WSOP thoughts part 1

My thoughts on how the WSOP main event went is basically, lol tourneys. I sucked out with AQ vs. KK all-in pre with like 25bb in preflop on day two, so if I lose there is obviously no sweat and this thread would be just another whine about how I can't seem to win at live poker. Instead I am here to pontificate on how brilliant I played. It really is amazing how running good can distort one's own perception on how well one plays.

Day One

My first day was essentially a dream table. A bunch of semi-loose passive people that open limped a lot preflop and would not get any value out of their hands without the absolute nuts, but would fold if there was an open raise. Two times this foreigner guy had essentially nut hands and got the absolute minimum out of the hand. This guy from Georgia overcalled after four LIMPERS with KK in the SB. Like a dream table at 25nl. Unfortunately, I got moved to a different table after like four hours of playing at the table and only chipped up to 40k of the original 30k.

The second table was a tougher table, but I got AA, KK, or AK seven or eight times and 3bet someone every time in the span of a few hours. Too bad every single time someone folded preflop, but my image was pretty plentiful to be paid off. Once I got AQ vs. A8 all-in pre against a 5k shortstack and lost. Again I got moved to a different table at 45k or so.

The third table of the day was very soft, but I got myself down to like 15k. Don't remember exactly how. Then I got KK in against 88 on a 542 rainbow flop (some middle aged man raised me like 45bb deep on this flop with 88, which is really really horrible). Then I won three more signifcant middle sized pots and ended the day with 67k.

Day Two

I played at one table the whole day. I think one of the seats was Robert Mizrachi. Anyway early on I chipped up to 74k or so. Then Mizrachi raised UTG, this Portugese middle aged guy called in middle position, and I called on the button with JJ and the blinds folded. Mizrachi was pretty active preflop raising, so I probably should have 3bet preflop so -1 for me on the overall scoring sheet.

Anyway, the flop came JT6 with two spades. Mizrachi checks, middle aged guy bets, I raise, mizrachi fold, old guy shoves, I snap call with joy. Old guy has TT. Ship this pot. But the river was a T and the old guy yelled and screamed like he just got released from the Holocaust. Now I'm down to 15k.

I raise 86s in early position 200/400. Probably should have folded, but I don't like folding in tourneys. Semi-loose button called KQ5 with two clubs as the flop. I cbet, he calls. Turn was a blank 4, I check, he checks. Now I was thinking that he had some sort of draw or like QJ. River was a 2 and I was going to c/r as a bluff, but he decided to check behind A9 of clubs. Bah. Down to 12k.

Now I'm just praying for a hand. I get AQ on the button, the hijack raised to 1100, I 3bet to 3700, he deliberates and shoves. I say, "time for me to go home" and call. AQ vs. KK. FML. Flop comes an ace and I survive. Then I folded and stole a few blinds to survive onto my piddly little 25k stack.

Dinner break comes, and I think of essentially that I should stop playing like a pussy and 3bet some more. But the problem was that every 3bet was going to give me like 2:1 on calling a shove, so I would have to 3bet people that wouldn't have a light shoving range, or with just pure garbage hands.

So I come back from the break, and i think the blinds were 400/800. Mizrachi opens to 2200 in somewhat early position, everyone else folds, i see KTo, and decide fuck it I need some chips and 3bet to 7500, he calls. Hmm, motherfuckers with calling ranges in these stupid things with 30bbs. I have about 0 experience playing these stack sizes or to know what someone would call with preflop here. I'm already thinking about what to write on my last hand of this WSOP.

Flop comes KJ9 rainbow. Hmm, well he could have AJ, QQ-TT as hands for him to continue with, but that is about all I could see him to continue with that I beat, so I check thinking his bluffing range was got to be bigger than that. He checks behind. Well, that was good I think to myself. Turn is a J. Well, that didn't change much except for AJ improving. But, I think that my perceived bluffing range has got to be very little, so I might as well rep QQ, AQ, TT and hope he bluffs somewhere. He checks behind again. River is a 9. Now there is very little value betting to my hand except if he has AQ, AT, TT, or the rare QQ (which I think he shoves pre given stack sizes). So i think and check again and think that he could have 55-88 and just got counterfeited. He bets 15k, I call very quickly and how KTo. He mucks angrily.

A few hours role by and the last hand before break, Mizrachi just doubled up off of old nit Portuguese douche that one outted me earlier. Mizrachi opens one before the hijack, and I see QQ in the big blind. I 3bet, and he insta shoves all-in. I snap call. He has AJ and I win.

Now I come back from break with a manageable 70k stack, even though it is about than I started the day off with. Everyone folds to me in the SB and I was going to raise any two because there was this 38 year old South African who had to be the nittiest person at the table. I raise T2o. He calls. There's a first. Flop comes J82 rainbow. Sweet, bottom pair. I cbet he calls. Stubborn asshole. Turn comes a beautiful A. I bet again and he folds. 80k stack.

Then two new people get moved to the table, both of whom played at the same previous table. They chat to themselves and allude that they are both weak-tighties. The young kid says "two more hands than I raised at last table", and the other is a 65 year old Texan. Not that hard of a deduction to get the 2nd one for being a nit.

Anyway, young nit raises in the hijack, I flat with 66 and both blinds call. Flop is a marvelous J62 with two spades. Everyone checks to me and I bet 3/4 pot. BB calls and the nit c/r raises me. Now I'm secretly thinking FML this assholes got a set of jacks because that is how terribad players play the nuts, but I'm not folding this hand. At the same time, if I were to shove, I'm showing so much strength on this board which might get the nit to fold an overpair so I elect to call giving the BB ample odds to call if he has a draw. Luckily, he folds. I think in my head, no spade, no spade. Turn is the turn of hearts. Hijack shoves, I call obviously. He has AA. River is a T and I win a 160k pot.

Not much else happens until the final hand of the day. I have about 175k at this point. Mizrachi opens UTG with 65k at .5/1k I think, I see AKo and 3bet to 9k, he puts out 50k (which I thought was all-in), I call. Too bad he had 15k left behind, doh! Flop comes jack high and he puts in his last chips, I call begrudgingly. He has KK and I don't improve. Down to 112k.

Day Three and more next blog post with blood alcohol level above .08 (and the last WSOP day I played in thoughts with a blood alcohol level of black out drunk because I don't really want to write about that).