Cash Game: Mandalay Bay May 23rd 2011

After I busted out of the tournament, I went over to Mandalay Bay to try to win some money in a cash game. I arrived at 1030 PM and played until 230 AM for a 4 hour session. I bought for the max of $300. Thankfully for me, I had a good night recoving a good deal of my losses from the previous night. While I didnt really play very many pots, I was able to make some big hands and run well for a nice sized winning session (although I cant help but think how much money I would have made if I made these hands the previous night at the ridiculously bad table).

First hand I played, I made it $8 with OJo UTG+1. I got 4 calls but folded to a bet on a 7436 board. I checked the BB with A7o with 5 limpers and won the pot with a $10 bet on a 742 flop. I found AK in MP with 1 limper and made it $10. The SB, BB, and limp all called and I folded to $15 on a 922 bet. I was then able to begin my big rush.

A spewy EP player made it $7 and I found AA on the button. I made it $25 and he folded. A different EP player made it $7 and got 2 calls including the spewy player from the hand before. I found AA in the BB and made it $30 and the spewy player was the only caller. I tried trap-checking the 754 flop but he checked behind. I bet $30 on the T turn and he folded giving me the pot. I then won my first big pot of the night. I made it $8 from MP with ATo after the spewy player limped. He was the only caller and the flop came AJT, giving me 2 pair. He checked, I bet $12 and he called. The turn came a 3, he checked, I bet $25, he raised to $65, and I called. The river came a 5, he lead out for $75 and I called pretty quickly. He showed A4 (for the drawing almost dead after this flop) and I won the pot. I was up to $490 (from my original $300) after this hand.

There were 3 limps to me on the button and I found KK and made it $15. All of the limps called and the flop came KQT, giving me top set on an extremely strong board. They all checked to me and I bet $40 and somehow no one had anything to continue the hand with. I was up to $530. I called $7 on the button with 99 and both of the blinds called. However, I folded on the flop when it came A53. I made it $8 with ATo UTG and a player in LP and the BB called. I c-bet $12 on QJ5 and took the pot down. I made it $16 from EP on a straddle with QJo and a player in LP and the straddler called. I bet $20 on a Q54 flop and it was good enough to take it down.

I then played another big hand that is actually pretty interesting. I had a pretty tight image at the table (I guess) so that factors in. I found TT UTG and made it $8. The button and the SB called and the BB made it $22. I called and so did the button and the SB. The flop came 874, the SB checked and the BB (who was the original 3-bettor) checked. At this point I am fairly certain that I have the best hand, and if not the best I still have an extremely strong hand especially after the BB checks when he 3-bets (he had been playing aggressive and following through on alot of streets in other hands like this). I bet out $40, the button called, the SB called, and the BB folded. The turn came a Q and i felt like this was a good card for my hand as it doesnt complete straights or most 2 pair draws out there. The SB checked, I bet $65 and both guys folding after a tank saying they "have never seen me bet before".

The very next hand I was able to win another decent sized pot. I was in the BB and there were several limpers when the SB made it $8. I found 22 and called with all of the other limpers. The flop came 542, making me a set. The SB lead for $15 and I just called so I could open action behind. However, only 1 of the limpers called and we saw the T on the turn 3-handed. The SB checked, I stepped out of the weeds with a $40 bet, the limper called, and the SB folded. The river filled me up when another T came out. I bet out $75 and the limper called, but mucked when I showed (saying A5) and I was up to $820 or so.

I made it $15 on the button with several limpers when I found AKo. Only one of the limpers called and we checked down T3265 and I was good when he showed QJ. I made it $7 on the button with AThh and 1 limper. The BB and the limp called and I folded to a bet on a QQJ flop. I called $10 from the cutoff with A9hh and 4 other callers but folded to a bet on a 762 board.

I then took it upon myself to make a pretty sick call to win a medium sized pot. There was a guy on my left who was inexperienced but he was playing surprisingly well, taking aggressive betting lines in most pots whether he had it or not. In this pot he limped the hijack, the cutoff limped, and I found 88 on the button and limped. We saw a flop of K97 and it checked to the aggressive guy and he bet $10. I thought that this seemed to be a spot where he had been consistently betting wide ranges so I called and decided to reevalutate on the turn. The turn came a 6 giving me an OESD and he bet $30. I almost folded but I had seen him continue betting the turn/river lots of times plus I picked up a solid draw if he did have me beat. By calling here I am basically making up my mind to call the river as well. The river came another 7, which I hated becuase now any flopped pair is beating me, and he bet $45. Even though I hated that card, my call on the turn dictates a call here so I called and he showed T6 for a flopped gutshot, turned pair, and river bluff. I was up to $910 after this hand.

This was my last big hand of the night. I called $10 in MP with 33 and multiple callers but folded on the river of AT75Q. I made it $15 in MP on a straddle with Q8hh and the straddler was the only caller. The flop came T53, he checked, I bet $20, and he folded. I left soon after this with $901, up $601.

Like I said, it was nice to put a dent in the massive losses I had. I was worried it would take me a long time to recoup from that but getting my -$830 back to just over 1 Buy-in is a relief. Hopefully I can completely erase my losses next session.