Vegas #2: freakin' insanity at Wynn (part 2)

If you haven't read the first part to this post, scroll down first.

So, anyway, i went for a walk, took a breather, and got ready to come back to the table with 17k knowing I was covered by 4 maniacs. For the first time in my life I felt like I wouldn't mind taking some money off the table, but of course I can't, and probably wouldn't anyway I guess.

I wanted to be very careful of Rekrul (I got the spelling right now) because he had position on me all the time and seemed really out to stack me. I started getting involved more once I had a little stack and jumped around between 18k and 13.5k. Got unlucky a few times and missed one huge draw I paid almost 2k for total (but worth it considering how big the pot was).

Then, I get 99 and raise to $240. The previous hand I had raised some suited connector, got reraised by Rekrul and folded. This time he reraises me again to $900 and I call. The flop is AQ9. This is the first set I've flopped all day. I check, Rekrul quickly tosses in 2 yellow chips ($2000). I instantly don't like it, but I call pretty quickly trying to represent an AK type hand so I can judge his strength better on turn. Turn is a K (not the best card really). I check, and he pretty quickly pushes all-in. While I'm thinking I get the impression he didn't realize I had 16k behind (later he said he thought I only had 6k or so). I turn to Rekrul and say "I knew you'd overset me at some point". And he says "You have a set? Sick life.". I think for about a minute and fold face up. He said "I can't believe you fold that hand" and mucks shaking his head. I asked if he flopped it and he just nodded. He continued to quietly shake his head and other stuff like that for a few more hands afterwards, so I figure he was telling the truth. I just knew he was trying to stack me that hand.

Another hand against Rekrul I raise with Kc9c in the cutoff, Rekrul calls, Elky calls. Flop is AJ8. Checked around. Turn 9. Elky checks, I check, Rekrul bets $400, Elky calls, I call (thinking there is a good chance I have best hand, I almost raised). River is a 6 making a AJ896 board. Elky checks, I check, Rekrul bets $2300, Elky folds, and I thought a bit and called. Rekrul showed K4 and I caught him in a decent bluff. I was pretty confident about this one and happy to make a big fold followed by a big call against him.

With that hand I get back to $18k and the game is just getting crazier and Elky is going on massive tilt. In fact, it seems everyone is on massive tilt except maybe Rekrul (though he's annoyed by me laying down a set). Lamar Jordan had left for a good 3 hours, however the table insisted to leave him sitting there. There were tons of players complaining but there was no way the houseman was taking him off the table if he wanted his spot saved.

So, he gets back and first had I raise A8 in mid-position. He sits down and re-raises to $750 BLIND. I decide to just call and see what happens. Luckily for me I flop an A on a AQ4 board. I check (I don't want this hand to get crazy), and he checks blind. The turn is an 8 making me two pair. I bet $800 as he looks at his cards, he snickers and calls. The board is rainbow with no draws period, so he's got some touch. The river is another Q. I almost check then decide to bet a tiny $600 for value. He thinks a while, laughs, asks if I have an A, then I ask if he has a 4. He says "yah" and grabs a flag ($5k chip) and is about to throw it in the pot. I'm thinking "God, please don't" as I've seen him do the same thing with a hand like a Q here, but then he fakes the throw and laughs at me. He then grudgingly calls and my counterfeited A is good. I guess he did have a 4. So, little donation to me.

A little after this, some pro offers me $20k for my $17.5k of chips and my seat. I didn't really think the house would allow this anyways since the players waiting for a seat were standing around the table anyway and would make a huge fuss over this guy buying my seat. Otherwise, I might have taken the deal.

Now for the biggest hand of my life. I have just under $19k and get 9h7h on the button. Elky raises to $280, I call, Rekrul calls, one other caller. Flop is 8s6h5h. Nice flop! Nut straight with gutter straight flush draw. Rekrul checks, Elky bets his standard $560. I decide to just call because I'm internally freakin' I'm so scared and I think he probably has nothing (or very weak) anyway. Rekrul check-raises to $2k, Elky thinks a bit and casually tosses in $6k. I'm thinking "Oh God". I sit quietly for a bit and say "I'm all-in" and just grin at Elky for a while. Rekrul folds pretty quick and Elky stands up with his hands on his hips and shakes his head. "So sick" he keeps repeating and I'm afraid he has a set. The longer he thinks the more I think AT BEST he has two pair, maybe a combo flush draw. I'm really hoping he just has an overpair and is almost drawing dead.

I'm not sure I really want a call, I guess I did. The more he thought the more I wanted the call, but the pot was already huge so either way I'd be happy. Rekrul and the asian kid both leave the table as does Lamar who busted out to the asian kid again just a few hands before. Now Rekrul and the asian kid are standing behind Elky as he decides what to do. He thinks for at least 3 minutes, but of course no one is saying a thing to him. A new guy next to me in Rekrul's spot quietly asks me if I want him to call time on Elky, but I say "Naw, it's okay", I was sorta enjoying the moment. Elky asks how much I'm playing with, I say "almost 19 thousand before this hand" and he realizes we have almost identical stacks.

Someone behind me says "just gamble" and Elky finally says "okay, I gamble, call, two pair". I stand up and pray harder than I ever have for no board pairing. I don't know which 2 pair he has, but I know the 8 of hearts is dead cuz it makes my straight flush. Turn 3s, river...9c. He flips over 56 and I pretty much collapse in my chair realizing I just won a $40,000 pot. A bunch of people in the crowd that gathered think I sucked out with a open-ended draw not realizing I flopped it, but I didn't care. I could barely count my chips as the dealer was counting my $100 bills. It took me 3 attempts to get the chip count right. I just pulled in the chips in a heap and was stacking chips for a full rotation. Best poker moment of my life but I could barely think about anything. A guy asked me for change for a $1000 chip and I gave him $10,000 back by accident.

At this point, the game was basically over and a bunch of new pros who had been waiting for hours sat down with huge stacks. I played two rotations, broke even, and decided to get the hell out of there.

I could only cash out under $10k so the IRS wouldn't ding me for US taxes. I can get them back, but it's a pain in the ass and takes forever. So, I chipped up to $5k and $1k chips and will get friends to cash them out later.

I walked around Vegas after storing my cash and chips in a safety deposit box. I was in a complete daze and kept thinking about that KK hand which changed everything. I know I was lucky and this makes up for every bad beat I've ever taken. I have no plans of playing bigger and if I find that crazy game again, I'll probably just shortstack it since I'm too intimidated. But, shortstacking it is very profitable since it only costs $30/rotation to sit and wait for a huge hand.

Anyway, off to play a little mini-craps with Angst and Q at Riviera and have a couple drinks. Might hit up the Wynn again tonight. $5k 6-handed WSOP event is tomorrow.