Wynn Main Event

I came into the Wynn main event with a lot of confidence and was very excited to see almost 250 people in the 5K event. My table was ok, as Scott Seiver, Cody Slaubaugh, and Evan McNiff were all on my left. But every other spot at the table looked like a mark, so I was hoping to stay out of the way and just pick up pots against the marks. But before I knew it Scott was out after a bit of a spew and then Cody got 5 outed to get eliminated. And to top it off Evan was short stacked and playing tight. I stepped on the gas a bit and chipped down to 18K. Evan doubled up to put us at around the same in chips when the following hand occured. Dan Alspach raised the button to 600 at 100/200 25 ante. I had Q9dd and called from the small. Evan pops it from the big to 2100. Dan folded and I had a tough spot. I know Evan is probably messing around, but I also know he is very capable of calling off here with a very marginal hand if I 4 bet. I decide to call looking for a good spot to c'raise all in. The flop was Q65 rainbow with one diamond. I check with intentions of ripping, but he checked behind. The turn was a 6h putting a full rainbow on board. I checked again with intentions of check calling two streets. He bet 3100 and I called as planned. The river was 4d and I checked, this time Evan went all in. It was about 1.2x pot, but my plan changed the longer I thought about it. He looked confident and I had shown that I wanted to call him down light earlier in the tourny. So....I folded. I managed to chip up to 35K when the following hand happened against Dan Alspach. He raised to 1K at 150/300 25 ante and I found J7hh on the button. I called, cause I felt I knew how to outplay him post flop. The flop was nice QsJc7c giving me bottom two pair. He bet 3K and I made it 11K of his remaining 19K. He quickly pushed and showed KcQh for top pair. The turn killed me as the Qc hit causing me to draw dead. The pot pushed me down to 11K. The very next hand I found AJhh. After a limper I raised to 1100. Button, SB, BB and the limper all called putting 5500 in the pot and about 10k behind for me. The flop was Qh10c8s giving me a double gutter. They checked to me and I bet 4200 to pot committ myself. The SB minraised and I knew I was in trouble, but I pushed in my remaining stack. He called with KQo leaving me 10 outs for a win. I bricked out and left the tournament not happy.
On the up side I have taken some time off lately. I was able to hang out with a family I used to work for back in college. Ben had just turned 21 last year and had never been to Vegas. I haven't seen him or his Mom since my wedding. Also I got to watch a lot of basketball. All my brackets are terrible and to top it off I made a bunch of sports bets that all went the way of brackets.
We have some friends coming in from NC on Thursday. We have a bunch of stuff planned and cant wait to show them around.

Justin "robert07" Young

1K Wynn Classic

I came into day 2 with about 110K which was good for just under average. Of the 13 players remaining there was still some soft spots. I took advantage of the short handed play early and was very active including my KK holding against JJ. The pot pushed me over 225K which was good for a top 4 stack going into the final 10. I busted a shortish stack when he slowplayed aces against my set of 8's. The pot pushed me over 300K, but I quickly dripped down to 200K. A guy with 18BBs opened from early and the SB (Matt "hazards" Gianatti sp?) called with 15BBs. I found AQo in the BB and ripped. The original raiser called quickly and Matt tank folded a pair. The raiser showed A6ss and the board bricked out giving me the nice pot. I hovered between 300 and 400K as we were whittled down by Shawn Glines winning every pot. We got down to 3 handed and I was a distant 2nd place with 300K. A nice italian man was sitting in third with 175K. He had only been playing for a few months and was super nitty. He min raised from the SB and I called with 104o from the big. His bet sizing usually dictated the strength of his hand, so instead of trying to 3 bet him off of something marginal I decided to see a flop and out play him from there. The flop was Jd10d4d giving me bottom two. He checked and I bet half pot. He looked back at his cards and called. I put him on a big diamond so I did not think I could lose a big pot. The turn was the Qc. He checked and I put him in for 1.5x pot. I thought he may call with worse, but due to his nittiness I expected a fold. He tanked for 3.5minutes before announcing call. I proudly said 2 pair and he showed Kd9h for a straight and a redraw. The pot put me down to about 125K. I found a spot to push my 12BB with K10hh and was called by 66. I was fortunate to win the race and was back in the game with 25bb. I opened from the button with KsJc and Shawn 3 bet to 50K total. I am never getting called by worse and I felt he would gamble with some marginally better hands, so I elected to call. It puts him in a awkward spot with me having 1.5x pot behind. He will have to rip almost any flop meaing all I have to do is find a flop I like. The flop was Kc4c2s and Shawn ripped. I beat him in the pot and he showed A10dd for ace high and a back door str8 draw. But....the turn was the Ac giving him a pair, but giving me a flush draw. River bricked me out in 3rd place. As always I am dissapointed about not winning and receiving a bad beat, but 3rd is a great showing and helps my dismal tournament showing this year.
I will write a blog about the 2k and the 5k events at the Wynn soon as I was dispatched early from both.

Justin "robert07" Young

500 HORSE

Well, last blog I was complaining about how I was running at the Wynn. Well I can't say anything now. I ran pretty hot to get a lot of chips early and then pretty cold in the middle stages of the tourny. After we hit the money I got my money in with AK during the holdem portion. Another short stack was in with A8o and a big stack called off with QJ. The board ran out A2938 giving me the side pot, but giving the majority to the other short stack. I had 12k playing 2k/4k. I was allin the very next hand with 43ss and somehow managed to triple up. I made it to the final table as the short stack with 94k playing 8k/16k. I scooped in razz and stud 8 to give plenty of breathing room. With the structure playing fast the people were dropping like flys. We ended up making a deal 3 handed leaving some money and the cool ass Wynn trophy to play for. After the deal was made I won every big hand. I ended up putting Frank all in with Ac9d5d3c in Omaha 8. He held AQ108. The board ran out giving me nut low and a diamond flush. I havent won a tourny in a while and I have never won a HORSE tourny before so this was satisfying on multiple levels.
I am playing the 1K Wynn today and I hope to continue this new hot streak.

Justin "robert07" Young

Wynn Classic

I have played 3 events of the Wynn Classic so far. My history there has been pretty good. The past two years I have cashed 6 times with 4 final tables. I don't have any titles, so I was plenty motivated for the classic. The first two events I played were $500 NLHE. The first I was knocked out in level 5 when my 77 got it in against 54o and 103dd on a 9764 rainbow board. The pot would have put me about 4 times starting stack, but the 8h hit and I was out. The 2nd $500 I built a huge stack by playing very aggressive. My cover was blown when I had to call a short stacks all in with 54o. I tightened up and my next 3 hands I played big pots with KQhh, JJ, and AKhh. AKhh was the biggest one as a player cold 4 bet all in with 55. The board ran out blanks and I was crippled. I ended up getting it in blind for my last 4bbs with K6cc vs Q9o.
The last event I played was a 1500 NLHE this past Saturday. I chipped up early and then won two massive pots with 34o and 63dd. Both times I flopped monsters and got paid maximum value on all three streets. I had about 50K early (starting stack 12.5K). My table broke and on the first hand at a new table a young kid (who is very good and very aggressive) raised from middle on my BB. I found QQ and 3 bet to 4500 (blinds 300/600 ante 50). He called with about 31K behind. The board was 10s8h4s and I lead 5500, he quickly made it 13K. Though a set or aces are possible there was just too good a chance he was bluffing, semi-bluffing, or value betting a worse hand.....so I pushed all in for his last 17.5k. He called pretty quickly and showed Q9o for a gut shot. Even though a underpair would have been the best, I was thrilled to see how few outs he has for such a large pot. But, the turn was a Js and the 75K pot was shipped to him. I ended up getting in my last 13K in with 7h7c on a Jh6h5h board against Chuck Kelley's two black aces. I had 11 pure outs, but bricked and was out the door.
I dont know how many more events I will play due to friends and family coming into town, but the first few have me a bit discouraged.

Justin "robert07" Young

NAPT and LAPC

I had no success in the pre-lims at the Venetian, but was very excited about the main event. The 5K buy in got picked up by PokerStars and therefore ESPN as well. This means that not only will the Final Table be on TV, but PokerStars could run tons on satellites allowing lots of dead money in the tourny. My starting table was tough in comparison, with Adam Junglen (sp?), Mig, and Aaron Been all at my table. I ran a bluff early to chip up to 35K, but nothing worked after that. I slowly made my chips dissapear till I had less than 25bb. I 3 bet pushed with AQ, AK, and JJ without a call, and when Aaron opened the cutoff I decided to rip 23bbs with A4o. He made a good call with A10ss and I was out the door.
I went to LA the following Monday and immediately hopped in the 3K 6 max. I was crippled on the first hand as I couldnt fold KK to Matt Stout's 3 streets of betting. I ended up pushing 10bb with A8o and ran into JJ. The next event was a 1K NLH. I started off super hot as I coolered 3 people and was up to 30K in chips (starting stack is 6K). A couple well timed bluffs and two horrible ones had me down to 18K and 600/1200. My super soft table broke and sent me to a table with O'Crowe and John Phan. Phan had a handle on the table with a few fish and some awkward chips stacks. I was fortunate to chip up and then double up with KK vs AJdd, putting me a 50K. I ran a 3bet/Cbet bluff on John Phan that worked, but was ill advised as I know better than anyone that he loves to call. I dribbled down a little but finished the day with 53K.
On day 2 we started with 26 people. I played super tight and found a double thru Chris Bigler with AA vs his 66. Shortly there after I ran a squeeze and then beat a short stack with KK vs AQ. I was up to 140K when the table broke. My new table consisted of O'Crowe and 2 young compotent players. On the 2nd hand one of the youngsters opened to 6k on the button(at 1200/2400), I looked down at 88 in the SB and popped it to 16K. He tanked for 20 seconds and ripped 70k total. I called and he showed AQo. An ace in the door meant I lost a 150K flip and the chance at the chip lead. I quickly recoverd doubling with a set vs a flush draw and win a big pot from O'Crowe. I was up to around 200K when everything went wrong. I doubled up a short stack with A9 vs his Q10, I ran a unsuccessfull bluff against Owen, and I was 3 bet by fish everytime I opened light. With 11 people left and Owen opening his button for the millionth time I couldnt wait to get my 22BBs in the middle with 77. Owen woke up with QQ and I was out the door, despite the board running off K1089J. Everyone at the table thought I won and made me walk back to the table. I hate them.
The 5K NLHE went pretty fast, as I called off with 4th pair vs Victor Ramdin on a Js9c3s5h board. I was right as he turned over KQ. I felt like a genius untill the Kh hit the river.
The main event was fairly quiet. I had a great starting table with USCPhildo as the only high level thinker. I played pretty tight with only one cold 4 bet bluff. I doubled up Tommy Le when I just shoved to his open. I had JJ and thought he might call with worse and would fold hands like AQ. He called making it a 50bb pot. He somehow called off with KQo and won the fake flip. He felt bad and explained that he put me on a medium pair. How AA, KK, QQ, AK, and AQ arent in my range I dont know, but Im just bitter. Our table breaks and I get send to what looks like an even softer table. I became very active and chipped up a little bit to 23K. Button made it 1200 at (200/400) and I looked down at AKo in the SB. I made it 3K and the button made it 7K. Without much thought or reason I couldnt wait to get it in there. I can make up any excuse I want, but it was a bad play. With how soft the table was and the fact that the gentlemen was over the age of 40, AK should be an easy fold. Anyway... after I pushed he called and I quickly ask him if he has a huge hand. He shows me one ace and I am overjoyed, thinking he was bluffing or he has AQ/AK. I table my hand with pride and he reveals the 2nd ace. Always tough to take a slowroll in a big event, but this guy had no clue, so I didnt say anything. The board gave me a straight draw on the flop and a flush draw on the turn, but AA held I was out the door unable to make day 2.
The Wynn Classic is going on and NBC Heads Up starts Friday, so between sweating Eric and trying to find a live cash Ill be busy this week.

Justin "robert07" Young