tilted behaviour

Waking up to a barrage of emails regarding our Visas for Brazil, both Brett and I decided to make an unexpected trip back to the Rio to the PokerNews office.

I had to fill out an online application twice since the first one decided not to work, before Brett and I were finally free so as to enjoy his last day in Las Vegas. Venturing over to the Miracle Mile shops, we walked round there for an hour or so, not really finding anything until the very last store; Urban Outfitters.

I found about a dozen t-shirts that I instantly fell in love with, along with a couple of cool jackets, but decided to hold off until later in my trip before I leave. Mickey wanted to join us for dinner, and since we had around $120 in Hard Rock comps, we decided to eat at Johnny Smalls. Johnny Smalls is a really nice restaurant located at the back of the casino that serves tapas-styled food at a semi-reasonable price. With the three of us being joined mid-meal by Brett’s friend Jess, we ordered over twenty dishes while – since we’re all degenerates – playing nine-card Omaha flips as the bill totalled a little more than we expected.

With nearly every media member that was still in town heading to the Gold Coast for some midnight dollar bowling, the four of us made our way there.

As the beers began to flow freely, the cards came out once again as we played an intense hand on nine-card Omaha where Mickey flopped middle set, Elissa top and bottom set, Brett a straight flush draw and I a gutshot and nut-flush draw along with an overpair. I dinged an Ace on the turn to take the lead and leave everyone drawing dead apart from Brett who held the one-outer draw . . . of course it was delivered on the river as I spat chips and made a hasty exit from the bar to hit the bowling lanes.

Brett and I both valued ourselves as decent bowlers and decided to play 25 cents a pin, 50 cents a spare and $1 a strike, while also spotting Mickey fifteen pins to make the game even. Unfortunately for Brett and I, we bowled like complete dogs, and although we still beat Mickey, the fifteen pins we spotted him hurt our pockets. The next game I managed to convince both Mickey and Brett to spot me the fifteen pins. Mickey bowled roughly the same score of around 125, Brett bowled something in the 150s, while I bowled worse then an epileptic salmon and struggled to even pass 100 as I shipped the moolah to both of them!

I opted out of the last game as I decided that I wanted to bowl left-handed. Originally I tried to get a line off Brett at bowling over 75 pins, but he wouldn’t give it to me. He must have sniffed something as I came out and bowled a whopping 147 left-handed while he still managed a strong 170 and Mickey a standard 124 as we called it a night and headed back to the Hard Rock.

Brett and I decided to play some late-night cash as a send off to his Vegas trip as we both found ourselves on separate $1-2 NLH tables.

Brett scooped a huge pot just as his table broke to see cash out a rack and change as he called it a night as his flight left in a few hours, while I tried to stick it out to try and make some money. Finding myself all in preflop with Kings against an online kid’s Ace-Queen seemed good until an Ace found its way on the flop and I made my way up to the room to try and get some sleep before checking out tomorrow for Donnie and GG’s place.

Not able to hit the money yesterday, Day 4 of the 2010 World Series of Poker Main Event was going to become the money day for the first time in WSOP history!

Stripped of both blogging and reporting duties, I was sentenced(?) to iPad duty which entailed me continuously updating chip counts of my area roughly on average every ten minutes.

Based in the blue section of the Amazon Room, we were blessed with the majority of the chip leaders along with some of the better known players which made my job a little difficult at the start until Mickey came over once the remainder of the Pavilion Room broke.

As we neared the bubble, all those memories of playing like a donk in 2007 came flushing back as I wish I had a chance to revoke my button shove and just fold for two more hands so that I could have been US$20,320 richer!

The only positive thing about my bubble bust (apart from what I personally learnt), is the fact that many players either go out in worse situations, or play their hand horrible.

For the 2010 Bubble Boy Tim McDonald after being faced with a raise to 10,000, he made it 30,000 (of his 67,500-chip stack) to go as his opponent made the call to see a A♣ A♠ 2♦. Check, all in for 37,500, snap call! McDonald tabled his Q♣ Q♠ and his opponent tabled A♥ 2♥ for a flopped full house. Two Queens needed, but only one fell, as McDonald bite the dust just shy of the $19,263 payday but with an added bonus of a seat into the 2011 Main Event!

Only 575 players made it through to a day five berth, with adopted Aussie Tony ‘Bond18′ Dunst leading the field with over 1.5 million in chips.

Bruno, Rich, Heath and I all had a day off tomorrow so we decided to play a home game at the PokerNews Mansion where they were all staying.

We were expecting to get a few others, but due to some (soft) reasons, it ended up being just the four of us as we played $0.25-0.25 NLH on the pool table.

I was chipped down early and was forced to top up so I was in for $100 before my first major hand was when I stacked Bruno. He was playing like a banana, and after a three-bet Heath’s 75c open with A♦ Q♠ to $3.25 and Bruno made it $8.50 or so, I shipped it in. Bruno made the call for his last $30 or so with Kings, but when a Queen fell on the flop and the river, he was tilted and forced to rebuy.

I stack Rich when I overbet shoved my 5♠ 3♠ on a 9♠ 8♠ 2♥ 5♦ after he checked. He snapped off his last $60 (into a pot of around $15) with K♠ J♠, and was unable to improve after running it twice.

Then there was this hand that upset Heath after I opened K♣ Q♣ to 75c and the table called around to see a Q♦ 4♥ 4♠ flop fall. Rich and Heath checked as I fired out a bet of $2.50 with Bruno folding before Rich made the call as Heath bumped it to around the $8 mark. I three-bet to $24 and Rich passed as Heath smooth-called. We both checked the repeat Queen on the turn before the river landed the 5♥ and he check-called a bet of $10.25 with 10♣ 4♣ before launching into a tilt tirade once Rich told him that he folded a Queen too.

Heath eventually finished off Rich before we both played heads until the darkness of night had been transformed into early morning sunlight as I profited $194 from the friendly home game before finding comfort on the couch for some sleep!

Having a day off, I managed to get a nice sleep in before deciding to wake up and find a suitable lunch option.

Not wanting to head to far from the hotel room to eat, I decided to head across the road to grab a sandwich from Capriotti’s.

As the temperature lingered around the 110-degree mark I eventually made my way to the Capriotti’s door, and before I could even reach for the handle it slowly opened. I reached for it to hold it open for whoever was leaving the store, and to my amazement it was none other than Daisy Marie.

Daisy who? Well Daisy Marie is the first person that I have seen face-to-face in Las Vegas over the past few years to make me absolutely star-struck! For those of you playing at home and wondering if it actually was her or maybe a Latino of similar resemblance . . . well as she brushed past me to leave the store with my eyes fixed on hers, she broke the eye-to-eye contact and turned to walk away revealing her cherub-inspired back tattoo.

Not really hungry courtesy of the weakness in my knees, I looked up at the menu, before quickly doubling back to see if she was still there or just a mirage due to my sickness that I’ve encountered over the past week or so . . . no mirage but just Daisy as I ordered a rather now-boring sandwich.

With lunch taken care of and some TV watched, I caught up with Chad as we decided to head to the Strip to take a look around. Once there we wondered into a few shops and casinos before making a last-minute decision to see Predators.

There was no Arnie, but still plenty of carnage as Brett continuously bugged me with texts during the movie trying to organise a game back at the Hard Rock. Of course both me and Chad obliged as we grabbed a taxi immediately after the last extraterrestrial life was killed off by Royce and Isabelle (the main stars obviously).

Once back at the Hard Rock we organised a $50+10 sit-n-go with a 4,000-chip starting bank (it was going to be 1,500, but through my pure awesome negotiating powers, we convinced them otherwise). Greg, Mickey, Brett, Chad and I were joined by three randoms, but the sit-n-go was a bit of a blur – I still think due to Daisy Marie – and this is how Brett detailed my play:

“I three-bet you three times and you folded like a fucking nit!”

Brett was pretty much right as I opened A♣ 4♣ and he three-bet Ace-King before I three-bet him with Q♥ 8♥ and he four-bet jammed me. The final hand saw me call all in from the big blind with K♦ 3♦ to dominate Chad’s 10♠ 3♠ in the small blind. But since it was Chad – and he runs really really really good – I spike my King and he flushed me on the river to send me out the door and to the cash games as Greg bubbled in third and Brett proved victorious for a nice $260 payday.

On my first I squeezed to $17 with 10♣ 9♣ in the cutoff over a straddle and a couple of calls as four of us saw a 8♣ 5♠ 3♦ flop. The straddler led out for $10 and I made it $47 to force him and the others to fold as I kicked off my start to the $1-2 NLH table.

An orbit later I Hard Rock straddled the button to $4 as the straddler from the previous hand made it $10 to go with both me and the big blind calling. The flop fell down A♠ 2♦ 3♠ and the raiser led out for $20 as I made it $48 to go with 4♠ 5♥. The big blind folded as we went heads up to the turn of the 7♥ with my opponent donking out for $60. I put him all in for his last $100 and he painfully mucked after about a minute of deliberating as I climbed to $393.

I then lost Queens to 9♥ 5♥ on a 9♦ 8♥ 7♥ 6♦ 8♣ board to slip to $278 before playing one of the worst hands of my life!

After a straddle to $4 and two calls, I made it $22 to go holding K♠ 10♠. The blinds, straddler and the callers all called to see a Q♥ J♦ 3♠ flop fall. One of the callers fired out $65 and I called as the 8♣ landed on the turn and he fired out $70. I made another bad call as the K♦ landed on the river and I called $75 to see him reveal A♦ Q♦ as I scooped the pot to move to $556 before ending the night up $341 in the cash game and $281 overall.

After having to come in to the Rio for our first official group meeting since the WSOP started, Heath, Mickey and I decided to maximise our rare day off.

We returned to the Hard Rock to show Heath around before we headed to Fashion Show Mall so I could buy some shoes and the other two could grab some food.

A few days earlier (while shopping with Jane) I had spotted the sickest pair of Air Jordan Spizike‘s that were a must-have. Walking into Foot Locker the price had been slashed down to $130, and consequently, there were an insta-buy so I could kick it old-school like I was back in 1985 (when they originally came out).

We then walked over to the Aria to check it out, but after finding no real poker action to satisfy us, we jumped in a cab and made our way to the Venetian to play some $4-8 HORSE. Unfortunately the list was full, so we all sat down at a $1-2 NLH table where me and Heath quickly battled after I opened to $12 over a straddle with 9♥ 8♠ only to get four-bet by Heath to $27. I called, and we checked it down with a nine falling on the flop to best his Ace-King.

Several hands later after it limped round to me in the big blind, I made it $13 with K♦ Q♦ and found two callers to see a Q♣ 8♣ 4♣ fall. I fired out $32 and was called in one spot before a 2♠ landed on the turn. On the turn I was faced with a decision of whether or not to bet or check. I felt that if I fired out he was probably only calling with a draw or a weak hand, but raise a set or a baby flush and a hand stronger then mine (top-top etc). Consequently – being prepared to fold if he shoved, but barrel any non-club river – I led out for $60 and he took over two minutes before making the call.

Sigh . . . A♣ . . . what a ghay river! I deliberate just shipping for $130 as a bluff to get him fold a small flush or a stronger non-flush hand, but continuing with my turn play I decided to check only to have him insta-shove for $115. I tanked for days and folded, and he believed a folded a set and didn’t correct him.

“I had King-Queen with the King of clubs . . . probably should have folded the turn” he stated.

“Yes you should have” I replied bluntly.

A few hands later after this lady from Denmark made it $10 after a limper, I bumped it to $36 from the button with Q♦ 6♦. Heath shot me this dirty look before tank-folding Jacks (el oh el) as the lady mucked. I let Heath pick a card and he turned over the Queen and instantly believed I had Queens. The next hand after the same lady made it $8, I three-bet again to $27 from the cutoff with A♠ 8♥ and she called before check-folding for $32 on the J♠ 9♠ 6♥ flop.

Eventually all our seats came up at once and we headed to the $4-8 HORSE table but not before Heath managed a double. Heath sat down with his $500 or so, I sat down with my $386 (after being down $14 from the table previously) and Mickey sat down with about the same.

I scooped a huge pot in PLO-8 with A-K-K-7 against A-Q-Q-x on a K♥ 9♥ 4♠ A♥ 8♠ before GG and Kerry Stead joined the game.

I ran pretty awful for the whole night, including losing a live high two-pair and the nut-flush draw against two full houses in Seven Card Stud before bricking in Stud Hi/Lo with (6x)(5x) / (4x)(2x)(4x)(5x) / (6x) against Heath’s trip kings. I did mange to make a flush and a low the next hand against him however to win the majority of my chips back.

However one of the sickest hands was when my Razz board ran out (Ax)(10x) / (4x)(2x)(Jx)(Qx) / (Kx) to lose to someone that had J-8-8-8 face up on his board . . . so sick!

After a long session on the felt I spent the last hour playing every hand with a can’t be f**ked attitude as I eventually lost my last $100 or so and returned home after another unsuccessful session in Las Vegas!

While playing the ladies event yesterday Elaine fell sick (insert pregnant rumours) and consequently couldn’t work her shift covering day two of Event 23: $2,500 Limit Holdem Six-Handed.

Replacing GeorgiaPeach will beeeeeeee thkcduckworth!

Well . . . that’s what the announcer should be saying . . . but alas it was no more then a schedule swap and exchange of emails to see me vacate the Hard Rock pool for the blogging desk.

Although we worked for twelve hours, Eric and I crushed the blog busting out post after post at an incredibly fast rate until we hit that 1am mark where everyone just wanted to past out. That includes the players too because once we hit the last three tables play slowed right up as we struggled to get anything decent to write about.

Play eventually finished just after 3am with twelve still remaining as a car load of us returned to the Hard Rock.

Greg, Mickey and I decided to pop into Mr. Lucky’s 24-7 to grab some pancakes as the degeneracy soon began.

Playing some Chinese Poker soon switched to me and Mickey doing a nine-card Omaha flop for the bill as my trips held up against his el oh el King-high. He soon discovered that my side of the bill was more than his and he flipped out . . . the result . . . we started high-carding for dollar bills as Greg soon joined in too.

It then became Razz flips before Mickey upped the ante and put all his change on the table so we could play a 2-7 Draw Lowball hand. Unfortunately for both he and Greg, I made a pat ten-seven perfect after we all were all-in predraw as I took Mickey for all the money he had in his wallet.

Unfortunately however this run good is the first I’ve experienced in the near three weeks I have been here in Las Vegas!

Not a single thing is going right. I’m losing every prop bet, getting two-outered in poker, crapping out and pai gowing to be down like something ridiculous. Here is the current tally of my run bad – well the stuff that my brain hasn’t blocked out as yet – and you will only see one profitable session!

$1-3 NLH at the Rio = $236
$1-2 NLH at the Hard Rock = $35
$2-4 Dealers Choice at the Hard Rock = $240
Prop Betting (Remko) = $10 (was -$180 about a week ago)
Prop Betting (F-Train) = $10
Prop Betting (Heath) = $10
Prop Betting (Donnie) = $50
Prop Betting (Ben) = $10
Craps (Hard Rock) = $700
Craps (Binions) = $100
Craps (Fitzgeralds) = $100
Roulette (Golden Gate) = $200
Bonus Texas Holdem (Hard Rock) = $150
Slots (Hard Rock) = $20
PokerStars Cash Games = $50
Full Tilt Poker Cash Games = $100
Betfair Sports Betting = $200

Hopefully Mickey has flicked the switch for me and things will turn round on all fronts!

With Mickey flying in from the east coast late last night, Greg, Mickey and I decided to all meet up for some lunch at the 24-hour dinner-type restaurant called Mr. Lucky’s 24-7.

Funnily enough we all ordered breakfast and spent the next hour or so catching up and sharing laughs before they both retired to their rooms for some quiet time as I prepared for the Brunson Beer Pong Invitational III!

I wasn’t actually playing, but we had a few representatives in with F-Train and Eric teamed up while GG and Kristy were also playing. Throw in Doyle and Todd Brunson, Erick Lindgren, Vanessa Rousso, Eli Elizra, lots of alcohol and pride on the line, and it was bound to be an interesting day.

F-Train and Eric busted first round while GG and his partner made it through to round two only to exit pretty quickly.

GG shoots . . . and scores!

GG and Donnie however started some $20 games and proceeded to make some handsome moolah as they dispatched of team after team – including smashing by Beer Pong cherry . . . but in my defence I did manage to sink six cups like a slanty-eyed white Kobe, however it was just my partner Rich that epically failed after declaring his Beer Pong super skills!

We all called it an early night again with meetings tomorrow before the WSOP kicks off on Friday with Event 2: $50,000 Poker Player’s Championship (8 Game Mixed) being my first event of the 2010 series.

This day was always coming, but its one that I really wanted to put off.

Both Mickey and Donnie were heading back to the East Coast and leaving me stuck in Las Vegas all alone (well, apart from everyone else that is still here)!

I woke up to find Donnie had already left early, but I was able to see Mickey off, knowing that it probably isn’t too long until I see him as he is planning on returning for the Aussie Millions again.

With it also being Mat’s last day, I thought it was a must for us to head out to the General Gamblers Store and Spinettis to potentially walk out with a shop of poker gear.

Mat bought a couple of books and a deck of cards while I picked up three books, with the aim of returning to Spinettis to purchase a range of small denomination chips for our micro-stakes muck-round home games, or even pick up a full tourney set.

Check-Raising The Devil (Mike Matusow), One Of A Kind (Stu Ungar), Power Hold’em Strategy (Daniel Negreanu)

We then left Mat at the airport to return to the cold and wet weather of Melbourne as I picked up a spare bag to carry all my purchases and accumulated swag home. I ran into the Nike outlet store and found a duffel bag that I would also take to Lebanon instead of my suitcase, and returned home to clean and watch TV all night.

Oh yeah, if you didn’t know . . . I’m heading to Lebanon on the 20th to cover the Lebanese Poker Championships alongside Eric . . . ship the hazard pay one time!

Having to start at 5pm was an absolute blessing after the late night / early morning that we had endured, and what made it better was that Donnie, Mickey and myself were all working the same event – Event 37 – $10,000 World Championship Seven Card Stud Hi/Lo.

Being a World Championship event, the coverage was always going to have to be word-class and by having Mickey and me, along with Marc Hodge on the floor there was no doubt about it!

You probably already know that Stud Hi-Lo is one of the most boring games to blog / report on, and consequently I’m not going to endlessly bore you either. Instead, I’m going to include this funny clip that was launched around the NBA playoffs time.

I find this video absolutely hilarious and when I first saw it on TV I cracked up!

Even if you don’t like this one, there are a bunch more on YouTube featuring puppet Kobe and LeBron as well as Lil Dez.