Vegas Day 3 - Binnions $500

Downtown Vegas is amazing - it’s the first time I’ve been there. It’s like a place stuck in time - the feel of the architecture and lights is 1970’s. Fremont Street know they can’t compete with the new strip on over the top glamour, so they play on their heritage, all the way down to the 70’s music playing in the street and the casinos. It’s retro done in the best possible way.

Inside Binnion’s poker room, you can almost feel the echoes of the past. Nguyen winning with house over house, Ungar’s first two wins and Moneymaker creating the poker volcano. Today we played a $500 freezeout with 10k in starting chips. Unfortunately the tournament was a complete non-event for me - I never got going. Not sure if it was the jetlag or the table, but I never imposed myself.

LEVEL 1
I see a fair few flops, win some and lose some.
Finishing stack = 10k

LEVEL2
I am card dead, but steal on the button and cutoff a lot.
Finishing stack = 10k

LEVEL3
I play very few hands, and then raise with KK and AK and get folds everywhere. Finishing stack = 10k

LEVEL4
Just got seriously distracted by an advert on Amercian TV while I am blogging. “LEVITRA - the ideal treatment for erectile disfunction. Please consult your doctor to ensure you are fit for sexual activity. May cause relaxation of the anus. Please call your doctor if erection lasts for more than four hours” WTF? It’s 6pm.

Anyway…

LEVEL4
I check raise a flopped straight, everyone folds. I check raise a flopped flush, everyone folds. Sigh.
Finishing stack = 10k

LEVEL5
I get moved to the famous “Mad Marty” Wilson’s table. He has about 80k in chips. He is insane. With blinds of 200-400 with running antes he still raises most hands to 850. He loves playing flops, and the big blind has to call every hand. He calls an allin with 77 and flops quads. Nice!
Finishing stack = 10k

LEVEL6

I bust someone making a tough call with AK on a low flop. He has nothing and I take the small stack’s chips. I soon give some away, making position raises and ill advised big blind calls.
Finishing stack = 11k - PROGRESS?

LEVEL7
I win a few pots raising from position, but the blinds are eating me away. Finishing stack = 10k

LEVEL8
Blinds are big now - 400-800 with a running ante of 50. I move over the top of someone to get some chips, but the cost of an orbit is huge now compared to my stack. There is a limper in early position and one caller - I push for 9k with AT and I am busted as the limper has AK and it holds.
I finish in 45th spot out of 112.

Tournament was a complete non event - not enjoyable at all, despite the historic setting.

Venetian deep stack tomorrow. Until then…