Cash Games in Vegas

Although the tournaments didn't provide any cash winnings this week, the cash games have been quite productive, +$3,400 in total playing $2/$5 NL. The action is a lot looser, so patience is rewarded, but sometimes tested.

Played at the Venetian a couple nights ago with my buddy CC, after he made it deep into Day 3 of the WSOP. Although he didn't cash, he had a great tourny (see his blog at right, ex-snowman, for details). The night was painful as I dropped $400 in about 4-5 hours of "play", which amounted to calling $25 raises and folding about 90% of the time as my hand missed the flop. Finally, in the early hours of the morning, I called a $40 raise with 3 callers in front of me with 4c3c, hoping to catch a flop -- I was DUE. Flop of 474 rainbow was the money. After a $100 bet from the original raiser, I smooth called. A T on the turn was not threatening, so he lead-out with another $100, short-betting the pot. I raised it to $200, and he pushed all-in for $600 more. I called to see his AA, and took down a monster pot.

Soon after, I had an interesting hand where I had built a pre-flop pot of $160 pot with a $40 pre-flop raise from the button with AdJd and got 4 callers who had all limped-in. When the flop came J72 with 2 diamonds, I had top pair with the nut flush draw. Surprisingly, the tightest player on the table leads-out with $90 and gets called by the next two players with action to me. I'm absolutely puzzled, and am sure the original bettor hit a set. I pondered for 2 minutes. I knew I couldn't lay down this hand (although better players may have), so I called out his hand, telling the player "you hit your set of 2's, eh?" and "I raise to $400". He was flabbergasted and went into the tank for a few minutes. Somehow, I got him to lay down his 2's (or maybe 7's) and he wanted to see my JJ, that he was convinced I had hit. The other players mucked, and I flipped over my AdJd and the tight player went NUTZ cursing and yelling.