where i've been

This is long overdue, but I think I need to write this. This is the trip report of my move to Vegas for the WSOP. We left my house around midnight of the 30th of May. We were going to drive straight through to Vegas, stopping at the Grand Canyon on the way.

I own a Mazda RX-8, and if you know anything about this car, it's a small coupe. So trying to fit our lives into the trunk was a challenge. This thing was packed so tight and our back seats were stuffed. Took Brandon and my Dad a bit to fit it all in.


We drove through the night, switching up every 3-4 hours. By morning we were in Nebraska and it was my turn to drive again. I was already tired, and Nebraska is the most boring landscape I've ever seen. It was just mile after mile of nothing. I even took the time to take pictures of Brandon enjoying the ride.


I was stuck driving for seven hours, and we decided to stop in Denver for a few hour break. We grabbed some drinks and some food, sitting on this great outdoor promenade mall. We needed the break, but by 7pm it was time to get driving again. Brandon was still weary from the last 20 hours, and we were only halfway there.


As we moved out of Denver, I got my first glimps of a real mountain range. Brandon got the task of making it through the mountains, which gave me time to enjoy the ride. It was worth the whole trip itself.


I finally got a bit of sleep, and around midnight we were working our way through Utah. I warned Brandon to not speed -at all- though the small towns, but we got pulled over doing 40 in a 35. The cop clearly thought something was up, but eventually decided that our stories were so weird that we couldn't possibly make them up and let us go. It's a shame we didn't drive through during the day, as the landscape would have been amazing. Rock formations were everywhere.

As we approached Arizona, we drove through a city called Mexican Hat, and Brandon went on about how they should rename it to "sombrero". I think at this point we could feel the trip was almost over, and the tiredness got us a bit goofy. We almost ran out of gas before we made the next rest stop in Arizona, where I took back over.

I had about an hour an a half drive through the back roads to the Grand Canyon. I went for almost an hour without seeing another car, it was just desert everywhere. I thought it was interesting how I'd see abandoned shacks across the landscape. It was like the start to a scary movie.

As we got to the Grand Canyon access roads we just about crashed. There were deer EVERYWHERE, and none of them seemed to want to get off the road. The next 30 minutes of driving kept me on the edge, and I had to reduce speeds to 35mph. Eventually, we made it. I was a bit worried at first, it was about 5am, and we were the only car there. A 5000 space parking lot and not a single car. It was cold, too; it caught us off guard because, well, it's the desert!

We sat and waited for the sun, and it was worth it. If you are someone who likes traveling and like nature, you have to experience the sun rising over the Canyon. Amazing.


I grabbed a huge cappuccino and we headed to Vegas. Our trip ended with a bonus visit to the Hoover Dam, and then into Vegas. When I saw video poker in the gas stations, I knew we where there.

didnt make antes

...in the slowest event of the year. Coming back from break I lost two pots that put me down to 16k. Last hand I raise UTG with QQ, good player calls from the BB. Flop comes down a decent 234r, he checks, i bet 2000, he raises to 5000. At this point I think he could have alot of hands, and very few of them are ahead of me. I moved all in for 10k more and he called with AQ. Obvi turn is the ace ball and I'm done for the 2007 WSOP.

Overall the series has been a huge bust, but I am not really that upset. Summer had some good moments, and I am happy with what I have coming up for the fall. I plan on getting a more permanent place here in vegas an starting back focusing online. I am looking to travel about once a month to play in live events; that should prevent me getting burned out. I know now that I need balance in my life, and thats where I am looking for the rest of the year.

and i got them back

Level 2 was fun. I went out and busted both donkeys at my table and was up to 25k 30 mins into the level. Those are the only two interesting hands I played in he level and costed with my stack to 24k at the break. I feel great considering how close I was to busto.

Hands:

I raise to 600 co calls, and bb pushes 8000. He is steaming bad, but if I lose Im down to 5k. I push and win vs his QJ to push me over the 20k mark for the first time all day.

Later on there is an internet fish who blew off all his chips to the tightest old guy in the world. He started only open pushing, and, well, 5k pushes at 100/200 are dumb. He pushes into my CO for 5k and I snap with AQ. He has 44 but the flop come 8TJ. gg buddy.

I told the dealer at the start of the day that all I wanted to do is never lose my two 5K chips, and thats held true so far.

couldnt have started worse.

Well, I am at 11.5k at the first break, down big from the 20k we started with.

My table is pretty crappy. There are only 2 fish, and everyone else is decent to good. What is most sad is that both fish have won 6k+ pots off me, but both have less then 15k chips. Its like this slowmotion robinhooding, and I am trying to get my money back and failing. For comparason, yesterday Brandon had one person on his table wth a cardplayer database - and this guy just called on the river with nuts during the day. My table on the other hand has 6 players with cardplayer db, one of the young guys cashed for over 100k just this series. BLEH.

A few hands:

3 limps, button makes it 500 I call in bb with 99, cutoff fish raises to 1900. The button folds and I know I stack him if I make a set. Flop Kxx and I fold.

2 limps I raise 86hh from the hijack. Decent player in mp limp calls. Flop 973dd, he check calls my bet. Turn Qd he pauses and checks I check behind. River 8 he bets pot.

5 limps to my button I have 9Tss and call. Flop T42cc and it checks to me. I bet 600 and fish #2 calls. Turn 5c check check. River T he bets I call he has 83cc. nh

I have won one pot on the flop, and that is it. Need a heater plz one time lee.

it begins

I'm here in the amazon room ready to start my main event. I am actually calmer then I was last night. Cards will go in the air in about ten minutes and I can say that I am ready.

a few more hours

It is finally starting to set in that the WSOP is here. This upcoming main event is something I have been looking forward to since I was in college. I will be pimpin my old red Aeropostle shirt for Day 1d; its the shirt I had for both my deep WPT runs. Maybe I am becoming superstitous...

i post good while drunk

I just loaded up my blog to realize I made two posts while completely blackout drunk, and both are ten times more interesting then anything I've put up recently. Maybe I need to work on that...

Anyway, I decided to take today and tomorrow off to make sure I'm fresh for the Main Event. I have a lot of excited energy that I need to calm down before the big day. Monday can't get here any quicker.

dn is not gay

saw DN at 6am leaving the rhino. Must not be gay.

drunkkkk

somehow i Just won 1k at iP. AT RHINO AND SPENDING DOLLAHS

guess i am playing monday

See title. Saturday and Sunday are full.

moms lucky dollar

I am standing in line at the Rio about to register for the main event. In my pocket is a gold $1 George Washington coin that I got for easter from my mom. Before I left for vegas she told me that 'motherly instincts tell me that your luck will turn.' Well, mother does alway know best so I am putting bit of her power into the prizepool. I am not a big believer in luck or destiny, but maybe mom is.

Saturday is the day for me. I am feeling good going in so it should be good.

dinner in a shoe

We just hit dinner break. The hilo went about as bad as possible. I got moved to a new table with players who callcallcall. We were seeing the flop and 4th street five ways everytime. I was stuck with bricks in stud8 and went from 2000 to 1100.

The sad thing for me is that the next game is stud, and with only 4 bets I am going to have to take a stand. Dealer roll me up one time plz.

hilo is fun for everyone

Except my opponents. The bad thing is that I played both Stud and Holdem without dragging a pot. Going into o8 I was down to 1500 chips. After scooping a few pots in both o8 and stud8 I am up to 2650 on our first break.

We have some huge actionTards at my table so hopefully I have an equally good next hilo round.

shoe

Had another good session online today, so I decided to jump into tonights 1k S.H.O.E. event. This will be my last event until the ME on friday.

a chip and a chair

We finally got seated at the start of the second level. The first seven hands were either a walk or a blind steal. I joined the action with a raise of 98o and got 3bet. I like how that works.

Some donk to my right loses most of his chips and starts shoving every hand. He shoves 900 then 1100 then 1250 over an UTG limp. limper calls with AQ but donk flops a flush. Very next hand - 4 in a row for you that are counting - he shoves 2500 and I find a nice QQ and call. He obv flops an ace and I am left with 250.

So last hand before the break I just shove 92. I really dont want to go on this 20 min break and just want to bust. I get lucky (woohooo) and make a straight and go on break UTG with 550 chips. Level is 100/200 blinds so whatever.

moneyyyy

I finnnally have my WSOP money. To bad the series is almost over. I am playing todays $1500 event, possibly the $1000 rebuy on Monday, and then the Main Event that starts on Friday.

While I am a bit disappointed for missing 3 weeks of the series, I think it worked out for the best. The last 2 week online have been great. I am consistantly beating mid-high stakes and finished the best week of my life last week. I'll post month stats tomorrow.

I am stuck as an alternate again today; Obviously don't learn from my mistakes. There are only a few people ahead of me though so I should get a seat in the first level.

quick one

I dropped down to 3300 before I played my last hand.

There were 3 limpers to me on the button at 75/150. I had AK82ds and made it 800. A bad player limp called utg and the cutoff re-potted it. At this point I was getting way to good of a price to fold so I put the rest of my chips in. Utg and Cutoff both ended up all in for around 4000 each. Utg turns up KQJT rainbow and Cutoff has AKT2. Really not a fan of cutoffs play because we were already committed to call. His hand isn't really that good vs my range. But, if he wants to flip so be it.

Anyway we get scooped by cutoff and I am sent back home. Fantastic.

back playin the wsop

Brandon scored a small cash this weekend at the Venetian, so that gave me a chance back here at the world series. Today we have $1500 pot limit omaha eight or better. I have been looking forward to this event since Harrahs released the schedual. This is the most crazy event you could put together.

We just finished the first two levels and I'm at 4750 on break. I got up to 6000 before bricking some flops.

Most of my table only knows limit O8 so they are way to nitty. 90 percent of hands are 5-6 way limped preflop. Going to see if I can steal a few limped pots and build back up.

reflection from the strip

Vegas is an interesting city. Sitting at the tables everyone has a story. Some people live here, but most of the people you meet are here for a week and then back to their normal lives. Everyone is here to take a break from life and let loose.

It is wierd for me, as I a looking to move here not for a break from life, but to start my life. I have not meet a single local over 40 that looked as if life had treated him fairly. If I do move here perm, it will only be for a few years.

I sat down to play some three card poker at the Mirage. At the table was some fourty year old chick who just reaked of gold digger. She used to live and work in Vegas, but got married and moved to LA. It was obvious that she worked as a stripper, and that she just married some guy because he had cash. All I could think is that I would never want a wife like her. Though, I am not sure how to avoid girls like her in vegas.

No matter, I am ready for Vegas. I can keep straight.

at least lunch was good

Went busto about midway though level 4. Heres how my day went: Raise A5, get three bet, fold. Raise QQ, get the blinds. Play J9 vs J8 in the blinds and lose half my chips.