Las Vegas Updates - Day 8

Cash Games = +$9212
Online = +$2400
Tournaments = -$11200
Overall = +$412

Out of the main event. Started with Gus Hanson to my left and it all went well as i accumulated 22000 by end of level two. I was then moved to another table with three calling stations to my left. In over 6 hours of play i saw two pairs (2s both times) ... I saw pots over 30000 chips with people in with an underpair to the board.... i have truly never seen poker like it.

Eventually i found AK suited and walked into KK. Then with 12000 left i had KK v AA... both against the same guy who would just as easily throw all his chips in with a pair of tens!

The guy to my left hit a set 7 times and still went out before me.... insanity.

I know with any kind of decent cards i could have been up to a huge stack of chips as my table was so favourable... instead i am just gutted about my luck.

*Update*

As i a blogger i guess i should report how i won and lost my chips... here goes. I made these notes on my mobile.

WSOP 2005 - $10000 NL Holdem report

Level 1 - Blinds 25/50

Apart from Gus Hanson and Elvis everyone else at my table was visibly nervous about the WSOP. My tactics were to try and accumulate chips by taking as few a risks as possible.

- I limped in late position with Qd9d. Flop Kd4dJd. Wow thats a great flop for me. I call 400 planning on check raising the turn. Turn brings a fourth diamond and my opponent bets 300. I call. River a blank and he bets 2000. I pass. He shows Ad5d. I may have lost all my chips there if the fourth diamond didn't appear. Down to 9300

- I limp on the button with 7s4s. Flop 753. I raise and pick up one caller. Turn a 7. I bet 400. Called again. River a 2. I bet 500 and called. Opponent shows TT. Up to 10500

- I raise to 125 to play with AQ in late position. Flop A79. I get check raised to 700. Gus calls and so do i. Turn a 2. They both check. I check. River a 3. Again they both check so i bet 700 and get called. Up to 12700.

- I raise to 150 to play with QhKh. Flop Ad8h9h. Two pre flop callers check to me. I bet 400. Bruce Atkinson "Elvis" calls. Turn a 4h. He bets 800. I just smooth call. River a rag and he bets 1500. I call and take the pot. I was probably overly cautious on that hand. Up to 16000.

Level 2 Blinds 50/100

- One limper and i raised to 500 to play on the button with KdKs. Two callers in the blinds. Flop 559 with two diamonds. Checked to me. I decide to overbet the pot to knock out anyone playing for a flush draw. So i bet 2500. Small blind starts thinking. he says, "That bet sounds like you don't want a caller." He goes all in for 7000. I call. He shows TT and i am up to 23000.

- Raise in late position with TdJd and get two callers. Flop 8d9dKh. I bet 600 as my draw is massive. One caller. River a blank Ace. I decide to try and win it there and bet 1900 and get reraised. I passed. Down to 20000.

- Raise to 500 to play in middle position with AdKh. Two callers. Flop 2d5d7d. First player checks... i check, then Gus bets 1200. First player calls and i decide to make a semi bluff and raise to 5000. Both pass. Back to 23000.

Level 3 Blinds 100/200

Didn't play a pot over 1000 chips. No cards. Down to 21000.

Level 4 Blinds 100/200 running 25 ante

I got moved table now and saw chips flying around very fast and wanted a piece of the action.

- Early position player makes it 700 to play. I reraise to 2500 with AsKs. He calls. Flop 5s6s7h. He checks and i bet 5000. He passes. No pairs or Ace with a decent kicker for the rest of the level.

I had three calling stations to my left that would play nearly every pot to a reraise of 3000 with any two pictures or small pair. Now was the time to get the odd decent hand in 100 minute levels surely.

Frustration growing. There was not even any point in trying to nick the blinds due to the calling stations to my left. Still i was being very patient and had an ultra tight table image. Still had 21000 so no hurry.

Level 5 Blinds 150/300 running 50 ante

I witnessed so much loose play on my table but these were my two favourites.

- Player one has 19000 chips before this hand and raises to 1200 in early position. Late postion guy with a load of chips makes it 5000 to play. Player one calls. Flop 569 rainbow. Player one bets 5000. Player two calls. Turn another 9. Player one bets 7000 leaving himself 2000. Player two calls. Now i am thinking that they both must have a set/house/straight/overpair e.t.c. Pot is around 30000. River a T. Checked down. Player one shows TJ and wins with his pair of tens. Player two shows 33 and mucks his hand.

- Another 30000 pot develops on a Q78 flop. Again i am sitting there thinking a set v AQ maybe. No way. One guy has 99 and the other JJ.

It had now been five hours of play since i picked up a pair over 22 (which i had twice)

Level 6 Blinds 200/400 running 50 ante

I had 19000 chips at the beginning of the level. Still ok. Remember patience, patience, patience.

- Wow i picked up AsKs on the button. I have a ridiculously tight table image by now. I had raised pre flop two or three times in about six hours due to the trash i was getting dealt. Middle position guy who raises about 80% of the time if everyone folds to him makes it 1700 to play. He has 7000 so i put him all in. He has KK and doubles up. I know he would have called with hands like A9, JQ, AQ e.t.c. despite my table image *sigh*

- A few hands later i won 2000 back with AA when i limped and then reraised.

- Was at 12000 when i picked up KK on the button. I was desperate for a double up so when the usual raiser made it 1500 to play i decide to slowplay them. Anyway the end result would have been the same as he had AA. I had joked to Mike Lacey earlier that when i get KK someone will probably wake up with AA. I was out.

I walked back to my room feeling very frustrated. In the last four levels (nearly six hours) i had four premium hands (JJ or better) and lost with two of them. No middle pairs or even AQ. I hit a set once in ten hours of play, a flush twice and no straights.

I will be back for sure. I know that in poker you can go months when your form is out and then *bang* you are on fire again. I would be far more disappointed if i played badly or made the wrong decisions on key hands.

I'll be rooting for the remaining Brits from now on. Think i may return to the UK a few days earlier than planned as i haven't been back for over six weeks now.