Paulie Hits Vegas, Vegas Hits Back

APAT - Vegas Vengeance: Sunday, 13th November 2011

Not the greatest night’s sleep I’ve ever had, perhaps it was the jet-lag or that ‘not my own bed’ thing, but sleep came in fits and starts so I didn’t feel rested at all. Nevertheless, I left the room at the crack of 11am and headed down for breakfast.

As it was Sunday there was a queue at the place I was planning on going to so rather than waiting I hit the buffet where the was no waiting time. Standard buffet fare, nothing worth going into detail about and I wandered into the poker room about noon. I got myself on the list but still had to wait over an hour before getting seated.

As it turns out I wish I hadn’t bothered. I’ve seen some crap play before and combine that with a severe case of card deadness and I just wasn’t getting it done.

I’d play a hand, flop the world and miss, or get suck-out on at the end or, and here’s a real ball buster, I flop a full house on a 655 board with a nut low draw, that’s A265 for the uninitiated, there is a bet in front of me, cool he has a 5, I raise and some lady calls and so does the first guy.

Turn is a K and I lead, and she raises, EP gets out of the way, I just raise and we end up capping it.

River is a J and I check call the river and she rolls over KK79. WTF? You call a bet and re-raise with a gutshot and no low and hit a fricking 2 outer?

That was the hand that put me on tilt....but I wasn’t going to play like that so I just took my lumps and cashed out down $160.

Sigh.

I had to do something to relieve the stress, so I thought drinking might help...it always has in the past. So, I decided to kill two birds with one stone and do a little scouting for Friday and sauntered over to McMullan's, getting there around 5.30...just in time to take advantage of the end of happy hour.

I ordered a Stella and took a look at their menu. I was pointed at the happy hour menu by the barman where items were half off. I’d been itching to try their Irish Nachos since I heard about them...basically it’s a plate of home made crisps (not tortilla chips like normal) covered in melted cheese and other yummy goodness.

For $4 (half of $8) for a small portion it seemed like a marriage made in heaven. Then it arrived....

Oh Feck...it was a mountain...and this was a small portion....I’d hate to see the large one. Nevertheless I gave it my best effort but it defied all attempts and I think I managed about half of it before admitting defeat.

In the meantime the live music was starting up. Their regular guy is John Windsor and he’s a born showman with a great line in patter and music. It seems that Sunday night is when he brings a few friends in to play as well and there was a nice mix of music on offer.

By 8.30 however, I was feeling tired again but I didn’t want to call it a night just yet so I resorted to a simple solution...Irish Coffee. All the alcohol plus caffeine goodness.

A couple of those seemed to do the trick but in the end it was always a losing proposition and by 10pm the spirit was willing but the flesh was not.

I walked the couple of hundred yards back to the Orleans and called it a night. I hope tomorrow goes better.

“It’s Better To Travel Well, Than Arrive”

APAT - Vegas Vengeance: Saturday, 12th November 2011

With all due respect to the Buddha, it’s obvious he’d never been to Vegas. Getting there is a grind and once you’re there it’s like coming home...well, at least it is for me. I’d overnighted at the Crowne Plaza at Gatwick and received a nice, complimentary, upgrade to a Club room.

I supped down a few Fosters and a decent sandwich before getting a decent night’s sleep.

I shuttled to the airport around 9.30 and barely had time to scarf down a Wetherspoon’s breakfast and a pint before the flight was boarding. It seemed that the seat I had switched my booking to hadn’t made it through their system but it was fine, I was still in Premium Economy but upstairs rather than down.

The in flight entertainment system was the older model but it didn’t really bother me...I’d seen most of their offerings anyway, plus I had my Kindle. I can’t say that the hours sped by but I did manage to doze for, maybe, a hour and just contented myself with polishing off two or three books.

The flight was a little bumpy with light turbulence on more than a couple of occasions but otherwise it was uneventful and we landed bang on time.

Passport control and customs was a breeze and I caught a cab with no hassle. The driver seemed keen to take the tunnel to the Orleans even though it’s the long way but I insisted on using the surface streets rather than the freeway. The driver was so keen that he offered to knock off $10 from the fare if we went his way so he could get back. This seemed like a deal and I upped his tip and the whole cab ride cost me just under what I would have expected anyway. I’ll call that my first win.

Check-in at the Orleans was a breeze and I was into my rather large room in no time. I unpacked, abluted and got the IT rig set up.

I had a minor problem with the US sim I had bought as my phone didn’t seem to want to recognise it...until I realised I’d put it in upside-down!

After fixing this schoolboy error I as still having problems but a quick glance showed me that the phone hadn’t auto-selected the APN and after referring to the information I’d got from the people who sold me the sim I had this set up and I was off and rocking....almost.

I tried to access the APAT site on my phone only to find that a net-nanny was set and after calling T-Mobile Customer Service found it couldn't;t be removed without a US Social Security Number (to validate my age). Apparently the only way I can get this taken off is to visit a physical store. I’m not sure I’ll bother as I have access to all my social media sites and apps and I don’t really see any overwhelming need to access APAT while on the mover on this trip.

Once I’d gotten all those issues resolved I was feeling somewhat peckish...and in need of a large drink...so I headed out and down to TGI Fridays.

No, it’s not like the UK versions...at least not much. I ensconced myself at the bar and settled on a pint of Stella rather than the somewhat weaker US offerings.

The first disappeared rather quickly and the second was consumed while I tucked into a very decent 10oz steak. One more did the trick and it was time to pay off the $40 bill (including tip) and get stuck into some poker.

I had to wait a while before a seat opened up at the 4-8 Omaha Hi/lo tables but eventually I settled in and bought in for a couple of hundred.

Nothing eventful to report, my stack bounced around a little...getting down to just under $100 after couple of sick river suckouts but overall the play was pretty easy to read.

Regardless, I wasn’t making huge inroads but just grinding away. Around 11.30 pm and a mere $50 up I’d been up for going on 24 hours and was starting to feeling it.

That would do...I’d covered ‘lunch’, the rake, tips and such...time to call it a night.

There Is No ‘I’ In Team…or ‘Us’ Either.

APAT Luton: Saturday, 22nd October 2011.

As defending APAT Forum Team champions, the London Poker Meetup were keen to repeat if we could. I’d even packed the trophy from last time just in case so we could do the ‘two trophies’ thing if we managed it.

I’d organised the team well in advance and, even if I say it myself, we were fielding a stronger team that last year even after losing Scouse.

About 11o’clock, I headed down to Jenny’s Restaurant just a couple of hundred yards from the casino for breakfast. A Full English breakfast and a cup of tea for around £5 suits me down to the ground. Tighty had PM’d me earlier in the week asking me to bring my dongle with me having left his in Coventry so I arrived at the casino about noon…of course, I had to be there early to do the ‘captain’ thing anyway so it wasn’t much of an hardship.

As it turns out the G in Coventry had sent Tighty’s dongle to him but it wasn’t working too well and the wi-fi in the card-room as there but pitiful. I mean top marks for having wi-fi but if it doesn’t work…FAIL!

Anyway, I sorted Tighty out and we talked for a while about the remainder of Season 5 before I left him to it and headed off to the bar to collect my lads. I collected the buy-ins and took care of the administration bits and pieces while supping a couple of beers.

Before long the team competition got under way and I started grinding. I had drawn a pretty reasonable table although there did seem to be an awful lot of limping going on. In particular there was one lady who would limp-call everything in any position.

I got involved in one hand where I made a K-high straight on the turn and the river came and Ace and completed a possible flush…and she led out. I considered that I had to be chopping at best and made a reluctant fold. In retrospect, after seeing her make some truly horrendous calls and bluffs I think I was probably winning that one. I think of it as an ‘Omaha fold’…not exactly ‘monsters under the bed’ but she her play screamed a draw when in fact she probably had just a decent ace.

She did take a few chips off me (a mis-read on my part) when she flopped middle set against my top pair and I managed to donk off thinking she only had middle pair.

Down to a mere 2.5k by the first break I had some work to do. I came back from the break and managed to grind my way back to around 6k by getting aggressive on the still fairly passive table. Eventually, I got the bullets in LP and got doubled up quite nicely as, having been so aggressive previously, I wasn’t believed when I pushed.

This got me back on the average but my team wasn’t doing quite so well. We’d lost 2 or 3 by then and although you can win the team event with just a few players they do have to go deep.

More grinding followed and I trod water for quite a while. I doubled up again with AA which, even if I say it myself, I played rather well…I bet the right amount to induce the necessary turn call and hollywooded just enough that my river shove got me paid.

I sat on 35k – 40k for quite a while before starting to dwindle down in chips as the blinds and antes started to bite. Finally, on c.25k (or 22BB) an UTG raise, by Cath, of 6xBB screamed 99-JJ at me and looking down at AQs I decided that this was my moment. I thought I might get the shove through but even if it didn’t I wouldn’t be in appalling shape.

So, in they went and Cath didn’t really hesitate and called, rolling over TT just as I suspected. However, I bricked all 5 cards and went out somewhere around 70th. No points this time.

Looking around for my team I found that I was the 7th one out leaving only Wayne.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t to be and although Wayne did very well, he just bubbled the cash and our dream was over.

I hung around for a while but my heart wasn’t really into hanging around too much. I drank a few beer and chatted to all and sundry for a while but eventually I called it a night and returned to the hotel.

Vegas beckoned…and it would be AWESOME!

Redemption Is Mine!

APAT Luton: Friday, 21st October 2011.

Home turf! At the very least it’s probably the most accessible location for me on the APAT schedule until, hopefully, we get to Aspers in Stratford in Season Six. No Des, I’m not going to let that one go any time soon.

A mere hour’s drive around the M25 on a good day but as I was heading there on Friday night after work it was likely to take just a tad longer. As it was I bolted (fair enough, ambled) to the car at 5.30 from work and rocked up at the Days Hotel almost on the stroke of 7 o’clock. Only the usual road works and Friday night traffic to deal with…I’ll take it.

I’d opted to spend an extra £8 a night on an ‘Executive’ room for the two nights I would be there and there was a nice separate ‘work area’ which consisted of an office chair and what as basically a shelf with a couple of extra power points (one of which was broken) but I wasn’t unhappy with it. I probably won’t do it again but you never know.

After last year’s Luton event and the embarrassingly early exit from the APAT Luton Home Game I was eager to get some redemption this time. Oops…just realised I gave the game away with the title of this post.

Of course, last year led to drunken antics, a boozy haze and aching feet followed by a late night kebab…things could only improve.

I wandered the short distance to the Casino after getting settled into the hotel room arriving about 7.30 and met up with the APAT Luton contingent. Drinks were had, Lord I was parched, and we settled into a very nice comp with a decent chip stack and structure organised by the Luton mob. T7,500 and 30 minutes I think it was for £20. Very nice.

I like that Luton is enforcing a penalty for folding out of turn….I approve heartily of this …of course, I was the first to offend missing that Richard Baker hadn’t folded in front of me…DOH! Two hand penalty…I won’t be doing that again.

With everyone knowing one another it was a somewhat more friendly (and this noisier) game than would perhaps normally be the case. We finished up with 22 players (eventually) squeezed on to 2 tables.

I don’t remember any specific hands (I can’t imagine why) but I made it to the final table with a reasonable stack and by the time 2 am rolled around we were down to 4 and I’d cashed at the very least.

As it turned out I got heads up with Sharon Roberts, who I hadn’t met before, and, with all due respect to her, she seemed fairly straightforward. If she had it she bet. However, I could never get a hand against her to do anything with.

As I Sharon had me nearly 3:2 in chips I didn’t think it was my place to offer any sort of deal (plus I kind of wanted to win) but at around 3am, Sharon generously offered an even chop and since there was only £50 between 1st & 2nd I gratefully agreed for £155

After collecting my cash (hotel cost covered thank you very much) I was pretty much wiped out. It was 3.30 in the morning by this time and I’d been up for 22 hours and my eyes were burning like someone had peed in them.

I sauntered back to the hotel and crashed. No fuss, no muss….no bear.

Celtic Chaos II: View From The Rail

APAT Cork: Sunday, 25th September 2011.

Once again, the bear had skipped over my room on his nocturnal perambulations and, thankfully, there were no early morning deliveries to the hotel to disturb my slumbers so I got a decent night’s sleep.

I was up and around pretty early but just having a Sunday morning in bed with a good book and a couple of cups of tea made a nice change from the usual headache and groaning noises that are the norm on an APAT weekend.

I headed our around noon to Rosinda’s again for another full Irish breakfast to set me up for the rigours of the day. Revelling in the cholesterol wandered down to the card room still undecided about whether to enter the side event.

My decision was rendered easy by the fact that it was more Hold’em and, as most of you know, I’m much more comfortable with at least 4 cards in my hand.

Having decided so give it a swerve I elected to just rail the final table. This was quite entertaining, there was much more speech play than you are likely to find at the much more staid tables in the UK with the possible exception of any table featuring Scouse and/or Dan Owston.

Verbal jousts were flying across the table pretty much from the start and it really enlivened the experience. For myself I was railing Frank Bailie’s son, Matt and our very own Don Roberts.

Both were very much holding their own, in particular Matt who, deliberately or not, was flashing me his hole cards.

Unfortunately, Don wasn’t destined to be with us very long getting horribly crushed by the flopped steel wheel against his QQ. Having said that, the guy who took him out was, arguably, the most likely to suck out on someone having played way too many hands and, in this reporter’s opinion, was lucky to have made it this far.

Matt continued to make some smart plays even. I’d probably have been more aggressive but he’s better than I am. There were a couple of occasions where I would have snapped the villain off a lot quicker than he did…but he usually did it anyway. Whatever, he’s better than I am so what do I know?

Eventually Matt made it down to the final three and was into full on ‘shove mode’ and continually got hands like K3 and T3, getting his money in behind and hitting.

It couldn’t last long and, finally getting a decent hand with AQ was crippled by KK only to get it all in again the very next hand and meeting KK again. Well done Matt.

The final heads up battle lasted less than 30 minutes and we were done by 7.30pm…I wonder what I did then.

Well, of course, I headed off to the Shelbourne for an evening session. I was joined by Don and company who were meeting a friend, Tom I think, there a little later.

A few drinks later the lads were looking for a little music and I remembered that there had been a little down at The Corner House when I had walked in the night before so I suggested that we move there.

This idea was greeted warmly so we headed down the road but, unfortunately, the music was just finishing up as we arrived. Disappointed we drowned our sorrows good and proper but, it being a Sunday, the 11 o’clock closing time limited our boozing capacity.

The other lads were interested in getting food but I decided to head back to the hotel in the hopes that their bar might still be open but, once again, I was to be disappointed.

Oh well, a relatively sober weekend won’t hurt me for once. I squeezed myself into the lift and headed up to my room.

Another one in the books.