Finally Home

After a long long long trip I’m finally home. This trip began in late June (which now feels like it was about 2yrs ago), when I visited some friends in southern Cali. From there I drove to Vegas for the WSOP 06.

During the WSOP I played in the:
1500 No Limit
1500 Limit
2k No Limit
5k No Limit
2500 No Limit
1k Rebuy
2k Pot Limit
5k No Limit 6 max
Main Event

As I had said before I really feel don’t feel like my tourney game is at the level that I should be investing this amount of money in buy-ins. I know one of the best ways to improve my game and get to the next level is to continue to play these events, but all the small buy-ins (1500-$2500) you really don’t have enough chips to play poker. So I am pretty sure I am done playing short stack tourneys for a while and continue to work on and think about deep stack play of the bigger buy-in events.

Recap of my Main Event

Its been a while since the main event so all details may not be 100% accutate but I will do my best. The recap should be short and sweet since I did not make it make it through the day BUT some pretty interesting situations did develop through the day. I will begin with the fact that I hate all the hoopla that surrounds the current state of the game. I arrived at the RIO as close to the noon kickoff as I could, which was about 5 minutes of 12. I made my walk through the circus like atmosphere of the convention center with endless supllies of advertisements and banners.

When finally wading my way through the sea of people I arrived at my table. I was not disappointed when I did not recognize any of the 7 people already there, within a couple minutes the last two seats were filled, one of which was a kid I recognized as someone that plays mid – high stakes cash games mostly no limit (I think) , and the other was an old old man. Before the event started they introduced “Team Doyle,” and opened the front door to the Amazon room where Doyle Bronson and his entourage of 6-10 people rolled down to the center of the room all dressed in Doyle’s room apparel from head to toe, similar to what I would expect if I went to see the Queen giving a speech…kind of a joke if you ask me, but anyway.

The first round was weak tight and I was able to chip up pretty easily to about 13k. The player UTG limped, a MP limped and I limped from late position with JJ, the sb (cash game kid) called as well. The flop came down 246 rainbow, the player just before me bet 200 into the 250 pot, I called as well as did the cash game kid (CGK). I really sensed he was calling with a gutshot at best. The turn came a K and it was checked to me, I bet 500 into the 850 pot, the CGK made it 1k, the other guy folded and I really really didn’t think he had much of anything, I made 2k more (3K total), and he almost instantly mucked his hand. I felt good chipping my way up, as well as pulling the trigger based on my read, which turned out to be right this time.

Nothing too exciting happened the next couple of rounds. I was able to chip up to ~23k before they broke my table and moved me to the middle of the room. I was defiantly disappointed to get moved off this table, but among the masses of tables I saw, I recognized very few people so I wasn’t took worried about a “bad” draw.

When I arrived at my table, again I didn’t recognize anyone. The empty seat on my left was quickly filled by someone from my original table, who says “I have been waiting to get position on you all day.” He had amassed probably close to 30k at the first table but never really was involved in a confrontation with me. Anyway my very first hand I picked up 88 and decided to limp in from early position for 200. I was quickly called in 2 spots, then raised to 800 and the 800 flat called. Everyone called the raise, 5 of us to a flop for 800, this table already seems to have waaaay more action than my weak tight first table. The flop came down JJ3 rainbow and gets checked to the last spot, who looks like a middle eastern crazy man. His top couple buttons on his shirt were opened, showing off some obv bling, his hair was greased and scattered, not someone I would want to run into in an alley in the middle of the night!! He shoves the rest of his chips into the pot, approximately 6300 into this 4k pot. I think and think, and decide I can’t give him this pot, and think by just calling it looks scary enough that none of the 4 people to act after me would try to move me off my hand unless they had a jack. The other people quickly folded and now crazy man, looks as if he was caught stealing from the church basket, which I love to see, but hesitantly rolls over pocket tens….sigh, one hand new table down 8100 !!!

From this point on, the player from my first table (later identified as “WillingtoDie” (sp) from pocket fives) decided he was going to raise every limper for the remainder of the day. No one fought back and he was able to build a huge stack on my left that really limited my actions. I decided I was going to limp behind a limper and trap him if I ever got a hand, but that never happened. I reraised JJ once and had to fold to a push. I think this was the right play based on the players involved but this crippled my stack to ~10k close to the end of the day.

Now with 11300, 200-400 blinds and 50 ante, the button who had about 40k opens for 1400, and I decide to move in from the BB with KQ. The button instantly calls and I am out…gg matt. I think this play was probably wrong in hindsight, but what do I know. If this was a Poker Stars Sunday tourney, I would make the same move; but as I was walking out of the Amazon room, feeling dejected at 3am after almost making it through the 16 hour day, I feel like I should not have gone broke on this hand.

Immediately after busting I picked up Fatburger and a milkshake for the ride home, where I slept for an unidentified amount of time. When finally awaking I began contemplating when I was going to leave Vegas and return home. I decided to stay until all my friends either busted or won the Main Event. I played some live poker during this week, but the largest chuck of time was used parting and living it up in Vegas. Overall it was a fun trip but a very very long one, I am glad to be home again where I can enjoy the rest of the summer and hopefully watch the Sox rebound from their current slump.