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

ngl i've just been skipping to the food pics and looking for the prices - it's my "holy hell i'm glad i'm not in vegas" moment 😀

Something for everybody in a TJ trip report!

I’m still right on track for my food budget, so I’m not terribly concerned about it.

But it is a little painful to be forking over these prices, sometimes.

Got to spend part of my break chilling next to Kathy Liebert.

It’s funny, the only poker celebrities I recognize these days are the ones that were on tv 20 years ago.

Cool to get to say hi, though.

Successfully pulled off a stop-n-go from the BB with JTs,

Then got a big double up, JJ > TT.

Right back in this thing, let’s settle in.

She's a nice person. I watched a WPT ft live where she came in second.

There was a place toward the back of ph I came upon last time in Vegas. Decent breakfast at a decent price. Blondie's I think (?).

Seems as if I took the left-hand (as you enter) hallway all the way to the back, turned right and bang, there was a sign for breakfast specials.

TJ Im flying in 7/6 to play 2D lets hook up at some point - will be at Cosmo through Friday

Maxie's over by the High Roller wasn't the worst b'fast I've had in Vegas, and the prices (a year+ ago) weren't bad, either.

Omelet House on Charleston or any of the Blueberry Hill's on Flamingo (east or west) are also good value but offset by the Uber costs. Probably not worth it.

But that's a tomorrow problem. For now, let's run this up!

For sure, bro! I’ll get at you in a couple weeks.

Third break, nice little spin up to 101k. Average is about 72k, for the moment… but the blinds are rising quickly through the middle levels.

Got moved to a new table in the Horseshoe. This new table has a lot more money on it.

Only played one big hand. UTG+1 opens to 6k at 1.5k/2.5k, I call from MP2 with Ah9h.

Flop comes 9c-6c-5h, he continues for 7k, I raise to 18k. He thinks a moment on it, and calls.

Catch a great turn, the Ad. He checks, and here I decide to move in, for my last 46k. He starts cursing, goes on a rant, says anything but the A, says he should have shipped on me on the flop, and folds, claiming (but not showing) that it was QQ.

I don’t say anything, even after he makes it a little personal in his tilt rant afterwards. Says I’m just holding his chips for him, that I’ll give them back, etc. Ok bro.

Guy to my left has about 275k, and he’s been seen limping AKs, among other goofy things.

I like this table draw much better, let’s keep it going.

People who tilt this easily are highly unlikely to hang on to their chips. Just a question of who benefits from the donation he is likely to make. If he tilts on this little runbad he is playing the wrong game. He should take up checkers.

Completely agree.

Anyone who can’t take a beat, or complains about how card dead they are, don’t have the mental fortitude to ever do well in this game.

Made the dinner break in the Gladiators, but lots of work to do when we get back. I don’t even have 5 bb, coming back to 49k in 5k/10k.

According to the board, we’re only 10 knockouts away from the money, so I’m tantalizingly close to lifting this tourney curse and snapping the slump.

But let’s be real, here. A $600 mincash does absolutely nothing for me. If I see a clear spot, even before the bubble, I’ll have zero fear getting it in.

It was a swingy 4 levels just to even get to dinner.

When I had about 60k, a new player UTG shoves for 34k, and I look down at the hand affectionately called The Cherokee Nuts, 77. I reshove, flipping against AKo. Flop and turn clean, river A.

That got me down to 4 bb, so it went right back in on the next hand, with ATo. Same guy calls, with 99, and I say I’m due, that’s how flips work. Flop and turn blank, river T 8)

Then I made a few tight folds. Open AJo from HJ, BB reships, and has me covered. I don’t know much about her, but I did see her survive a desperate shortstack situation by shoving KTo UTG.

I guess the question really is, how many dominated aces or Kx are in her resteal range?

But the more I thought about it, the more I just made up my mind that I wasn’t calling off my tournament life with just AJo, especially if I didn’t have to. We’ll never know if it was correct.

Very next hand, I pick up 66, and raise the same amount. This time, the passive button and the same lady flat in the small blind (I was taking it to the felt if I got played back at pre).

Flop Q-7-4, I decide I need to continue, for value vs draws, and fold equity. However, the button immediately reshoves, so I had to let that one go.

Little later, a desperate shortstack moves in for 1bb, another desperate shortstack shoves for 3.5bb, and I get my 12 bb in with KK. Nobody called behind me for the full double, but I did hold, vs J8s and K7o.

Then I got moved to a new table, folded for 3 orbits, and here I am.

I’d heard good things about Istanbul Mediterranean, a gyro/falafel place out in the promenade, so I tried that first dinner.

Got the beef and lamb pita wrap, with feta cheese and tzatziki sauce, plus a side of falafel, and of course a can of the Atlanta Champagne, Coke Classic.

It was good, and good value, for $28.

Back from dinner, let’s spin this up!!

I’m crestfallen to report that this curse is still very much alive, and well.

First hand back from dinner, I’m dealt ATo, from HJ. I say I don’t know why I even bothered looking, but I fold anyway, for my 4.9 bb.

Button opens to 30k, takes it down, and shows the queens. Good fold by me.

Very next hand, AQo in MP2. I told myself mincashing means nothing to me. I’m not open folding AQo, with less than 5 bb. I shove.

It folds to BB, playing about 110k. He thinks on it a minute, says “I don’t think I can fold this…” and calls.

With ATs.

Flop all bricks, turn brick,

…River T.

According to the board, there were 7 players left to be eliminated when I busted. As I was walking away, they started hand for hand play.

So still oh-for the summer, 11 tournament bullets and counting. Sigh.

We’ll get back on that horse, and try again on Friday.

You got it in good. That's all you can do. Keep making good decisions and the results will (eventually) follow.

Even though you did everything right and $600 is a small amount, that walk of shame has to hurt :( But I am pretty sure you have the bankroll and mental fortitude to ride it out, and keep going.

I just couldn’t go to sleep on a beat like that, so I jumped in a 1/2/5 PLO cash game at the WSOP.

Won a small amount,

SO I’M STILL A WINNER TODAY, DAMMIT!

Now I’m back at the place, doing my laundry.

$600 HORSE Championship at the Nugget tomorrow. I always enjoy the mixed game tournaments. They’re downright fun to play, only come together of any size this one time of the year, and it reminds me of why I enjoy playing poker.

Then we have Friday AND Saturday, if necessary, to try and find a bag in the Gladiators.

Yes, it's in the Miracle Mile right near an entrance to PHo.

Over here at the Nugget for the $600 HORSE tournament!

Got breakfast at my go to spot in the Nugget, Claim Jumpers.

Felt like eating what I WANT to eat, and went with the steak and eggs. A hearty breakfast, with OJ and coffee, for $45.

That's a nice looking steak! Hope it tasted as good :p

Good luck in Horse today!

Now, it’s time for the HORSE tournament.

Honestly, I’m down soooo much at tournaments this trip, I’m strangely at peace, as I look at the prize pool. This hole I’m in almost feels insurmountable… which gives me a curious, Zen-like sense of liberation from wants and desires of the day today. I’m free from earthly wants and cares, like such trivial concerns as what’s in this particular prize pool ($40k guaranteed).

I don’t get to play mixed games every day. This tournament will be FUN to play. Because I enjoy going to Vegas, and playing poker all day.

So that’s the goal for today: have some fun.

I’ll save my deep run, big money dreams for the Gladiators tomorrow.

Why not both? Go TJ!

First break, on 24k, from the 30k starting stack.

Didn’t win a single hand in stud/8, never VP$IPing past 4th street. The limit hold’em round was particularly tight and boring, TORSE would have been more fun. That one’s next week.

However, there was one pretty interesting O/8 hand. A raise, two calls, and I call with 3467 with one suit from the button. Flop is A-6-J, one bet, two calls, and I decide to come along. Catch a beautiful offsuit deuce for my nut low, aggressor bets again, two calls, and I raise from the button. Aggressor takes it to 3 bets, now the callers in the middle get out of the way (because I was definitely 4betting, if it got back to me). Heads up, with the nut low, and gutshot to the wheel, and the river is a king.

He checks, and since we’re heads up, I check back.

He shows 3456, for the same nut low, while I have 3467. So my pair of 6’s with a 7 kicker is good for the high, and I get three quarters. Guess I missed a bet on the end, there. And I missed my 4bet on the turn. Funny game.

There was one HUGE stud/8 pot, where I wasn’t involved. There were three full houses, and one guy had a low made with an open ended straight flush draw. 6th and 7th streets were both capped for 5 bets, 4 ways, and the 2nd and 3rd place full houses were quite sad at the end. The guy with the OESFD missed his mega scooper card, and had to settle for half, with the low.

Once again, my theorem for mixed games is very simple: “Don’t start with bad cards.” Gonna keep doing that, which means folding a lot.

Having a good time, let’s make it 4 more great levels.