Here follows a chronicle of my trip to Las Vegas to play in the 2006 World Series of Poker.  Unless you're a poker nerd, you might want to skim/skip the indented portions.

June 26, 2006

I don't know if this is the best thing I could be doing.  The world's in bad shape.  Seems like we're all signing up for the Nero Convention, World Series of Fiddling.  But what should I be doing?  It's probably arrogant to think I could make a difference, but if everyone felt that way, then down the sinkhole we'd go.   I should drop my shoulder and throw my meager weight in with the good side.  We can't really afford to ignore our problems much longer, can we?  World War 3 looms.  We may be teetering on the edge of oblivion.  And instead of putting my mind to some practical use, I'm about to get all emotional about the random turn of cards.

It is exciting though.  It is it's own kind of warfare--strategy, tactics, psychology, deception--but carefully controlled.  No bloodshed, no pillaging, but plenty of looting.  And the losers can come back and try again.  Endless second chances as long as the money holds out. 

Another nice thing about poker - little nerdy wimps like me can beat up on the big dumb macho types.  Gr!

- - -

I took my dog Polly to the place I thought I'd be using to board her but it was a dump run by an odd pairing of an old hillbillyish man and a cooing black woman who wouldn't let me see most of the place, claiming I "might want to open my own place" and steal her ideas I suppose.  It wasn't even air-conditioned.  I didn't feel safe leaving Polly there so we left.  I had planned to leave her there an hour while I went to the Rio to sign up for the first WSOP event tomorrow.   Instead I decided I'd take her home and then go back later in the evening when the traffic wouldn't be so bad.

That turned out to be a mistake.  I later found out that about 2 hours after I left the kennel, the tournament was capped (a surprise to me) at 2288 (the maximum number that fit onto the 208 tables in the room, at 11 per table).  By the time I got there to register my only option was to go in as an alternate.  What that means is as other players get knocked out, the alternates take their place.  I was even late for the alternates, 462 out of 500.  I didn't want to miss the first event, but after I had paid, I had a little buyer's remorse and worried that by the time I got into the game the blinds (which go up every hour) would be so high that I'd be short-stacked and in desperation mode right from the get- go. 

I have a bad feeling I got onto a bad luck track today when I didn't sign up on time in the afternoon.  Pure lunacy, I know, but I can't shake it.  And it's not all superstition.  It's simply fact that any little change in my action effects the course of the entire event.  The minute I arrive (changed by some delay, a phone call, a missed green light), my place in the registration line, one hand played differently, one hand missed on a trip to the bathroom, all lead to a completely different sequence of cards.  Any small change could be the difference between getting a rush of great hands and a merciless run of bad beats.  I tell myself to forget about that, to focus on the parts of the game that I can control, but I can't quite let go of the awareness that every step I take matters, and that most of them are taken completely blind.

June 27, 2006 - EVENT #2 No-Limit Hold'em, $1500 buy-in

Half the flights I go on, I get a bad feeling before I go.  I worry.  I wonder if I wasn't supposed to miss the flight and save myself.  Of course I'm here writing this, so unless I'm in some "Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" fever dream (and don't think that possibility never occurred to me) these premonitions have always been wrong.  So the good news is, despite my apprehensions, I might do well today.  The bad news is I'm crazy!

I found someone who wanted to buy my seat, and I was anguishing over whether to do it, but it turned out I couldn't sell my seat so I had to play.  I was actually relieved to avoid the tough choice.  The actual game of poker regularly presents you with tough decisions.  The easy decisions are a relief - you get bad cards, you fold.  You miss the flop entirely, you fold.  You catch the nuts, you have to decide about how to best get your money in, but you know you will and it's easy.  But more often then that, you'll catch a decent hand but not the best possible hand and someone will push and you'll have to sweat out how to handle it.  I don't like tough decisions in life and anguish over them so maybe Poker could be good for me.  (Does that sound like an addict rationalizing?) 

I wore my cap and sunglasses.  I think all such gear should be banned.  (Part of the art of the game is keeping a poker face.  Also it would just be better TV to be able to see people's expressions.)  But as long as it's allowed, against a field with so many strong players, I don't want to give up any edge.

It was pretty daunting at the beginning of the day to look out at this huge room, 208 tables and a sea of poker players from all over the world, and realize my goal was to beat all of them. 

Celebrity sightings included Chris "Jesus" Ferguson, Annie Duke (playing at the next table), Men the Master, Scotty Nguyen (in the bathroom), Doyle Brunson, Mike Matusow, John Juanda, Sean "Sheiky" Sheikhan, Humberto Brenes…  I heard Gary Busey was there, and of course, Helmuth, Ivey, Phil Gordon, etc etc, but I didn't see all of them.

As it happened, I got in near the end of the second hour (blinds of 25/50), so it wasn't too bad. 

I got to my table and said hi to everyone and only the dealer responded.  Not a fun group.  Throughout the day I ran across just a handful of friendly players.  Everyone was very serious and didn't seem to be having much fun. 

I had fun.  I was pretty nervous at the beginning, but after winning a hand or two, I relaxed and joked around. 

I didn't catch too many flops, but I did get Aces 4 or 5 times, and they held up every time.  The first time I got reraised all in by a guy trying to steal with KJ of clubs.  The flop came with two clubs, so I had to sweat, but my hand held up and he was out.  I never amassed a big stack, but every time I got low, I'd manage to double up and survive.  I stole the blinds a couple times but got reraised more.  If I had played tighter, I would've done better.  None of my loose calls paid off, and several times I had to fold a limped hand after a raise came behind me. 

One of the harder decisions came when I raised with tens and got reraised all in by a guy who had limped under the gun.  He was a weird long-haired Asian guy who kept needing things explained (either he was green or his English was bad, or both).  He wore a suit with a red kerchief in the breast pocket and big Elton John sunglasses.  He played the hand like a lot of people play Aces or Kings.  I decided I shouldn't call when I was hoping for a coin flip as a best case scenario.  I had a feeling he was making a play with a smaller pair.  He had raised a lot preflop and usually folded when reraised, and didn't have to show down many hands, so I had little basis for my read and decided to let the tens go.

The very next hand I had AK suited.  I was a little rattled by the previous hand and made the mistake of looking and reaching for my chips as the guy before me was looking at his cards.  He told me later that he had QK and was about to raise before I gave my strength away.  My sloppiness cost me some money, but a short stack behind me reraised all in w AT and my hand held up to bust him.  It's nice when you get instant consolation after losing a hand.

After a while I was short-stacked again and our table broke up.  They said hurry over to the new tables and I did and then cursed myself when I realized I made it just in time for the big blind.  I could have taken a look at the table and just hesitated a few seconds until the blind passed my seat and I'd have to wait for the button.  This mistake worked out though.  First hand everyone folded to the blinds.  The flop came KK8 and I figured I was ahead if he didn't have either of those.  I decided to check it down to be on the safe side.  I think my thinking about betting was enough to induce caution in him and we checked it all the way (A on turn, J? on river) and just as I figured, my Q high was good. 

Next hand I had A8 and flopped AQ8 rainbow.  I checked it, but the four players behind didn't bet like I'd hoped.  The next card brought straight and flush draws so I bet it out and got one leery caller (probably a Q) and I bet small enough on the river to get another call and the way he anguished over it I knew I was good.  One of my few (only?) flops that connected for me and a nice pot that I would've missed if I'd been sneaky and avoided the blinds…

I lasted a good long time, past the dinner break.  Right before that I lost over a third of my stack when I flopped top pair K and bet it out hard because the flop was KJ6 of hearts.  I had a 7 of hearts and considered checking, but figured I was probably ahead and didn't want to give the others a free card to make a flush or straight.  Unfortunately the short stack had A5 of hearts and I doubled him up. 

I didn't put any bad beats on anyone and no one put any on me until after the dinner break, when I was short stacked and moved all in under the gun with AJ-suited and got called by A-ten off-suit.  The flop came 888, which still left me far ahead, but the turn was an A, so we chopped.  I must've been a little punchy by this point because when the river came J, for a second I thought I won.  A little later I picked up AA again and doubled up against the same guy.  He called me with 99 and the guy next to me told me he had folded a 9, so I didn't have to sweat too much. 

At this point I was starting to feel like I had a shot to climb out of desperate territory.  I had enough chips to survive a couple rounds and wait for a good hand to get it all in with.  A bit later though I was in the small blind with about 4200 left.  The blinds were 200/400 with a 50 ante.  Everyone folded around to a Texan in late position who limped.  My read on him was that he was not a sneaky, tricky player.  All I'd seen from him previously were big all-ins with his good hands.  So I decided he was weak, maybe TJ or JQ or a little pair.  The button folded and I looked down to see QKsuited.  I pushed all in and my heart sank when the big blind who didn't have that much more than me, called without hesitation.  At this point I had to hope he had JJ or TT and that I had a coin flip.  The late position limper folded (so at least I made a good read in one direction).  The big blind turned over AJ and I thought, well at least I have live cards. 

The flop came AKJ giving him two pair and me one.  I needed a ten for the gutshot straight, or one of the last 2 kings for trips.  Alas the turn came an A giving him a boat and I was out. 

I guess I could've just smooth called there and seen how the flop looked.  Then the big blind would've gone all in and I could've folded.  But I think I was just unlucky that he happened to wake up with a better hand when I had a good hand.  If I'd had more chips I would've been more careful and tried to just make it to the money, but I was in bad shape and had to gamble and it seemed like a good time.

It's so abrupt when you're knocked out.  The finality is jarring after so many hours of play and hopes rising.  I ended up busting near 460, heartbreakingly close to the money (top 270), but still not bad at all against a field of around 2800.  And not bad for my first World Series event ever.  Despite (or maybe because of) a late start, I outlasted over 80% of the field, including a lot of the pros (including Johnny Chan, Howard Lederer, Layne Flack, and last year's winner, Allen Cunningham) so I'm somewhat encouraged.

Tomorrow is a $1500 pot limit tourney.  If last year is any indication, the field should be about half the size.  This time I start from the beginning.  Once more into the breach!

June 28, 2006  Event #3 - Pot Limit Hold 'Em - $1500 buy-in

A bit later somebody came to sit where Max was sitting and he realized that he had played an hour in the wrong seat.  I said, "I may not know how to bet, but at least I'm in the right seat!"

A couple tables diagonal from me I saw Howard Lederer and Isaac Mizrachi sitting side by side.  So many amateurs in this thing - it's kind of bad luck for 2 pros to end up at the same table.  At least Howard was on Mizrachi's left.

This time I did not get cards.  Seemed like every hand I looked at had a 2 in it.  I stifled the constant urge to moan about my awful cards, realizing that if I just kept my mouth shut, it'd help me maintain a tight image and steal the blinds from time to time, which I did.  One time I had QQ and raised and everyone folded. 

Highlight of level one was a hand that I didn't get in.  I had TJ on the button and thought for a second about calling an early position raiser (to 100).  But I decided to play it tight and stay out of trouble.  I almost cried when the flop came AKQ rainbow!  Not only that but the BB had AQ and the initial raiser had AT and wouldn't fold it.  I would've tripled up!  GR!  Really if he had limped or folded his AT like he should have, I could've limped and then been forced to call the BB's raise due to pot odds and position.  I tried to shake it off and not dwell on what could've been.  I told myself it's only about winning the tournament and individual hands don't matter.

Not much happened until some time in level 2 (blinds of 25/50) when I had AJhearts one off the button and the guy in front of me raised to 150.  I decided to just smooth call and see what the flop brought.  The blinds both folded.

My stack was down near 1000 at this point.  The flop came A97 with two clubs.  The initial raiser bet 300 (nearly a pot sized bet) and I had to stop and think.  There was 600 in the pot now, more than half my stack.  It meant if I raised, or even if I called, I was going to end up all in on this hand.  I had top pair, but with a J kicker.  I hadn't seen enough of this guy to know how tight he was.  If he was raising with AK or AQ, I was sunk. But it was a late pos raise to open the betting.  It was pretty likely if he had an A, it was weaker than mine.  He might've made 2 pair or a set, but then he probably wouldn't have bet it so hard.  I decided to trust my best guess and I raised it up to 600.  I'm not sure why I didn't go all in here.  I think that it was the right thing to do though. If I'm right and he's behind, I want him to call, not fold, so better to get the money in in small increments.

Once he didn't call immediately, I felt pretty sure I was good.  He thought about it and said, it's basically an all in.  I said, "yeah that's why I thought for so long."  I think it helped that I had anguished for a while, made me seem weaker than I was.  On the turn he checked to me and I bet my last 250 or so and he called.  He had 9T!  I was shocked.  Couldn't let go of mid pair!  The river brought him no help and I doubled up.

I won a couple small pots after that and was in decent shape, over 2k when in level 3 (blinds of 50/100) I got AK in mid pos.  I bet pot (350) and everyone folded to the big blind, who called. 

The big blind was this scary looking Asian guy.  He never spoke or smiled.  He seemed to be looking right at me from behind his reflective sunglasses.  It was a little intimidating.  I know it's dumb, but I always assume Asian players are great!  This guy seemed aggressive, but the only hands of his I saw turned out to be strong.  I think he had a bad beat earlier so his stack was small - about 2/3 mine or less.   The flop came down 233 and he checked to me. There was 750 in the pot.  I decided to make a continuation bet and flipped a pink 500 chip in front of me.  He raised me all in.  With a check-raise I knew I was behind.  I decided he had a nice overpair.  If that was the case I had to do some math.  There was now 2200 in the pot.  I had to call 450 more.  It was unlikely he had AA or KK since I had one of each.  Assuming he had a pair between 44 and QQ then i had 6 outs (the remaining Aces and Kings) twice to suck out on him.  I was about 3 to 1 against making it, but the pot was laying me nearly 5 to 1 so I had to call.  Turns out I was right and he had QQ, but no A or K came and I was crippled. 

A bit later our table was broken up and I moved to a new table with $625 (one pink chip, one black, one green).  As I sat down, I said, "big shooter coming to the table" and put my measly 3-stack down.  Again there were more friendly guys than yesterday.  When I commented on it, someone said, "Pot limit players are smarter."  Maybe there's something to that.  I looked up some writing on pot-limit online the night before and found people saying it's better poker because there's more post-flop play since you can't just push all-in preflop as much, as many less experienced players prefer. 

The blinds at this point were 50/100 and I came in before the button (remembering my mistake the day before, I looked at the table before I sat down, but that was actually where the action was) so I had a free rotation to look for a good all-in hand.  I actually could've let myself get through the blinds and still would've had 475, just enough for a steal, but when AT came in early position I decided to push.  Everyone folded around to the big blind, an older guy with a salt and pepper beard and a Marines ball cap.  He raised to get me all in and turned over 66.  Okay - a coin flip.  Your big fear in that situation is getting called by a better A or a pair better than ten.  I was happy with two overs.  I was even happier with an A on the flop.  I doubled up.  Now I had a little time.  I won a couple more little pots and survived a while.  I saw Barry Greenstein at a nearby table.  Also David Williams, the guy who came in 2nd the year Chris Moneymaker won.  I tried to look at their chip stacks to comfort myself but they were both doing better than I was.

Another rotation or two, there was a new guy to my right.  He talked about how he was short-stacked and I said, "I hate hearing people with double my stack talking about how they have nothing!"  Soon after I was on the button and he raised ahead of me.  I looked down to see AQ and I figured since he was a late position raiser I likely had him beat.  I reraised to isolate and the blinds folded and he raised again to put my last few chips in.  He turned over 33.  This time I was hoping for a weaker A, but I still had a coin flip.  Unfortunately this time, I didn't catch up and I was out. 

0 for 2.  Didn't hurt as much this time since I didn't get anywhere near the money.  I busted in the 400s again, but this time only the top 110 paid since there were far fewer entrants (1108). 

I'd been considering doing the Saturday 2k NL HE event, but I decided not to.  I've done okay so far, but until I prove myself, I think I need to stick to the events that are under 2k. 

July 06, 2006
I was having terrible luck in the cash games for a while - another set beat by a flush, a set against a bigger set...  Got all in preflop against a nut who re-reraised me with 83clubs when i had Kings.  He flopped an 8 and rivered a 3!  I try a pos steal w TJ and get called by K9 - of course the flop is TJQ.  Another hand I had QQ against AT and JJ.  Flop a ten, turned a ten, rivered a jack!  I was beginning to feel like the poker gods had it in for me. 

But the last two days have been good.  Not only have I been catching some cards, but I've been playing well.  Proudest moment - I have TQ - I flop J9x for an open-ender and bet it (15?) with one guy behind.  Asian guy who looked a little older than you'd expect to see wearing white iPod earphones.  He raises to 30(?) and I call.  Turn brings a Q giving me top pair, but also 3 to a flush and I check (trying to look like I'm strong and possibly trapping) and he bets again - 40 or 50.  I now have top pair and an open end draw.  The way he bet it, it felt like he was just continuing to bet, not that he caught a flush.  He might've had JQ or TK in which case I was in trouble, but I felt like I might be good and even if I wasn't, I had outs.  River was a blank.  I checked again (again trying to seem sneaky and unafraid).  He pushes out two stacks of 100.  To call I'd be about all in.  This was my first hand at the table.  I had no information on the guy.  It felt like an overbet.  If he had 2 pair he should be concerned that I'm slowplaying a straight or flush.  If he had a straight he should be concerned that I'm slowplaying a flush.  If he had a flush, he should be betting for value, not to scare me out of the pot.  People sometimes overbet to represent a bluff when they have the nuts, but usually when people get lucky they want to get paid, not bully.  This felt like a bully move and after working it over about 8 seconds I said, "Call."  He hesitated to turn his cards over and I knew I was good.  I said, "Call" again and he turned over K9.  He had been bluffing with middle pair the whole way.  I turned over my QT and got lots of "wows" from the table.  It was very nice for that to happen on the first hand.  Right away you get respect and people will think twice before trying to mess with you (like beating a big guy up your first day in prison).

Costaki went back to LA today, so I'm taking a break.  Tomorrow I'll probably hit the Rio again.

July 9, 2006 - PokerStars WSOP Online Qualifier - $650 buy-in 

This qualifier runs every Sunday, with only maybe one more after this one.  Costaki wanted us to go hit a casino together, but I said, I'm here to play in the World Series.  It's in less than 3 weeks.  I have to take a shot.  I had just enough in my account for the buy-in.  I didn't have a good feeling about it for some reason, but I went ahead and registered.  When registration closed there were 507 players.  Top 28 would get seats at the World Series plus $1000 spending money.  We started with $2500 in chips, and I, ever impatient, tried a bluff early on that didn't work.  I got no cards and hit no flops and very quickly was down below $2000 and then got stuck around $1500 for a while.  That's not a hopeless number in the beginning, but as time goes on and the blinds (and the other stacks) get bigger, keeping the same number of chips is not maintaining your position; it's shrinking. 

But then, just when things were starting to look bleak, I started hitting hands.  Pocket aces, a set...  I got it all in several times and kept surviving, sometimes with the best hand holding up, sometimes winning races.  As far as I remember, the closest thing to a bad beat I put on anyone was busting KK w AQ.  There was an aggressive player who kept stealing my blinds.  Once, after several folds, I came over the top with a weak hand and got him to fold.  Later he was short stacked and moved on me again.  I called him with a better pair, but he caught a set and survived. 

I never had a big stack--the best I ever got was a bit above average--but I was surviving.  I kept an eye on the tournament lobby, watching the player count fall... 300 left... 200... 100.  The closer we got to the final 30 the longer it took for people to drop out.   With less than 40 left, I raised under the gun w AK, and the button, another guy I saw making a lot of aggressive moves, raised me all in.  Now in this situation any pair has me behind but unless it's AA or KK, it's basically a coin-flip.  You have to take those gambles sometimes, especially with an aggressive player.  I didn't hesitate to call.  He had AQ of hearts.  The flop missed both of us, but it was all spades and I had the only spade so now he only had 2 queens left in the deck that could help him.  The turn came a queen but it was the Q of spades and he was drawing dead.  I doubled up.

Soon we were in a situation where most players didn't want to get involved anymore.  Usually whoever raised took down the blinds without a fight.  Every once in a while, 2 people would get good hands or someone would make a move and then another person would get knocked out.  When we got to the money bubble (places 29-33 got cash, basically just a refund of their buy-in), the tables went hand for hand so no table could stall for an advantage.  But after we passed that line, for some reason it stopped going hand to hand.  Someone at my table chatted that other tables were going slow and that we should too.  That's not illegal to do, but it is illegal to explicitly talk about.  There was other questionable talk and a  moderator came on and warned everyone to cut it out.

I stayed out of trouble except when I had premium hands and then usually took down the blinds without contest.  Usually you don't show your cards when no one calls, but I kept showing my AK or AA or QQ so people would respect my raises and Iet me take down the blinds/antes without confrontation.  Strategy in a tournament like this is different.  You're not looking to make first place; you're just looking to make 28th.  You don't need to get the most chips, you just have to outlast the short stacks.  It's like that old joke:  "I don't have to outrun the bear.  I just have to outrun you."

A new player came to the table and after a time I raised him in the big blind with AQ.  He thought for a while and then folded and I showed.  He chatted that he had 77 and was considering going over the top.  I chatted back that he should be careful because I'm only playing premium hands.  He was skeptical and we went back and forth a bit until the moderator came back and warned us to stop.  I was in the middle of typing a line when this happened though and didn't notice the warning until I had entered another line about my prowess.  At this point the moderator was fed up and cut off my chat!  Before I knew what was happening I was cut off so I couldn't even ask the moderator what I did wrong. 

From here on, I was in okay shape, about 25th place, and just a few players to go.  Somebody chatted that I should be disqualified.  What??  Now I was playing and worrying that even if I made it, I wouldn't make it.  It was agonizing.  I'd watch other tables and the small stacks kept surviving their all-ins.  At one table there was a big stack who was playing terribly, raising every hand and giving protection to the small stacks.  His bad play ended up saving a short stack and screwing over someone else who was likely to have squeaked in. 

Finally someone got knocked out and it was all over.  I came in 18th out of 507, what would've been a comfortable margin if not for my chat being cut off.  After months of trying (for the second year in a row) I'd finally made it, but I couldn't enjoy the moment because I was still nervous I was going to be disqualified.  This was exacerbated by the fact that my extra $1000 in spending money didn't transfer out.  I tried to cash it immediately in case I was disqualified, but my balance just went to zero without the money showing up in my outside account.  I sent some groveling emails to customer support, looking for reassurance.  They said it was just a glitch and the money would show up within 24 hours, but I worried they were stalling me while they decided how to handle my case.  The moderator of the event went off shift immediately after the event ended and would be off for two days.  It took a long time to get to sleep.

July 10, 2006 - Event #17 No-Limit Hold'em - $1000 buy-in

The day started off badly.  First hand I was in the big blind w Q2 and flopped QT5.  Small blind checked and there was only one limper so I bet.  Limper called and the SB folded.  The turn was a small card so I bet again.  Again got called.  The river was an A.  I didn't like that card.  If the guy was calling me with a straight draw (JK) he just hit it.  If he was calling with an A high flush draw or AT, he just hit.  If he was calling with a Q, he had me beat all along.  I checked.  He bet. I folded, fairly confident I did the right thing but 225 poorer.  With a starting stack of 1500 that's significant.  I lost more in subsequent hands until I was below 1000. 

I tightened up and waited.  The blinds only go up every hour so I had time.  I tried to hold on and not get discouraged. 

Then things got better.  I got some hands that held up.  I made some moves that worked, won some small pots and slowly grew my stack.  After the first break (2 hours in) I was up a little.  When we got back the blinds were up again 50/100.  I caught a marginal hand like AT in late pos and raised to 3x the bb, and took the blinds.  A few hands later I caught AA in early pos and made the same bet, 3x, and this time got a late position caller, a friendly older man. The flop came down Qrags.  I threw out a pink 500 chip and the other guy thought for a second then raised all in.  I didn't really think about it.  He could've had a set, but if he had, I don't think he'd have raised.  I didn't really work this through, just went on instinct and called.  His face sunk and I knew I had him.  He showed QK and I turned over my AA.  He had outs to beat me (2 Queens and 3 kings - which meant he was he had a one in five shot to put a bad beat on me) and I watched helplessly, chanting "no bad beat" as the turn and river came out, giving me the win.  The old guy looked shocked and crestfallen.  He said, "one mistake and it's over."  I knew that feeling.  I said sympathetically, "Yeah, tournaments are tough like that.  You play great all day and then one bad decision and you're out." 

From then on things went better and better for me.  I stole blinds successfully.  Once I had QQ in late position and a guy went all in in front of me w AQ.   I called him and again the best hand held up.  This table was pretty passive and I felt on top of things.

At another table I played with my first pro: Victor Ramdin.  He made a big laydown.  The flop was AQx and he bet and got called.  The turn was a J and he checked and the other guy went all in and he thought for a long time and folded.  I said "big slick?" and he said yes.  He was short-stacked there and a hand or two later he was in the big blind and everyone limped and he went all in.  Looked like an obvious steal and after thinking a while, a guy in early position called him.  Victor had A5 and the caller had AT.  The flop came rags, but then victor caught a runner-runner straight to put a bad beat on the guy.  One time I had KK and raised in early position and he called me.  I thought of checking to him since he's an aggressive guy, but I was afraid he'd take the free card so I just bet out and he folded (AK again, he told me).  The players at this table told me that both Johnny Chan and Eric Seidel had busted out from there.  Annie Duke and I were near back to back, she at the table behind me, looking cute in an army jacket and hat. 

Later I moved to another table and caught AJ on the first hand.  It was early position but I raised it up and took down the blinds.  Next hand I had AQ.  I raised again.   I said "I'll show it this time because it's 2 in a row."  Everyone folded and I showed.  The next hand I had QQ, raised again and again took down the blinds which were 100/200 at this point so it added up.  When I was in the big blind I caught trips.  A few hands later I had KK.  People joked that the dealer and I were friends.  She was a cute Asian girl and joked that I had come over and fixed her door.  I said, what a weird thing to make up, and asked if she was a writer.  She said, no but she could be.  I agreed.  The Southern caricature to my left made a joke about fixing her back door and repeated it a few times I think because he thought I wasn't getting it.  Finally I said, Don't talk that way about my future wife. 

I showed so many good  hands at this table that when the great hands started slowing down I was able to steal a few more blinds with lesser hands, one time raising with 57 suited in early position (a favorite hand) and able to take down pots without dispute. 

I got moved to another table later in the evening and from here on my rush was over.  There were more aggressive players here which forced me to tighten up.   I successfully stole the blinds a few times, but didn't get any real hands.  The dinner break came and with about 560 players left, I had a slightly above average stack. 

I was tired.  I went to the PokerStars suite and plopped into a seat and closed my eyes but I wasn't comfortable enough and the room wasn't quiet enough for me to actually doze.  I figured maybe some food would help so I got dinner - a chicken sandwich and an orange (free with the $10 voucher that comes with every tourney entry.  Of course I also got a Kit-Kat bar to get the full $10).

After dinner I came back and another hour went by with little action and most of my blinds being taken by raisers.  The blinds were up to 200/400 with a 50 ante when an aggressive player made it 1000 to go.  The standard raise at this point was 1200 so I said "Only 1000?"  I had 77 and since I had about 8500 total (and so did he), I reasoned that it was worth the gamble to hit a set and double up.  The small raise can sometimes mean a big hand wants a call or it can mean just what it looks like - a marginal hand.  The big blind called as well. 

The flop came down 562 and the guy bet out 2000.  The pot before his bet was 3700 so this was a slightly weak bet which could've meant he had overcards like KQ or a draw like 78 (less likely since I had 2 of the sevens) or he might've had an overpair.  Any overpair had me in bad shape but I felt like this was a continuation bet.  I had seen him reraise all in preflop w 88.  This is the dangerous thing about aggressive players - it's hard to tell when they're screwing around and when they've got the goods.  I had about 7500 left.  I could've folded and waited for another moment.  I realized if I got involved it could be the whole tournament right here.  I could call and see what he did on the next hand, but if I was indeed ahead, I didn't want to let him see any more cards.  I decided to represent a set or high pair by making the minimum raise.  He thought about it for a bit and that made me feel good, like I'd read him right.  Then he surprised me by moving all in. 

My heart sank.  I had about 2500 left.  I felt like there was no way I could be ahead, like nobody would reraise there as a bluff when I'd shown strength and it was so likely I'd call.  People started talking about the hand and I said "there's no way he could do that and not be ahead."  He agreed.  He said, "If it helps any, I'd say you have eights."  I looked down on what I had left, still over 8 times the big blind, still a chance to get it in later with better cards.  I folded. 

Now I was looking for a place to make a move.  I got A3 the next hand but I felt like I was too likely to be called there, that the all in would look like me steaming.  But after that all I got was baby junk. 62 73, 94.  Under the gun I had Q8.  I could see the clock that the blinds were going to go up to 300/600 in 2 hands and then I wouldn't even have enough for a good raise.  But again, under the gun is so obvious a desperation move.  In retrospect I should've gone here, but I didn't and in the blinds I had complete garbage again and by the time I got the button only had a little more than 2x the big blind.  Everyone folded around to me and I had J3.  I pushed thinking there was some chance I could take down the blinds.  The small blind folded and the big blind said "call in the dark" which of course any smart player would with pot odds giving him better than 4 -1.  He had AT and nobody paired and I was out.

I felt sick.  I went to the floor guy and found out how close I was to the money.  I came in around 390 out of over 2700. 

What happened??  I was in good shape.  I had come so far.  Why had I put my life on the line with a measly pair of sevens?  I still can't explain it except to say I was tired and slipped.  I had played a long 8 hour session in the WSOP qualifier the day before which was followed by a night of stress worrying over whether I was in trouble, and with no break except sleep, I was nine hours into another session.  I was on a long cold spell and lost my patience. 

Walking back to my car after, I cursed my foolishness.  Lucky days like I'd just had don't happen all the time.  Sometimes you play great and the cards go wrong and you're out early.  I felt I'd been given a gift of a good day and I pissed it away because I lacked the stamina and patience to go the distance. 

When that old guy lost to my AA w QK earlier on, I sympathized with him, but part of me thought "well you were foolish to call an early position raiser w QK and you got what was coming to you."  Six hours later I did the exact same thing. 

It's tough getting knocked out.  The finality of it puts you in touch with your mortality.  Boom - over.  It's like war (not that I'd know) - one wrong move and you're dead.  The good news is you're not really dead, but that's also the bad news.  At least the literal dead don't have to relive their mistakes over and over and kick and second-guess themselves.  I can't stop.  I should've folded those sevens preflop and then post-flop.  Or I could've flat called and seen what the turn brought, maybe a lucky set for me or a straight draw at least. 

Actually as I think about his chat after he reraised all in I wonder if he had overcards and it was just a high-level bluff because he sensed my uncertainty (which I also should've done a better job of masking - another mistake).  Why else was he trying to talk me into a fold?   So maybe I should've just gone all in right there.  Or maybe I should've called.  I was crippled anyway.  Might as well give myself the chance to either pick off a bluff or suck out and win a big pot.  Who knows?  Maybe it would've all gone the same no matter what I'd done.  When you get knocked out you feel like any other choice would've been better.  I wish I could have it do over.  I think that wish itself is a big cause of a lot of my pain.  I need to learn to stop trying to will the bad choices out of existence and just accept them and learn etc etc.  

And I need to try to be easier on myself.  I haven't been at this very long.  I have a lot to learn.  I've done pretty well in every event I've played.  The main event is still ahead of me. 

There's a $2000 pot limit tournament tomorrow but I'm sitting it out.  I'm wiped.  I haven't even had a chance to enjoy winning my main event seat.  I need some time off.  My sometime-roommate Costaki's back in LA.  It's a little lonely out here going through all these highs and lows without support.  It's a good thing I have Polly at least, but I need a girlfriend! 

I wonder if hookers will listen to bad beat stories…

Thursday July 20, 2006

In Vegas, everything is geared towards getting you to gamble.  The shows are short. 

I saw on a comedy website that they have trouble putting on open mics because the bar owners don't want to distract people from the video poker.  In other cities they want to bring people in to sell drinks.  Here they give away drinks to sell gambling.

I heard a restaurant show talking about how all the restaurants are designed to be noisy.  They want people to eat and get back out to the casino.

No clocks of course - no thoughts of the outside world or responsibilities or anything grander than chips and cards and dice.  Maybe that's why they put on so many lights here - to blot out the stars.

Monday July 24, 2006

I wanted to play another preliminary to get warmed up for the main event.  Having not cashed in three of these already though, I wasn't eager to throw away another $1500.  So the night before I played a $525 single table tournament for poker chips.  My cousin, Sam Fuchs, just arrived in town and played this one with me.  He got the seat right to my left, which I didn't like because he's an aggressive player.  On the second hand of the tourney, a guy raised on the button when I was in the big blind.  The small blind reraised and I folded and everyone else did to around to the button who went all in.  The small blind called, kind of knowing what was about to happen.  Sure enough:  He had KK and the button had AA, which held up.  A few hands later I picked up KK in late position and made a standard raise.  Sam, who had lost half his chips in a previous hand, reraised me, and then a guy who'd limped in early position called.  I thought, not again!  But I pushed all in.  Sam knew then he was behind, but felt he had to call and hope to get lucky since he had so few chips left.  The early position guy also called and turned over AK.  I turned over my KK and Sam, his tens.  The kings held up and I near-tripled up.  From then on, things went well.  I made some steals and some value bets and stayed in good shape, losing only one hand against an Asian guy in seat one, who the guy next to me said was a pro.  I made it to the top three, at which point the remaining players made a deal: $1500 for me and the other chip leader (seat one), $1250 for the guy in third, and we'd play for the remaining $800 in cash.  Right after we made the deal, the third place player check-raised me.  I had flopped top pair.  Impulsively, I reraised all in.  He thought about it for a long time, then folded.  Phew!  In a few hands he and seat one got into a raising war, and seat one ended up calling the smaller stack's all in w bottom pair - deuces.  He called for another deuce and it came on the river!  Crazy.   Once we were heads-up he offered me $300 of the $800 to end it.  I said I'd take an even split, but I'd just as soon play for all of it.  So we played.  A few hands later I made a crazy all-in reraise bluff w nothing and he happened to have a very good draw (straight/flush) and called.  He didn't hit either draw, but he paired up and since I had absolutely nothing, that was good enough.  It was a terrible play.  Why bluff a guy who'll call all in with bottom pair, when I can just wait until I hit a good flop and get paid?  My goal had been to get the $1500 buy in and having done that, I stopped trying and threw away $800.  If I'd known myself better, I should've just taken the $300.  Oh well.

Instead of going home right after I sat down at a cash table where Costaki was already playing. 

There was one hand where the flop was QQT and the guy behind me, who was betting at a lot of flops bet.  In my experience when someone at a low-level game bets out at a paired flop, they don't have trips.  They usually have the match for the unpaired card.  So I decided to represent the trips for a bluff.  I just called.  On the turn, I checked and he bet again.  I called.  On the river I bet out a decent amount, but small enough that it'd look like I wanted a call.  Well it would've been a good bet if I had the trips because he called.  Turns out he had tens just as I thought.  I had the right read on his cards, but not on him.  I've noticed that older men in these low-level games are very hard to bluff.  They're stubborn and don't want to be fooled by some young smart-ass, so they call too much.  I think the better move with such guys is to overbet when you do have a hand and get paid.  Also, I didn't execute the bluff correctly.  Really if I had trips, I would've check-raised on the turn because there were straight and flush draws out there.  They way I did it, it could've looked like I was the one drawing, and having missed, took a stab at the pot. 

But in general, bad players ironically are much harder to bluff.  I know how good players think and I can be more confident they'll consider the subtle cues I'm sending.  You can't represent a slow-play to a bad player.  It's just too many levels deep.  I talked to Sam about this and he said that's why he likes the bigger games better.  There's more opportunity to be creative.  In smaller games you mostly just have to play textbook poker. 

I had terrible luck at this table.  I was hitting nothing, and the rare times I had a hand, someone else would suck out on me.  A bit later a New Yorker with big yellow (false?) teeth sat to my right.  He was aggressive, putting in raises and obvious continuation bets.  I called him once with 89 and when the flop came down J83 and he bet as usual,  I raised him hard.  He called.  The turn was an A.  He checked and I checked behind him.  On the river, a 5, he bet hard.  Too hard, it seemed.  I thought about it a while and then called.  He had AK.  He made a dumb call on the flop and I made a dumb call on the river.  I have to watch myself against aggressive players.  I take it personally.  I get emotional, as if I'm being picked on.  It's just a game and their strategy for playing it.  I have to look at it that way and not put my ego on the line so much. 

This guy was a jerk though - loved Andrew Dice Clay, always made the losing players show their hands when they wanted to muck, made fun of people, bragged, etc.  I wanted to nail him, but he stayed out of my way the few times I was strong.  I knew I should get home and get a good night's sleep for tomorrow's event, but I stuck around later than I intended.  I never did get him, and I lost a lot of the money I made winning that single table tournament.  I went home in a very bad mood and didn't sleep well. 

Tuesday July 25, 2006 Event #37 - No-Limit Hold'em - $1500 buy-in

Woke up still replaying hands from my losing session the night before.  The wins feel good, but they don't stay with you nearly as well as the losses.

I woke up and took Polly to her sitter and headed out.  Getting out into daylight helped me shake off the heaviness of the night before.  I sat down at my table in good spirits.  In the first session, and for the first time in the World Series, I actually caught some nice flops.  Two in particular, both against the same guy.  After taking a lot of flops and missing I was down about $400.  A guy who raised frequently, raised again and I called w 78suited.  The flop came down 6-9-10 rainbow - the nuts!  He checked.  I checked.  He bet the turn and I called.  On the river, he checked to me, and I feeling his didn't have much, put in a not very big value bet.  He thought about it and called.  A bit later he raised and I looked down at AJ-spades.  I called again, and he commented that I'm always calling his raises.  The flop came down all spades.  He bet hard this time.  I thought about it a while, or pretended to, then called, trying to seem reluctant.  I was representing that I had one spade and was on the draw.  I prayed no more spades would come.  The turn was a red A.  He checked.  I checked, hoping he had an A.  On the river, a blank, he checked again and I said, "All in." 

He thought about it a long time. I tried to sell that I was bluffing.  I crossed my arms and stared at him and tried to look tough, all the tells of a novice bluffer.  The bet itself looked like a bluff in that it was too much.  The last time I had the nuts against him, I bet small, for value.  I hoped he remembered.  This time I went all in.  Why would I do that if I was sitting on a flush?  Wouldn't someone in that situation want to get called?  And if you want to get called, why make a scary bet? 

My opponent in this hand was a Large, 40-something Englishman with a shirt that said "Team Ladbrokes".  He was agonizing.  I had seen this guy play and noted that he called too much.  That informed my decision to make the play I did.  I saw him counting out his chips.  He had a much bigger stack that I did and he was looking at how much he'd have left if he called and lost.  He'd still have a decent stack.  That made me think he was going to call and I tried my best to contain my happiness.  He said, "You've either got the A of spades or you flopped the flush."  He called and I turned over my cards with an expression of sympathy. 

Some people like to do some equivalent of a victory dance when they win a hand.  They slap down the cards or they pump their fist or say obnoxious things like, "Ship it!"  I hate that stuff.  I know what it's like to make a mistake and lose a lot and I know it could be me doing it the next hand.  I also know I got lucky, and that however well I played the hand, my winning is not all to my credit.  I hate watching players who don't seem to get this.  It's so ugly when they say "YES!" and pump their fist like a boxer who just won a fight.  The worst is when they do it after making a mistake, getting all their money in when they're way behind and then sucking out.  I think, What are you strutting for? You got lucky.  Be humble. 

(The bottom line is, I'm a great guy and I hope you appreciate that.) 

By the first break I had over 4200 in chips, nearly triple the starting amount and well above average.  An hour in, our table was broken up and I was moved.  I sat down at the table and on the first hand I had KK.  I raised to 3x the big blind and everyone folded.  I said, "Since I'm the new guy I'll show" and I did.  From there on it was downhill.  I had an aggressive guy to my left.  (Since action goes clockwise, and position gives a huge advantage, poker players want to be to the left of the tough players.)  He was a young Asian guy with the typical poker armor - hat, sunglasses, iPod.  Early on we were in the blinds together and everyone folded around to us.  I had 7-10 and put the half bet to call.  I had the feeling that he would raise to steal and sure enough he did.  I said, "I knew you were the type who'd do that."  He said, "Then why'd you limp?"  I said it was okay.  I'd just limp with Aces and let him bet it for me. 

Once again, I was making the mistake of taking it personally.  It must tap into childhood issues with bullying.  I was rooting against him.  He got caught a few times and fell below my stack in chips.  But he kept on pushing.  Once someone raised all in behind him and he made a big deal about how he was thinking about calling and then folded.  The second time that happened, he took even longer and when he folded, I said, "That was inevitable."  He said, "Do you even know what you're talking about?"  I said, "Nope.  Just a guess."  He said, "Don't even try to put me on a hand, son."  I said, "All I can do is try.  I gotta try."  I thought it was funny he called me "son."  He was at least ten years younger.  At another point, everyone folded around to us again.  I had TJs in the small blind.  I decided to raise it up.  Again I felt it coming before it happened, he re-raised all in.  Now I thought about it a while.  "Wow," I said.  You've got one gear."  I folded.   He said, "I thought you were going to limp with Aces." 

I realized later I should've limped again and then when he raised, I could've reraised all in and put him to the tough decision.  By raising I told him I didn't have a killer hand and could be bluffed.

He got lucky and hit some hands.  People seemed to respect his raises even though he did so many.  I didn't get it.  I would've pushed against him with anything decent.  But I wasn't getting anything decent.  One time a short stack raised, and he pushed all in.  The short stack called and he said, "Damn!"  He turned over A2-hearts and the short stack turned over AK.  A King came on the flop and I thought, yes! justice.   But then he caught running hearts for a flush to knock out the other guy.  Now he had a big stack again and it grew and grew as mine shrank.  The second break came and I was down to around 2200 in chips. 

After the break, a tiny stack came to the table and called all in w 84 because he had good pot odds in the small blind.  He got lucky and doubled up.  He won a few more hand and pretty soon was in very good shape.  Then he turned aggressive too.  Now I had two aggressive players to my left, and it got very hard for me to make successful steals, which I needed.  I talked to the new guy a bit because he was wearing a Chicago shirt.  He asked me what I do and I said I was a comedian.  The Asian guy on my left said, "Oh that explains it."  Then he said, "No offense taken."  I said, "I hope not.  I know you're just playing your best game. I'm just mad I had the bad luck to have you on my left."  He laughed and most of our tension lifted.

Once I was in the big blind and a woman with a very big stack (but not bullying) limped in early position.  She got one caller and I looked down in the big blind to see 88.  A great time to steal, except that when she limped I thought she might be slowplaying aces, looking for a raise.  I decided to just call and hope for the lucky set.  The flop came w TJ and a little one.  She bet, but it was a weak bet.  I said, "It feels like you've got sevens."  She just smiled and shrugged.  I remembered busting out of the last tournament with a little pair and decided to wait for a better moment to get all in. 

Another good player across the table raised me in the big blind.  I had AJ-suited and reraised all in.  He had good odds to call and I was very happy when he turned over TJ.  My hand held up and I was out of desperation territory, but still in bad shape.  Another time around a brand new guy at the table made a raise in late position.  I had A9 in the big blind.  He was another hat/sunglasses guy and stared me down like a tough guy.  (I wondered if He was doing the same bluff-representing that I'd done earlier with my flush, or if he was just doing the novice act strong when weak thing.) I thought I might be ahead, but he was brand new.  He might've been raising with AT and then I was in terrible shape.  I folded.  He said, "Do you always take that long when you fold?"  No witty comeback came to me, so I just stared back and nodded.

I tried a raise in late position with K9s and the comeback guy reraised me all in.  I sighed and folded.  Still had enough to fold but I wouldn't next time.  Another round of junk and I found 77 in early position.  I decided to make the standard raise instead of going all in.  Everyone folded around to the big blind (the new tough guy) who stared me down a long time.  He looked like he was about to call, so I tried to make him think I wanted it.  I said, "Do you always take that long when you're going to fold?"  The Asian guy got it.  He laughed and said, "Oho!  You're trying to fish him in!"  But it didn't work.  The guy called and then he bet out on a flop of KT5.  He could've been bluffing, planning to bet no matter what.  But it didn't look like a good place for a bluff since he had to think it was likely I felt pot committed.  I folded. 

The very next hand I had 55.  I only had 6 times the big blind and it was probably my last chance to make a significant raise.  (I'd just read an article by Mark Vos that said you have to move before your stack gets below 8x the big blind.)  I said, "Well let's try again."  I pushed all in.  A guy 4 to my left reraised and I thought, "Crap."  Everyone else folded and I said, "I hope it's an ace."  But no - he had QQ.  I said, "I haven't put a bad beat on anyone all month.  I'm due."  But it didn't happen and I was out.  I hated being beaten by those tough guys.  I didn't feel quite as bad as other times, since I didn't go out making any obvious mistake and I wasn't near enough the money to think I missed a great chance.  Also I had come into this thinking of it as just a warm-up for the main event.  Still, it's always a terrible feeling to bust out.

Later that night Costaki talked me into playing the small game at South Coast Casino across the street.  It went great!  I won nearly $1100!  At a 1-2 table that let you sit down with $300 max!

The biggest hand:  I called $20 (as did half the table) with pocket fives.  Flopped QQ6 and it was checked around to me on the button.  Too many players to take a shot at it so I checked.  Turn came a five!  I know had a full house and hoped there was a queen out there.  A cranky old Asian lady who never bluffed, bet out hard in early position and got one caller ahead of me.  I smooth called.  I figured I had to be ahead unless someone had pocket sixes and as long as the river didn't pair the kicker I was good.  The river?  Another five - giving me quads!  Cranky old lady in early position bet $100 and the other guy in front of me folded (flush draw that got there - but he knew it was no good with 2 pair on the board).  The old lady never bluffed but she was sometimes stubborn with calls, not that anyone could've gotten away from her hand.  I was sure she had the queen, so I went all in.  I tried act tough like we both had the same hand and I was just trying to steal her half of what would be a chopped pot.  We were both deep stacked and she barely hesitated to call another $500.  Booyah!  (It didn't occur to me until later that I made 700 bucks with the same hand I got knocked out of the tourney with earlier.)

Early on I laid down AK with an A on the flop after a huge bet on the turn from an aggressive player.  He was a little wild but he had a huge stack.  He had doubled me up just a few hands before and I didn't want to give it all back.  He could've had 2 pair and I didn't want to put all my chips at risk with one. 

We talked later and he said I made a bad laydown, but he may have just wanted  to mislead me.  I thought about it a lot, but at the end of the night I realized, if I had called there, another card would've been dealt and every subsequent shuffle would've been different for the night.  I never would've hit the quads against the boat and won that huge pot.  Isn't that interesting?  So regardless of whether it was a good laydown, it was a good laydown.

Thursday July 27, 2006

Tomorrow's the big day.  Main event, day 1.  I didn't sleep so well last night.  Definitely feeling anxious.  Not really sure why.  It's just a game right?  Yeah, but it's combat too.  I have to shake off the dread and feel good about this.  I've been trying to make the main event for almost 2 years and now I've done it.  No matter what happens, I made it in and it's a pretty cool thing.  Let's say there are 8 million regular poker players in the country.  That means only 1 in 1000 get to the main event.  That's pretty amazing on its own.  I want to go have fun.  I'll do my best to stay focused, to make good things happen, to avoid mistakes.  The odds of even doing well are very long even for the elite professionals, but someone has to make it through.  Why not me? 

My friends and brothers called to wish me well. We all enjoyed imagining me doing well, what I'd say on TV, how I'd interact with celebrities if I faced any.  I said if I win it, I'll quit poker forever.  What would be the point of playing?  I'd climbed the highest mountain

Friday July 28, 2006 World Series of Poker, Main Event - Event #39 - No-Limit Hold'em - $10,000 Buy-in

I got caught in traffic on the way over and tried a detour that turned out to be worse and it didn't exit where I needed and I had to do some weaving and running (ran past Norm McDonald who was being filmed walking in) to get to my seat just a few minutes before start time.  The room was more full of spectators than in earlier events and there were great telescoping-crane cameras that swung around the room.  My younger brother Jeremy was at my table (which was on an outside row) waiting for me.  What a guy!  He bought me a drink and wished me well. I felt excited but not too nervous.  No shaky hands.  As much as I fantasized about doing well, I was too far away from the possibility of anything to be nervous.  There were 2000 players and I don't know how many alternates, and with 4 day one's, the odds were 3-1 against the winner even being in the room!

James Garner played in this event.  They introduced him at the top and brought him on to say "Shuffle up and deal!"  Everyone applauded and we were underway.

It didn't go well for me.  I had a terrible run of cards, an endless parade of trash hands - 83, 92, J5...  9 out of ten hands had one card that was 6 or under.  I remembered a guy who sat next to me in an earlier event bemoaning his terrible cards, taking it as a personal slight from the universe and getting more and more upset and forlorn.  I was resolved not to be him, but it was not easy. Flopped top pair against 2 pair.  Once I had KQ against an old guy with JQ and we both flopped Q89.  He bet $500 (about the size of the pot) on the flop and I called.  Same bet on the turn and I decided he had QJ or QT.  He had limped preflop and was a straightforward bettor. I didn't want to give him a free draw to the gutshot straight so I raised to $1500.  He called without hesitation.  The river came a ten and he bet out $2000.  Straightforward bettor.  I shook my head sadly and said, "Well I put you on JQ the whole time..." and reluctantly folded.  The young guy at the table who was always trying to guess other people's cards (and thought he was great at it) said, "Show him the J" and he showed JQ, giving me the lukewarm comfort that I had read it right and played it right.  He had 7 outs going into the river (a 14% chance to catch me) and he got lucky.  Probably I should've raised on the flop and gone all in on the turn, but he very likely would've called and busted me...  We had a similar sequence on another hand later but I didn't get to see what he had. 

After a couple hours they announced James Garner's departure.  So no matter what happened, I could always say I beat Maverick.

Near the end of round 2, I was below $3000 in chips and caught 99.  I thought about raising preflop, but always hoping for the big payoff for the set, I just limped.  The flop came down 24K with 2 spades.  The card guesser in front of me bet $150 into a pot of almost $500.  I had seen him make weak defensive bets before so I decided to raise.  When he just called, I put him on a flush draw.  On the turn he checked to me and I had a decision.  If he was drawing I needed to bet to keep him from getting a free card.  If he had a K or worse, was slowplaying a set, I was pretty much dead.  I decided to trust my instinct and for the first time of the day, moved all in.  I said, "If you got me, you got me."  He hesitated a bit, asked how much it was, then said, "Your set of 4s is good" and turned over KQ and folded!  I had made a terrible misstep but my aggression (and this guy's own bad judgment) saved the day. 

I felt good for the first time.  Maybe this would be the turnaround hand.  I actually won a couple more small ones after this.  In one I had AQ under the gun and raised and everyone folded around to the old guy who called in the big blind.  The flop came A7x.  He checked, I bet, he called without hesitation.  The turn/river were something like TJ and so in the end I checked.  What did he have?  K7!  Called preflop with garbage and post-flop with bottom pair.  Finally I won one off him and the game was going as it should.    I was back up over $5000.  Hope stirred in me. Then just before the break I limped in late position w 8T-suited.  I thought of raising to steal here, but the big blind was a good player and I didn't want to mess with him.  I figured I'd just take a flop and use position.  The flop came 25T and he bet out and I, being the only behind him, didn't credit him for much.  He might've had nothing at all.  I raised and he, without hesitating, reraised me $3000.  This was the same guy who'd flopped two pair against my top pair before.  I said, "Again??"  And he nodded yes.  He said, "I'll show you."  I believed him and folded and showed me 25 and I realized I should've, and could've, raised to steal. 

A little ways into level 3 I was down to about $3450 in chips.  A new guy at the table raised in early position.  He had put in a few raises already so I wasn't too worried about him.  Then the old guy to my right called.  I definitely wasn't worried about his cards.  I looked down and saw I had AK.  With the blinds, there was $1700 in the pot already.  Not that it should be a part of my calculations, but I wasn't hitting flops all day.  I wanted to take it down.  I pushed all-in.  It folded around to the first guy.  He thought for a minute, asked how much more the bet was, and I calmly counted out the $2750.  His hesitation, unless it was an act for the old guy, let me know he didn't have AA or KK - the only 2 hands I really had to fear- but then he pushed all in (he had me covered) and I had to figure QQ.  The old guy folded, reluctantly (I heard him tell someone he had 44), and we were heads up.  I turned over my AK and he turned over...  AK!  He was suited, hearts, and I called for black cards on the flop.  Turns out that doesn't help any.  The flop came down with 2 hearts and I got a sinking feeling.  The turn was a third heart and just like that, my first world series main event was over.  The guy who beat me said "Sorry" and looked like he felt for me.  (I looked it up later and saw that we had been just under 91% to tie.)  People at the table wished me well and I said good luck to them.   I gathered my things and pushed away from the table.  I called out "Rebuy!" and heard some laughs behind me as I walked away into the crowd of onlookers.  A minute ago I was in it.  Now I was just another guy on the sidelines. 

Sunday July 30, 2006

Well my lease lasts another week, but I'm leaving today.  I could stay and play more events but I think it would feel anti-climactic.  I came here to play the main event and I did and now it's over.  I'll try again next year.  I've done well in cash games the last two nights, but I think I've had enough poker for a while...  Time to go home.

2006 WSOP SUMMARY

Event #2 - June 27 - No-Limit Hold'em - 460 / 2776

Event #3 - June 28 - Pot-Limit Hold'em - 480 / 1102

Event #17 - July 10 - No-Limit Hold'em - 390 / 2891

Event #37 - July 25 - No-Limit Hold'em - 750 / 2803

Main Event! - July 28

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