This years WSOP was bigger and better than ever for the gang from Pepper Street. We sent no less than four representatives to try and get some monies for the rest of the group.
I am happy to say that we succeeded in this endeavor! The incomparable Tom L. took it down!
Well, maybe he doesn't have a bracelet... er... okay, maybe he didn't make the final table, well... maybe he didn't get six figures. BUT - he did something only one other person in our game has done in 4 years AND he has an incredible story, and here it is!
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Fuck
Disneyland. Vegas is the happiest place on earth!
This
is the philosophical position I’ve maintained for decades -- and
not just because my wife and I were married in Vegas (at the Gold
Coast, directly across the street from the Rio, on St. Patrick’s
Day 1991).
I
was happy on that day. However, if I’m going to be totally honest
with myself (and the Pepper Street Poker gang), I must confess to a
heretofore-unknown level of personal bliss that was achieved, at
precisely 2:10 AM on the morning of June 3, 2013, that seriously
rivaled that walk-down-the-aisle emotion. (Don’t tell my wife.)
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| Note the Gold Coast is right next to the Rio. |
Yeah,
2:10 AM. That was the crushing, exhilarating, momentous,
disappointing-yet-exultant moment when I was finally knocked out of
event #7 at the 44th
annual World Series Of Poker -– after 14 hours of grindingly
exhausting play (with a couple of 20-minute bathroom breaks in there
-- and a 90-minute dinner sojourn thrown in for good measure); it
was, in short, the capper to one of the great Sundays of my life.
But
before that all went down, prior to the commencement of that 14-hour
roller coaster, as a prelude/explanation w/r/t how and why I happened
to be sitting there at my very own WSOP seat, here’s a summary of
here’s-how-it-all-came-to-be:
- On April 20, 2013 (that’s “420 day” for you Medical Marijuana card-holders out there), I somehow placed second in the Pepper Street Poker WSOP satellite game -- thusly garnering the $1,000 entry fee that I would never in a million years have coughed up, myself, to play.
- Psyched beyond all measure (and alerted to the details of the WSOP Summer 2013 schedule by PSP overlord Chris M.), I elected to shoot for “the first $1,000 weekend WSOP tournament on the list”: A three-day event beginning at Noon on Sunday June 2.
- With a glass-half-full mindset, I drove to Vegas on Saturday June 1, not fly –- because I fully intended to (theoretically) keep my travel options wide open, and (a man can dream) play for three days straight, and (okay, I’m delusional) take down thousands upon thousands of winnings (and a bracelet?) in my WSOP debut.
- I arrived in Vegas on Saturday afternoon, and met my PSP compatriats Jason and Dog at the Rio -- in the midst of the ten-times-the-size-of-Commerce-Casino (and twenty-times-the-seriousness-of-a-heart-attack) WSOP craziness.
Degenerates gonna degenerate. - Witnessing the thousands of poker players in the flesh, and experiencing all the white-knuckle Hold ‘Em energy firsthand immediately threw me into a mild panic –- what the hell have I gotten myself in to, here? What’s in store for me tomorrow, when my tournament begins?
- I have drinks, later that afternoon, with Dog –- whose typically-hilarious-and-worldly analysis of Vegas (in general) and poker (in particular) undercuts my anxiety to a certain extent.
- I have steak dinner, Saturday night, with Jason –- whose typically-sober-and-incisive analysis of WSOP dynamics also proves to be a vibe-mellower, and a vibe-mellower resolutely.
- Well, maybe not resolutely. I’m still super-keyed-up about the prospect of playing in the tournament the following day, and end up sleeping a grand total of, maybe, three hours Saturday night.
- So, first thing Sunday (at 8:30 AM sharp), I decide to pay a visit to “Frankie’s Tiki Room.” Dog had noted that this joint was “the only Tiki lounge in the world open 24/7” -– and, indeed, its doors were wide open for me at this (thoroughly godforsaken) hour.
- Not surprisingly, I was the only patron in the place; when I explained that I was playing in my first WSOP event at noon, and that the tournament was scheduled to last three full days, the bartender confidently suggested a “Thurston Howl’s” –- a rum drink with (he claimed) a particularly long-lasting lustre.
Souvenir Tiki Mug from Frankie's.
- And what a great idea this was! A benevolent cocktail such as this is exactly what’s needed to take the edge off! Folks, I’m ready to rock and roll!
- After a quick breakfast at EAT (in the shadow of the El Cortez, downtown -- it is excellent, and arguably the most un-Vegasy eating establishment in Clark County), I finally meander over to the Rio.
- I seat myself at "Bronze Table 54" and, at precisely noon, the announcement was made that play was about to begin -- and the cards began flying.
And, suddenly,
nobody speaks. Not at Table 54, not at any of the tables surrounding
me, not anywhere. The quietude was punctured in just the way Chris
had described, in an earlier year's WSOP dispatch, by the bizarre,
utterly singular sound of thousands upon thousands of poker chips
clicking, cicada-like, against each other.
Okay. So,
everybody’s playing. We’re talking 1,837 poker players. And
this is the section of the dispatch where the player-in-question
systematically runs down the great hands (and not-so-great hands)
that he or she raised with / bluffed with / played to the river /
folded on / made mistakes with / nailed a slightly-drunk dude in the
seven seat with / lost to a German guy in the four seat with / went
“all in” with when he or she should/shouldn’t have / etctetera.
Unfortunately, I
must confess to remembering almost nothing about the
hands-I-was-playing during those many hours under the lights. (Could
it have been the Thurston Howl’s?) What I did
keep track of was how many times I successfully went “all in”
(six times), how many times I was “moved” to a new table (just
once), and how variable the skills were of the dealers involved in
the WSOP (more than once, players at my table had to correct the
dealers’ distribution-of-chips, for example –- very surprising).
As midnight passed,
and as the number of players started dwindling (gradually, and then
suddenly), I suddenly noticed the PSP-esque TV monitors hanging above
the tables coming to life.
They initially communicated some bland
tournament information, but then began systematically listing the
“payout scheme” for the tournament (slots 1 through 198 would
cash), as well as the “total number of players still playing.”
Well, at this late
hour, my stack was decent (if not overwhelming), and –- having
survived the rubicon of the “dinner break” (my initial goal) -- I
set about addressing a new benchmark of achievement -– to cash!
This was easier said
than done –- particularly because I suddenly wasn’t getting the
cards that I had been accustomed to getting throughout the first ten
hours of the tournament.
But then I saw that that crucial “total
number of players still playing” icon, on the TVs above me, was
inching downward and downward. When the number reached “248”
(translation: 50 players away from the cash), I started getting
excited (and started playing extremely tight).
When it got down to
“208” (ten players away), I started playing even more tightly (I
was actually dealt a pair of Jacks -- and folded ‘em immediately).
When it got down to “202” (and the announcers began making urgent
requests, of the dealers, to immediately note who’d gotten knocked
out at their respective tables), a palpable buzz among the remaining
players could be discerned.
Suddenly, the tournament director got on
the p.a. and said, “congratulations, everybody –- you’ve all
made the money!” (Cue spontaneous applause among the 198
folks-still-seated.)
Places 163 through
198 paid out $1,868. Having made it this far, I immediately
re-calibrated my thinking, aiming for a new goal -– reaching that
“next level of payment” (162nd
place), a designation that would add another $150 to my winnings.
Well, to make a long
story short, it wasn’t to be. A very solid, sober player named
Nick Abourisk, whom I’d been sparring with, back-and-forth (he’d
win a hand from me / I’d win a hand from him, in thoroughly genial
yet competitive fashion, for well over an hour), finally took me
down. (THIS was a hand I remember : I went “all in” (for the
seventh and final time in 14 hours) with an A-9, suited, and Nick
knocked me out with his nice little
straight-that-he-got-on-the-river.)
My Sole Consolation : I later
learned that Nick was actually a top poker player (who ended up in
17th
place in our bracelet tournament, in fact) who has won almost $85,000
in WSOP events over the years.
To Summarize : My
first WSOP experience was one I shall always remember. Did I make
mistakes? Yes. Did I make some correct moves? Also yes. Will I be
back? Definitely.
Will I re-visit
“Frankie’s Tiki Room,” prior to my next WSOP event? And order
a “Thurston Howl’s” as a prelude to my play?
Absolutely.
-
Tom L.
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Awesome job Tom! Everyone is very proud of your rockin' results and those of us who got monies are super stoked that last months tournament was a free roll plus eight bucks! Again, very well done! Only Tom L. and Eric T. have cashed out of the 10 or so PSP representatives who have gone to the big dance. So you guys both rock and I SUCK.
So here we go with the rest of the trip reports, in chronological order. First up is Jason H. who partook in WSOP tournament #6 - the first ever "millionaire maker" event. A $1500 entry tournament with a guaranteed first place payout of one million dollars!
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| That money's as good as mine bitches. |
Jason files his report -
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"On the last day in May, I rolled into Vegas to register for the WSOP's inaugural "Millionaire Maker," aka event #6A, as your official Pepper Street Poker Satellite-Winning Representative. This would turn out to be a record-breaking event for the WSOP, with 6,343 entrants (including those who re-registered in Flight #6B). I knew I was in for a treat when a fellow with a Mario mustache, Scandinavian accent, and colorful track pants with matching hat asked me "Is this the way to pokerz?" Yes, my international friend, it most certainly was...
Action continued up and down for the next few levels. I had to let 2-pair go on a flush board, but got it back later with some routine c-bets after opening raises in position. I got really excited when I flopped the nut straight on a rainbow board and heard an all-in from the short stack...only to learn he had the same hand for a chop. I kept up modest pressure to accumulate a few more chips, and was looking at 7875 (from a starting stack of 4500) when the blinds hit 100-200. Players at my table were so afraid of busting that it took a long time to lose anyone. This was good for the friendly vibe of our game, but bad in the sense that most of us were just pushing chips around without getting an influx of new chips from broken tables.
Eventually, though, the other stacks shrunk down to 10bb or less. I made some good moves, but it's hard to accumulate when your AK has to chop with AJ. Then, when players did start to bust, we got
scary big stacks to replace them, which changed the table dynamic.
By the time antes kicked in, I had doubled my starting stack...just in time to go card dead. I took a tour of every three in the deck--but never at the same time, of course--and my hands in position were not only garbage, but were already facing 3-bets before the flop. It felt like death by a thousand cuts for a long time, with nothing to play.
Then, it was time for my biggest hand of the tourney: pocket snowmen in the BB. It started with an all-in from the cutoff, who was short-stacked. The bet was just a little over a min-raise. The SB called, allowing me to call behind him and close out the action. It also put me in position on the flop, which came with a sweet, sweet 8 for a set...and also an AQ to make things scary. SB checked, I jammed, and he was forced to call with AJ. My set held up, and I scooped the works to nearly triple my stack. I also looked down at AQ suited on the very next hand...but lost when I couldn't connect with the flop. I lost another hand later--my AK once again falling to AJ--but still had plenty of chips to make it to Day 2.
I had to make a move, and when I looked down at A10s on the Big Blind, I knew it was time to shove. The hijack had made a routine bet that looked like a steal to me, and then the SB called. I jammed it, and the original raiser went into the tank before throwing his hand away. The SB, however, snap-called, which made me a little nervous until he turned over a pair of 9s. It was a coin flip. Unfortunately, it was a coin flip I couldn't win. I got no help on the flop--not even some scare cards for the flush--and nothing on the turn or river. I was out, finishing in roughly 1250th place. I was well shy of the monies, but I did survive just over 80% of the field.
I also, if I do say so myself, played maybe the best poker of my life, and I definitely had more fun playing poker in Vegas than I ever thought possible. For that, I owe a big thanks to Chris for putting together such a great game for us for so many years.
Thanks, dude!"
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Thanks to you Jason for that awesome report! TLDR? Nah, it was awesome! Here's more!
Jeff G. is next and he filed this super sexy report -
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So this is my first ever tournament report. Chris does such great ones, I don’t know if I can meet his high standards. I basically took all my tweets from the tournament and expanded them. I have no delusions about how eye-rolling my play can be, but I still have tons of fun.
Of course, if after reading this and you want to back me for the Legends or LAPC, feel free to contact me. :-D
@jeffg
Getting ready to play in WSOP. Will try to post about my horrible play here. #PepperStreetPoker
11:44 AM - 16 Jun 13 from Paradise, NV
So I sit down at the table, and I am not even close to intimidated, which was one of my biggest concerns. I had no idea what the type of player is who is willing to plop down a $1000 to play. Turns out, they are significantly less intimidating than the Pepper Street crew (for whose skills I have massive respect).
The game starts off with only five people at the table. It took about 45 minutes for the whole table to fill up.
Not much happens at first. I don’t get into very many pots. In fact, I was surprised by how small the pots were initially. I guess everyone was sizing each other up. I try to chat it up with other players. I always find that being friendly at a table has serious benefits. One, it is nice to meet new people. Two, new friends tend to check the river or show their hands when you fold.
@jeffg
Up for now. Updating that while I can. :).. My current chip count: 3,500.
12:26 PM - 16 Jun 13 from Paradise, NV • Details
I win my first pot. It was the first hand I saw the turn with. I believe I had AQ and it came out Q high. Simple enough, but I was glad I was above starting stack. I have to horrible feeling (and it’s a problem with my game), that if I get too much under my starting stack early in a tournament, I almost give up. I loathe nursing a shorter stack early in a tourney. Give me a double up or get me out of here. Fortunately I never really went below starting stack until the end.
@jeffg
My current chip count: 5,125. 2013 World Series of Poker - Event #30: $1,000 No-Limit Hold'em #mystack
1:11 PM - 16 Jun 13 from Paradise, NV • Details
I used a fun little app from Poker News call MyStack to post updates to my stack. It was also posted on Poker News. It was kind of fun. It was like I was important enough to be covered by the press.
My stack went up with a couple of simple high pair hands where the pots were small and my hands held up. I was really surprised by the lack of aggression early in the game. Maybe that’s normal. Maybe it’s not. I just expected a lot of chicken matches in this game since people want to build a stack early in these low buy-in events.
Another bump in my stack came courtesy of one of the only bluffs I did in the early levels. It was pretty simple where this timid preflop raiser continuation bet, and I floated. The flop was Queen high. When he checked the insignificant turn, I knew he would fold most of his hands here, so I bet and he folded. I forget what I was holding, but I guess that was not important.
@jeffg
My current chip count: 5,900. 2013 World Series of Poker - Event #30: $1,000 No-Limit Hold'em #mystack
1:15 PM - 16 Jun 13 from Paradise, NV • Details
I was able to chip up from a few more hands that either held or the continuation bet was convincing enough. Pretty standard stuff. The next post was disappointing.
@jeffg
Running good. Four to a flush on the board while I was holding a full house. Villain didn't have flush. Oh well.
1:17 PM - 16 Jun 13 from Paradise, NV • Details
I was holding AQo and the flop showed AAx with two spades. The villain was leading the betting. I assumed that he had an Ace. Two more spades came on the turn and river with the river also being a Queen. I was crossing my fingers that villain had a high spade in his hand or a worse full house. I guess he had Ace-blank since there was no raising on the river bet. Still, I’ll take a good run anytime. Was hoping for a double up though.
@jeffg
4625 - Lots of pocket pairs that aren't hitting. Fast way for chips to evaporate. :/ Also just turned another Aces full w queens. Chopped
I think the tweet explains it pretty well. I kept seeing a lot of multiway pre-flop raised pots with mid pocket pairs and never hit. No big deal.
I then got AQo again. Once again, the flop was AAx. I really wanted a larger pot this time, so we both really pushed the action. The turn was a Q, which of course made me push even harder. To our credit (or to our bad play) neither of us went all in and after the river we both showed AQ. Oh well.
@jeffg
Had to happen. Just saw pocket kings run into pocket aces preflop. Both players had good stacks. Glad I wasn't in the hand. :-)
Even if I had aces, I’m glad I wasn’t in the hand. I mean of course I’d go all in here too if I were either player, but I generally play a survival game when I play tournaments. It might be sub-optimal, but it helps me get deeper (even though my stack never gets very large). This means I try to avoid flips or 60/40 scenarios and sometimes even 80/20 scenarios early in a tournament. I’ll wait until later when double ups are more important. I like to think I can play well enough to accumulate chips early without too much risk.
@jeffg
Made it to the break. Woo hoo! 4525.
Not much happening for me at this point. My cards were pretty unplayable for a long while.
@jeffgilmore
My current chip count: 3,975. 2013 World Series of Poker - Event #30: $1,000 No-Limit Hold'em #mystack
Nothing to report here. Just bleeding away blinds and an occasional limped pot.
@jeffg
My current chip count: 7,750. Called all in against chip leader.I didn't believe him. I won. He chastised me but I was 1 pulling in chips :)
This was a really fun hand. There was a player who was playing taking advantage of any passive play. If anything was checked to him, he’d bet it. At the same time, whenever he was called down, he actually had the goods. I think it was very fortunate for him.
I got into an interesting hand with him. I had AJs in the big blind, and I called a pre-flop raise from our villain in the cutoff with callers from the small blind and the button.
The flop came QTx rainbow. I check. He c-bets. Button calls. BB folds. I call. Turn is a 6. I check. He bets. Button folds. I call feeling that he would do this even if he didn’t have a Queen and that my Ace high might be the best hand.
I don’t know why I felt that way. Maybe it was from his previous play. I really don’t know. I started feeling like, oh great, it’s that weird 92o hand I played during the satellite. I’d like to say it was a meta-game move or something. In the end, the only justification to call was a gut feel, a large pot, and my 7 outs. Sorry, I don’t remember the bet sizes.
The river is an Ace. No flush possibilities. I check, figuring he’d check the river Ace as well. He puts me all in. In fact he grabs a big enough stack that will obviously cover me. Sometimes this feels like a big intimidation move to me.
At this point I’m thinking that I just put myself in another dumb position. Why did I call the turn? Well, it didn’t matter now. There was no way he put me on an Ace, but why in the world would he go all in? I didn’t think he was drawing to a straight. Only a bonehead like me would do that.
I decided that either he had two pair or better or he had second pair. Not certain if I’m right, but I believe they call this a polarizing move. Either he has a great hand, or he had an absolute bluff. I think I started the hand with about 3300. When he put me all in, I had 1400 left. I was thinking about how horrible that call on the turn was when it reduced my stack so much. So, basically it was 1400 to try to win 6350. I figured that the likelihood that he had a bluff was at least 40%, which makes it a call. He shows his hand, and he has nothing. I show my hand, and he just shakes his head. He looks at the board and just starts shaking his head and starts telling me how bad the play was. I just shrug and pull in the chips.
Here’s the thing about my call that wasn’t so easy. I was not only putting in 1400. I was also putting in my WSOP tourney life in, which for me was a big deal. I didn’t want to walk away after only three hours of play. I know this is a horrible attitude for optimal poker. I know this attitude will keep me from ever doing well over the long haul in WSOP tourneys. The fact though is that I will never have a long haul in the WSOP. The only other time I played at WSOP was at a satellite for the main event in 2006. I won the entry on a Bodog freeroll sponsored by Card Player’s podcast. This means every WSOP I ever play in, I will have a disadvantage. Maybe this will change once if I ever play more large buy-in events. Well, in the end, I was confident enough with my read and my odds that I was willing to call.
@jeffg
Oh great. New table. First hand and already someone is 3 betting. Much more serious table. At 7300
This new table was filled with only one passive player. All the rest of the players knew each other (or so it seemed), and they all had plenty of chips. When I tweeted about three betting, it wasn’t like the 3 better had a great hand. He 3 bet from the big blind in a multiway tiny-raised pot. Seemed like a standard aggressive play to me. I don’t mind people playing this way, but I knew that any hand I was involved in might risk my whole stack.
@jeffg
My current chip count: 3,675. Ugh. This table is hard. What a roller coaster ride. :-)
The blinds, bad cards, and occasional call/folds drastically reduced my stack.
@jeffg
My current chip count: 4,800. Pocket kings good. Wheeeeee
@jeffg
My current chip count: 5,800. Correction.
Went all in with Kings and they held up. Easy stuff.
@jeffg
Well I made it to the second break. I am sure I'm below average now. I have a feeling any hand I play now will be for tourney life. 5800
A little satisfying making it this far.
@jeffg
750. Riveted :-\
I meant to say, “Rivered.”
I think I was rivered, but I may have been able to play the hand better. Maybe it wouldn’t have mattered.
I was in the big blind, and there was a small preflop raise with two callers. The raiser was a guy who the press kept taking pictures of. I didn’t recognize him, but I guess he was a real player. I call with AQs. The flop comes Q63 rainbow. I check. The raiser bets. He gets one caller, one fold, and I call. An ace comes on the turn. I check to prepare a check raise. Raiser bets 800. Gets one call, and I bet 2800. Original raiser folds. Caller thinks then calls.
At this point I think I am comfortably ahead. I would think a set would play this hand a lot harder, and a flush wasn’t possible. I figure the guy has a King or a smaller two pair.
A ten comes on the river, and here is where I realized I messed up. I only had 2300 or so left in my stack, which means (I think) I probably should have gone all in on the turn, because there was no way I was going to fold with only that much left in my stack. Realizing what I thought was a mistake, I go all in. The caller insta calls with KT for the straight.
I don’t know if he would have called an all-in on the turn or not. Probably not. :/ Oh well.
I still had a couple of chips, but I had zero fold equity. I waited for a good while for a hand that would play well in multiway pots.
@jeffg
Busto. Finally shoved with pocket 2s in cut off. Button goes all in with 9s. Not even a flip? C'mon! :-) still a fun time.
It was folded to me, and I figured if I get a call, at least it’ll probably be a flip. Of course the button wakes up with pocket pair. Oh well.
THANK YOU CHRIS AND PEPPER STREET!!
It really was a great opportunity to play in the WSOP, and I can’t thank Chris and the entire Pepper Street crew enough. I feel really lucky to get to be involved with a group that loves to play poker for fun at the same time taking the game very seriously. Thanks again!
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The privilege is all ours Jeff! Way to go and thanks for such a detailed TR!
And finally, our one and only 2012 Player of the Year Mike P. files this report from WSOP tournament #54, representing PSP in a 1K bracelet event.
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| Maneuvering the big stack. |
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"The Ramblings of Poker Lover...
My new bride has listened to me wax on about about one day playing in the WSOP, and thanks to a run of great cards at the Pepper Street qualifier I was able to check this item off my bucket list on June 30.
We arrived a day before tournament #54 started and I was more relaxed than I thought I would be. Enough so, that the wife and I fell asleep about 8:30 on Saturday night in Vegas... looks like we've turned into an old married couple after six months of marriage.
I registered early Sunday morning and caught up with Chris M., Jason H. and Allen Q. I was really happy that they could get away and it felt good having more people in my corner. After finding my seat in the massive poker room at the Rio I sat down with only 2 other players at the table as starting time neared. The 3000 starting chips looked tiny compared to our 20,000 stack at Pepper St. Hour long levels help to alleviate the feeling of desperation as the cards were dealt. There were still only four of us at the table as play began and the dealer also dealt to 4 empty spots. My goal was basic: maximize wins and minimize losses, make it through the first day.
I played my game, making raises when I thought I had the best hand and try to NOT fall in love with any hand unless it's the nuts. Most of the table was pretty tight to start, early on I three bet with AJ on the button and got the only other player to fold. I added about 400 chips with decent aggression in the first half hour. I went a little card dead over the next hour, then the table filled the mood changed. There were three new players who were all pretty aggressive and they started playing a lot of pots. After about an hour the table lost its first player and I relaxed more knowing I wouldn't be the first one out!
It was a long day and I'll tell you about my most memorable hands if you're still awake enough to read on...
MY FIRST ALL IN: After about 3 hours I was still sitting on the button with 2400 in chips as the hand started. Two players limped in front of me and I looked down to see KQ diamonds. I raised 3x and the buttons folded, but both limpers called (including one of the new loose players). The flop came 346 with two diamonds. Player 1 checked and player 2 bet out. I thought for a moments, wondering if he had hit a set... I put him on 77-99 and I hoped I could get him to think I had bigger pair if I raised. I thought I could push him off so I shoved. Player 1 folded and player 2 tanked for a long time. Eventually he called and my heart sank, figuring he must have hit a set. I turned over my KQ and he revealed 55. He had called with open ended draw and a pair of fives for half of his stack. He was BARELY ahead, but I had every diamond and KKKQQQ on my side. A jack came on the turn and I thought it was over. I sat back down as the 8d came on the river and player 2 cursed his luck. A part of me relaxed even more, now feeling that I was on a free-roll and probably should have been gone.
Knowing Player 2 was loose and sitting on his left gave me and advantage. He played a lot of pots, always seemed to stab at the river, and he was getting people to fold. A few hands later I called his river bet with my pocket 66 and a mixed board, just feeling like he was out of control. He angrily mucked his hand and I got a couple of pats on the back from other players at the table. I felt like my radar was decently honed in and I had 4600 chips. A stack and a half.
My new bride has listened to me wax on about about one day playing in the WSOP, and thanks to a run of great cards at the Pepper Street qualifier I was able to check this item off my bucket list on June 30.
We arrived a day before tournament #54 started and I was more relaxed than I thought I would be. Enough so, that the wife and I fell asleep about 8:30 on Saturday night in Vegas... looks like we've turned into an old married couple after six months of marriage.
I registered early Sunday morning and caught up with Chris M., Jason H. and Allen Q. I was really happy that they could get away and it felt good having more people in my corner. After finding my seat in the massive poker room at the Rio I sat down with only 2 other players at the table as starting time neared. The 3000 starting chips looked tiny compared to our 20,000 stack at Pepper St. Hour long levels help to alleviate the feeling of desperation as the cards were dealt. There were still only four of us at the table as play began and the dealer also dealt to 4 empty spots. My goal was basic: maximize wins and minimize losses, make it through the first day.
I played my game, making raises when I thought I had the best hand and try to NOT fall in love with any hand unless it's the nuts. Most of the table was pretty tight to start, early on I three bet with AJ on the button and got the only other player to fold. I added about 400 chips with decent aggression in the first half hour. I went a little card dead over the next hour, then the table filled the mood changed. There were three new players who were all pretty aggressive and they started playing a lot of pots. After about an hour the table lost its first player and I relaxed more knowing I wouldn't be the first one out!
It was a long day and I'll tell you about my most memorable hands if you're still awake enough to read on...
MY FIRST ALL IN: After about 3 hours I was still sitting on the button with 2400 in chips as the hand started. Two players limped in front of me and I looked down to see KQ diamonds. I raised 3x and the buttons folded, but both limpers called (including one of the new loose players). The flop came 346 with two diamonds. Player 1 checked and player 2 bet out. I thought for a moments, wondering if he had hit a set... I put him on 77-99 and I hoped I could get him to think I had bigger pair if I raised. I thought I could push him off so I shoved. Player 1 folded and player 2 tanked for a long time. Eventually he called and my heart sank, figuring he must have hit a set. I turned over my KQ and he revealed 55. He had called with open ended draw and a pair of fives for half of his stack. He was BARELY ahead, but I had every diamond and KKKQQQ on my side. A jack came on the turn and I thought it was over. I sat back down as the 8d came on the river and player 2 cursed his luck. A part of me relaxed even more, now feeling that I was on a free-roll and probably should have been gone.
Knowing Player 2 was loose and sitting on his left gave me and advantage. He played a lot of pots, always seemed to stab at the river, and he was getting people to fold. A few hands later I called his river bet with my pocket 66 and a mixed board, just feeling like he was out of control. He angrily mucked his hand and I got a couple of pats on the back from other players at the table. I felt like my radar was decently honed in and I had 4600 chips. A stack and a half.
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| A sea of sharks or guppies? |
I slowly continued to build on my stack over the next few hours. I never had aces but random 99-KK kept me from feeling card dead. I got moved a couple of times and made it to the big room and settled in with a table of good players with about 10K in chips.
There was one player who looked familiar enough and played like a pro. I watched him closely and could tell he knew what he was doing. After watching him win 6 or 7 big hands over the course of an hour I was hoping I'd get a change to see one of his hands because he always bet big on the river and no one had called him down. He went 3x from mid position and I looked down at my button hand of QQ. I three bet and he thought for a minuted and called. The flop came KT6, two clubs and he checked. I made a continuation bet, about 1/2 the pot, which cut my starting stack of 12K in half. Mr. Pro then went all in. I tanked for a minute... eventually I put him on AK and I decided to fold, another victim of Mr. Pro's big bets. There's a chance he had a flush draw and it was really hard laying down the ladies, but I knew I would have to part ways with good hands if I had any kind of chance to make the money.
I had left myself somewhat short now, and a little later I was in the big blind, down to about 6k in chips (20 big blinds) when an early short player went all in and he got called by another semi-short stack.. I had them both barely covered, and it was enough to make me ponder going all in when I looked down at my JJ in the big blind. Having watched both players go all in several times over the last half hour, I felt like I had the best hand and I shoved. Player 1 revealed A7 and Player 2 turned over AK. I wasn't out of danger but I was ahead going in. The harmless flop came, the jacks held up, and I now had about 13k as the dinner break started.
After the dinner break I got dealt KK on the first hand and everyone folded to my 3x bet and I felt like I was playing well and getting decent cards. The tournament started with almost 2900 players the field was down under 800 and I was moved again. Much to my chagrin I was placed at a table of sharks, including WPT's Tony Dunst and a couple of others that I recognized. I was still determined to play my game, although I was fairly irritated by the booze-breath loud-mouth on my right. BBLM was splashing pots, calling people assholes, talking up a storm and showed several bluffs with an irritating guffaw. Thirty minutes later, level ten found me in the big blind with about 25 bb left. The table folded around to BBLM in the small blind and he limped. I looked down at AJ and did not feel like giving him a free ride and I raised 3x. He paused and shoved. I tanked for a minute... and I could not put him on a hand so I called. He turned over 68 suited. I revealed my AJ and felt good.
The flop came 68Q and he hit two pair, and after almost ten hours of play I knew it was over. He barely had me covered and I said "good hand" and walked away in a daze, the only bright spot being I wouldn't be subjected to his stinky whiskey-burps anymore.
There were still 600 players left, 290 would make the money... I had cut through 75% of the field and I am fairly proud of that. I was definitely disappointed in the outcome, but not in my play. Anytime I started to grumble to myself about the last hand I would just think about my earlier fortune with my KQ suited. It was a great experience, I feel like I played well and I can't wait to do it again.
There was one player who looked familiar enough and played like a pro. I watched him closely and could tell he knew what he was doing. After watching him win 6 or 7 big hands over the course of an hour I was hoping I'd get a change to see one of his hands because he always bet big on the river and no one had called him down. He went 3x from mid position and I looked down at my button hand of QQ. I three bet and he thought for a minuted and called. The flop came KT6, two clubs and he checked. I made a continuation bet, about 1/2 the pot, which cut my starting stack of 12K in half. Mr. Pro then went all in. I tanked for a minute... eventually I put him on AK and I decided to fold, another victim of Mr. Pro's big bets. There's a chance he had a flush draw and it was really hard laying down the ladies, but I knew I would have to part ways with good hands if I had any kind of chance to make the money.
I had left myself somewhat short now, and a little later I was in the big blind, down to about 6k in chips (20 big blinds) when an early short player went all in and he got called by another semi-short stack.. I had them both barely covered, and it was enough to make me ponder going all in when I looked down at my JJ in the big blind. Having watched both players go all in several times over the last half hour, I felt like I had the best hand and I shoved. Player 1 revealed A7 and Player 2 turned over AK. I wasn't out of danger but I was ahead going in. The harmless flop came, the jacks held up, and I now had about 13k as the dinner break started.
After the dinner break I got dealt KK on the first hand and everyone folded to my 3x bet and I felt like I was playing well and getting decent cards. The tournament started with almost 2900 players the field was down under 800 and I was moved again. Much to my chagrin I was placed at a table of sharks, including WPT's Tony Dunst and a couple of others that I recognized. I was still determined to play my game, although I was fairly irritated by the booze-breath loud-mouth on my right. BBLM was splashing pots, calling people assholes, talking up a storm and showed several bluffs with an irritating guffaw. Thirty minutes later, level ten found me in the big blind with about 25 bb left. The table folded around to BBLM in the small blind and he limped. I looked down at AJ and did not feel like giving him a free ride and I raised 3x. He paused and shoved. I tanked for a minute... and I could not put him on a hand so I called. He turned over 68 suited. I revealed my AJ and felt good.
The flop came 68Q and he hit two pair, and after almost ten hours of play I knew it was over. He barely had me covered and I said "good hand" and walked away in a daze, the only bright spot being I wouldn't be subjected to his stinky whiskey-burps anymore.
There were still 600 players left, 290 would make the money... I had cut through 75% of the field and I am fairly proud of that. I was definitely disappointed in the outcome, but not in my play. Anytime I started to grumble to myself about the last hand I would just think about my earlier fortune with my KQ suited. It was a great experience, I feel like I played well and I can't wait to do it again.
Mike P."
*************
A sterling effort Mr. P.! Well done all around one and all!
I also partook in some WSOPish play on the same weekend that Mikey made his deep run. Allen Q. joined me and together we tore it up.
Actually, he was the only one who cashed in the Rio. Here is his report as well as a flashback to his bracelet event in 2011.
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| I can see your soul son! |
Back in the saddle.
I am writing this to all my poker
friends, Sutter's, online and Pepper Street, and as a first attempt.
Please be gentle with me.
I went back this year to play poker and
support one of our WSOP satellite winners Mike P. with Jason H.
and Chris M.
We all registered and Chris and I got
stuck out in the overflow out in the casino. I was less than happy;
it was smoky and dark and had none of the vibe of the World Series
and the big rooms we usually play in.
The first hour or so moved nicely,
there was a guy at my table who was chatting everybody up and made me
seem quiet. With a decent amount of blinds I was able to push a
little and there. The table play changed, so did I pressing when the
soft underbelly got exposed.
We left the smoky exterior of the
casino floor back to the enormous room we are usually in. Wow making
it to the breaks I was starting to believe I was going to go deep.
Dinner came, I think we were all still
in. A little later I looked up and Jason and Chris were out. At the
end of the tourney the blinds were high and the play was on auto
pilot - it was shove or fold.
They announced we were in the money. I
was happy, but knew I had enough of a stack to move up the pay scale.
The end was in sight.
I finally busted 62nd out of
around 1300 runners and it felt good.
The next day we got to watch Mike P. in
his bracelet event, wow that brought back so many memories.
The rest of the week was just as fun, I
floated a lot of tourneys I wanted to play including H.O.R.S.E. and
Omaha 8. I bubbled 9th in H.O.R.S.E. out of 70 players.
Finished mid-field in a Omaha hi/lo.
Then played in a Omaha 8
Bounty tourney later the same evening and bubbled 9th but
got cash back. I also played in another deepstack alas with no cash.
Was so great it induced a flood of
memories came back over my poker career and about my first time at
the W.S.O.P.
I have had the wonderful privilege of
being good friends with a true poker auteur, Chris M. who brought
this frustrating and wonderful game into my life. His guidance and
annoyance with me (still) are valued and appreciated.
As a child I heard the stories of how
my Dad’s grandmother removed the dice from monopoly so the kids
wouldn’t gamble. I smile because that is nothing like what I was
taught from my parents instead risk bears reward. I hail from
Norcal, Santa Cruz to be exact, so “hey man, it’s all cool man.”
I call it Berkeley South and my
Berkeley brothers in poker brought me in with a smile and a little
bit of salivating. My first game was cash and I was getting pounded,
timidly folding to raises and looking people up speculating. I was
up and down but ended up. I was hooked.
Wow this amazing game, such a simple
concept but what an evolving and alive thing it is. My experiences
were on the periphery, with not much risk. A small tourney here, a
10 dollar cash game maybe 20 there. I was learning, it has been a
slow process. With some dumb luck involved. I was able to hold on a
lot without making things happen and scrape my way up the ladder.
Flash forward, through many home
tournament poker, home cash games, online and finally Pepper Street!
Wow such opportunities, the years and chips and yes the monies fly.
Until in 2011, I am looking down at my winning hand in a Pepper
Street Poker Satellite to the World Series of Poker against one of
our finest players. I am headed to the holy grail of poker!
Arriving in Las Vegas is always kind of
anti climatic, like meeting that old girlfriend that you don’t
really want to talk about but when that perfume hits it is on. We
roll up to the Rio walking through the parking lot to the entrance.
The signage gets my blood pumping. 2011 World Series of Poker and I
haven’t even walked through the door. The doors part the angels
sing, I exaggerate but the air was electric when we entered the Rio,
you could feel the excitement.
The stage was grand and covered in
bracelets that had either been awarded or were waiting, just waiting
for someone I knew it was Chris or Eric T. or myself who would pull
the sword from the stone, by the gods I knew it.
We continue on to the Amazon Room, even
more dimly lit. You knew that the men and women in this room had
made it over the hurdle. This was it, the final tables of different
tournaments. The long hours of swings up and down, the coals had
been crossed, the fiery purge done. The decisions made and here you
were with either a ridiculous chip lead or a mere pittance, a blind
or two with no teeth.
As I scanned the room I did not see the
same wide eyed wonderment but stone cold determination a bracelet
hung in the balance, which was all that mattered. There it was, the
Final Table the one you see on TV. my god it was glorious. The beams
of light really did shine down illuminating the surface of the felt
exposing all play good or bad for all to see.
I could not wait.
First Chris M. would face the test, a $1,500 bracelet event.
First Chris M. would face the test, a $1,500 bracelet event.
 |
| Do'h! Poker hard! |
I had signed in the day before, taking
the communal monies and knowing this was it, I was at the the big
game a bracelet event. Eric T. had won a seat and joined us to play
in the same tourney. Looking back I should have put money on Eric T.
Sleep was not easy that night after
watching Chris. I was second guessing myself, what I was going to
do. Morning arrived; we went and had a big breakfast. Then off to
the big game. The tension somewhat lessened as we moved closer to
the start.
The event fit the room, massive - the
chips clattering. I was ready! When the announcer announced shuffle
up and deal, it was on. My first hand was a blank; I look down at KK
my second hand! I shove hoping to induce a call and double up. I
look over at Chris who was railing me and his eyes had bugged out.
Folds all the way around, seems nobody wanted to play.
The table was moderately aggressive, so
my folding wrist needed a massage after awhile. Having some fold
equity I would raise and get folded to every so often.
I managed to double up after about 2
hours in a QQ or JJ situation vs. a AX. My hand held and I went on my
way. Patience is so important in long format play. I knew that I
was ready to risk it all at any moment as well. My table was
moderate in skill and constantly changing.
We did have a pro that showed up, Matt
Affleck the kid who cried when he got bumped out of the main event.
 |
| Someone call the whaa-mbulance. |
He was not long for our table, I was last to act, the action had been
an all in, Affleck calls off his remaining chips I look down at 55, I
fold. They turn over 99 and 77; of course the flop is XX5, Oh well.
Affleck was out.
I managed to bleed off some chips but still make it up to 10000 by dinner break which is where I stayed. Later I
dropped down to 9k with about 28 minutes to go till the money. I
start taking pots, shoving on the button when it was folded to me a
couple of times.
I look down at JQ off, look around the
table a couple of people limped, I was last to act, and I shove.
Fold, fold, and then player in late position (who I was not aware was
in) hems and haws says and I quote “so you don’t like your cards”
His call and subsequent loss would have decimated his stack by over a
third closer to half of his chips.
He tanks and calls, he flips a 79 off
suit. I was so happy and then the flop a 7 in the window, then
blank, blank and I was out.
Oh was I steamed, it was gut wrenching
to get so close I finished 33 off the money.
What an amazing experience. My only
consolation was Eric T. was still in it. I was not staked in his
game, I should have been.
 |
| Shortly before the monies. |
My 2011 WSOP did not end there. I also played in a $235
dollar 1800 player deep stack and cashed, finishing 104th-
so not a terrible end to the story.
********
Well done Allen!
As I mentioned, I too partook in some gambooling. Unfortunately I failed to cash in any of the Rio DS events - fortunately, the one day and a half that I played in outside casinos I did manage to cash enough to not only offset my losses in the big room, but I actually turned a profit of just under $700. Better than a poke in the eye with a burnt stick I guess. Apparently I suck against serious poker enthusiasts and semi-professionals in a big 13 hour tournament but I rock in $60 turbos full of tourists.
Anyway, it was a good time, and though I don't have the energy or inclination to detail how I sucked and sucked out and got sucked out on - here are some cool shots that I took (along with a few poker celeb pics courtesy of Allen).
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| The biggest stack I had all trip. |
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| The first image as I arrived - love it. Less in love with the 118 degree heat in the parking lot. |
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| Hallway graphics - dopeness. |
 |
| Mecca - thy name is Rio. |
 |
| Ready to go! Wait... where am I sitting? |
 |
| Where... or what... is a "Buzios"? The lady in the cage had no idea. |
 |
| Ah, I see. Buzio's is a seafood restaurant. Down the hall. A 15 minute walk down the hall. Right next to the casino. Awesome. I need more smoke and noise - the air in the Amazon room is way too clean and the only sound is poker chips being shuffled. This is MUCH better. |
 | ||
| 15K to start. A deep stack tournament, right? Wrong. Average stack 25 big blinds after 4 hours. Still lots of fun.
|
 |
| A surprisingly tasty salad. |
 |
| Let's see... won't be playing in that one. Or... that one. Or that one. Nope. Nope. And.... nope. |
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| Allen cashed the night before. I did not. Another last longer bet right down the crapper. |
 |
| If you haven't been, seriously, what are you waiting for? |
 |
| Bear does his thang. |
 |
| Great seat - between John Juanda and Huck Seed. Thanks Poker Gods. |
 |
| 'Nuff said. |
And of course there was the Mothership, aka the final table area.
We even got to watch a few final tables - which truth be told is a bit like watching grass grow, but I'm such a poker nerd that I still enjoyed it.
 |
| I only wish there could have been more tanking. |
All in all, once again, the World Series of Poker was an amazing place to be. Having been now for 4 years in a row, I have to say, it's still an incredibly thrilling place to be. I did, once again, miss out on the Main Event. Maybe next year I'll have to change that...
