blonde poker

 

I might not be able to post updates every day, but I plan to try.

After browsing the Internet yesterday, I went to the single table satellite area as intended. There were probably 30 or so single table sats running at one time. And this is just one small corner of the cardroom, the arena as a whole contains over 200 tables. I have never seen anything like this before, it really is some sight!

To start with, I thought it was quite disorganised. But to be fair given the scale of the thing and the fact a lot of the dealers will just have arrived in Vegas themselves, I think the dealers and floor people are doing a good job. Maybe I've been moaning a bit too much recently, but now I'm getting used to my new surroundings and actually enjoying myself.

The single table satellites have buy-ins ranging from $65 to $1,030. Yesterday I managed to play one $225 and four $325's. I haven't played live poker for a long time and, to be honest, I thought I may find it boring and slow, but on the contrary I enjoyed it immensely, a feeling which was promoted further by the awful play I was witnessing at my tables! However, I only cashed in one, taking $1,800 in a favourable deal heads up, to give myself a measly profit of $275 on the day. However, I think I ran badly, in two of the tournaments I had 4,500 chips out of 15,000 in play but then lost coinflips/ got outdrawn/ ran into monsters, etc.

The structures of them are pretty much spot-on, the higher the buy-in the bigger the stack and longer the levels (obv), the $325  buy-in for example has starting chips of 1,500, a 20 minute clock and the blinds start at 25/25 and progresses like this - 25/50, 50/100, 100/200, 200/400, 300/600, 400/800. You might say what about 75/150 and 150/300, but I like a fast structure as players do not adapt to the rapidly rising blinds which is of course to my advantage. If you want to play post-flop poker then there is a huge cash game area!

 

Most players seem keen to make deals when heads-up, I will make deals as long as I don't think the opponent is useless and the deal is favourable to me, so as to reduce variance. Although I only played 5 yesterday, that was 7 hours of playing time. Obviously slower than the internet, but a much much higher ROI is clearly achievable.

So now I've been in Vegas for less than 48 hours, and I'm feeling confident, relaxed and in good spirits. Hopefully a sign of things to come. However, for some unfathomable reason, following my 25 hour journey to arrive here, I've been struggling to sleep. The last two nights I've managed 5 hours each, strange as I usually manage to sleep like a baby for 8 hours+. Must be the excitement or confused bodyclock I guess.

I'm writing this at 10.45am Vegas time on the 27th. In just over an hour the Event #2, $1,500 NLH commences. After promising to play this however, this event sold out yesterday while I was playing single tables and before I'd bought in. Nevermind though, I think on my lack of sleep a 14 hour straight day would be too much right now, so I am happy to hit the satellite area again today and hopefully play the pot-limit $1,500 tomorrow if i can get a good night's sleep tonight (and have a winning day today!).

Just watched Brazil beat Ghana after inexplicably waking up at kick-off time (8am). Going to find some breakfast, do some shopping (maybe buy a kettle :-)!! and then hit the cardroom at 3pm where hopefully Dubai and Martin Green can make an impression in Event #2 which they are both playing. Back with more later...