I'm in the Penthouse, Bitch

So I swung through Vegas after a business trip in LA. I wasn’t there long but of course I got some poker in. And of course my month-long losing streak did not end. The first 1/2 table I sat at included two potential world champions. Which is to say two Internet chumps. Obviously most of the real prospects weren’t playing 1/2 NL at the Mirage on Thursday night.

I played at four different tables over a roughly 24-hour period, and they all had a similar pattern – reasonable raises pre-flop, and over-betting post-flop. It’s pretty easy to design a game plan for that type of table, but it takes some hands to set a decent trap. After some very patient play I had an interesting hand come up. This is not a bad beat story, by the way, although I will offer one of those.

The UTG player was an old guy who had re-bought twice. I tried really hard this trip not to give old guys and women more credit than I should, which is a regular leak for me in Vegas. I had seen him raise with overcards and make continuation bets. He raised to 12 from UTG, which was above normal for the table. I looked down at
. My first thought was to make a stiff raise and isolate him – he only had about 55 or 60 left. But, the player in front of me flat called, and I did just have 8s.

I called as did the button and the big blind. The flop was the kind I had been waiting for:
.

The initial raiser (the old guy) led for all his chips - $55. The next player folded and, with two diamonds out, I of course moved in for $150 total. The next player folded and the big blind insta-called. It was music to my ears. I’m expecting to see aces or kings, or maybe even AK (because of his earlier continuation bets and the fact he was short stacked and moved in for more than the pot on the flop) from the old guy and two sevens from the big blind. As you may have guessed, that’s not at all what I saw.

The old guy turns over
and the big blind showed
for the best draw in poker – the open-ended straight flush draw.

Mathematically I was still a slight favorite, but having another set in the hand took some of my boat outs away, and I would have traded hands with the big blind if he had let me.
The came on the turn and the board didn’t pair on the river. Given my luck lately it sucked to be sure, but it was a really fun hand to be in, especially after hours of monotony. Obviously if I had raised I would have moved the big blind off his little suited connector, but I would have played a small pot with a hand that flopped a set. Overall I think I played it in the ideal fashion. Except for the losing part.

So, one bad beat story. I did a $100 + 15 SNG at the Mirage, the second time I’ve done one (I bubbled last time). They pay two spots but usually end in a chop because you get 1500 in chips with 15-minute levels and starting blinds of 25/50 that go straight to 50/100 in level two. In the first eight hands I had queens twice and deuces twice. Nothing exciting on the latter two. The first time I had queens I raised, got one caller, and bet the flop and he folded. The next time (we were already at level two) the big stack (who had busted someone on the first hand – of course) raised to 300 UTG, and I made it 800. He asked if that was all-in, and I said no I had 750 left, “but whatever you do, don’t flat call – put me in or fold.” So, of course he flat called.

The flop came 7TT rainbow. I had my chips in hand and he checked. I bet it and said “please don’t have ace-ten, please don’t have ace-ten.” I well knew this is the kind of schmuck who would raise UTG with AT and then call a re-raise out of position, but what am I going to do, not play my queens? I was supposed to be AI pre-flop anyway, this guy just didn’t know any better. He calls and as I’m standing up from the table he shows AQ. Ace-queen? Seriously? I don’t believe in table talk with strangers so I didn’t say anything, but of course what I was thinking was “well now I know why you flat called – I mean, you wanted to make sure you hit something!."

I’m happy to report that even though I only left myself with 750, he still did not have the proper odds to call – he was getting 3.33-to-1 as about a 6-to-1 dog. I’m sad to report that an ace came on the turn. But then, this is a bad beat story, so you know that was coming. If I had jacks the price would actually be right to call – but that’s all the more reason to play AQ all-in there if you plan to play post-flop. What a douche. I finished 9th and went back to watch the baseball games, where we had more money down anyway.

The trip wasn’t all bad. While I like to think it’s because I always stay at the Mirage, what actually happened was that I got an “availability upgrade.” My buddy and I got a two-bedroom suite the size of Hank’s condo for $129. Can’t beat that. I’m in the penthouse, bitch...