A player with was up 1050 with 1650 in front of them in a 5/10NL game at the Bellagio.

 

In the BB holding KQ off suit, the player checked and saw the flop.

 

The dealer flopped KQ7 rainbow. Holding KQ the player decides to check and see what happens … Everyone checks behind to the button who bets $40. The pot was not raised and the $40 could be a button last to act takedown.

 

Holding K’s and Q’s the BB raises to $140 to take down the pot.  Wrong the button calls the $140 with another $140 on top. Instead of releasing the KQ the BB like a donkey pushes all in for about $1400 more.  The button thinks about it and another player not currently in the hand is way out of line, telling his friend to fold, that she is clearly beat. Way out of line … he is a Bellagio regular and I might have to have a talk about that at some later date. The Asian lady on the button calls and has the BB covered.  She rolls over a set of 7’s Surprise!!! Surprise!!! Surprise!!! The donkey had outs 2 Queens and 2 Kings but none were to be found.

 

I was a temporary donkey, yes me …  Hee Haw .  ...

 

I should have lost about $250 at the most on this hand in check call mode, out of position (out of the BB).

 

Instead I check raise the flop and get re-raised and I pushed all-in --- in an un-raised pot...

 

Top 2 Pair is a hand which routinely can lose huge pots for tourists and in check call mode routinely can win smaller pots for me. 

 

Hee Haw,  I feel like I played like a chump… and I did play that hand like a chump.

 

I have not stacked off post-flop with 2 pair while more than 150 big blinds deep in a long time.

 

I had only one option, say nice hand and pack up and leave to go home. I am spending the next few hours in personal contemplation.

 

Writing this blog will help me remember, deeply remember what I did wrong.  Almost everything … Ouch that hurts…

 

Now the donkey would say I could have caught a K or Q…  Hee Haw

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now I have seen something that surprised me in Vegas.

 

Sunday a peacock walked by my motorhome and jumped up to the roof of a house nearby … I used the telephoto lens but the pictures stick. It is a real peacock.  It seems someone had it as a pet and it escaped.  Go figure

 

 

figure

Yesterday Janice, I and our good friends John and Wendy Freeman from Cincinnati went to see Red Rock Canyon. It was pretty amazing. It is an area of valley surrounded by amazing rock formations.

I included a few photos including a photo of a sign I saw near Las Vegas which says in the international language “Beware of Donkeys --- 13 miles” how appropriate. See the pictures… attached or below … click to enlarge

Information about Red Rock Canyon…

You can go horseback riding in the morning and have a Red Rock wedding in the afternoon; you can bring the family out for a picnic, and pet the wild burros that line the road just at feeding time.

The Red Rock Canyon area is, arguably, the most beautiful area in Nevada—perhaps the southwest. Whether you are a rock climber, a hiker, a rock hound, or just appreciate the beauty of wild horses, bighorn sheep, and wild burros roaming free, this part of Nevada is just for you.

Red Rock Canyon is located about 17 miles west of the Las Vegas Strip.  From Las Vegas the Conservation Area can be approached from Charleston Boulevard [north of Sahara Avenue], which will turn into State Route 159; or from State Route 160 [south of Tropicana] to the Junction with Route 159.  Just follow Route 159 until you see the entrance.

Red Rock Canyon features a one-way 13-mile scenic drive, a Visitor Center which offers information and interpretation about recreation opportunities, wildlife, vegetation, geology, cultural resources and much more.  The facility also offers a book and gift store operated by the Red Rock Canyon Interpretive Association, a non-profit organization with the mission of researching and sharing interpretive information about RRCNCA and assisting the BLM with endeavors related to interpretation. 

A Conservation Area is an area of federal public land set aside

"In order to conserve, protect and enhance [the area] for the benefit and enjoyment of present and future generations ......"

In 1990, special legislation supported by the Nevada congressional delegation, declared the Red Rock Canyon area of southern Nevada to be a National Conservation Area [NCA], ONLY THE seventh to be designated nationally.  As stated in its enabling legislation: 

"In order to conserve, protect and enhance for the benefit and enjoyment of present and future generations the area in southern Nevada containing and surrounding the  Red Rock Canyon and the unique and nationally important geologic, archeological, ecological, cultural, scenic, scientific, wildlife, riparian, wilderness, endangered species and recreation resources of the public lands therein contained, there is established the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area."

 

I just read both volumes on Harrington on Cash Games "How to Win at No-Limit Hold'em Money Games", I also had previously purchased both volumes of Dan Harrington's much heralded tournament series ...

 

First Harrington again has done a comprehensive job of creating an epic; however I personally found him less of a revelation in the cash game series than in the tournament books. It could be me and my base of knowledge.

 

Volume I covers Pre-flop play and play on the Flop.

 

Volume II covers the Turn and the River as well as some sections on dealing with Loose Aggressive style players, Tells, Beating Weak Games and Bankroll Management.

 

Bottom line, I wish he never wrote it... If a sucker has the brains and discipline to read it, learn it and practice it, he will be a better player. Harrington once again has wised up some suckers.

 

Lucky for us, 90% of all people who claim they play poker think they already play better than 90% of all poker players. Thank the good lord that these people are too lazy and are not sufficiently motivated to read and learn.

 

Here are some rambling about a hands in a cash session.

 

Situation -----

 

I am in a 2/5 NL game and for 3 hours I did not showdown a hand. I bought in for 100 big blinds and I am down 300.

I missed 7 possible sets, but then I saw 66 in the BB in a raised pot. A loose player I know raised 4x and I just called to disguise my holdings. I hit a set of 6's on a flop of 679 with two clubs … I decided I wanted to take the pot down on the flop so I know the loose player will continuation bet on this flop. He does and bets $50 and gets smooth called from behind... I check raise the two $50 bets to $200 then I get re-raised All-in for $150 more. I am more than priced in to make the call the approximately $150 more and he has a made straight with 8 10 … He says I have the nuts… I said not yet but the board does not pair and now I lose a total of $357 on the hand … The debate is Should I have check called with the possibility of a made straight on the board or assume I have the best hand and that I could move most draws and single pair hands and maybe get called by top 2 pair????  I choose pressure ...  According to cardplay,com, the set will win even if the straight is out there 35.66% of the time against a made straight and if there are draws out there they will fold maybe 30% of the time for such a large re-raise in this game, so I figured I should win the pot 30% of the time right there and take down the $200 in the pot for the $200 check raise, also if I check call and the board pairs on the turn the straight might get away from the hand and not pay me off so I risk the $50 with maybe no implied odds and if the board does not pair I expect a $100 to $150 (that's all he had left) bet to be fired at me by the straight (if it exists already) on the turn anyway. So pressure should win the $200 in the pot on the flop 30% of the time and 35.66% of the time I will fill up and win the pot of nearly $800 and if my opponents have lesser hands I win as well..

 

Later I flopped top pair of K with an Ace kicker in a disguised hand I smooth called a 5x pre-flop raise in position to disguise my AK suited.  The flop was K 10 x and it was checked to me … I bet $35 was check raised to $100 I moved all-in for nearly $500,,,  An overpair of Aces actually called calling $500 after the flop with a single overpair is as far as I am concerned a really bad call. I thought any single pair would not call $400 more …  Pot Control or Pressure you decide????

This weekend Nascar's big show comes to Vegas baby and the motorhome community where I stay is in full gear.

This afternoon and evening they have a Nascar party along with golf cart races. The race is a fun affair with racing to check points and tossing tennis balls into barrels and then running down to the next checkpoint and tossing beads over an orange construction cone, then thru a championship slalom of weaving back and forth, where two ladies nearly crashed into another golf cart sliding to a stop less than a foot away from each other.

The golf carts then paraded through the community all decorated for their favorite drivers. One orange decorated cart said Pimp Daddy and was obviously aimed at Tony Stewart for some reason.

The weather was great with a high about 70. Jan and myself walked the dogs down to the races where they were not alone. Dobbies, Shepards, Collies, Poodles, Westies, small rat like dogs and more were there watching as well.

Like always I root for the underdogs, I really like the humbleness of Dale Jr., but if I could get my way Michael Waltrip would win the Sprint Cup race and Dale Jarrett would finish second.

Well what a busy place the Venetian has been during the Deep Stack Extravaganza.

As I sat there playing a little live cash game action last week I said to myself, management would have to be asleep not to run this event every 2 months.

Today I read an article on CardPlayer.com today which stated..

Last year was the Venetian’s first attempt at the DSE, and the series did not have a main event. Another deep stack tournament series is being added to the Venetian’s schedule and will take place in April. Stay tuned for details on this as it becomes available on CardPlayer.com.

Well today it's off to my favorite spot to find some soft action …  S O F T  means Seats Open For Tourists

BYE