Fuck micro stakes

to be a gansta. I mean to be back playing online. For starters lets give a quick rundown on my live experience -

Total live results playing homegames this year:


So as you can see, pretty much a whole lotta nadda. God what a grind live is. Visiting the ATM for money, driving to random places across town, eating and drinking like shit, playing till 12am, coming home exhausted and smelling like smoke, getting 6 hours of sleep before going back to work and doing it all over again. Sure it has some fun elements, the whole social aspect, but it's still such a chore doing it, I dont know how anybody does.

So I decided to try a new deposit method for Hero and lo and behold it worked! I gave Bovada a brief shot a few months back and the software is so punishingly crippled it simply is not worth playing there. Plus the withdrawal system is gimped, and you're lucky to get a check in 2 months it seems. Meanwhile Merge keeps humming along nicely. Despite BF there still seems to be a decent play pool available.

That being said, dipping my toes in the water on Hero today felt really really good. It's just so remarkably nice to be able to play at home, with the window open and a slight breeze blowing by, cup of juice in one hand, mouse in the other, just relaxing and watching the day fade away from the comfort of my leather computer chair. I just dont see myself going back to live. I mean, I'll play every now and then just to say whats up to everyone and have some beers, but thats about it. In fact, playing online today was such a joy that it has completely shifted my focus on job relocation efforts. A few months ago I was scouting Vegas and other live poker mecca's to see where I would like to live and grind. But fuck all that shit now, online is the only salvation. This points me back square at Vancouver again. Joeingram did a great service with a recent blog detailing his impression of Vancouver. I cant say I'm a fan of the rain or cold, but good god being able to play back on Stars again practically makes it all worth it. Plus Vancouver has its perks when it's not shitty outside. More on that later.

So to get off to a good start, I went and upgraded my old HEM license to a HEM2/PLO2 license. You see, for no reason whatsoever other than to keep things interesting, I've decided I want to try and learn omaha. But not by learning from other people's mistakes, but by learning from my own. I want to teach myself how to play. It seems like the best players at any given game today are always self-taught. There's just something unique about learning from your own experiences and developing your own thought processes that cant be rivaled by coached efforts. That isnt to say coaching doesnt have its place. No professional athlete can ever say to have truly "taught themselves". But, I just want to see where this goes by using my limited knowledge of PLO thus far.

As it stands I know the following:

The rules
You should almost always be drawing to a nut hand
You want to have 2 pairs of cards that play well together
Danglers suck
Pot control (not quite sure how to implement other than checking OOP vs aggro opponents)
Pretty much never fold to a 3bet IP
Be weary of bottom set

Here we go!

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Playing in my usual 1/2 live game last night, and someone made a startling comment while chatting. He referred to this game as a 2/5 game. For some reason I was surprised to hear this, I guess because it meant he was actually thinking about the game objectively. But it's true, with the average preflop raise being $17 and the average pot on the flop $75, for all intents and purposes this is a 2/5 game. With this in mind, it meant I could reduce his hand strength in spots to what would be more typical of a 2/5 game.

You see I've normally been too afraid to do something like 3bet JJ or AQs because I figured there's no way anybody is calling a $60 raise in a 1/2 game without having a decent hand. It just always seemed like a RIO situation. I also pitch a lot of suited connectors for the same reason. I figured fish overbet like this preflop to protect their hands, and that I'll never have the odds to call.

NOPE.

As soon as I said "fuck it, lets pretend like we're half stacking 2/5" the chips started rolling in. I was seeing so many QJo and JTo type hands turned over in 3bet pots where I made it $60+ it was silly. Their ranges handnt adjusted at all! I'm not sure why so many 1/2 games play like this, but it sure gave me a lot of newfound confidence postflop.

What's even more bizarre is that I was invited to a 2/5 game I had never played at, and recognized many familiar faces. In this game, it played like 2/5. I was afraid people would be opening to $50 utg and stuff, but the avg preflop raise was $15-$20 and everyone played accordingly. So why are these 1/2 games playing like a 2/5 game? I have no idea, I guess they just mutated this way after fish progressively increasing their opening raise size to account for general preflop looseness.

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Had one of the easiest sessions of my life yesterday, and all for one very simple reason, people loved showing me their cards. I meant to blog about this when playing at the Aria, but goddamn does it pay off to be on everyone's good side at the table. I'm no Daniel Negreanu, but I do like to talk at the table a lot in a casual friendly manner, and be overall supportive of players' actions. I quickly came to realize that when people like you, they want to do you favors. From Vegas to the homegames, you can get a lot of free info when people are eager to show you they werent bluffing you, because nobody wants to take their friends' money right?

I was able to get out of two big hands last night when villains showed me their cards IN THE HAND lol. I folded AQ on a QT8ss flop after villain swore up and down he had J9, and I said "if you show me that hand I'll fold" and so he turns it over, wtf lol. I gave him a hearty pat on the back and let it go. And another spot with another villain when I had something like KT on a 89Jss flop and he showed me QTo. I didnt even know these guys' names.

It's amazing how nice people can be when you're friendly with them. Just thought I'd share, always try to be jovial at the tables, you can end up saving a lot of money.

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So I didnt write about Day 4 since that was sight-seeing day. Wh00sel mapped out a sick route through the suburbs of vegas to give an idea of what actually living outside of the strip in a normal area might be like. Once again I have to give major thanks for this, because it was quite refreshing after hanging out on the strip for too long. So is Vegas lifestyle for me? I think it might be. Holy fucking shit did it get hot out there, and it hasnt even reached its peak yet. But I came across plenty of nice neighborhoods with normal looking shopping districts and so forth so that as a human being you can escape the energy of Vegas and feel like a normal person living in a normal city. It was nice.

Day 5 concluded with me playing a mix of PLO and NLHE from 1/3 to 2/5. There were terrible waiting lists for everything so I kinda hopped around out of boredom since I had already checked out of my room and was basically stranded at the casino until my midnight flight home. I watched Galfond's PLO starter thats floating around on this forum somewhere and basically just hoped not to make any huge mistakes. Everyone was sitting with at least $1000, and most had $2k-$3k at a 2/5 game. It was clear they were the Aria "PLO regs" and they all seemed to know each other. Regardless I didnt see anything that really intimidated me much as there was lots of unnecessary flipping going on. At least it seemed unnecessary to me. Someone limps utg, it gets re-potted twice, and then the original limper 5bet pots like 468T single suited. I mean I dont know much about PLO but this cant be good. Players basically stacking off for 100+ BB's with KK73r on any flop etc. So I just kinda sat back and felt I could pretty easily just wait for a good flop, the few times I could actually see one, and get paid off. My high point was about $1200 before the table broke up and we started playing 5 handed. Between the stations and maniacs I felt what little edge I had nut-peddling was being diminished in repeated attempts to see a flop so I left.

It's funny how easy and natural NLHE feels after playing PLO for awhile. It's like suddenly my eyes are opened to a whole bunch of spots to play hands, and spots to GTFO. I guess PLO just forces you to think most deeply about hands and NLHE seems so shallow in comparison to it. This all turned out for the best as I finished that session +600 too, all in one day.

Anyway it felt really good to just hang out at the Aria/City Center all day, and once again had me yearning to just live there forever. The cash games are excellent, tons of players, good limits for small/midstakes grinders, decent comp system (got my room reduced to the "poker rate" and some free meals), and is just a blast to hang out in. I still dont understand how such a place was even conceived, let alone built. There is just so much attention to detail in every area of this place. How in the world it is profitable to build such a sprawling complex is beyond me.

Since I basically freerolled my entire trip on poker profit, I'm planning my next trip out immediately.

P.S. Mipwnya: Aria does not rake pots at PLO. Instead they just charge $6 every 30 minutes to play. And if the action drops to 6 players they drop the fee to $3.

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Decided to commit 2 of my normal 1/3 buyins for a single buyin shot at 2/5. So I bought in for $400, and worked it up to $700 when some asian lady sits down. She buys in for the max, $1000, and within 3 hands me and her get it allin preflop, AA vs A5s. Obviously she hits a flush, allin preflop for $700. The typical asian ramblings of "gamble gamble" ensue. It was a pretty crushing defeat since I was nervous playing a new limit anyway, so I just had to quit for the day.

Didnt get any sleep last night after the A/C was making annoying noises every hour, so I didnt get up till 2pm and missed my opportunity to rent a car and travel some. Instead I explored more of the strip on foot, and to be honest, got quite a bad taste in my mouth from it. Just so many degens, homeless people, beggars, weird crackheads approaching you making a scene, etc. I just hate all that shit. At least get a job handing out those stupid porno cards that all these random folks are doing, at least they're fucking trying to do something that constitutes work. But just sitting there on your ass taking handouts? GTFO. I gave $5 to some horribly deformed man with no arms, because there is nothing he can every do to be productive. He got dealt a shitty hand in life and thats not his fault. I dont expect him to work or achieve anything, and he needs all the help he can get. But 90% of the bums in vegas think they're being cute with the "all I want is beer" signs they are holding up. That shit was funny the first time some guy did it in 1995.

Anyway, I'm definitely going to need to see some of the softer side of vegas after all that, since it was so disgustingly vile that I'm not sure I would actually want to travel through it every day as part of my "poker career" just to get to the casino. In fact it was so bad, I dont even want to leave the City Center premises again, which is basically a small 5 building sect of vegas constituting the Aria and some shops. They've done a pretty good job of being able to maintain your entire vacation within this one small area, and I feel like I wont be venturing out beyond its borders anymore lol.

Someone asked earlier about the quality of the PLO games at the Aria, and I'm pretty sure it got answered, but I made sure to check myself tonight. There was 1 game of 2/5 PLO running and that was it. Over the weekend I think I saw maybe 3 tables of 2/5 PLO and 1 table of 5/10 PLO. There are also some random "interest" lists for people trying to start 10/20 PLO but it only had like 4 people on it. Looks like the Aria is definitely not for PLO.

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Bought in for $200, cashed out $1200. I still find myself playing fancy on occasion, but have toned it down to the levels I mentioned earlier meaning isolating limpers and button raising, plus the occasional raise when someone donkbets me or check-raising a dry flop when someone bets weak like 1/3 pot or less. No more squeezing or playing back at anyone who raised. Im not sure if it's really all that profitable, but I just do it because it seems like the right thing to do. Interestingly enough, the few times I did it I royally sucked out and hit some bullshit hands, but it didnt matter because villains ended up folding 150BB pots when I shoved the river. I dont know what to make of this. They call and call and call and then somehow find a way to fold on the river, making all my fancy play irrelevant since I never saw a showdown.

So tomorrow (or today depending on your timezone) I'm going to rent a car and just cruise around vegas. Wh00sel mapped out a nice route to get a feel for the avg vegas neighborhood, so I want to see what the landscape is like here and if I can see myself living in it. Obviously vegas is a blast, and I've had such an emotional rush being here I stopped even taking pictures because pictures just cant do it justice. You have to see it for yourself to understand.

Walked through the bellagio and ceasars palace, what a dump. The bellagio is alright, although clearly dated compared to a brand new establishment like the Aria. Saw Doyle Brunson in Bobby's room just waiting for action. Ivey's room was full but I couldnt recognize anyone playing there, besides some asian american I've seen on TV.

Now that I know how casino's work, I must have ordered about 30-40 mixed drinks lol. I made sure to tip the waitresses $2 each time for tending to me nicely. Got my first meal at the table comp'd, so that was a nice surprise. I havent bothered checking my comp status so I have no idea where I stand, but supposedly they'll just knock the rest off my final bill when I go to check out. Have 3 more full days here. Plan to spend the morning/afternoon sight seeing and the late afternoon/evenings grinding.

Man I would love nothing more than to just fuck my job and never come back home. Just find a longterm hotel rental at the Aria until I get settled, or get an apt if they'll lease me with no job and never look back. This just really feels like my calling, the life for me. It feels so right. Going back to my miserable job fixing computers just feels depressing as all fuck. I have no intention to move up limits, but if I somehow ended up finishing +10k here in vegas, I would have no reason to return home after adding in my savings/poker earnings. It's just too fun out here. Hell, at this point I'd take a job making $15/hour and supplement the rest playing poker and be proud to live in vegas, until I go full time playing poker that is.

Anyway im exhausted, time to get some rest.

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Landed in vegas a few hours ago, checked in to my room and went straight for the tables. Having never played in a casino, those drinks the waitresses keep bringing by are completely free right? And people just tip them like $1 or so for every one? Most important, will they make you any drink you want for free? I mean can I order some nice vodka beverages and it's all on the house?

Anyway had a good first run. Bought in for $200 at a 1/3 game and cashed out $540. I nitted it up to start, but couldnt help but attempt to isolate and target a few players with no joy. I just dont know enough about that stuff, and bleed off a good 30BB's before I recognize it just isnt working. I seem to do alright stealing blinds, but I just cant quite understand how to properly iso/squeeze and what to do on certain flop textures. I keep trying to balance my range even though I know it's pointless because nobody cares, I just cant help myself, it feels like the right thing to do.

Apparently people are allowed to use cash for chips on the table. I turned a flush and missed a shit ton of value vs 2 pair because this guy had $100 bills under his stack and I just wasnt looking at that. I looked at his chips and thought I put him allin by sliding a stack out, only to realize there was a good $300 behind that I missed in value.

Other than that, the casino is great, the Aria is ridiculous, and I feel right at home in the live setting no different than playing in my home town.

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I'm flying out next week and will be spending the week in Vegas staying at the Aria. However my main motivation in doing this isnt to play poker. I'm actually scouting Vegas as a city to live in based on the following factors:

1) I hate my job
2) Bored living in "The South"
3) Ridiculously good prices on Vegas homes
4) Proximity to California
5) Live poker scene
6) Front-runner for legalized online poker

I know the job market in Vegas is described as "terrible", but I think a lot of that depends on what you do for a living. Regardless, I plan to get a job first, and move out second just to be on the safe side obviously. I'm hoping Vegas will offer many more levels of enjoyment in life than South Carolina will.

With all that being said, since I'll be there for a week, can anyone recommend some things to do & see for a prospective resident? I dont mean bars and concerts and stuff, I'm sure I'll get my fill of entertainment on the strip alone. But rather what are some of the prime neighborhoods I should drive through to get a taste of vegas lifestyle? I dont mean the insanely high-end stuff, but places where one can reasonable expect to live paying $200k for a house. Where are the shopping districts that most locals visit?

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Having never stayed at vegas before, how do these "room comps" and stuff work? I'm likely going to spend a week there next week or so and hear you can get discounts from your room for playing in their casino, sort of like a VPP system. I'll just be playing NL200 and maybe NL500 depending on success. If the comps dont really cater to low stakes players than am I better off just finding whatever I can afford and commuting to the casino?

FYI - I really want to stay at the Aria, or any comparable hotel like the Bellagio next door. Otherwise I just plan to stay at the Luxor which is like 5 blocks down and 1/3 the price.

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Like a pickle got dills. First time ever shooting a gun.



Gotta say, it was not what I expected. The gun has a lot more power than I was prepared for, and the concussive forces were shocking. In fact it was a bit jarring and scary to hold the thing and I never quite got used to it. Just knowing what I had in hand, instant death. The slightest move of my finger and your soul is mine. It doesnt feel right to be honest lol. Man should have to earn this kind of power, it's all so effortless.

Anyway I think I found a gun I'm settled on. It's a Springfield XD subcompact 9mm. Since this gun is for one purpose only, a tool for self-defense and nothing else, it meets all the categories which are important to me. I do not intend to go sports shooting or blowing up watermelons or any of that shit. Just something I can become proficient with and save my life one day.



This gun has a number of features which really speak to a technology oriented person like me. The gun is just so well thought out. It has dual safety's, one built into the trigger itself, and the other into the grip, instead of the traditional hollywood style side safety switch. You never have to actually disengage the safety, it's ready to fire when you hold it, yet it will not fire without you pulling the trigger. The safety is always on, but always off. It's a 9mm which is plenty powerful. It's small and lightweight, yet heavy enough to inspire confidence. You can easily conceal it, and keep it portable wherever you go. It has an underslung rail for adding attachments like lasers and tactical light. It has a very simple breakdown/cleaning procedure. It has a "round chambered" indicator so you never have to worry about if there's a live round in there or not. The firing pin slides downward when the safety is on so that it cant fire if you drop it on the ground, or even throw it. It has a 16 round magazine which is kinda nuts, but I guess you cant complain about having too much ammo. And it's pretty damn accurate for such a small gun.

Going to test shoot a few more before making a decision. Today I fired a glock 9mm but didnt like it at all, despite being halfway decent with it. Sticking to the 9mm class of weapons since they have plenty of stopping power, but arent too unwieldy to shoot.

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