Friday, Oct. 8th.Vegas Queens Poker, 8:15 AM, $5 Prize Pool (5 Action Points for entry):I have $1.07 and 9 action points in my account, so I spend 5 points to gain entry to this tourney where the winner takes home $1.35. Yee-haw.
First hand I draw pocket 6’s in the BB, but watch 2 players go all-in ahead of me. I fold, figuring one of them is not a complete idiot. They have K-2 and A-Q respectively, and I watch an Ace hit the board. Glad I stayed out, and glad the idiot didn’t win. I hang in for a bit and build my stack slowly from $2k to over $4k. I had a good read of a flush draw on someone with my K-10 with a K and 2 clubs on the board. When the turn didn’t hit a club and they checked, I pushed all-in. They had K-9 of clubs and I’ve got him, at least until the board pairs 6’s and the board Q makes the kickers go away. We split. Damn.
A bit later I draw Q-Jh on the button. BB goes all-in after my call and the table folds to me. I already have $200 in, and there’s another $1,350 to me. It would knock me down about half, but I have a strong feeling she’s on a small pocket pair after watching her for about 10 minutes. I do call and sure enough she’s got 6’s. A Queen hits the board right off, and another on the river and I feel good about myself. I move up to about $6k.
The cards run dry for a bit, and this is my weakness. I am not a good player when it comes down to having to bluff a pot here and there. I do manage to win $1k on a semi-bluff with my 2-8d with 2 diamonds on the board. Not a strong bet, either, but enough to induce the 2 opponents to fold. I kick myself a bit later, folding pocket 4’s to 2 all-in players with $1500 each. Board was K-8-6 with 2 hearts and I figured a good chance of me being beaten. Damned if neither of them was on the flush, one had top pair, the other middle pair. When a 4 (of hearts I might add) hit the turn, I pounded my desk in frustration. Over $4k I could’ve had.
I draw K-Jo in the SB. I call, and we have 3 players in for $400. Flop is K-Q-7, 2 spades. I lead out with $1600. I am called by the BB, who has more money than me. This worries me. BB’s could have nearly anything. Well shit, anyone online could have nearly anything. Turn is a 6, no spade. I push all-in, about $4k. I get called after a thinking period, and he shows Q-5 of clubs. Middle pair?

I dodge the Q/5 on the river and double to over $12k.
Shortly after I move tables, I draw A-Q in the BB. One player raises to $1600. I consider going all-in, as they’re at $6500. I decide against it and just call. Flop is 6-2-7 rainbow and after a strong bet from the SB, I fold. Glad I did as the showdown shows pocket Kings against 2 pair. I had nothin’. I lose about $2k calling small bets with middle pair which loses to top pair with weak kicker. The break comes, and I’m 21st out of the remaining 52 (248 started). 27 make the money.
I make about $5k off of someone just calling them down with my strong top pair of Kings against their middle pair. They never figured me for the King, and that’s why I didn’t raise him. The players are dropping fast, we’re down to 30 pretty quickly. 3 more and I win at least a nickel. Hooray. And we hit 27 without me lifting a finger.
I notice one guy at my table likes to go all-in a lot when the table is checked to him. I note this. Then, I get to use it. I draw A-2s in early position. Not a favorite, but suited, I’ll play it absent a large raise. Flop comes K-7-6, 2 spades. 3 players check, and he goes all-in. I call after much consideration (calling with draws are not my favorite, but in this case I have him figured for a bluff anyway), and he flips over A-5o. So I need a spade or a couple of overcards to split. Turn is a spade, and he’s busted! I move up to $28k.
The blinds are big now, reaching 2 and 4k. I get whittled down to $12k and hit another round of blinds. There are 3 callers, so I try and buy it with Q-Jo. I am called and he turns up A-4o. Board comes 10-K-2 (hope rising…. Rising…) 4 (fading…. RISING….) 4 (fading…. Gone.)
I finish 11th and win 7 cents. Well, it was fun.
Absolute Poker, 9:00 AM, Sunday tourney entry:I go all-in with A-J on hand 1 against K-Q, and flop two pair. I dodge the straight-making 10, and win.
I am playing well, having tripled my initial stack after just 20 minutes. One player specifically at my new table likes to bluff a lot. I make about half my money just calling down his flush draws with pairs and beating him. It’s quite fun figuring someone out like that. I keep drawing pocket pairs and big hands, and am near $10k after just 50 minutes, all without a big all-in showdown. That’s quite rare for me. I sort of hang around at $10k and hit the hour break doing well with 289 left out of over 800.
I get hosed a bit, dropping steadily, and losing about 1/3 of my stack when I show Queens and 2’s against an opponent’s Queens and Jacks. Still at over $5k, but not getting the cards like I was earlier. I continue to hemorrhage money, calling with decent hands like Q-9, J-10, A-6 and such, but not hitting any pieces of the flops. Doesn’t help when I get moved to a table with 2 giant stacks of over $30k each who both like to raise large pre-flop.
I finally make a stand when a slightly larger stack goes all-in pre-flop ahead of me, and I’m holding A-Js. I call with about $2500, and watch as he turns up 7’s. Flop is 3-3-5, 2 clubs. Good for me. Turn is a club…. But it’s a 7, making his full house and dropping me out. Just to kick me in the teeth a little extra, the river is the 4th 7. I finish 120th out of 852.
I have started playing sit & go's that are 10 cents each at Vegas Queens, so I'll try to document a few of those here as well.