Return to Las Vegas... · 4:19pm Jun 1st, 2017
Hello, folks...
I'm on my yearly pilgrimage to Las Pegasus Vegas, and I'm here for the next week to play some poker. I got in around 6pm last night, around three and a half hours late after my flight out was delayed, forcing them to shift me to a second, later flight. But arrive I did, and now it's time to play. So, just as I did last year, I'll blog about my playing experiences for those who are curious, win lose or draw.
I didn't waste any time last night. Once I'd gotten checked in, I dove headfirst into a $300 tournament over the Venetian. Ordinarily, I'd say it's stupid to start with something that big, but I wanted to play and didn't care if I was tired. Did pretty well, but came up a bit short, finishing 15 out of 66 where the top 7 finishers get paid. I went out late when I went into a pot starting to get short-stacked with pocket 2s. Three other guys were in the hand, but the flop missed me, coming K-10-3, two clubs. Nobody bet the flop, so I got a free turn card and it was... the 2 of clubs, giving me three of a kind, but with three clubs on the board there's a possible flush draw out there. I check the turn, hoping for a bet, get one, and then go all in for four times the bet, hoping to take it down right then and there.
Everyone folds except the initial better, who tells me that he doesn't know what hand I would have that would make me check the flop but then go all-in on a 2 of clubs for the turn card. I told him perfectly truthfully there were two hands I'd do it with, and I'm holding one of them (the other would be holding two low flush cards like 5-6 of clubs, which could easily be 'counterfeited' by a higher flush if the river card is another club). He considers, then calls. I suspect he's got a flush draw, and he indeed does--he shows A-Q the queen of clubs, meaning he needs one more club on the river to complete his flush. He doesn't get it and I think I'm golden, but... the last card is a jack, giving him a straight and knocking me out.
Winning that hand wouldn't have guaranteed me making the money but would have gotten me a lot closer to it. But, that's poker. I don't think I misplayed the hand there, though I did misplay one earlier to cost me some chips. Regardless, a decent start even if I wasn't able to break through this time. I'll play some cash games and maybe another cheaper tournament today. In the meantime, time to head out for a walk, get some air before it gets too hot. Weather's not that bad here; upper 90s for highs, which at low desert humidity feels fine. I'll probably see about getting out of the city to see the desert at some point. I like the stark beauty of the desert.
Hopefully I'll have better news on the poker front to report later. Until then, off to get some food and put some more chips down...
Don't mix up your eating chips with your betting chips!
Have fun. Hope it's better than New Vegas. :3