Hey guys, as usual sorry for the delay in getting my blog up this go around. When you bust out of the Main though, you really just want to hide for a few days, and that is what I have been doing basically. I’ll let you know how my final day at the WSOP ended here, along with my exit at the Bellagio Cup III as well…
Main Event Day 2
Day Two of the Main started with absolutely zero expectations from me. I came in with less than half of my starting stack, 8500 chips, and very little hope of being able to make too much happen once we started. When you are that short-stacked you simply hope to pick up a hand and just get lucky, and I was doing the same. I took my seat at my table, and saw only two faces that I recognized; Jane Gold (Jamie’s mother) and Ross Boatman, who I consider a good friend. We all talked a bit before the cards where in the air, and Jane seemed very sweet. Ross and I had our usual schtick about how we have been getting our asses kicked, along with our close calls…
Day Two of the Main started with absolutely zero expectations from me. I came in with less than half of my starting stack, 8500 chips, and very little hope of being able to make too much happen once we started. When you are that short-stacked you simply hope to pick up a hand and just get lucky, and I was doing the same. I took my seat at my table, and saw only two faces that I recognized; Jane Gold (Jamie’s mother) and Ross Boatman, who I consider a good friend. We all talked a bit before the cards where in the air, and Jane seemed very sweet. Ross and I had our usual schtick about how we have been getting our asses kicked, along with our close calls…
I was incredibly lucky at that table as somehow I picked up two hands in the first orbit, the A
K and then again, with the A
K
. Both times I received no action, but I was able to grow my tiny little stack a little bit bigger, which is always a good thing. We were only at that table for about 15 minutes, but when I left, I did so with about 14k in chips from my two hands, which was great.
K and then again, with the AK. Both times I received no action, but I was able to grow my tiny little stack a little bit bigger, which is always a good thing. We were only at that table for about 15 minutes, but when I left, I did so with about 14k in chips from my two hands, which was great.I then hopped over to my new table, where I didn’t know anyone again, and proceeded to make some magic happen in a reasonably short amount of time. I managed to pick up KK against my opponent’s 8
8, and it held up, which propelled me up to about 32k in chips. It was no mountain by any means, but at least I had some breathing room for a bit…but it couldn’t last…
K against my opponent’s 88, and it held up, which propelled me up to about 32k in chips. It was no mountain by any means, but at least I had some breathing room for a bit…but it couldn’t last…I ended up picking up KQ and had a bit of a pot with a player. I ended up losing that one and suddenly was right back down again, this time at about 16k. I was pretty sick about it, as I thought I had finally turned the corner and was about to start heading in the upwards direction. It was not to be then though, as one of my key hands was actually about an hour later…
Q and had a bit of a pot with a player. I ended up losing that one and suddenly was right back down again, this time at about 16k. I was pretty sick about it, as I thought I had finally turned the corner and was about to start heading in the upwards direction. It was not to be then though, as one of my key hands was actually about an hour later…I had an opening under the gun raise in front of me, along with a call on the button from a second opponent. I looked down at QQ and knew it was time to go…so I did so. I shipped my chips into the pot, and was greeted by not one, but two callers, as both the players did so. It was a great shot to triple up, but I would also have to beat out two other hands now. I said a prayer, and we all went to the flop. I was only thinking one thing; “NO ACE, NO KING…NO ACE, NO KING…”
Q and knew it was time to go…so I did so. I shipped my chips into the pot, and was greeted by not one, but two callers, as both the players did so. It was a great shot to triple up, but I would also have to beat out two other hands now. I said a prayer, and we all went to the flop. I was only thinking one thing; “NO ACE, NO KING…NO ACE, NO KING…”All three of us saw the flop of, you guessed it, K109, and the under the gun player shoved the rest of his chips into the pot, and I knew I was toast. I found out after the hand that he was actually Hilbert Shirey, who Bear told me was one of the best no-limit poker players in the world, and a man who had given him fits when he had played with him. As you can imagine, I tend to pay more attention to those players that Bear gives this kind of nod to. He really lived up to it while we played together, as well as being a very kind and interesting man to talk with as well. I digress though…
109, and the under the gun player shoved the rest of his chips into the pot, and I knew I was toast. I found out after the hand that he was actually Hilbert Shirey, who Bear told me was one of the best no-limit poker players in the world, and a man who had given him fits when he had played with him. As you can imagine, I tend to pay more attention to those players that Bear gives this kind of nod to. He really lived up to it while we played together, as well as being a very kind and interesting man to talk with as well. I digress though…“I need a Jack”, I said knowingly as I flipped up my Queens and he showed me his Ace-King, with the paired King of course. We saw the useless turn of the 4, but then the miracle hit the river, the J, and I was given new life, this time actually tripling up to about 42k in chips, which was a mountain to me at that time.
, but then the miracle hit the river, the J, and I was given new life, this time actually tripling up to about 42k in chips, which was a mountain to me at that time.Suddenly I was well back in business, thanks to my suckout. I felt I had been given a new lease on life and I wasn’t going to waste it. Life was good…
Just then my good friend, the beautiful Evy Ng was moved to the table. We shot the shit a little bit and had some laughs, which made me feel even worse about what was about to happen. Evy and I ended up getting it all in before the flop with two monsters; she held the AK, but was unlucky enough to run into my AA, and she also doubled me up, this time up to about 86k in chips. I obviously was happy to have the chips, but also pretty sick to have to do it to my friend in such a big event. You always feel a little dirty when you have to do it that way…but of course, you will always take it.
K, but was unlucky enough to run into my AA, and she also doubled me up, this time up to about 86k in chips. I obviously was happy to have the chips, but also pretty sick to have to do it to my friend in such a big event. You always feel a little dirty when you have to do it that way…but of course, you will always take it.At this point I had the real key hand of my tournament. The one that would make me or break me in terms of being able to continue to accumulate chips or not. The player in the one seat had been bluffing all-in quite often, and showing his bluffs off to the table as well. He opened in late position again, as he had been doing constantly, but this time I ended up holding the QQ, and reraised him. He thought for a bit before shipping his chips into the middle, about 45k of them. I instantly called and was sick to see that this time he actually held a hand, the AK. This would be the pot that would really kick me into contention if I could take it down. 130k at that point in the tournament would have been good for top-twenty in chips, which would have been even more amazing for me considering where I had come from.
Q, and reraised him. He thought for a bit before shipping his chips into the middle, about 45k of them. I instantly called and was sick to see that this time he actually held a hand, the AK. This would be the pot that would really kick me into contention if I could take it down. 130k at that point in the tournament would have been good for top-twenty in chips, which would have been even more amazing for me considering where I had come from.The flop came down beautifully for me, 8104, and the turn equally so, 6. If only there were four cards in this particular board, instead of that dreaded fifth…it came down, A, and just like that, I had lost that race.
104, and the turn equally so, 6. If only there were four cards in this particular board, instead of that dreaded fifth…it came down, A, and just like that, I had lost that race.It was a tough one, as like I said, that was definitely the key hand for me in this year’s Main Event. I fought on for quite some time, winning some pots here and losing a few other ones there. At one point I ended up dropping back down to about 12k in chips, but was able to boost that back up to about 38k once again, before I was forced to stick my money in, this time in a bad spot, with my 10’s dominated by my opponent’s Queens, just after the dinner break. I wasn’t able to suckout and that was that…
Ay, such is life. There is nothing as gross as busting out of this tournament. You guys know the drill; it’s our Super Bowl and it’s just another year to wait to get your next shot. I was so proud of how I played at this year’s WSOP though. I was just a couple of cards away from making three separate final tables, as well as making a DEEP run in the Main. I really feel that my game has grown and improved drastically in the last four months, and that I am just a few lucky breaks away from doing something really big. It’s frustrating to say the least, but you know you are doing something correctly when you usually are sent home on some sort of beat. Stay tuned…
Bellagio Cup III, Days 1 & 2
Mercifully so, there isn’t much to write about this event. I was growing my stack up well from the door in this tournament. Going from 20k to about 45k without much resistance from my table. Unfortunately for me though I had the dreaded Kings run into Aces situation and was a short-stack from there. I ended up sucking out on a couple of hands after that and went into day two with only about 13k in chips.
On day two, I only played a few hands and got unlucky when my AQ didn’t hold up against John Gale’s KQ in about a 36k pot, which would have gotten me back into it in a flash. Eh, it wasn’t meant to be…
Q didn’t hold up against John Gale’s KQ in about a 36k pot, which would have gotten me back into it in a flash. Eh, it wasn’t meant to be…That’s all I have, my kiddies. I am heading back to LA tomorrow night and am ready to just relax, sleep, hang out, and just basically escape from poker for a little while. I need it both for the mind as well as the body. I hope you are all good and I’m sure I’ll be checking in with you very soon…
peace,
J
joepoker@joesebok.com
J
joepoker@joesebok.com
