Thursday January 15th to Monday January 19, 2004
Las Vegas, Nevada
I played a lot of poker in Las Vegas with Al.
First, I played some 4/8 limit hold em at the Orleans. Lost about $35. Routine play, nothing really memorable. I beat Al heads up. We both had aces and I had a bigger kicker.
On the evening of January 16, I entered my first real no limit hold em tournament. Buy in was $120, plus $3 tip for dealer and $40 rebuy at break. I finished 11th out of 144 players. I had a large stack and made the mistake of going all in with King Eight. I figured i wouldn't get called since there were only 6 players and I was on the button with only the blinds behind me. I lost to King Jack. Flop had a king, so i lost the kicker. I had a large stack, so I should have been more cautious at that stage. I could have waited for someone else to go out and make the final table. The Lesson learnd is if you're that close to the money just tighten up until somebody else gets pushed out, especially if you have sufficient chips to weather the blinds. I did win $30 in bounties for knocking out other players. I played 5 hours before getting knocked out. Al got knocked out after around an hour or so. I was proud to do that well, but regretted I didn't let myself get into the money.
On the morning of January 17th I played 4/8 limit at the Bellagio and lost $200 in an hour, never winning a single pot. I got crushed on a King High diamond flush when the guy to my right had the ace high diamond flush. I question whether to play King X suited because you always will lose a big pot to the Ace High Flush. It was very unlikely, but if it happens you're gonna lose a lot of chips.
On the evening of January 18th, I played a $120 buy in at the Mirage. It had $100 rebuys for the 1st hour anytime you were under $500, then a $100 buy in at the hour break. I deliberately lost a tiny pot and then rebought. I won a few good hands and played aggressively. At the break, i was the chip leader at my table. However, half an hour later I picked up Ace Queen on the button. I put in a $500 raise and got called by the big blind. All others folded. I reraised and got called again. The flop came out with low cards. I checked. The Big blind put in another $500 raise. Rather than give up the pot, I went all in. I got called and lost to paired Kings in the hole.
I made two mistakes at the Mirage. First, I got up and walked away after my all in bet lost. I should have first made sure the other guy had enough chips to cover me. I'm not sure he did. I might have had a few chips left if my stack was bigger. Note from now on: If you lose an all in bet, make sure you're covered before you give up the tournament.
Second, a big bet can give you a guys temperature as well as an all in bet. don't go all in with nothing if you a large raise will do just as well to get the same info.
Third, if the other guy is committed to the pot and you really have nothing, let it go and try to regroup and battle back. He's committed so he had to call me. No point in bluffing at that stage.
Saturday, January 3, 2004. Beauman's House.
Played No Limit Hold em Tournament from 8 pm to 11 p.m. Dealt cards 11 to midnight.
10 guys played. I lost $200. Billy lost $400. Winner of pot got around $1500.
I was up initially ( as always). Beauman called me on an all in bet where I had a 10 and another card and board was 10 8 8. Beauman had a jack with a little kicker. I have no idea why he called an all in bet with such a crappy hand, but he drew out a jack on me. Is he cheating? That was a bad call unless he knew a jack was coming. I'm very suspicious of that call. Anyway, lost all my money and became the dealer.
I have been reading Caro's book of poker tells and learning a lot.
So far, poker is becoming an expensive hobby. I need to improve my skills If i'm going to continue to pursue it .
On the other hand, I really enjoy it and Kevin P. may hire me to do some legal work for him based on our playing poker together.
