Session 1: On my way to Vegas?

Well the road to the WSOP started off on the right foot, to say the least. I have been itching to play this week but really didn't have time on Wednesday because I had two basketball games and then caught the Lakers game at a bar.

So last night I was kind of in that "I'm going to play poker no matter what" mode and headed to Hollywood Park after work.

My boy had a seat locked for me when I got there and the initial table I played at was quite possibly the tightest table ever. Fortunately, I somehow ended up with a nut flush against a two-pair and another flush and doubled up before switching tables when I saw some horrendous players at another table.

On the new table, both seats eight and nine were two of the worst players that I have ever played with at HP. Serious donators. Therefore both my boy and I made the move to the table. I don't even remember how but I ran my stack from $200 to $500 and then slowly from $500 to about $800 before I went on a small tear where I hit two sets in a row and then bluff check-raised a couple times to get players to fold their weak flop bets. I was definitely hitting some hands but in the eyes of my table, I was hitting every hand. This is a good feeling because I was controlling things, something that I haven't been able to do in at least a month.

In the meantime there was an interesting hand that I thought I played well but had to give one of the donks a lot of credit for. Donk #1 was always raising to $15 pre-flop. He did this again and everyone called as usual and I find 66 in the big blind. I thought about re-raising but decided to just call. The flop comes 6-3-3. Bingo. I bet small and two people call. I'm pretty sure someone has the 3. The turn is a second spade and I bet $30. One guy folds and donk #2 min-raises me to $60. Now I know he has the 3 so I take a minute and call. The turn is a third spade. I check and he... Checks! Normally I would think he was scared of the spades, but he turns over K-3 of spades for the king high flush after flopping trip 3's. If this was a tight player, I would expect it with the paired board but from this donk I was in complete disbelief that he checked that river after his monster hand improved even more.

Then another table breaks and we get some new players. Aces on the button. One of the donks on my table raises to $40 UTG and gets one callers. I re-raise to $120. Then one of the new players goes all-in from the big blind. Sweet, now hopefully the original raiser will call. He thinks for a while and then folds AK of hearts face-up. Damn, I wanted his call. The other player folds and I call with my aces against another AK. He bricks out and I take his $400+. The funny thing was two other players both said they folded KQ.

Then this other guy sits down with $400. I raise to $25 with 2d4d, he calls and another guy calls. The flop comes J-K-K, we all check. Turn is a Jack and I bet $50. Two calls. River is a blank, I check, second guy goes all-in and third guy calls him with A-J. Second guy had KK for quads. So now he has about $800 and gets in a hand with me.

I have aces on the button again and raise to $35. He re-raises to $70 and I re-raise to $200. He calls. Flop is A-8-9 rainbow. I bet $100, he calls. Turn is a rag and we both check. The river is a queen and he insta-shoves. I call and he shows QQ and just gave me at least $600. Adios, amigo.




I ran up to +$3k when this hand comes up. I have 5d6d. Someone raises to $20 and everyone calls, including me. The flop comes 5s-7d-8d. Wow. The original raiser bets $100. I call. Another guy calls and the button thinks for a while before going all-in for $400. I am POSITIVE that he has a set based on the way he plays. So the first guy thinks for a long time and folds. I then call, assuming that I am about 50% to get 3-1 on my $300 call. Then the guy after me also calls and I completely brick the turn and river and lose the $1500 pot to a set of sevens.



So that's how the night went. I hit a lot of hands and I made some good plays, although I can do much better. I'm trying to play error-free, which is always hard to do in a long session.

I'm looking forward to playing again this weekend so if you're at HP, see you there.

Peace.

Session 1 (4.4.08): +$2405