Family

Last posted that I would be going to Tunica for some WPO events. Had a change of heart and decided to take my daughter to my Vegas house for a week. While being a poker player and a sports bettor can sometimes be overwhelming, I have tried to keep a good balance to life. Family is more important than anything. As a divorced dad, I enjoy a great relationship with my kids, get to see them often and have a good non-confrontational relationship with their Mom.

I just returned from Las Vegas and am back in Texas. I played a whopping three hours of poker during the week and made a whopping $43. Felt guilty the whole time as my daughter was home alone although I was 5 minutes away at Red Rock. She approved of my poker time but it just didn't seem right and I quit after a couple of hours.

My daughter and I did all the tourist things. We walked all over the strip, ate nice meals at Naked Fish, Gordon Biersch, Hash Hash A Go Go and casual ones at In N Out and Pop's Cheese Steak. We went to see Salt and Grown Ups ( would recommend both) and finally made it the Beatles Love at Mirage. I think it was the best Cirque show I have seen with Lucy in the Sky my favorite scene. Makes me remember the Beatles did a lot of drugs in the late 60's. Of course, I was dragged to the tourist traps of the M&M's and Coca Cola Store but it was worth to see my daughter enjoy buying stuff for her friends with money she had saved on her own.

Most importantly though the week reminded me how blessed I am to have healthy kids, who I have a great relationship with.

After all the grinding, bad beats etc., nothing is better than family.

Trip Colorado/New Mexico -Hard Rock Albuquerque

Just got back home in Texas from a quick 3 day road trip of some 1600 miles with my 13 year old son. The purpose of my trip was to look at a potential ranch investment in Southern Colorado. I looked at a 400 acre ranch in the high mountain country just south of Red Wing Colorado. I would be one of several investors in the ownership group.Absolutely a gorgeous piece of property with a great stream through it, trout ponds , some amazing views, roughly 7000 feet in elevation. We rode four wheelers throughout the property and had a blast. The property has a new metal building on it and I could see turning that into a lodge/cabin. We get a satellite dish and Internet, I am in. Its always great to get out into nature. Investment decision is pending.

It was good to spend some quality time with my son although most of it was in the car , away from the distractions of TV's and Internet.

Decided to stay the second night in Albuquerque at a brand new Hard Rock Casino and Hotel which was previous called Isleta. Guess the Indian tribe did a deal with Hard Rock similar to others around the county. Although its 627 miles from my Texas house and 589 miles from my Vegas house, I really like this place. Hotel room was perfect and a good deal at $109. My son, wanted to order room service and watch movies, so of course I had to venture downstairs and play a bit.

They have a 10-12 table room and were spreading some limit up to 2-10 spread and 1/2 and 5/10 No limit. I was shocked but the 5/10 game was full and had a couple of names on the list. Looked like about 8 to 10K on the table. The floor, which was damn friendly, said the game is local and full Thursday-Sunday nights.

Played about 3 hours of 1/2 and made $86 after paying for a few beers $5 a piece. Apparently weird alcohol laws in New Mexico casinos. The game was full(9 handed) and was a mix of 5 locals, and the 4 of us out of towners. There were two really creative and tough local rocks, that I didn't want to tangle with. Another local played maybe two-three hands and hour. Fourth local was a calling station, spewing guy, who blew through at least $700. He was at least 70, wearing suspenders, you know the type.

Not a lot of bluffing and people were not afraid to keep on calling and would bet the crap out of their made hand on the river. I knew it was going to different when about two orbits in , six limpers to me in the BB and I popped it up to $17 with AK off suit. Got five callers, flop was 6-6-2 rainbow and the small led out for $100, easy fold. Shows, 6-7 suited, keep calling $17 pre-flop, Sir. Had to lay down King's, Jack's and AK twice, all post flop when I knew I was beat.

A hand between myself and one of the solid local rocks still has me thinking. I was on the button with AK suited and called a $20 bet pre by UTG +2. $43 in the pot and before the dealer turns the flop over, the rock bets $30 in the dark. Now I have seen this a lot in Vegas but by typically younger drunk guys, but not so much by an older rock. He hadn't done before to this point about two hours into the game. Flop comes 10 8 5 no hearts. I am thinking this has got be queens plus and fold my AK face up and he flips AQ. Guy bluffed the hell out of me. Nice bet, Sir.

Made some good progress when my Queens were good in a multi-way pot and the local spewing guy paid me off a few times. Lost a fairly big pot with Jacks which tripped on the river, bad Jack for me as it gave the guy a flush that he was obviously chasing and he pushed way over my $50 river bet, another easy fold.

I really liked this little room, it's quiet, a bit away from the main floor, nice chairs and felt, great floor and nothing close to a dealer error in 3 hours or so. Will be back the next time I pass through.

Didn't Make It Back To Vegas and July Plans

Have not blogged in a while, so thought I would update. I left Vegas On June 3 with every intention on coming back around June 20 for another week of tournaments. I came down with a really bad upper chest cold and basically was down for two weeks. Maybe it was a really bad case of the poker room flu but it was the worst I have have felt in a number of years. Also I have been spending some quality time with my son this month. At 13, he has had a rough last few months, with a the life changes he is going through. I am happy to report things for him seem to be going a lot better and his behavior, while a challenge, seems to be improving. He is such a great kid. In the end, my kids are way more important than poker anyway.

I am really addicted to the World Cup and have watched almost every game. As I write this, I am waiting on Argentina/Germany to start. Yesterdays Uruguay/Ghana game was the best yet. I am so impressed with the ability and athleticism of these players.

My plan for July is to go to Tunica for a few WPO events at Gold Strike and take a vacation with my daughter later in the month. Not sure when I will be back to my Vegas house, my tenants are there through the WSOP, may make it back the last week of the month. Definitely I will be there in August for Matt Savage's Detox Series at Hard Rock.

Texas Casino Change and a Gross Slowroll

Did you know that the largest casino in terms of gaming square footage between Las Vegas and Atlantic City is in Thackerville, Oklahoma. Just 65 miles north of Dallas-Fort Worth lies Winstar World Casino, a gigantic slot palace, with a large poker room and some raked black jack tables. Winstar is also home to the River Tournament now aligned with Greg Raymer. Last year they had a $600,000 overlay in a $3,000,000 guaranteed event. I would assume this was the largest overlay in the US.

Anyway, due to a former dating relationship, I have been keeping myself out of Winstar and going to another Oklahoma casino for over 2.5 years. Seems the ex girlfriend is a big time regular and I took the high road by going somewhere else. Trying to be civil with this person but we just can not communicate on the same page. Well, finally enough is enough and I have decided to start playing again at Winstar when I am in Texas. Principally the reason is distance and action. This place has plenty of action with games 24/7 and is only a one hour drive from my home.

Last night I experienced what I though was one of the worst slow rolls, lack of etiquette that has been dealt to me in a long time. I was in a very nitty 1/2 game where the standard raise was about $7 and a big rise was anything over $15 or so. I am in the BB and looked down at two black aces. Action is folded to the button who makes it $7, SB calls and I pop it to $30, both players call fairly quickly. Flop is QJ9 two hearts which is not the best flop for aces with all the draws out there. SB bets $30 and I decide to push for my remaining $190 or so. Button thinks for a bit and pushes his $225 stack in. SB tank for a bit and folds. So here were are, two of us all in no more action, roughly $450 in the pot.

As soon as he calls I flip my cards and say what you got, guy does not reply, nor does he flip his cards. I start asking him to flip his cards he doesn't, Turn is a J, making my hand Aces and Jacks, tell him again to flip his cards, he wont. River is a queen and he explodes, fist pumps, yells etc, still not flipping his cards. At this point I have had enough and start yelling at the guy that he has slow rolled me, he just stares. Finally, dealer says sir show your cards, he flips AQ for the runner runner queens over jacks boat.

I understand that policies from casino to casino differ on when to flip cards in an all in situation in a cash game. I always flip immediately because obviously I want to know where I stand and I think its the courteous thing to do. Why the gamenship and lack of courtesy, the hand is over at this point. I just don't get it.

Oh well that's poker, and thankfully the casino had a $100 aces cracked promotion that I didn't even know about.

Made A Venetian DSE Final Table

Thought I might be able to blog daily above my tourneys through my first weeks WSOP/Related Vegas Tourneys schedule. Learned really quickly that 12 hours of poker a day takes it out of you and the ability to blog falls down the food chain.

Long story short I final tabled the Venetian DSE Event #2, a $340 Buy In event. Its my largest recorded live cash to date, although I have larger cashes in daily's/freerolls that are not reported by the various poker ranking sites.

I was damn lucky to be alive at the money level of 45 players. I had been all in and well behind twice during the day but caught cards for the suck out. The worst of the two was all in pre flop with jacks against aces, called for the river jack and caught it. The player next to me told me that he thought the guy with the aces was puking in the bathroom afterwards. It has happened to me about time it happens in my favor. The other was a push of A6 hearts against 6's right before dinner break, ace on the flop.

The third hand after the money broke I got very lucky. Blinds were $2000/$4000 and I had about 70,000 in my stack, I raised in MP to $10,000 with A7 diamonds and was called by two players behind. Flop came AJ7 two hearts, I jammed my stack in, player behind pushed for his stack $150,000 or so and guy on the button called. Player behind turned over 7's for trips, button turn over KQ hearts for the nut flush draw. Turn was a low heart giving the button his flush. River was a beautiful Ace of Spades giving me top boat aces over sevens, MP second boat sevens over aces and button a destroyed nut flush. It was such a cooler for the other two and I scooped the main pot of $210,000. Later I busted the broken flush player who pushed Q4 off for $60,000 and I called with 9's. Cruised into Day 2 sixth in chips with $238,000.

30 players returned and nothing much happened for me other than I busted a short stack for $50,000 called his push with AJ hearts which held. It only took about 90 minutes to get to the final table and I entered with an average stack. Just never could get much going, losing a two pair pot to a better two pair for $125,000. Also caught aces and probably over raised in early position, with no callers.

Blinds were $10000/$20000/$3000 and I had about $240,000 left going into my bust out hand. I was in the big blind and it was folded to the small who looked like he was going to fold but just limped. I looked down a 7's and jammed it in. Small Blind snapped called me with J10 off and caught a jack on the flop.

I was out the door in 7th for a $4200 payday, all in all I was lucky to be that far, but disappointed I didn't go further.

Event 1- Summer Schedule- Coolored

Played my first event today, a $160 Buy In at Binions which got 178 runners. Starting stacks were $12K. Damn my table was interesting, told the table it was well worth the buy in just for entertainment value. Player banter back and forth, calling the clock, dude raising with 72 and breaking a guy, etc.

I won the first hand of the tourney, never a good sign for me, and only won two more hands during the first three levels. Was as low as 8600 and went into break with 10K or so.

Made it through, the 4th level unscathed but really wasn't chipping up. Could not defend my blinds all day, just junk cards.

Coolored for my stack in level 5 with the following hand:

Blinds were 200/400/50 and I opened UTG for 1500 with two black aces, folds to MP3 and he raises me to 4000, back to me and I push for my remaining 9000 or so. He insta calls and flips two queens, I dodged the flop and there it came on the turn, a queen and I was out the door. Had the player exactly where I wanted him, but sometimes this game will make you sick.

Not much you can do, but say good game and shake the guys hand. Happy with my play today, really card dead or when I was raising nobody would play. On to Venetian for the start of the Deep Stack tomorrow.

First Week WSOP/Vegas Series Schedule

Finally took the time to plan my first week of the poker mania that takes over Las Vegas from late May to mid July each year. Due to some unexpected responsibilities with my kids in Texas, I am only going to be in town about 15 days during this time frame. If any of you have a 13 year old son who might be going down the wrong path, you know what I mean. I am without question a parent first, poker has to come a distance second.

Last year I only played 4 events and spent a lot of time at the 2/5 cash table at the RIO which was very rewarding. I was basically a break even in the tourneys I played. The highlight was going fairly deep in a Venetian 550, finishing 25/704 after wining entry via a $130 single table. The low point was a Caesars $340 when I was cruising along 10 from the money and fell in love with 8's, misplayed the hand every way possible and crippled myself. I also played the first WSOP 1000 which in my opinion was a shove fest donkament and I lasted a whopping four levels.

So here is the schedule. If I make Day 2 in any event, I will not play the event scheduled for that day.

5/27 Binions Classic- $150 Just a practice session, first live event in a month or so, got to give Downtown some business.

5/28 Venetian DSE $340

5/29 Venetian DSE $340

5/30 Day off (Indy 500/Nascar 600) May play the WSOP nightly

5/31 WSOP $1500

6/1 Ceasers $225 Mega Stack- Need to redeem myself from last year and need a change of pace.

6/2 Venetian DSE $550

Thats roughly $3k in buy ins with I am sure some cash mixed in. All I need is a run good one time.

Good Luck to all and see you at the tables.