Finally back!

Well after some drama this week with not getting any internet in the hotels for some reason, and then when I did, not being able to log on to blogger.com, the Reno Report is finally here! Read on...

So the plan was to play for 30 hours over the 3 days. 'Twas a lofty goal, this is true, especially coupled with the fact that I would be doing 5 shows over the weekend, which is pretty typical. (Friday night, double Saturday, double Sunday) I started out playing as soon as I showered at the hotel. Only able to play a couple hours, I booked a small win before going over to soundcheck. The first big pot I played though would set the tone for the weekend.

I limped on the button with Js8s, I played alot of hands like these because this card room was paying big bonuses for straight flushes with both cards in your hand. We took the flop 7 ways and the it came AsQs4d. It was bet by the big blind, called 3x, and the cutoff raised. Knowing that no one goes away anymore in limit games no matter how many bets are put in, I 3 bet it with the 2nd nut draw. It got called by the BB, called 3x then capped by the cutoff. We all called. The 7c missed me on the turn and it was checked to the cutoff who bet, and I merely called, hoping for everyone to call too. Only the BB did and the 6s came on the river. Miraculously, they both checked to me now, and they both called my bet. I was good.

It was during this time also that I got the best symbolic representation of Reno I could ask for. In one pot was a chip, literally falling apart, that the house had Scotch taped together. The metal insert was still intact, but the rest of it was cracked. I laughed at the coincidence and pocketed the chip as a souvenir.

I came back after the show and played until about 5am, leaving the day up $119. The next morning I played again for a couple of hours before my matinee, but the real fun was inbetween shows. Harrah's was across the street from the venue and I ran over to play for an hour or so before my evening show. It was 3/6 with a full kill with some pretty bad play at the table. I sat down with $140 and the first hand I played was in the BB with 5h7c. Flop was 678 rainbow, and I check raised a MP bet and everyone called. The turn missed me yet again, but I lead this time out of position. 4 people called and I bet the 4h on the river and got a crying call from A8. I won another couple of big pots and in 1 hour 15min, I netted $186 from this game. Up $300 in a few hours or so, I played again that night at our hotel and made another win and decided to head upstairs to get some sleep and play in the tournament at 10AM.

I signed up for the tournament at 9:30 and got some breakfast over at Mel's Diner. Yum. I came back and found out the game was a 12 handed single table tournament. Weird. Starting stack was 1500 chips, 25/50, doubling every 15 min, and capped after an hour at 200/400. I figured if I could double up 2x early, I'd have an easy shot at winning it. I was able to pick up 2 black AA at 100/200 and eliminate 2 shortstacks of 700 and 900 in one hand. Eventually it was down to 4 handed, and I called an all in from the button with AT, he had QJ. I survived that and was now the chipleader 3 handed with about 7400 chips. Now I made a serious blunder which I would not have done if I knew the complete rules of the tournament. They call the tournament OVER at 1 hour. The blinds don't stop at 200/400, the whole thing stops and they do a chip count for 1st and 2nd place.

Thinking that no one wanted to go broke on the bubble, I raised to 1400 on the button with T7d. The SB who I've seen limp with AQ then call all ins, moved in on me. I wasn't sure how much he had, so I asked the dealer to bring in the 2 1400's. He didnt' do anything, so I pushed the 2 stacks towards the center and he snapped at me, saying that if I wanted to be a dealer, I could fill out an application. I told him that I needed a count to figure this out and again he did nothing but ask if I was calling. I guess people there don't think about whether their tournament life is on the line and just randomly call without thinking things through. I OF COURSE wasn't going to call, turns out he had more chips than I thought, but I had to act like I was going to think about it, or this might happen a few more times and ruin my image. I eventually folded, and came in 2nd. Had I not have blown that 1400, things might have turned out differently. I took the $40 profit and put it on the Yankee over (10) for that day. The Yanks won 7-1. Yay/boo!

I played for another hour or so, and lost $10 in the 3/6 game, my only losing session all weekend. The goal was to make $600 in 30 hours and I was ready to fall way short of this goal. Harrah's during dinner went awfully bad as soon as I sat down. Case in point:

BB with Th6d. 5 ways, flop comes A66 with rainbow. I check call a button bet as do 3 others. Turn is a 4, I check raise the button now, and the cutoff 3 bets it. Uh oh! What's going on here? Button calls, I just call backing down, but hoping they're overplaying AK, AQ. I check the J on the river and think how sick it would be if she limped with AA. I call, and she tables the AA. Ouch, nicely played ma'am. Down $65 or so early on, I clawed back and eventualy won 2 pots making it a kill pot. I got K4 and won one with turning 2 pair, getting called by 3rd pair, sweet! Next hand i get 23o and flop a 3. People check to me on the button fearing that I might win every hand. We check the turn, and I river another 3. They check to me and I say that I can't win unless I bet, which suckers in one guy. When it was all said and done I was up $96 for that hour and closer to my money goal, but way behind my hours that I wanted.

I had to make $106 that night to make my goal a reality, and things started up quickly again. Long story short, in the 3 days, we did 5 shows, totaling 15 hours of work. I played 17.5 hours of poker, and slept for 9.5 hours in 3 days. I might have been the only person to leave Reno ahead, leaving a $683 winner only playing 3/6. Definitly a good weekend indeed. This weekend we'll be in Alberquerque (I think it's a left turn if we get lost). I think I remember reading in Cardplayer last year that there's casinos nearby. The best part of this story is that I'll be home in 10 days! I had a terrible dream last night though that they sent the wrong color drums to my house, and I was in a terrible state of distess. Yeah yeah, I'm a tough guy.

*Update* I left my lucky broken chip in El Paso, TX on the nightstand. You'll just have to use your imagination.