Off we trot with the $5 million guaranteed event. I sit down on table 113, where everyone is pretty stoic and untalkative, but I crack a few lines of schtick, and win the first pot, and they all seem a bit chattier and looser now. Always nice to work a bit of early magic. My 40k hops up to 43k, and on we plod with 918 entrants so far. I bump into my good pal Darren from the UK who has just arrived in town, and it's always nice to see a familiar face. This is a 40 minute clock, and I seriously doubt that many people make the adjustment to a nice long structure, but we'll see how the day progresses.
Level 2, and little to report, save the increase in players to 1,058. That is, until I get dealt KK, and it loses to J4 offsuit. It's no huge drama, the pot was small, I was trying to trap, and he flopped two pair in the blinds. Instead of losing 8k I lost about 3500. Hey ho.
Level 3, and I'm danced around a little bit, but am basically still on starting chips. No need to do anything crazy right now, with people flowing in and the potential for someone to commit suicide. Marathon. Not Sprint. Etc.
A timely hop up to 47k, as I flop an ace, and turn two pair, betting for value to win a mediocre pot and keep the chip stack healthy. Ammo for the war chest for later hopefully. First break in 15 minutes.
I leave the table 90 seconds early to beat the great unwashed in the surge to the restrooms; an old trick I learned in the WSOP many years ago, Conversely to most, now is the time when I've actually put my headphones on and am listening to music, as opposed to during the tournament. They are the perfect foil for blocking out the obligatory bad beat stories and hand anlysis that goes with large groups of poker players. i can't think of anything worse, so a bit of Robert Plant and Peter Gabriel it is. Not a duet obviously.
47k and purring along nicely at the moment.
Level 2, and little to report, save the increase in players to 1,058. That is, until I get dealt KK, and it loses to J4 offsuit. It's no huge drama, the pot was small, I was trying to trap, and he flopped two pair in the blinds. Instead of losing 8k I lost about 3500. Hey ho.
Level 3, and I'm danced around a little bit, but am basically still on starting chips. No need to do anything crazy right now, with people flowing in and the potential for someone to commit suicide. Marathon. Not Sprint. Etc.
A timely hop up to 47k, as I flop an ace, and turn two pair, betting for value to win a mediocre pot and keep the chip stack healthy. Ammo for the war chest for later hopefully. First break in 15 minutes.
I leave the table 90 seconds early to beat the great unwashed in the surge to the restrooms; an old trick I learned in the WSOP many years ago, Conversely to most, now is the time when I've actually put my headphones on and am listening to music, as opposed to during the tournament. They are the perfect foil for blocking out the obligatory bad beat stories and hand anlysis that goes with large groups of poker players. i can't think of anything worse, so a bit of Robert Plant and Peter Gabriel it is. Not a duet obviously.
47k and purring along nicely at the moment.
Marching onward through level 4, and now 1,339 entrants with a long alternate line. One guy at the table sporting headphones and a large gaudy Tag Heuer watch (a la Heisenberg) hasn't said much, but has been pretty aggressive whenever he's played a pot, mainly getting people to fold prior to showdown. His luck just ran out however, when on a board with two 9's showing, he called off an all-in bet on the turn with JJ, only to be greeted by AA, taking away a good 3/4 of his stack in the process. I'm being much more cagey, and despite losing one pot where I was rivered by K8 offsuit, I am still pretty much stable on 47k or so. Fine for the time being.
Balls. Down to 38k after I have a pair and a straight draw and try to lift a guy off his A 9 offsuit. He rivers an ace to make two pair, so sadly he's not planning on folding anytime soon. Meh.
Level6, and I took a hit and dropped to 30k. I had the 2nd nut straight on the turn, only losing to AK, when the board decided to pair on the river, and now my opponent wants to reraise my bet to 12k. It's not a great spot, and since I now have the 16th best hand potentially, I decide to let it go. There are over 1600 players in this thing at the moment, so sound decisions for the moment are much better than reckless ones.
Just about to hit the second break, and I'm just under 30k. I'm not getting a lot of love from the cards at the moment, however, it's a long game. Hopefully it picks up during level 7, which will be 500/1k/1k. Keep away from the trap doors Kevin...
Balls. Down to 38k after I have a pair and a straight draw and try to lift a guy off his A 9 offsuit. He rivers an ace to make two pair, so sadly he's not planning on folding anytime soon. Meh.
Level6, and I took a hit and dropped to 30k. I had the 2nd nut straight on the turn, only losing to AK, when the board decided to pair on the river, and now my opponent wants to reraise my bet to 12k. It's not a great spot, and since I now have the 16th best hand potentially, I decide to let it go. There are over 1600 players in this thing at the moment, so sound decisions for the moment are much better than reckless ones.
Just about to hit the second break, and I'm just under 30k. I'm not getting a lot of love from the cards at the moment, however, it's a long game. Hopefully it picks up during level 7, which will be 500/1k/1k. Keep away from the trap doors Kevin...
Well, we're back from the break, and in their wisdom, WPT decided it was wholly appropriate for them at this time to stage some kind of musical floorshow before we resume play. This spectacle came complete with (and I'm not kidding here) a disco light show, a beatbox rapper, dancing stormtroopers gyrating to The Spice Girls amongst other notable hits from yesteryear, what looked like glowing polystyrene sex toys... you get the idea. I was trying to use my "one time" just to make the entire garish spectacle stop, but I guess we have to move with the times. Hey, at least they kept it classy.
I've had AK twice since we resumed play, and AQ once. I've lost with all 3 of them. Sigh. Dropped to 20k by virtue of doing little wrong, but still grinding. 1,199/2019 players now, at 600/1200/1200.
Now up to 800/1600/1600, and nothing's happening. I might have to find a jam spot at some point. No really easy spots on this table. The guy with the big ugly watch just 3-bet and got shoved on preflop for a huge amount. He then basically announced that he thinks he's losing, but that he's unable to fold (OK....) and turns over KK. His opponent duly flips over the as suspected AA, and of course, a third king immediately flops to bust the aces. When it's your day, it's your day. Poker is full of unjust moments like this. I just always find it funny to myself that someone can basically announce that they are 99% sure they are losing badly (like a 4-1 dog badly) and then still call off all their money. The joy of todays poker players...
I lose JJ to KJ when the player gets stubborn and turns a king. I could have gone broke here with my stack, but managed to avoid it. Based on today's events, I should have just shoved the turn and hoped to river one of the two jacks left in the deck, but I decided that would be somewhat silly.
11k and all fold around to Heisenberg on the button. He makes it 3200, and I politely announce that I feel there's a distinct possibility that he's full of shit, so I duly move the lot in from the big blind with A5 suited. He says nothing and cuts out the raise and calls, turning over... K 8 offsuit. Always nice to be right. I wonder if my insight will be rewarded.
Yep, it gets rewarded by him immediately flopping a king, and me not hitting an ace. I therefore bust, wish the table good luck, and leave. Another 7 hours up the Suwannee... sigh. Being right isn't enough in these things a lot of the time, you need the luck factor as well, and today, I didn't have it at all. I got through over half of todays 2,100 player field, but couldn't get any momentum going. Off to dust myself down and start over.
I've had AK twice since we resumed play, and AQ once. I've lost with all 3 of them. Sigh. Dropped to 20k by virtue of doing little wrong, but still grinding. 1,199/2019 players now, at 600/1200/1200.
Now up to 800/1600/1600, and nothing's happening. I might have to find a jam spot at some point. No really easy spots on this table. The guy with the big ugly watch just 3-bet and got shoved on preflop for a huge amount. He then basically announced that he thinks he's losing, but that he's unable to fold (OK....) and turns over KK. His opponent duly flips over the as suspected AA, and of course, a third king immediately flops to bust the aces. When it's your day, it's your day. Poker is full of unjust moments like this. I just always find it funny to myself that someone can basically announce that they are 99% sure they are losing badly (like a 4-1 dog badly) and then still call off all their money. The joy of todays poker players...
I lose JJ to KJ when the player gets stubborn and turns a king. I could have gone broke here with my stack, but managed to avoid it. Based on today's events, I should have just shoved the turn and hoped to river one of the two jacks left in the deck, but I decided that would be somewhat silly.
11k and all fold around to Heisenberg on the button. He makes it 3200, and I politely announce that I feel there's a distinct possibility that he's full of shit, so I duly move the lot in from the big blind with A5 suited. He says nothing and cuts out the raise and calls, turning over... K 8 offsuit. Always nice to be right. I wonder if my insight will be rewarded.
Yep, it gets rewarded by him immediately flopping a king, and me not hitting an ace. I therefore bust, wish the table good luck, and leave. Another 7 hours up the Suwannee... sigh. Being right isn't enough in these things a lot of the time, you need the luck factor as well, and today, I didn't have it at all. I got through over half of todays 2,100 player field, but couldn't get any momentum going. Off to dust myself down and start over.