additional value for my hand and decided to check-raise to 1,100. He called and when I checked the on the river he led strongly for 2,200 – now this is where I should pull up and review my hand and realise that the only hand that bets there beats me. Yeah, I may beat a busted diamond draw or a stubborn pair of Jacks, but in the long run I’m always beat!

  Of course I call and he shows me and I’m left with 9,875 in chips before I slip to 5,600 the next hand after calling a guy on three streets with Ace-high. I play the last five of six hands in the level and chip up to 8,000 to finish on a somewhat high after two terrible hands.

  Not too much happens in the next two levels apart from winning a sick race when I called an all in out of the small blind with to be up against . The board ran out and I was back to my starting stack.

  I moved tables and after a few orbits I found a double when I opened to 1,000 from the cutoff with and the big blind shipped it with . The board bricked out and I was up to 24,675. I pushed up to 36,000 when I took down a nice pot with in the 400-800-75 level. I flatted a raise of 2,000 preflop on the button and then we both checked the flop of , I led for 3,500 when the fell. My opponent check-called and then check-called 5,500 when the landed on the river. He flashed his and I gained some momentum.

  However it would fade away just as quickly as it arrived when I pretty much folded every hand until we reached dinner break with my 16,700 stack looking very short heading into the 1,000-2,000-300 level.

  

   

  
  View from front of Venetian during the dinner break

  I pushed with to steal the blinds and antes, but things kept going south. In the next level of 1,200-2,400-300 I got my last chips into the middle in a multi-way pot holding up against and when the final board ran out .

  (coming soon)
  Venetian Deep Stack Extravaganza III – $330 NLH Chip Stack Graph

  * * * * * * * *

  Falling short of the money and the whopping $58,000 first prize, I was somewhat satisfied with my 112th placing from the 735 starters.

  As you can see from the chip stack graph, it was those middle stages (again) where I couldn’t accumulate to become a force in the latter levels. If I am to get some results under my belt, I really have to start improving this area of game – as it’s definitely my weakness / leak at the moment!

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  Read more: No Limit Holdem, Venetian Deep Stack Extravaganza

• Another Busted Tournament And Some Hard Rocking

  July 08, 2009

  Both me and Donnie had days off today and once we were finally up we decided to head to the Strip.

  We grabbed a cab and headed to the Rio to rail a few of Donnie’s mates before deciding to play the Caesars Palace 7pm $150 Second Chance tournament. For a total cost of $150 plus a $10 add on we received a 6,000 starting bank with a rather fast structure.

  Once there and registered Donnie wondered off and I sat down to watch the remainder of the Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Detroit Red Wings (2-1 in game seven and 4-3 overall) on one of the many big screens that surrounded the poker room.

  However once the game was over I decided to wonder round to look for Donnie, and realised that we were actually late to the tourney and it had just crept into the second level.

  I sat down for the first hand of the 50-100 level with my 5,850 stack and didn’t really play a hand until I flopped two-pair from the big blind to take the pot down. Then on one of the last hands of the level I called a raise of 250 on the button with and managed to take the pot down by leading out for 525 into four players on the turn with the board reading .

  Ran card dead through the 50-100 level and moved tables midway to find myself on a table full of banana’s. The blinds went up to 200-400 and on the first hand I was dealt under the gun and opened to 1,000. It was folded round to some dude who pushed all in, folded back to me and I called for my tournament life to be in great shape against his .

  In continuance of my 80/20 and 70/30 exits in the past who knows how many tourneys the board (of course) ran out to see me bust in 90th-odd place out of the 150 starters.

  Donnie busted shortly after when he lost a race holding Ace-King against a pair of deuces and we were off to Body English at Hard Rock for a PokerNews funded Friday night on the town . . . via a trip home to get changed.

  * * * * * * * *

  Once all dolled up and ready to paint the town red with grabbed our third cab for the day and made paths to Hard Rock.

  Once there we found our table to find Lynn, Garry and a handful of others laying into the table full of GreyGoose vodka. We filled our drinks and the night started to get interesting. Meh to the usual drib-drabs of describing the night, so here are a few samplers . . .

  

   

  
  Body English at Hard Rock . . . everyone partying hard!

  Once the night slowly died down Eric, Donnie and me played some Blackjack before Neil Fray joined us for some Craps action. I broke even and then ventured to Mr. Lucky's 24-7 restaurant for some needed recovery breakfast with the boys and tucked into a cheeseburger before we return home . . . again in the brightness of the Vegas morning sun.

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  Read more: Body English, Caesars Palace, Donnie Peters, Eric Ramsey, Hard Rock, Neil Fray, No Limit Holdem

• Late Start Equals Late Night Profits

  July 08, 2009

  Ding Dong . . . Ding Dong . . . f**king hell Mat, just go answer the damn door so you can get a lift to work . . . it’s been like three hours and I’m already up

  Well that’s what I was thinking before I rolled over in my uber-comfy bed to see the alarm clock on the bedside table . . . 7:38pm . . . WTF!

  I had slept in way past what I’d expected, and now my day off had been turned into a night off. I knocked on Donnie and Eric’s door (which is just outside ours), “you just get up . . . you gotta be kidding me” quipped Donnie as he headed back up the stairs shaking his head and laughing. Still adjusting to the brightness of light I slowly stumbled up the stairs behind him to see him cooking dinner as I sat down on his couch to discuss our plans.

  * * * * * * * *

  We had decided on heading to Caesars Palace to play some $1-3 No Limit Holdem as we have been told that it’s a fairly soft game. We grabbed a taxi and forty bucks later, following a traffic standstill on Flamingo Road, we were there.

  They opened a new table in under three minutes time as we seemed to attract a bevy of people – obviously I had my I AM A FISH neon sign flashing on my back!

  I took down my first pot when I check-called each street against an Asian LAG and old-man NIT with on an Ace-high straight and flushing board to see my stack climb over the $250 mark. An orbit or so later I called $15 out of the small blind with against the LAG who had already started making moves, bluffing and raising with garbage.

  The flop fell down and I check-called $35 to see the fall on the turn and another check from me. Facing a bet of $55, I moved all in for $165 more, and following about ninty-seconds of deliberation the LAG folded.

  The hand became an avenue of discussion between me and Donnie, with his argument being a call on the turn and either a donk lead on the river or gamble with a check. Personally I wished I tanked on the turn and did the old ‘I guess I’m all in’ show like I have a draw. Either way it was a good session for the both of us, as I cashed out $403 and, courtesy of a quad bonus, Donnie cashed out up $250 – not a bad two-hours I say!

  * * * * * * * *

  After exchanging some texts with my two Melbournian’s in James and Rob that had just arrived in town, we both decided to head over to Imperial Palace to catch up.

  We tucked into some Subway before heading to the Rio around 1am to check out what was going on.

  The Ladies World Championship (in which I’m doing the final table tomorrow) was down to the last two tables while the Omaha Hi-Lo World Championships was on the money bubble. We showed the WSOP noobs round before Donnie settled into a $10-20 Limit Holdem game as James and Rob headed to the other side of the Rio to play some $1-3 No Limit Holdem.

  I sweated them for a while, before returning to sweat Donnie and his continuance in running bad at the Rio. 3am came round which meant our ride was ready, and after a quick visit to the petrol station for some snacks and of course petrol, I was at home and on the computer writing this blog!

  Bring on the Ladies tomorrow!

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  Read more: Caesars Palace, Donnie Peters, Imperial Palace, James Bernard, Mat Pater, No Limit Holdem, Rio, Rob Remeeus

• Welcome To Las Vegas

  July 08, 2009

  So we finished another successful tournament in Melbourne, and after a quick bite to eat I took the boring drive to Geelong to pack my bag for Las Vegas and the 2009 World Series of Poker.

  My Godparents drove me to the Gull Bus (a bus service from Geelong to the airport) as Dad had an appointment. He ended up arriving to do the old father-son goodbye of “Be safe son . . . yeah yeah Dad” and straight to sleep I went once the bus took off.

  I arrived at Tullamarine Airport and sat around listening until tunes before Heath and Kirsty arrived. Kirsty headed back to Tassie while me and Heath boarded our first flight to Sydney before making our way to Los Angeles.

  * * * * * * * *

  We flew the new Virgin Australia airlines; and since it was our first time on the new carrier our expectations were low.

  However we were blown away by the service in general – good food, awesome in-flight entertainment and fairly comfortable seats (for economy). I managed to find this poker game and crushed a ten-player sit-n-go making quad deuces and a straight flush while Heath lost thousands on the blackjack game.

  I pretty much slept the whole flight to put me in sync for the states, while Heath struggled most of the way. We touched down in Los Angeles and sat round a little before our flight to Las Vegas.

  Chris Boncek was supposed to pick us up, but after around 25-minutes we thought that they may have forgot about us Aussie boys. I quick call to our boss Garry Gates and we were told Boncek was on the way. 10-minutes later we were in his car and off to the grocery store to pick up some supplies before settling in for the night.

  * * * * * * * *

  While Heath had to work, I had the day off, but I still ventured into the Rio to catch up with the guys and do some other things.

  I took to the cash games playing some $1-3 No Limit Holdem, and after about an hour I profited $107 and made my way back to the Amazon room before me and GG decided to play the 11pm $200 nightly.

  Donnie and Heath bought $50 each of both me and GG and we took our seats in the tournament which had a ridiculous structure and only a 3,000-chip starting bank.

  I eliminated a guy early holding on a board against his Ace-King. A few hands later I opened and was met with five callers. The flop fell down Queen-high with two diamonds and the big blind open-shoved for 4x pot with a flush draw – I called and he got there – aarrghh!

  My stack slowly dwindled down to nothing when the blinds went up to 200-400 with a 50 ante and after a raise to 800, raise to 1,200, raise to 3,750 all in, I shipped my 3,275 stack holding and both the retarded min-raises folded.

  Of course when the board ran out the other all in player tabled and I was out in 80th place of the 136 starters with GG to follow shortly after.

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  Read more: Chris Boncek, Donnie Peters, Garry Games, Heath Chick, Kirsty Brew, No Limit Holdem, Virgin Australia