Felt OK to play so whizzed over to PH in time for the $100k gtd afternoon flight. Most likely take a stab at this today, and maybe one more shot or play the Venetian $600 tomorrow if I brick.
Not to generalise (I know how the complainers love it when I do that), but this is a WAY softer line up than the WSOP. Of course you'd expect it to be. But I'm likely going to splash about much more than I would at the Rio. Not treating the buy-in with any disregard, but with a bigger starting stack and poorer players, getting a stack together early might well be a good strategy. I'm pretty aggro so far and dipped down a bit and then got back to start stack. Watch this space.
I mucked JJ on an AAK55 board while the guy was fiddling nervously with his chips tying to count out his 4000 river bet. Obviously he hadn't seen me muck. I announced "all-in" once he'd made the bet after mucking, and he sprung out of his seat in a huge display of emotion, almost picking up the rest of his stack in one movement ready to call my bet. Much laughter and merriment ensued once he's realised what had actually happened and his pulse rate had returned to normal..
Almost at conclusion of level 2 and the clock is showing 200 players.
Approaching the end of level 3 and I'm back to 18k or so. Still liking the table quite a lot. Just hero called a 1600 river bet with 3h2h on a 55428 board. He meekly showed AJ then mucked. Jedi powers seem to be working well. Not at the Rio obviously.
Nearing first break. On a healthy 22k.
Back from break and not off to a great start as I lay down two red jacks on a 44567 board when he bet 4k on and there are 4 spades on board! I'd bet every single street and I actually don't think this guy has it in him to run a bluff on the end. Took a chunky hit and my 22k is now looking like a much sadder 14k. Some people would be saying they're never folding an overpair...ever in a $300 tournament. Mind you most of those guys are out already.
Bullied my way back up to 19k. Table has also filled up now with latecomers and players from broken tables so we're playing 10 handed at level 6.
Laid pretty low as we start level 7. It's now 250/500/50 and I'm still around 18k.
Been card dead for a while and plenty of people now seem shove happy. Almost on level 9 which will be 400/800/100. I'm on 15,500.
Chatted during the break to a very pretty girl who wants to play the PLO tournament tomorrow but wasn't too sure on the fundamentals and how it differed from PLO cash. She was very sweet, I wanted to steer her away from the dark side of poker drudgery and off to safety. Sadly I think she's still too fresh faced and in awe of the poker world to be nearly as jaded with the life as I clearly can be sometimes. It's funny how people can see the same thing completely differently. Maybe neither are wrong. Well, maybe it's not funny. I like stuff like that anyway. Hopefully she does OK if she actually plays tomorrow after my 15 min pep talk. With my peculiar English accent maybe she didn't catch half of what I said anyway, but she was cute :o)
Level 9 is off and running at 400/800/100. I'd guess about 65 players are left from the starters, and I've got 16k, ready to get cracking!
Won the first pot on return uncontested so now on 18k. Nip and tuck.
I'm on 21k at level 10 and people seem to be dropping like flies. It's become a bit of a shovefest, so I try a little finesse instead. I limp with 43s and win a pot from an old Asian guy (sorry Coleen....he's ASIAN...and OLD) who for some reason takes unbelievable exception/offence to me winning the pot. Next hand he shoves mumbling obscenities and gets called and loses...chopping him down from 20k to 200 chips! He shoves EVERY hand for the next orbit and somehow gets back up to 18k. He harasses the dealer, keeps pointing at me (not sure what I've done wrong but me and everyone else find it quite amusing and finally the floor gets called and he gets a warning for his continual outbursts and abuse at the dealer. It's both weird and funny at once. Finally he implodes, murders his whole stack and is out. He marches over to the desk and immediately re-enters...on level 11 lol.
We're at 600/1200/200 and I'm on 20k, where I've been roughly all day long. 5 tables remain.
Level 12. 800/1600/200 and it's time to get it in with 14k and big stacks all around.
Well, I get my wish. Choose the right spot and rejam with AK vs a limp a call and a raise from a big stack. He seems to like playing pots against me but I don't really mind this time and am happy to get it in against him.
Me: AK
Him: 88.
He flops an 8 so that's 6 and a half hours of my life shredded. That pot gets me back in the mix so I'd play it again all day long. Just didn't go my way. So it goes sometimes.
Food, sleep, re evaluate. Most likely going to either have one more crack in the morning or play the Venetian DSE $600 tomorrow. More to come in the next fun-filled instalment.