Day 1 Trip Report (July 23rd)

I arrived in Vegas at around 10:30 am and was out of the airport by 11 am. When I stepped out of the airport, I found out I shouldn’t have worn jeans, boy it was HOT! But I guess I won a little since the airplane ride was cool. A 4.5 hour trip btw from Toronto to Vegas. First stop was Harrah’s where I would be getting the WSOP entrant rate at 60 (Sun-Thur) and 120 (Fri-Sat). The plan is to be in Vegas from July 23rd to the 29th (possibly even longer).

After checking in I went down to walk around the Casino. I’m not a table game kind of player so no money wasted, not even black jack. I decided that I would save on taxi fare (about $8-10 per trip to RIO) and just wait for the direct shuttle. I would tip $1 on each trip. I arrive at the RIO, and realize I will have to walk the long hall everyday if I take the shuttle. The walk is probably as long as a half a kilometer. I figure the walk will do me good. While along the hall towards the convention centre I pass PokerStars suite on the left, and don’t even notice the Full Tilt suite, as I was checking out the BoDog girls in front of their suite. They were cute. But what caught my attention were the Milwaukee Beer Girls. Boy, they sure looked dam good in their tight tied knot T-shirts with short tipped jean shorts. They showed off their nice smooth legs and very fit stomachs.

Back to Poker as I was walking into the hotel room the first thing I notice was that I was walking behind the Grinder for the longest time, I don’t bother him as he’s on his way back to the $1000 plus rebuys event. I walk through the doors and breathe in the atmosphere that is the World Series of Poker. What a sight, I hope I do well. I walk in and stop by the table in the middle. It had Gavin Smith talking it up and going all in blind some times. Soon Michael Gracz and Victor Ramdin joined the table. They talked it and had some fun by playing it limit style. Raise min, reraise min, rereraise min, CAP rerereraise min, 25 to 50 to 75 to 100 to 125 (CAP) this would be done on every street and Gavin’s 73 on xxxx7 won the pot. Joe Bartholdi was kind of disappointed as he was moved to the table over which was full of tight players (besides Anthony Reatgui) playing it as a freezeout and not giving him the action he wanted. I probably watched for a good half hour before deciding to play my first poker in Vegas.

I lined up to play a $125 or $175 single table satellite. The players decided to play a $125 so I was up for anything. I hopped in, 1000 Tournament chip with 15 minute levels made similar to a Prima or Playtech type SNG. On level 2 25/50, I picked up KK after a raise on the BB and made it from 150 to 550. He folded, and I picked up the pot. The next hand there was a raise (150) and a reraise (600) and I looked down on the SB with AA, thought for 20 seconds and pushed all in and was called by reraiser who had 88. I held and was up to 2500 ish. I probably picked up a couple hands here or there. Made it 300 on the button with 77 and the SB moved all in for 1200. I called he has AQ, 7 flopped and I was up to 3500-4000. We got up to 3 handed and I had about 4400 on 200/400. On the button I raised to 1200 and the SB pushed 3000 total. I called with 66 but his AK outflopped me. I was down to 1400 and on life support. I somehow played great short stack poker without picking up a hand really. Just pushing something decent or limping in and making plays at the pot when they showed weakness. The play was very tight at the time and I was getting modest respect. I got up to 2600 and made a 1000 raise with A8c on the button. SB pushed and I didn’t like where I stood, but I was getting a good 1600 call to win 4000, so I went with it and ran into 88. Well what do you know, I spike an Ace on the river WOOT. With me having more than half the chips in play I took over and chipped them down. I eventually got heads up and had a 4:1 lead. He offered a deal, 2nd gets the $120 cash and winner gets the $1000 lamers (Sort of like T$ except for WSOP). I thought about just so not to anger him but nixed the deal in 20 seconds as I figured he would loosen up and try to make more plays while I liked him nice and tight. I think he won the first all in on a short stack and I chipped him down and got him on the second all in. Can’t remember the hand, was probably some K hi card or me calling 69d pot committed. I tipped $20 so I was -$25 and had $1000 WSOP lamers in my hand.

I headed over to the WSOP/ESPN Final Table area and checked out the final table of the $2000 NLHE as Carl Olson (colson10) and Bryan Micon (micon), neverwin’s protégé?, who are both online players at the final table. I was in the Micon rooting section, maybe I’ll get on ESPN. Micon was on the short stack and the Chip Leader made a raise to 70K. Micon got up and used this hilarious new light technology that spelled out D O N K E Y as he waved it back and fourth. He then pushed all in for 150K. Folded around to a short stack LP player who went all in for a bit over 150K. The chip leader thought about the call and folded getting close to 5:1, which was disappointing. Micon has KK and the other short stack had AK and was out flopped when an Ace hit sending Micon home in 9th for over 80K. A couple hands before, 2 players were allin and had a caller who had KK and was outdrawn by then so Micon could have had 7th which was disappointing. He also decided to wear Todd Witeles’ (2005 Limit Holdem Winner) WSOP Bracelet, I thought it was sort of like a hockey player touching the Stanley Cup before winning it. He kind of laughed it off, drank and beer and was like “Show me the money.”

I went back to the tourney area in search of a studded table. I found the table that had Reatgui and Bartholdi now held Negreanu (who was in for 49 dimes, or $49000 for you unknowledgeable slang ppl) and Juanda as well. Possibly another player but it slips by mind. I watched and then went back for some more poker. I got into another $125 single table satellite. Again I played tight at the beginning and I think I doubled up somehow, no idea how really. We got 3 handed, with a loose preflop/weak post flop player and a guy who reminded me of someone but I couldn’t figure out from what. I again had more than half the chips in play. On 200/400 I raised KQh 1200 on the button. The BB thought and pushed all in for 160o more and I called. His A7 held unimproved and I was down to 2000 ish. So I became more selective as they were giving walks a lot and I didn’t want to just shove some rags but I picked up like 3 pots every 2 orbits to keep myself ahead. Eventually a big hand had to come up. The SB min raised and I called in position with T8 figuring I could rely on my post flop read. Flop came down 885, check check. Turn was a 4, he checked so I had to lead out and made a very weak 500 bet which was immediately met with an over the top all in. I had to call and asked if he has a set, he said no and flipped up A5, he was drawing dead. I was at over 7000. 1000 for one player and 2000 for another as the blinds went up to 300/600. The short stacked player pushed and I woke up to QQ, but his AT outdrew me. I was able to chip away making my raises and they just decide to wait for big hands while I waited to raise nice looking SOOTED cards. Eventually was heads up with a 4:1 lead but I could never find a hand to call his all in and it went back and fourth blind wise for a while until on 400/800 I made a raise with T9c and he went allin for 3000. I obviously called pot committed and he flipped up 77. Board came out K868T and I won another $100 + $1000 in WSOP lamers, $20 tip for dealer.

With $2000 in lamers in my hand, it was time for me to sign up for the $1500 NLHE event. It felt great to get my registration card and see my seat, Table 21, Seat 4. I also received a $10 Food Voucher, WOOHOO as I didn’t have lunch. Went to the Poker Kitchen and decided to order Nachos, well it came up to $4 so I didn’t bother using my voucher. Chef gave me some Carrots on the side so I could eat something nutricious as well. Junk food will be the death of me, note to self exercise more when I return home.

I went back for another $175 satellite without much success and decided to call it enough for poker and chilled out by watching the Final Table of the Razz event which included Miami John, JohnnyBax, and Carlos. I started talking to this guy with an Australian accent which turned out to be South African. We talked about the event going on and success in poker. He told me he took down a Borgata $530 tourney and was juiced 33% on his winnings which sucked big time. I found out he was working with Card Player South Africa getting some contracts signed and not, where he worked with Joseph Hachem. Did you know Joe’s networth went from 7.5 mill to 20 mill a week after he won the event. He got about 4-4.5 million for tourney buyins over the next 3 years with a requirement on playing a certain amount of event. He also received magazine, clothing and other deals which bolstered himself. It was there I started talking up with some other online players. Str8flush (Rob), wb and his bud. I also met SnowLeopard and Bax during his Razz break, they were setting up on the ESPN table (no crew, just more convenient for railers). Snow Leopard is the 2005 $500 WCOOP Champion btw, and one HOT Chick ;)

We online players had a great chat and drank up some free Milwaukee Beers, although I’m not much of a beer fan. Can’t beat all telling stupid stories. Then I found out one of the guys was 3rd in chips for the PLHE $5000 tourney next day. I wished him luck and would have to arrive late as I had plans. Me and Str8flush called it quits and walked the long walk. He headed his way and I went back the Harrah’s where I slept peacefully at about 4am.