All aboard the fun express for today's WSOP event, the Millionaire Maker $1500 day 1B. A few familiar faces on my opening table in the form of Barry Shulman & Mark Napolitano. Early days so we'll see how things unfold.
I just made it 125 out of the small blind. The Asian in the big blind goes all in for 7500. OK, you win my friend.
Level 2 arrives and little to say, apart from the all-in Asian on my left just did it again on the river and got called. This time however he'd made a straight vs a set and doubles to about 15k.
About 3400 players yesterday so I'm told, numbers for today are not going to be on screen for a while yet, but looks like we'll over 7000 players over the two days.
Little drama approaching the end of level 2. I'm down to 6k just from seeing and missing flops. Asian nut job doubled up Barry who had a set vs Asian's 2 pair.
A little friction just erupted on the table between two players and it got a bit personal, with the Asian calling Barry an "ugly crappy amateur"... 3 insults in one sentence! Barry certainly isn't a professional, but with two WSOP bracelets and more money than 90% of the room it was a bit childish of the Asian to go on a rant after losing a pot. I wasn't involved in the mix so it was mildly entertaining but also a disturbing reminder of how unpleasant some people can suddenly become when the game doesn't go their way.. About to go on break...still on 6k.
Midway into level 3 and I'm still not seeing much in the way of hands. We're only on 75/150 so being card dead isn't ideal but for now I'm just conserving chips as best I can.
Slightly disheartening stuff right now. Missing most flops or getting raised out by the mad Chinaman on my left with a big stack. Down to a frustrating 4k.
You know you're under it when it's your big blind every time they put the levels up. Just gone to 100/200 and feeling the pinch. I'm feeling like I'm still ok but if I need to gamble then I'm pretty sure the Asian on my left is going to give me a spin very light.
The short stack just jammed his last 700 on my 200 big blind. I had 23 off, so couldn't even gamble with him. Haven't been this card dead in a tournament since I arrived here.
Not sure exactly how, but I'm still alive at the next break with just 2000 chips. 20 mins rest and then we come back and the antes kick in. Time to get busy :o0
Back from break now and a new player with about 30k has been moved to my left. This makes things even more difficult so if I end up coming first in this event it'd be even more of an achievement. I don't think they're sizing up the bracelet for me just yet.
Midway through level 5 and my grinding has finally paid off, although I had to sweat to get there.
The Asian maniac is now no more. He jammed a draw in a big pot against one guys top 2 and didn't improve, then against me blind on blind it was folded round, and I shoved 1700 with Kd6d. He dwelt then quickly called, showing....
10d3d. A good spot for me if there aren't any horror stories. As luck would have it, I make a full house. With no chips but I'm certainly not going to bitch about it. I win another small pot afterwards and am back to the dizzy heights of 5,500. Out table is due to break very shortly.
Table broke and I'm now over in the Amazon room. Had to fold a middle pair immediately to a hefty raise, then I flopped a set of 7's on a nasty 45679 board. He had 9 10 so I'm back in the hunt and on 8k as we approach halfway into level 6 at 150/300/25.
Lost a couple of hands I couldn't avoid. 5k coming up on the 3rd break.
Sigh. Just bust on level 7.
Went down to 4,300 at 200/400/50, one limper, I raise with AcQc to 975. The guy on my left moves in and the limper folds. I hate calling for a flip mostly in poker but with everyone else on the table on around 15k+ I feel like I need to take a flip now since I've put about 1k of 4300 in. I call and he turns over JJ. Here we go...
Board runs out no help.
I felt a bit like I was on the back foot today as I only got over start stack once and that's not the kind of poker I like to play, but I was pretty dead from the word go and I had to adapt to that and just sit snug. I could have got more aggressive earlier with a short stack but I feel that likely often results in busting out earlier rather than getting a massive stack. I'll write a bit more later but for now I'm getting out of the Rio and to the car.