I decided to tag along with Bruce and go play the Orleans Open during the weekend of the 13th.  We were going to meet up with Rob, Mona, Clay, and Cortney.  I met Bruce through our meetup group, which lead me to play at his games on Friday nights and in turn, met the others who we were going to meet up with. 

We hit the road around 11:30 Utah time and arrive in Vegas right around 5:00 Vegas time.  We checked ourselves in, tossed our bags into the room, and headed straight for the poker room.  I put my name on the 1/2 NL list and was seated around 6:00.

I bought in for table max, $300.  My plan was to play no later than 1ish so that I would be ready for the tournament on Saturday.  Since, I was going to to play a 6 hr session, my objective was to establish a tight image early.  I didn't play very many hands in the first hour.  Small ball the entire time with the exception of one pot where I lost about $50 on a board of A A J 10 Rag.  He either bluffed the shit out of me on the end or he had the ace.  I wasn't about to put my entire stack in on that situation. 

2nd hour was where things started to kick in.  I made a call with KhQh on the button behind an mp raiser and two callers and the bb calls.  4 to the flop, $40ish pot.  Flop:  QJ5 rainbow.  Check, raiser bets $20, call, fold, and I raise to $70.  Raiser goes into the tank.  At this point, he has to put me on a big hand because I had been so quiet.  I wasn't quite sure about the guy in between us though.  He lays down his hand but the other guy goes into the tank too but relunctantly calls.  $200ish pot at the turn.  Turn K.  Guy immediately goes all in.  I have about $150 behind at this point.  I had him on some sort of draw on the flop.  Only draw that got there was 910.  K10 was very possible.  After running the scenarios through my head, I said "if you got the straight, i'll pay you off" and called.  I couldn't lay the hand down regardless with what I had left but I wanted to see if I could put him on some hands.  He turned over AJ.  Dodged some river bullets and took down a really nice pot. 

Got in all in preflop with AA vs KK but he only had about $80 behind. 

Limped UTG with As2s and flopped 3 spades, nut flush.  I check, MP bets the pot for me, sb calls, and I checkraised, overbet the pot.  MP folds and I guess my plan worked because SB pushed all in for about $150 in a limped preflop hand.  I instacall and he turns over K spades flush, basically drawing dead.  He says "I figured you had that"  I say "Oh yea?  was that before or after I made the instacall."

Built my stack up to $1100ish and this hand came up.  2 callers, cutoff raises $12, I call with AcJc on the button and we see the flop 4 ways.  Flop:  7 4 2, 2 clubs.  It gets checked around.  Turn is a Q, non club.  EP bets $25, fold, fold, I call.  I was suspicious of his bet at this point.  His girlfriend was sitting behind him and he was chatting it up with her the whole time.  However, not on this hand.  He perked right up.  River:  4c.  He bets $50.  MY INSTINCTS says call and hope your hand is good.  Take the low risk approach this time.  But what do I do?  I raise to $150.  What does he do?  Goes all in for $275 total.  SOB!  I start my usual table blabber, "You have pocket 77s?  Maybe even 22s.  Ya, you got 77s.  Good bets.  I call."  OF course, he turns over 77s.  Pissed me off.  The guy played maybe 5 more minutes and got up and left.  I played a little longer, cashed out 736 (+436) and called it quits around midnight. 

I did the exact same thing in our Thursday night game the night before at Eric's.  TWICE!  Once against Striker and the other time against Dustin.  I did it the week before at Bruces when I paid him off too.  WTF!  I need to just go with my instincts and lay these damn hands down when I know I'm beat!

The table I sat at was awesome.  Loose, passive players.  I could tell some were locals.  You saw cheap flops and get paid when you make a monster.  Most players bought in for $200ish.  Most elected not to even play with me once I got $800+.  Very good session!