I'm going to try to update the last few days as best I can. Everything has kind of run together, and I had little opportunity to write...
The Venetian DeepStack series is a well-known, very solid alternative to the WSOP events. Many professionals and otherwise solid poker players frequent these events because of the organization by the Venetian staff, the relatively low cost with big payouts, and quality of play. With only 2500 and higher events going on at the WSOP, I had decided long ago that I was going to give one of these tournaments a try and if I like it, compete in multiple events. Having played at the Venetian for the last few days, I was sure this was going to be the circuit for me. This particular event had about 700 players, with the top 67 getting paid. It was a $350 event with the winner receiving about 50k. You start with 12k in chips, 40 minute blinds.
I arrive at my table at noon, and we're ready to get under way. I sit at the 9 seat, which on the huge Venetian tables is a good seat for me, as I can pretty much see all the action. I brought my ipod to this event, as I had determined it was going to be my practice run using it while playing. I haven't listened to music while playing live before but I want to try, as I've heard it helps you stay focused while not becoming bored. I soon realize I am not going to need it at all. To my left, sits a guy in a snakeskin cowboy hat, an "indie" sweatsuit (dark pocketed sweatpants, and multiple t shirts of different lengths), a bunch of jewelry, and a $3000 pair of sunglasses. I soon find out that this guy is called "Shooter", a name given to him by Scotty Nguyen at the Commerce Casino in LA, and he's an actor/poker player/bullshitter?/horse breeder. He apparently was a child actor, in the Sopranos, and had a bunch of other small roles that made/make him a lot of money, just not a ton of money. He talked about his friends (Scott Baio, Jose Canseco, Axl Rose, Ricki Lake, ect...) and what they've been up to, his new Navigator with a Ferrari engine, and basically story after story after story. He never stopped talking, but not in an annoying way. I tried to work my way in to hanging out with him and the gang for the 4th by saying, "I know you need a quiet, good looking white guy in your clan for the 4th", but he wasn't having it. He said he was only in Vegas to play poker, not tear it up...that's for other times. I understood this to be a blow off, but I would soon exact my revenge for his slight. Being friendly, he showed my his cards for the first 4 hours of play, which was huge because he was a big stack (having quadrupled up in the first 30 min) and played a good bit of pots. I watched his chips start to dwindle, and he getting anxious about it. He was obviously an action player, and they just do not have the patience to sit on a big stack and play aggressive strategic poker, they'd rather get involved in big pots and put themselves at risk. I watched him literally push his stack with Q10, K9, and J8 off in horrible position. I had been patiently waiting for my moment, and it finally came when I was in the BB, the levels at about 200/400 25 ante. He pushes under the gun, and it folds around to me, holding AK suited. I pine for a minute, being as calling my chips down with AK this early in a tournament is something I generally will not do. I'll shove them, but generally won't call in this spot. I recognized the actors move as a play though, and called. He flipped over Q10 off again, and I get a huge double up when an A hits the board. He's out of the tournament pretty quickly after that, as his loss of chips was so devastating to him that he had to just donk the rest off in a hurry.
From here, 4 new players arrive at my table over the course of an hour. First, a late 30's, Vancouver Asian named James was sat to my right. When he got to the table, he was automatic chip leader, with about 60k in chips. Soon after, a murderers row was established across the table from us with 2 guys getting sat with over 100k, and a 3rd, very solid player, sits with about 80k. The problem with these 3 new players was that they were aggressive, but not without reason. They all had a good concept of how to play the big stack, and you had to be very careful if you're going to tangle with them. You better have a premium hand against them or you'll be on the rail. James and I talked strategy for hours while trying to avoid them, and eachother. This ended when I was allowed to limp in the BB with an A. I flop AA3 and check/call. The turn is a blank 6, and I lead out this time to a call from James. The river is another A for quads. James checks, I pine for a minute, and finally put out the exact amount he has to call if he has ANYTHING. He does, holding a 3, and knowing that I hit quads. He says it, puts his money in the pot, and isn't at all surprised when I flip over the 4th A. I told him I think it was obvious I had it, but mathematically he has to call there with a boat...he's getting way too much on his money not to. James stews over this play all the way to the dinner break, where we eat together at Asia Noodle and I introduce him to the Dan Dan noodle over more poker strategy. We're both sitting at about 40k at the break; there's about 150-200 people left. We've both been lucky, in that neither of us has been put in a tough spot against the huge stacks at our table, but we're also both sitting pretty short for the tournament. The blinds are about to be 1/2k 300 ante, so some moves are going to have to be made.
We come back from the hour long dinner break, and I'm able to tread water for a while until our table breaks. I get to my new table still with about 40-45k in chips and the blinds up to 1500/3k. As soon as I sit down, I decide to make a play about 10 hands in. I had just layed down AQ suited when another short stack shoved. I pined for a minute, and think I should've called. I wasn't on tilt though when I tried the following play. With a weak A, I raise preflop and decide I'm going to represent the whole way pending the flop. KK6 is the flop, and this is a perfect spot to Cbet. I don't put him on a K, so I bet, but he calls. The turn is trash, and I fire again, to him calling. This is not good, no matter what the river is aside from an A, I'm going to have to risk all my chips with nothing and that puts me in a tough spot. I check the river and he checks behind, winning with a 6. This brings me down to about 25k in chips and in dire straights. We're at just about 100 players left and I had been stealing blinds and antes when I can to stay afloat. I finally get 88 in early position and shove. The button is short on chips also and thinks for literally 5 minutes, until finally calling and flipping over QQ. "What in the world were you thinking about, sir?" I ask. He doesn't say anything as I'm sent to the rail, finishing somewhere in the 90's (could be a better finish as the board isn't in real time). 11.5 hours of really good, grinding, short stack poker to finish just outside the bubble is pretty disheartening. I played great all day, my reads were spot on again (except for that 6), and I did the best I could with the cards dealt to me, it just wasn't my day I guess. Maybe it was laying down that AQ, I don't know.
Drained, but needing to talk about it, I go out with Chip and some of his friends to Town Square, which is set up like a neighborhood, with different streets and everything, except it's a restaurant/shopping park. It seemed like mostly restaurants and bars at 1am, and after realizing the Yardhouse wasn't serving food, we went to the Cadillac Ranch. We all hung there for a while before heading home for the night. It was great to be off the strip hanging with non poker players for a little while...although it would've been cool if Scott Baio was there.
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