Saturday, October 13, 2007

Sham's Blog: Las Vegas 2007 (Wed 6/13)

(Part 12 and conclusion of "Letters Home" series originally printed in Aces Cracked Forum at aces-cracked.net)

"Entry 11, 8:57 am Wednesday, 6/13:

Last post from Vegas. No more wandering, I'm staying put at Orleans until the airport shuttle comes at 12:45. Flight leaves at 4 pm; wish they had a live poker room at the airport!!! Withdrawals!!! After this it's breakfast buffet, pack, checkout, and hit the cash poker games until time to go. Or maybe blackjack. Finished last night at BJ tables; lost the first $60 I played, rather quick. On way to room, on a whim decided to try $100 at another table. I love card-cold but friendly dealers! Half-hour later headed for room (via cashiers) with $202 from that table, so my BJ was a profit to end the day.

Thank goodness. I played three tourneys Tuesday. I played very well, but donkeyness and the usual sham bad luck did me in. First at Excalibur got third and $144 in $35 buy-in (turbo-style). Even room manager said he thought I'd win, I was playing great, but a guy ticked me off and I tried to eliminate him with my A9; he had TT and I couldn't improve. Short-stacked, I pushed mid-pair following hand and same villain called with A7 ... and hit two 7s on flop. I shoulda offered 3-way chop earlier, but got greedy for the top prize and the glory.

The games got worse. TI in the afternoon, $60 buy, I went out 21st when dominating A9 vs A4 saw her land a 4 on the turn ... and she had me barely covered. I knew she was bullying and trying to steal, I made right call. Just not my luck.

And it got worse that night at Orleans, $85 NLHE. TWICE my pocket aces wound up cracked by straights; first time I was all-in, made me re-buy earlier than I wanted to (first level). Second time I didn't call off my last 1200 after the river, I knew he'd hit on me, another straight (he told me later I was right, he had open-ender so stayed cause he was every-hand good gambler and big table chip leader. I'd openly laid down QQ to him earlier in tourney on turn because his betting worried me, and sure enough he'd flopped set. Wish I had his card luck this day.) The had after Crack Two, my last 1200 went in with A9, rival had KT, happy double-up coming ... but I knew as dealer was about to flip over the river card that doom had come. "It's a king," I told table ... and it was. "Why didn't you call for a deuce or something else?" chip leader asked, while hand-winner's jaw dropped. "Because I just knew it; can't change what is," I replied, as I left the table 69th and on a 2-no-cash tourney losing streak.

I gotta get back to Vegas real real soon!!! More Friday, a wrap-up. Back to the online wars..."

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