First cash! - Day 3

Yesterday Erik and I went downtown to Binion's, which is where the WSOP was run from 1970-2005.  We also walked around Fremont Street which is cleaned up a bit, but still pretty lame compared to the Vegas strip.  All in all, it was a slow day until nighttime.

At 7PM the Green Valley Ranch has a $45 HORSE tournament on Wednesday nights.  The tournament had 29 players and we started with 3,000 chips.  I lost a big Razz pot early that dropped my stack to 1,800 or so and then blinded down to 1,000ish during Stud.

In Stud-8 (A high-low split pot game where the worst hand wins half of the pot, as long as it is 8-high or lower) I won a giant pot to get myself back into the tournament.  I was dealt [5♠ 3♥] 2♦ (5-3 in the hole and the 2 showing) with three other 2s showing and two 3s showing.  I raised the bring-in bet b/c I loved my chances to make the best low hand (tons of 2s and 3s dead and I have one of each already).  I only needed two more cards 8 or lower and my opponents were going to have a tougher time catching low cards that help them for low b/c of all the 3s and 2s already out.  Anyway half of the table called and I caught the 4♦ on 4th street.  Now I had an awesome 4 card low and a double ended straight draw (any A or 6 makes me a straight).  I bet again and got three callers.  On 5th street I was dealt the 7♠ to make my low.  Nobody had a low board showing, so I was positive I had the low wrapped up.  Anyway, I bet 5th and 6th streets, 4♣, to put me all-in.  My last card was the A♣ to make a wheel!  My A-5 straight took the high and low for a monster pot to put me over 5,000 chips before the break!

I got lucky to split an Omaha pot when I saw the flop for free w/ J♦ 7♥ 4♣ 3♥ in the BB.  A♦ 10♠ 8♠ was the flop and I check/called a bet with my low draw.  The turn was the Q♥ and I check/called again b/c three other players in the pot gave me good odds to draw.  The river was a fantastic 2♥ and I checked, planning to check-raise and trap bets in the middle since the player to my left had been the bettor.  He bet, one player called, and I raised.  Both players called and I sucked out to win the low since one of the players had 2-3 for a better low draw that was counterfeited by the river.

I knocked that same guy in Razz a few hands later when I made a 7-5-4-2-A to beat his 7-5-4-3-2.  We made the final table a little later.  I had 7400 chips for a slightly less than average stack.  I didn't get involved in very many pots, but I stole enough blinds and antes to survive.  In Omaha, I was dealt A♥ J♦ 6♥ 2♦ and I raised from the button.  The BB called, the flop came J♦ 9♥ 3♣, and we both checked.  The turn was the 3♦ and the BB checked again.  I bet confidently with my trip threes and the BB folded.  I looked back at my hand before mucking and realized w/ a jolt that I had forgotten my hand.  I thought I had a three!  Lucky he folded!

The final table was pretty slow and knockouts were anything but plentiful.  Finally we knocked out fifth place to put the remaining four of us into the money.  We had comparable chip stacks and I offered to chop, but one of the players told me that he never chops, so that idea was out.  My confidence was raised considerably by the dealer and another player a few minutes later.  The Green Valley Ranch prides itself on serving local residents.  There are really no tourists there and all the players seemed to know each other and the dealers.  One of the players looked up while the dealer was shuffling and commented with a smile that we were the three other players that he was least happy to be facing four handed.  The dealer agreed and said that she thought the best four players in the tournament made the final four.  She might have been just being nice, but it helped my confidence all the same!

Later, in Razz, I was dealt [A♣ 6♥] 8♣ and completed the bring-in bet.  The player behind me had the A♠ showing and re-raised.  We raised back and forth a couple times to put him all-in.  Unfortunately, he flipped over 4♠ 2♦ and I was a bit behind.  I caught some awful cards down the stretch and my opponent doubled up, leaving me w/ 2,500 chips.  The other players all had around 25,000 and the betting levels were 1,000/2,000 with an ante and bring-in of 500.  I then caught a few hands in a row to bring my stack back over 10,000.

I was blinded back down to 4,500 or so before being eliminated in Stud when I brought in w/ [A♦ Q♥] 3♠ and was raised by a player with the 10♥.  I re-raised and he put me all-in and flipped over K♦ 7♥.  I was ahead!  Unfortunately he caught two running 10s to knock me out in 4th place.  I made $94 for a min-cash, which was a bummer, but at least I cashed!

After leaving Green Valley Ranch, Erik and Vincent talked me into going to Bill's Gambling Hall for their $30 11:30PM tournament.  I finished 6th out of 22 (it paid 3), but at least I won a last longer bet for $25, so it only ended up costing me $5.  Along the way, I caught some sick suckouts, so I was damn lucky to win the bet!  I shoved A♣ K♣ into A-A, only to catch a flush on the turn.  I shoved A♠ 6♠ on the final table, was called by Q-Q and the board ran A-A-4-9-7.  Eventually my luck ran out when I shoved Q-J into K-K and lost.