KEVIN O'LEARY POKER Poker Player Kevin O'Leary
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Venetian $600 NLH $750K gtd day 1a (second flight)

30/6/2018

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Same old story, which you guys all should know by heart now. Played well, got it in good in a monster pot, got violated, etc, etc. It makes little difference and the truth of it is that really nobody cares, least of all me. Just dust yourself off and get on the horse once more. I know I'm playing great, so I'll dive back in and just play even greater.

A grim looking first table, and the young Mr Bland is situated directly on my left, which can either be fun, or a massive ball-ache depending on which one of us cripples the other first. Another 35K start stack, and 30 minute clock... lots of ways to spring up to 75K or spin out in an awful fashion. Let's go!

The guy on my right just got a full level 1 double up to 70K+, courtesy of QQ vs 77 on a Q 7 3 flop. Some people might say it's a cooler, though I'm not convinced that the 350BB all-in call was totally warranted from the 77, but there we have it. He's now out, and he has a cool story to tell everyone.

Dan gets a timely bounce right up to 55K when he flops Kings full, bangs it on all streets, and still gets paid. Jeez, what a life. We hit level 2, and I'm still on 36K or so as we get to 25/100/200.

Dan hits and runs when he gets shifted tables out of the big blind. The pretty girl on my left also gets moved, and is replaced by an even prettier one. Life plods along and my stack does very little right now as we hit level 4, and 50/150/300.
This table is pretty nuts. An unsmiling Asian guy in shades and baseball cap just stuffed in 11K preflop with KQ, and was called by the old robot in the one seat with....Q 9 offsuit, for about 1/3 of his chips. King high wins about 25K.

I'd never actually come out and say it at the table, but some of these guys are TERRIBLE. In contrast to my earlier table, where people could get away from hands, and were capable of bluffs and a modicum of a thought process, this lot appear to want to shovel as much in at every opportunity if they hit one pair and a shitty kicker. I just witnessed a 100K pot, where 2 guys had KQ, the board was King high, another player with A10 was all-in on the flop and exposed his hand whilst the other two were still going at it for the side pot. The KQ's ended up busting him and chopping it, but they were happy to bet and call 15K and then 30K on the turn and river into an initially nonexistent side pot. It was entertaining, but has none of the finesse of my original table at noon, and the gameplay has to be drastically altered, since whilst a lot of these guys are never going to win this thing, stepping on one of their land mines will almost certainly scupper any chances I might have of going deep myself. I guess we'll find out on level 5 when I return.

Little has transpired, at least from my point of view. I'm on around 30K as we hit level 6 and 75/250/500. The table is still playing kind of screwy. I flopped bottom set (444) once and that was the time no-one decided they wanted to play. This had nothing to do with my image, which is far from tight on this table, but it's frustrating when others are getting paid off with top pair and a shitty kicker. On we grind. Screen says 165/205 remain. 

The old guy who spannered off his money with the Q9 earlier just blew his own brains out with 99 against KK for over 20K of his chips all-in preflop. It cut him down to fumes, and now he's gone after punting off the rest of his money a few hands later. He certainly had an interesting style, I'll give him that. When he was first to act, he checked in the dark. Every. Single. Hand.

I drop from 30K to 23K when I raise with QQ and get 3 callers, it flops an ace, and despite a c-bet, A7 decides he's not going anywhere, and also makes two pair for good measure. Sigh. Approaching level 8.

Now nearly on level 9 and I've been comprehensively card dead for a number of levels. I took a hit and have just reached the next break on 16K, which is far from ideal. I've played a few pots, but have flopped nothing or someone has improved to overtake. No one seems prone to folding here this afternoon. The moment of truth almost came on the last hand of the level, when I looked down at Ac Jc in mid position, and made it 2200 to go. There are about 3 callers (standard for this table), and then a big stack makes it 12K to proceed. I've played this guy before, and have a sneaking suspicion that although the bet size is a good one, he's also likely full of shit and just trying to buy it. If we were heads up then it might have been the time, however I decide that I'm calling off most of my money to hope I'm good or get lucky, when of course as you all know I'd rather be shoving myself first. He gets action in the end from another dude who announces "let's gamble" and punts 20K in with Kd 2d. He's duly called, and the villain tables KQ offsuit. So, I was right, however I was also spot on with the outcome. The KQ rivers a heart flush and busts the poor boob who had a rush of blood. I'm still in survival mode, playing (maybe for the first time in the entire trip) the kind of defensive poker I loathe. This will be the do or die level anyway.

OK, let's die.

Two hands wraps it up for me... KQ on a Queen high flop runs into AQ, and with the remnants of my chips (about 2500 at 100/500/1K), I then ship KJ and run into a girl who isolates and flips over AK... and that's that.

It was a dire afternoon, following the huge hand with the nuts that destroyed me this morning. Cast it aside, keep doing the right thing, and move on. The WSOP main event beckons.
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Venetian $600 NLH $750K gtd day 1a

30/6/2018

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Rocking and rolling at noon today for the first flight of the Venetian $600 event. There's a second flight today at 5pm, but personally I'd rather just get moving here and have tomorrow or this evening off once I've battered the field into submission. I play a flurry of early small pots whilst we're only 5 handed, most of which achieve a win and get me warmed up nicely.

Not a great start as things hot up. as I flop a pair and a flush draw, bang it twice, miss the world, and lose to Aces. After that I get rivered twice when the players both make straights, once against my set, and once against my top two. I started on 35K and have dipped to 30K, which doesn't concern me too much, as I kind of have the measure of a few guys on the table, and am confident that I can outplay them going trough the streets with a half decent tail wind.

Level 5 approaches (it actually feels like this is running pretty fast), and I'm swashing and buckling, but not really making or losing any headway. I'm chatting to a nice guy on my right who's in the restaurant business here. I've actually eaten at some of his places, and he's cool to talk to and has a good attitude to the game. The table is generally fun, and I'm still sitting on 31K or so, playing quite a few pots, and splashing about, hoping to catch someone in a bad spot. Screen shows 199/211 players at present.

Level 6 and I just had a nice dose of maximum tournament pain at the hands of a pretty but unsmiling girl. On a !0 d Qs 9d flop, I bet out on the come into 3 people with Ad Kc. two of them call, and I hit the Js on the turn to make the mortal nuts. It's a fair sized pot, and I fire out 10K first to speak. One player shuffles about and folds, and the girl twiddles around with her stack, and then luckily for me shoves for another 15K on top. Over we go, and I'm in good shape with the nuts versus her Kd 3d for a smaller straight with a flush draw. The river immediately brings an other diamond, and they ship a 60K or so pot her way, leaving me on a paltry 5K for my bad decision of getting it in good. Breathe and onward we go. I battle back a bit to 10K or so just by willpower, but at 75/250/500, it gives a lot less room to manoeuvre than I previously had.
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Level 8 now, and up to 100/400/800. My 10K stack still isn't great, but I've resisted the urge to spaz it off with any big Ace, preferring instead to pick my battles and make a steal when needed to stay with some modicum of a threatening stack. I feel this may have to be the level however, but we'll see what happens. Screen is showing 217/263 at present.

We reach the final hand on level 8 just before the next break, and I've just lost 3K when my Q 8 on a Queen high flop when it runs out Q J 7 10 K and the guy with the Ace now wants to bet and move me all-in. Sigh. The last hand pops up at 100/400/800 and I look down at 99, and decide there's enough in the pot for me to push my 6500 into the middle. I get min-raised in one spot, he flips over QQ when everybody folds, and that's my lot in flight 1A after almost 5 hours and a bit of ugliness with the nuts. Them's the breaks, and it's onto the next bullet, which will be...

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mid-trip update

30/6/2018

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A bit of space-filler for the bean counters, or the casually curious out there.

To date on this trip, I've played $5,100 of events, and have cashed for £2,380. Neither outstanding nor terrible but of course always nice to get some scratch on the board, and remind myself I'm generally doing the right thing. Another $11,500 is already put aside as 2 other WSOP events are already bought and paid for.

For this trip, though not every hand is always 100% documented (I do still have to play after all), I can easily tell in myself that I've definitely loosened up a bit as regards seeing extra streets, and putting the onus back onto the other player to make the difficult decisions, which should always be the goal in poker, and not merely in tournaments. The money side of it to me is never a big factor. If you start thinking about the amount for which you've bought in, then it can easily affect your judgement, when in reality in the purest sense poker should just be poker, and the buy-in should be considered gone, until you turn it into something bigger. Having said that, in contradiction, it's not always totally the case. Level one of the $10K main event, facing a preflop all-in when you have KK is an easy fold for me(the kids will mostly disagree, which is why largely they will all be out pretty quickly), whereas in most other events here, it's an easy call/re-shove generally. To me the structure always plays a huge part, and in the main, the structure doesn't come any better. On a slow clock with a decent stack, you get multiple opportunities to chip away (no pun intended) with all sorts of hands to build and accumulate, but in the quicker events sometimes the bigger preflop hands like QQ, KK, AK, and AQ just have a way of often playing themselves.
In myself, I'm feeling occasionally tired, but great in general. Whilst there is certainly time to relax a bit (when I bust), the heat, the atmosphere, the diet (delicious but hardly the most healthy), and the long hours can be pretty gruelling, so it's important to recharge and take your down time whenever you can. I'm lucky to have some very good friends that live in town, and I get to visit, hang, or sometimes even stay with them at times, which is good for normalising the utter madness that is Las Vegas during the WSOP. Having said that, it's not always cocktails, laughs,  and poolside relaxation. Just as they are nearly always around for me, sometimes your friends may also need you, for anything from a chat, to emotional support, to helping with day to day stuff, right through to just being there and letting them know that you have their back. That might sound a bit mysterious, or hokey, but I guess what I'm simply saying is that not everyone is always having the great time it might appear on the outside. Try to be kind, and don't be an asshole, as you never know what they might actually be going through behind the scenes.
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Without becoming an old hippy, I try quite hard here to get a bit of life/poker balance. In the middle of a blistering Nevada Summer, generally it's way too hot to play golf, so that's out, even though I have my own set of clubs here. I'm a regular at Trufusion, and I try to do hot Yoga classes or similar at least once every couple of days. The people are very cool, in general the antithesis of most poker players, and the exercise and atmosphere is great for setting your mind right and staving off any negativity that creeps in if left unchecked. I tried a fly gym class today just to be different. Think yoga but on a low trapeze type sling. Not sure I was quite as graceful or controlled as when I'm doing my more familiar Yin, but it was still a good experience and I'll try it again in the future. The pic above, gender notwithstanding, is probably the polar opposite of how I actually looked whilst attempting it. Aside from that, trips to the movies, swimming, meals in and out with friends, rest, keeping in touch with family. The standard stuff of life, all of which largely makes it better. I'm lucky here that so many of my friends have dogs, and dogs always make life good, even when today one tried to bite me on the nose as he didn't know me (we're friends now, it's all good).
I likely have another 6 events or so to play on this trip. Tomorrow's is the Venetian $600 Monster Stack with $750K guaranteed. I'm hoping to dig in for a long day there. I could fire another shell at it if needed, but we'll see how the day unfolds. I feel like I'm in a good place poker wise, and am getting psyched to be playing in the $10K main for the first time in a few years due to work commitments. The main is for me (and I hope for everyone with a share) the primary goal on this trip, but of course there's plenty of other poker to be played before I ship back to the UK. As long as I'm feeling good and playing well, that's all that's needed. The rest will unfold the way it's meant to, but I'm here, and I'm playing, and that's the main thing.
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wsop $1k Turbo bounty

29/6/2018

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Though as previously mentioned, it sometimes sucks to be me, at the same time anyone who knows me will tell you I'm not one to throw in the towel, especially over something as mundane as a bad day of poker. To that end we've brushed off the thoughts of what could have been at the Wynn Classic yesterday, and have got back on the horse to play the WSOP $1K. I had originally bought in for the Crazy $888 event instead, but upon looking at the structure and the fact it's a re-entry event (read that as every retard with a decent bank balance will be taking pot shots all afternoon), and I decided that even though a turbo, this is a better one to play, also leaving room for one or two bullets in the Venetian $750K guaranteed event if it all turns to matchsticks. To this end, I unregistered from the $888 event, and ponied up for this one instead. Updates to come in due course. We kick off at 11 a.m today.

I kick off fresh faced and full of... well, you all know what I'm full of, so let's just get past that. 5K chips and a pretty fast clock, with $300 bounties for each mutant you can eliminate. I rarely play these things with the intention of trying to knock out players. I'd rather play it to try to win the damn thing, and any casualties along the way that make us richer I accept as happy accidents.

My table today largely looks to be a bunch of unsmiling robots. I guess it had to happen eventually. The kid on my right gets admonished by another player for taking time to think in a hand, when the other player abruptly says to him "you do know this a turbo buddy right???" I ask if they'd like to get a room together, and neither looks amused. One of those days then. There have already been about 4 all-ins on this table in level 1, and it looks like at least 3 of the 7 seated players have been perfecting their stare down technique in front of the mirror. I try not to laugh at one point.

Nearing the end of level 2 (yep, it's that fast), and my 5K is about 4800. I think I've won two small pots without showdown. One French guy with all the poker apparel looks like he wants to get his whole stack in if he has any ace anytime an ace flops. He'll keep for now. The light blue chip on top of the stack is a $300 bounty given to each player.
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I lose one pot with JJ when it comes 9 high and I bet and get called by AQ. He catches a Queen on the turn, and it bumps me down to 3900. We're just about to hit level 4.

Just seen a 3 way all-in, where one guy jams with A2 offsuit (preflop), he's called by QJ, and overcalled by QQ. The A2 wins the lot when he makes two pair, and then proceeds to tell the table that he had position, was short stacked etc, etc. Poker players are so hilarious sometimes. The justifications of why some of them play the way they do are even funnier. Just shut up and take the pot already.

We hit 25/100/200 and this table is getting a bit bizarre. I've seen plenty of "any" Ace shoves that get called by even worse. I won one hand with a C-bet when I missed the flop which put me back to 4K or so, but then I lost around 1K when a guy with 53 suited turned a straight against my 10 10. I folded to the turn bet and he showed.

Level 6 at 50/100/300, and I'm on 3100. I look down at AdKh, and limp, intending to reraise should the chance arise. 2 people flat, then a French kid makes it 700 to play, perfect. One player then calls, and I ship the rest, happy to get the money in first and be up against anything other than AA or KK. The others fold, and he turns over QQ. Standard stuff. Now we just have to win it.

Flop is J 10 5. Now I WANT him to hit a Queen.

Turn is a 6. OK, now would be the right time to hit and Ace, King, or Queen.

I get another Ten. That's that.

No real complaints with the hand or the event. It was a lower buy in WSOP tournament, so it would always attract a few players for whom deep thinking isn't a strong suit. That's fine of course if you adjust, and some hands simply play themselves. I think in the spot I was in, mine was one of them, mainly filling my criteria for hands like AK, namely, I got the money in first, and it wasn't disproportionate to the blinds and structure. I just didn't win it, and I can live with that.

Tomorrow is the Venetian $600 with $750K guaranteed. I'll prepare for that, and will put aside any negative thoughts. I know I'm playing fine, and that's good enough.

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wsc $1100 day 1b $1m guaranteed

27/6/2018

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Sat down bright and breezy today, without a care in the world and ready to kick some ass. Yesterday evening I had some banging tacos, a Mojito, and a great hot yoga class (not in that order), and a very decent night's sleep. Fresh start today, and a new table of bandits to slaughter.

The only player I recognise is the housefly, with whom regular readers will be familiar. He's actually a pretty nice guy, he just doesn't say much at the table, which is fine.

Early jump to 22K from 20K as I flop a set, which is nice. 

Up to 28K, and as we complete the first level as I put in a small raise with 5d 3d, flop a straight flush draw, and turn the straight. The river brings another higher straightening card and also a third club which I really don't like. I like it even less when my opponent now bets 2500, but it somehow feels weak (or lucky) and I tank for a bit, and finally make the call. He tables King high for a bigger busted flush draw. Well played Kevin.

Just saw some more poker ugliness when a guy with J 10 flopped the nut straight on a 9 Q K board, and KK decided after the 5th raise on the flop that he was still somehow good. Of course, when the 9 paired up on the river he was, and the guy with the best hand going in leaves the room with a cool story about how his opponent couldn't find a fold and yet still won. l'm keeping it real at the moment and just plodding and stealing in the occasional good spot.

The clock screen shows 264/284 players at present. Almost at the end of level 2.


I get moved tables when I'm in the big blind. It seems OK so far. One young Asian kid in a garish jacket takes issue when he throws in one chip in the small blind to raise, and it gets queried. It all got sorted, but he was a bit irked about it. I'll try to contain my amazement.

Nearing the end of the third level as we approach the first break. I've gone up to around 30K which is a fine progression at this stage. You start with 20K in this with 40 minute levels, but losing a few decent sized early pots can immediately put you under pressure, so being on the right side of the curve is a good spot.
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A bit of vintage old school Lovejoy poker, and our boy catapults up to 46K in flamboyant style. I stick in a raise with 5h4h, and I then duly get three callers no less. Great...

Flop comes out KA7 which looks to miss me completely. However, everyone then checks and I'm certainly not betting at it, as I don't trust any of these gringos. The turn comes a 3, and now one lump wants to bet out for 2500. Everyone folds to me, and I am just about to bin it, when it occurs to me I actually just turned a double gutter draw, meaning if a deuce or a six hits the river, then I'd have the super-disguised nuts. I decide to call as I have an OK stack, and will likely get paid well if I hit gin.

The river is an offsuit deuce, happily giving me the nuts. I resist the urge to scream out, fist-pump and then high five the dealer triumphantly. Instead I calmly bet 7900, and my opponent very quickly calls, tabling his K7 proudly for two pair, and getting ready to receive the pot. However, I give him the bad news, and he then looks like he's about to pop a major blood vessel.

"What the fuck!?! How the hell did you call and then hit that???"

"I know, it was terrible. I only had four outs". The Asian kid on my left bursts out laughing as he knows the truth (eight outs for those not keeping up with the plot). I say very little more, but the guy's head has now totally left the building, and he busts out about 20 minutes later.

I'm playing well, and also am catching cards. I just hit over 60K at 500/200/500. I have KK (what a life) and it gets bumped preflop and I flat call hoping for more action. I get it when the 3-bet comes in, and now 3 players call and I make it 8900 to play to send the message. All folds to the guy on my right who looks like he still wants to play, and he reaches for the rest of his chips, another 6K more or so, and I tell him not to do it, but he decides to move all-in. I ask him if he has QQ as I put in the chips, and he turns green and nods. I bust him when no Queens appear on the board (despite an Ace popping up to the dismay of the other guys who had folded).

Level 8 now, and I've won and lost a few, but am steady on 60K with the average stack at 37K, and 297/565 remaining currently.
I've limped a few pots with baby pairs just to try to set mine, but mostly have been raised off preflop when the betting got a little bit silly. I just called 2K with 66, and a shortish stack of 8300 decided this was the time to jam with a bit of money already in the pot. The guy on my right has about 22K, and finally decides to call, essentially committing himself, so I just let it go, though I might well have called the 8300 had the second player folded. When the cards go over I wasn't in bad shape against the shorter stack's KQ and especially good shape against the other guy's 33, but the Queen instantly hits, and it leaves me feeling glad that my neighbour had called the bet and therefore had let me off cheap.

​I drop to 56K on the level before dinner with a badly timed bluff, but I release it on the turn when he punts in 15K, so the damage is minimal. 252/583 remain at present.
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My table breaks once again, and I find myself as a shorter stack on about 70K (which is still a perfectly good amount), and trying to figure out a new line up of muppets. Luckily, the dinner break arrives and I ship out for an hour, and when I return, this table also quickly breaks, and I look at 189/609 players on the tournament clock, as the blinds hit 1200/600/1200.

Just had a nice moment of maximum  gut wrenching poker pain, to lose a pot of around 150K.

I'm in the big blind with 9d 7h, and there's a small raise to 3K and two callers. I complete to try to flop something with potential.

It rolls out 9h 9s 2h. About as good as it gets unless there's some awful cooler in my future. I'm first to speak, and I lead out for 9900. The scruffy kid who originally made the preflop raise calls, and the others fold.

Turn is the Ac, and I decide to kill it there and then, and bet almost 30,000, leaving about 30 back and basically sending the message of where I am in the hand. The kid twiddles his chips, asks how much the bet was, and after about 2 minutes, then raises me all in. Great. If I have just walked into Aces full I may actually throw up on the table. I get it in, and table my hand. He turns over... Ah Kh, for two pair, Aces and Nines, and a flush draw, one of his flushing cards of course, I have in my hand. Good shape for our hero in a monster pot.


Until of course, the river brings the Qh, which makes him a flush and decimates my stack down to about 5K. 

This is normally the point where the player who loses is supposed to go off on a childish rant and tell the other guy how lucky he just got, how terrible he is, etc. I'm a bit too old to get into all that stuff, plus, I'm not a dick, so I let the dealer ship the pot, and just say nothing. Sigh.

Around an orbit later I find JJ and I decide reluctantly that this is the time. Annoyingly there's a raise to about 2600 ahead of me, which is the worst possible bet size for my stack, and I realise after two people also call that if I just shove here, I'm likely going to get 3 or 4 callers now, who will probably then check it down if they miss and bust me out. Ugh.

​Luckily, the old guy who is on my right now springs to life, and makes it 14K to play, and irrespective of what he has, I have to now go with it given my present plight. I call for less and luckily the others all fold. Even more luckily, he then proudly tables 99. Shit, I'm actually ahead!

No horror stories, and I get a double up plus change. It's a start.

A few hands later I look down on the button at Kc 4c. It's far from ideal, but neither is my stack. I stuff it in, and both the blinds put me through the wringer but eventually fold. I'm back on 22K, but with the limits now at 1600/800/1600, I have a long ways to go to be back near the very comfortable stack I was on not 30 minutes ago.

​169/609 remain.

The same kid who destroyed my stack earlier now raises my big blind to 3600. The old guy who had the 99 also calls, and I look down at Ad Qd, and decide I'm having none of it, so I punt in my stack in, and he winces and then folds, followed by the older guy. I'm up to 32K or so and building back well and tuned in.

Tournaments can be so disgusting sometimes. 

I look down at KK with 150 players left. The player under the gun makes it 4200 to play. The guy on his left cuts out 11000 or do and raises. Great stuff. Round to me, and I make it 23,500, leaving myself about 9K. All folds to the 11K guy, who looks at my stack, and moves all-in. Let's go.

Me: KK
Him: AK

The dreaded overcard. Whatever, let's just get it over with.

Flop comes J Q A, putting me in awful shape and drawing to one King for a win or a ten for a chop. I get neither and instead of being back over 80K again, I'm walking out the door.

I hope the updates are entertaining. Trust me, when you're playing well, are tuned in, and are doing everything correctly, it still very often sucks to be me.
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wsc $1100 day 1a $1M guaranteed

26/6/2018

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Scheduling stuff and cashing in the WSOP means I re-jigged my tournament plans slightly, and opted to swing at day 1A of the Wynn Classic today instead of the PH event. There's money in the budget, and with a million guaranteed as opposed to $500K at PH, it seems a better bet for your money, so off we go.

20K starting stack becomes 24K quickly, when I turn a straight against a guy who wants to keep firing. I let him until he gives up the ghost when he realises he's toast. Good start.

Some creative betting and a nicely flopped top set and my 20K starting stack now looks good and more like 32K. The table is a little snug, and one older French guy has already had an argument with another player because he wanted to see the player's hand, when he actually wasn't obligated to show it. Poker players really can be such children sometimes. Anyhoo, I'm in the zone, and as we approach the first break I'm doing well and am well above average chips.

I just got my first vomit inducing moment of the trip. Now my stack is back down to 15K when it would have been more like 50K had I won the pot..

I have QQ in a 3 way pot, and I river top set on a 2 10 6 3 Q board. It's a big pot, and I bet 7700 on the river into two players who have both check called so far. One folds and the other now ships for about 4K more. Ugh. I call, and he tables 54 for a dirty straight. He wants to have a gloat and a little needle, but I let him get on with it, and am over it the second it's happened. Never mind, suck it up and press onwards and try to rebuild when we return for level 4..
234/268 remain at present in today's flight. The guy who made the straight versus my set just gave 15K or so away by calling a guy down with K8 suited, and losing to the all-in shove, when the other guy table K9 with a King on the board. Surreal stuff.

​I've gone into my shell a little bit for now, not wanting to be in the spot that others now find themselves... calling off hand after hand and suddenly being short stacked. I'm still on 15K which is fine, so for now I'll bide my time.

243/314 now as we near level 6. A tad frustratingly, I've gone utterly card dead, and the guy on my right who had the 54 has had a combination of hitting everything he's played, and also having people who have nothing bluffing into him a fair bit. As a result, I'm on 12K now, and he looks more like 55K. At times like this I guess you just have to rock up, and remember it's just one long game, and wait for the moment to come when it turns.

I steal a couple of pots and win one at showdown whilst in level 6. I'm playing pretty tight and aggressive, not bleeding off chips. A couple of Greek guys join the table, and a lot of pots are being played 3 and 4 way preflop now. I'm feeling comfortable, though the mood of the table is darker than at the start of the day. Poker often ebbs and flows. I find it best not to let anything really get to you, and to just play your game and be consistent.

I just spiralled out... I think unluckily, but I'll let you be the judge. I'm in the big blind with AQ offsuit, and it's raised under the gun to 2800 by the English older guy on my left. I'm not a lover of AQ as a rule, unless you can flop cheap, and hit the world. However, in this spot two other players flat call the 2800, and I decide to take a flop. I think folding here is bad (though not always terrible-see my earlier comment about needing to flop a miracle), and I also think that at this stage that raising is definitely an error.

We see a flop 4 way, and it comes Q 10 Q. Hallelujah...

I decide to lead out for 4500. I like betting flops like this, as people rarely do so, and as a result it's unlikely anyone puts you 100% on a Queen. The English guy now raises me to 11K. The other two players fold.

I's a hard spot for me, but with about with over 28K in the pot, I think I don't really have a choice. I ship for another 7K or so more and he calls me. Let's see what he has.

He tables 10 10, for a flopped house, Tens full of Queens. Bugger it.

I'm not drawing dead, and as I say I'd think am maybe quite unfortunate to find this guy with this exact hand (I'm only losing to 10 10 or Q 10), but there it is.

The board runs out and I can't pair up to make a bigger house, and I bust. Little to do but wish the table luck and leave.

It's a disappointing day. I got a great start, and lost an ugly pot where I would have been in amazing shape had I won. The exit hand was equally harsh. Not making excuses. I could throw it round in circles, but I think they both kind of played themselves, and I was just the guy who got the raw deal today. I will most likely take another go at this tomorrow, as I was scheduled to play 1B before I decided on playing today. The Venetian has a $3500 with what looks like a big overlay, but it's too much money to pony up, so I think that one will have to be missed out on.

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WSOP $1500 MONSTER STACK DAY 2

25/6/2018

2 Comments

 
First orbit of my start table and already I'm liking my day 2 line up. I stole the first two pots uncontested, and though stack wise I'm in the middle of the pack, they seem a pretty passive bunch. Of course, we have over 2,000 players still in the field, and I believe 900+ get paid, so there's no real need to start bashing the hell out of things this early on.

Saying that...when the hand comes up you kind of have to play it.

My 36K just became 24K when I raised blind on blind with QQ. The shorter stacked big blid called and I fired the flop for 3K when an Ace a 5 and a 7 hit. He quickly called. Another Ace on the turn, and I bet another 3K. He dwells, and then raises me back for another 5K more, leaving about 9K behind. In my mind he's absolutely never ever bluffing here, so painful as it is, I just have to release it, and get ready to rebuild a bit. 


We're almost at the start of level 12, and no update on players remaining yet. I'm not overly fussed. Just keep playing my game.

Won a small pot with AQ on an Ace high flop, but then lost a bigger one with 77 on a 944 flop when I had to fold to a bet of over half my stack. I'd like to grind this for a while, but at 200/600/1200 with a sub-20K stack I may need to get busy and try for the double up whilst I have enough chips to make it meaningful. With a 40 or 50K stack then playing lots of small pots is very attractive, with what I'm looking at now, not so much when you keep missing flops. Never mind. Grit. Teeth.

The Aussie lady on my table started today with a healthy stack. When the board in one hand ran out four cards to a Royal Flush, and also paired in a big pot, she looked pained and lost around half her stack. She rebuilt a bit, and then bluffed off a huge chunk with Ace high to the guy on her right, so she's now on fumes. Stuff like this is worth being aware of, as sometimes short stacked people get desperate, and do something in a hand that ruins your own plans, so I'm keeping one eye on her.

Screen now says about 1,780 players remain, so still a good 900 or so off the money, not that I'm thinking about that right now.

Well, my hand just came up, and I grabbed it by the balls and shook it. Whatever the hell that means.

I am in the big blind in a 3 way limped pot with 87 offsuit. It comes 6 8 9 rainbow,and second to speak I check as it looks like the cutoff may bet. He does, for 3500, and the small blind calls. If someone's flopped a straight then I'm unlucky, but with my chips, tossing a pair and a straight draw here I think is definitely an error. I ship it, and the cutoff calls, tabling 86 for a flopped two pair after the small blind has folded. Not ideal but I'm live.

​The immediate 5 on the turn is a welcome sight to give me a straight, and no disasters on the river mean I have a second wind and am now back to 31K again. Right. Let's start over!

Just found Kings and got zero action, and then found 10 7 offsuit and also got no action, but raised with it anyway and picked up the pot. It seemed like the right thing to do.

Approaching the first break and I'm basically back where I started on 39K or so. Still liking this table a lot. Only one guy looks remotely dangerous, and the rest are either passive or recreational, though I don't have enough chips to start going crazy just yet. Off outside for some sun. 
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Back from the break, and the grind continues with 1300 players remaining as we go to 200/800/1600. I'm a little up and a little down, but currently am sitting on about 33K, which is still OK.No hands of note appearing, but I'm managing my chips quite well and robbing occasionally when possible. A 50K + stack would be much better to work with on this table, but I'm nipping along slowly, never winning or losing too much at a time.

We just hit 1,100 players, and also the start of level 14 at 300/1K/2K. Blinds and antes are now starting to bite, and with around 200 players left until the first money level, people are getting jittery and punting with all sorts of hands preflop. Time to play smart.

That sucks. Just lost a scabby one when I raised with 33 and a bigger stack called off with KQ offsuit and hit a King, bumping me down to nearer 20K. I'm not in my comfort zone now stack-wise, and having played (I think) pretty well for a day and a half almost), it feels a bit rough to have come off worst in a few borderline hands in the last few levels. Still, it is what it is, we just have to do our best and keep on going.

I decided from the get-go that playing like a pussy probably wasn't going to get me very far in terms of results, and I'm certainly not shy about moving chips around. I go down to 16K which at 300/1K/2K is a pretty bad spot, so when it's folded to me and I see As 7s, I decide to not get fancy and just let them have it.

I'm not in love with it when one player dwells up, and then finally calls for probably 25% of his stack. On our backs, and...

Me: As 7s
Him Ad Js

OK, I can wax lyrical about hand selection, but I really don't like his call, irrespective of him having me locked up to three outs or a flush. He has about 4 people to act behind him, and I'm not folding, since I'm all in. But of course, as said, we all play differently. I's not what I'd have done with his stack anyway. Off we go.

The universe appears to agree with me, and I get some love by flopping a Seven. He picks up a straight draw but bricks it, and we hit the next break with me on a better but still not amazing 34K.

​Back from break, and tantalisingly close to the min-cash, which of course isn't what I'm about, but is worth keeping in mind as it affects the table dynamic quite often. The nice old Hawaiian guy on my left is crippled on around 5K, and when all are folded to us in the blinds, though I don't like it, I feel I have to move him in no-look. He duly calls, and we both flip over K7, albeit me having the Kd 7d.

I flop a flush draw, and turn a seven, and river a King, so we chop with much mirth from everyone but the kid who missed his flush. On we go. He busts shortly after, but was fun to play with.

25K and the screw is tightening. I've seen an A9 shove get called by J 10 for 45K, and A3 vs A7 for 60k or so. Some of these guys are truly frightening... even if it's for all the wrong reasons.

Well kids... it looks like we are on the actual bubble here with 940 players, and 939 getting some monies. I've dropped back to 19K or so, but know what to do in situations like these. Hopefully someone else can be the sacrificial lamb at this point in the game anyway. If you see that I've busted on the stone money bubble, then I'll give you three guesses what the exit hand was.

​A good 20 minutes or so passes. A lot of it I think with assorted poker players tanking and dwelling up unnecessarily, not actually realising that they've stopped the tournament clock, thus rendering any stalling utterly pointless. I never said these guys were too bright.

Anyway, now we're $2,300 to the good. Next stage is at least two double ups.

It's getting tight, as I'm totally card dead, and now we're at 500/1500/3000, it's super expensive to play. A couple of guys at the table have big stacks, and where I am right now, it means I just have to get busy and hope for the best, as we've got to the money stage, and now we just need to get the rub of the green when it matters most.

It's been dire since the bubble, and I've stolen two pots with oxygen, but it doesn't cover the cost of living. I need a double up. I'm down to 11K which basic maths tells us all is not enough. I squeeze out a queen under the gun, and decide that with 4 big blinds, that will have to do. I jam.

I get one dwell-call, and then the Aussie woman I played with yesterday decides to shove for around 75K. I consider this good news based on what she's turned over so far as it may isolate us. It does, and she flips over JJ which to me is superb.

I turn over both cards. I have Qd 6d. Not ideal but it's the race I need and I was in first.
It runs out blanks, and I bust. Some will say that Q6 suited wasn't the exit hand to go on. However, I could have been in the big blind for 1/3 of my stack would be a pretty awful spot unless you find a miracle hand. I've no complaints about the strategy. Played 2 events, cashed in one. Onto the next, and no regrets.
2 Comments

filler/prep/etc

24/6/2018

0 Comments

 
No poker was played today.

Nope, I haven't taken leave of my senses. The window in which for me to play here isn't huge, however in the upcoming days/weeks, trust me, there are no shortage of things to play. I made day two of the Monster Stack, which resumes tomorrow, and my scheduled event today started at 5 pm. I therefore decided that rather than punt in that and also be up for 11 am tomorrow, I'd use it as a rest day to start fresh for the WSOP in the morning. Nothing crocks your chances of playing well and being focused like having three hours sleep, so I decided that buying in for the Venetian event today would be an error on my part, since I'd like to go deep (read late) and if I didn't then there would be no point buying in to begin with. Like I say, plenty of things still to come, and if I bust out, it's simply another shell in the arsenal for something else. 
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It's quite funny that people at work were talking to me about my long "holiday", and I was quite emphatic that I'd get very little time to actually holiday or rest up. Here I am on day 4 by the pool with a screwdriver chilling right out. I've said before that a lot of players feel the time constraint whilst here. Like, they HAVE to fill every waking hour with poker, or they are somehow losing out. A lot of these guys aren't winning players anyway, so it makes limited sense to me to be running yourself into the ground just to rack up the hours. What do I know? I've only been playing since the Dark Ages.

For me, today was a few errands, some pool time, and a hot yoga class in the evening (if you ever come out here and are into doing more than just eating fried chicken and having a heart attack, then try TruFusion-it's great and I'm a confirmed devotee of the place). In the evening I did a bit of shopping, cooked up some chicken with butter & balsamic vinegar (an old Nigel Slater recipe, but something the yanks have neither heard of nor tasted before), and took it easy. We resume battle tomorrow at the Rio, and whatever it brings, I'm better prepared for it one way or the other.
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wsop $1500 monster stack

23/6/2018

4 Comments

 
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Plotted up nice and early for the 10 am start for my WSOP Monster Stack event. I've heard the numbers are down this year at the Rio, however the early start could just mean a lot of the regulars are still in bed, since getting up prior to midday is often a feat in itself for a lot of these guys.

I recognise one guy at my starting table, a hoodie in large mirrored shades who always says very little, and always reminds me of a giant bluebottle. Past experience has shown that late in a tournament he's happy to treat hands such as A 10 like four of a kind, but he always seems to be in the mix, so I guess it's working out for him.

Lots of small ball stuff understandably during the early rounds. We begin with 15K which is plenty with a one hour clock starting at 25/50 blinds. The guy on my right has already had his KK shredded by a set, and his straight destroyed by a flush, so he's now looking more like 8K, and is playing more pots this early than he probably should be.

The first hour is uneventful for me, and I don't win a single pot, despite having quite a few AK's AQ's suited Aces etc. It's all minimal, and my 15K looks more like 13,500 now.

First break after the second hour, and I'm on 12K without winning a single hand in 2 levels. Not overly concerned, the structure is great, and I've got plenty of patience and time to get going. The secret in my mind is  just to not bleed off too many chips too early. The guy I said who was ready to pop earlier is now long gone. He kept playing hand after hand and trying to fight his way out of the downward spiral, and it never happened, despite him having some decent holdings.

I've come down to my usual spot out by the benches in  front of the Rio for the 20 minute break, in order to defrost from the absolutely freezing atmosphere inside, and also to get away from the incessant poker chat from the hoodied millennial neckbeards. Today isn't my lucky day. Some loudmouth and his buddy sit down right by me, and he wants to playbook every bloody hand for the last 2 hours. I stick on my headphones and listen to a bit of Hans Zimmer to blot out the droning. The smell of weed outside on the breaks is far harder to mask, but you can't have everything. Caesars in their wisdom have also decided that an outdoor portaloo (branded of course) right at the entrance is a masterstroke of customer convenience and marketing. An outdoor crapper in the middle of the desert in 115 degree heat...what could possibly go wrong? I think I'll pass.
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Patience being a virtue and all that. I return from the break, and now my 12K looks more like 22K, after I flop a set of 10's and the man with a set of 3's can't see any other choice than to go broke with them. Sets are always a tough spot, but he could have lost less chips or even got away from it by the time the dust cleared. Hindsight is a wonderful thing. Anyway, I'll take the win and the chips, and we're well and truly back in the zone after a dead first two levels.
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20 minutes until the end of level 3, and I lose a smallish one to an aggressive Aussie kid who has joined us. I know I always say it, bit a lot of guys seem to want to go crazy early with marginal hands... the viewpoint I guess being that they either get a playable stack early on, or they go and do something else. This might not be a bad thing, but it needs to be tempered with a bit of common sense. A lot of guys who like to bully can amass a big stack early, but don't have the gears to reign it in a bit once they have the chips. Whatever you do, if you're playing this thing, it's supposed to be a long, hard day.

Flopping the nuts in the WSOP and then losing always sucks. It just happened to one guy, but luckily it wasn't me.

On a flop of 6 7 10, a betting war breaks out between the guy with 98, and an older guy who has 66 but decides hes not going anywhere, even for 15K plus. It all goes in, and an immediate 7 on the turn pairs up to give the old guy a boat. It's not pretty, but in these things you'll see far worse as the day unfolds.

​We just hit level 4 and the 25 antes have kicked in. At this stage it doesn't change too much for me, and I'm still sitting pretty on 23K or so.

​Break at the end of level 4, and nothing to report...won a few, lost a few. Still on 21K, which is just fine. Off out for some sun.

Midway through level 5, and the Aussie kid to my right just dusted off a bunch of chips to a guy with AA when the flop came Jack high, and he'd been in there raising with KJ. I did say he had trouble slowing down...

I've gone from 21K back down to 15K, by virtue of having AK three times and losing all of them. The final one I released it on a K 2 3 Q board in a three way pot. They both got it in, and one turned over KQ whilst the other showed 22 for a flopped set, so I guess even though I'm getting beaten up, I'm still tuned in quite well.

Level 6 now at 50/150/300, on the run up to the 75 minute dinner break, and I'm not catching anything. I'm still on around 15K whilst people are committing suicide all around me.

Down to 12K when I raise with AJ offsuit, and the housefly makes it 2500 to go. I'd likely need a miracle flop so I let it go, just as our table breaks. My new table is going to be the NEXT one to break also, so I won't get too comfortable.

My table breaks literally about 3 hands later and off I go again. At my new table, I sit down and immediately look down at KK. It's raised before it gets to me, so I bang it to 4800 out of a 12500 or so stack. He moves in and tables 99 when I call, and there are no horror stories, and I find myself back up on 26K or so as we approach the dinner break and a 75 minute rest. Watch this space.
Back from dinner, and my table has again broken. I move to a new line up, play a couple of small pots and quelle surprise, once again I break. This time I move from the main pavilion into the Brasilia room, so hopefully I'll now be in one place for a while. 

I win a decent size pot with AK against a guy with Queens when I flop a King and he doesn't slow down. I'm now up to around 35K as we hit level 8. The screen shows we have 3,191 players in the field today.
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Made it to the next break and have bobbed and weaved (woven?) and am sitting on 34K or so as we get ready for the last two levels of the day. I have been a bit lax with the updates, but to be quite honest this table has been the most enjoyable and good humoured one I've been at for a long time, and we've all been joking and bullshitting non stop for the last 90 minutes or so, taking the piss out of one another, doing movie trivia, pushing chips around, you know... proper poker. Great fun.

​We return with 1,110/3,369 remaining, and at 100/300/600.

Now starting the last level of the day and I've won and lost a couple, but am holding steady on 39K. It's been a very good table, in more ways than one. I've been able to steal quite a bit. The guys are largely a nice bunch, and it's been a good atmosphere. Hopefully we don't break.

Of course... we break.

A new table is always a tough one to size up, especially if you don't know anyone. You can be a robot like all the millennials, and sit and say nothing, but then if that's the case why did you bother leaving the house to begin with when you could just sit indoors and keep clicking buttons all day instead? I decide the direct approach is the best way to handle it, since I don't recognise anyone, and it looks like even though my chips are healthy, I might still be the lowest stack here.


"Christ, they're even uglier on this table!'

A pause, and it gets a laugh. Mission accomplished. No one likes a table of po-faced robots. Off we go again.

Though not on a level with the previous table, this one isn't too bad either. I win and lose a couple, nothing earth shattering, and they call last 6 hands of the day. The time when no-one really wants to go broke, but sometimes the odd opportunity presents itself.

No cigar today however. It passes without incident, and I bag up a healthy 38,600 and a well earned night's sleep after today's fun and games. My first event I played for 10 hours or something silly for nothing, today slightly over that. However, I'm still in the hunt, and in 2 days I return, for a crack at bigger and better things once the day one's combine. Happy with my game today. I was hardly ever all-in, and I sized up the opposition just fine despite playing I think six or seven different tables. I'll look at the calendar to see what tomorrow brings now that I know I'm playing on Monday.
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4 Comments

Venetian $400 Monster stack $200K gtd

22/6/2018

1 Comment

 
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Straight out of the traps in my first event with a few scabby steals. A 30k starting stack means there's no need to go mental early on, but obviously on a 3 week trip, I'm not planning to bleed to death every event, so there's no harm in working out the lie of the land nice and early.

​This year, the Venetian events are being held in the Sands Expo centre, as opposed to in the main casino. Despite it being nice and airy, and playing 9 handed, with no slots, smoke, or loud music pervading the atmosphere,a few of the players have already moaned that they have a bit of a walk from the casino to the tournament area. Personally I'd say judging by appearances, a walk won't do too many of them that much harm, and they could probably use a bit of cardio anyway. Personally I like the new set-up. Last time I saw it was when it was used to test the Batmobile in the Dark Knight trilogy, but it has a nice feel to it if you're there to actually play poker.
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Nearing the end of the first two levels, and my 30K looks more like 33K. Field is currently 700/725 players.

Argh. The times I should listen to my inner voice and I don't... I would now be on 50K had I just stayed with a crappy suited hand but I let it go and rivered a flush. The other two in the pot just bet and called 8K each on the river and a straight won the hand. Early in these things is really the time to get paid. Never mind. Still on the 30K starting stack.

Back up to 35K when a guy telegraphs a big pair with a preflop reraise so I decide to take him on with 73 suited. I flop a pair and river a straight, and he looks like he wants to throw up. I flash him a winning smile and a wink, and we're all friends again.

First break and I'm around 33K. I take a walk outside, where your choices are to either listen to neckbeards going on about poker, to stand with the smokers and get lung cancer, or to walk further down and stand out in the Nevada sun, where you an get skin cancer instead. Fun!

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Luckily I like the heat, so I've gone for option 3.

Level 5, and whilst I've stayed in the mix, I've dropped to 26K due to kicker trouble in a couple of hands, and one river bluff I probably shouldn't have tried, as I knew the guy was steaming a little and was likely to call. No big deal right now. Getting involved in a few pots when I've rarely played any decent starting hands is always good, as long as being aware of when to back off is always around somewhere in the mind.

Screen shows 735/985 with the alternates still lining up.  In theory 16 levels get played today, and so far we've only lost one guy, who comprehensively blew his brains out when he realised he need to be somewhere other than in a poker tournament. Of course this was after he'd bought in of course. Some other guy at the table was the lucky beneficiary once he realised he should not be playing today and had to dust off his stack to anyone else.

Back to starting stack of 30K again. Everyone here can play, it's it's mostly a position or hand showing exercise right now. No one is getting too out of line. 
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Next break...on 27K again.

Dropped down to 17K in 2 hands where I had combo draws and barrelled the river, only to get called down by ace high which was good. This bore out two things: the first was as per my earlier post when I've been playing a little onlne before the trip, people are far more inclined to call off light. Secondly, which might sound contrary to the first, I should be making the river bets bigger. That is to say even when I do have the hands, as people are far more inclined to just stack off now with even one pair. C'est la vie.

A tad unfortunate slightly later, when my 99 loses to a set of two's when he calls the flop with nothing and turns a deuce. 900/1230 players currently remain.

I catapult back up to 27K when one of the newer players at the table, an aggressive English guy, decides to 3-bet me when I raise with QQ, the first really decent starting hand I've seen in a while. I decide that facing a 5K bet with about 8K more behind won't do it, so I stuff it in. He snap calls, and tables...A 5 ofsuit. OK...

The flop comes 468 giving him another 4 outs for a straight, then on the turn it comes a 3, to give him another 4 outs and a double gutshot and an overcard!!!

Luckily the river bricks everything, and our boy does good. Back in business.

Shortly after and I flop gin with A10 on a JQK flop, and AK decides he wants to barrel every street with one pair. I bust him and jump to 50K + and suddenly life is looking better.

The funniest hand just came up. Funny because it's unlikely most people would play it the way I did, or would have ended up the same way...

I get Aces (this is the hand immediately following the A 10 flopped straight remember), and I put in a preflop raise. I get two callers and the flop comes 7 8 10 with two diamonds. I fire out a bet, not loving it too much, but one folds and one calls. 

The turn is the Ace of clubs, putting two clubs and two diamonds on board. Suddenly I'm liking things a bit more again. I bet 6500, and he dwells and calls.

The river... is the 6c. A dreadful card, making both a straight and a flush. I fire a smallish bet of 4500 considering the size of the pot, and he quickly raises to 18K. A set of Aces is a pretty hand, but in this spot it's likely toast, and I let it go. He says he had 10 9 of diamonds and rivered the straight, and though I'm wary of speeches I'm inclined to believe him. I think he's pretty much never bluffing there. On we go.

Dinner break, and I'm on 52K or so, which is plenty healthy. Back in an hour or so.

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The hour following the dinner break has been fairly uneventful for me, and I've gone from 52K down to 48K without doing much.

Screen is showing 693/1426 remaining, 

Some fancy footwork just got me up to 74K or so versus a young beard in a hoodie who was a serial raiser. We see a raised pot and I lead out with 5c 4c on a 10g 5d 3c flopHe raises me, but experience has told me he's often (excuse the technical terminology) full of shit, so I call the 10K raise. The turn is the Qc giving be nearly lowest pair, and a flush draw, however, against this guy I'm quite happy to play some poker. I open ship and watch as he squirms and finally folds. I show the 54 just to twist the knife slightly and send a message, which I'm sure was well received.

Just had a minor disaster with set over set when I had 66 vs 10 10 on a Q 6 10 flop. I lost a chunk but didn't stack off, largely because it running out Q 6 10 K A slowed us both down a bit. Back to 43K again as we hit the 15 minute break at the end of level 12.

​476/1426 now remain, and we have a max of 4 levels left to play today, as we hit 300/1K/2K.

Another nasty one as my 55 loses out on a 7 7 8 9 10 board, and I go down to 29K. Not a great feeling,  but I'm playing well and have thus far cheated death a few times by being astute. I don't mind getting it in of course, but as you all know I'd rather be doing the shoving than the calling.

I steal one and get back to 24K after a few orbits with nothing happening. It's getting a bit tight at the moment, but I'm not doing anything wrong. I'll possibly have to have a gamble if the hand comes up in order to stay in the hunt. I'm OK with that.

Looks like our table will be the next to break. We've lost a few more of the regulars, and blinds are now at 300/1K/2K. I put in a raise with 5d 6d, and get one caller out of the big blind.
​

Flop 4 5 7. Here we go then.


I'm first to speak, and I lead out for 6k out of the 20K or so I have. The big blid thinks, then shoves. I don't put him on a set, or anything meaningful, maybe some fluke, but likely not a straight. Whatever it is I doubt I'm drawing dead. Time to make a stand. I call. We have around the same chips.


He turns over 5 7 offsuit for a flopped two pair. Ugh.


The turn gives me a flush draw too, but the river bricks out and I bust around 450th of 1426. No complaints on the exit hand. Of course, winning it would have been better, but I played fine, took my shots, and held my own with no problems.


I popped over to the Rio after, and bought into tomorrow's $1500 Monster Stack, since it starts at 10am and I don't want to be standing in line with the great unwashed for 2 hours in the morning to buy in because I couldn't be bothered to do it the day before. A good night's sleep, and back on the horse tomorrow.
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