Diversion: Semi-Live WSOP Report
At the risk of a) being late, and b) bringing all sorts of spammers to the site, here is a nice report sent to me a few days ago by my friend Jeff who was playing in the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas this past week.
Day 3
It’s three in the morning and I’m grabbing a late snack at the Bellagio. …I started Day 3 with an average stack of 88,100 and great hopes for my table as no one had any major live tournament cashes. These days, however, there are a seemingly infinite number of tough young players with thousands of internet tournaments in their belts. Except for a couple of soft spots my table was so aggressive that it was only folded to me on the button once all day.I raised with 8 3 and the blinds were openly confused: “We have no idea what your range is since this hasn’t happened yet.” The big blind called and bet 5500 into the A 5 2 flop. I smooth called, hoping for a 4 or an opportunity. The turn was a Ten, he checked and I fired out 9000 as confidently as I could and was very relieved when he folded. Shortly thereafter someone limped and I was able to play Q J from the small blind. The flop came K 10 9 giving me the nuts. I bet 5000 and the limper raised 45,000 more all in. Not only that but the button thought and thought and finally folded two pair. Of course I called; he had 10 10 for a set and I just had to hope the board didn’t pair. It didn’t and all of a sudden I was up to 170,000 and feeling just great about the day.
I stole and restole a few pots to stay more or less at that level for a few hours when the following hand came up. The hijack seat (late position) raised to 5200 and, since I had re-raised him twice and never called, I called in the cutoff with J 10 of spades. The big blind also called and we took the Kc 6h 5h flop 3-handed. It was checked to me and I bluffed at it with a 12,000 bet. The big blind folded but the original raiser check-raised to 26,000. It was 14,000 to me and I had no hand and no possible draw but a little voice told me to re-raise it so I made it 40,000 (26K more to him). He thought for a few seconds but it was clear right away he was folding. This is one of the most outrageous bluffs I’ve made and to do it in the World Series was very satisfying…particularly when [family]were on the way and I really didn’t want to jeopardize my fine start. I resisted the urge to show them because I wanted to do it again.
[Family] arrived full of yin and sweetness and they watched me for perhaps half an hour. I was really excited to see them and, of course, wanted to show them my stuff. But I only played one hand when I called the under-the-gun raiser with A Q only to have the big blind re-raise and the opener call. They played a huge pot with a Kc 8c 7c board, turn 3h, river 3d. The re-raiser showed 7 3! Another maniac! Personally, I think he made the play partly because I had an audience and he thought I wouldn’t want to get too involved with my wife watching without a big hand.
They finally decided they were bad luck and left. I can’t say I was sorry to see them go but looked forward to relaxing with them over dinner. The last hand before the dinner break the under the gun player raised to 6000. I thought he looked a little shifty and after he raised he covered his mouth with his hand—supposedly a sign of lying according to professional interrogators. The next 3 people called and I looked at my J 5 in the small blind and raised to 30,000. They all took their time folding and the last person folded two jacks face up! I showed the bluff and went off to dinner pretty happy.
I came back from dinner with a little over 200,000 and hit the worst Poker Wall I’ve ever had. For three hours I didn’t win a single pot with more than just the blinds and antes. It was hell, watching my healthy stack slip to average, than below average, and finally down below a hundred thousand again, wondering if I was even going to make day 4. A few times I’d pick up something like A 10 suited in late position and raise, only to be re-raised and re-re-raised by people with A K and K K. I got really discouraged and welcomed the break.
On the break I sought support from my friends. [One] put it best: “Jeff, do you know what I am doing? I’m sitting here at home clicking the refresh button to get updates on my computer. I’d give $10,000 in heartbeat to be in your shoes.” This was just what I needed—my actual tournament equity was still $30,000 dollars or so. Everyone also suggested having a beer, so when I went back I ordered a beer and put on Lady Gaga’s Poker Face on my I-Pod at full volume:
I’d like to ride with you a hard pair we will be,
A little gambling is fun when you’re with me.
Russian Roulette just ain’t the same without a gun
And baby when it’s love if it ain’t rough it isn’t fun
Puh puh puh poker face puh puh poker faceNow each round (9 hands) costs 9100 and my chips are melting like a late spring snow. I’m down to 87,000 when the button raises to 8500 and I look down at K K in the big blind. I re-raise to 25,000 expecting a quick fold since I’ve been [apparently] playing so ridiculously tight for so long. The button hesitates and I do my best nervous Nelly imitation: I fumble a little while shuffling my chips and then take a nervous sip of water. It works! He moves all in and I quickly call. He shows A 3 and all I have to do is dodge the 30% chance that he hits an Ace (note: this is far from automatic). Two Kings are often described as “Ace magnets” but this time they hold up and in a single hand I’ve gained back most of my losses and all of my equilibrium.
The last 45 minutes I am emotionally drained and do not play my best poker. I have the table image of a nit—the perfect time to be crazy—but can’t muster anything imaginative. Still, I am thrilled to have regained most of my stack.
We are down to around 800 out of 6449 starters. 648 make the money so it will be dicey for the first three hours or so tomorrow. My stack of 185,500 is below the average stack of 250,000 but very respectable.
Jeff went out at the end of Day 4, but he did end up in the money, in the final few hundred players. Huge congrats.
