Harrahs is the devil

Harrah's IS the Devil!

Well, here we are, down to 27 in the Main Event. I have a mantra that I adopted quite awhile, that when I eliminated from an event that event is officially DEAD to me. However, with the Main Event it is kind of hard NOT to keep at least ONE eye on what is going on. Two or three things about this event I have opinions on. First of all, a guy I have come to be pretty good friends with, Brandon Cantu, is still in contention and has been among the chipleaders for most of the way.

I met Brandon on my trip out here in February. We hung out at Seamless together and talked about a lot of things poker related and otherwise. He is very level-headed and I can see that a lot of logical thinking and strategic positioning go into his poker playing. We spend a night about two weeks before the World Series started hanging out at VooDoo (club in Rio) and then Seamless, me, him and a lot of my other friends.

It was our one BIG NIGHT OUT on this trip. That night I had Allie Prescott with me, who was hammered to the point of unconscious, and when I got him to his house he was locked out. To avoid bringing him to my house, I climbed a tree and jumped across to the roof and pried a window open. Just the Monkey being a monkey! Anyway, Brandon has had a great year. He won the Bay 101 up in San Jose for a million and took down a big tourney on PokerStars for $75,000. He is a solid player. I am happy for him. I would love to see him make the Final Table. I will tell you what is going to make a very interesting Final Table.

This girl Tiffany Michelle, who I have gotten to know in the past year as the CHIP UPDATE girl...she works for Poker News...somehow got into this event and on Day 2 was at the table behind me when I was at the table with Jen Harman...has managed to get herself into a pretty enviable position going into this, the most CRITICAL day in ANY poker players life. If she can manage to make it to the Final Table she is going to be set for life. Why? Because she is attractive. And that is the only reason.

Because if you look up her stats...she HAS NONE. She is going to be your prime example of the luckbox who got hit with the deck at the right time...and was good enough to NOT donk off her chips. I like the girl. She is cool. I would love to see it happen for her. It just makes me a bit irritated and frustrated that guys like me who have 30+ tournament cashes grind and grind and just keep getting cut short of big scores by bad luck and bad players and continue to flounder in relative anonymity while these other come from nowhere and become overnight superstars who will undoubtedly get deal upon deal handed to them.

Am I bitter? Yeah, maybe just a little bit. But I know that if I keep plugging away, keep my head straight...not get impatient, that it will all come to me someday as well. The big superstars have fallen. Matusow, OUT. Hellmuth, OUT. Hellmuth, on the last hand of the night, night before last...incurs a penalty for calling a guy an idiot...and comes back the next day and sees a 1/10th of his stack blinded off while serving it. That could not have helped too much. Incidentally, the reason for calling the guy an idiot was that the guy (an idiot) called his raise out of the blinds with 10-4! He, of course flopped two pair. Yeah, sorry, but I have to agree with Phil there...and that is a rare occurrence on my part! I really cant wait to see who makes this final 9.

Harrah's. Ugh. As much venom that gets spewed about these guys...and then they go and pull a move that NO ONE can figure out. 6,844 players started this tournament. Typically, 10% of the field makes the money. Which in this case would be roughly 684. I think that an even number of 675 would have made sense. But some how, some way, for some unknown reason...Harrah's settles on 666? Everyone is talking about it...and now, officially, everyone is convinced that Harrah's IS the devil.

Two nights ago...I am playing the 7pm at Ceaser's (another Harrah's property) and early in the game I get knocked out when, holding JJ I take a flop of 666!!!!!! Other guy just happened to have AA. Of course! Ceaser's Palace...there are some nice guys working over there...but that is where my compliments end. They made the biggest gaffe this summer...by running their Mega Stacks tournament when they did. By running their events at noon, not only were they competing with their own product at the Rio but ran up against Venetian.

It was just idiotic. One of their guys was telling me in February that they were "planning on running something this summer to compete with Venetian" and I told him then....in order to maximize the player pool, they should stagger the start time, start it at 2pm or 3pm....simply make it a 2-day event (which they DID ANYWAY!)...that way you get everyone who busts out of the other tourneys that all start at noon, thus guaranteeing all the properties bigger fields/payouts.

But no, and I am sure it was a decision made upstairs by corporate bozos who don't think like poker players but corporate baboons (no offense to myself) who merely are in competition with each other. So stupid. We could have really seen some HUGE fields at every event this summer, but leave it to good 'ol stupid Harrah's to screw it up. And their structures? Even worse. We played to 100-200 then had the greens ($25) taken OUT OF PLAY...no antes at ALL until the 600/1200 level....which meant a few things. First of all you are forced to make even number raises....no 250, 350, 425, 450 raises....no...they have to be 400/500/600...whatever....takes a lot of strategy out of the process.

Also, by not having 25 and 50 ante levels, you are taking a lot of pot value away from the three levels that those are usually in play, and what that did was to encourage incredibly tight play...since there is a lot of risk in stealing blinds when there is very little there to be stolen in relation to your chip stack. What that did was to slow down the play for four levels. NOW here is the harebrained reply I got when asking the reason for taking the antes out of play for four levels. 'We found that having the levels with the 25 and 50 antes slowed down the play too much because the dealers were taking up too much time collecting the antes, and also some of the players liked not having the antes that early.'

Okay so what we get is basically this explanation, translated for you by me "We found that our dealers suck so bad that we took the antes away to speed up the action, when in actuality it slowed DOWN the action, which basically rendered this as a counterproductive act...and we decided to cater to the awful players who don't understand that adding the 25 and 50 antes provide you the opportunity to make a move at the stage of the tournament when you can build the kind of stack required to win a tournament!" But hey, I understand why Harrah's would want to keep attracting bad players! And case in point...last night. Lets call yesterday A TRULY AWFUL DAY!

Venetian 5K. I was incredibly excited to play this event. Frank Kassela put me in and I wanted to do really well for him. The night before it started I won not ONE but TWO $540 single table satellites, to restore a little respectability to my bankroll, so I was in a really good mood coming in. In the 2nd one I had one of the sit n gos where I just NEVER missed a flop. It was awesome. We all started with 5000 chips. So 50,000 in play. With 6 players left....I had 30,000!!!!

And I don't blow leads like that. I didn't blow that one either. It was great. After having won 3 of 5 sit n gos the night before, I was actually starting to regain some of the huge losses I have encountered over the last week. So we start the day yesterday and I have some big hands. Set of 8s turns into a boat on the river with a guy chasing a straight flush for two cards. I get QQ twice and lose both times. I pretty much now feel that when I see QQ I should just muck them! At my table were some pretty crazy players. I had "lilholdem" a pretty successful online player...who looks like a strange cross between Eminem and a Keebler elf.

Then we had the standard 4 Euros...from Germany, Sweden, England and Italy. I have NO idea why these guys play like they do over there...but if ANYONE ever INVITES me to play in Europe there better be three things that happen.....(1) my buy ins are totally covered by someone else, (2) All of my other expenses are covered as well (3) there be an unlimited supply of alcohol and depression/anxiety medication! These people drive me NUTS! THere was NOT A SINGLE hand where if there were more than 3 limpers that a 2x pot raise wasn't made in late position.

Well, I would get skewered by that play. I am one of those players who doesn't like to RE raise with AK early in a tourney, and it would come back to haunt/kill me! With the blinds 50/100...and my sitting on 28K....starting chips were 25K....there is a limpfest in progress......5 limpers for 100. And the clown from England makes it 700 on the button. I am in the SB with AK.

I decide to just call. Being a player with a tight image, I figure I don't need to re-raise, that very few are going to call the 700, my chances of getting heads up with this idiot are pretty good. And in fact they all fold. THE FLOP? Oh...lets get what should be the perfect flop.....A-K-4. I check (check-raise). He bets out 1500. I raise him to 4500. He gives me this 'you don't have anything' look.....and moves his chips around for about 3 minutes....then RE-RAISES me.

Well, there is NO WAY I am putting this guy on 44. AA is more of a possibility...but I just don't see it. I think if he had AA...he would have just flat called me and got the rest on the turn. NOPE, I just think he is making a play to take down the pot...putting ME on a move. BUT I am sure in my head that I have the best hand...and I AM right. He watches me push all in and INSTA-CALLS. Now I'm thinking "oh shit he has Aces or Kings" but oh no. HELL NO. What does he turn over? Remember the other night?

When four from the money, and about to drag a 250K pot my opponent made the HERO call with A9? Well this clown also turns over A9. I and the rest of the table are stunned. WTF? Well, don't worry about it....Monkey is NOT about to chip up to over 50K like I think I am going to. Nope....the turn card is a 9...and on a 615 to 1 shot....he also rivers the 9. That's right. WHY NOT!!!!!??? Steve Danneman, who I had spent five or ten minutes chatting with at the table behind me earlier, was watching as this went down...and I swear....I think he was about to offer me a hug! I'm pretty sure I would have taken one. :)

I couldn't believe it. I was left with 475 chips. Great. I did TRIPLE UP on the next hand. QJ finds a KQQ board with the other player holding Q3. Amazingly, no 3 hits the river. Now I have 1700....I get down to 1300. I pick up KK under the gun...and gamble on a limp here for 200. Our little internet buddy, sitting on about 8,000 decides to raise me 1200.

I ask him...."hmmm did you miss the raise there by 100 or are you leaving me 100 for breakfast and a taxi home?" He gives me this stupid look...and I tell him..."well, Im certain I'm ahead but we have seen what that is good for in this place! I'm all in for another 100!" He turns over 6/8 of diamonds. Nice. No problem...he flops a 6 and turns an 8 and Monkey leaves the building. I called Frank and told him the upsetting news.

He took it very well. I felt a little better. He was really the main reason I felt bad, I really wanted to do well for him. Anytime someone takes a shot on me I really, really want to win for them...so I was really mainly upset about that. I get to my car, put on a good song...and am pulling out, past the front door, when who do I see waiting on a cab? "lilHoldem" himself! I pull up next to him....roll down my window, and ask him...."say, you need a ride to a place where you can get internet access? I then roll up my window and drive off."

Earlier at this table he had gotten into it with a guy in the ONE seat, who lives in New York and works in the commodities market with Oil and natural gas and is clearly pretty wealthy. He had told the kid...."you know, you really should stick to playing internet poker where you don't have to see or talk to anyone" Well, that blew up into a big 'who can insult the other one best' contest...I would have to give the edge to the guy from New York...although the kid did get in one good comeback. New York Guy "I've lost more in one day than you have won in your life" LiLHoldem "I wouldn't consider that to be a very impressive accomplishment." The whole table had a good laugh on that one. Yeah, I think Mr New York would like a do-over on that one!

I went home...took an hour in the hot tub....watched Claudia sit on the couch and play some stupid video game on her phone....where she would be when I got home later at 2am...playing the SAME GAME....sitting in the SAME SPOT on the couch. Claudia goes back today for Day 2 of the BELAGIO CUP championship with a decent stack, as does Frank....I hope they BOTH do well. I picked up Rick and we decided to go play the 7pm $160 at Ceasers. WHY? Dont know...because I like to please the Devil. I sit down a little late...and immediately MISS every flop I play.

I watch this kid....a skinny, ugly kid wearing a terrible shirt make a huge moron play....check this out....blinds 100/200.....guy in 2nd position raises to 400...which you all should know by now how much I LOATHE the min raise...but whatever, he does it anyway (he is holding AK) well SCRAWNY BOY makes it 1200 to go. He likes to re-raise...pretty sure is also from some European place. First guy calls. Here comes the flop....K-4-8. The first guy bets out 1500. Well Scrawny RAISES to 3000.

By the way...he is holding AQ offsuit. The first guy goes all in, and when Scrawny calls we ALL think (assume) that he has AA at WORST! NOPE. Scrawny is pretty much drawing dead...and loses half his stack. Two hands later....I have KJd and limp in behind two limpers. I am sitting on 3400 chips...we started with 6K...so I could sure use a courtesy double up. Scrawny is in the SB and doesn't raise amazingly enough with his J6 offsuit. The flop comes J-4-2. Scrawny fires out 600. Folds to me. I FedEx my 3400 chips...and he INSTACALLS! Great...I must be up against two pairs at worst. No No...just J6.

I announce "hey great call bud, no problem I'm sure you must have a 6 coming....." And just like clockwork....the dealer slides a 6 on the turn. The table just looks in astonishment as I get up, laughing...and leave the table. I did say this to him "son, I sure do hope you aren't an organ donor, cuz God forbid someone should get stuck with YOUR brain some day" GOOD LUCK! Checking on the table later...he was OUT before the next break. I love poker. Well...things would turn out better for me. After getting whacked I found a $120 sng...that I also got 7 people to do a $20 last longer in...so it was $550 for first and $140 in the last longer. With four left...and me and the one other last longer guy still in it, He moves all in for 3600.

I have 3200 and AK. I tell him "I am going to call you....but before I do, I think I am ahead of you right now....I am willing to chop the last longer if you'd like right now, before this hand plays out" He declined. Okay. He turned over AJ...and amazingly....for ONCE....I won with the best hand! He was down to 400 chips...with the blinds 300/600. I pick up 88 and raise to 1200...he has 45 and I flop a set of 8s. Thanks for coming out....and thanks for the 140.

I would steamroll the remaining two players and take down $690...minus a $30 tip for the dealer.....then, waiting on Rick to get knocked out of the tourney...go pick up another $250 in the cash game...so it wasn't a terrible day after all. Rick got whacked close to the money....again....and was bummed, so we went out and played some of that WSOP Hold Em casino game, a game I like, feel its the only one where your odds are actually decent to win. We pooled out winnings and after two hours left with a couple hundred bucks. Called it a night.

Today we are all going to play the $550 event at Orleans. I think its about the only thing really going on in town that's worth a damn. Should be a pretty big field. I have never played at Orleans...though I have been there. Its...what should we say here...well I am not going to sugar coat it, the place is a dump! A good place to go though if you like people watching! One of the most entertaining things for me to do is sit and watch the parade of people go by in whatever casino I am in...its just so damn funny to see what people will wear, or how they will do their hair....but mostly...what they will wear!

I would really like to make one more decent cash before I leave Vegas. The lease on the house is up on the 16th...two more days...I am getting kind of sad...this was supposed to be my breakout summer...and it looks like I am going to be going home down for the trip. Feel bad for my backer. And I hate the idea of driving all the way back home a loser. Maybe something good will happen in the next couple days. And at least I know that when I get back home Squirrel will be very happy to see me, whether I won a bunch of money or not...and that's a nice feeling. Also, I will be very happy to see my dogs, who I ALWAYS miss when I am gone! Rick is making the road trip with me, and I think we are going to see two things I have never seen....a tour of the Hoover Dam and the Grand Canyon. Well this should be another exciting day...gotta get showered and outa here....hope you all are having a nice time down there on the blazing hot gulf coast!!!! See ya soon!!!!

MONKEY