Vegas -- Like a Grand Slam at Yankee Stadium

Quad aces at the Bellagio helps Kuro cross $9,000 mark

LAS VEGAS-- The rock suddenly wakes up, three bets my raise and all of a sudden I know I'm in trouble.

It's my second appearance playing $15/30 at the Bellagio and already it was a lesson in tedium. I've won about two pots in the first hour and a half and at one point was down $200.

I won a couple of pots to put me back to even and now this hand. I limped with AJo in early. A few callers.

Flop is AQJ. Rock bets it out, another guy calls, I raise, rock three-bets it and the other guy folds.

I immediately think it's a straight but then think maybe he has AQ. Why tip his hand so soon?

Turn is an A. Rock bets, I raise, he calls.

River is an A.

"Somebody is a liar," I say out loud. The rock checks to me.

I bet and he folds. I end up with a mountain of chips, enough to put me up above $9,000 career/bankroll mark.

Crossing this poker milestone at the Bellagio, with quad aces of all things, is like taking a playoff game from the Yankees with a grand slam in late innnings in Yankee Stadium. It was like a validation of my poker efforts over 20 months. Going into tonight's session, when I was down $200, I thought, I'll be fine if I don't go home with any money or if I don't meet my goal to break $9,000.

This also was the final day to match my estimate from a previous post that I would reach $9,000 by the end of this month. Spooky as in PartyPoker Spooky tickets! LOL

Because I wanted to try to do well today, I again wore the Sabre-Toothed Lime T-shirt. It only had a day's rest but this was definitely like a playoff game. The young gun could handle it.

Going into the Bellagio session I needed to win $310 more. Early in the day I doubled up at Bally's $1/2 NL tables but later in the day, after eating at the Bellagio's Noodles restaurant, I returned to Bally's and lost $125 in a bad, bad beat.

Basically I reraised to $50 with KK. This guy to my left smooth calls. I push all-in blind from the sb. Flop is AxT. Guy thinks about it for a while, then calls with JJ. He makes a J on the turn.

So poor lime is up only $80 in NL play today. It's unknown how the young gun will perform in the limit/relief role. But I amble over to the Bellagio anyway.

Back at the Bellagio's $15/30, right after I win with quad aces, I immediately win the next hand with KJo under-the-gun. Flop is K77. I check-raise the bettor in late position. He calls. Turn is a K. I bet him again, he calls.

River is a K. I bet, he raises, I'm thinking it's a split pot, so I just call. But no! He had 72s. My overboat wins and suddenly I'm up $500.

The table was even more passive and weaker than last night's. There were a lot of gray hairs who I think had the money to play at this level, but certainly not the skill. They frankly don't have much of a chance. Internet players play hundreds of thousands of hands each year and have years of experience on the seniors.

I also looked very longingly at some of the $30/60 tables. More of the same. There were younger people here, but again the tables didn't seem so tough. We'll see if I can make that mark in the future.

But for now, I love it. I came here to do what I came to do. I'm up $1,350 for the trip and probably have found a new game to play on future Vegas trips.

I walk over to Bally's parking deck and head down the steep ramp that is directly across the street from the Bellagio. As if on cue, jets of water fly up in the air from the Bellagio's pond. It's a combination of fireworks and salute.

Sabre-tooth T gets the win.