Neither happy nor disappointed right now. I played tight, aggressive all day, which worked well, but I couldn't get it going after an amazing start, bad-beat, and ever-increasing blinds eroding my stack. A few hands are noteworthy, which I'll outline below.The scene: 1,750 players started Day 1c (the third of four starting days). 1a and 1b had about 1,500 each and 1c is expected to have 1,500+, so there is likely to be 6,500 total players (vs. 8,800 last year). I'm sitting on table #90 in seat #9. The table next to me has Chris (Jesus) Ferguson and Robert Varkonyi (WSOP 2002 champ) sitting at it. There's a big ESPN boom camera hovering overhead, catching the action. There are over 3,000 people circulating, as they let spectators into the main walkways. It is utter chaos.
Everyone started the day with 20k in chips, blinds 50/100. Finding ThTd from the button, I called a pre-flop super-raise of 1100 for heads-up action. This guy had been bullying the blinds, so I wasn't too convinced of his raise. Flop comes AsTs9s. Scary board, but I put the raiser on AK/AQ/KK/QQ (at best), so it's unlikely he has the nut flush. Raiser bets out 1,500, I raise to 4,000. He says: "I don't think you caught that flop" and pushes all-in for over 16,000. Feeling the heat, I'm hoping I'm a 2:1 favorite, so I make the call. He turns over AcKh. He's drawing virtually dead (3.1%), needing runner-runner. My stack grows to 35k as I bust out my first player and I am feeling GREAT.
This is exactly where I wanted to be. In the next hour, I find QQ twice and KK three times. Each time, I raised a customary 3-4x the blind and was folded to every single time. I knew this run of cards was going to end, and the unfortunate lack of action was killing me inside. Run my stack up to 40.5k with a good run of cards, but very little action.The turning point of the tourney came late into the second level (2 hrs of play, then 20 min break). The blinds increased to 100/200. I'm in seat #9 and the guy in seat #7 has been raising my big blind relentlessly. I'm playing tight and folding most of the time. Finally, I get sick of his crap, and call his 800 raise with Ad7d. Flop comes AsQh3d rainbow. I check to him and he continuation bets 1500. I re-raise to 4000 to see where I'm at. He just calls. Pot is a healthy 9,500. 6d on the turn misses, but I've got a flush draw. I check to him and he bets 4,000, I call. At this point, I don't know where I'm at, but feel like my pair of A's is ahead. River comes K, no flush. Pot is 17,500. I make a stupid bet of 5,000 to see if he will lay down his A rag (if that's what he had) because I also have a weak kicker (with Q and K on the board, I'm hoping he believes I hit two pair). Instead, this ass-munch flips over QK-off suit, hitting the winning two-pair on the river (less than 10% chance). How the F%^*! does he call my 3x check-raise on the flop!?! He had no draw and second pair. Stack falls back to about 19.5k from my comfy 35k and I am just steaming. I rarely ever play A-rag, and if the board misses my flush draw, I will usually throw it away, but I felt this guy was weak and my play was justified. CRAP SANDWICH for me!
Over the next four-five hours, I'm just scraping by, trying to stay alive as the blinds increase to 200/400 and 50 ante. That's 1,100 pot everytime and 110/hand cost to play. My stack falls down to about 13k as all of my pre-flop raises are being called and I'm hitting NOTHING and folding. I find QQ UTG and raise it to 2200 and get called. Flop comes AT4. It goes check check. Turn misses with a 7. I bet-out 3000 and get re-raised to 8000, putting me all-in....I muck the QQ (he shows an A). My stack is dangerously low at 7,500 when I find As7s in the small blind and raise 2000 after the table folds, trying to steal the blinds. Big blind puts me all-in, and I call, on life support. He turns over KJ-off suit. My ace holds up, and I have new life at 13,000, surviving my first all-in of the night.
For the next hour I played tight, waiting for a spot to double-up as my stack dwindled to 10k. I wake up with TT on the button. The cut-off raises a standard 2,200 to steal the blinds and I move all-in. He calls me with JJ. My tourney is looking grim. Instead, I hit the miraculous T on the flop and survive my second all-in, doubling up to 20,000. Dodging that bullet and looking down at a starting stack of 20k felt SOOOOOO GOOOD.
We went on break again and blinds increased 300/600 and 75 ante. That's 1,650 cost per round. My stack was shrinking again as a painful run of J2, 63, 72, 94, etc. continued to eat away at my lonely chips. With 12.5k chips left, I find 88 and raise to 2500 after the button limps. Mr. seat #7 (the limper) calls me. Flop comes Jd9h3h. Check check. I'm thinking he has A-high at this point. When the turn comes Tc, I've got an open-ended straight draw with my 88. He bets 3000, and thinking he is weak, I push all-in for 10,000 more into the 8,000 pot. He flips over AhJh. The river misses my straight, and I quietly get up and head to the "Milwaukee's Best Hospitality Bar" for a $2.50 can of the "beast", watching the remaining 1090 players battle it out.
My only consolation is 650+ players busted before me, including the likes of Greg Raymer (2004 WSOP), Phil Ivey (one of the best), Mike "The Mouth" Matasow, Amir Vahedi, Phil Laak, Shannon Elizabeth (ok she's not good, but a she's hot), Andy Bloch, Scott Lazar, and even Jennifer Tilly.
Thanks for everyone that has been texting/emailing best wishes. It was really cool to have so many folks interested in my progress.
One final note: my buddy CC (see ex-snowman blog at right) was in GREAT SHAPE when I left the building at 11:30pm. His stack of about 65k was well-above average (34k) and he was dominating his table. I've got an equity stake in him, and feeling good about WSOP 2007 not being a complete financial bust. Bring it home CC!!!
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