Xas' has more highschool teen drama and less good poker discussion...and no WPT mock-commentaries.

If your avatar wasn't so amazing, I might have snappy comebacks...but it's just too good.

"Oh Well."

It's be an interesting week to say the least. I had some small winning sessions, then lost that all with one big losing session, only to have a good week by winning huge on Saturday night. I was basically even since the move before last night.

Overall I'm confident I can beat this 2/5 game for a lot of money. I have to plug some leaks first. I made some terrible calls in my first few sessions. I also missed some obvious value bets. It was all a big adjustment for me. It had been a long time since I had played live, and basically it had been 2 months of no poker before that! I need to go ahead and read/reread a poker book or two.

On a good note, my game is improving with each session. My reads are getting better and I'm not missing value bets. I've had some regulars befuddled with my play.

Here's a random hand where I stacked a tilting regular who thinks I steal too much:

[Qd]

Tilting reg limps in the CO. I make it $20. SB (action tourist) calls. CO calls.

FLOP$60
[Kc][4c]

Checked to me I bet $75. (If I could do math I would have figured out at the time I had overbet the pot. It may have bought me some action as you will see....)

SB thinks about it then folds. CO (tilting reg) makes it another $125. He's got like $265 behind. I opt just to call since there is a strong chance he has air. I had already decided in my mind I'm calling his next bet no matter what the card is. Still... in my mind I say " No club! No club for once!"

TURN $460
[Kc][4c]

Obviously I was thrilled by the club turn. CO bets $250 with about $25 left behind. I take a second just to make sure I do have trip queens and push. He calls.

RIVER $ 1k
[Kc][4c]

He delays and doesn't flip over his cards so I just say "full house." To his credit he mucked, said nice hand and promptly left the table before tilting off anymore. I'm pretty sure he didn't have the flush since he was so deliberate on the river. I think he may have had a weak king. I honestly don't know but it wasn't strong.

Another big hand with flopped top two against a flush board (the results are hysterical):
forum/viewtopic.php?t=24143

A failed bluff attempt:
forum/viewtopic.php?t=24122



I've grown sick of sitting still looking at the table after a big bet. My goal now is after every big bet (no matter if it's a bluff or if it's strong) is to just act normally. Perhaps this is a bad idea? I'm tired of the same crap after every decent sized bet, trying not to give away anything. Then again maybe that's part of the reason my bluffs work well. I guess I'll experiment with it.

I met Daniel Negreanu in Best Buy, of all places, this week. I was returning my new, dead TV when I saw him at customer service trying to get a Nintendo Wii. I introduced myself and said I was also a professional player. His response,

"DUDE! Of course man. I know who you are! I read your journal almost religiously Kennyg. Haha! The best 1/2 NL player in the world!"

Ok so that wasn't quite it. He just said he was surprised I moved out here since the games are so good online. I told him it was more for the life changes and experience. He wished me good luck and I wished him the same.

So now I've met Vince Van Patton (thank you for folding to my huge bluff), Daniel Negreanu and bumped into Antonio Esfandiari.

Have a ever told all you guys the story about Antonio? It was my first time in Vegas, walking away quickly from the Caesar's Palace poker room. I randomly crash into this guy.. look up and it's Antonio Esfandiari!

I was so surprised that I said in a loud, booming voice, "ANTONIO ESFANDIARI?!?!?!" It reverberated across the entire poker room. He looked at me, shocked, not knowing what to say. I shrugged my shoulders at him and started walking away, "oh well."

Friday April 20th 1:15pm

Tilt Loves Me

I played online poker for the first time in about two months today. I played for a total of 6 hours and lost about $500 playing simple 6 max 1/2 NL. Sadly, I tilted for about 2 or 3 hours, costing me around $300.

I've never tilted in a live game. Online is so much easier to lose emotional control. While playing multiple tables you don't get the chance to breath deep and let the air out. It's a new hand every few seconds with tough decisions and crazy variables.

I'm not proud of myself. All I can do is try to control it next time and keep thinking positive. It's a major leak of mine in online poker. Probably my biggest leak.

Anyway, I only have about $750 left online right now. My plan is to run that money up as I have so many other times before. I think I'm going to play more online during the week and hit the tables in Vegas on the weekends. From my experience, the online games are much better than Vegas games during the week. No doubt this will all change during World Series time. But for now it's a plan.

Yesterday at my live game we were all singing Justin Timberlake's new single Sexyback. Apparently we're all on crack. Just imagine one guy singing the lead "I'm bringing sexy back" then an old fat guy saying "yeah" and "uh" at all the appropriate times. The song now glorifies my myspace profile.

A funny hand I wasn't in. Moron guy that tilts alot raises to $20 from late position. The BB just pushes all in for $250. Back to the moron guy who instacalls with AJ against the BB's AK. After the moron loses he exclaims, "Way to overplay your Ace-King fool!" The entire table laughed at him.


For fun:
No Limit Holdem Ring game
Blinds: $1/$2
6 players


Stack sizes:
UTG: $193.70
UTG+1: $94.00
CO: $470.60
Hero: $318.60
SB: $133.65
BB: $178.00

Pre-flop: (6 players) Hero is Button with
3 folds, Hero raises to $8, SB folds, BB raises all-in $178, Hero calls.

Flop: ($359, 1 player + 1 all-in - Main pot: $357, Sidepot 1: $2)


Turn: ($359, 1 player + 1 all-in - Main pot: $357, Sidepot 1: $2)


River: ($359, 1 player + 1 all-in - Main pot: $357, Sidepot 1: $2)


Results:
Final pot: $359
BB shows Ah Ad

A example of pure tilt that ended up working:

No Limit Holdem Ring game
Blinds: $1/$2
6 players


Stack sizes:
UTG: $187.95
UTG+1: $278.50
CO: $194.00
Hero: $171.25
SB: $194.00
BB: $252.55

Pre-flop: (6 players) Hero is Button with
UTG raises to $8, 2 folds, Hero calls, 2 folds.

Flop: ($19, 2 players)
UTG bets $9.5, Hero calls.

Turn: ($38, 2 players)
UTG bets $19, Hero calls.

River: ($76, 2 players)
UTG bets $38, Hero raises all-in $134.75, UTG folds.
Uncalled bets: $96.75 returned to Hero.

Results:
Final pot: $152

April 22nd 9am

Description

I thought it would be fun to describe what it's like in my new position as Vegas poker pro.

First off, there's a feeling of satisfaction and accomplishment after every win. To a lesser extent that happens online but it's not nearly as profound. Real cash in your hand is great. Beating real live breathing people with stellar play is rewarding.

It's hard to put into words how "cool" I feel after a good session, driving away from the city of bright neon signs. It's not the feeling of exhilaration after winning a big pot. I lost most of that long ago. I've been doing this for 3 years and that rush of excitement isn't all that alluring. But leaving the strip for my home a winner, I just feel cool. I'm living in such an exciting place and I'm conquering what so many have tried and failed.

There's a certain lack of responsibility that rules my life. I used to be able to get up whenever I wanted to as an online pro and it's the same now. Yet somehow, even though I'm playing more hours, I don't feel as much weight on my shoulders. I'm just happy-go lucky. I'm not all that concerned for my own well being. I play poker, I make money, and I do whatever else I want.

The social aspect of live poker cannot be downplayed. I actually had a fun time last night socializing with people while playing. The only time I could do that online is when we'd play the BTP tournaments. I've met a few pros I'm becoming friendly with too. I never know who I'll meet each day. Throw in free drinks and free food every night and it all sounds too easy and too much fun to be a job.

Two nights ago I had a cute girl sit next to me. I stack her with KQ top two. She deals with it ok and eventually doubles up off somehow else. I offer to pay her back by getting her some dinner. She accepts. We go out and I find out she's an exotic dancer. (heh.) In the end nothing happened and our personalities didn't mesh well. But just to have opportunities like that again, when I had no such things online is amazing. All of a sudden I have different possibilities every night and I'm making friends. This is why I moved here and I don't regret my decision.

Adam (MVP) and I are having a blast too. I just have to make sure I don't become a complete degenerate and alcoholic like him. It's a fine line but I think I can manage.

My future looks bright!

----------------------------------------------------------------------

My last two live sessions were sickly good. At one point I was dealt pocket kings 3 times in a row. Correct me if I'm wrong but that's about 13,824,000 to 1? 240x240x240 ? (My math is so bad I'm sure someone will correct me.)

The first time I had kings I almost folded preflop:
forum/viewtopic.php?t=24248

A few days before on a horrible (horrible as in all regulars) SH table w/ Adam watching:

I raise up JJ to $15 get 5 callers and then UTG limp reraises another $100. I deduced he was on a steal and raised him another $200 with $100 behind. He folded pretty quickly. Not standard by any means but we have a lot of history. I showed my hand, but not before I charged one of the other players two bucks to flip them over.

I made a great call yesterday:
Limp on the button with pocket 4s [4c]

Flop: [6s][7h] $25

Checked to me I bet $20. SB check raises to $100 with another $100 left behind. On a previous hand I saw him slowplay a monster. This time he was raising a big amount. I watched him stomp his right foot continuously until I grabbed some chips. He stopped dead cold. I pushed allin and he called with [3s]. He hit and it turns out he had a billion outs... but I'm very happy with my read and willingness to go all the way with such a mediocre hand.


Another hand I get [Qd] and raise it in LP. A foreign guy who's been losing a lot of money and has been fairly aggressive calls my raise after his limp.

FLOP$50
[Td][8c]

He leads $100 quickly?? I opt to call.

TURN $250
[Td][8c]

He leads all-in $300. I decide he wouldn't lead that much with a made flush. But still I'm hesitant. He could have two pair. Still I'm getting almost 2-1 and I have the nut flush redraw with the . I look at him. He stares at the table, unmoving. I grab some chips. He holds his breath. I call.

River was a blank. He shows [3c] and I win a nice pot.

A hand with some heart:

I raise up [Qs] to $25.

I get two callers including an easy player to read. He's a huge calling station but he only bets when he hits.

FLOP $75
[4c][Tc]

I check first to act. Calling station who bets when he hits, checks. Button (a disciplined Asian winning regular) bet the pot $75. I think about it,.. and repop to $200 more on top. He folds after a while, saying, "Obviously aces or a set."

--------------------------------------------------------------------

I've been running well the last few days. My last two sessions were big wins at the 2/5. My game has improved tremendously since I first stepped foot in Vegas. I still have a few leaks but they're getting better everyday. I'm confident I'm a big winner in this game.

very nice m8....Stay confident.