Some nights you get just the perfect amount of sleep, enough to feel fully rested, but not so much that you’re a little drowsy. This morning I wake up 5 minutes before the wake up call, which I guess means my body is getting conditioned to the WSOP schedule. The wake up call is now an automated message, which appears to be standard at most hotels. I’d have to think this would become standard fast as actually making wake up calls as a person could get ugly very fast. Wake the wrong hung over drunk, especially in Vegas, and your seconds away from an 11am death threat. Actually, has there ever even been an 11am death threat?
Today is the $5000 no limit event, one that’s sure to draw a mixed field of the top professionals and enough clueless donks to go around. When I arrive at my table I find an old friend from Australia, Ewan, waiting for me. Along his side of the table are 5 or 6 young, internetish (I word I’ve now added to MSwords vocabulary) looking players, which is not a great sign. I used to play Ewan mostly in limit, but he’s aggressive and knows what he’s doing, and knows I’m the same as well.
The first interesting hand of the day (I flopped a set before but didn’t really get much in the way of action) comes vs Ewan. At 50/100 blinds he open limps in MP1 and it folds to me in the SB. I look down at QhQs and raise to 400, BB folds, Ewan calls.

Flop: Kh 8h Kc
I lead 600, he raises to 2000, I call.
Turn: Jd
I check, he checks
River: 5c
I check, he checks back and my QQ is good. I think this hand might be worth posting for discussion on the river and what our plan is.

At the first break I’m up to 13k and the young players I thought might be good all appear to have pretty bad leaks, including one who stacked off in a really obvious spot that was played just terribly by him. The friendly and talkative middle aged guy on my left now has about 30k after stacking the younger player plus winning some other good sized spots, and we joke back and forth about tangling in a huge hand.

After the break we come back to 100/200 with no ante. A very bad player in MP2 raises to 600 with 11k behind and I call him on the HJ with 8cTc. The button, a middle aged guy who plays straight forward, also calls, the SB folds, and Ewan hesitates but talks himself into a call in the BB.

Flop: Jd 5c 5h
It checks around, both Ewan and the button seem totally not interested.
Turn: 4c
Ewan checks, OR bets 700. Hmm, 700 into like 2500, that’s not suspicious. He’s either completely FOS hoping AK/AQ takes the pot, or he’s got a slow played big pair. I decide he’d bet the flop with big pairs often enough into 3 players that he’s likely AK/AQ and I raise him up to 2000. He’s not the type of player to make a hero call with either of those hands here. Button folds, BB folds, unfortunately the OR calls without a lot of hesistation.
River: 2c
OR checks, and I fire 3300. He begins mumbling about how I’ve played this so much like a huge hand. Finally he talks himself into a call. “I got a flush, your gonna hate me man.” I flip up my 8Tcc and he angrily mucks his cards “Yea, yea I do hate ya.” Perhaps I can still make it in time for a 3pm death threat.

When I’m utg later that round, now with near 20k, I open limp 22 for 200. It folds to a young player in seat 4, who only raises to 600 with 11k behind. Looks like a big pair raise to me, come on dealer one time. It folds back to me and I call.

Flop: Qd 3c 2d
Often I like to lead my sets, but I feel that after having shown a raise on a flush draw, and given stacks, it might be really hard to get it in here with my set by leading. I think with a flop check raise he might put me on a Q or a flush draw and make a big enough reraise, or flat in position intending to raise me on the turn, that he’s basically commited. I check, he fires 750 and I make it 2400. He grabs a big chunk of his yellows, about half his stack, and quickly jams them into the pot. I deliberate fairly briefly, but nothing close to a Hollywood, and then move all in. I’m almost certain with so much of his stack in, he can’t fold a big pair here. Unfortunately, he doesn’t give me the insta call I was hoping for. He goes deep into the tank and starts staring me down. I barely move. He thinks, pulls up his cards, and mucks. [censored], he was supposed to stack off with KK there.

At this point my stack is around 25 or 26k. Things seem to really be going my way today, and very quickly on top of that.

A couple rounds later the guy I beat with a set open limps, MP2 open limps, and the guy who I beat with a flush limps the CO. The button folds and I peer down at AKo and make it 1200. It folds back to the CO who jams for 5.5k and I insta call. He flips up 55 and manages to hold up, knocking me back to around 20ish. Fair enough, I’m still in awesome shape here.

A few rounds later we’re up to 100/200 with a 25 ante. UTG+1 I look down at AsKs and raise it to 600. It folds around to Ewan in MP who shoves for roughly 6k total. It now folds back to me and I call. He flips up AA. I don’t manage a miracle suck out and am now knocked back to 15k.

The next hand I’m UTG and find nickname them whatever the [censored] you want it’s the best hand in poker AA. Wow, perfect timing to, having dropped 10k in 20 min and 6k just last hand people have GOT to think I’m a little steaming. I raise to 600. The young player who I beat with the set flats in MP and it folds back to BB who folds.

Flop: 9 4 2 rainbow
I lead out 1000, he calls.
Turn: 4
I bet 2200, he moves in for like 10k and I call. Boo yah, I got your ass now. He flips up his hand…………AA. Jesus Christ, live is so rigged. We chop the pot and gain just about nothing.

For the rest of 100/200 with 25 ante I see some cheap flops and raise pre with a c bet and things don’t slide my way. I get moved tables and find myself across from Matt24, have Nordberg on my left, Daneil Aliai on my immediate right, and a few other decent players round out the table. Sweet, very awesome table draw. I play tight for a round or two there, then a couple hands before the break I try to resteal Aliai’s cut off raise to 600 by making it 2000 with A4 on the button and after the blinds fold he insta min reraises me. Alright sir, nice hand.

Coming back from the break I now have like 8500 at 200/400 with 50 ante. At some random point I raise something, c bet, then shut down and lose some chips, I really can’t remember exactly what. After that I just go completely card dead for about 50 minutes. I find myself with 4700 near the end of the level, and on the CO am dealt 22 with a very tight image. It folds around to me and I jam, and the German gentleman on my left with a big stack decides to call. SB and BB folds and Colonel Klink flips up AJ. We are off to the races, and seeing as I haven’t won one in an event yet, I’m feeling pretty due.
Flop: T 5 4
Turn: 7
River: 9
BOO YAH! I am incredibly excited for having won such a small and standard pot. Matt24 looks at me oddly for being so elated having won in such a basic spot. He’s been running pretty awful as well, so I think he probably understands.

The blinds move up to 300/600 with a 75 ante, and at the start of the round I play what will be my last hand for a while. With a roughly 9 or 10k stack I make it 1800 UTG with AdQd and a fairly sloppy player in MP1 with about 30k flat calls me. Said floppy player got 2nd in the 2k event a few days ago, life is so fair.

Flop: 7h 6d 6c
I C bet 2400 and he calls.
Turn: Th
I check and he checks back.
River: 7d
I check and he puts out this little [censored] value bet of like 1500 or 2000. I’ve been watching him enough to know what it means. I fold and he gleefully flips up 8h6h. Nice cold call of the super tight UTG raiser with about zero implied. These are the people who FT WSOP events.

For the rest of 300/600 I desperately try to keep my head above water. When we reach 400/800 I have around 11k in chips. Lyle Bermans son, whose name I have no idea about, is two on my right, and has been short all day push boting quite a bit. When I played with him before he seemed pretty tight, but at one point today he OPEN SHOVED 35 BB’s in MP. WTF is with these people? Either way he’s been short for 2 hours and push boting in LP a steady amount.

About half way through the level a key hand comes up. I’m sitting with 10,500 in the SB and it folds around to Berman’s son on the CO. He open shoves for 9700 and the button folds. I peek down at Ac9c and tank. I haven’t had a chance to see what his shoving range is like so I start adding up what I do know. First, he’s been open shoving in LP when folded to a lot, and he did have that one massive over bet stupid ass shove. Also, the player between us is quite weak tight so I don’t think he’s worried about him. The BB is the somewhat donkish Colonel Klink who has 30-35k. Berman has a bit over 12 BB’s, which isn’t a small shove, but with these antes his range SHOULD be pretty big if he has a clue right? I sit there and mutter to myself for a while, trying to figure out what I’m going to do. Live donks don’t push anywhere near as wide as most online players. Finally I decide he’s shoved enough that I’m ahead of his range and rejam. Now Colonel Klink goes into the tank, oh [censored], there’s no way I’m ahead, or even flipping, a hand that would call two shoves in a live donkament. Klink thinks, deliberates, looks back at his cards, counts his chips, stares at me, then finally……………………folds. Pheeeeeeeew. Berman asks if I have a pair and I answer no and quickly flip up the Ac9c. Berman shows Jc5c. Klink slaps the table and says he folded AT.

Flop: Tc 4c 3d
Turn: 8s
River: Kh
Holy [censored] [censored], my hand held. Live poker feels slightly less rigged. My stack goes up to around 21 or 22k and I’m feeling pretty good.

A few hands later I try to capitalize on my super tight image by raising Qh9h in MP3 to 2200. Nordberg ruins my fun and flat calls on the CO with a whole bunch of chips behind him. BTW, Nordberg absolutely owned everyone on the table post flop while playing quite aggressive pre, I was really impressed with his play. The blinds fold and we’re HU.

Flop: Kh Jd 6c
I lead out 3200 and he calls.
Turn: 5s
I check, Nord bets and I have to drop it. I’m going to post this hand and see what people think about check shoving a heart turn, but given my image it might be a bad idea since I can’t see him flat calling me to loose pre. Then again, given my image, he might make some big lay downs if I move in on the turn….

So that hand puts me down around 15 or 16k. A round later I’m in the BB and peer down at KK. It folds to MP2 who raises to 2100, he’s somewhat aggro and has a big stack. He’s also been with me since the first table (we were moved at same time) and has seen how insanely tight I’ve been playing all day (was stuck at 14-20 BB’s for a lot of the day desperately trying to find a spot to resteal and got zero legit chances.) The player behind him also with a decent sized stack calls. It folds to button who jams for about 10kish. SB folds and I obviously rejam. The original raiser looks longingly at his cards and folds, as does the flat caller. The SB flips up QQ and I show my KK. The OR informs SB he had the other QQ and thought it was a super easy fold considering how tight I’d been and the fact that I didn’t really think about putting my chips in. [censored], guess I should have Hollywooded a little and put some thought into it, I guess I just don’t care for cheap tricks but if it might get me called lighter with a big hand, then I’m willing to play dirty.

The board blanks out for Mr. QQ and I am now up to 30 or 31k and we go on break. When we come back blinds are 600/1200 with a 100 ante. For some reason, after the break my body’s exhaustion really caught up to me. We’d been playing for 11 hours besides breaks and I was really starting to feel it. As the cocktail waitress walked by I called out to her and asked for a Redbull. Colonel Klink on my left also asked for and as he reached for his wallet I told him I got this one. “I know you how your feeling man, its exhausting, besides, good karma.” Good karma indeed.

As the waitress walks off to get another Redbull for him (she only had one on her tray, so she gave me the first) a fold a few hands then while 9 handed on the HJ with a 28 or 29k stack I peer down at AsKs. It folds to me and I raise to 3200. Klink quickly reraises to like 11 or 12k. The blinds fold out and its back on me, and I very obviously move all in for about 16k more. Now Klink tanks. Lol, zerounderstandingofpotoddsaments. He counts down his chips, stares at me, counts some more, stacks his chips, stares some more and finally moves his stack into the middle. “You probably have me he blurts.” Please god let it be AQ.

I flip up my AsKs and he sadly nods and shows his AdQd. Sweet, the average is like 35k and there’s 60ish in the pot.
Flop: Ts 8s 5c
Hahaha! I am [censored] invincible on that flop! Nothing could possibly go wrong at this point.
Turn: Qc
Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck!!! Alright, it’s cool it’s cool, I still have 16 outs. Good karma right?
River: 3d
#$YOSIRY#DFHDFHDHFDHG$# !!!!!!! [censored] YOU KARMA!!! Live poker has been restored to its full blown riggedness again. I say or do nothing when the hand is over, just politely shake Klink’s hand, wish him luck, then go and do the same for Matt24. I feel exhausted, and as I walk away throw my half drunken Redbull in the trash. Good karma indeed.





Hilarious hand of the day moment: This is a new feature I’d like to add to the end of all trip reports to end things on a lighter note. Please imagine reading these with the voice of the guy who does those NFL historic moment commercial things with the rustic yet intense voice. To illustrate how god [censored] awful everyone is at live I’ll be including the most hilarious hand I see of the day, whenever possible including a player with a reputation as a pro or being good. Today’s hand comes from the 100/200 level with 25 ante featuring well known donkament pro David Chui. Chui had been moved to the table a few rounds ago and through sloppy aggressive play had managed to spew about 60% of his stack off, leaving himself with 2600 before posting the BB of 200. The SB in question was a spaz/donk with about 15k.

Preflop: Folds to SB, SB looks at cards, leans over to look at David’s stack, then grabs a bunch of yellows and throws them in the pot. David now tanks forever. He stares at the SB, counts his chips (he’s got 6 chips to count), stares at the donk some more. He puts his hands on his head, plays with his cards a little and sighs. This goes on for a good 90 seconds. Finally, David reluctantly calls.
SB shows: K4o
David shows: AQo
HAHAHAHAHAHA what in the living [censored] are you thinking about dude?! The board comes A high and David lives to nit it up for another day.

It’s the morning of event 19, $2500 NL holdem, and I need to meet Stevepa to get money as I am cash busto. Lately, whenever I call up Steve the conversation goes something like:
Bond: “Heeeey, steve, it’s Bond, what’s up?”
Steve: *Mumbled swearing* “Uh yea Bond, what’s up?”
Bond: “Not much, not much. So yeeeeeeeea, uhhhhhh, can I have some money? I’m kinda, kinda cash busto here.”
Steve: “God damn it you [censored] degen. *Siiiiiiiiiiiiiigh* Fine, meet me at the cage at 11:30 in the morning.”
Bond: “Um, also, could you ask Timex to turn on the backing doom switch for me? Thanks.”

So I meet Steve at 11:30 at the cage previous to the event and we walk down to the poker room. I am expecting the room to be madness as it often is for the smaller buy in NL tournaments but am pleasantly surprised when there is basically no line to register and I make it to my table quite early.

We start with $5000 chips at 25/50 blinds and hour long levels. For the first hour I must have looked like the biggest fish ever. I was CONSTANTLY getting hands good enough to limp/flat call raises. Often I’d hit just enough of the flop to call one bet then have to give up when some god awful turn card came. In the first 90 minutes I also managed to hit two sets but got really awful boards that I had to fast play (568 two clubs and 55, 678 two diamonds with 88) and the most I get out of it is about 1000 from a short stack who jams a flush draw vs the set of fives and ACTUALLY DOESN’T GET THERE. However, even having won that hand given the amount of other flops I was seeing but whiffing and giving up on, by the time I got moved tables I had roughly 4000 of my original 5000.

At 50/100 and my stack around 3800-4000 the only semi interesting hand of the day was played. I am in the BB holding KhJh.

Preflop: folds to MP1 (big stack), MP1 calls, folds to CO, CO calls, folds to SB, SB completes, hero checks.

Flop: K 8 8 rainbow
SB checks, hero checks, MP1 checks, CO checks.
Turn: 6 full rainbow
SB bets 300, hero calls, MP1 calls, CO folds.
River: 5
SB checks, hero bets 600 or 800 (I don’t remember but seems like good spot for thin value bet), MP1 calls, SB folds.

At this point I am super confident my KJ is good. MP1 looks like mid pair, KT/K9 but I guess KQ is possible. I flip up my hand and confidently say “Two pair with a J.” He flips up his Th 8h and drags the pot. It was by far the biggest reaction I had of any hand I’ve played thus far during WSOP, I leaned over the table staring at his hand and blurted out “What?”
After this hand I’m around roughly 2800-3000ish. I lose 600 when I open raise As6s on the HJ at 100/200 and the button makes it 2600. I’ve talked to a lot of people about this; online I pretty much raise-folding at 13-18 BB’s. Live however, we seem to all be in agreement that you should include this play in your arsenal since people fold way too much and basically never resteal.

I’ve got shaundeeb on the table behind me and I’m often leaning back and cracking jokes with him. My table is about as talkative and personable as a deaf mute so I waltz over to Shaun and tell him “if my table gets any friendlier someone’s gonna get shot.” I fold for a round and with 2400-2500 pick up AQ in EP. At 100/200 I decide to open jam. It folds to too a guy in MP who tanks pretty hardcore then finally calls. Now it folds to BB who lifts up his AQ for all to see and says “Nah, I just hate this hand.” MP flips up JJ and I’m pretty [censored] here. I call shaun over to watch my inevitable demise.

Flop: Q 4 2
“Your sick Bond!” Shaun blurts out, but I just stand there laughing, already knowing how this story ends.
Turn: J
MP leaps up “YES!!!!!!” I keep laughing.
River: Who cares?

I go find Adanthar over in the satellite area and I FINALLY WIN SOMETHING that night when he and I chop up a $525 satellite. Don’t get me wrong though, I’m still down in those things.

I get to bed very early at about 1am planning on getting 10 hours of sleep so I am super fresh for tomorrows $1500 shoot out event. I’ve taken a melatonin so my body feels drowsy and I quickly dose off. I have a horrible nightmare where I am drowning in a river and nobody will toss me a life saver, though one guy does throw one of those candy ones at me just to amuse himself. Okay, no I don’t, but it’d be a fitting nightmare either way.

I wake up good and early and have already bought in so I’m in zero rush. Unfortunately, when I get to the poker room I am informed they pushed the start time back to 12:30 so they can try to sell out the event. I grab one of the poker news WSOP update things and find that Phil Hellmuth has in fact won his 11th bracelet. Will we ever hear the end of it? Little did I know I was about to find out the hard way.

I show up to my table and scan the players around me. Using my awesome ‘deductive powers of stereotyping’ I figure I’ve probably gotten a fairly bad table draw as most of the guys are young and internetish looking, with only one middle aged rotund gentleman and middle aged woman for potential soft spots based on my broad generalizations. I am seated next to said rotund gentleman, who I find out is a pretty cool guy named Peter from Sweeden and we chat about how awesome the Venetian tournament is. For the first 20-30 minutes the one seat is empty and I figure perhaps we are one of the few tables that didn’t get a full ten guys. The table is playing very tight aggressive except for the woman on my left who is loose/stationish, and a young foreign guy two on my left who while fairly tight as zero handle on proper bet sizing. The table also includes Jennifer Harman’s husband Marco Traniello who, from what I’m told, doesn’t suck.

The first hand I play I raise 1 limper at 25/50 to 200 with TT and the woman calls behind me. The limper folds. She plays very straight forward/weak post flop.

Flop: A 5 4
I c bet half pot, as I expect her to read into my bet being weak roughly negative 10% of the time. She calls.
Turn: K
Check/check
River: 8
Check/check. She flips up ATss and takes the pot.

A few minutes after this hand our 10 seat is finally filled by Mr. lucky 11, Phil Hellmuth. He strolls up wearing his UB jersey with a giant [censored] smile on his face. After setting his stuff down in his seat he does something I’ve only ever seen done at a poker table once before. He walks around to each player on the table to shake their hand and wish them good luck. I have a fairly obviously suspicion this was done so he could hear every player congratulate him on his win. Or perhaps he’s just in a really great mood, and who could blame him? I ask him if he’s gotten any sleep, he say’s only a couple hours but he’s feeling good. It is my dirty little secret that I’m kind of a Phil Hellmuth fan. For one, the guy can obviously really REALLY play in live NL tournaments. Secondly, I pretty much find his antics amusing/hilarious. At this point it’s such a running joke that I can’t really see them harming anyone. He’s also a major salesman for the game and I think he very likely brings in way more players than he could ever drive out with his tantrums.

Phil would spend at least 1/3rd of the tournament waltzing around and chatting with other pro’s who would come over to congratulate him without paying much attention to the game. He also lets it be known that Doyle Brunson won $400,000 off his win, and that Daniel Negreanu had bet against him. He tells anyone that’ll listen to “never bet against me! Hahaha!!” When he did play he was constantly limping and paying off post flop, he seemed basically not interested in this tournament.

One of the best moments came when a fan came over to Phil with a hat and pen and asked him to sign. "I'm a huge fan man! Thanks a lot." Phil says sure and signs away. Then the fan asks "So how'd you do at your final table yesterday?" Way to prove what a huge fan you are sir, you have no idea if Phil accomplished his greatest poker feat or not and its plastered EVERYWHERE in the poker room with everyone constantly talking about it. Peter and I bust out laughing at his question, and Phil laconically answers "Yea, i won."

When the blinds moved up to 50/100 (and with Phil out of his seat) I have a stack of 2200 and am dealt 88 in EP. I raise to 300 and it folds to Marco Traniello who calls. All others fold.
Flop: Q 2 4
I bet 400, he calls. I decide at this point I’m basically shutting down unless I get an 8 to value bet, or an A/K to bluff.
Turn: K
I fire 700 and Marco insta jams. [censored], I fold leaving myself like 800ish. I’d like to hear people’s thoughts on my decision to bet this turn?

For a few rounds after that I push bot for a while and don’t get called. About 15 minutes from the break (and blind jump 100/200) we are 8 handed and I have 900 chips when the following develops:
I am in the BB holding TT. Folds to the button who raises to 400. SB folds and I shove. He obviously calls and flips up QdJd, off to the races.
Flop: Q Q 8
Turn: 9
River: 6
GG boys and girls. I shake Peter’s hand, as well as the guy who busted me and slink off from the table. If busting every event out of the money teaches you anything, its how to develop an excellent “walk of shame.” At this point I’d dare bet my walk is as inconspicuous yet subtly confident as anyone’s, though I often slip on my sunglasses to hide the stream of tears erupting from my eyes.

Anyway, that’s all for now. I came back to the room to write this up, after which I’ll head back to the poker room and search out Adanthar to grind satellites with and hopefully try to start turning things around.

Warning: This chapter chronicles two tournaments as well as various random happenings, and since one of the tournaments was deep stacked it’s going to be pretty long. If you’re not interested in the various bull [censored] I write about and just want to look at hands, scroll down to where it says “I wake up the next morning and head out to the Venetian.” Also, I am in full admittance that I made a few poor decisions in my play and I’ll be posting some hands.

The night before event 15 ($1500 NL holdem) I head down to the WSOP cage to register for the next days tournament a little before 2am. Unfortunately, I am greeted to a fairly substantial line stretching well out the door. [censored], I was hoping to avoid this by coming down by fairly late, but these $1500 events are just so popular. I stand in line for a moment and debate what I want to do, I can risk coming the following morning, but it just might be very crazy. As I’m waiting and considering my options, a security guard comes over to me and taps me on the arm.
“Sir, would you come over here with me for a moment?”
Ah [censored], I’m thinking he wants to card me or something.
”Alright sure, whats up?”
“Sir, would you like to bypass the line and get registered quicker?”
“Huh? Well yea, of course.”
”Okay, just come with me along here.”

He walks me down the opposing side of the outside of the Rio room and explains to me if I have any extra money feel free to toss him a bit and if not no big deal, he’s gonna make some extra scratch ferrying people back and forth to the little secret cashier side and if they’ve got nothing on them no big deal. I open up my wallet and show him that indeed I have exactly $1500 on me, but if I see him around over the next few days I’ll make sure to help him. He says its no big deal and takes me to hidden side of the cashier where there is one person In front of me. Lol, the city built on kickbacks.

I wake up for the $1500 feeling a bit groggy but good enough. As I get into the elevator an old man standing in the corner exclaims “Oh, we have a celebrity!!” without the slightest hint of sarcasm. I look at him to make sure he meant it towards me, yep, he’s staring right at me.
“Uhhhhh, what?”
“I said we have a celebrity!” he repeats.
I’m very confused. My only guess as to his logical math goes as follows:
Young guy +Las Vegas+ tucked in dress shirt = celebrity.
I stare at him a moment totally bewildered; this awkward elevator ride seems much longer than 5 floors.
“Ummmmmmm, I don’t think so?”
He laughs and says something about celebrity this and that which I just can’t make out. The moment the elevators open I rush out mumbling ‘have a good one’ and head for the Rio room, I’m running a couple minutes late.

I get to the table having missed a few minutes of starting play, which is really stupid of me considering we only start with 60 BB’s in a $1500 tournament. The first two hours are pretty uneventful, I find both AA and QQ and get almost no action (a caller pre flop and a check fold on the flop) and lose some chips raising here and there then c-betting into stronger hands. By the time we break I have around 2100ish left and blinds will be 100/200.

The first real decision occurs a little bit after the break. I’m down to 1825, and another young player on the table has been push boting quite a bit, at least once, often twice a round, having been quite short for a while. For the hand in question he has managed to push bot back to 1600, and in MP1 jams it all in. It folds to me on the CO with 66 and decide I’m a little ahead of his range (though this call may be questionable, especially live) and rejam. The blinds fold and he flips up his hand, AA. God damn it. The AA holds and I’m down to 225. The next few hands go something like:
I fold a couple hands, find AQ, jam beat KK, back to 750, jam an A, everyone folds, now have 1050, jam a K (didn’t look at other when folded to), everyone folds (other card was a 3, maybe I should have looked?), then pay a round of blinds and in the SB post 100 with 950 behind when the following comes up:
Button is a smart/aggroish player with about 6k, and BB is very tight weak with like 5k. As previously mentioned, before posting I have 1050. I am dealt A4hh. Folds to button who makes it 600 and I decide he’s raising huge range and jam knowing I’ll be called. BB folds and button calls, showing QJo.
Flop: J 6 4
Turn: 8
River: 4
Ironically, in the 7 events I’ve played this was the hand I was most excited about. I’m 90% sure I said “Boo yah” when the river hit and high-fived the guy who was BB that hand, who I’d been making friendly chat with. Could this possibly be one of the greatest WSOP come backs ever? I now had around 13 BB’s and had paid my blinds.

I go totally card dead the next round and fold for a while, and the blinds go up to 100/200 with a 25 ante. Finally utg with about a 12 BB stack I look down at AQss. Raise folding feel’s pretty gross, and with the antes out there I decide to just jam (thoughts? 10 handed table.) A player with about 35 BB’s in MP thinks his options over for a moment then calls. It now folds to the BB (the player who was previously the aggro button) who has about 40 BB’s and decides to jam. It folds back to the MP player who has to tank with 1/3rd his stack in before finally calling. They flip up their hands:
MP: QQ
BB: AA
Jesus Christ, live poker is so rigged. Obviously I don’t flush it or anything like that, so I am sent packing.

After getting dinner with Curtains at the Italian place in the Rio (It was quite bad, the only food I didn’t really like at the Rio, so I guess I’d recommend avoiding it) I decide to head back to the Rio room and play some $1000 satellites.

In the $1000’s, they start you with $5000 chips at 25/50 blinds that go up every 15 minutes. The structure is a little worse than last year, but still not nearly as bad as say the $300 buy in which is $1500 starting at 25/25 and more or less unplayable. In my first $1000 I busto in the following manner:

UTG+1 is a really awful aggro player who makes the 100/200 blinds 600. It then folds to the button who calls. I look down at QQ with about 6300 and make it 2600. It folds back to UTG+1 who jams for a few hundred more than me. Button folds and I obviously call. UTG+1 flips over A4o. We have ourselves an expert.
Flop: K 9 6 rainbow
Turn: 4
River: A
Aweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeesome. I run so hot. I am busted there and go to play a $300 since there is immediate seating and I’m not aware just how bad the structure is. I get 4 handed in that and shove my like 3 ½ BB’s with Q9o on the button and the BB calls with ATo and busts me.

I then run into adanthar and we decide to play $1000’s together swapping some action. I work my stack up to about $6200 when the following hand occurs:
10 handed, UTG young/fairly bad aggro calls for 200. Its folded to me in MP1 with KK and I make it 700. Folds back to UTG who shoves for a little over 4000. I insta call and he shows 88.
Flop: 8 4 2
Turn: 4
River: 5
Aweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeesome. I have 2000ish left and after paying my blinds, stealing once, get A6o on the CO. I jam my 2000 and the BB with about 5k stack decides to call with QJo (Blinds might have been 150/300 at this point, I don’t remember so well.) He obviously flops a J and I am sent packing.

After the SNG adanthar and I get some Chinese food with Adanthar and we discuss whether to play Venetian 1k deep stack tournament tomorrow or online. I decide since I am down so much on my stake that I should go play Venetian and try and grind it back, plus if I played online I’d likely only have one screen to work with which doesn’t sound like fun on a Sunday.

I wake up the next morning and head out to the Venetian. The Venetians poker room is really gorgeous; tables are very comfortable, seats have wheels and lean back, the tables have automatic shuffling machines (you get roughly 2X the hands in), the décor is appealing, and best of all, you get $10,000 starting chips with 25/50 starting blinds and hour levels. The tournament had a bit fewer than 400 players and a first prize over $100,000. Everything sounds good to me. Overall the field was a bit stronger than any of the WSOP events I’ve played so far (outside perhaps 5k PL) but it was still quite beatable and since its on Sunday’s I think a lot of the online guys prefer to just stay home and grind the big Sunday.

For the first hour I dance around and try to see some flops cheap, connecting once for the flopped nut flush but it doesn’t get paid to huge or anything. After an hour, I’ve got about 8500 when the following hand comes up:

MP1 raises the 50/100 blinds to 300. MP2 calls. MP3 folds and I call on the hijack with 8c7c. Folds to BB who also calls.

Flop: 5s Qc Jc
BB checks, MP1 bets 800, MP2 folds, I call, BB folds.
Turn: Tc
MP1 bets 2200. That’s pretty odd given what a scare card it is, AK perhaps? I move all in and he calls, showing the 2c 3c and I’ve got him drawing dead. I am now up to around 17 or 18k. I get moved to a different table which is the toughest of the four I will sit at today. Luckily the table only breaks after about half an hour, and I go over to my new table with about 16k in chips.

I play a couple quiet rounds at the new table when at 100/200 with 25 ante the following hand comes up:
It folds to me on the button with 3s6s. SB is a bit of a donk and BB is tight/weak, but my reads aren’t that accurate given 2 rounds of information. I make it 550, SB calls (he has about 15k) and BB folds.

Flop: 5 5 8 rainbow with a spade
SB checks, and I fire 750. He thinks things over for a minute, seeming fairly unsure of himself, then calls.
Turn: 4, full rainbow
SB checks again. Very often I would check back with my draw, but I really feel like SB is quite weak here and I think there’s more FE firing two bullets live than there is online. I decide to bet 1500. SB thinks it over and CR’s me to 3200. [censored], I totally failed to read the live donk. Now I have to think this over. Would SB flat call 88 or 44 here? Very possibly. His tiny little CR sure looks strong. However, if he’s just got a 5 he just might totally stack off on river, especially with a 2, and I’m already getting great price plus implied. He’s also stupid enough to flat call a big pair here pre and try this tiny turn check-raise since board is paired and he thinks it’s really safe. I decide given price and his range to call.
River: 7
Not as good as a 2, but I’ll take it. As I’m considering my play, SB moves all in. Oh WTF? Does he realize this is at least a semi-scare card? I just don’t think I can fold at this point but I’m really not feeling good about my hand. I call. Donk flips up Q5hh and I win a huge pot. I’m really not sure if I like how I played that hand all around so I might go ahead and post it, but getting input on live seems more difficult/complicated than online.

I now have a very serious stack of around 27ish K and with aggressive play over the next couple rounds grow it to about 30k when the following hand comes up:

MP1 is a young guy who seems TAG and smart. MP2 is middle aged guy who I don’t have much read on. At 100/200 25 ante MP1 makes it 700, MP2 calls (both have about 12 or 13k behind) and it folds to me in the BB with AsTs. I call for 500 more.

Flop: Ah Ks Qs
HOLY SHIAAAAAAAAAT! Their stacks are both pretty good for a big check raise, and that board promises to have hit one of them. I check. Mp1 checks, and Mp2 bets 2100. I make it 8500 (most of his stack) and MP1 folds. Mp2 goes into the tank for a moment, then declares “yea, I can’t fold this” and jams the rest in. I obviously call and he flips up KdQd. Sweet, I have 17 outs, all in behind with the best hand.
Turn: Td
Yes, I am going to have HUGE stack early.
River: Qh.

*Siiiiiiiiigh* Sucked out? I’m not sure. I am knocked down to around 17k. A few rounds later I’m sitting about 15 or 16k when the next big hand occurs:

A very bad player limps in EP. I have AcJd in MP1 and make it 800. Folds back to said bad player who calls.

Flop: Kd Qd Td
Wow, that flop hit me just a little. He checks and I bet 1250. He check raise’s all in for 5600 and I snap call. EP flips up AhQh and I’ve got him drawing to a chop or runner runner.
Turn: Q
River: (Do I really have to tell you?) Q
He leaps out of his seat “YES!!! OH my god dude I am so sorry!!!” I now have around 8 or 9k.

For the first time in as long as I can remember (probably a year or more) I actually felt that sort of ‘punched in the gut feeling’ after this hand. It wasn’t so much that THIS beat was so bad or anything but I think the collective crushing I’ve been taking finally wore my mind out a bit. We had a break a few minutes later and I strolled outside into the sun and air to try and collect my thoughts for a moment. I still had about 9000 when we came back to 200/400 with 25 ante, so I’d have some room to work with.

When we got back in I really started to get chummy with a couple of the players on my side of the table including the guy who put the AhQh beat on me. Turns out he was Australian but had been living in the U.S. long enough that his accent was warped in a strange way, indistinguishable way. I can relate man. I also get friendly with the older gentleman on my immediate left who tells me what a polite young man I am. I’ve found that when you make friends on the table and get people to like you, they play you more honest, believe you more, and sometimes even directly what to do in order to save yourself verse them. Last year in the main 2p2’er FOLD IT told me he wouldn’t be going over the top of me without AA, so when I 3 bet him with AK and he jammed I let it go and he showed me AA. In this years limit event I got friendly with online’s Sooners who told me when to fold to his AA. Sometimes if a guy is very nice to me and we’re hitting it off but he’s also very weak and I have to attack him/his blind with regularity I start feeling dirty telling him I had AJ and mid pairs over and over.I can just imagine one day telling some recreational nice guy who’s blind I raised with 57o I had pocket 88’s, then my cards getting flipped up when they hit the dealers hand while being flicked into the muck and my friend turns to me in an Al Pacinoesque moment and tells me how much I broke his heart. Hopefully there won’t be a kiss of death included.

At around 300/600 (50 ante) I have managed to get my stack back to around 10.5-11k when the following hand comes up, which I’m pretty sure my pre flop play was quite bad.

It folds to the table chip leader who is like UTG+2 or 3 who limps for 600. He’s limped sometimes, sometimes folding to a raise afterwards, sometimes calling, one time reraising. It folds to me on the CO with 77 and I make what I think is a fairly questionable limp. With less chips I’d certainly jam, with more certainly raise, but at 18 BB’s I really wasn’t sure what my MO should be. The button limps behind me and now its up to a very tricky/aggro/spewish SB who seems to be a habitual move maker. The SB moves in for 12 or 13k, BB folds, CL folds and its up to me. Bleeeeegh. I start rambling about how much it looks like a move, god it looks like a move, screw it, it’s a move, I jam (call.) The button folds and the SB flips up his hand……..83o. The table is freaking about what an “awesome call that is dude!” I’m still sitting there in my own little world questioning my limp behind while the dealer flips up the board and I manage to dodge the 8. I’m now back in the game at like 25kish. One guy from the opposite side of the table walks around, pats me on the back, and tells me I what a sick read I just made.

I fold the next hand, but the hand after that I am dealt KdTd in MP2 (we’re 9 handed due to a bust out.) I raise to 1800 and the button (the player who came over to tell me about the sick read) calls. The SB folds and the BB also calls.

Flop: Tc 7h 7c
BB checks and I bet 3600. Button quickly raises to 8000 of his 14000 chip stack. BB folds. Now I tank again and try to put the pieces together. Button had been playing really tight, especially with cold calls. Two hands ago he came over specifically to tell me I can make sick reads. I’ve got a pretty tight image from all the folding I was doing when I was 15-20 BB’s. He’s made a little more than min raise with 3 players in the pot for over half his stack when a flush draw almost always jams in this spot. I think things over a bit, announce “god I’m so weak” and muck my KTdd. He flips up QTss and I feel like a total [censored] idiot. God I feel like I’m getting everything so wrong today.

A few rounds later the following hand develops at 400/800 with 75 ante. I have 46o on the button and like 16k stack. Friendly older guy on my left has about 18k and he perceives me as very straight forward and honest, especially with him. Folds to me pre and I make it 2200. SB mumbles about how he should probably just fold, then calls. BB folds.

Flop: 2 5 8 rainbow. Double gut shot for me.
SB donks out 5k, and I quickly move all in. I thought I had a little more than 3X his bet at the time, and I wanted to move quickly to look strong, but when we counted we realized I only had like 8k more. I am normally very constant about counting down my stack over and over, but I guess it had been moving around a lot. Luckily though, this shove does put SB to a decision for all his chips which is a BIG deal in live poker. SB tanks super hard core, mumbles how I would never do this with a draw, never with AK, so I must have TT, and folds 99 face up. I quickly muck then begin telling him what an amazing fold he made, and how is read was close but I actually had JJ, and really can’t believe what a ‘great great’ fold he made.

A round or two later an aggro player with about a 30k stack who has never once open limped open limps UTG+2. It folds to me in the SB with like 25k and I complete with Ks7h. BB checks.

Flop: As 7s 7c
I lead out 2200. BB folds. UTG+2 raises me to 5000. This is a hand I’d really like to post. I feel like his range is: AA, random Ax suited like A8 A9 AT etc, flush draws, small pairs that he’s turning into bluffs, air. If I 3 bet now I’ll likely fold out everything but AA, but I also don’t have to worry about making a tough turn decision OOP if a spade rolls off. This one is definitely getting posted in HSMTT. I decide to call, believing he doesn’t think I’ll lead a 7 this strong here and that he’ll continue his bull [censored] on the turn. Again I think this is questionable.
Turn: Jd
I check, he checks back. [censored].
River: 8h
I lead 7000. He quickly barely over min raises to 15000. If I flat call him I’ll have like 4 or 5k left (if it doesn’t add up from original chip counts, sorry, this Is all from memory.) I feel like his range is very highly polarized to big hands (boats) or air plus missed draws. I call leaving myself about 5k back (again this is very questionable, should I be like insta shoving here?) and he quickly mucks. I now have a pretty serious stack.

A couple hands later a fairly quiet and tight player on my direct right raises to 2400 UTG+1, with about a 14k stack. I am UTG+2 with AKo and make it 7800. It folds back to him and he moves all in, so I figure I’m very likely racing a TT/JJ/QQ type hand, seeing as how tight he’s been. He flips up….KQo. WTF?
Flop: A 7 5
Turn: A
River: X
UTG+1 busts, shakes my hand and tells me good luck. The table looks around in confusion. We reach the dinner break shortly after that and I have over 60k. I go to dinner with the Ozzie guy on my right, and his friend who turns out to be the guy with the QT hand with me. We run into another guy who joins us, and guy 3 tells us about the blackjack teams he runs, how he’s barred from the floor of every casino, and how he is making a documentary on blackjack teams. His story was really interesting as he was a member of one of the split off teams of the original MIT squad which ‘Bringing Down the House’ was based on. I find that often during tournaments my appetite is very weak, especially if I didn’t have time to work out that morning. I often end up only eating half my food and feeling very full afterwards, as sitting in a chair for 8 hours is hardly a way to work up an appetite.

After we get back from dinner my table is broken and I show up to my new seat with about 60k in chips at 600/1200 blinds with 100 ante. The player in seat 1 is a middle aged guy with about a 90k stack, and the player on my immediate right is about 30, bookish looking, and we had been making chat at my 2nd table. He has about 25-30k.

A round or two into my stay at the table the aforementioned big stack raises to 3200 on the hijack. It folds to the SB who calls, and in the BB with QhTs I toss in 2000 as well.

Flop: Qd 9s 7c
SB checks. I decide to check and see what the big stack does. I considered betting, but if I lead out about 5k and the hijack raises I would be absolutely clueless OOP and I guess fold? HJ checks behind.
Turn: Qs
SB looks down at his chips for a moment, then fires out 6k. He has like 20k more I think. I raise to 20k since board is moderately draw heavy and if he’s got me beat he’ll be shoving river anyway and HJ folds. SB goes all in for 6k more and I obviously call. He flips up 77 for a boat, [censored].
River: 5
Damn it, there went my nice big stack.

A few rounds later the blinds have gone up to 800/1600 with 200 ante. I had raised on either the HJ or MP3 (10 handed) with 22 the hand before and successfully taken the blinds with a 4200 chip raise. This hand I am dealt AKo with about a 33k stack in either MP3 or MP2. Folds to me pre and I raise to 4200. Folds to the button who is a older guy of 50-55 who has like 65k. He reraises to 12500. SB folds and the BB, who was the HJ in the previous hand and has like 85k now, looks over his stack, thinks quite a bit, then calls. I move all in for about 20k more hoping to fold one out and hoping BB isn’t trying to lay some lame ass trap with AA/KK. Now the button tanks hardcore, counts out his chips, stares at me, stare at BB, counts some more. Finally he calls. Now the BB moves all in over the top. We go back to the button who with half his stack in, tanks hardcore. I stand up and put my suit jacket on. The guy on my right looks up and asks “your THAT sure your done?”
“Hell no, but if I am I want to go out with some class.” I try to smile.
The button is still tanking and finally calls.

The hands are flipped up:
Me: AKo
Button: AKo
BB: QQ

The board blanks out with T high, and both of us are sent packing. I feel exhausted and stumble out to the taxi line.

My WSOP progress so far looks something like:
Live multis: - $24,700
Live SNG’s: -$2385
Online: + $4,400
Total live cashes: 0

Aweeeeeeeeeeeeeesome. If it kills me, i am not leaving this city down in live donkaments.

Its 3:30pm on the day of event 13 and I’m in my room writing. In the last two days I lasted a total of about 5 hours in 2 tournaments. Lets find out how I got here.

At the start of event 12, the 1500 6 max tournament, I ended up getting seated with iweargoggles and a close friend, Omaha specialist Van Marcus. About 2 rounds in the following hand comes up:
I raise KJo when folded to me in the SB to 150, BB (a guy who is almost certainly a recreational player) calls for 100 more.
Flop: Kd Jh 9h
I lead out 225, he raises to 650, I mull things over a brief moment then move in for about 2600 total. Now he tanks hardcore, counts out his chips, and finally calls, flipping over K9. The KJ holds and I’m over 5500 straight away.

A couple rounds later a button with about 4500 who seems moderately aggro raises to 150, SB folds, and I reraise TsTc in the BB to 500. Button calls.
Flop: 9 7 4 two hearts
I lead out 650, he calls.
Turn: 2c
I bet 1200, he calls.
River: 2d
I mull this one over. If I’m betting, I’m putting him in. If I’m checking I’m obviously calling. This guy doesn’t seem like a typical live fish, would he raise me with a flush draw+overs on flop/turn? Idk, live players are pretty weak. Will he call if I put him in on the river with 88/66? Again I’m not really sure, live players fold to much. I decide to check hoping he either feels safe and bets with a mid pair and thinks I was shooting overs (otherwise, why would he call 2 streets if he didn’t think I might be AJ+ish) or bluffs a missed flush draw, but goggles thought betting is better. He’s likely right, deep stack play OOP is a weakness of mine. I check river, he checks back and my TT beats his 88. Blegh, def missed value.

At this point I now have in the low 7000 area. Both goggles and van bust pretty early, within about 90 minutes of play, and my table is now full of what appears to be mostly standard live players. Some 30ish looking guy with a thick southern accent is moved to the table, and I realize that the moment a person with a southern accent speaks I immediately think their a fish without any evidence to support it. Whatever, their education systems are worse, I’m just playing the percentages right?

For the next hourish, every hand I would play would go as follows: Get dealt a medium strength hand like QJ, JT, 87dd, 67ss, A8hh. I raise 3X, 1 or 2 players call. Then I totally whiff the flop, but get an awesome board to C bet, like A/K then X X rainbow, so I bet, then make a huge raise, I fold and they show their flopped TPTK or super nuts or whatever. For some reason, my table was REALLY in a showing mood, I guess because they ALWAYS had it and liked to banter back and forth how they never bluffed.

In one hand I raised JhTd on the hijack, CO calls, BB calls.
Flop: Qh 8h 3h
Action checks around.
Turn: Jd
BB checks, I bet out 75% pot, CO folds, BB thinks about it a moment, then folds. BB starts talking to guy on his left in a voice loud enough for me to hear (though I don’t think intentionally) about how he can’t call with his big draw there cause that guy down there doesn’t give his chips away. Next round I decided to see how firmly he believed that.
With about 5500 stacks each, the button (BB from previous hand) raises to 300, SB calls, and I call with KJo.

Flop: A 6 3
I check, he bets 400, I make it 1200 hoping he thinks I never spew, and he insta jams. I fold and he shows me AK. Of course.

We go on break and after paying blinds and losing more chips in this raise, c bet, get mega raised, fold, get shown huge hand, style of play I had developed, I am moved to a new table with about 2900 left. Sheets is on my table, though he has no idea who I am and I really don’t look like your standard internet player. After paying a round of blinds, I pick up 66 and open jam 13 BB’s and everyone folds.

A few hands later I pick up 88 in the BB. It folds to sheets on the button who with a roughly 4500-5000ish stack makes it 550. SB folds and I jam for 2900. Sheets tanks forever, puts his hands all over his head, sighs, then calls with AT.
Flop: K Q 4
Turn: 5
River A
Thus ends event 12 for me. I spend the afternoon meeting up with various friends, and drop $200 at craps that night. Man I’m so high stakes balla when it comes to house edge.

Event 13 at the WSOP is the $5000 PL Holdem world championship. At my starting table I am seated with Josh Arieh on my right, and Dewey Tomko on my left, with nobody else at the table I recognize. This is a pretty sweet set up, the LAG on my right, the nit on my left, and the rest nobodies. We start with 10k chips at 25/50 blinds.

The first 2 hours are of basically nothing interesting. I try to see cheap flops with suited stuff or pairs in position. At one point arieh in MP2 raises to just 125 and I look down at AK. The blinds are very loose so I decided to reraise this time, and make it 350. Folds back to Josh, who calls.
Flop: 8 6 4 rainbow
Check, 450, he calls
Turn: 4
check check
River: 3
he bets quite strong, I let him have it.
Through the first 2 hours Josh manages to spew off about 8.5k of his stack playing aggro and making 2nd best calls, and Dewey manages to increase his to like 4k playing SUPER nitty. A lot of the rest of the table appears quite bad.

In one hilarious hand, Dewey limps utg, utg+1 limps, and it folds to a bad player in MP1. He folds, another guy calls, SB completes, BB checks. Flop QQ5, dewey bets and takes it down. MP1 starts questioning anyone who’ll listen “Hmm, I had Q7 there, really woulda hit it good. Hey would you have dropped Q7 there with 2 limpers? How bout you? Man I woulda hit it so good.”

Another amusing hand with the same player came after the break and we were at 75/150. In the hijack I raise 57hh to 450 with about 8k in my stack. A decent player on the button calls, SB folds, BB calls. I have pretty tight image.
Flop: A Q 7 rainbow
I thought BB made a checking motion, then fired 750. Apparently, BB had not in fact checked, my bad, so my bet was drawn back in. Now BB goes into the tank, and donks FULL POT into me, so I fold and button folds. BB turns over AQhh and starts cursing himself, saying he thought for sure I would raise him.

After this I fold for like 3 rounds straight with just awful awful hands. I finally pick up a hand in MP2, 77, and UTG+1 who is a fairly bad stationish player makes it 450. It folds to me with about 6500 in my stack and I call. All others fold.

Flop: Kh 7h 2c
He leads 700, I raise to 2100, he deliberates, then folds. I think raising this flop is very std, as he never gets away from a decent K, will shut down with JJ/TT/QQ if I flat call him anyway, and if he has a good K and turn is a heart he might not stack off.

A round later I’m around 7500ish in MP1 with AcJc. It folds to me and I make it 450. Mr. “Can I play Q7?” calls in LP, and BB calls.

Flop: A J 9 two diamonds
BB checks, I fire 750, Mr. Q7 makes it 3000, BB folds. I think things over a moment and move in. Mr. Q7 quickly calls with AK. Awesome
Turn: 6
River: K

Aweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeesome! I am so good at this game. I make the walk of shame and go to find Stevepa and tell him what’s happened. I am beginning to question whether he believes me and secretly wonders if I’m hardcore spewing. I guess I have Josh Arieh and Dewey Tomko as witnesses. So its 4pm now, I’m going to meet up with WarDekar for some food and get some [censored] done. Tomorrow is 1500 NL holdem, which promises to have 8 gazillion entrants. Better luck tomorrow perhaps? Please? Are you there poker gods?

WSOP trip report part 5, Grounddonk Day, Event 10

Is there really anyone out there who didn’t enjoy the classic Bill Murray comedy ‘Groundhog day’ which sees Murray’s character reliving the same enjoyable yet torturous day over and over and over, always with the same end result of him waking up in his bed having to do it all over again? The film was funny, poignant, and sweet, and in the end we find out to literally get forward in his life (though the lesson/situation is obviously metaphorical) that Murray must become a better man/decent person. Apparently, I still have some self improvement to go.

Today was the 2k NL event, which I registered for last night so I could sleep a little later. I get over to my table and sit down next to a young guy I will later find out is the pride of NVG, TStoneMBD. On his left is super lag/semi donk cash games player Amnon Fillipe. TStone would bust fairly early, but Fillipe was on my left all day and because of his position and unwillingness to fold, gave me substantial trouble. In the first couple levels I sat most tight though tried to see some flops during the 25/50 level and value town people while the bad players were still in, but nothing really came together. By the first break I’d put my stack from 4000 to 4400. When we come back and blinds are 100/200 I am barely keeping my head above water at like 3800 after paying a couple rounds of blinds and having very little in the way of playable hands. Finally about a half hour into the level I find JJ in the BB. It folds around to a short button who jams, and the SB who’s also somewhat short rejams, and I obviously rejam. Button shows K9, SB 77, and may JJ holds to put me around 7k. By the time we reach 100/200 with 25 ante, I have managed to very slowly grow my stack to about 8200. I have a super tight image when the following (obviously SUPER non standard) hand comes up:
UTG is a really bad/loose player who likes to limp a lot but often gives up his limps quite easy. UTG+1 is Shaundeebs best friend GB2005, an online regular who obviously noticed my tight image. UTG limps, UTG+1 limps, and it folds to me on the CO. I decide with over 1000 out there and my super tight image to raise any 2, and look down at T5o and make it 1400 to go. Unfortunately, Fillipe decides to be a jerk off on the button and flat call, blinds fold, UTG goes “oh wait, did he call? Okay I call to” then GB2005 decides with so much out, he might as well call. Awesome, I am SO smart.

Flop A 2 3

Wow, I could not ask for a better bluffing board since fillipe is realistically only person who can have an A, and even that’s fairly unlikely. UTG checks, UTG+1 checks, I fire 2400 (you can c bet so tiny in live), fillipe folds, UTG fold, GB2005 folds. Sweet.

A few hands later I wake up with AA on the button. An aggro young player raises the 100/200 blinds to 750 in MP2, and the hijack calls. The hijack was a bad middle aged player who post flop had shown a propensity to attempt hopeless bluffs whenever given the opportunity. The CO folds, and I make it 2750 on the button. Both blinds fold, the OR folds, and the HJ calls.
Flop: 8 4 4 rainbow
HJ checks, I decide to check back.
Turn: 8, full rainbow
This all looks very safe to me. HJ bets 3500, I mull things over a moment then call.
River: 9
HJ counts some chips out, looks at my stack, then checks. I move in and he looks annoyed and folds. At this point my stack is quite healthy around 20k


A few hands later GB2005 would bust in a moderately amusing hand. MP1 raises the now 150/300 blinds to 1100, Fillipe calls in LP like he often does, and in the BB GB2005 reraises to 4500, leaving himself around 3500. The original raiser folds, and Fillipe tanks, then calls. GB2005 stops the dealer before he can burn and turn, then moves in blind.

Flop: T 8 5

GB2005 is all in, and Fillipe calls showing KThh. GB2005 turns over AJ and Fillipe immediately begins insulting him about how awful moving all in blind is. “That’s the worst play you can make in holdem, how do you expect to get a fold out of me like that?” Fillipes KT holds and GB2005 starts shooting back “the worst play in holdem is calling there pre flop.”
Fillipe through this kind of “excellent” play, has managed to build quite a stack for himself. Live pro’s are so good.

We go on break and I am feeling good. My table is nowhere near as soft as it’s been in previous days, but it’s still better/softer than your average online table. When we come back blinds are 200/400 with 50 ante.

A few hands into the round I look down at my hand in the BB and again am greeted by AA. It folds to MP2 who makes it 1500, hijack calls, then SB jams for like 11k. I ejaculate, then rejam, with both other players folding. He turns over AKdd and although he flops a flush draw I manage to hold.

The next hand in the SB I look down at QQ. God I’m so good at this game. The player who raised the previous hand, who at this point is fairly short, open raises to 1500 again, it folds to me and I make it 4800 which is almost all in for him. BB folds, he jams, and I hold vs AK. At this point I am around 38 or 39k, which will be about average stack going into the money. I’m feeling very good at this point, perhaps today is the day where things are going to go very right for me at the WSOP, they have so far. Hahahaha, stupid naive Bond18.

After winning these pots but still having a very tight image, I attempt to try and capitalize. A loose/aggressive button (the guy who bluffed into me with my AA) raises to the button to 1100, the SB folds, and I make it 3500 with K5ss, hoping he’ll remember how bad things turned out last time he called my reraise. He tanks, then reraises 70% of his stack to 8500. Charming, I drop out.

I open raise KJo on the CO and the button, who’s fairly new to the table, jams his 18 BB’s. Okay, fine, have it.

A fairly weak player is moved to my right and keeps min raising when he opens in LP. Both times somebody has popped his min raise, he folds. It folds around to him on the button and he barely over min raises to 900. I make it 2900 in the SB with Q2hh. BB folds, and he calls. Flop 8 4 3. Well at least he probably didn’t hit. I fire out 3600, which he quickly jams over. He would later tell me in what seemed a very honest confession, that he flopped a set.

We go on break again and I am back in the high 20 thousands. We come back with a half hours play before going to dinner, with 300/600 blinds and 75 antes. First hand back I raise KhQd 9 handed in EP to 1800 and the terrible player who “flopped a set” calls in the BB.

Flop: Js 5s 2h
He checks, I fire 2400, he calls.

Turn: Ts
He checks, definitely not my card but I do pick up outs if he doesn’t have a flush. I check back.

River: 7d
He thinks things over, then checks. I decide there’s very little I can represent at this point, and obviously a J is never folding, so I check back. He shows 9s9h, fair enough.

A round later I get AhKd in EP and make it 1800. Fillipe calls me in position, we’re both pretty decent sized but not huge stacks. He’s reraised me quite a few times pre, as well as cold called.
Flop: 8 7 7 rainbow
Blegh, being OOP here sucks so bad. I bet 2400, he flats.
Turn: 6
I check and give up to his bet of about 60% of his stack.

By the time we go to dinner this disastrous half hour has knocked me down to 17k. I go to dinner with a sizeable troupe of 2p2’ers including stevepa, adanthar, mlagoo, iweargoggles, shaundeeb, wardekar, dawgz, and the latest money bags, Thayer. Dinner is a good/social/relaxing time and when I get back to the table I feel pretty at ease and am hoping to repair my stack and make a run. About 10 minutes after we get back I look down at KK in EP. I make it 1800 (same blinds, a half hour more) and the button shoves for 11,500. Blinds fold, I auto call, and he shows AK.
Flop:
A 5 3, A on the door.
Turn/river: Not a king.
Blaaaaaaaaaaaargh, like 5500 left at 3/600. I pay my blinds without a hand to jam, and as I’m about to throw the ante in for my button we are informed that the table is breaking. I am shipped over to a new table where I am obviously seated UTG. After posting my ante I have 4100 left.

The dealer throws me my first card, the Ac! Come on dealer, there’s a bunch of outs in there that give me a shoveable hand, and at these antes some might argue all of them. I look down at the 2nd, the Ad!! I jam my 4100 in the middle, and it folds to the SB who calls with QQ. My AA holds and I’m back well over 8000. I pay my blinds, after which blinds go up to 4/800 with 100 ante. I fold my button to a raise, and on the CO find QJo. The action folds to me, I jam, and pick up blinds+antes. Now I’m a bit over 10k.

I fold my HJ next hand, but in MP2 it folds to me with KQhh and I jam again. Again it folds to me and I am back around 12k. I fold for a round more until I am dealt A9o on the button. It folds to the CO with just under 8k chips, who jams. Hmm, I think this over. CO is a moderately young, European guy, who from the very limited information I had, seemed a little to loose. I ask him how loose he’s jamming, and he smiles and says “ask all them” and points at the others. They all smile. Alright, I rejam, and the blinds fold. The all in player flips up KJo, and my A9 is in front.

Flop: J 6 5, J on the door.
Turn/river: Not important. I am left with like 2400 chips with a 100 ante. I fold to raises with total junk hands until I find 67cc with 1900 left and it folds to me. I jam and run into JJ. GG me.

Yet again I found myself in the tournament with a comfortable/sizeable stack, and yet again it vanished before my eyes. I’ve been doing review sessions of my play (online) in my off time, and I feel like I’m slowing things down well on the tables and thinking over my decisions. A lot of what happened today very little could be done about on either players side of things. I attempted 2 resteals, 2 utg steals (live players hardcore fear utg raises), and a very standard amount of LP raises, if not a little less with Fillipi constantly calling/playing back. I feel I’m adjusting to live pretty well, though sometimes the slow pace, boredom, and peoples moronic [censored] can be quite bothersome.

Anyway, tomorrow is the $1500 short handed event, which I’m getting a major hard on just thinking about. I mean come on, short handed, with LIVE players? Does it get any better than that? Hopefully, tomorrow doesn’t have that strange familiar feeling…