THE SUPER AWESOME BELLAGIO CASH

Wow, just wow. I don't get too up or down on what my results are when I play poker, but cashing three racks of chips will make everybody feel good.

In my last post at the Venetian I talked about how I was fortunate to be a solid winner during a 1-2NL game when I literally did not make a single hand.  It was boring, hard work, but I'll take a small win anytime.

Wednesday I decided to take a break from the Venetian and headed over to the Bellagio to play some of their 1-3NL. I am soooooo glad I did.

I suppose I should mention that at one time I really hated the Bellagio poker room. Hate, true loathing. This was in the 2002-2004 time range when the staff was snooty and the low limit players were stacked like sardines on incredibly crowded tables. Since then the Bellagio has upgraded their room, took out some tables so now they are comfortably spaced. The staff is much better, although drink service can still be glacially slow. It is just a much better place.

It also has a lot more monied and aggressive players than the Venetian tends to have, and the Bellagio tends to have some more knowledgeable players even at the low limits than those that go elsewhere.

Boy I landed in it. At a 1/3NL table with a $100-$300 buy in I had one guy to my right sitting on a stack of $800(BSR). To my left was another guy with around $700 (BSL). Across the table was an Asian guy. At first glance he didn't seem to have much, until I realized one of his stacks were all green ($25) chips and he had several black ($100) chips.

The cards started flying and the chips did too. Where at the Venetian the average opening raise tended to be about $8-$10, Here at the Bellagio this table was opening with $17-$25.

I buckled up for a wild ride. It was a good thing, because while the day before the poker Gods refused to help me, now they were throwing the deck at me.

In the first half hour I made a boat, two sets and a flush, taken chips from the Asian Guy and BSR and I had ballooned my stack to almost $700. I got a bit cocky then and pushed into some bad positions, giving back chips until I was down to around $500. I then won a couple small pots and was feeling better, when the hand of the night hit.

A squeaky green tourist (SGT) had about $250 raised $20 from MP. On the Button I looked at 86 offsuit (killer of champions) and called simply because of my position. BSL also called and I was actually worried about him. Here came the flop...

862 rainbow.

BSL checked and SGT bet $25. I called as did BSL, which worried me more. The Turn was a J, BSL checked and SGT bet $35. I raised to $70. BSL called and SGT went all in for about $110 more. I thought a quick minute. I was sure by this time that SGT had a big over pair, AA or KK. BSL was my problem because he could have a set and was happily letting us bet the pot up, but he could also be on some kind of straight draw or two pair.

RULE #3 When in doubt raise and let the other guy make the decision under pressure.

So I re-raised all in, which just about matched what BSL had at about the time. Yeah - sounds stupid, going all in with only 2-pair 8/6, but at that point my gut told me I was ahead and I didn't want BSL to get lucky.

BSL took a long time to decide and I was immediately happy. I was sure if he had a made hand like a set of Jacks he would have quickly called.

Eventually he called. The River was a Q, which worried me a moment. I showed my 86 for 2-pair. SGT showed the dreaded AA and BSL showed 82off (?????) for a smaller 2-pair. I stacked both and dragged about a $1300 pot. The rest of the players murmuring for a good half hour about a winner of that size of a pot with only 86 off.

One lady was mumbling about a later hand in play when she nodded to me...

"And who knows what this guy is playing..."

The sweet spot.

My run continued, the deck slapping me silly. When I hit $1600 I was getting hungry and a bit tired so I decided not to press any more. Not bad for a $300 buy in.

And by the way, I REALLY LOVE the Bellagio now.