On this second leg, I felt a lot more comfortable venturing out after work, mainly because the odds were actually heavily against me getting knifed, unlike in Nicaragua, and there was no comparable language barrier. The only thing I had to struggle with a little to decipher were the strong but friendly Mississippi accents.
Even better and more convenient, literally right across the street from our perfectly pleasant hotel was the Beau Rivage Hotel and Casino, the largest and most prestigious gambling house in the state. Best of all - they had nightly tournaments!
$120 for 10,000 in chips and a fairly decent structure. I brought my sometime poker confidante Cali Al along with me, and we both excitedly plunked down our cash for a chance at fighting through about 50 runners for a smallish prize pool.
The poker room at the BR was gorgeous to look at, comfortable and sumptuous with wood paneling and fine appointments.
The chairs were comfortable, though they didn't roll which was a bit odd (considering all the big rooms have rolling chairs in Vegas and SoCal, even in HPC) - the two most unfortunate things about the room however were the noise and the smoke. Because the room was adjacent and open to the casino machines (which were numerous) we got to enjoy a constant stream of binging and beeping as well as a frequent lung burning from the chain smoking slot jockeys.
The dealers were competent and friendly. The drink service fast enough and equally cheerful.
The competition however at first appeared to be the rooms downfall - mostly locals who for the most part knew what they were doing. Over the first hour I thought to myself - "I don't think the Rivage would be where I would hang my hat if I lived here. Too tough and too "been there, done that". Though I must say, quite a bit friendlier and sincere than the local degens in Inglewood." But as I would learn, it really wasn't as bad as it first appeared.
Cali and I both couldn't seem to get much going early on, but soon I got comfortable with the table as for who knew what they were doing and who didn't. In particular, I pegged the young gun across the table from me as an aggressive local who at first appeared to be in control but in fact wasn't betting correctly, at all.
Just as my stack was starting to slip, my read on this guy paid off. There was lots of limping going on at the table, frequently without a raise from behind. And when it was raised, everybody would call anyway. So I played along with the table, trying to see a flop or cheap.
I just called from middle position with KQ suited. Young gun limped as well from the button. Four players to the flop. K x x. Blinds checked, I checked, button checked. Turn was a 10. Blinds checked, I checked, Young Gun fired just over a quarter of the pot. Blinds folded. I called. River was a scary Jack. I checked. Young Gun, hot shit local, fired out THE SAME AMOUNT! I was getting nearly 10 to one on a call. I would have called with any two cards just to get information, but I had the sneaking instinct that I was still good. This guy was ABC and would have bet for fat value if he had connected hard. I insta-called and insta-flipped my cards. He looked disgusted and mucked. Really buddy? Did you think I was going to fold top pair for barely twice a min-bet on the river? You suck dude.
Cali continued to play ultra-snug, not even limping with marginal holdings - I have often tried to talk to him about playing too tight, but he assures me that he does open up his range more than I think. It is true though, that he will fold for an hour, something I could never do or justify. Consequently, his table image is that of a super-nit. The benefit of this I guess is that he is able to steal occasionally from out of position; it does appear to others as if he suddenly woke up with a hand and they get out of his way. The downside of such an extreme image though is that he doesn't get paid on his monsters (unless of course he is playing online with fake money) and he appears to be afraid to mix it up at all. The latter is especially damaging in a modern NLHE tournament environment where experienced players sniff out fear like a pit-bull who catches a whiff of kitten. Cali had his blinds pillaged over and over and over again, alternately by the same 2 and sometimes 3 locals who could barely contain themselves from licking their chops as each steal opportunity arose.
I on the other hand, when my blinds had been stolen one too many times, three bet-fearlessly and then shoved the flop with air. Not coincidentally it was against young gun who tanked and tanked and finally folded his 9's face up. Gulp. But I knew it had to be done, for two reasons. One, I had to take a stand. Two, I was dialed in on this guy, and knew he was good enough to pay attention to how I had been playing and assume that I wouldn't stick it in unless I was ahead.
Cali finally bid adieu to the table, raising UTG with 15BB's (a mistake) and then sticking it in on the flop with an unconnected AK that got looked up by a middling pocket pair. The time to shove was pre-flop, but Cali bemoaned his lack of cards and luck before shuffling off. I didn't mention to him that I hadn't had a single premium holding save for jacks, and yet somehow had bet my way (without showdowns) into an average chip stack with hands such as Q10, 78 and a pair of 5's.
One old codger two seats to my left gave me flashbacks of Inglewood. He was curmudgeonly and seemed to play mostly if not only higher pairs and AK. Codger got it all in with another young player who had AJ, he had Kings. I liked this guy.
He led out from early position with a x5 BB raise. The button called. I had Ah4h on the BB and defended knowing that the blinds were still low enough to justify mining for a monster - though yes, I do know that suited cards, even a suited ace, give only a statistically negligible advantage. I was looking to flop two pair or better or a monster draw. I got the latter.
The board came 3h 6c 5h. I checked. Codger c-bet half the pot, the button folded. I knew that even against his overpair I was probably ahead. I check-raised all in. He barely thought about it before calling with kings (again, this was the third pair of cowboys he had shown). He scoffed at my cards. The turn was a blank. The river a black ace.
On the flop, it turned out I had 17 outs (I had figured before he showed his cards that I only had 14 or 15) making me close to a 65% favorite, despite codger being ahead at the moment. I got it in good with my stack that was pretty much in need of a double up now rather than later. Codger was disgusted, but a young local two seats to my right spoke glowingly of my move and pointed out to everyone that I was ahead on the flop. Sometimes a little poker talk at the table can be a nice thing, if it's from someone else pointing out how great I am.
From that moment on I felt a lot better about my chances with this crowd. Most everyone played serenely and with confidence, expertly shuffling their chips and smoothly handling their cards - but most of these locals didn't understand bet sizing and were caught off guard when someone check or re-raised. As near as I could tell, they were about 3 years behind the internet and maybe a year and a half behind the card rooms of SoCal.
I honestly don't remember too many specific hands, save for getting lucky one time and spiking a set of queens against a pair of aces for a much needed double up, but I do remember being shocked at how quickly the bust-outs came. Before I knew it I was at the final table of 10. They paid 9. As I was a short stack, I floated an offer to take a buy-in off first place so that 10th would get their money back. I was greeted with stoney silence and stares, as if I had said, "Hey, anyone want to get naked and do the hokey-pokey?" Okay, they don't take kindly to choppin' here in Mississippi boy. Their reluctance to pay 10, when there were several short stacks and not just me, as well as the uneasiness at the thought of chopping at all right through the final four, was a big sign that the locals didn't fully grasp the concept of long term EV.
I would have to get lucky to cash it seemed, and thankfully, mostly to an absolutely ridiculous and unnecessary tangle between two big stacks, I didn't have to. I squeaked into the money (almost double my buy-in, yay!) and then I got lucky and tripled up in a multi-way pot when my pair of 8's spiked a set on the river. I was in good shape. I looked down at kings on the button. I had a raise and a re-raise behind me! Chippies went in. One caller. He had Jacks. Kings were good. Yay.
Time passed, I mostly folded, two more players busted and now I was no longer a nub, but I was still short stacked, though in the middle of the pack at the table. The blinds were so high that there was virtually no room to maneuver. I looked down at AK UTG. If I doubled up now I would be close to the chip lead. I was already guaranteed $494 - I shoved. It folded around to the button who was the monster stack. He tanked and tanked. Awesome. He finally called with A8os. My heart skipped a beat.
Flop x 8 x. Heartbreak.
Turn K. Elation.
River 8. That's poker.
A big roar of incredulity went up around the table, and there were handshakes of consolation all around. It definitely dulled the sting to have a unanimous validation from those who remained at the table, even the big stack. By the time I made it to the desk to get paid, I was pretty damn happy considering I had endured a very internet-like suck out in a live environment.
I feel pretty great about how I played, though I certainly wasn't perfect, I didn't make any gigantic mistakes. I folded small-pairs when I was in early to mid-position and had less than 15 bigs, a step I've been taking of late that seems to be the right way to go. I also for the most part knew when to give up and when to keep firing based on board textures and player reads, better than I think I ever have in a live game. Overall, I'm really really pleased that I could do so well (as well as be so lucky a couple of times) to double my per diem money in Mississippi.
Right now I am very much looking forward to returning to Vegas in October, to help my brother celebrate his marriage (a post-ceremony bachelor party, no shenanigans - just cards) and to give myself an early treat for my 40th birthday. I hope to get in a live tournament or two between now and then in Inglewood, as well as hopefully continue to cash in Flatline. I've taken down third place two tournaments in a row, and I really feel dialed in with those guys for a change.
In Pepper Street Poker, I also have cashed two tournaments in a row. We have a delightful new player, who is all kinds of awful and yet seems to be running over everyone. She also tilts me because she takes forever on every single decision, but I have to recognize that as far as my game is concerned she is BIG time positive EV.
We played out on the patio last Sunday and it was a blast - I look forward to doing it again two weeks from Friday night for a cash game, though it will start at 7pm so it should be nice and cool. If the weather stays warm, it will be divine.
