My Day at the WSOP: So close to winning it all

LAS VEGAS–Technical difficulties aside … I played in a big tourney yesterday (big for me). It was the third $1,500 NLH event of the WSOP, which drew 2,315 entries. CC over at PokerWorks was cool enough to follow my action while the Fresh Princess couldn\’t. I just wish I could have given him and our new-best friends at Milwaukee\’s Best Light — who are running online freerolls for main event seats here — a little-more-better to write/read about.

In a nutshell, I just never got any traction. It was like riding a bull out of the gate — up and down and in control of my chips, but never firmly saddled. With my mind as clear as it could be after a morning pep talk with various yokels in web-server tech support … I got hit early when my two pair lost to a better two pair (my fault for playing A-8s) and then my \”top top\” lost to two pair played very passively, not giving much indication of what I was up against. But that\’s OK, no panic — just shifting gears more often than I\’d like. Would get down to the proverbial \”chip and a chair\” holding a single 500 chip in the second level. And then — call me an angle-shooter if you will — I pulled a tricky to stay alive:

Blinds were 50/100, and I had K-Js in middle position. UTG comes in for a raise to 300, and I decide this is the hand I gotta go with. I flip my chip into the pot (with a high arc) saying, \”One chip!\” Though I gave this overchip underraise about a 20 percent shot of working, the dealer took the bait.

\”Sir, excuse me, but you did not say \’raise.\’ This is going to stand as a 300-dollar call.\”

Oh, right. Sorry. Oops. I understand.

Everyone else folded, and it\’s heads up as we see the flop. I couldn\’t have missed more — not even runner-runner flush outs — and when the other player fires out, I fold, leaving me with two black chips change. In my mind I had doubled up, now with an M=0.667.

With this, I started to believe … just maybe possibly …it was my destiny to win. Yep, I\’d be following in Tom\’s bracelet-bound footsteps … doing Milwaukee\’s Best Light, Put a Bad Beat on Cancer (decided to go with the official charity of the WSOP) and The Batfaces proud … all while providing inspiration for all of blog-kind! The belief continued to germinate as I climbed well out of the hole and started to get comfortable after winning a couple races.

While unable to post during the event, I was able to text-message some play-by-play to friends and colleagues. (And interestingly enough, Jack Effel announced specific rules at the start of the tourney relating to this ever-more-common practice for providing chip counts.) Here\’s what my \”top friends\” got as Big Tourney Day progressed:

1:07 pm (pacific)
Hurt kinda early. Lost two pair to 2 pr twice.

1:08 pm
Down to 2 chips and a chair.

1:09 pm
Made it to level 2. M=5

1:33 pm
Literally down to chip and chair. But lasted longer than tom!
[Ed. Note: Tom Schneider and I had a $200 last longest bet, which he smartly hedged by saying we had to make it to Day 2 for either of us to collect.]

1:50 pm
Doubled up from 1 chip to 2. 500 to 200

2:12 pm
Oh boy. I went from 200 to 2250″ seated next to barry greenstein, whose advice i took last night.

2:21 pm
2250. Seated next to barry greenstein on 217. he said advice still good, but sometimes cards don\’t cooperate.

2:26 pm
Turned my 200 into 2250. Did i already report this? I arguably shot an angle with an overchip underraise to stay alive.

2:29 pm
Walking back in room. I smell weed. Someone was clearly smoking on break.

3:04 pm
1900 left. Chips that is.

3:17 pm
Just got KOd. My 10-10 lost to AK on the river.

3:20 pm
If i win that hand i think i am good to win the tournament.