Detailed WPBT trip report

D-dub, Cujofan and I left Kansas City Wednesday night, on a bitter cold night during which a full twelve inches of snow blanketed our fair city. I took a dark pleasure in looking out the window of the plane and seeing the city covered in the snow that continued to fall, as we lifted off headed for warmer climes and better company.

We landed in Vegas and were at the Imperial Palace by about 10:30 Vegas time. The hospitality of the IP was simply fantastic - in addition to the affordable room prices we were given a comp package that included two free buffets, $25 in free comps, and five free drinks. The poker room also comped $3/hour of raked poker, which meant that between the comp package and our time at the tables, we three ate at the IP three times each on the house. Not bad at all. The rooms were pretty standard. Small outdated TV and a little musty, but once we aired out the room we were very pleased. A $20 slid to the check-in girl got us a three-person room without having to pay the upgrade cost, which would have cost $20/night. A bargain, to say the least.

Wednesday night not much was happening around the IP. We wandered to the poker room, where they were spreading only 2/4 limit. Didn't recognize anyone at the time. So we three decided to just hit the strip and enjoy the weather. We walked through the IP's karoke bar where an attractive blonde was butchering the Dixie Chix. We walked through the shops at Ceasers after hours. We browsed the poker room at Harrahs. Hit the burger joint at the IP for dinner on the house. And ultimately decided to call it an early night and get moving in the morning.

We got up early the next morning, took the monorail to Excalibur for their breakfast buffet, and walked next door for a poker tournament. Which Casino exactly I can't remember (maybe the Aladin?) as it turned out that the tournament wasn't at 11am like we thought, but was at 10am, so we were a half-hour late instead of a half-hour early. So we decided to hoof it back to the Excalibur where all three of us could comfortably play. D-dub hit the Excalibur's 1-3 spread limit game, while Cujofan and I hit the 1/2 No Limit game. We were shorthanded when we sat down, and basically grinded around a small bit of profit while waiting for the game to fill out. Cujofan and I stayed out of each other's way for the most part, intentionally, except on a big hand where we ran in to each other with set over set (my QQ over his JJ, both a Q and J on the flop). The most exciting hand of the session, six players saw the flop including me on the button with 67d. The flop came 8d9xKd. Early position bet out with a standard post-flop bet of about $10, and got three callers to me. Last to act, I decide that with the open-ended straight plus the flush I should try to take the pot down right now, or at least try to isolate and maybe push out a non-nut-flushdraw: I raised $100, which was quite a raise based on the table buy-in of $200 max / $100 min. UTG pushes in his last $50 or so. Caller #2 and Caller #3 both push as well. So I've got a three-way all-in in front of me, but I've got to call because its maybe $10 in to a pot of over $500 and assuming I'm up against a bigger flush my straight outs are probably clean. Sure enough, we've got a set of nines, AKo for TPTK, a nut flushdraw with Axd, and my straight/dominated flushdraw. The cowboy with the nut flush catches his diamond on the turn and the board doesn't pair the river, and the cowboy hits a big win and then immediately cashes out thereafter. That killed a lot of the action at the table, as over $500 left the table but most of the players stayed. I cashed out up about $7 after about three hours of poker, very dissapointing as I was running over the table before that four-way all-in hand. However, I managed to down about nine drinks during the three hours at the table, so I had a nice buzz on as we rolled out of the castle.

We headed back to the IP and hit the limit tables there. The games were decently juicy and I managed to run up over $75 in just over an hour. Playing with a $100 buyin at a 2/4 table and finishing up $75 in an hour gives you some idea of the game quality. I used the profits to buy in to the nightly 11pm no-limit tournament held there at the IP. The format was extremely aggressive: we started with five tables, and I was able to run over most of the field playing the LAG despite not catching any serious cards. I made the final table and actually entered the final table as third in chips. However, because of way that the format accelerated, with third in chips I only had a little more than six big blinds. So the final table would be a crapshoot. I ended up cracking in seventh place, pushing A9d from the small blind (with about 4BB left) into the big blind who had me barely covered - he called with pocket sevens, they held up, and I was bounced in seventh. If the format had allowed for a little more poker to be played, I would have easily run over that final table, but as it was I was pretty pleased with my ability to carve through the field. I considered it a nice warm-up for the WPBT tournament, especially so since I was freerolling with my 2/4 profits.

Friday we slept in and hit the IP buffet for lunch on the house, and after lunch brought a message from Donkeypuncher that he'd arrived and was waiting downstairs. I headed downstairs to join him and we caught up on life, poker, and everything else in between. We then met Joaquin and Drizz to head to the Orleans for a limit hi/lo Omaha tournament where we met up with F-train and Al. While I'm not the best O8B player in the world by a long stretch, I've clocked success at a number of O8B SNGs and was looking forward to giving it a try in this larger MTT format. The format was actually really well done, as we got a lot of chips and got to play for about two hours before the blinds got annoying. I scooped only one pot, and only saw three pots to the river - both other times having the best hand on the turn but getting counterfitted on the river. Such is O8B. Just card dead the entire time, but it was a very good time. Joaquin and I both were out early, and after sweating Drizz and F-train for a while we hit the 2/4 limit tables to kill some time. I dragged a $80 pot in the first five minutes: Joaquin approved from the next table, but the locals at mine certainly didn't appreciate me shouting "quad kings, bitches" to scoop the massive pot (I bet the flop, check-raised the turn, bet the river, three people calling down all the way). However, thereafter I had what was the worst single limit orbit of my life, getting AA twice and QQ once, and getting all three of them cracked in the same orbit. I managed to minimize my losses in all of them (single opponent staying in on the flop, obviously on the flush draw, and going in to check/call once the flush hit on the river). Cashed out up a few dollars despite the junk kickings.

Joaquin, Drizz, F-train, Donkeypuncher and I grabbed a cab back. This cab ride will be forever known as the "best cab ride evar!!!!1!", with our storyteller "Ricardo the Pussy Sucker". Ricardo regaled us with tales best untold, of getting it on in the cab with two black women who traded sexual favors for a cab ride, of his techniques for going down on a girl ("you've got to suck it like an oyster, you know man"), and other crazy stories of the things he's seen (or claimed to have seen, anyways). The cab ride might have been the most entertaining part of the trip to the Orleans. You can get more on the cab ride from Donkeypuncher and F-Train and Drizz. I was happy to pick up the cab ride, and dropped Ricardo a $9 tip on top of the fare for the entertainment.

I regrouped with D-dub and Cujofan in the room, who were still sleeping off the effects of the prior night's clubbing. We hit the IP buffet for yet another free meal on the house - it was actually pretty decent, albeit a limited selection of dishes. But well worth the price of free. We then monorailed it to the MGM for Joaquin's mixed games. Joaquin was kind enough to offer up his seat at HORSE so he could start another table, and I got to meet some of the blogger heavyweights including Daddy, the UpforPoker trifecta of Otis / CJ / G-Rob, one of my partners-in-crime for the main event last longer bet in StB, Drizz with a mountain of chips (I think he bought in for a grand), Gamecock and finally -EV. I also finally got to meet the blogfather Iggy in person. The mixed game was probably the most fun I had all trip. We were playing "Horse Pee" - Hold'Em, Omaha, Razz, Stud, Eights or Better, and mixing in Pineapple / Crazy Pineapple to end the rotation. -EV and I were keeping the table going with a number of straddles and were just having a ton of fun together. Highlight of the night for me was getting an ovation from the table after bluffing Gamecock out of a pretty big razz pot. He raised preflop which was pretty obviously representing a strong hand, and then he caught an ace on fourth street and another low card (2, maybe 3) on fifth street. On both streets I called out to the table that he'd obviously paired with that card, and I raised him each time. He was exasperated but I caught what looked like great upcards, and when I bet in to him on the final street he had to fold his hand - I turned over a full house to the table, showing what was just a massive bluff, as I had A33 rolled up and the A3 I'd hit on top combined for the full house. Great moment, big laugh for the table. Later in the evening, Drizz's moutain of chips attracted a lady in her fifties, overweight and wearing too much makeup, who joined the table for the HORSE game but specifically mentioned that she wanted to sit next to the "young gentleman with all the chips". -EV immediately jumped in to a chorus of "I ain't saying she's a gold digger..." which had me crying. Cujofan and D-dub both were playing the no limit tables all this time, and Cujofan was apparently lucky enough to get pro poker player and blogger Paul Phillips and king-of-all-bloggers Wil Wheaton seated at his table. He said it was the most fun he's ever had playing poker - check his site for more on that. I was hugely jealous, as I've long been a Paul Phillips fan, and I've been a fan of Wil's for a long time including a regular reader of his site, and buyer of both his books (Just a Geek is excellent, if you haven't read it).

We bowed out of the MGM a little early to head to Risque in Paris. Its one of my favorite clubs, with a talented in-house DJ who does an excellent job of mashing-up pop and rap hits, and always has a decent selection of talent. The club was certainly a little light, being that its the off-season (as much as there is an off-season in Vegas) but we still had a great time and there was a nice selection of hot girls to oggle. Walking home from Risque I bumped in to a disoriented seniorita from San Diego and was nice enough to escort her to her room, and actually refused an invite to come in as she really wasn't my type. Walking back in to the IP I ran in to Donkeypuncher yet again, and we canvased the IP poker room and tried to grab a bite to eat, but the burger place had closed and we gave up to call it a night.

Saturday brought the main event. We woke up plenty early and hit the IP breakfast buffet, once again on the house with our comp dollars. I helped Otis set up the room, and snagged some of the great Pokerstars swag. Pokerstars really impressed me and did a great job overall sponsoring the tournament. Their free stuff and prize pool contribution was greatly appreciated. The open bar from the IP was also a very nice touch, and was definately used. Donkeypuncher bought me a beer at 9:58a before the bar was officially open, so thanks to him I'd started drinking before ten a.m. like a true degenerate.

After listening to Barry Greinstein and Charlie Shoten, we drew seats for the tournament. I drew table ten, a tough table, one everyone referred to as the "TV" table for my starting assignment - notables included THG, Bill Rini, Pokergeek, CJ, Joanne, Otis, and the Geekette. I knew I'd be in trouble if I didn't bring my a-game. Geekette was cracked early and was replaced by RGP heavyweight Faelknight. Cujofan grabbed a picture of me at my starting table (click the pic for his full album):

Here's a picture I stole from Bill, essentially my view from the starting table.
I'm seated to the right of Geekette, just off to the right of the picture.

I managed to bust out both CJ and Otis, 2/3rds of the Up For Poker crew. Whoever ended up winning the last longer bet, feel free to transfer whatever you think appropriate to my Pokerstars account. :) Here's a recap of my tournament action:

I originally planned on LAG'ing it up early, but with such a tough table there wasn't a lot of room to make a move. I stole the blinds a couple times, but never really got too involved in many hands. I called a preflop raise from Joanne once with AKo and position, and folded to her continuation bet on the flop when I didn't find an ace or king. It was a weak move but I didn't necessarily have a good feel for her style and might well have been behind to something like TT or JJ. I did manage to steal a couple rounds of blinds, and overall was up slightly when I tangled with CJ. Faelknight from RGP is sitting to my right, and he makes the standard opening raise UTG. I call with AKo, as I've got position on him. Its folded around to CJ in late position who pushes for approximately 900 more. Faelknight looks him up but then folds pretty quickly. I take a look at the pot size and decide I can't pass this up - I figure I'm likely either a coinflip to a medium pair or I have him dominated with AT+ or tied with AK. I didn't imagine he'd play AA or KK this way - maybe KK but I really figured he'd just cold-call there with position with one of these big pocket pairs, instead of trying to push one or both of us out preflop. The more I thought about it, the more I thought I was ahead of his range from a pot-odds perspective (getting priced in to the coinflip) and so announced "time to coinflip this early.... I guess so" and called. CJ knew before I turned my hand up that he was dominated - and called out the AK before I even showed them. He was on AJh, making a good move trying to accumulate chips and hoping he'd have at least an overcard and possibly two overs if called. The rainbow flop killed any chance of a flush and was KTX so I jumped to a commanding lead. The turn brought an ace, so CJ was now drawing to only the queen (four outs). The river brings a jack, giving him two pair (aces and jacks) to my bigger two pair (aces and kings), and I had busted the luckbox. I got a cool t-shirt explaining as such ("I busted the Luckbox from UpForPoker.net").

A few orbits later, blinds are 200/400 and Otis was on the short stack, and raises my big blind to 1200 from the button. I wake up with AQ and put him all in - he's forced to call and turns over 78o I believe. My AQ holds up unimproved as the best hand. I win UpForPoker t-shirt bounty #2 ("I pwned Otis" or something similar - the shirt's in the mail).

A few hands later, we go on break, and our table is broken. I was shuffled to another table where I was also joined by Joanne from the "TV table". Turns out I'm dropped in to the big blind (disappointment #1) and sitting to my left is my friend D-dub (disappointment #2). I've also got some pretty deep stacks to my right, but no one I recognized. First hand back, D-dub pushes UTG for about 1100 chips. I've posted 600 in the big blind, and I decide I've got to call holding A3d - I figure there's a very good chance that D-dub is just on two big cards. Sure enough, he's got KQ, but he catches both a king and a queen on the flop, and catches another queen on the turn for good measure, leaving me drawing dead for the river. However, its folded to me on the next hand and I push back in to him from the small blind. I steal his big blind (I had K5o or something like that) and I'm down a net of 200 chips for the two hands (compared to if I'd just folded from the BB and folded the SB as he'd not have had enough chips to not call me), not bad at all. D-dub then gives my chips away a hand or two later, running in to QQ with AK and not catching any help.

Just a few hands later, I raise 3x the BB from the small blind with AKo and am called by Joanne in the big blind (two seats away, no one in between us). Flop was undercards and I quickly bet out a little over half my remaining stack, another 1800. Joanne thought for a moment and pushed. I had 1400 behind and was of course pot committed. Joanne announced "good call, I'm just on the draw". I guess she thought she could push me off my last 1400 chips after I'd already put ~4500 chips in the pot, or perhaps she didn't see how few chips I had behind. Either way she turned over A5o for a gutshot straight draw. She was drawing to seven outs, but I had a sick feeling in my stomach - i'd bounced from the last (online) WPBT event in a very similar scenario, by putting in more than half my remaining chips with AK on an undercard flop, clearly being pot committed but my opponent thinking they could bluff me off, and then getting the money in the middle as a big favorite and getting sucked out on. Sure enough, the turn was a blank but she caught a four on the river and I was out in 40th place. Had I doubled-up there I believe I would have been a strong favorite to make the final table, as I would have had enough chips to really run over my table. I handed over one of the KC Poker t-shirts as my bounty ("if poker was easy, it would be called Your Mom"). My shirt was a big hit, I had several people mention to me that they thought it was the best shirt there.

This was my first bust from a "major" live tournament when I got my money in the middle with the best of it and gotten sucked out on. Believe it or not. Every other time, i've usually gotten short-stacked and gotten picked off on steal attempts, usually getting my money in on the worst side of a coinflip (i.e. my overcards against a pocket pair) or occasionally running in to a monster on a steal attempt. Never before in a live tournament had I gotten all my money in the middle as a big favorite and gotten busted out on the same hand. Admitedly, I haven't played nearly the amount of live tournmanets compared to my extensive online tournament experience. But there was definately more of an emotional impact to bouncing out of this tournament - not sure if it was just because it was the blogger tournament and I was among friends, or because it was my first live tourney bounce to a suckout, or some combination thereof. I hope I was appropriately gracious and polite - I think I was, I remember giving Joanne my bounty shirt and wishing her well, and shaking the hands of several other people at the table. If I offended anyone as I busted out, I certainly apologize. And I certainly couldn't have picked a nicer person to bust to - Joanne was a lot of fun at the table and I was certainly cheering that she'd take my chips to the final table from there...

After busting out, I grabbed my stack of swag and bounced to the room to drop it off and clear my head. I returned quickly, and started sweating Cujofan. Cujofan played great, and made a run to the final table, ultimately finishing fourth. I was extremely proud of him, as I consider him my poker apprentice in many ways, and his game has surpassed mine in several areas and was good to see him take this big score. Head over to Cujofan.com to get his full writeup on his tournament finish. I snapped a bundle of final table pictures with Cujofan's camera, and I'll get those posted this week.

We crashed after the tournament. We were all pretty much exhausted. I got the wireless internet connection working for the first time all week, and spent several hours researching my football picks and placing bets. Bad picks, but thanks to throwing out a massive (unposted) teaser of three of my four picks I finished almost exactly even on the NFL action, continuing the theme of the weekend - breakeven after expenses but not getting ahead. From there, we left the room in the morning and went to New York New York to watch the games. We put our name in for a table at ESPNzone and watched the first thirty minutes of the games in their theater before getting a table. We then chowed at ESPNzone and watched all of the first round of games, before leaving for the airport. Our flight got delayed almost a full hour, which let us catch the end of the Chiefs game. We then hopped the full flight, where I entertained my neighboors watching "Oceans 12" on the powerbook (subtitles turned on for the seatmates). While I watched a movie on the planeride home, Cujo wrote up six pages of notes so he should have some great blog entries this week. I took notes during the weekend on my Treo, thus the uberpost here. Back home about 11pm local time, to reunite with the dogs, grab some dinner, and decompress from the wonderful weekend.

All-in-all, a legendary weekend. Tons of fun making new friends, and meeting old friends for the first time in person. Can't wait for the next get-together.