2014 SUMMER POKER SERIES -- PART II and III (BINIONS AND PLANET HOLLYWOOD)

I know I was supposed to describe my Binions and Planet Hollywood tournaments but I'm sitting in front of my word processor and can't remember a damn thing about either tournament! It's probably because old age is creeping on me or the fact these tournaments were long ago, that I don't remember of the key hands. I know the hands I played, how I played them, and what happened, but I get lose on key information like chip stacks, blind levels, what I bet. In the future, I need to utilize my "NOTEPAD feature on my Iphone:

And start writing notes on the hands I played cause I know I'm going to forget!! 

Geez!!! All I know it I had a ton of chips in the Binions tournament, but lost a ton of chips in the blind vs blind confrontation again with J7 clubs with 4 tables left then busted with JJ vs AA vs KK! I know I played very well the entire time, and made a questionable play with J7 when I flopped a pair and flush draw...probably overplayed it..

As for the Planet Hollywood tournament, I mid-cashed but it took me 10 hours the get it. I love the chips and blind structure but it was pay so TOP heavy that by the end, I had an empty feeling...like it wasn't worth my time. I'll definitely the Planet Hollywood PHamous series again, but I'm going to be more willing to play to win rather than midcash. One of the reasons, I played so cautiously was because my wife played as well but didn't cash, I was more worried about getting my money back rather than playing to win. Also the fact my wife was sitting behind pressuring me to cash, I didn't play optimal poker, especially during bubble time. I'm happy I cashed (and get my name in the poker listings) but I'm not happy of the way I cashed. 

In the future, whenever I play a cash game or tournament, especially when I know I'm going to blog about it, I'm going to write down every hand, every detail, and every move as soon as the hand is over. So when I'm ready to start blogging, I'll know exactly what I'm going to say.  

2014 SUMMER POKER SERIES -- PART I (2014 WSOP EMPLOYEE EVENT)

During this 3 part series, I'll delve into my Summer Poker Series giving you insight to my journey through the Las Vegas tournament scene which becomes the center of the poker universe from May to July. Poker players, Pro and amateurs alike flock in numbers dreaming of gold bracelets and winning life changing prize money...Of course, I'm one of those people.

I decided early in the year I was going to play some of these Summer Poker Series Tournaments (As much as I can play). In the past, I've done pretty well. Back in 2010, I chopped a Caesars Mega Stack for over $3,000, and last year I chopped the first Binions Classic Tournament for over $2,000, I've had a couple of small scores earlier this year, nothing to brag about but still profit. More importantly, my confidence in my tournament poker game was sky-high

Part I, I'm going to give my experience in the EVENT #1 of the World Series of Poker -- The Casino Employee Event...

I've played the WSOP Employee Event twice before, but I haven't had much luck. I took a 7 year hiatus, but this year I decided to give it a shot. The Buy in is $500, 60 minute levels, and 3000 Chips. My strategy going in was to try to build my stack to 7,000 by the time the antes kick in - Therefore, I'll have enough to chips to be able to maneuver and be creative going forward. So my strategy was to see a lot of flops and hopefully I'll be able to hit some hands and wins some good pots.

The World Series of Poker is the center of the poker universe, it's the mecca of poker players -- a little like heaven with a lot more baseball caps. As soon as you enter the World Series of Poker area the energy is so palpable -- the buzz is incredible. The click of ships rattling in the hands, the smell of the money floating in the air, and you hear every bad beat story ever told as you walk down the halls: I had AK, is always how it begins.....

I enter the hallway and instantly feel the energy. I spot one of my co-workers and wish him good luck before I enter the Amazon room. I find my table, observing two people already sitting down. I don't go right away. I'm very superstitious when it comes to tournament, and I always wait until a minute before the cards are scheduled to be dealt before I sit down. So I walk around, and you can feel the buzz of anticipation around the room. Players, Floors, dealers, and cocktail waitresses are mingling around this enormous Amazon room, dodging each other like some maze. You can feel and see the excitement hovering over the entire room....it's spectacular to be at the center of it.

As game time approaches,  I finally grab my seat (a minute before noon) and get myself situated. I don't recognized anyone at my table until a female dealer who temps for our poker room occasionally sits in a Seat #6. We're not close, and I'm not going to pretend we're buddies so we don't acknowledge each other. Finally, WSOP tournament director, Jack Eiffel approaches the podiums and welcomes everyone to the start of WSOP 2014. Then after the typical introductory salutations are done. He says these words, "Do you guys like money?? Then we hear a huge explosion and all of a sudden money starts falling the ceiling. I didn't realize what was going on at first until the first $1 bill fell on the poker table and people starting grabbing the money raining down on us! I thought, "Shit!" Then I began rummaging, grabbing as many $1 dollar bills as I can. It was an amazing site as 800 people were on their hand and knees grabbing all this money. In the end, I ended up with only $28:

Other than the obvious, the money grab was a well-timed stress reliever for not only me but for a lot of players in this tournament. I know there was a lot of laughter and good natured conversation about what just happened and it was definitely what was needed. Moments later, the moment of truth arrived as they told the dealers to shuffle up and deal. I took a deep breath, fired up about the journey I was about to take.

I knew it would be a tough hill to climb. As evident by the "Seat Open" i heard a couple of minutes into the tournament. I knew I had to get lucky, play well, but more importantly run incredibly hot for a long time. 

Unfortunately, I could never get anything going. For the first 2 levels, I was playing a ton of hands, but couldn't connect with any flops nor could I find any spots to get my chips where I feel I had the best of it. It was frustrating, but I kept the faith hoping I could get a hand. Right before the first break I managed to get my stack to above starting when I hit top pair with 98 off suit and got someone to commit her entire stack with a flush draw. So at first break I had 3400. So despite not getting any hands, or any good spots to put my chips I felt pretty good.

After the break, things starting falling apart.  Two hands in particular was my down fall:

HAND ONE -- At this point, my blinds went through once and I played a couple of hands so I was down to 3100. Everyone folds to me on the button and I hold AJ offsuit. Very strong hand. I raise to 450. Small blind whose been going all in frequently after losing half his stack early and rebuilding since then goes all in for 2500. After tanking for a minuted, I folded my AJ. After the hands hit the muck, I knew I made a critical error. After my raise I was left with 12 BB with the blinds 100-200. There was no way I should have folded that hand with my stack at a critical stage. Even if I knew all-in range included AK AQ, JJ, AA, KK, I had to take a chance. If I win the hand my stack would grow to around 5000 which would be give more breathing room and give my extra ammunition to try to get to my target stack of 7500! Even if I busted there, at least I gave my opportunity to chip up with a very good hand in an excellent spot.

HAND TWO -- With my stack decimated to 2200. I was in the Big Blind (BB) Action is folded to an aggressive Asian lady who raises to 500. Small blind goes all in for 1600. I look down and see 55. I hesitated for a moment then moved in over the top for the rest of my chips. Asian lady folds. Small blind turns over 88, flops a set, and rivers quads, and my stack neutralized to 900 chips. My thought process behind going all in. I have a chance to get my stack to about 4400. What I didn't take into account was my raise was the 4th raise in a spot where my 55 wasn't the best hand. Even if the small blind was moving in with a hand like 66-99, I was still way behind, and in if the initial raise called, I'd have to beat two players with a marginal hand. If I wanted to make that play with 55, I should have been the first one in rather than the 3rd player in. Despite the results this was definitely the wrong move in the wrong spot. Even if had somehow won the pot, the play was a -EV and should never been done. My wife and I had an argument about this hand, and of course I was stubborn and felt I made the right move, but thinking about more and giving myself a few days to think about I know now it was the wrong move. 

A few hands later, I stuck my last 900 over an initial raise with AQ, the big bling had AA and the initial raiser called with 99 and nailed a 9 to knock us both out. Thus, ending my dreams of winning the coveted WSOP bracelet. 

Despite the sickening thud of being eliminated and how badly I played towards the end, I have no regrets about playing this tournament. I told myself as long as I'm a casino employee I'll play this tournament every year. I know I'll learn from my mistakes and hopefully I won't make these same mistakes in future tournaments. 

TALES FROM BEHIND THE BOX: AN EXCERPT FROM MY NEWEST BOOK

I'm working on my 2nd book. This will from the world I know very well: Poker dealing! The synopsis of the book will be tales from the box. Stories from the world I see as a professional poker dealer. The idea of this book is a elicit an emotion from my stories: Happy, Anger, Sympathy, Love, and Sadness! I've written 50-70 stories, but I'm trying to condense it into 50 best of the best. In fact, I want to share a part of my creativity: so here's an excerpt my newest book:

“What is the difference between a puppy and a poker dealer? – Eventually the puppy will stop whining.

Sitting in the box (it's where a poker dealer works), I watch the diverse personalities at the poker table interact. On one side, a retiree Calgary who spends 8 months of the year in Vegas to get away from the cold of Calgary, Alberta Canada. He has to be helped to his chair from his motorized cart – one of the nicest guys I've ever met in my life. Very likeable guy, who's never said a bad word about anyone, who takes his bad beats like a true gentleman (no matter how bad those bad beats are), and a guy I generally root for. One another side, is a retired Army helicopter pilot from Arizona, who frequents our poker room 2 or 3 times a month – a tall imposing fella,who loves the game of poker, plays a tight game and has been friendly to me and everyone I've worked for – also our liaison for the Arizona Lottery along with Mega Millions, which we still have won...yet!!! This Arizona gentleman is so loyal to our room, he'll sit at an empty table for a hours until a game is started – all poker rooms need people like him. In the center is another retiree from Texas, who's apparently been poker his entire life, strolls into our poker room at a snail's pace, pushing his glasses up the rim of his nose at any moment, “Seat open??” he speaks in a soft Texan accent. Unlike, the other two gentleman, my Texan friend takes some horrible bad beats that I seemed to deliver at a frequent pace. He's a table-hopper, trying find the right combination of a good table draw and a good run of cards – all of which he does at the aforemention snail's pace...nothing is rushed with him. He is a true definition of a grinder. Tipping is not one of his strong points, despite it all, I generally like this man. I generally root for him to win......

To be continued...

There you have it. I'm really proud of what I've written, and I think this will be one of the best things I've ever written. Hopefully, when I complete this book, you'll enjoy these poker dealer stories as I enjoyed writing them.

WSOP 2014 -- MY ONLY SHOT AT GREATNESS!

In two weeks, I'll be playing the World Series of Poker Employee Event. Being an employee of Caesars Entertainment, I'm not allowed to play any bracelet events except the employee event, which is absolutely ludicrous for reasons I may explain in a future blog.


Haven't played the employee event in 5 years mainly for 2 reasons 1) The structure is horrific, when I first played we only got 1000 in tournament chips. They upped the ante to 3000 chips for this year's event, which still horrific 2) I've had terrible luck lasting a grand total of 5 hours in 2 separate past employee tournaments.

So why am I playing it this year and forking over $500 when I know the structure is terrible, and I know I'll be a huge underdog to cash despite being a fairly decent tournament player?? Because I want too...sounds simplistic but I really want to play it this year. The shot at the coveted World Series of bracelet at the end of the tournament -- I want to win and wear it to work the next day, and have customers point to it, asking "What's that?" What a great conversation piece it would be??

Also, I want to feel the buzz surrounding the world series. Through the pop and circumstances, the World Series of Poker is the mecca of the poker universe. Everyone who loves the game of poker, everyone who plays poker, everyone who dreams of winning a bracelet, wants to prove themselves on the grandest stage of them all -- at the highest level. Nothing compares to the buzz, hype, the ambiance surrounding that month and a half of just poker actions pulsing throughout the rooms. It's a feeling like no other -- an orgasm for action junkies if you will.

So do I think I have a chance of winning the 2014 World Series of Poker Employee event?? Yes I do. Will it be difficult?? Of course it will. But I'm going to out there and swing for the fences and hope the cards fall my way. Perhaps they will, and I'll be sitting there in the end behind a mounting of chips holding up a bracelet with a huge grin in my face.

Dreams turned to reality, will it for me?? We'll find out when I put my skills to the test starting May 27.

DONALD STERLING SCUMBAG -- Interesting article about this guy!

In the midst of this Los Angeles Clippers' Donald Sterling controversy, (Why would say you don't want black people to attend your basketball games when the majority of players are African Americans), I read this interesting article about Donald Sterling, and why this latest episode shouldn't surprise anyone who knew about this horrific human being:

http://www.sportsonearth.com/article/73622210/why-the-sudden-protest-against-la-clippers-owner-donald-sterling

TALES FROM THE BOX: THE FURTHER ADVENTURES OF BROTER "THE POSER"

Once again, I bring another tale from the behind the felt of a Las Vegas Poker Dealer...as I present

 

THE FURTHER

 

ADVENTURES

 

OF

 

BROTER "THE POSER"

 

 

For those want to understand the story behind Broter "The Poser" please click this link for a past blog post I wrote about this piece of work.

 

So I'm standing around, waiting for my turn to get into the dealer box to make or shatter the poker dreams of the young and old alike, our hero BROTER strolls into the poker room wearing his typical phony plain looking suit. Top two buttons of his white collared shirt unbuttoned. BROTER begins his typical sprint around the poker room, with a shit-eating grin plastered to his face, trying to make sure all the poker dealers, poker players, cocktail waitresses, and anyone within eyesight that the "Great, and almighty" BROTER has graced us with his presence.

 

The first thing BROTER does is to try and get a seat in the poker game, but alas, there are two No Limit games running, but the game is full and there is a small list. So a dealer puts BROTER on the list, at the same time, BROTER is staring at his phone...I guess trying to see if the president of the Poser Associations of America send him a text proclaiming his awesomeness!

 

So BROTER stands around by himself for a moment, stunningly surprised that no one from the poker room is doing him a favor by asking about his life. BROTER begins milling around to looking for someone to talk too...he sets his radar on the nearest person...which happened to be...YOURS TRULY, RONALD VELACION BALTAZAR

 

Unsolicated, he shows me a woman on his iPhone, a very attractive woman I must say and begins his rant...the way only BROTER can do, and without a single salutation, the rant starts, "I got this girl's phone number yesterday, but I'm not sure I'm going to call her. Because I have another girl I've been talking too. I know I can get this girl in bed, but I don't know if I want too cause I have this other girl I've been talking too."

 

Of course, I'm nodding my head putting up my best "customer service" smile, but all the while, I'm thinking, "Are you being fucking serious??!! Why would tell me about all this unsolicited? Does this fucking douchebag think I'm going get down on my hands and knees and bow to the feet of this clown?

 

Finally, BROTER gets his seat, and I'm spared anymore crap from his bubbling idiot. I walk over to another dealer and tell them the story of BROTER blaring at me...we share a laugh....

 

This was the latest, but it's definitely won't be the last...

 

SO STAY TUNED FOR MORE ADVENTURES OF

 

 

BROTER "THE POSER"

 

 

 

THINKING OUTLOUD!

I saw this on the internet about two weeks ago and it got me thinking about my spiritual being:

I've had a lot on my mind lately -- my mind is always racing with different topics going in and out of my head. Many of these thoughts are fleeting to the point that sometimes I don't remember ever having them. Then there are thoughts that stick to the mind like a desperate fly trying to wiggle away from flypaper -- it becomes exhausting. I've spend nights laying in bed, staring at the ceiling, trying to figure things out.  There are times at work where my mind wanders, and I'm staring at nothing in particular, with all these random thoughts shooting through my head. Sometimes I don't realize where I am or what I'm doing. It's the same when I'm driving home where I keep the radio off, and I get hypnotized by the highway - my mind races a mile a minute.  It takes a me a few seconds to gather my thoughts.

Please don't get me wrong, I'm not depressed or anything...in fact, I'm very happy, but even the happiest person has an ounce of doubt about how they're lives have gone or is going to become. I'm 40, which is young by today's standards, so I've have plenty of time to pave the road I want to create -- to avoid the pitfalls of getting boggled down in the day and day grind that is my life.

Maybe I just need to think more outside the box, become a complex thinker, and maybe I won't have so many of these random thoughts racing through my mind.