Nice start table, Chatty bunch, good atmosphere, one guy drinking Bloody Marys, pretty girl on my left, everyone generally playing fun poker. Sorry, the early updates have been a little sparse as I have been working my schtick on the table and playing quite a few pot.
First break, and I'm on around 8500 from a 7500 starting stack.
Took a dent when I reraised a young kid who seems overly aggro, and he four-bet me. I had AQ and decided to get out. Down to 6500.1542 entrants so far today, and still chugging.
Second break and I'm on 7400 again. No heroics this early. No one's doing anything particularly silly so for now I'm trying to back into something decent and get paid.
It's always mildly amusing to me the massive variety of people you encounter in poker, and in particular at the WSOP. Of course, everybody's different, but you have me with occasionally coloured hair, a giraffe, and a constant line of bullshit patter to entertain and confuse, and I am by NO means the strangest person you'll encounter in this building. People of all colours, shapes, sizes and questionable haircuts abound. Guys walking around indoors with huge mirrored sunglasses (always hilarious). Guys are wearing poker T-Shirts, designed to make you play better, drinking and eating food to give them an edge in a pot, buying books, training videos, dissecting hands on the break. All looking for that magical elixir that will allow them to outplay everyone else, and maybe one day lift a bracelet. To me it's an elaborate marketing confidence trick. Most of the information you need to survive and improve as a player is right there in front of you, yet people still somehow think that wearing a Run It Up shirt or special "poker optical" sunglasses will make them a better player somehow. I think it just makes certain individuals richer, but that's just me.
Back from break, and I just had some standard WSOP pain with two red Kings. I repopped on the button and got two callers. I bet the flop and they both called. The board on the turn is an ugly 4s 6 s 7c 8s, and these guys now want to go to war for 4K each. Sigh fold. The quiet but aggressive Asian kid in the 5 seat wins the pot.
Level 6 just arrived. Pretty Kami on my left just ran 10 10 into an English kid's JJ all-in preflop, she didn't improve and is sadly now on life support. The play on this table has been pretty straightforward. I'm now down to 5K for no reason in particular. Not quite panic stations yet, but nobody at the table is really giving much away, and getting easy chips isn't a regular occurance here so far.
We lost Kami, who is replaced by a considerably bigger bearded guy who says little and texts a lot.
I just hit 9K thanks to flopping a set of fives versus a shortish AA, and shortly after I get up to 11K with a few well times bluffs preflop. 1668 players now in and climbing. I'm comfortable in chips, though there are certainly three or four bigger stacks on the table.
I've tightened up a bit now. There's still scope for the odd stab at a pot, but these middle levels are often where it's easy to dump a ton of chips and suddenly be in trouble. For now I'm taking it slow.
Almost 1800 players, and we're pushing onward on a slightly more aggressive table than before.
Our hero just got a nice dose of maximum WSOP violation and pain.
I raise in mid position with 5h4h, the Brazilian guy on my left flat calls the 1250 bet, everyone else folds and we see a flop.
5d 5c 10c.
I lead out strong on this, because of course I want the action. I have around 12K, so I bet a super strong 4600. He thinks, and then finally calls.
The turn is the 2d. A blank as far as i'm concerned, but I don't like clubs or diamonds, so I make the visual commitment and bet 5500, leaving myself with about 3K. He dwells, and again calls.
Now of course there is no folding. I ship the remainder before the river comes out, which ends up being the 3d.
He calls and turns over Ad Jd for a runner-runner flush. I'd like to be sick but I wish everyone good luck and leave.
That's about as ugly as these things can get I think. I've unregged from the WSOP $1K, and will play 1B of the Venetian $600 tomorrow instead. Off home to reflect on what I just did wrong in the exit hand. Ahh. Nothing whatsoever. Well, that was easy! Another character building exercise from Caesars Entertainment.