I had an awesome time earlier this month in Las Vegas during the 2012 World Series of Poker. I will write that trip up within the next couple days, but I first feel compelled to write up two fantastic trips I made to Las Vegas last year during the 2011 WSOP. I spent four nights in Las Vegas last July during the Main Event, then another three nights there in November during the Main Event Final Table. This is a fairly long post, but I hope and trust it is worth the read.

July 2011 Main Event
Although I planned on watching the Main Event each day and then playing poker at the Bellagio each night, I enjoyed watching the Main Event so much that I only played one night of poker on the trip. The nicest and/or most entertaining players to watch were Phil Hellmuth (most entertaining), Cyndy Violette (nicest), and Antonio Esfandiari (extremely entertaining AND extremely nice). I was staying at the Rio, lying out by the pool each day until noon, and then watching the Main Event each day for another 12 hours or so. How I dream of someday being on the other side of the rail, playing in the Main Event!

The one night I played poker during this trip was July 13 and into the morning on July 14. I arrived at the Bellagio at 2:00 pm and played 1-2 no-limit until 6:00 am the next morning.

For the first hour or two I frequently get good hole cards, raise aggressively with them, but never once hit a flop, turn, or river. Within two hours I have lost my initial $200 investment and half of my rebuy. Frustrated, I decide to slow down on pre-flop raises.

Right away, my poker session turns around. I continue to catch decent hole cards but am now simply calling with them, no matter how good they are. As a result, when I start catching flops my strong hands are well-disguised. Just as importantly, I am able to read most of the players at the table pretty well and do a good job of raising, calling, or folding based on some very good reads. By 8:00 pm I have pulled back to even and am up a little.

During the next 6 hours I have an epic run. I don't get many good hands but stay patient and then maximize my hands when I get them. The table never learns that I am only betting when I have the goods, and I am betting the goods pretty hard. I build up an $800 profit by 2:00 am.

During the next 4 hours I become extremely card dead, but continue to stay patient and then get paid off big-time when I finally do hit a hand. Again, I am reading the table very well and making a few very good folds when necessary. At 6:00 am there are only 3 other people left playing, so I leave the Bellagio poker room with a nice $1,200 profit. Management comps me for the breakfast buffet, so I smoke a very rewarding Avo Maduro churchill cigar and then have the breakfast buffet, which is spectacular!

A great trip and I am already making plans to return for the November Nine!

2011 Final Table
I was up working all night before my plane left Florida for Las Vegas, so I had already been up 34 hours straight before boarding my plane. I cannot sleep on the plane so I am completely spent when checking in at Bally’s (comped room – I tipped the front desk clerk $20 and got upgraded to a relatively nice, large room with a great view). Figuring I have about 2 hours to spare before I need to head over to the Rio and get in line for a good seat at the November Nine, I decide to take a short nap. The next thing I know, I wake up to find that I have been asleep for 6 hours. Ouch! I turn on ESPN and watch the final table from my room. I am still exhausted and cannot muster the energy to go anywhere. I had a nice night watching the final table get down to Staszko, Heinz, and Lamb, but I did not take advantage of being in Vegas. Bummer.

The next day I play poker at the Bellagio and break even despite a couple tough beats. I am up about $350 late in my session when a new player at the table catches a full house on the very same river that I make the nut straight. I lose a big pot, giving back all my profit from the evening. The hand is frustrating, and I wonder if I should have seen the full house coming, Nevertheless, I am reading the other players very well and make a mental note that I seem to be able to do so quite consistently lately. I decide to increasingly trust my reads while playing.

The next day I hit the Bellagio again in the mid-afternoon and decide to play for a couple hours before heading over to the Rio and watching the final showdown between Staszko, Heinz, and Lamb. My very first hand is 7-2 offsuit. I really like getting this hand right away. I am usually a very tight player, choosing to counter-punch rather than try to run the table. Getting a very weak hand right away gives me an opportunity to make an over-the-top early bluff that will have the table thinking I am foolishly loose-aggressive. Then, the plan goes, they will pay me off later when I really do hit some hands.

I am on the button and 5 limpers call the big blind. $13 is already in the pot when it is my turn to act. I raise it to $35 and everyone else folds except the player on my right. I was hoping all would fold and I could then show my 7-2 AND collect a nice pot. Oh well. The player on my right is in his late 20s, has a big stack, and gives the impression of being a regular player. The flop delivers three rags. The player on my right checks. I decide to bet $50 and hope to take down the pot right there. I vow to not put any money in the pot after that, and look forward to showing my 7-2 for later dividends.

The player on my right thinks for about 30 seconds and then folds. I show my 7-2 and collect a nice pot while the table erupts in disbelief. A good start!

During the next half hour or so I play two more hands when I connect nicely on two flops. I make decent-sized post-flop bets but am surprised when I get no post-flop callers. Oh well, at least I am collecting more chips.

About 45 minutes into my session I look down at 7-2 offsuit again. I decide this is a good time to emphasize a foolish loose-aggressive image, especially considering I am playing with house money. I am in the big blind this time, and once again there are 5 limpers in front of me. The player on my right has gone to the bathroom and is therefore sitting out this hand. I again raise to $35 and again get a single caller (the player two seats on my left, a 55-ish nice European guy wearing expensive clothes and who is clearly an experienced and knowledgeable player). The flop comes 2-2-10. Trips - nice! I check. The European guy ponders for a moment and starts reaching for chips. I remind him that I played 7-2 before and he may want to think twice about betting with such a garbage flop. He smiles and bets $50. I call and say, “Be careful!”

The turn is a 7, giving me a full house. I check again and truthfully tell him I will happily check down through the river if he wants. (I would be happy to win a modest pot and show my 7-2. I would feel bad about busting him here.) He smiles again and pushes all in. I call and turn over my boat. He stares at my cards in disbelief as the table erupts again. To his credit, he does not berate me for my apparent donkey-like play, and merely shakes his head and mutters to himself as he leaves the table. I feel bad about felting him on such a hand, but I feel great about building my chip stack up to about $600.

The player on my right returns from the bathroom and the whole table excitedly tells him that I did it again with my 7-2 offsuit.

The very next hand I get dealt Ad Qd in the small blind. Yet again, several players limp, including the player on my right, who is now on the button. Yet again, I raise to $35. The whole table folds, except the button. The flop comes Qc, 9d, 4d. What a great flop! I have top pair/top kicker plus the nut flush draw. I lead out for $50, just like I did when I bluffed him on my first hand. The button insta-calls. The next card brings the 8s. I immediately fire out another $50 and the button again insta-calls. The river brings the 2d, completing my nut flush. I pause to give the impression that the third diamond scares me. I nevertheless lead out for another $50. The button immediately raises to $100. I go into the tank before saying, “I don’t think you’re as strong as you’re representing.” I then shove all-in. Button goes into the tank for about 30 seconds before making the call and turning over Kd 10d for the second-nut flush. I turn over my nut flush and scoop a huge pot. The table erupts again.

At this point I should note that I so appreciate and enjoy the game of poker that I am always in a good mood when I play. I frequently and sincerely compliment players on their play, even when they beat me, and I always seem to lift the spirits of people at the table. As a result, the player on my right does not seem too angry after losing the pot, and we develop a very friendly rapport during the remainder of the session.

After the hand, it is about time to head over to the Rio, but I can’t leave the Bellagio when I am on such a run. The Final Table is being shown on the televisions in the Bellagio poker room, so I decide to watch Pius Heinz take it down while I continue to play at the Bellagio.

I play for another hour or two of card-dead poker before the table breaks and I get moved to another table. Soon after sitting down, a player collects a nice pot with pocket jacks. I truthfully tell the table that pocket jacks are my favorite hand. I tell them that I will play 7-2 offsuit and pocket jacks very hard any time I get them.

I lose about $150 during the next two hours or so when my good hole cards fail to connect and when I catch two pair but lose to a straight. I find that I am reading players very well, even though I am not connecting, and I am very happy with that.

Soon thereafter I catch pocket aces on the button. An early position player raises to $25 and the cutoff calls. I re-raise to $75. Both players think a long time before folding. One of the players asks me what I had. “Pocket jacks!” I exclaim triumphantly. He looks crushed and tells me he had pocket queens.

Several hands later I get dealt pocket aces again, this time in the small blind. A player in mid-position raises to $10 and I re-raise to $35. Mid-position makes the call. The flop comes K 10 5, rainbow. I hope mid-position has a king and bet $50. Mid-position calls. The turn is a queen, making me confident he feels pretty good about his hand. I bet another $50 and he raises to $100. I worry a little about A-J, but I put him on a king. I re-raise all-in and he goes in the tank. He finally calls and turns over K 9 suited. I show the pocket aces, which hold up, and he says, “I thought you had jacks again.”

I call it a night soon thereafter, pocketing another $1,200 in profit. That makes $2,400 in profit during my last three 1-2 no limit sessions, and I am very happy. Before heading to the airport I see an awesome fluorescent lime green blazer in a store at the Flamingo as part of a half-price sale. I spring the $80 and vow to keep the lime green jacket pristine until my next trip to Las Vegas.

Next up: Playing my first-ever poker tournament – Event 59 in the 2012 WSOP.

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