Pals heading into the Rio Convention Center, WSOP HQ.
(Glossary for non-poker players at the end)
This year I built my bankroll up online and through live games to a point where I could take a reasonable shot at one of the smaller WSOP events. I've been doing pretty well in MTTs over the past year (thanks PXF!) and thought it would be fun to go for it. If I lost, I might have to drop down in levels for my normal online play and build back up, but this is all a fun hobby for me, so I wanted to go for it! It would be my first trip to the WSOP, I've played other 'largish' live events at our local casino (800 people $200-$500 buy in) and went deep in one, but I was a WSOP virgin. The trip also lined up w/ a trip a few other folks had organized for a pals birthday, and it was my birthday too, so my wife and I ended up w/ a big group heading up to Vegas for some good times.
The target event was Event 35, $1.5K NLHE (which a bunch of other PXFers were in) and I was going to arrive on the morning of the event. After seeing all the discussion in the forums about the long lines for registration, I was worried I'd miss the registration for my one target event, which would be pretty lame. So, I changed my flight to go the night earlier. The plane was late, so I got in around 1am. Went right to the Rio and did my reg which wasn't too bad. Luckily, some of my pals also went a day early and they had a room at the Rio that I could crash in. Of course the fold out coach turned out to be non-fold out and the sheets I got were like two burlap sacks from the end of their beds! Of course we were all keyed up, so went to bed pretty late... GG rest!
In the AM we headed down to Rio convention center to get started, there were four of us playing and three of us usually swap action, so we swapped 10% each, but did agree that the payouts would be _after_ taxes, since the WSOP submits W2-Gs for the winners and they _don't_ honor the Form 5754 (split up shares for IRS). See
http://www.taxabletalk.com/archives/archive_2007_05.shtml (scroll down to "What If a Casino Decides to Ignore the Rules?"). Last year we did this for a $500 tourney at the Wynn, and one of us came in 4th, so everyone got paid and the two other guys stuck around for railing since they had a piece. We like to do this instead of 'last longer' bets, since it encourages everyone to do well instead of making stupid plays trying to just out last each other.
I wandered around looking for PXFers (folks that I know from my poker community website
http://www.pokerxfactor.com/ ), I knew Papa's table, but before I got chance to run over, the cards were being dealt. I kept an eye out the rest of the tourney, but didn't see anyone else At the very end of my tournament, I saw someone watching another tourney with a white PXF shirt, but I couldn't get his attention.) I looked for MW (the lead for the website), didn't see him though, dang!
Walking into the convention center was pretty amazing, just a sea of people and tables and all the huge portraits of past WSOP winners.
View of some of the tables, portraits of winners, hmm who's that guy w/ the beard and hat?
We started w/ 3000 in chips. I was pretty relaxed at my first table, just getting into the groove and I got dealt some good cards. However, one person at our table went out pretty early, I think in level 2. Their play was pretty soft and they did a desperation shove which got called and he was out before the first break. I didn't see any reason for the move, but it was good warning for me.
I made it to the first break and chipped up a little bit, I got dealt QQ three times which also helped a bit , though on the last one I had QQ UTG, std raise, called by CO and BB and flop came AKx, BB bet out and it felt he hit it, so I let the hand go. First break with 4900.
I met up w/ my pals at the first break. One guy got was knocked out when his set ran into a str8 on the river and was hard to get away from. The other two were doing well, higher stacks then myself. I got a little short during the next two rounds and got a little more aggressive on stealing blinds when in pos to chip up. I got back up to 7500 at the next break.
Then I went to a long run of hovering around M of 5. Enough to wait, barely enough to raise, more likely shove and that's how I rode out the next few rounds. Getting chipped down by blinds, antes, shove against the right stack, collect blinds + antes and repeat. Eventually I got moved to another table, as I was walking over I saw a bunch of folks surrounding a table and taking pictures. One guy said 'hey Jesus is at the table!' I said 'cool, oh wait that's my new table'...
It was fun playing w/ Chris "Jesus" Ferguson (WSOP Main Event winner in 2000) for a couple levels, he was a nice guy, very deliberate player, he busted two guys at my table. He made some nice calls w/ second pair to cripple one guy also nicely aggressive w/ short stack, he shoved w/ AKo UTG and was called by A7o from the button which was kind of a strange move by the caller. He told some good stories about folks throwing cards at the dealer in the old days, etc.
Chris "Jesus" Ferguson staring down Mopsothoth
At this point we were getting close to bubble (270 people for bubble), I had an M of around 3 and I admit that I went into tighty bubble mode, this would be my first WSOP cash, and for a nice chunk of change ($3K) compared to my normal bank roll. A big stack went into bubble abuse mode and was picking up pot after pot. Until we were at 1 player to go and the big stack raised again and another stack about M of 2 asked the dealer what would happen if two players went out on this hand, the dealer said they would split the cash. He said OK and called All-in! Now, there were some people in the tourney that were getting forced in by the blinds, so I think he just had to wait one more hand or two, but he went for it. He had AKo, the raiser had 62s and of course the flush came on the river! Everyone was a little puzzled by this move by the caller, he didn't have a made hand, doubling his stack wasn't a huge improvement, he was _calling_, not raising to make a move and we were right at the bubble. Lucky for him, someone else went out on the same hand, so he split $3000 (breaking even with the buy-in).
Before the bubble, I picked up some blinds w/ shoves, then sucked out to stay alive (A8o vs A9o chop.) Of course, on the chop, I thought I was dead all the way to the end, doing the handshake and everything until the other players said 'chop, chop, the 9 doesn't play!' whew! My wife caught a video of that on our camera, pretty funny. The wife railed me a lot and took some fun pix, I really appreciated the railage! At one point, to makes things exciting, I also shoved w/ KQo against Chris in the BB, he made me sweat it, then folded.
Video of chop. I shoved w/ A8o, reshoved by big stack w/ A9o... flop ATK, Turn 4, River J, chop it up! I think this actually happened pre-bubble now, whew! Click on video to watch.
Of course after the bubble, folks started dropping like flies, I picked up some blinds w/ shoves, then sucked out to come back (77>KK) I hit the 7 on the flop, so it wasn't too stressful when I luckboxed my way to a double.
I got chipped down and moved tables, this time to a table w/ John Juanda, another talkative nice guy, he would make a move and then talk it up. Friendly but I'm sure it rattled folks. Twice to the same guy he re-shoved all-in pre-flop, and the guy could not pull the trigger. Apparently he made this move a few times already before I even joined, but no one could call his big stack. I did double up through John though JJ, I shove, he's in BB, he talks it out and calls w/ J8o. I was fairly short, he had a big stack and he probably had close to correct odds except against a high pair. By this time I had three pals and my wife on the rail, which was great, so supportive - I really like going over and talking on breaks or just looking over after I won a pot. After the hand, my one pal asked what happened, he said that after I flipped over my cards, Juanda's face fell.
I then went on a nice chip up, moved again, got dealt QQ. UTG raised, I shove, he calls. QQ>66. I guess he thought he had odds, but really only against two overs. Next hand, I'm stacking my chips and I get AQs, I raise, call behind. Flop comes AQx and I value bet down to the river as non-scary cards come. I end up all-in w/ a call and AQ>AK on that board. This was funny because me and my pal were talking about this situation just the day before, at what point can you / do you lay down AK in a sequence like that? So, now I had a nice stack back to average for the field.
Moved again, but now it was getting near 2am, and I was getting tired. I could make some moves, but I thought my brain was stuck at level 1 and I was ready for a break. So, even with TT in SB and one limper, I just called and folded to a bet on a AQQ board.
They called it a night, we bagged our chips, and I made it to day 2! 14 hours of poker, whew! Of course I went online and read the PXF live for the other folks in event 35. It was fun reading other comments, I _think_ I was by myself on day 2.
With Ms. Mopsothoth at end of day 1.
We started the next day at 2pm, I got some sleep, but I was so keyed up, I actually went for a run in the gym at the rio to relax a little which helped a lot.
We were now down to 147 players. I went up and down and then decided w/ M of 7 to make some moves, raising w/ 66 from mid to pick up blinds, etc. of course I made the move against the wrong stack. Big stack calls and checks a KTx flop, then I made the mistake of doing a c-bet. He promptly pops me all-in and I have to lay it down. This cut me in close to half, argh! He did the same to my neighbor a hand later.
I then pretty much finished up the game pushboting my way through with a M less than 5. John Juanda got moved back to my table. Picking up blinds and antes, sucked out once w/ KJo > JJ and then finally with around 56 people left, and a M of around 2, I made my last move from mid with A9o. folded around, but then BB insta-calls with QQ. The flop comes Ax......Q and gg me. I could have waited a few more rounds to move up in the cash, but unlike bubble boy from Day 1, I was already in the money and I didn't want to 'give up' and just get blinded out. It seemed like it was time to make a move and that hand was good enough. So I came in 56th out of 2500ish for a cash of $9708. My pals were happy too, they both got 10%! It was five more hours of poker for me.
That night we went to Nobu at the HRH with two other couples, good times and good food. It was fun to tell stories from the Event and eat all the specialty dishes. We went to Nobu one time before, but we just got the regular sushi/sashimi which was good, but not _incredible_. The food we had that night was really good, including Kobe beef on hot rocks, yum. The bill came to $1k for six people. I suggested credit card roulette, but too late. So, chop, chop.
The next night was my bday dinner. A group of 10 of us went to StripSteak (Michael Mina's steak place in Mandalay bay). Truffled french fries, blue cheese potatoes, Creme Brule, Kobe style steaks, Kobe Ribeye cap, harden those arteries! Great company and food, lots of funny stories and just a good time hanging out. Of course this time we did play credit card roulette (it was opt-in only, no pressure). Of course since it was my bday, they wouldn't let me put a card in, only the wife. In the end, I forced them to take my card... and of course after all but two cards were pulled out (the waitress wouldn'd do it, she was too freaked out, but I thought they'd see it all the time in Vegas), the last two were mine and one of my pals (great poker player and also has lots of gambooool). You know what happened already, I 'won'! My pal jumped on it before me though and sent back his credit card instead w/ a 'you can't pay on your bday', of course I threw cash at him across the table, but it was dismissively refused. All I can say is what a pal... much appreciated sir!
Bday dinner at StripSteak, we closed the place down...
All in all, a great experience, I just wish I got to see / meet some PXFers though. I'm going back for the Main Event (won a satellite) in July and I hope to meet some PXFers then!
Short glossary for the non-poker players:
pxfer = pokerxfactor.com member (poker community website)
mtt = multiple table tournament (poker tournament w/ lots of people)
nlhe = no limit hold 'em (texas hold 'em poker game)
77>KK = my pocket pair of 7's beat a pocket pair of K's (because the board had a '7' on it.)
M = measure of how big your stack is versus the blinds and antes (M less then 5 is small and you need to shove soon, M greater than 20 is big and you can play whatever style you want).
BB = Big Blind
gg = good game
