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June 30, 2005

Allow me to ramble a bit...

Really, I need professional help. First for my insomnia. I went to bed at 5am Wednesday, and as a result got kinda tired early on (midnight-ish) Wednesday night. Well sweet. I went to bed. I even read a little Harrington to seduce me into sleep. No dice. Finally at 2:30am I gave up, and finding nothing of worth on TV, thought I would see what crazy kids were up at that hour. Found a guy hanging out in Korea for a few more hours, and another going for his own all-nighter. After hearing about the insanity that is $50 HU SnGs in the wee morning hours (very +EV apparently), it was decided to hit the Crazy Pineapple play chip tables at UB.

What exactly does one do when dealt 7 7 2 in Crazy Pineapple? You have a pair. You have the hammer. You have a dilema. [No, not really, if you're sane, because you have a pair. You discard the 2. Simple. Move along.] But...this was HU with a blogger. And it was play chips. Bye-bye 7. Raise! Re-raise! [Really, UB needs an "automatic cap" button. At least for the two of us playing HU. Raises get no respect!]

Good times, good times. Oh, and for the record, he kicked my ass. And I went to bed at 5am AGAIN. I need some Vicodin...one of those and I sleep like an angel. Or, I may try Sklansky. The problem is, I read and get sleepy, but then when I try to sleep the mind starts to go...

If I were in Vegas, this would not be a problem. 2 weeks...

Yes, I think I will. And I don't want to hear it. I'm going to be surrounded by temptation tomorrow, so...

Blogger home game tonight! Should make for an interesting write-up. At least I know when if I bust out of the tourney, it won't be to someone's wife who's never read a lick of poker strategy.

Posted by April at 03:08 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack

June 29, 2005

Happy Birthday Buddy

Little music for ya too...

Posted by April at 03:03 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

June 28, 2005

Conversations with Maigsy

In the spirit of three great bloggers, we present...

NotAPokerBlog: i'm pissed...i should have booked my flight to vegas last week
NotAPokerBlog: the cheap flights are gone now
maigsy: yeah that happens
NotAPokerBlog: i know....
NotAPokerBlog: just didn't think so many would book up, middle of the week and all
NotAPokerBlog: i may try priceline...
maigsy: supposedly they give you quotes now before you have to book
NotAPokerBlog: well, they still have the name your price thing, it works like always
NotAPokerBlog: i said $200...if they can find that, more power to 'em
NotAPokerBlog: ha, they did not
NotAPokerBlog: ah ha! southwest was being tricky!
NotAPokerBlog: those bastards
NotAPokerBlog: they do still have the cheap flights open
maigsy: heh! take them down!
NotAPokerBlog: hmmm...you know, it would be cheaper if i stayed an extra day......
maigsy: i think you should!
maigsy: <- enabler
NotAPokerBlog: yea, that's JUST what i need!
NotAPokerBlog: no, i will be good and just leave late Sun night
maigsy: stay with pauly at the redneck riviera!
NotAPokerBlog: ugh
NotAPokerBlog: i'd rather go back to the plaza!
maigsy: but think of the experience!
NotAPokerBlog: stop it!!!
maigsy: the stories you could tell
NotAPokerBlog: you are so bad
maigsy: Iknow.
maigsy: and who made me go to the casino on a wednesday night?
maigsy: HMMMMm?
NotAPokerBlog: hehe
NotAPokerBlog: hey, you even admitted it was good for you
NotAPokerBlog: poker=goot
NotAPokerBlog: i am booked baby!
maigsy: WOOOO i'm jealous
NotAPokerBlog: VEGAS
maigsy: BAYYBEE
NotAPokerBlog: another week
NotAPokerBlog: sigh
NotAPokerBlog: i may not come back
maigsy: so jealous
NotAPokerBlog: i may marry phil gordon
NotAPokerBlog: and then i too can win a ladies event bracelet
maigsy: you could just date him and get the bracelet
NotAPokerBlog: this is true
maigsy: although i hate to burst your bubble
maigsy: He's not exactly all there with the relationship things
NotAPokerBlog: says who?
maigsy: I read a story where he totally passed up a date with Emily Proctor hello hottie to play some online tournament
NotAPokerBlog: yes, but....this is me...i would be so right there with him...i mean, that would be the date

NotAPokerBlog: you're fast
maigsy: like NINJA
maigsy: I'm making the ninja hand motions, but there's no emoticon for that
NotAPokerBlog: why don't we ask one of the 1000 poker blogging programmers to create some ninja emotions for us
maigsy: I think that's a brilliant idea
maigsy: super MONKEY NINJAS
NotAPokerBlog: or donkey ninjas, for when we are drawing!
maigsy: HAH! absolutely!!
maigsy: where's the geek?
maigsy: he could do that
NotAPokerBlog: yes, yes he could
NotAPokerBlog: he's off in some redwoods i think
NotAPokerBlog: playing with ewoks
maigsy: man, that's the problem with geeks
maigsy: totally screwed up priorities
NotAPokerBlog: or maybe i dreamt that
NotAPokerBlog: i don't know, ewoks are kinda cute...
NotAPokerBlog: cuddy and what not
maigsy: they have hairy backs though
NotAPokerBlog: well duh
NotAPokerBlog: hairy all over!
NotAPokerBlog: hmmm...................
maigsy: I bet they shed, too
NotAPokerBlog: if i fly to Reno, i have to stop to Vegas
NotAPokerBlog: wtf??
NotAPokerBlog: why BOTHER???
NotAPokerBlog: i'll just get off here, thanks
maigsy: No kidding!
NotAPokerBlog: i wonder if ewoks have hairballs
maigsy: tell him to meet you 5/6ths of the way
maigsy: EW
NotAPokerBlog: he would
NotAPokerBlog: of course, it's not like you'd have to twist my arm to go to Vegas!
maigsy: I think your arm would spontaneously twist at the mention of vegas, actually
NotAPokerBlog: well, at least the mention of the MGM GRAND
NotAPokerBlog: *drools*
maigsy: Yeah, that is a nice room.
maigsy: and the 200 /500 game was sooo soft
maigsy: evil woman, now I want to go back to vegas
NotAPokerBlog: lol...come on down!
maigsy: hee hee
maigsy: I wish!
maigsy: We'd paint the town red!
maigsy: and gordon!
NotAPokerBlog: hehe...hands off my man woman!
NotAPokerBlog: you can have that other phil
maigsy: they're both married
maigsy: and I don't want to fight jennicide for laak
maigsy: and I won't want to be the jopke of the day
NotAPokerBlog: true....hard to find a good eligible bachelor on the pro player circuit, huh?
NotAPokerBlog: i mean...daniel i have my doubts about, and either way, he's a little too attached to his mom
maigsy: yeah, but he is funny and smart.
maigsy: however, I hear ya
NotAPokerBlog: oh, i love him
NotAPokerBlog: but
maigsy: I think we need to send Otis and Pauly on some scouting missions
maigsy: ooh is D'Agostino married?
NotAPokerBlog: i don't know
NotAPokerBlog: is he a FT'er?
maigsy: yeah
maigsy: the young one
maigsy: with the goatee
NotAPokerBlog: magic 8 ball says he is single
NotAPokerBlog: i'm still stickin with Phil...so you can have him
maigsy: Phil is soooo tallll
NotAPokerBlog: yes.....yes he is
maigsy: oh wait, you do get phil gordon of the day photoz
maigsy: but not recently, I think they're discriminating
NotAPokerBlog: oh please....joe sends me the master images!
maigsy: we always see whatshernamebuttpictures
NotAPokerBlog: i know
maigsy: awww well ok
NotAPokerBlog: i'll tell him to get on some d'agostino ness if you want!
maigsy: the problem is there aren't that many cute poker guys
maigsy: they all go into you know, real sports
maigsy: i mean, really
maigsy: lederer? enh
NotAPokerBlog: have i ever told you about my other crush?
maigsy: OOOOOOH E_DOG
maigsy: now there's someone who's my type
NotAPokerBlog: David Carr?
maigsy: ? nope
NotAPokerBlog: oh my
NotAPokerBlog: one moment please
maigsy: (and i kinda like the whole gus hansen thing)
maigsy: need to cool off first?
NotAPokerBlog: just finding the link!
NotAPokerBlog: http://www.thisisnotapokerblog.com/archives/000043.html
NotAPokerBlog: oh look, trackback spam
NotAPokerBlog: fuckers
maigsy: heh, well he is cute though
NotAPokerBlog: oh he's a doll...he's let his hair get longer now....YUM
NotAPokerBlog: married though, 3 kids
NotAPokerBlog: lives in my hometown
maigsy: awww
NotAPokerBlog: i have his address....
maigsy: oh yeah, definitely Edawg
NotAPokerBlog: not that i'm a stalker or anything
maigsy: http://www.lasvegasvegas.com/poker/photoview.php?image=1883
maigsy: (or at least not much)
NotAPokerBlog: you've got a thing for the FT'ers
maigsy: i guess
maigsy: but there's a reason for that
NotAPokerBlog: but then again, who am i to talk?
maigsy: they probably specifically pick the cute ones
maigsy: more market value
NotAPokerBlog: good marketing strategy
maigsy: but i'm looking htrough the photogallery
maigsy: and seriously
maigsy: WHERE ARE THE CUTE GUYS
NotAPokerBlog: what about that sklansky? yum yum
maigsy: mmm i want a piece of that!
NotAPokerBlog: just think, every night he could seduce you with talk of -ev
NotAPokerBlog: "if i bet you a dollar on the outcome of this coin flip..."
maigsy: and how he could take danny if he wanted to
NotAPokerBlog: god, wouldn't you hate to be mrs. hellmuth?
NotAPokerBlog: "yes dear, i know. you played PERFECT POKER."
maigsy: "like you always do, honey"
maigsy: "yes, I know you should have had #10 first, except for the donkeys who always draw. It's okay, I still love you"
NotAPokerBlog: "....but still no money though...."
NotAPokerBlog: you know she calls him a jopke behind his back
maigsy: Ok, here's a non FTer, but married: Carlos Mortensen
maigsy: she probably goes, "HEE HAWW HEE HAWWW" when he gets busted out
NotAPokerBlog: there is probably a reason why she is rarely in public with him
maigsy: Man I'd be embarassed or busy raising the kids to not be like him
NotAPokerBlog: "i took that math test PERFECTLY. stupid teacher graded it wrong"
maigsy: If it weren't for carrying the ones, I'd get 100%s all the time!

Posted by April at 01:51 PM | Comments (6) | TrackBack

June 26, 2005

My addiction

The other night, hanging out with some friends after a concert, we were flipping through a magazine and came upon an ad for HBO's series Oz, recently out on DVD. The ad featured little "Hello, my name is _____" stickers, except these were different - they were "Hello, I'm a ________", where the blank was murderer, thief, etc. Naturally, we peeled off the stickers and assigned one to each person in the group. Mine? Addict.

Hahaha. Give the addict sticker to the drunk girl. Of course I wore it with pride, and then in typical Austin fashion, slapped it on my designer purse the next morning, where it still remains.

We all have addictions. Mine are varied...music, poker, sweet iced tea, mexican food, this lovely little laptop of mine...
But I have one that is truly starting to get out of hand. I'm starting to get reckless with it and it's probably losing me money.

Hello, my name is April and I'm addicted to the hammer.

I'm not kidding. I cannot lay that damn hand down! I don't know why...it's not like y'all get some report from Ultimate Bet or Full Tilt that tells you how many times it was dealt to me and I didn't play it. And it's not like I'm just playing it for a raise pre-flop, seeing the flop, making a bet, and then dropping it on the turn if need be. Oh no. I'm doing exactly what CJ says to do, which is to "play it like it was Aces". Damn you CJ...you're the worst influence of all, with your hammer quads. You'll just spawn a new generation of hammer-wielding players, all thinking "maybe it'll be me this time...". You just may be the devil CJ...

For the longest time, the hammer was profitable for me, so said PokerTracker (btw, do you have the guide?). I just checked, and....I am now $22.76 in the red. Stupid hammer. And that doesn't even include my recent limit play at Full Tilt, cause you know...*cough* hand histories *cough*. Yes, I play the hammer in low limit games. TO THE RIVER. See how out of control this has become?? Like I can really raise those people off their made hands?? And while my play with it at the Bellagio served well for table image, let's not overlook the fact that I still called a $24 bet with it. I may need help.

Of course, the minute I get it dealt to me and click fold, the flop will come 7 7 2. And Poque will laugh. Sigh. But that's OK. That's poker, right? Just promise me you'll all still love me if I work on putting the hammer back in the toolbox for a while. After all, wouldn't want it to get rusty from being left out all the time.

Music to muse you: Grady, Hammer in My Hand

Posted by April at 03:12 PM | Comments (6) | TrackBack

June 25, 2005

Competition for Phil

Dan from Pokerati has returned to Vegas and has decided to try his hand at Podcasting. Give it a listen - you just might find some of those voices sound familar.

Posted by April at 11:31 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Next Week in Austin Poker

OK kids, we have a guest coming in to town, so let's get a game together and show him a proper time, okay? This means we won't take all his money until we've gotten him good and Shiner'd.

Thursday night; location and stakes to be determined. E-mail me or leave a comment if you want to play.

Posted by April at 12:31 AM | Comments (3) | TrackBack

June 23, 2005

I'll say this much...

The Austin Music Hall has a nice bar.

Maybe a little too nice.

Posted by April at 02:49 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

June 22, 2005

Everyone Says I'm Paranoid

[Thanks to Joe Speaker for the entry title idea. It was the next song that came on the iTunes. If you're interested, you can find it here.]

Not much going on poker wise really. Played a game at Scott's house on Friday that featured the Broke Gambler. Was a good time, but just confirmed for me that my tournament skills suck. I'm not exactly sure why, but for some reason in a tournament I tend to hoard my chips like they are precious manna. In a cash game, I will get agressive and reckless, having no fear. And when I lose? Eh. It's "just money". (An additude I picked up from my good buddy hdouble, which I curse him for, even though I know he's right). Though it's dangerous for me to think that way at times; I can use it to justify all sorts of donkey-like behavior. But in a tournament? Screw you, these are MY chips. I paid for them and you're going to have to pry them from my cold dead fingers. Or wait till they are blinded off.

I wasn't always that way. Not sure what happened. I decided I need to start playing more tournaments and fix things, so the other night whilst playing on FT, I swung on over to UB and saw they had a TEC freeroll going on. Perfect. Play a tourney to win a tourney entry. I signed up and took my seat. Played two hands. People should not call my bluffs! Here - analyze my play on this hand. I have MY thoughts. Tell me yours.

Hand #6617762-6 at Mon115amTEC-131 (No Limit tournament Hold'em)
Powered by UltimateBet
Started at 20/Jun/05 01:22:49

Tiger63 is at seat 0 with 1480.
strongarm is at seat 1 with 1540.
UltimateManga is at seat 2 with 1360.
TexansBaby is at seat 3 with 1610.
MeeSHaK is at seat 4 with 4525.
rndfell is at seat 5 with 1500.
MR LEEE is at seat 7 with 1500.
plant manager is at seat 8 with 1485.
The button is at seat 0.

strongarm posts the small blind of 5.
UltimateManga posts the big blind of 10.

Tiger63: -- --
strongarm: -- --
UltimateManga: -- --
TexansBaby: Kh Ad
MeeSHaK: -- --
rndfell: -- --
MR LEEE: -- --
plant manager: -- --

Pre-flop:

TexansBaby raises to 40. MeeSHaK calls. rndfell
folds. MR LEEE calls. plant manager folds.
Tiger63 folds. strongarm folds. UltimateManga
calls.

Flop (board: 9d 2s Jh):

UltimateManga bets 70. TexansBaby raises to 140.
MeeSHaK folds. MR LEEE calls. UltimateManga calls.

Turn (board: 9d 2s Jh 2d):

UltimateManga checks. TexansBaby bets 300. MR LEEE
calls. UltimateManga folds.

River (board: 9d 2s Jh 2d Qd):

TexansBaby bets 500. MR LEEE calls.

Showdown:

TexansBaby shows Kh Ad.
TexansBaby has Kh Ad 2s 2d Qd: a pair of deuces.
MR LEEE shows Qc Jc.
MR LEEE has Qc Jc 9d Jh Qd: two pair, queens and jacks.

___________________________________________________________________

OK, enough of that. So you may recall that I registered for a class featuring game theory this fall semester, but I was on the waitlist. I still am. The waitlist has now grown to 50 people however. 50 people. WTF?? This is a government class about game theory. Something is not right. The lightblub went on - this must be an easy A. So I did some digging, via the popular review service all the cool kids are using these days. And sure enough - over 60% of the class passes with an A or B. Apparently the prof is boring as hell (sounds very familar) and you don't even have to pay attention! Or read! Or study! But if you want to learn about the topic, you can. Well yippie. I do. But the other 100 or so of you little punks are just there for the easy time. I am not pleased about this. Think if I go explain to the Government office that I want to take the class so it will help my degenerate gambling they'll move me to the top of the list? Probably not.
_____________________________________________________________________

Your funny link for the day, found on both Ernie's site and The Morning News (which has re-done its layout; 3 column sites are sooo cool) - Tom Cruise Kills Oprah. Oh just go. It's short and funny as hell.

Posted by April at 01:23 PM | Comments (9) | TrackBack

June 19, 2005

Like Father, Like Daughter

My mother was very worried about me going off to Vegas. Partly because I'm her only child and I was going by myself, and she considers me to be of the "I'm invincible" mindset. She was afraid I'd get in some situation I couldn't handle, get myself taken advantage of. Her other big concern? That I was I going to gamble away every last penny to my name.

Her basis for this fear was simply that I am my father's daughter. This means quite simply that I have green eyes, thick brown hair, am left-handed, have a predisposition to Crown Royal and, although it took a little bit longer to show up, an affinity for gambling.

I have never considered my father to be a big gambler. Oh sure, I remember being a little girl, four years old, taking my first sip of beer at his knee during a neighborhood poker game. But it wasn't like he was up every night playing poker till the wee hours. No, that's something his daughter now does.

I do however remember my first trip to Vegas. I was 10. Why take a 10 year old to Vegas, you might ask? Well...I guess my grandmother was busy. (And truth be told, it was she who taught be how to play poker, 7 card stud, so ironically enough, left back in Houston, I would have seen more action). Or maybe they were tired of me never letting them hear the end of it for how they left me behind when they went to Acapulco, so they decided to play it safe this time. At any rate, we stayed at the Hilton, and I remember then getting real familiar with the "persons under 21 may not enter the casino" concept. Well suck. So off they immediately run into the -EV pit (not that I knew what the hell that was at the time) and I sit on a bench outside the pit of glittery slot machines. And mope. And yes, nice strangers, I'll watch your bags for you while you run into the pit too.

Eventually I had a great time in Vegas. It was Vegas after all. Seduced me from the very beginning. There was a toy shop in the Hilton, and in it I found the one thing I just had. to. have. It was a stuffed white cat, but not just any stuffed cat. When you pet it, it purred! Squeezed it, and it meowed! Head and tail moved! This was amazing toy technology! (This was '86 people). I did what every good little only child daddy's girl would do in such a situation. I asked for the cat. I turned on the charm and asked again. I was told that if my father had a good run that night, it was mine. While I don't exactly remember my response, I know enough about myself to know that this was not exactly a satisfying answer, but it was OK. [And looking back, what kind of message was this sending to me? Hmmmm...]

What I DO remember is going back to the toy store the next day, and my father buying me that stuffed white cat with a crisp $100 bill, from a roll of $100s, which I promptly named "Lucky". I loved that cat. I kept him for years, until one day I got really bored and for some reason decided he needed a haircut. Then I got really mad at my parents for letting me give Lucky a haircut, since he had such sentimental value, and I felt like I had ruined him completely. [Yes, I was a teenager. Why do you ask?]

Mid-May I was back in Houston visiting the folks, and my father was flying out to Louisiana to meet up with some of the family before driving off to a wedding. I got up early on Friday morning to take my father to the airport, and as we're sitting in the terminal area having coffee, we're discussing the recent trip to Reno he and my mother took. As always, they both have two different versions of it. My mother is a school principal, and they were there as chaperones for a school group. Once the kids arrived, my mother quit gambling. My father...not so much. He hit it big on the slots, winning a $1,000 jackpot. And here's where a grown man in his 50s precedes to get yelled at by his daughter in the middle of the Houston Hobby airport about something called "-EV". (No longer 10, she kinda has a grasp on the concept now).

During that little visit, my father mentions his own upcoming trip to Vegas. "Mid-July", he says. "You suck", daughter says. "Final table of WSOP", she explains. "I won't be able to see any of it", he says - too busy with the convention he's going for.

Back home daughter goes, where she recants conversation to mother. And it's there that mother lets her in on a 18-year old little secret. "That day that you saw Lucky in the toy store?", she says. "We didn't buy him then because we barely had the money to get home at that point - your father had lost it all before. So yes, he had to win, but for more than just you to get your damn cat. Why do you think we had that cheap-ass rental car?" A few more Vegas demons are released, and a daughter begins to understand her mother's worry.

Fast-forward to today. I call my father to wish him a Happy Father's Day and he mentions again his Vegas trip. I try to contain my jealousy. Ever since I got back, I've been seriously debating spending the summer in Vegas, helping out the Prof, spending way too much time at the MGM...it's been an internal debate between the responsible part of me [where the hell have you been?] and the wild child in me [hello little one!]. Many of you have encouraged me to go. I admit it is awfully tempting. I have the miles for a $10 ticket back. However, I should probably save that for October, yes? Then there's the whole "where to live" thing...it could be done, but it's a matter of should it be done. The smart thing to do is to stay here and put my bored butt in summer school and raise up the GPA. This does not appease the wild child...she's a little depressed by this decision and is going to need some other outlet.

In talking to my father this time, he says that if I want, I can come to Vegas with him. Well OK! I immediately check the calendar for the dates of his trip, compare it to the WSOP schedule, and figure out how many days of class I'd be missing if indeed I do sign up for summer school. I'm not sure I can pass this one up. After all, he needs someone to keep him out of trouble, right? At first thought, sharing a room in Vegas with my father seems like a bit of a downer - I know I'm going to hear it when I come in at 5, 6, 7 in the morning after playing poker all night. And then of course, it'll get back to my mother, and then I'll really hear it. But then I realized, no I won't. Because although he may resist at first, with his work and whatnot, eventually he'll be right there along with me. And only positive, or at least minimally -EV games this time - like daughter, like father.

Posted by April at 07:52 PM | Comments (13) | TrackBack

June 17, 2005

LA = Screwed

I promise Glyphic, I didn't go looking. I stumbled upon them, or they were e-mailed to me, I swear!!

Austin poker bloggers now number at 22. Even if we don't have the WPBT wins that y'all do (yet), we can still kick your asses in......poker related things where having large numbers of people is an advantage. Chip-throwing contest? Speed 52-card pickup?

Meet the new guys -

Poker Ninja - He's on day 76 of his blog.

Bad Beats Happen - find from the boss

Texas Poker Project - This is FIVE, count 'em, FIVE poker blogs in one. Apparently the poker-blogging UT student thing is not as unique as I thought. Except I'm a girl! I have that going for me!!

Bobostonepony - Bobo is actually a friend of a guy that Scott and I work with. Said friend sits between Scott and I, and I guess hearing our poker conversations has finally driven him to the edge. He now wants to learn how to play Hold 'Em. I loaned him Phil Gordon's book, while Scott started in with plans for Sklansky and Harrington. I told him not so fast!! After all, this is a person who failed our quiz tonight for what hands beat a full house. (He missed quads). We'll get him there though. And then take all his money.

The Absurd Condition - friend of one of the Texas Poker Project bloggers

ALL IN from the Porch - friend of his

See? It was all innocent clicking, I swear.

We're going to try and get an Austin blogger tournament together soon, and see who takes the award for Blogger Champ. At least I know I'd be a shoe-in to win the award for prettiest. Unless Leslie starts a poker blog, that is.

Posted by April at 01:21 AM | Comments (10) | TrackBack

June 15, 2005

Monday 6/6/05 and Tuesday 6/7/05

I woke up Monday morning with no real plans for the day. I of course wanted to say a good-bye to my Vegas love, the MGM Grand, and the day before, BG had extended an offer of horse betting and then dinner with the prof. But overall, I was up for wherever the day might take me.

I got dressed and headed downstairs to the Plaza casino, expecting to see the same sight I had every morning - familiar faces happily degenerately gambling away; albeit a smaller crowd, given that many had flown out on Sunday. But what was this? No one was playing poker?? No one was playing craps? Or blackjack? What the hell was going on here???

A quick phone call to Pauly identified the source of the problem. The gambling was going on the sportsbook today! Well duh. BG had told me that. Monday was ponies day! Our one race on Sunday was merely an appeteaser (emphasis on the teaser).

I hit the sportsbook to find BG, Al, and Eva all hanging around the bar, BG mulling over the day's racing forum. Soon we were joined by Pauly, Derek, and Chris. Our good friend Boris was working the sportsbook counter and we made many a trip to him in our Willy Wonka like quest for the golden ticket. Alas, our luck was not as with us this day.

One of our first races featured a horse named Gamblen Derek. Again, easy pick there. However, when the race went off, Derek was nowhere to be found. People! When the horse named after you is running, you must be present. Otherwise said horse is doomed. It's a miracle he didn't trip over a patch of dirt and break a leg or something. We were all losers with that one.

Undaunted, we tried again. And again. And again. One race at BG's home track featured a Texas horse. "I have to bet on that one" I said. BG pointed out his poor past performances, coming in 6th and 7th place in previous races. "How's that different from all the other ones we've been betting on?" said Al. "Good point" I said, and placed my bet on the Texas horse (along with the "sure thing", cause I'm not totally stupid!). Both losers. Did I mention the Texas horse had 7/2 odds even??

At one point, Al bet on a race and wouldn't tell us his selection because he didn't want BG to say anything about the horse to jinx it. We got him to cough it up though, because this race we all decided to bet on a different horse just so one of us would be a winner. I do believe the lovely Eva was the winner of that race.

It was a fun time, sitting there at the bar with this great group, piling up little white slips of losing tickets, listening to BG talk about track conditions and pay outs; eventually succumbing to -EV and being the last one to give in to video blackjack. (Stupid video blackjack). We decided to head over to Caesar's where we would be meeting the PokerProf in a few hours, but there was a race coming up later that had two horses in it that couldn't be missed, so we stopped off to visit Boris and made a bet on Gift of April and April Afternoon - guaranteed winners, right?

We all pile into two cabs, me, Eva, and Al in one; BG, Chris, and Derek in another. We arrived first. (Not that we were encouraging the cabbie or anything...) We hit the sportsbook where I learn from Al and BG that in Vegas, you can bet on anything. Wanna make a bet on the Texans winning the SuperBowl? You can. (I admit, I was a little tempted. A $2 bet would pay out BIG.) Innocent me was baffled. How could you bet on such a thing when the season hasn't even begun? And who the hell would do such a thing?? I mean, wait for a game at least... But then, that's not gambling, and that's not Vegas.

Chris and I, being the poker fiends that we are, are looking for the poker room. Of which Caesar's has none. (And they call this place a casino...) So we decide to head off to the Bellagio, agreeing to meet back for dinner later.

What? I'm going to miss my namesake horse race you say? Break my rule, you say? Yea, well - it's poker. With my buddy Chris. And it's my last day in Vegas. The horses are just gonna have to take one for the team this time, OK? But true to form, they lose! Should have called my twin...

As we walk over to the Bellagio, I tell Chris I am more jealous of the LA Bloggers than ever - with their casinos and whatnot. In the past month I have become a poker room addict (happy Fred?) and am really going to miss it. We hit the Bellagio poker room and get on the list for the $4/$8 game. I get seated first, and pull out my card protector and new lucky penny. I'm in the 4 seat, the 3 seat is absent and has been for a while apparently, and what I notice right off the bat are seats 1 & 2 - they're "pros". They're chatting it up about how they just kill Party Poker and how great they are - you know the drill. Much like brown shirt, I decide they must die. In addition, seat #2 reminds me of a man I loved once...that doesn't work in his favor either.

My first hand I make the Ace-high straight on the turn. Helllooo Bellagio! Don't really like ya all that much but thanks! Other hands of note:

I look down and find the hammer. I plan to raise, because...well, I'm kooky that way. However, before I get a chance, 1 seat raises and 2 seat re-raises. 3 bets to me with the hammer. I call. Flop is worthless to me, so when it's bet to me, I fold. After the hand is over, 1 seat and 2 seat are discussing it (cause they're pros, remember) and 1 seat asks what I had. "I had 7-2 off actually" is my reply. "There are very few hands I'll call a raise with, and that's one of them." Oh a good laugh they had over that one. Just you wait Henry Higgins...

3 seat finally comes back and takes his chips, and leaves table. Well WTF? Why couldn't you do that 10 minutes ago?? Chris had been seated by this point, but he could have been seated earlier...grr. Anywho, guy sits down in the 3 seat, and his buddy sits down across from him in the...what? 7? 8? seat. He starts talking about how his buddy has rivered him all night and all into today. Ha. Funny. I never hear that shit. I have the button, dealer deals. Except...I only get one card. I only realize this after all the action has been completed (blinds, calling of blinds) and it's on me. Dealer says "Oh" and gives me a card. I ponder WWFD for a moment and then decide it's not a big deal since it's the card I should have gotten anyway and I'm still acting in turn like normal. I end up with Jc9c and decide what the hell and limp in. Flop 4 to the flush and bet it out. Make flush on turn, bet. River, bet. Win hand. 3 seat tells buddy "Hey don't worry, she's going to river me today". I inform him cooly "Actually it was the turn." We then debate it a bit, but eventually he remembers that yes, it was the turn. 3 seat becomes my biggest contributer to my shark rep at this table - previously they were all about checking for a free card - no way with me - if I had a piece of it I was betting it, and every time I bet, he's commenting on my aggression. He's also laying down hands way too easily.

Hammer again. 2 seat raises. I call. By this time 2 seat is mildly tiltly, no longer the pro at the table. I've grown to like the 1 seat, he no longer has to die. I pair the 2 on the flop, bet it out. Flush draw arrives on the turn (not mine, mind you, it's just there), bet it out. River comes to complete said draw, I bet. 2 seat thinks...thinks...then mucks. I show my cards and say "Remember how I said there were only a few hands I would call a raise with?". We are now fully tilted and re-buying.

This was by far the most aggressive I had played, so I actually didn't leave a winner. Because it was still casino poker. Because when I got Queens and raised it up, and got callers, and a King hit the flop, I knew I had to get out. And sure enough - not only was there one King out there, but every other fucking one. Kicker contest between K7 v. KJ v KQ. OK, one of you should not have been calling my raise...

Chris comes to get me, and helps me rack up. By this I mean he carried off half of my chips, disappearing into the poker room crowd, having spied some Full Tilt poker pro in the middle of the room and wanting to say hi. "I knew you'd understand" he said. Of course I did. (You know it wasn't Phil Gordon, or else I would have left my chips at the table and beat Chris there by a mile).

We head back to Caesar's, sharing our table tales as we go. We wander around the Forum Shops looking for the damn Animatronic Zeus, of which no one in the Customer Service booths has apparently ever heard of. "It's either that one there or the one down this walkway here." OK...thanks. We call Al & Eva and find out they are at neither. We all meet up, are joined by the Prof, and then head off in search of dinner.

We arrive at this posh looking restaurant called Boa and take a quick look at the menu. All are agreed it's good and so we go in, saying our goodbyes to Chris in the process as he's got to catch his flight back to LA. BG did an excellent write-up of dinner, as requested. For the record, I also ate spinach, had some of Al's Foie Gras (that's liver, people), and some of BG's tuna. Plus the snail! These are major accomplishments for me. Eva and I also tried the signature cocktail, a cinnamon-infused mixture that was very nice. Gracie and Pablo joined us right in time for the main course, it was great to see them and have them join the party, not that we were doing a lot of talking at that point! Then it was time for dessert on the terrace - which offered a magnificent view of the Vegas lights. Our server Victor took excellent care of us; he and BG bonded over the wine list, he arranged for us to have VIP status at The Foundation Room for dancing that night, if you pulled out a cigarette he was there with a lighter, Pablo wasn't feeling well so Victor got him tea from a sushi place nearby... Sigh. It was truly an unforgettable evening, not only for the service but for the company. I thank BG for including me in it and the Prof for allowing us all to tag along to dinner.

After dinner Grubby took BG, Gracie and Pablo to the airport and Derek went to the Rio to hang out with Pauly for a bit before he took off. That left me and the Prof. What to do, what to do...

We decided to walk the Forum Shops for a bit, before Prof headed back to the Rio himself and I paid one last visit to my love. Very long story short - I never did get to see my love again. Instead, I got involved in one of the best conversations I've had in a long time. We talked Dostoevsky, Shakespeare, the future of blogging, Phil Gordon, why the hell is my cell phone buzzing so much, closed and then re-opened the coffee shop in Caesar's, tracked down a place to buy a pack of cigarettes, and in general, had a good time.

However, the Prof is a working man, so at about 4am, when the $1500 Limit event was heads-up, he was heading over to the Rio. I was told I could come along, "if I wanted" but that "it would be boring". Boring? A World Series of Poker Event??? How could such a thing possibly be boring??? It's the WORLD SERIES OF POKER. Bah. I thought about it...I did have a flight in a few hours. And then there was the MGM...but no, this was my last night in Vegas. And it was the World Series. And this man had a press pass. I was so going.

You want to see a 180 degree mood change in a man? Take the Prof from oh...just about anywhere and then put him in the Rio. It's pretty clear that he's working very hard to make sure everything goes off perfectly for Poker Player. My heart immediately went out to him and Pauly, because I could see the stress and fatigue in their faces. Me, I was excited as hell to be there - it was the World FUCKING Series after all. To them, it's a job. I'm the fangirl, they're the professionals. I asked Pauly if there was anything I could do for him - get him a drink, something to eat, etc. He replied that at the moment, all he needed was to really hit the bathroom. Couldn't help him much with that. Fortunately a break was called and he could run free for a moment.

Break time over and the tournament was back on. And yea, for the record - limit tournaments are kinda boring. It's a lot like low-limit casino play - river suckouts keep the short-stack alive so these things go on forever. Still, I got to see a WSOP bracelet presentation live. I got to tell the 2nd place winner "Congratulations". I got to see the full Norman Chad ESPN winner interview, and I'm willing to bet you won't, because let's just say eloquent the winner was not. It was like something out of Entourage, and I got to witness it first-hand. And I'll never forget it. Thank you Joseph.

After the boys decided to call it a day, they gave me a ride to the Plaza, where I checked my flight departure time, realized there really was no point in even trying to sleep, and packed up. I headed for the airport, found my flight was delayed, and wished I had charged my laptop like I had planned on doing. I dozed off numerous times while waiting for the flight, and when finally on the plane, slept for a couple of hours. (First time sleeping on a plane. Now I know the trick! Stay up all night.) I came home sick and cranky. I began wading through 80 some e-mails and making the transition to reality. Back to work, back to an overly needy cat who just won't leave me the fuck alone, back to an apartment that needs cleaning (especially so thanks to said cat), back to friends with drama, back to drama with friends, back to a life where I no longer find myself getting up everyday doing something I truly love (no offense Scott). As a friend of mine said to me, "Everyone is happy in Vegas. Vegas is not reality." I know that. But for a week it was mine, and I didn't have a care in the world, and I could spend all day doing what I love.

I kinda miss that.

Posted by April at 11:01 PM | Comments (7) | TrackBack

June 14, 2005

Sunday, 6/5/05

Ah, Sunday. The first day with absolutely nothing planned, so sleeping in was definitely called for.

After an attempted breakfast turned lunch at the Plaza buffet with Hank and Matt, I found myself in the Plaza poker room once again, seeing many familiar faces gathered around the tables. It was quite the blogger turn out in the Plaza's daily tournament, and we had high hopes for a blogger-only final table.

While we were waiting, Hank and I decided to play in a $3/$6 game and were soon joined by Shelly and John. Shelly and I are freezing and the waitress can't bring the hot chocolate around fast enough. [Hey look - a good thing about the Plaza! They have good hot chocolate.] The game however, sucked, filled with old regulars - no easy money to be made here. Hank left after a few orbits and went to play blackjack. Immediately, I win hands, hitting a flush, straight, and even dropping the hammer. I share news of my successful hammer drop with Heather, who's playing at the nearby NL table, and inform Hank that he is bad luck.

John was due to fly out in a few hours, so we decided to cash out and get him off to the airport. But on our way out of the casino, we ran into BG and Jason, on their way to the sportsbook. Surely we have time for a little horse betting? Of course!

BG points to the row of screens above the bar and identifies the upcoming race we're betting on. "Pick the one you want and then come over here and place your bet." Not being the sophisticated gambler, I replied "Those are just numbers! I need the names before I can decide." This particular race offered an outstanding choice with the name CallMeTony - and when it's your first time betting on the horses, under the guidance of BG - could there be a better selection? In addition, his odds were 7/2 - all the signs were there. Possibly the only other contender was the #2 horse, Sure Thing Eva. So I decide to play it safe and bet them both to win, place, or show.

I watched BG place his bet, listening carefully to his words, so I would know exactly what to say when my turn came. Jason was up next, and placed his bet. Then it was my turn, slowly and carefully parroting the phrases that Pauly and BG were feeding me. "Perfect" BG said. I took my little white slip of paper from Boris, the man behind the sportsbook counter, and went to watch the action on one of the TVs at the bar.

Since Eva wasn't there to cheer on her namesake horse like BG was, I decided that a shot of SoCo was needed to bring Sure Thing Eva some luck. No one joined me in this though. We watched the race, cheering CallMeTony on to a first place victory, and Eva on to a fourth place finish. I'm convinced that if more people had done SoCo shots, Eva would have shown. Back we went to visit Boris, cashing in our tickets - thanks to Tonys equine and human, I was starting the day off nicely.

John and I grabbed a cab to take him to the airport, said our goodbyes, and then I uttered those three little words that set me all aflutter - "MGM Grand please". I called my twin and Shelly on the way to see if they wanted to join me. Shelly was doing well at the Plaza, but said she'd head over shortly.

My plan for the night was to play a little NL. I hadn't done that in a casino, since Colorado doesn't allow it, and the NL games in Tahoe were $200 minimum buy-in, $500 max. The MGM had $1/$2 NL, and I figured I'd give it a try. I arrived to find the typical long list, so I signed up for both $2/$4 and the NL game. While doing so, I chatted with the woman handling the sign-ups and she mentioned that she had just sat someone at the NL game...

"I'm not sure how long it will be for the NL. I just sat a major fish down at a table full of sharks."

I laughed. "Oh really?"

"Yea. He asked for these directions on how to play Hold'Em, and then he asked if we had them in French. I'm hoping he lasts a while, but I think they're going to eat him alive."

I'd like to think it was the cold medicine that dulled my senses to all the little warning bells that should have been going off. I ignored them.

I got called for the $2/$4 table and played an orbit or two there, then moved over to the NL table once the spot opened up. I took my seat and patiently waited for my blind, and took note of my table. But not enough note, or else I would have gotten my ass up. The max buyin for this table was $200. Quite a few of the guys at the table had stacks of well over $500 in front of them. Then there was the guy who sat down on my left, and mentioned he was a teacher. I asked what he taught. "Poker" he replied. Oh.

Hmm...I think I know what happened to French fishie...

I was a little intimidated, but I reminded myself that these were the same kind of guys that I played against online. I knew how to play NL. I waited for the very best cards, not falling to the temptation to call raises with KT in late position, even if they were s000ted. I got baby pockets, raised it up, got no respect at all despite the fact that I had played nothing, didn't flop my set, and got out. My trouble hand though, was appropriately enough, with AJ. It was raised to me pre-flop, and I called. I flopped top-pair, bet out a decent amount (sorry, I didn't take notes and I really don't remember) and got called. The turn came a low card, and wasn't particularly scary. I bet and was re-raised a sizable portion of my stack. I thought. I thought a lot. I became more aware of the fact that I was thinking more than I really should have to. I called, counting out all of my red chips and a lot of white ones. The river came another low card, bringing home all sorts of straight draws. I check, it's bet, I think; wanting to call, feeling that I have to call, but yet...remembering that no, I don't. I fold, having donated a nice chunk of change.

The guy on my right starts to analyze the hand, guessing at what the guy I was heads-up with had. He puts him on a set of Jacks. That thought never even occurred to me. "Or a higher set of pockets", the guy replies. Yea. Never even thought about that one either. I've been playing limit with tourists way too long. In poker, your opponents actions are their way of telling you about their hand - if they're smart enough. Playing casino limit for a month has made me numb to that. The realization that I was completely outplayed was humbling. I remembered something that DoubleAs had said to me - that when he focused on his limit game, his NL game suffered, and vice versa. I knew I shouldn't be at that table. I wasn't in the NL frame of mind, and hadn't been for quite some time. And it will most likely be a while before you see me back at my usual NL tables online - need to work out the kinks before I jump back in.

Shelly, April, & her friend Maura showed up about this time and we decide to grab dinner before settling in for a night of poker. Shelly did a great write-up of dinner, so I'm gonna steal it from her.

We ate at the Rainforest Cafe - good stuff, though I was a bit disappointed with the thunderstorms. And if I hear one more person scream, "Volcano!" I might scream. I enjoyed the conversation at dinner though. April H. and Maura had scored some sort of We're the Shiznit cards, which allowed us to bypass the waiting list for priority seating, and then get a free appetizer. These girls know how to live. April ( Texas ) and I picked the tomatoes out of the bruschetta and discovered that we've got very similar peculiar eating habits. (Yes, we know - bruschetta IS tomatoes! But the juice is yummy!) Tasty morsels indeed at the Rainforest Cafe. April A. and I washed our meals down with cold medicine. (Thank you SO much - girl - you saved my life with those Advil Cold n' Sinus!)

Yes, the great blogger Vegas flu was spreading!

After dinner it was poker time. We were joined by reader Jim, and put our names on the waiting list. I was seated at a table by myself, with the intent of moving over when a spot opened up, but my table was so very good, and so very fun. I quickly made $100, then switched seats so the guy on my left could have his wife sit next to him. It was at this point I noticed the penny that was wedged in one of my chip stacks. That penny never left me when I was playing from that point forward.

A few hours later Geek called and said he was on his way. I put his name on the list and fortunately when he was seated it was with me. Then a little while later I looked up and what to my wondering eyes should appear but Marty and crew squad, racks in tow, headed our way. My night was now officially complete.

Geek and I took a memorable tour of the MGM on the search for a meal for him [note - no matter what anyone might tell you, that little deli by the poker room does indeed close at 1 am on Sunday. Monday. Whatever.] and settled in for another round of fish busting.

We ran into a little bit of a problem though. I'm gonna let Geek tell it, since it seems like his story to tell really. And besides...he needs to fucking blog.

Shelly, Geek and I left the MGM in the early morning (it was still dark! Who leaves a casino before dawn??) and headed back for the Plaza. I climbed into bed and drifted off to sleep - I didn't realize it, but I was going need all that I could get for the day I had coming up.

Coming up: Last day all-nighter

Posted by April at 02:16 AM | Comments (4) | TrackBack

June 12, 2005

Saturday, 6/4/05

I'm trying not to think about the fact that a week ago, I was happily in Vegas. As a friend of mine said to another last night, "The thing is, she'd pack up and move tomorrow." Well...let's just say it's a good thing that UNLV has a boring-looking political science department. Not that I've checked or anything...

I woke up Saturday morning feeling awful. Given the option, I would have preferred to curl up in bed all day, but as I told John, "there are some things you just can't miss", and the Aladdin tournament was certainly one of them. We headed over, found that we were one of the early birds (a rare moment for me), paid our entry fees, and got our table assignments.

I'm glad Halverson remembers the entire table, because I sure don't. All I remember is Pauly, BadBlood, Halverson, Chris (PokerGeek), Shelly, and Heather. I was not liking my table, particularly because of Chris. One of the drawbacks of railbirding him so much is that I've learned when he raises it can be anything - which is what makes him great in tournaments, but not when you're on the other side of the table. So when the first hand came out, and he oh so casually raised, I was thinking "Great. This is how it's gonna be. I know how he plays. He's gonna do this the whole time, and I'm not in the mood to even try to out play him." When he turned over his cards and yelled "Hammer!" though - the look on his face was priceless and the whole room cheered - a perfect way to start off the tourney.

My AQ hand against Poker Pro Chris Halverson cost me a lot of chips. Honestly, I had a feeling all along that he had AK. It made sense - he raised and was betting the ace, showing absolutely no hesitation in doing so. He was fearless! So why did you keep calling April? Well...I have no good answer to that. Similar to my boat over boat from the night before, and a hand that would occur later that evening, my weakness was out in full force - my stubbornness, my inability to listen to myself and just lay a damn hand down. Thankfully that river came a King, so I knew then I was most likely really beat, and that snapped me to.

I played a few hands, calling blinds but not hitting flops, bleeding chips. I felt like crap, honestly, and while I didn't want to be the first one out of the tourney, I wasn't in the mood to play. I wasn't even trying to steal blinds or make any fancy plays - not that it would have likely worked at this table. Then, finally, short stacked and in the blinds, I look down to see what is still, for the moment, my "signature" hand - AA. My move here was simple, and got even simpler when BadBlood raised enough to put me all in. I quickly called, thinking this would be an easy double-up and I could survive a little longer. We both flipped over our cards; he had Kings. We both flopped a set, and the noise from our table quickly drew a crowd. It was dramatic. There was just one little problem...every card on the board was black, matching up nicely with BB's cards. My aces? Red. Turn was another black card, and the river? Club or spade, I don't remember, but it was the one that gave BadBlood the flush that he needed to crack my set of Aces, and I was out second. I'd put the hand in the Bad Beat O'Meter, but I don't remember the exact details of each card...suffice to say though, I'm pretty sure it would be off the charts.

I can't say I was terribly upset. I got my chips in with the best hand, and at the very least I had the best bad beat story to tell. I admit I was a little relieved that I no longer had to try and muddle my way though the tournament - much easier to sit at the bar (a/k/a Losers Lounge) and chat with PokerNerd. There the only pressure was that in my head, and hey - vodka and cranberry juice is great for curing a cold, right? If not, I'm sure Al can think of something...

And sure enough, a few hours later he did, when as things were winding down (meaning, the Losers Lounge was getting a bit busier) I mentioned I still had not yet had a SoCo experience. That was quickly remedied, and we put in a dial-a-shot to Joanne in the process.

After watching the exciting conclusion of the tournament, I had a nice lunch that I've already gotten shit for, because it was with a large portion of the LA blogger contingent. Hey - what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas, right? Except there are pictures...

Then it was off to La Salsa, where the margaritas are sold by the yard apparently. I'm pretty sure there was a warning on the cold medicine about not mixing with alcohol, but ah...who pays attention to those things? I know I felt absolutely awful, so I was no fun, but I did get some time in with Pauly and The Fat Guy, and with Travis and Gracie. I'm still thinking about why we Americans find it so funny to tease Canadians Travis...I have a theory or two. I remember us (John, Gracie, Pablo, Nancy, Travis, Benjy) deciding to head back downtown for dinner and poker. I do not remember how we got there.

I know we decided to eat at the Golden Gate, renowned for their spectacular shrimp cocktail. We entered to find a line, but decided we could manage. After all, they were serving drinks! The Plaza was so close by....I was tempted to go to bed, but made do by just leaning on John and drinking water - no way in hell was I going to call it quits. I ended up being so glad I didn't, because what followed was one of my best nights in Vegas. Even after Matt showed up!

While waiting in line for dinner, Travis decides to play a little video poker. I am not a video poker kind of gal. In fact, as he won on one of the machines, Gracie said "He hit five of a kind!" and I replied "How the fuck do you hit five of a kind?". The "deuces wild" concept was explained to me, and I went back to sleep. Travis was on a roll. He proceeded to win on three machines back to back as we moved through the line, bucketing a massive mountain of...nickels.

So what do you do with so many nickels when you're sitting at dinner? Use them to play limit hold'em of course. Pablo just happened to have a deck of cards on him, Travis had won us chips, and if you ran a little short, there was a supply of sugar packets that nicely served as one big bet. (Feel free to use these rules for your own restaurant nickel poker games). Our salads arrived, there was talk of quitting the game; but it was decided that REAL players wouldn't let something as silly as lettuce get in the way of poker. Although that shrimp sundae...

It was sitting there at dinner, looking at this table of friends, some new, some old, that I thought - "This is what I came to Vegas for - silly little moments like this one". Thanks guys.

After dinner it was real poker time! We headed over to the Golden Nugget and found ourselves seated next to a loud table playing a mixed game. Not sure where they find these people! We were joined by Scott (FatGuy) and we're really having a blast. I was doing well, up a stack or two, and then everyone's favorite reader, Matt from Austin, stopped by to railbird a bit. When Scott left us, Matt sat down to take his place. He was just going to play a few hands; waiting for a phone call he said. Uh huh.

Tell them about the straight!
Posted by: Matt Stephans at June 7, 2005 11:46 PM

Oh don't worry. Memorable little hand that was. Three players; myself, Matt, and tourist fishie. I made the broadway straight on the turn, fishie...I don't know what fishie was thinking. Fishie had an Ace, and was happily calling bets and raises, hell, even raising himself once that river came. Fucking river. A reoccuring theme for me that day. The river was a 10, which paired the board, and gave Matt a full house. To be fair, Matt did warn me, with a "You're screwed", but, as was my problem earlier in the day, I just couldn't put it down. There was enough raising and re-raising on the river that big flashing lights and screaming alarms should have been going off, but I was in the middle of a war to cap, and with each bet I called I dug myself deeper in a hole I was not going to get out of. Matt took in a nice $200ish pot, right as his phone rang, calling him away from the casino.

Fortunately, that was a good game, and I managed to leave only $3 down. We headed over to the Plaza, where rumor had it there was a bunch of degenerate gamblers hanging out. Gracie and crew headed up to the infamous Casino 2351, John sat down at a game, while I got a lesson on craps from Hank and his friend Matt, then later took a tour of the casino offerings with Travis, Grubby, and Mike. Travis had doubled his video poker winnings earlier by making another successful run on even more machines, and so we decided to hit the blackjack tables and run it up some more! Under Grubby's watchful eye...I proceeded to lose $20 in a rather unspectacular fashion. Then Mike explained baccarat to me, which I now know is the stupidest casino game ever. But I'm better off for my lessons in -EV and I thank each of my teachers. I'll never forget the glamorous classroom that was the Plaza Casino.

Coming up: If you can't spot the sucker at the table...

Posted by April at 05:28 AM | Comments (3) | TrackBack

June 10, 2005

And the pictures are good too

In case you haven't heard yet, we left Pauly behind in Vegas, to actually work. Poor guy is reporting from the World Series of Poker, working for Poker Player. I got to see the team (Pauly, Poker Prof, flipchip) in action as the $1,500 Limit event was finishing up - these guys are working hard, to say the least. In fact, they could probably use an assistant, if anyone would like to send me to Vegas for the summer....

Pauly is cranking out some awesome writeups, be sure to check them out. And it appears that my request for more Phil Gordon pics did not fall on deaf ears (thanks Joseph!). It's all quality - makes me wish I was back there at the Rio....

World Series of Poker Live Blog
2005 World Series of Poker Photo Gallery
2005 World Series of Poker Tournament Results

Posted by April at 01:29 PM | Comments (4) | TrackBack

June 09, 2005

Friday, 6/3/05

I made my way to the Rio shortly after the WSOP was scheduled to begin, knowing that I could count on our boys to hang in there for at least an hour. I needed every minute of sleep I could get, you see, since I was beginning to feel a tad run-down. Right as I got to the Rio my cell phone rang - it was a friend from Austin calling. He kept me company as I wandered through the maze of slot machines and tried to find the pathway to the WSOP. I made one brief stop on my way, and shared with him my bad news:

"I think I'm getting sick. I need to pick up some drugs so I can make it through this weekend."

"You can't get sick! You're in VEGAS. No one gets sick in Vegas!!"

"I know. But right now I'm paying $12 for a bottle of water and medicine, so I think I am."

I walked the quarter of a mile to the WSOP, and then entered the room. It was amazing...the thousands of people, the constant sound of shuffling chips, James Woods right in front of me...I tried to describe it to my friend, but not being quite the addict enthusist I am, something was lost in the translation. Then of course, as I was snaking my way through the tables, Phil Gordon stood up to take a call on his cell phone, and I completely lost the ability to carry on a conversation on mine.

Sufficiently star-struck, I finally made my way over the Otis's table, where CJ and Jeff were railbirding. CJ told me were Kent and Bob were, so I went to check on them, and brought Kent a bit of good luck but unfortunately was not enough. I spent the break with Otis and Jeff, spying the who's who of poker in the halls. Then it was time for a bit of fun with that "other" Phil that plays poker, trying to get a picture of Jason beside him in his Jopke hat, but without much luck, since Phil was protected from the public. (Wuss)

I was asked Monday night who was the blogger I most wanted to meet this weekend. For me that was easy - Hank. Months ago, when CJ first announced this little Vegas get-together, and Hank got his cool new job, it didn't take me too long to figure out the potential there. Oh sure, he's great for poker theory and strategy talks. But I wanted something much better. I would be in Vegas...Hank would be in Vegas...Phil Gordon would be in Vegas...all I asked for was a simple introduction, where I could make a stammering fool of myself. I was assured I would get to meet Phil. Was I using Hank for his connections? Of course!! The fact that he became a great advisor and friend along the way was just a bonus - it was really all about Phil. So Eva, Hank & I decide to go grab lunch at the Sao Paolo cafe in the Rio. And along the way, who should we come upon, walking back towards the WSOP area, but Mr. Phil Gordon himself. So here I am. Vegas. With Hank. And it's Phil Gordon. Hank stops to talk to him. Eva and I stand off to the side. I'm patiently waiting. Hank and Phil chat for a couple of minutes, and then...

Hank lets him go.

The second he turned around and saw my face, he realized what he had done. And he did feel bad. Sigh. Maybe next time...

We were joined for lunch by Jason and Heather, played a little Keno (I do believe my number choice was the only one to hit; perhaps I have a natural affinity for the game?) and then headed back to the WSOP. We hit right as they were on break, and Jason took the opportunity to be my hero for the day, by yelling "Phil!" and asking him if he'd take his picture with us. He of course agreed, being such a nice guy.

Back to the WSOP we went, railbirding Bobby and Otis a bit and taking more photos of the pros. I get to meet my twin as well. Then back to the Sao Paolo to check on the others, where suddenly, exhaustion sets in. Jason and I had been talking about going to the Luxor, but the general feeling is that a nap before the night's castle storming is a good thing. So off we go, with Jason driving myself, BG, and Kent to the Plaza. Quietest car ride ever. You'd think we all had just a few hours of sleep the night before or something.

I nap, then John arrives shortly after his plane gets in at 10:15. We head over to the Excalibur and eat, then head to the poker room. Say hi to everyone, meet Shelly, make a call to Joanne, and settle in to play. The $2/$6 spread game took a little getting used to - where was it when I was first playing in a non-Colorado casino? It's the closest thing to Colorado I've seen. Of course now I'm used to real casino poker, and I have to adjust to Colorado type again. We had the most boring table in the world. Full of rocks, we even had a guy fall asleep at one point. We had three guys at the end through a hissy fit when John played 7-5 and flopped a straight. They put in for a table change over to Iggy, Maudie and Marty's table...I wanted to tell them that wasn't going to make them any happier, but I bit my tounge. I took a loss to a boat over boat...I had a feeling I was beat, but I just couldn't bring myself to fold...certaintly didn't have to re-raise on the river though. Overall, I'm not a fan of the Excalibur. BadBlood said he wouldn't play without shufflemasters - I was already in that mindset, not to mention the MGM had already stolen my heart. Not feeling well, and unhappy with the game, I cashed out and followed Jeff over to the Pai Gow tables to get a brief lesson on the game from Heather and Otis. They seemed to be enjoying themselves, but it looked like -EV to me. (Or for me, if nothing else).

Then it was time for a stop off at Krispy Kreme, led by the good Doctor, then back to the Plaza to rest up for the tourney.

Coming up: Fucking river!

Posted by April at 09:53 PM | Comments (7) | TrackBack

June 08, 2005

Thursday, 6/2/05

I had grand plans for the day. I was going to get up early, finish up my laundry and packing, get my nails done, hit the bank, and be ready for a noon pick up by my best friend Nancy who would take me to work, where I would diligently work a full day before Scott would then take me to the airport.

3am, I am still doing laundry. No big deal. My recent time in Tahoe has me adjusted to little sleep. I can get up at 9, be out of the house at 10, get my errands done and be back home by noon for my pickup.

9am, dearest Nancy calls. "Can you call me back in an hour?" "Sure".

10am, the phone rings again and I'm really up this time. OK, 10:20.

11:30, I call Nancy and tell her I'll take myself to the airport.

I finally roll in to work around 3:30pm and make my best effort at putting in a couple of hours, trying hard not to think about the fact that I will be in Vegas shortly. Scott is no help with this. Understandably jealous, he's giving me the locals perspective and also sending me on a mission to Binions to secure a $1 chip.

Flight was un-eventual. I brought Raising Arizona to watch on the laptop, however the battery didn't make it the whole way, which I pretty much expected. Found out one of the drawbacks of flying Southwest is no one ever mentions to you which baggage carousel your luggage will be on - not a big deal at some airports, but at McCarron... Found luggage, got in line for a cab, and headed out for the Plaza.

I was arriving well after the sushi dinner was scheduled to begin, so my plan was to unpack, take a short nap, and then head over to the MGM. And that's exactly what I did.

I admit I was anxious about walking into my first Vegas casino all by myself. I only knew what a few of the other bloggers looked like, so I was a little bit concerned that I'd spend all night in this place like passing ships in the dark...never meeting everyone, but playing tables away. I wore my UT shirt to stand out somewhat, just in case.

Got to the MGM and walked through the maze of -EV to get to the poker room. I knew the game that everyone was going to be playing that night was HORSE, and since that was not my game, I signed up for a $2/$4 and was seated immediately. I asked where the HORSE game was being dealt, and was pointed in the right direction.

I played a couple of orbits at my table and then went over to the table and said hello. I arrived right as Halverson's hand of infamy was occurring. Introductions were made (Al, Scott, Maudie, Matt, Chris, Pauly, Jason) and of course there was plenty of "Which April are you?" (apparently the shirt did not help). Helixx later took me upstairs to the private area where the other game was going on and I met Gracie, Bob, Felicia, Nerd, and many more I know I'm forgetting. I chatted for a bit and returned to my game.

I took a break later and then met Head and Joe Speaker, and then G-Rob arrived. Well...cards be dammed, I had to get up immediately and greet him. I arrived mid-rant and then relieved Otis of rant-listening duties, as he returned to his table. I'm sure our respective tables loved all of our table-hopping all night. Therefore, it only made sense that we get seated together.

How many times do you have to say fuck to get kicked out of the MGM?

G-Rob and Otis were playing together at a table and as soon as a spot opened up, I moved over, sitting on Otis's left. There is nothing to make you feel more secure in your first time in a Vegas casino than having Otis right beside you (even if he is talking trash ) and one of your favorite UB buddies there across the felt. (And oh what nice felt it is. I *heart* the MGM Grand).

At one point, G-Rob commits the worst offense known in poker-room-dom, and drops the F-word. (Big fucking deal if you ask me). He gets a warning of course, and then proceeds to go off on a string of "fucks" and variations, conveniently enough right as the floor man is walking by. He couldn't help but laugh at G-Rob - not only were we all doing so, but you can tell just by looking at him that he's a great guy - so of course the floor man just gave him the standard warning. Always pushing the envelope though, G-Rob asks:

"How many times can I say fuck before I get kicked out?"

"That's your last one".

G-Rob then tosses the floor man a dollar chip, which hits him beautifully.

"OK, you got one more."

The table erupts in laughter. At this point it is well after 1am, and Otis begins to mumble something about needing to get to bed for something important he was doing in the morning. I begin to assure him that sleep is highly over-rated and that really, just because someone is playing in a WSOP Event in a few hours doesn't mean they should be in bed.

Kent comes by and his awake presence is assuring to Otis that he's not the only one acting somewhat irresponsibly that night. We take a break and head over to the SportsBook area where some of the gang is hanging out and chatting. I introduce myself to Iggy, then head back to our table.

A word about the 1 Seat...

Marty dubbed him Brown Shirt. I don't remember exactly what he had done specifically to G-Rob, but I know they were the usual low-limit "I play any two cards" suckouts. He's the reason G-Rob left us. That was reason number 1...

Reason number 2 came long after Otis had gone to bed, Mr. "I'm Playing in the World Series in a few hours". CJ moved in to take his seat, and at one point had asked me how Brown Shirt got that big stack of chips in front of him. I replied "The usual way", meaning suckouts galore. We didn't know what he bought in with, but he had over $300 in front of him.

Oh, we were getting a little silly. There had been some drinking, yes. The straddles began. And of course, when you have a table of mostly bloggers (Chilly was on my left, plus we had FOBs as well), you have to look out for low cards on the flop...

I was already loving Marty for his witty banter. When the 7-2 came on the board, I knew he had the nuts. He and Brown Shirt were heads-up, and this was gonna be great. River came a 3, pairing the board. Brown Shirt? Holding A3. Cracked the hammer. I could not believe it. I actually teared up a little. It was soul-crushing. I looked at Brown Shirt stacking up his chips, and...well, it was personal now.

It's Marty's story to tell, so I will leave it to him. Suffice to say BS (ha! how freakin appropriate) left before we did. I had a great time playing with the boys at the MGM, finished up, walked out with CJ into the rising sun, and took a cab back to the Plaza. It was a great start to the weekend, and quickly made me feel right at home.

Coming up: Who the hell gets sick in Vegas?

Posted by April at 12:10 AM | Comments (4) | TrackBack

June 07, 2005

The ashtray says you were up all night

The professor made me do it.

I knew I'd have at least one stay-up-all-night night in Vegas, and last night was it. I got back to the Plaza shortly before 5am and since I was due to fly out at 8...seemed kinda silly to even try and sleep. Monday was the perfect way to cap off the trip.

I fell in love many times over in my 5 days in Vegas. Most recently with a man named Victor...but I know I'd have to fight Eva, Gracie, the Prof, and BG for him.

I had a great time. There were certain things that I really wanted to acomplish on this trip that I didn't get to do, but the unexpected things that came up more than made up for them. [This does not mean certain people are forgiven. Said person will never live said event down.]

All will be explained soon...let me sleep a little.

I left the Plaza this morning, got a cab, and told the taxi driver that I wanted to go to the airport. But in my mind, I was thinking "MGM Grand". I did not want to come home.

I miss Vegas. Would like to return now please.

Posted by April at 03:06 PM | Comments (8) | TrackBack

June 01, 2005

Good Lord, I leave for Vegas tomorrow

That just kinda hit me.

Good thing my luggage showed up last night from Reno. It was a little late, as my flight from Reno to DFW was late getting in and I barely made my flight to Austin myself - my luggage took a later flight apparently.

Had a great time in Tahoe. Very happy to be home though. Almost don't want to leave again, but...it is Vegas.

Made the first casino trip to Harvey's Lake Tahoe, a stop on the WSOP circuit this year. They have one NL game, a $500 max buy-in, with a $200 min buy-in. My poker budget this trip was $200. Hence the decision to play limit. John & I each bought a rack of whites ($100) and sat down at a $3/$6 table.

We chatted a bit with the guys at our end of the table, noting the fish-like tendencies of a player at the other end of the table, despite his rising stack. For the most part, the table was friendly, and loose. My notable pot came when our buddy to my right raised in late position saying "This is my favorite hand, I have to play it". I was in the big blind with 7-5 off. I told him "Well, this is my favorite hand, so...I'll call ya". [Hush. That pot was huge already, they were all going to call his raise, and it is my favorite hand] $70 pot pre-flop. Flop was all low cards, one of which was a 5. I bet, get called of course. Turn comes a 7. River is a flush card, but I can't fold at this point. I take down approx $140 pot.

I don't keep it though. Played all night (morning?) leaving at sunrise broke. I ran into flopped boats twice and that dented me. In these loose games it's hard to know if your two pair are good. The truth is, even if you have Aces in the hole, if the board is paired, you are most likely fucked. Of course you have outs...and depending upon how many people are along for the ride (and oh my are they often all along for the ride) sometimes you have to keep betting. Right?? Wrong?? The other crippling factor for me was that the game had gotten short-handed and John had suggested we bump it to $4/$8. While that was better for rake, it didn't help my dwindling stack.

I missed playing NL. At one point during the night, I looked over my shoulder at the NL table, to see all those big stacks of red chips, and seriously considered hitting the ATM. But then I looked at the players...and thought better of it. I learned to love limit though. My hardest block so far as been to shut off the little things that have been ingrained in my brain from playing NL. Things like - "I have AJ. I didn't hit the flop in any way. I should fold." Hell no. In limit, Ace high is gooooodddd - bet it! Showdown at the river even - I win. The first time that happened I was stunned and amazed. But I'll take easy chips. Limit is my friend.

So you play poker all night and sleep all day. Then what do you do? Get up and do it again, of course. This time at Harrah's in Reno. Again $3/$6. I bought in for my last $100. And again, there was "guy who plays every pot" at the other end of the table (I'm thinking there is one of these at every table, yes?). The rare occasions he folded, I was dying to know what those cards were.

Reno was by far my best time in a casino. I won a pot with AJ bluffing all the way. There was a King and Queen out there, so I suppose it was a semi-bluff. Got the guy to my left to fold on the river, and as I was stacking my chips, he said to me, "I know you had a King. Right? Right?" I just smiled. I had Q8 in the big blind and hit trips on the turn. I was heads-up with John in the pot, and I really should have known better. I raised and he called...anyone else I wouldn't have thought twice. Clearly I didn't think twice here, but I should have. He had a Queen as well, and I was outkicked.

I was shortstacked again, down to about $14. I took a break. This game was beatable. My only losses had come to John! But I wasn't on my game, wasn't focused, wasn't something. I didn't want to, but I was seriously considering buying in for another rack, because I knew I could get it all back and more from this game. Of course I also knew I had to be disciplined. I had to stick to my shortstack and make it work.

John tried to give me $20 for the trip Queens pot. I refused. We went back and forth for a couple of minutes. "Take it, that way when you have the nuts you'll be able to get the most from the pot." Fine.

A few hands later I was in the big blind with 10-2. Flop was low, with a 2. No draws on board. I bet, get more callers than folders. (Hey. I have a pair and outs, plus a large pot that I know is going to get bigger. And, I will admit, perhaps a certain degree of tilt. However - give a girl some credit for knowing her table. And sometimes you just have a feeling.) Turn is a blank. River is a 2. I needed that $20. As I stacked my chips, I thought of some guys in LA and thanked Doyle. [And yes, I paid John back]

That was my turning point for the night (morning?). While I didn't have the night that the guy on my right did, hitting the nut straight and flush on his first two hands and doubling up right then, I steadily built up my stack. Rarely did I have to showdown my cards. My Aces held up. My Jacks did too, when I flopped a set with them and was heads-up with the new guy at the table, a young guy who kept check-raising me. [Who the hell did he think he was????] Everyone at the table was disappointed when he folded at the river, given the action that there had been. John asked me "What did you put him on?" I replied "I didn't. I just knew I flopped the nuts and..." Yea. April needs to work on that. I tend to forget that the best hand at the flop can change oh-so-quickly. There was a flush draw out there, but still...I would have had to call a bet on the river.

It was a fun table. At one point John suggested we make it a kill game. Everyone agrees. I tell him "You are so negative EV". The dealers were great, the people were great. My card protector is a UT magnet, which is about card sized itself, which annoyed some of the dealers, but...I don't really care. I don't like much dealers that do the whole "the gentleman folds, the lady calls" bit - I'm no lady. There was one who called me Texas. I liked him. At one point after I had taken down another large pot, one of the dealers asked, "What exactly did you study at the University of Texas?". My favorite dealer was Bill, who stayed up with us all morning. Poor Bill. We drove him a little crazy, but he was cool enough to put up with it. At one point John told the table we all needed to give Bill a chip for putting up with us. I gave him $5 when I racked up. Guy at our table hit a royal, we had people who were litterally playing for the first time ever (I tried hard not to drool over the sight of their chips) and we had railbirds watching us play and even offering their commentary and expertise. One guy with a wife who needed to really tone down the perfume and makeup at 7am told a guy at our table he couldn't have fear in this game. While true, I wanted to tell him to grab a rack and sit down if he felt that way.

I went to rack up and grabbed two racks. Then found I needed another. And still had to carry some chips in my hand. It was a good night. Let's hope it continues this weekend.

That experience made me ready for Vegas. Bring on the stay up all night in the casino thing. I was there till 7 am. I slept for an hour and then found myself back in the casino and was seriously telling myself I was capable of buying back in. Addicted? Me? Not at all! [I did not buy back in.]

The only other poker I played was at home, heads-up with John. And I only mention that because of one hand...

You see, he's read all of your blogs because I've pointed him to them. John is a writer himself, I'm often pushed him to write about poker, but no dice. Not really into the whole blog thing. And he's never respected the hammer. He did play the french hammer in one of the casinos earlier in the week and take a pot down with it, but we all know that doesn't really count.

We've always loved playing each other heads-up. We played one game and I was winning easily, outplaying him hand after hand. He wasn't agressive enough, he wasn't bluffing enough, etc. I told him these things. I need to shut up. He won that game.

Second game, he was shortstacked again. He goes all-in for 800. Having plenty of chips and A8, I call. "Show 'em". Reluctantly, he turns over...the hammer. I am shocked and amazed. And then I get pissed. Flop is 7 2 9. Turn and river don't even matter.

Me: "That's not supposed to happen for you. You have never respected that hand".

I am assured it will get the proper respect it deserves this weekend in Vegas, so be forwarned. Like you aren't on the lookout already.

See y'all tomorrow.

Posted by April at 02:40 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack