Vegas, wow...

This is not gonna be a detailed Vegas post I think I will write about it more fully when I get home but I had my first live cash game last night so thought I should write a few things.

Firstly, wow, Vegas is amazing. Check out tree man above from the Bellagio, this thing moved and spoke, lol. We flew in at night which for your first time in Vegas I think has to be done, the city is a different place at night all lit up and is just amazing. There is loads I could talk about but that will have to wait.

So last night I played my first bit of poker here in Sin City. I'm staying in the Mirage and after kinda passing out for about half an hour owing to drink and serious lack of sleep and body clock all over the place I went downstairs to the poker room to see what was going on. I was a bit nervous at first I have to admit but the staff are very friendly. I initially put my name down for a $70 sit and go as I didn't wanna risk too much but this never got going and I got bored waiting so chose to sit in a $1/$2 cash game. Min buy in $100, max $300 so I opted to sit with $150. I took the 4 seat and was dealt cards before I had even sat down and got my chips sorted, not sure if I was supposed to post a blind or whatever I looked at 910o and quickly mucked. The flop came 99x...

I was a bit nervous at first, this was my first live cash game ever so I played very tight to begin with, folded KQo UTG for the flop to come KKx, lol. After about 15 mins of bad cards I pick up 2 red aces in position, the game was quite loose and it wasn't uncommon to see a pre flop raise of between $10-$18 get 2 or 3 callers. So 1 limper and I throw in $15 with my aces and everyone folds, great. Very next hand I get AhKh and make it $10, this time I get 3 callers... The flop could have been worse when it came 7h8h10h, was anyone playing my favourite hand of J9 suited? Anyway two checks to me I bet $25, guy behind me folds and the two checkers both call, nice, please blank the turn I think. Turn 3 non heart, sweet. Two checks to me again and by now my heart is pumping a bit and my hand is even shaking a little. I'm a bit rookie at counting out my chips compared to everyone else but somehow manage to fumble $50 and throw it in with my may-as-well-be nuts. First guy who is very loose but had a big stack and was a decent player now makes it $100, other guy folds and I can't believe my luck and ship the rest in which he duly calls with 6h4h, he misses his 2 outs and I scoop a massive pot. I can't tell you how great it felt to scoop in all those $5 chips, soooooooo much more satisfying than playing online. I tipped the dealer $5 (more than anyone else ever did, in fact I tipped them more than anyone did frequently, karma ftw). So it was fun to stack those chips and I felt a lot better with a stack and gradually relaxed into the game.

Two other hands of note, I am basically in a 4 way raised and 3 bet pot with Ad3d (don't ask). The flop comes xQQ, checked round, turn Q, checked round, river Q giving me the nuts, checked to me and I maybe a little too excitedly push forward one of the $50 stacks I have my chips divided into. Everyone folds and Mr.Loose asks me to show the ace so I oblige, there was quite a bit of showing going on, the game was friendly and relaxed with no one sitting there with hoodies and shades thinking they are Phil Ivey so it was all good.

Finally, I am dealt the 7d UTG but the dealer flips it so the card is dead. Next card 2, so I would have had 72o, great. Because of the misdeal however I'm obvioulsy given another card which is of course a 2. So I limp and a couple of others do and we see an AK9 flop with two diamonds, checked round and the turn brings the 2d for my set. I bet $10 and get raised another $45. Everyone else folds, I'm not sure I can put him on a flush but I just call half-hoping the board would pair. River is non diamond Q and I check. To my surprise he checks as well and shows A9 for two pair, (bet the flop maybe?!). So I scoop another nice pot, thanks for the mis-deal dealer!

I played for 2 and a half hours in total and left the table $264 up - not bad for my first live cash game! I wanted to leave with profit and a couple of people had left the table and I didn't wanna play too long. It was great fun though, the Mirage card room is really good and one of the better ones from what I have seen of the other casinos and I have seen a lot now! What's more drinks are free when you're playing! All people did was give the waitress a $1 chip as a tip so you are basically getting drinks for $1! I didn't have any though as I was just drinking my big bottle of water trying to rehydrate and wanted to observe how things worked. Next time though it's endless drinks for me!

Well, this has already been a lot longer than I intended. It's quarter to 5 in the evening local time here now and the sun is setting and the lights are coming up, this place really transforms at night. I can see the Bellagio fountains display from my 19th floor window, such a great view of the strip it's really something, quite magical in a way.