**** TJ's Summer 2025 Quest for Poker Glory ****

Have you checked the WSOP cash game lists? I haven't, but they have revamped the cash game area to the best it's ever been. It looks almost as good as the old high-roller area used to look. Deluxe chairs with actual wheels.

I haven’t yet, but I’m sure I will soon.

The WSOP cash games are some of the best in town, because they’re not limited by available dealers.

If I bust early today, I’ll definitely go check it out.

Slept only okay last night. Woke up around 6, even though I went to bed after midnight, after a pretty long day.

Walked about 7 blocks to Denny’s to get breakfast. Didn’t think to snap a picture, but it was a standard full breakfast spread, for $34.

Then I hopped in an Uber to Albertson’s, which is a grocery store chain. Picked up drinks for the mornings, shaving stuff TSA wouldn’t let me bring, and laundry detergent pods.

Now I’m over at the Horseshoe, sitting in for the Monster Stack!

Go, go, go!

Good luck today.

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But does the Denny's have magic hash browns?

Good Luck TJ!

I DID have hashbrowns with breakfast today, but the tournament decidedly did NOT go well. Busto in level 1.

I made two good, correct, big folds, and then ran into a preflop cooler.

A loose player opens to 700, one call, and I squeeze to 3k with KQs from the BB. It came K-T-7 with one of my suit, so I continued for 3.5k, but got raised to 10k. I guess I should have folded then, but I called, and check/folded to the 15k barrel on the offsuit 2 turn. I just didn’t want to get that many big blinds in with one pair, and he later said he had a set.

A little later, I bet/folded almost half my stack with a flush, but got shipped on for the river board pair. I tanked FOREVER, but did fold, and he showed top full.

It was stinging, to lose two big pots and over half my starting stack like that. But I told myself I’m okay, it’s a great structure, with 1 hour levels. 19k is still a lot of big blinds at the 100/200 level.

Unfortunately, a little later I ran TT into AA. I’m basically never folding TT preflop at that stack depth. So be it.

A little disappointing, because (other than the Main, obviously), this was the one tournament I was most looking forward to playing. It’s a fantastic structure, that gives the best preview for the main that there is, at 15% of the price. This is the tournament I built out my schedule around, when I was asking for my time off.

And I busted in the first level.

I guess that’s better than busting 8 or 9 hours later, and not bagging in the money.

Ah well. There’s another tournament tomorrow!

Gonna play some cash PLO in the Paris ballroom the rest of the day.

Well, at least we know. WH hashbrowns yes, Denny's no.

Too bad for the rough day so far. Sounds as if you're handling the right way--analyze play, correct mistakes, realize that sometimes it's just one of those days.

There's another Monster flight tomorrow...

I know… I just decided when I was building out my schedule that I’m going to budget for exactly one bullet.

Love the structure, love the upside, but I’ll pass on firing multiple bullets into it.

And there’s a silver lining: now I can play the $500 Salute to Warriors on Sunday, which would have been Day 2.

The PLO session I played today didn’t go well, I hit my -1500 stop loss for the day. Strangely, though, I’m mostly okay with how I played, and the majority of my decisions.

The decision I’m thinking most critically about now, however, is the one related to session length.

I’ve been playing poker seriously for over half my life now. Through experience, I know that about 4 hours is the key inflection point when my focus starts to wane, and I make worse decisions. I should really start setting an alarm on my phone or something.

I played for 6 hours today, yet I didn’t make any glaring mistakes that I deeply regret. I did run pretty cold for most of the day, with a below average distribution of coordinated starting hands. I treaded water around keeping my stack topped off at the 1k max, and didn’t go on many big swings.

I got the last of it in on a multi-way raised flop, in position with a full wrap and backdoor nut flush draw… up against an overpair, gutshot, and backdoor non-nut flush draw, which is what came in. I ran the equity afterwards, for educational purposes, and I was slightly better than a flip, but it was pretty close. Meh, just gotta work on running better next time.

The key thing I’m thinking about now, in this after action report, is that I really wish I’d picked up at hour number 4, even down just 300 or 400, and have fresh enthusiasm for an after dinner session too, with fresh eyes. My problem is, if I’ve been playing 4+ hours, and I’m down a slight amount, I REALLY don’t feel like picking up. The former outcome is preferable, however, to playing even later, with less focus, and then losing it all, like I did today.

So I don’t feel like playing more tonight. As penance for the choices I’ve made today, no after dinner session tonight. I’m gonna grab a good meal, and enjoy the NBA Finals.

I dug the Orleans. Kind of an unpretentious tribal casino vibe, but on a grander scale. I'd go more often if it didn't require ride share trip.

Now I am second guessing myself. I did not eat there during my trip because I had heard unflattering things about the food. I guess I need to find out for myself next year.

I'm not usually a fan of Guy Fieri but the french toast there is excellent.

Good morning!

It’s a brand new day in VEGAS. Which is always a pretty wonderful feeling.

Slept a little better last night, but I’m still waking up too early. I guess it can’t be helped, as I’m used to working an early morning schedule, on East coast time. I’ll try staying up later and later.

I’ve never been to the Orleans before. It’s off the strip, and has a reputation for spreading low limit mixed games, and affordable tourneys with good structures. These are all things I’m interested in!

I got my player’s card, and bought into the $400 tourney for today. It’s a 1-day event, and since it’s Saturday, it should get pretty big.

I had a breakfast burrito from Fuddrucker’s for breakfast today, it was $18.

Now I’m on the list for 1/3 NLH, to pick up a chip for the collection, while I wait for the tourney to start. I took a look at some of the mixed games they have going, and it looks very old, very passive, and filled with regs that know everybody. Probably a rake trap, anyway.

Big fan of tournaments at the Orleans. Had a couple of decent hits/FTs there, but never binked a win, or played cash in the room. GL and LFG!

Let’s play about an hour of 1/3, to get back into hold’em mode, and practice folding!

Massive +41 winner in the 1/3 game, now it’s time for the tourney.

40k chips, 30/40 minute levels. Pretty good structure, for a 1-day event.

If I bust, I think I’ll head over to Aria to play PLO later.

Let’s make it a long day today!

First break, headed in the wrong direction with about 20k from a 40k starting stack.

I’d been playing tight, and gathering reads, then I made a light 3bet in position with A5s. I continued on a K-Js-5 flop, then barreled again when I turned a backdoor but flush draw. I checked back when it missed, and lost to top/top.

Pretty card dead the first four levels, hopefully not hat means I’m due. Not gonna force it, going to use my reads, and make good decisions.

And busto. I did get it in ahead, though.

I raise flop with AQ on A-K-3 with two diamonds, got it in vs Ad7d, and he rivered my Qd.

Ah well. Never really got anything going.

On to PLO!

Better than losing a flip at the bubble!

Long lists for PLO at Aria on a Saturday.

Gives me a chance to head upstairs and grab a bite.

I went to Parm, and got the mozzarella sticks, and of course the chicken parm sandwich.

It was good, for $41.

I put myself on the 1/2 PLO list, and the 5/5/rock list. I don’t really wanna play that high, but we’ll see which game I get called for first.

They used to have a free shuttle, but got rid of it a few years ago, I guess in a cost-cutting move.