Vegas Baby!

I just got back from a week in Vegas yesterday and will have a full accounting of the trip shortly. In the meantime, here are a few pics. First is a million dollar pile of bills, then Bellagio at night and finally the canals at the Venetian.

Another Winning Session

I hit the Borgata again yesterday and sat in a $2/5 No Limit game. I observed a few hands before I was dealt in and I knew there were some loose-aggressive players that would build big pots but would also be dangerous as it is hard to put them on hands since they play such a wide range of cards. I was patient and mostly folded for the first 30 minutes. I won one nice pot but was really biding my time and waiting for the big kill I knew I could make with these kinds of players. After raising with a pair of eights and then folding when I was re-raised pre-flop, I looked down at a couple of tens and made it $20 to go. Three players called my bet and we saw the flop. The poker gods were smiling on me as the first three cards appeared on the felt: 10-6-6. I had flopped a full-house, an absolute monster! Knowing how agressive the other players were I slow played and let them do the betting for me. I checked and a player bet out $50, another played called and I just called, as well. The turn was a 2 and I checked agian. The first bettor put out a $150 stack of chips, the second player folded and I re-raised another $235, and was all-in. The other player called and when I turned over my hand he practically threw his cards in the muck. He was drawing dead, the last card was meaningless and the dealer pushed me a pile of nearly $1000 of chips! This was in the first hour of play!. I played for about another hour then racked my chips, cashed in and headed to dinner.
My confidence is high as I prepare to leave for Vegas this weekend!

Back to Borgata

Tuesday was my first day back to the poker room at Borgata since I started dating Lauren and I was anxious to see if I could get my focus back. I decided to play conservative and sat at a $2/$5 No-Limit game that had just started before I got there so there were no big stacks yet. I folded my first hand (King-Ten, under the gun) but did play my next hand which was Ace-Eight suited, in diamonds and I was in the Big Blind. I got an ace on the flop but there were three clubs on the board. I bet out and the player to my left made a minimum re-raise, a weak move here. I called and the turn was a non-club rag. I checked and he checked behind me which confirmed my suspicion he had a single club and was looking to hit his flush. The river was another ace, giving me trips and I checked again to see what he might do. He gave up and checked and I took down the pot. A nice opener for sure.
The very next hand, in the Small Blind, I looked down at pocket fours and the whole table limped in and I limped, as well. The flop came 4-K-T and I was first to act and checked. Another player bet $30 and three others called. I thought about raising but decided to smooth call. The turn card I believed was meaningless and I checked again. This time the first better moved all-in and it was folded to me and I called instantly. He turned over King-Ten for top two pair and I showed him my set of fours and he sighed in disappointment. The river didn't help him and I doubled my buy-in on the second hand! I played for about another hour and then took the money and ran. A $540 profit in an hour and a half, not too shabby. Looks like I have a new lucky charm!

I Hit The Jackpot!

I haven't played poker in a week. Like CNN before me, I have been struck by the love bug. It's like hitting a Royal Flush in Hearts on the river to win a monster pot, to put it in poker parlance. My new girlfriend is amazing and I've never been happier! I'm sure it will have an incredibly positive impact on my game when I do get back to the action this week. We've been out every night for the last 11 nights and having a great time together. Just wanted to shout it from the rooftops!
Here's a pic of her from Halloween. Her name is Lauren: