Spotting tells, and being bluffed hard

headache. i have one now

yesterday i played at the venetian was up a little over 300 after a few hours of play, took a break to smoke a cigar…

i have always been a people watcher. this helps me as a poker player and an artist.
people fascinate me. what they do, when, why, and so on. i am just interested watching people and how weird they are.

so i'm smoking looking over the casino, when i see what i'm sure is chocolate ice cream.
i follow her from a distance over to the bar to see her work.
the bar is packed with mostly suits with their ties loose.

it was funny, i was watching these guys at the bar before i saw the ice cream, and every time a beautiful woman would walk by, they would all gaze and take a gander, ruffling their feathers, the cocky act. machismo at its finest. it's as if they're all thinking, "yeah, she wants to bang me" (said with that Jersey Sopranos accent)

so this ice cream goes right up to the bar and sits down, instantly she has the attention of the whole area.
all the men go from that cocky demeanor to a meek subdued stare. knowing they all could have her, for real this time. but they instantly show their true stance. the oldest, most polished alpha gentleman took the lead as all the other puppies stared, as if they were the scavenging birds around a lion's kill, just hoping for a mere morsel of attention.

i left before the deal went down, but it struck me as such an easy tell. most of them could be good poker players.
she instantly when to the strength in the center of the weak.

i came back to the table and within the first three hands i lost most of my profit.
got straighted on and out kicked.
left with 64 dollars profit.

should of been content with 300, but i was well rested and in good spirits, and most important, the table was real weak.

i've still yet to get real hot. a lot of swings. this is a hard thing to do.
my confidence is really high still. i keep getting compliments on plays i make, or don't make as the case may be. "that was the best fold of the night" folded nut flush draw on turn to 60 bet from strong player in small blind with straight on board, guy calls and exposed one of his cards. (flush draw, at best) flush comes on river. all in, call. board paired and strong small blind filled up. i showed it to the guy next to me and said i should call, i can't.

another was against a solid old man who i came to find out runs the sahara poker room and was a special ops guy and special ops trainer. couldn't get that from looking at him, or with his bad attitude. flush on board, no betting, i make 7 high straight on turn, checks around again, 8 on river. i was gonna bet like 15, but saw dude grab 25 before i bet so checked. he bets i show him my seven and he gets pissed, "you should of called that, you have played with me before!" then leaves for like 20 minutes. its possible that i played with him like 7 years ago. (last time i played at the sahara) but that had nothing to do with it. he had 79 for a 9 high straight.
no wonder we haven't been winning any wars.

my camping trip was relaxing. the desert is not very hospitable. every thing is sharp and sticks to you and everything it touches.

went on a boat cruise around lake mead.

got bluffed so bad.
not what you think, but i fell for it hook line and sinker.

i got on the boat, and was waiting for it to launch in full tourist garb. i had my camera, my binoculars, sunscreen and drink. i learned that the boat has a bar, and that you can smoke on the boat. i go to ask if we have time for me to run to my car and get a cigar. "i dont know, you'll have to risk it, it's your choice, if you hear the horn, we're leaving" so i ran as fast as i could. i made it back with at least 15 minutes to spare, and every one of the crew members says, "you made it!" with that nevada chuckle and a sucker look on their smug faces. the kid in the bar had a half smile, but the bartender played it as cool as the breeze on the port side bow.

i laughed because i knew that yesterday this would have cost me at least 3 stacks.
but that day, i was a tourist in my own country.

nevada state motto, you can do what ever the fuck you want here.

MN