I paid a $1000 to enter a slot tournament at MGM this weekend. The prize pool was $350,000 and it only had 148 entrants. My math says that is a great tournament to get into.
The tournament was broken down into two separate days with $175,000 given away each day. The first place prize was $25,000 and went down from there. The last place prize was $500 so everybody would at least get their buyin back.
In the first round on Friday I scored 12,690. On the second round on Friday I scored 12,589. With those scores I thought I would be in the middle of pack for the days prizes. Boy was I wrong. I finished 13th. Well, actually it was 13th from the bottom good for 135th place out of 148 and it paid $500.
On Saturday my scores improved to 15,300 an 13,200 for another spectacular $500 win. I guess my carrer as a professional slot tournament player is now in question.
The good news is that I got my $1000 buy in back so it really was a freeroll. I will play in this type of a tournament any time it is offered.
Daily Result: -$0
Year to Date: +$28,747
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Friday, April 25, 2008
A Busy night of gambling
I checked into the MGM last night for a slot tournament on Friday and Saturday. After checking in I visited the High Limit slots room at MGM to survey any changes. I didn't see anything new so I sat down at one of the 50-play $1 jacks or better games (99.5% + 0.33% free play). This game is almost break even and a great game to play to generate lots of coin in while theorhetically losing very little. I started out playing 10 hands at a time and slowly went up and down. I varied between playing 10, 15, and 25 hands depending on the amount of credits I had. I played for about a half hour putting through $14,000 with a $200 win.
The guy next to me was playing the highest stakes video poker that I ever witnessed. He was playing a 10-play $50 denom game. In the half hour I was there he lost the $15,000 he had on the machine when I got there, took another marker for $20,000, and was down to $2,000 when I left.
After meeting my friend for dinner, she wanted to play a silly penny video slot so I sat and watch for about 20 minutes until my mind was completely numb. While she continued playing that I went back over to the 50-plays and lost $1100 in ten minutes. Our next stop was NYNY so she could play the penny 5 reel 30 line Millionaire Sevens game. For those not familiar with this game, I think it is the best mechanical reel slot introduced in the last 5 years. This is the only reel slot that I could actually sit and play for a few minutes without being bored. While she is playing the slot I go over to a Blackjack table and go on a tear. I bought in for $500 and started betting $50. After about fifteen minutes I cashed out $1725 when they changed dealers. I finished by not losing a single hand in my last 12 hands.
Next we walk over to the Excalibur to play the $1 10/6 Double Double game (100.1%). I give my friend some money so we could both play on my card while having drinks at the bar. My machine is playing pretty well and I am getting a few four of a kinds. Her machine isn;t cooperating and she loses $500 of my money. Right as she runs out I hit four four's with a kicker for $800. I cash out at $1200 and make her go collect on the ticket. When she returns we each put another $100 in and she manages to hit for Aces on the very first hand. I was very excited until I noticed she was playing quarters. Apparently, the machine defaulted back to quarters when she ran out of money. She hadn't noticed until I pointed it out and then she felt terrible. Oops, that cost me $600. When we finish playing video poker I am exactly even for the day.
At about 1am we returned to MGM where in my drunken tired state of mind I deduced it would be wise to play some more Blackjack. I found the good double deck game and proceeded to lose a $1000 in about 40 minutes. I was foolish because I was actually ahead $500 at one point and I didn't quit. At this point I compounded my stupidity by going back to the 50play machine to "win back my $1000". That cost me $1300 more and then I called it a night.
Daily Result: -$2,300
Year to Date: +$28,747
The guy next to me was playing the highest stakes video poker that I ever witnessed. He was playing a 10-play $50 denom game. In the half hour I was there he lost the $15,000 he had on the machine when I got there, took another marker for $20,000, and was down to $2,000 when I left.
After meeting my friend for dinner, she wanted to play a silly penny video slot so I sat and watch for about 20 minutes until my mind was completely numb. While she continued playing that I went back over to the 50-plays and lost $1100 in ten minutes. Our next stop was NYNY so she could play the penny 5 reel 30 line Millionaire Sevens game. For those not familiar with this game, I think it is the best mechanical reel slot introduced in the last 5 years. This is the only reel slot that I could actually sit and play for a few minutes without being bored. While she is playing the slot I go over to a Blackjack table and go on a tear. I bought in for $500 and started betting $50. After about fifteen minutes I cashed out $1725 when they changed dealers. I finished by not losing a single hand in my last 12 hands.
Next we walk over to the Excalibur to play the $1 10/6 Double Double game (100.1%). I give my friend some money so we could both play on my card while having drinks at the bar. My machine is playing pretty well and I am getting a few four of a kinds. Her machine isn;t cooperating and she loses $500 of my money. Right as she runs out I hit four four's with a kicker for $800. I cash out at $1200 and make her go collect on the ticket. When she returns we each put another $100 in and she manages to hit for Aces on the very first hand. I was very excited until I noticed she was playing quarters. Apparently, the machine defaulted back to quarters when she ran out of money. She hadn't noticed until I pointed it out and then she felt terrible. Oops, that cost me $600. When we finish playing video poker I am exactly even for the day.
At about 1am we returned to MGM where in my drunken tired state of mind I deduced it would be wise to play some more Blackjack. I found the good double deck game and proceeded to lose a $1000 in about 40 minutes. I was foolish because I was actually ahead $500 at one point and I didn't quit. At this point I compounded my stupidity by going back to the 50play machine to "win back my $1000". That cost me $1300 more and then I called it a night.
Daily Result: -$2,300
Year to Date: +$28,747
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Weekend at Mandalay Bay
I was invited to a weekend slot tournament at Mandalay Bay. I had a nice room for three nights and spent a lot of time by the pool. The tournament was set up so each player got to play two sessions with the highest score of each session winning $25,000. The first session I played I cam in second and received $0. The second session I was in the middle of the pack and also got $0.
On thursday night I mainly just walked the strip with a friend of mine. I did manage to win a $100 playing the 10/6 DDB $1 game at Excalibur. When we got back to Mandalay Bay I saw the 100-play $1 9/6 Jacks or Better game was open so I sat down to earn some points. I didn't play very long and quit down $1500 for the session.
On Friday we walked around more and I mainly watched my friend play all the crazy slot machines. When we got to NYNY I played some blackjack and won about $700 in 15 minutes. We return to Manadalay Bay where I wanted to play their decent six deck Blackjack game. I won 3 hands out of 17 and decided to quit because I was down $2000 in less than 20 minutes.
I decided that was enough gambling for the weekend because I have another tournament at MGM this weekend. This tournament has a prize pool of $350,000.
Weekend Result: -$2,800
Year to Date: +$31,047
On thursday night I mainly just walked the strip with a friend of mine. I did manage to win a $100 playing the 10/6 DDB $1 game at Excalibur. When we got back to Mandalay Bay I saw the 100-play $1 9/6 Jacks or Better game was open so I sat down to earn some points. I didn't play very long and quit down $1500 for the session.
On Friday we walked around more and I mainly watched my friend play all the crazy slot machines. When we got to NYNY I played some blackjack and won about $700 in 15 minutes. We return to Manadalay Bay where I wanted to play their decent six deck Blackjack game. I won 3 hands out of 17 and decided to quit because I was down $2000 in less than 20 minutes.
I decided that was enough gambling for the weekend because I have another tournament at MGM this weekend. This tournament has a prize pool of $350,000.
Weekend Result: -$2,800
Year to Date: +$31,047
Thursday, April 17, 2008
7 - Eleven
7-Eleven sounds like a good title for a gambling post, but is actually just the place I gambled yesterday. Yes, in Las Vegas even the 7-Eleven's have slot machines.
I had a $100 in free play available so I stopped in and got a small Slurpee and proceeded to play some video Blackjack. I played for about ten minutes and quit with $122, and a free Slurpee. 7-Eleven comps sodas, coffee, and Slurpees to us high rollers.
This weekend I am playing in a $150,000 slot tournament at Mandalay Bay. It is just a mindless tournament where you hit the buttons as fast as you can and see who ends up with the highest score. I have a free entry and expect to have about a $1000 of expected value from this tournament. Who knows, maybe I will win the top prize of $50,000.
Daily Result: +122
Year to Date: +$33,847
I had a $100 in free play available so I stopped in and got a small Slurpee and proceeded to play some video Blackjack. I played for about ten minutes and quit with $122, and a free Slurpee. 7-Eleven comps sodas, coffee, and Slurpees to us high rollers.
This weekend I am playing in a $150,000 slot tournament at Mandalay Bay. It is just a mindless tournament where you hit the buttons as fast as you can and see who ends up with the highest score. I have a free entry and expect to have about a $1000 of expected value from this tournament. Who knows, maybe I will win the top prize of $50,000.
Daily Result: +122
Year to Date: +$33,847
Monday, April 14, 2008
A slow week
I haven't posted in a week because I have done very little gambling.
Over the course of the last week I did manage to lose about $410 playing video poker and video blackjack at my Putter's watering holes. Fortunately for me, and unfortunate for my liver and kidney (yes, I only have one left), I consumed many hundreds of dollars worth of booze.
On Saturday I played some online Texas Hold'em for about five hours. I was mainly playing two and three tables of $2-$4 No Limit. These games have a max buyin of $400 and a lot of poor players on the weekends. During the week there seems to be a lot more pros hunting for a lot fewer fish. I still had about $1800 in my account when I started and I began playing two tables at once.
The game started very bad for me. In the first hour I was up about $100 when I get a playable hand at each table. I don't remember the exact details but those two hands cost me $850. One hand I just played poorly and lost but the other hand I took a bad beat. I was dealt Ace King and made a standard raise ($16) from early position. The player on the button raised me $25 more. I called and saw a flop of A K 7. I checked and he bet $50. I raise to $150 and he went all in. I called. The turn was a jack and the river was a Queen. He won with a straight while holding Ace Ten. That pot cost me about $490.
Over the next four hours I played three tables and was lucky to run into some really poor players. I finshed up with a $950 win for the day.
Weekly Result: +540
Year to Date: +$33,725
Over the course of the last week I did manage to lose about $410 playing video poker and video blackjack at my Putter's watering holes. Fortunately for me, and unfortunate for my liver and kidney (yes, I only have one left), I consumed many hundreds of dollars worth of booze.
On Saturday I played some online Texas Hold'em for about five hours. I was mainly playing two and three tables of $2-$4 No Limit. These games have a max buyin of $400 and a lot of poor players on the weekends. During the week there seems to be a lot more pros hunting for a lot fewer fish. I still had about $1800 in my account when I started and I began playing two tables at once.
The game started very bad for me. In the first hour I was up about $100 when I get a playable hand at each table. I don't remember the exact details but those two hands cost me $850. One hand I just played poorly and lost but the other hand I took a bad beat. I was dealt Ace King and made a standard raise ($16) from early position. The player on the button raised me $25 more. I called and saw a flop of A K 7. I checked and he bet $50. I raise to $150 and he went all in. I called. The turn was a jack and the river was a Queen. He won with a straight while holding Ace Ten. That pot cost me about $490.
Over the next four hours I played three tables and was lucky to run into some really poor players. I finshed up with a $950 win for the day.
Weekly Result: +540
Year to Date: +$33,725
Sunday, April 6, 2008
Back to the internet
I stayed away from my gambling for the past few days. Last night I was home and bored so I did something I haven't done much of in the past couple of years. I played cash game poker on the internet.
I started playing poker on the internet about 7 years ago. I can actually say that I played at the very first live cash game offered by PartyPoker.com. On that first day while I was playing I don't ever remember them having more than a couple of games going for real money. Mike Sexton, the current host of the World Poker Tour, was their ambassador and was chatting with us at the table. I became an internet tournament specialist and limited my play to tournaments for the last few years that I played on the internet. I won a good amount of money playing these tournaments, but definitely nothing life changing. I did win a free cruise that included a $5500 entry to a World Poker Tour event. I lasted down to two tables and was knocked out by the eventual tournament winner, Howard Lederer. I officially finshed in 14th place and made a very brief appearence on the WPT telecast.
About two years ago I quit gambling on the internet due to possible conflicts with my work. In my work I deal with casino regulators from many different US jurisdictions and was concerned that they may require some detailed background checks. As you may or may not realize, in the US it is illegal to gamble online. About a month or two ago I decided that it is okay for me to continue to gamble online until the time when one of the regulators starts questioning me about it. I will be upfront and honest, and if they ask me to quit gambling online I will quit. To date, I am not aware of anyone the have asked to quit gambling online.
Back to the reason for this Blog. I had about $200 in an online poker site and decided to play a little. The $200 really wasn't enough for me to play the games I wanted, so I loaded an additional $500 into the account. I started playing at a $5/$10 No Limit Holdem game, but it was teribble and very boring. I then saw a bunch of seats open at some lively $2/$4 NL tables so I decided to jump in with the beginners. So far this has worked out pretty good for me. I am up $1100 in about 7 hours of play. I never won any hands bigger than about $250 while I did lose about $450 on one hand. Really it was just an easy grind. It would get a little boring but so far the good results are keeping me interested. I know me, if I get too bored I will jump in the much bigger games that are now too volitale for my measly bankroll. My goal is to slowly build my online bankroll up until I have enough to cash a few thousand dollars a month. We'll see how it goes.
I also lost $80 today at Putter's playing the $1 progressive that is at about $10,200.
Daily Result: +1,020
Year to Date: +$33,185
I started playing poker on the internet about 7 years ago. I can actually say that I played at the very first live cash game offered by PartyPoker.com. On that first day while I was playing I don't ever remember them having more than a couple of games going for real money. Mike Sexton, the current host of the World Poker Tour, was their ambassador and was chatting with us at the table. I became an internet tournament specialist and limited my play to tournaments for the last few years that I played on the internet. I won a good amount of money playing these tournaments, but definitely nothing life changing. I did win a free cruise that included a $5500 entry to a World Poker Tour event. I lasted down to two tables and was knocked out by the eventual tournament winner, Howard Lederer. I officially finshed in 14th place and made a very brief appearence on the WPT telecast.
About two years ago I quit gambling on the internet due to possible conflicts with my work. In my work I deal with casino regulators from many different US jurisdictions and was concerned that they may require some detailed background checks. As you may or may not realize, in the US it is illegal to gamble online. About a month or two ago I decided that it is okay for me to continue to gamble online until the time when one of the regulators starts questioning me about it. I will be upfront and honest, and if they ask me to quit gambling online I will quit. To date, I am not aware of anyone the have asked to quit gambling online.
Back to the reason for this Blog. I had about $200 in an online poker site and decided to play a little. The $200 really wasn't enough for me to play the games I wanted, so I loaded an additional $500 into the account. I started playing at a $5/$10 No Limit Holdem game, but it was teribble and very boring. I then saw a bunch of seats open at some lively $2/$4 NL tables so I decided to jump in with the beginners. So far this has worked out pretty good for me. I am up $1100 in about 7 hours of play. I never won any hands bigger than about $250 while I did lose about $450 on one hand. Really it was just an easy grind. It would get a little boring but so far the good results are keeping me interested. I know me, if I get too bored I will jump in the much bigger games that are now too volitale for my measly bankroll. My goal is to slowly build my online bankroll up until I have enough to cash a few thousand dollars a month. We'll see how it goes.
I also lost $80 today at Putter's playing the $1 progressive that is at about $10,200.
Daily Result: +1,020
Year to Date: +$33,185
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Happy Birthday to Me
I had another horrible night gambling. This time it was at Yorky's and I managed to lose $4900 while only hitting one jackpot for $1250. I then went to meet some friends for drinks and lost $300 at Putter's.
I have a couple of slot tournaments scheduled on the strip in the next few weeks. I think I am going to slow down on the video poker and spend more time on poker and Blackjack. These games are a lot less volatile for me.
Daily Result: -$5,200
Year to Date: +$32,165
I have a couple of slot tournaments scheduled on the strip in the next few weeks. I think I am going to slow down on the video poker and spend more time on poker and Blackjack. These games are a lot less volatile for me.
Daily Result: -$5,200
Year to Date: +$32,165
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