Shreveport Trip..."Vegas ...baby...Vegas"

I just got back from Shreveport yesterday, and got to play some poker in the North West part of Louisiana. It seems they are having some pretty nice tournaments up there with the Horseshoe having a weekly Thurs night $220.00 buy-in FO. I was not able to stay and play last night, but I was told that first place the week before was over $6k. I saw some of the same faces from when I would travel here over a year ago, and there were some tough cash games...oh yea...It also snowed Thurs morning. I walked out of the Elderado at 7:35am and it was snowing. It all evaporated by 11am. The Elderado moved their poker room down the 1st floor over in the corner, and It is alot smaller that the one upstairs. It was kind of funny when I came off the escalator on the 3rd floor with this bewildered look on face as there was nothing but slot machines where the poker room was...the Security Guard took one look at me and immediately said, "Downstairs in back corner".

When I got there Tuesday, I went check out the Elderado's new room and found out that they had a $75/$25 Re-buy tourney at 6:30pm. There were several cash games going so I sat in a 1-2nl game with $300.00 and cashed out over $500.00 to freeroll into the tournament. There were 4 tables in the tourney and I had Woody Moore was at my table with his Commerce Casino "La Poker Classic Final table" leather jacket on where he finished 3rd for over 1/2 million. Needless to say he was the only one I was worried about. I fired $100.00 into the tourney and went out 13th-14th when I had 7 BB's left and shoved with A8s...and the lady in the 1 seat woke up with AQo. Woody was one of the chip leaders. I went back to the cash game and booked another small winner before I headed to get something to eat.

Wednesday night I headed over the Shoe to see what they had there. I got in a tough game where I lost 3/4 of my stack on the first hand. I buy in for $400.00 and looked at A9d from LP.
The guy in the 8 seat raises to $15.00 pf and there were 4 callers to me. I smooth call. Flop comes out 4d6dQs. Kid c-bets to $25.00...everybody pitches but me and again...I call. Turn was a pretty 8d. Kid Checks and I fire $100.00...he smooth calls. The river brings the 4s and he immediately fires out $125.00...I was sick. I go in the tank and my radar is going full blast. They eventually call the floor on me and I am just sick...I say, "I can;t believe this is going to happen to me the first hand"...and eventually say, "I made worst calls before...I call"...Kid tables 4-6o...on top of that...he racks up and leaves the table.

I got a lot of respect from the table for even contemplating laying that down...although I believe I am suppose to lay that down. My thoughts were...its the first hand...I only had $135.00 invested and I felt I could get that back with the $265.00 I had left...My read was dead on...etc. Several people at the table said they would have went busted with that hand...and I talked to several poker playing buddies that said it was a "Must Call"...anyhow...I am down to $100.00 and change and I have to start "scratching and clawing"...and scratch and claw I did. I played my heart out. The cooler hand happened around 5:30pm...and I cashed out at 11:30...with $560.00.

I felt good driving back last night having beat the cash games, but I wish I could have stayed and played the tournament last night.

We are leaving for Vegas Monday morning and playing in the 3 events at the Venetian Deep Stack...and anywhere else we can play. Looking forward to seeing Lusky and Virge and their pad. I will bring my laptop and give some feedback if anything exciting happens. I am pretty pumped right now though.

'They're gonna give daddy the Rainman suite, you dig that?" Vince Vaughn as Trent in "Swingers"