Parag is the MAN!!!
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I wanted to thank everyone for their best wishes and special THANKS to George, Sheila, Dave and Lydia who helped me keep focus out there.
I got there on Saturday Afternoon (02/07/09). Played some Blackjack for a Hr or so and was $120 down. I had a few friends joining me from So-Cal. After getting ready, headed to the Venetian for a night out. Tasty but not-filling dinner at TAO and then partied out there till about 3AM. Drunk food at Planet Dailies at Planet Hollywood. Didn't gamble at all Sunday during the day. My friends left around 5:30PM. Signed up for the 7PM tournament. While waiting for that to start, played some 3-card Poker and made up for my loses from the previous night (TAO and the $120 that I lost).
Planet Hollywood 7PM Tournament $80 buy-in (27players)
There weren't really any big hands that I got involved in. I kept winning some small pots and made the final table with ease with no showdown :-)
On the final table, I was card dead for the most part, till I woke up to
on the cut-off position with about 6K left in chips and the blinds were 500-1000 and I pushed All-In.The BB (Chip-Monster) wakes up to
Im in trouble, but, the board comes:
I double up there and get
the following hand and knock a guy out who pushed with 
when I flopped the Then I just walk into the $$ and with three left and me being short stack talk about a chop, and they agreed to do an even chop. So, I profited about $300 in the tournament.
I wasn't ready to go to sleep yet, and with this new found $$ I sat on the Blackjack table. Really friendly table, I was about even for about 1 hr and then picked up a few good double downs and next thing you know I was almost 500 ahead. Thats when those free drinks got to me and starting betting BIG and was back to my even again. Being upset, went back to sleep at around 3AM.
Next day I was going to meet Sheila, George and Patti at the Caesars Palace for the deep-stack tournament. I got there 1hr in advance and to kill time, sat on a 3-Card Poker table and lost about $100 in 20 minutes. Not a good start to the day.
Caesars Palace 12PM Tournament $235 buy-in (99 players)
George and I ended up being on the same table and the guy sitting between us was knocked out by Gordo at the Venetian Deep Stack.
It was a very un-eventful tournament. Here is how I got out:
I am the BB and have
. One guy in early position limps, and comes to me and I check. Two players.The flop is
I pet 3/4th the Pot and he thinks for a little bit and Pushes All-In and I couldn't throw it away. He flopped a set of J's.
George and I later played 3-Card Poker for about 1 hr waiting for the next tournament to start at Caesars. I was about even money, but big G hit a 3 of a kind and got paid 30 to 1.
This tournament was pretty un-eventful as well. I don't really remember much about this one. lol
We spent the rest of the evening chearing for Sheila and Patty. Sheila was bubble to the final table and Patty got 9th place.
I got back to Planet Hollywood and jumped a few tables and finally found the one where I was profitable and made up for most of my losses at Caesars.
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Venetian 12PM Tournament $340 buy-in (332players)
I am going to mention some of the hands that I remember which had an impact on my stack.
The starting stack was $12.5K
Table 1- Seat 2
I have close to starting stack and I have UTG and limped for $100. Another limper and then the button raises to $500. The books tells me to fold over there, but my gut said Call and I made that call. The limper I think was priced in and makes the call. The flop came 
. I check, and the original raiser makes it $1100. I am not getting away from there, but I want the other limper to stay in there. So, I just make the call and so does the limper. Turn card was low, I Check through out. River is low again and I bet $3300. The raiser ponders for a while and makes the call and I show my Boat!Played a few more hands with no gain. After the first break I was sitting at 19K in chips. Not Bad!
Card dead for a while and getting blinded, raise with
mid-position. 2 callers. on the board. I throw my hand away.Table 2- Seat 2
I was here for close to 1 Hr and was card dead the whole time. NO action here!
Table 3- Seat 3
I get moved to another table and I have Dave W there. He wins a big pot within 10 minutes and is sitting at close to 40K in chips. Nice!Sadly, I have
again. This time I just limp cuz, I was early position. The button makes a raise. Some background - This guy just won a couple of big hands and is close to being chip leader at the table with 80K in chips. My first mistake of the tournament - I re-raise him 3X and the button thinks for a while and pushes All-In. I think about and put him on AK, AQ, or a high pocket pair. I had to muck and get short stacked with close to 11K in chips.I start getting frustrated now and am waiting to start making some moves and get a little aggressive. The blinds now are getting high and I have close to 10 Big Blinds left. The button makes a 3X raise and I have
and I smelled a position raise here. I was SB short and the BB was short too (He has 3K more than me). I Push All-In. and the BB thinks for a while and makes the call. The button insta-folds. BB had 10's and I ended up flopping a J and survived. Wheeewww! I have close to 23K now and am feeling a lot better.
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Table 4- Seat 2
Paul is on my table on Seat 7 and has close to 35K I think. I have a pro sitting on my left. I forget his name, but he lives in Vegas and Poker is all he does! On my right there is a guy sitting with a stack which is 1.5 times my stack. I am SB and I have . Dealer makes a 5x raise. I smooth called. Low flop. Check all around. Low Turn with a flush draw. I wanted to check again, but didn't want to get sucked out on and pushed All-In and the button folds. I have close to 30 K now. The pro tells me that he folded 
that hand. He thought my smooth calling was fishy. Nice Fold!Blinds go around and again when I am SB, Dealer makes it 5X and I have
and I think about it and decided to Push All-In. Now, I have the Button covered. The Button gives a speech and says, OK call and flips over 
.
The flop
. I didn't see the J and was upset for a second! Dave is on the table behind me and comes to have a look. Set against Set! WOW! Now, I am sitting with close to 70K in chips. There is a new player who comes to Seat 1 with a huge stack of close to 160K in chips. The blinds are now 1K-2K with Antes (cant remember what they were). I am small blind, no limpers and the button makes it 6K to go. I have
and I think he is making a position raise. I make it 22K and he throws it away. Blinds go around and again when I am SB, Dealer makes it 6K to go with 1K-2K blinds and I have 
. I think I have him again and I make it 22K to go. The button is frustrated and asks me how much I got left. I say, I had close to 70K at the beginning of the hand. He thinks for a bit and says All-In and puts the pressure on me. I stand up and am thinking, is this it? I just knew that I had him beat, just didn't want to get sucked out on. I know, if I win this pot, I am sitting good. I make the call and say, This is it! The button is disgusted by that call and flips . I am Hella Excited and am yelling NO JACK, NO JACK, NO JACK. held up! I have close to 160K in chips now.Dinner Break at Grand Lux Cafe
Now we have only Paul and myself left in the tournament!
My first hand I have
and make it 3X in late position. One of the blinds thinks for a while and pushes All-In. I insta-call and the guy has and my AK held up! Over 200K in chips now. Im sitting good in chips now and am thinking $$$$$$ I knocked another guy out with my against his and got over 300K in chips at one time and was in top 5 in chips with 4 tables remaining. I just blinded myself down to $$. The last 10 players took forever to be out! Maybe 2 hrs.
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3 Tables to go and I am Top 10 in chips now. This was a little weird and I was not sure why they did this. But, when they got down to 3 tables, they reshuffled the players again. I ended up being on the same table, but moved seats to Seat 7. LOTS OF ACTION. I was card dead the whole time and tried to steal some pots, but unsuccessful. I am down to 190K in chips with ridiculous blinds and antes. (I think 8K-16K with 4K antes). I was starting to get frustrated and was thinking - I have already made $$, Do I want to blind myself up the ladder OR Do I want to take some chances and take this down. I was getting up ever 2 hands and talking to George and Sheila complaining how I am so card dead.
We are down to 2 tables now. This one guy has pushed All-In 5 times in the last 8 hands and pushes All-In again. I have him covered and have
and thinking momentarily and make Push All-In. Everyone else folds and he flips . George is screaming on the back...Hold Up Hold Up and they held up. Another knock out and I have close to 430K in chips and walk into Final Table.I am Excited so are George and Sheila and we walk to the Wynn to celebrate with Patti and Maggie. Maggie cashed at the Wynn. We hung out at a Lounge there till about 2:30Am and headed back to our Hotels.
Didn't really sleep much. Was too excited. Met with George, Sheila, Craig and Dave at PH. They all played the 10AM tournament and Dave got 4th. Nice!
Time couldn't have gone any slower. Played some BlackJack at the PH and won $100. Cashed my chips and headed to the Venetian with George and Sheila. 1 more Hr to go and I am getting advice from George about different chop options. The tournament day b4 ended up chopping after 2 hands. They chopped 9 ways. So, I wasn't sure how long would it go. I had a flight to catch at 8:20PM with an interview the next day. So, I had to get back to the bay area that night.
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Final Table
First hand I have with blinds starting at same level from the night b4. 8K-16K with 4K antes. I make it 52K to go on the button and everyone folds and I pick up the blinds and antes. 3 hands later - UTG (3rd in chips) makes it 80K to go. BB(chip leader) goes ALL-IN - KK. Insta-call by UTG - AK. KK holds up! MONSTER CHIP LEADER-1.3 Million. 8 Players Left. 1 Hand Later, Short Stack Pushed All In with AJ and 2nd in chips calls with AK. AK holds up and the rich get richer.
My First Mistake
I am SB and action folds to me and I have and Push All-In to steal. BB wakes up to 
with a stack close to 220K and insta-calls. I get crippled right away and am sitting at close to 180K in chips. I get blinded down to close to 155K and am thinking, I need to make a move otherwise its too late. A couple of ppl drop out and we are down to 5 and I am short stack. I was folding A9 o, 44, A3s even though I was in a position to make an All-In with any A. But, I was just trying to blind myself up the ladder. Everytime a person got out, I was making another $1000. For the most part I was card dead - 35, 97, 29, 36..I had to throw away my blinds way tooo many times.I keep getting up and talked to George and am telling him that its any 2 cards now. My first next hand is
I live in Fremont my area-code is 510. I am in SB and action folds to me and I look at my card. Think about it and Push All In. This is the guy who crippled me with his QQ's. The night b4 we were chatting up and had a rappo with him. He said b4 he looked, " Anything AT or better, I call" He thinks about it for a while and looks at George. George did something and made the guy fold and he showed KT and I flipped my 5T and there was a huge chear. lol I made a Pro Fold! (online pro) Picking the blinds was a lot. I am card dead again.
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Second Mistake - Got Lucky!
I get on the button with a limper. I push All-In. The BB who is monster chip leader. Its only 115K more to the BB goes All-In for protection. The limper folds. BB had 
.The board:
Wheeewwwww!! I was glad I atleast chopped the SB and the limp and the antes. Survived!
I am SB and have
and action folds to me. I think how I got out at Caesars with A7. I convince myself that I cant go out twice in a week with the same hand and I push All-In. BB almost has to call. The big stacks are looking at him and laughing and almost begging him to call so he can take me out. This is the same guy who laid down KT to my 5T. He probably thinks its any two cards. He calls with Q2o. I turn the A and have some chips now. I think whenever I won a hand, there was a huge chear. George, Sheila and Lydia were great! Now I have over 300K in chips. I was trying to bring up chop but they kept talking amongst themselves whole time, the 4 guys were counting me out and talking about chopping when they got down to 4. Another guy goes out in 20 minutes and we are down to 4 with me still in short stack just moving up the ladder.Next hand I am on button and have
and I insta ALL-In. The BB(monster chip leader) says : You didn't even think, I am sure you have a hand and throws it away. I pick up some more blinds. The chip leader kept raising my blinds and I kept folding them. This time again, he raises it to 105K with blinds 20K-40K and 5K antes and I have and do some "Bollywood" and push All-In. He starts talking to me and I think I talked him into calling me. he showed 
. My J's held up and I was sitting close 600K in chips. I am 3rd in chips now and are talking about a chop. The guy who is in 4th place (the guy on my left) refuses. He wanted a lot more $$ and no one agreed and we keep playing. He stole the next 3 blinds and antes by going All-In every hand and I reached a point where I need to make a move too. I go up and talk to George and let him know. I come back and wake up with on the button. SB is thinking for a while. I want him to call and am trying to rush him. 2 minutes later, I called clock on him and he gets MAD. He calls with and I doubled up and he is crippled. He is out 2 hands later. At the end I had 830K in chips. Leader had 1.5M, Second in chips had 1.1M.
We ended up doing a chip-chop.21K, 20K, 15K.
This took a while to write up. I had fun writing it up. Hopefully you guys enjoy reading it too.
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