From deep runs to sick beats—Vegas poker never disappoints.
Hi there! Lexy Gavin-Mather here—professional poker player, coach, and tournament grinder. I just wrapped up a wild session at The Venetian playing the $600 Ultimate Stack ($150K guarantee), and wow… it was one for the books. We’re talking quads vs full houses, misclicks gone very right, and all the rollercoaster vibes that come with deep tournament poker.
Buckle up, because if you’re into poker tournament strategy, hand breakdowns, and chaos (with a side of lattes), you’re gonna love this one.
A Hot Start at One of Vegas’ Best New Poker Rooms
The Venetian’s new Poker room (on the Palazzo side) Obsessed. Great structure, clean vibes, solid amenities, and finally—a casino that actually takes care of poker players. VIP parking, no Strip traffic, free specialty coffee? Say less.
Bobby and I made a final table the day before (I finished 5th, he finished 9th), so I came in feeling like the run good was real.
Hand Breakdown: King-Ten to the Rescue
Early in the session, I picked up K♦ T♦ on the button and decided to 3-bet after a raise and a flat. The original raiser called, and the flop came Q♥ J♠ 8♣— so I flopped an open-ended straight draw.
I c-bet, got called, and the A♠ on the turn gave me the nuts. I bet again, got shoved on, and obviously snapped. He had T♥ 9♥ and bricked. Huge pot.
Tournament tip: Don’t always flat suited Broadway hands. Mix in 3-bets to put pressure on weaker ranges and build pots when you hit.
And Then… the Cooler of the Century
I picked up K♦K♣ and 4-bet a 3-bet preflop. Flop comes K♥ Q♥ Q♠—I flopped top boat. DREAM SPOT, right?
Until villain flips over Q♦Q♣ for quads.
Yeah. Quads. Let that sink in.
Still processing. Still salty. Still alive.
Bouncing Back With Misclick Magic
Later, I accidentally min-clicked preflop with K♣K♥, got raised, and just called. Flop: A♦ J♠ 5♣—ugh. But then the K♦ hit the turn. I jammed, got called by J♣J♥, and BOOM—set over set in my favor this time.
Poker giveth, poker taketh away.
76 suited, Flush Draws, and a Big Shove
One of my favorite hands of the session was raising under the gun with 7♣6♣, flopping a flush draw + gutshot, and shoving over a big raise. My friend Dustin (a great player) folded, and I scooped a sweet pot without showdown.
Poker Accelerator tip: Know when to put your opponent in a tough spot. When your equity is high and fold equity is live, aggression pays off.
Speaking of The Poker Accelerator…
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It covers:
- Preflop ranges
- Continuation betting strategy
- Bet sizing
- Mental game
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Grinding Down, Building Back Up
The tournament structure was solid with 40K starting stacks and 40-minute levels, but as always, variance doesn’t care. I dropped down to 15 bigs, made a few strong plays, and built it back up—flush over bluff, JT vs Aces (yes, I sucked out!), and plenty of small edges along the way.
Oh—and don’t sleep on the smoothie + coffee scene at Palazzo. Vital during long levels.
The Final Beat
Seven from the money, I open J♣J♦, get jammed on, snap it off… and run into A♥A♠. GG me.
But honestly? I’m proud of the way I played this one. I was aggressive, balanced, and stuck to my reads—even when the deck got spicy.
Until Next Time…
Vegas never disappoints, and neither does The Venetian. Whether you’re local or flying in, this room should be on your radar.
Watch the full video recap here
Thanks for reading, thank you for the sweat, and if you’re loving these breakdowns, hit that Subscribe and let’s keep crushing.
