Vegas Trip report - August

This was again a short but eventful trip. From the time I got off the plane until the time I boarded the return flight, I was in the city of Las Vegas for a grand total of 43 hours.

Disappointingly, I think the theme of the weekend can be sumed up in 3 words - lack of discipline.

This was supposed to be an educational poker trip with a few small breaks mixed in with catching up with old friends and getting to know some new ones. I would give myself a grade of C- on all three categories.

Hmmm, now this has started off as probably the most boring trip report ever. Didn't I just say that this was an eventful trip?? Let's see if I can remember some of the good stuff....

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How can I start off with mentioning anything other than that once-in-a-poker-lifetime event? Yes, I'm talking about that 19,600:1 miracle, the mother of all hands - flopping a Royal Flush in a live game (when dealt suited broadways). This coinicided with, at the time, the highest limit stakes I have ever played, namely $30/$60.

Here's how it went down (and yes, I did enter this hand like a big fat donkey)

hand #1
I'm in an 8 seated live $30/$60 limit hold'em game at the Bellagio having joined the table ~30 minutes earlier. The game has been loose and relatively passive. There was quite a bit of junk being shown down on the river. Only one player (currently in the CO seat) has been showing a high degree of aggression - mostly in 2 or 3 way situations. Most hands so far have been 4-5 ways to the flop with about 2/3 of them without a raise. I'm currently UTG. I believe there were 3 locals seated on my immediate left, though none of them bothered me. The first two had been playing loose semi-passive and the third was weak passive. I hadn't seen too much from the button player, but he had cold called at least a couple of pfr's. The blinds were friends and both very extremely loose and would call all the way to the river with any pair and chase all the way with any draw or overcards. I'm not 100% certain, but this may be the first hand that I have voluntarily entered.
- preflop: I find KhJh UTG and I limp with absolutely no plan, I guess out of boredom. Surprisingly everyone folds to the blinds. SB completes. BB raises. I suddenly become worried about a possible collusion situation, and I call expecting and getting 5:1 (3 players, 6 small bets)
- flop: AhQhTh - bingo bingo. Both blinds ~instantly~ check their hole cards. Sorry boys, neither of you have a big heart. SB bets, BB raises. Woo hoo! Please, please be colluding!!! I elect to call. SB slows down and only calls. Damn! (3 players, 12 small bets)
At this point, I'm praying for the board to pair or at least for no more hearts to come. I think that any broadway card will be very good for me, and there should be at least 11 more of those.
- turn: AhQhTh9c - SB checks, BB bets, I decide to be "conservative" and raise here. I mean conservative because I know that both players will call me all the way given the strength of the hands that both have represented, and I was concerned that SB will only call the turn. I believe that my thinking was that a heart on the river would kill the action, but that if either opponent did improve there was a decent chance for there to be 2 or more bets going in on the end anyway. (3 players, 12 big bets)
- river: I don't remember, but the river card was a brick. Both blinds quickly checked and then quickly called my last bet. I flip over the royal. BB flips over his AJ. SB just stares at his hand for a pretty long time before mucking. At the time, I somehow thought he might have 2 pair, but the more I think about it, he probably just had something like top pair with a medium heart.
Eric was sitting at the next $30/$60 table, so I called him over to be the "official" witness. His first word was "Wow!", and he second thing he said was "So you play KJ UTG, huh?". :) Yes, yes, I play bad.

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Hmmm, I'm pooped. I'll finish this trip report off some other time. Time to get some much needed sleep.