In one or two other contexts in life, this might be bearable, or maybe even fun, however, in poker it's no bloody fun whatsoever right now for our hero.
In a deviation from the beaten track( no pun intended), I heard that the WSOP Circuit is currently on over at the Rio, so after busting the Venetian yesterday after 6 or 7 very painful hours, I decided to go on over there and buy in for the noon (Sunday) flight of the $365 NLH event. It's only 10K chips but the structure is fine and it's good for at least one bullet. The guarantee makes it a good one to play, and a change of scenery can't hurt the way things have gone.
So, over to the Rio I go. I'm not exactly sure where they will be holding this tournament. During the WSOP of course the convention centre is a hive of poker activity, but when I drive over there, the Amazon, Brasilia rooms etc are all totally dead, which was kind of expected I guess. This is the WSOP circuit, not the WSOP. No big deal. I'll walk to the Rio poker room to see if it's in there. I arrive and see a few cash games and a small tournament running, and am told it's being held in the Masquerade court. Again, no huge deal. Another 5 minute walk, till I finally get there and now see a few tables of today's WSOPC flight still being played. I see a few floor guys I know, and say hi, and then walk over to the poker cage, to buy in for tomorrow.
"Sorry Sir", we're closed now, you can buy in tomorrow morning".
They closed about 5 minutes previously. And they aren't opening up again.
I have to just smile, and wish them goodnight. As with getting a beat in a tournament, there's little else to do.
So. Bright and breezy, I'll head over to the Rio this morning to try again. More to come.
In a deviation from the beaten track( no pun intended), I heard that the WSOP Circuit is currently on over at the Rio, so after busting the Venetian yesterday after 6 or 7 very painful hours, I decided to go on over there and buy in for the noon (Sunday) flight of the $365 NLH event. It's only 10K chips but the structure is fine and it's good for at least one bullet. The guarantee makes it a good one to play, and a change of scenery can't hurt the way things have gone.
So, over to the Rio I go. I'm not exactly sure where they will be holding this tournament. During the WSOP of course the convention centre is a hive of poker activity, but when I drive over there, the Amazon, Brasilia rooms etc are all totally dead, which was kind of expected I guess. This is the WSOP circuit, not the WSOP. No big deal. I'll walk to the Rio poker room to see if it's in there. I arrive and see a few cash games and a small tournament running, and am told it's being held in the Masquerade court. Again, no huge deal. Another 5 minute walk, till I finally get there and now see a few tables of today's WSOPC flight still being played. I see a few floor guys I know, and say hi, and then walk over to the poker cage, to buy in for tomorrow.
"Sorry Sir", we're closed now, you can buy in tomorrow morning".
They closed about 5 minutes previously. And they aren't opening up again.
I have to just smile, and wish them goodnight. As with getting a beat in a tournament, there's little else to do.
So. Bright and breezy, I'll head over to the Rio this morning to try again. More to come.
Well, we've managed to get that bit done correctly at least.
Right off the bat and I flop a gutshot draw with Qc 10c. I turn a flush draw and double gutshot also and then, in a fun quirk of fate I manage to miss the world on the river, and decide to bet at it as I'm not going to win by checking. I get called by JJ on an 89K65 board. I love these little tests of character. I seem to pass them quite often, but it doesn't do much for my chip stack.
I fold A6 offsuit to a raise, as it's the right thing to do. The other three Aces dutifully appear on the board as two guys cook up a 3K pot whilst I sit and watch...
Level 2, and 10K is now 8K. I'm still in the amusing position of feeling quite good and confident about stuff, but am also managing to miss every single flop whilst I go about it. I like the WSOPC events. They are like the regular WSOP, just without the glamour, money or atmosphere. A couple of Las Vegas regs now on my table, sporting sunglasses. Don't even get me started on that one.
I'm actually racking my brains to see what other weird and unfortunate things can happen to me on this trip. Here's another.
I raise with KJ suited, and get one caller. The flop comes 10 J 3 and I fire again and get called. The turn pairs the 10, and I bet, and now get raised 3x. I dwell and fold and get shown trip tens for my trouble. Fine, everyone was doing the right thing, and I lose the pot but it's not terminal.
However...
The floor then arrive with another player, and it now transpires that the guy who had the trip 10's against me can't read his tournament receipt properly, and is actually sitting at totally the wrong table. The dealer of course is supposed to check the receipt, and she didn't. They now move this errant player to his actual seat on his actual (other) table, and we get a replacement.
So not only did I lose the pot, I manage to lose a pot to a guy who shouldn't even have been sitting there in the first place. And now, they've taken him and the chips away. Ho ho ho...
7K on level 3.
Drift to 4400 when all drawing hands brick out, then find KK and and an English guy with QQ. Luckily I don't get cute and we just get it in. The board comes with an Ace and two Tens, but I fade the pain and am back to 9K again as we hit level 4 and 100/200. I play my rush and steal one shortly after, and finally am back to the 10K starting stack again.
It's short lived when I flop the nut flush draw and a pair, and check raise. One pair doesn't fold, I miss the lot, and we go back to 5K again. The guy who just won that pot against me immediately gives 3/4 of his stack away because he won't fold JJ with a Queen showing on the board. This table is a bit like the wild west. First break. What a hideous 4 levels.
Level 5 after a 15 minute break, and I win one uncontested when I repop with AQ out of the blinds and everyone folds.
Shortly after I find QQ in late position and make it 1500 to play. 2 callers, and after a flop bet and 2 calls, the board reads 2453, and a player now shoves for 7K. Marvellous, back to 3500.
I lose another with 99 vs AJ, and am looking at 2K. I feel like the guy in the cutoff is taking liberties on my blind a few hands later, and I shove with A 10 offsuit when he raises. He reshoves to get heads up though I still think I'm good, but another player now dwells, asks for a count of the biggest bet (which turns out to be 7K), and finally calls with... 22. Yep. What a superstar. The other guy has KQ. Off we go.
I flop an Ace, and no heartache, except for the guy with KQ, and I go back to around 6K again. See-saw stuff.
The Rio conveniently provides no power outlets, so when my laptop died, I worked from memory...for what it's worth.
Level up, and I flop a low straight with 45 suited. It's cautious stuff when a 9 hits the river, but luckily I'm still good, and am on around 8K.
I take on a short stack when I find 10 10 and he jams with KQ, he makes 2 pair but I can't bitch, it was standard stuff. Back to 3900 again.
Now I find I'm the one with the KQ, and am against KJ on a King high board. I go back to 5K as we near level end.
I make a biggish button steal with 33, and it gets through. I later Do the same with AQ off and a player ships on me. I decide to pass. I could take the flip but I'd rather be shoving than calling.
I lose a pot with KJ vs KQ when a King hits the turn. back to 2500 and wondering if the double up is ever going to arrive.
I shove the button with KQ offsuit, and the big blind calls with AQ. A queen flops so it was going in regardless. That's that for this event. There is another flight at 5pm today, but I think just prepping for the Venetian $1600 main is a better way to go.
Right off the bat and I flop a gutshot draw with Qc 10c. I turn a flush draw and double gutshot also and then, in a fun quirk of fate I manage to miss the world on the river, and decide to bet at it as I'm not going to win by checking. I get called by JJ on an 89K65 board. I love these little tests of character. I seem to pass them quite often, but it doesn't do much for my chip stack.
I fold A6 offsuit to a raise, as it's the right thing to do. The other three Aces dutifully appear on the board as two guys cook up a 3K pot whilst I sit and watch...
Level 2, and 10K is now 8K. I'm still in the amusing position of feeling quite good and confident about stuff, but am also managing to miss every single flop whilst I go about it. I like the WSOPC events. They are like the regular WSOP, just without the glamour, money or atmosphere. A couple of Las Vegas regs now on my table, sporting sunglasses. Don't even get me started on that one.
I'm actually racking my brains to see what other weird and unfortunate things can happen to me on this trip. Here's another.
I raise with KJ suited, and get one caller. The flop comes 10 J 3 and I fire again and get called. The turn pairs the 10, and I bet, and now get raised 3x. I dwell and fold and get shown trip tens for my trouble. Fine, everyone was doing the right thing, and I lose the pot but it's not terminal.
However...
The floor then arrive with another player, and it now transpires that the guy who had the trip 10's against me can't read his tournament receipt properly, and is actually sitting at totally the wrong table. The dealer of course is supposed to check the receipt, and she didn't. They now move this errant player to his actual seat on his actual (other) table, and we get a replacement.
So not only did I lose the pot, I manage to lose a pot to a guy who shouldn't even have been sitting there in the first place. And now, they've taken him and the chips away. Ho ho ho...
7K on level 3.
Drift to 4400 when all drawing hands brick out, then find KK and and an English guy with QQ. Luckily I don't get cute and we just get it in. The board comes with an Ace and two Tens, but I fade the pain and am back to 9K again as we hit level 4 and 100/200. I play my rush and steal one shortly after, and finally am back to the 10K starting stack again.
It's short lived when I flop the nut flush draw and a pair, and check raise. One pair doesn't fold, I miss the lot, and we go back to 5K again. The guy who just won that pot against me immediately gives 3/4 of his stack away because he won't fold JJ with a Queen showing on the board. This table is a bit like the wild west. First break. What a hideous 4 levels.
Level 5 after a 15 minute break, and I win one uncontested when I repop with AQ out of the blinds and everyone folds.
Shortly after I find QQ in late position and make it 1500 to play. 2 callers, and after a flop bet and 2 calls, the board reads 2453, and a player now shoves for 7K. Marvellous, back to 3500.
I lose another with 99 vs AJ, and am looking at 2K. I feel like the guy in the cutoff is taking liberties on my blind a few hands later, and I shove with A 10 offsuit when he raises. He reshoves to get heads up though I still think I'm good, but another player now dwells, asks for a count of the biggest bet (which turns out to be 7K), and finally calls with... 22. Yep. What a superstar. The other guy has KQ. Off we go.
I flop an Ace, and no heartache, except for the guy with KQ, and I go back to around 6K again. See-saw stuff.
The Rio conveniently provides no power outlets, so when my laptop died, I worked from memory...for what it's worth.
Level up, and I flop a low straight with 45 suited. It's cautious stuff when a 9 hits the river, but luckily I'm still good, and am on around 8K.
I take on a short stack when I find 10 10 and he jams with KQ, he makes 2 pair but I can't bitch, it was standard stuff. Back to 3900 again.
Now I find I'm the one with the KQ, and am against KJ on a King high board. I go back to 5K as we near level end.
I make a biggish button steal with 33, and it gets through. I later Do the same with AQ off and a player ships on me. I decide to pass. I could take the flip but I'd rather be shoving than calling.
I lose a pot with KJ vs KQ when a King hits the turn. back to 2500 and wondering if the double up is ever going to arrive.
I shove the button with KQ offsuit, and the big blind calls with AQ. A queen flops so it was going in regardless. That's that for this event. There is another flight at 5pm today, but I think just prepping for the Venetian $1600 main is a better way to go.
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