Vegas Part 2

Texas Hold em

While in Vegas I played in a Hold em tournament and I also played a little 1-2 no limit. I consider myself a little better than average at playing poker. I know how to calculate pot odds, and card odds. I have multiple styles of play and have no problems changing up during table play.

So I bought into an $80.00 tournament. There were 30 players who bought in. You started with 2500 in chips. Blinds started at 25 - 50 and raised up every 15 minutes.

I was seated in the 8th seat at the table. My table was mixed with young and old guys. Some talkers and some non-talkers. It was a good mix. I decided I was going to be very tight early on so I could watch a lot of the play. I was only going to play what I call a top ten hand. So after the first 15 minutes I thought I had a god feel for the table. I felt 5 players were poor players and very loose. I felt the 3 players were solid, and the rest I did not know.

I decided it was time to change my game and just play tight. I would play top 20 hands. the first hand I got involved in I was pocket 9's in dealers position. I decided to raise the un-opened pot and put pressure on the blinds. I got called by the small blind and the big blind folded. The flop came with A, K, 10. The small blind raised more than the pot. I thought this was an odd bet, but this was one of the players I just did not have a read on yet. I decided to lay down the hand since there were 3 over cards on the flop.

After that hand Every hand I played at that table I won. Either I had the cards, or my tight image bullied other players. One lesson I learned is the power of betting. If you make bets at the right times, you can really scare some people.

After about 2 hours the thirty people are down to 9 and one final table. At the table I was about 6th or 7th in chips, not great. I had enough chips, that I could last awhile so I didn't have to make any drastic moves. However, the third hand I was dealt pocket cowboys. I decide to push all in. Basically if I no one called and I stole the blinds I would raise my stack by about 50%. I actually got a caller, and oddly enough I had him out chipped so he was really all in. When he turned up is pocket 10's I new I was in good position. The flop came 5,3,j. I am now thinking I am about 91% to win. That is until the turn came up a 10. I ended up losing the hand and having about 1500 in chips left not enough really. Basically I was all in on the next hand since I was the big blind, and ended up losing.

The next day I played 1-2 no limit and it was fun. I again played tight early, but got real loose after watching. I got some good cards, bet them hard and usually one. I was up big until a guy when all in and I had pocket aces. He had Q, 10. he paired his queen and then ended up pairing his 10 in the river. Other than that hand and paying someone else I new had a straight but could not believe he would bet so much chasing it, I did pretty well.

So those are my poker stories. Stay tuned form my Harrah's rant, and other Vegas goodies.