Vegas WSOP Trip Report

[Zybomb]

I was out during the last 2 weeks of the series. I mopped up the 5/5 PLO games for north of $10k, was a small winner in 2/5 and 5/10 Hold Em. But alas I played 2 $1060 Sattys for the main and busted both, I played well in one, my reads were dead on, but I lost a big flip and got cooolered another hand to make me short and I shoved AQ and was called by 66 and 33, and couldn't muster a win on a JJT flop, the other I was card dead a long time and then eventually busted early TT vs QQ on a QTx all spade board in a reraised pot pre. For some reason I didn't play any single table satties which have been my bread and butter when it comes to sattying into big events. I still had my initial roll I came down with plus a few if I bought directly in, so that's what I did. It's really the same if you win a satty for $10k or you win cash games for $10k, it just feels different... but I can win a single table satty and just sell the lammers and pocket the $10k if I want, so meh.

Main didn't go the greatest. Table was soft outside of Kelly Kim (2008 final table) (to my right), a solid cash player I knew from back home (on my left) and some annoying British guy 2 to my left who wasn't very good but seemed like he watched too much TV and tried to get fancy and outplay people every hand. The rest of the table had blaring errors, i.e played way too ABC, called down way too much, were tight/bad etc.

Last time I played the Main I put a orange ($5000) chip in the pot exactly ONCE on day 1. This time I put one in on the first level lol. Kelly opened the cutoff to 250, I called on the button with 53 and the BB calls. Flop comes J92, both players check and I stab 475, BB folds Kelly calls. Turn is a A, as close to gin as I can get. Kelly checks, I for some reason opt to bet very small and fire 750. I think my thinking at the time was this wouldn't polarize my range since it looks like I could be getting thin value out of Jx hands but I dunno. He check calls again. river is a beautiful K, he checks and I bet 1875, he check raises to 5400. I ponder a little, and call. He flips QJ (TP on flop turned into a bluff) and I scoop.

Annoying British guy two to my right has triple barreled twice with air and been looked up. Once against the biggest calling station at the table, who was check instacalling with TT on a J high board... how he thought it'd work is beyond me. Anyway I grind up to 42k and open the 100/200 blinds to 525 with QQ only to get 3 bet by the Brit to 1700. I call. Flop comes 432 and I c/c a 2300 flop bet, turn is a K and I c/c a 4500 turn bet, river is an 8 and Im faced with a 10k river bet. MY hand is a very easy fold on the river, and marginally easy on the turn against the majority of my table, but this guy has done this 2x already and appears to always try n be fancy. So I play bad and call and of course he flips AK. Well, despite butchering that, I couldn't have won the hand pre or on the flop had I played more aggressively. Down to 22k. Weee

Grind up to around 35k when the blinds hit 150/300. some southern ABC guy opens up EP to 700 and I call from the CO with A3, as well as the solid NY player to my left. Flop comes 942. PFR leads out a weak looking 900 bet, I flat, half floating, half with an over backdoor spades and a wheel gutshot, but the NY guy to my left raises a curious 2550. PFR calls, and for some reason I decide to fold. Turn is a Q. PFR checks, guy bets 5k and PFR calls. River is a 5. FML. PFR leads out 15k and NY guy insta mucks. I go ballistic knowing Im supposed to double that hand and Im never folding and think of ways I can begin to play worse. NY player tells me he had an airball, making matters even more frustrating.

Despite butchering hands, I manage to grind up to 49kish just before dinner break, when there is a 725 open from EP from a tight ABC bad player, 2 calls, so I call OTB w 87 and the brit in the BB tags along as well. The flop comes 622. Everyone checks to me, here's a flop that likely missed most everyone, the PFR is too bad to cbet into 4 players despite this flop and both other players are unlikely to check any pair, so I fire 1625. The BB calls and the rest of the field folds. The turn is gin 9, and the BB checks, I semi-bluff 3875 and the BB tanks a few before calling. the river is a 6 and the BB checks. I quickly realize Im folding nothing by barreling here, so I abort and check behind. BB turns over 42, and I realize a T5 or heart likely gets him STACKED. That's 2x I could've doubled / stacked already. Once if I stayed in, once if my 15 outer hit

I get to dinner with just shy of 43k and come back to the same blinds with 25 antes. It folds around to Kelly in the CO, who had been playing fairly aggro pre, but seems to release to 3 bets often enough. Anyway Kelly opened to 675 and I 3 bet the button to 2050 with 85 . Kelly calls after a few. The flop comes 864, floping me TP a backdoor diamond draw and a gutshot. Kelly checks and I bet 2300, he thinks a moment and c/r's me to 4925. I tank a few and call. The turn is a 3 improving my straight draw to an 8 out draw. Kelly leads out for 6800. I tank a while and then flat. River is a T and he ships very quickly and I fold. Once again Im annoyed how I played a hand and find myself with 29kish in chips.

I dwindle down to 26k before opening to 700 UTG with JT (the merits of this open can be discussed, but this deep I think it probably doesn't matter that much). 2 players call and Kelly calls from the BB. The flop comes 986. Kelly leads out for 1900, I raise to 5800, 2 others get out of the way and Kelly ships quickly, and I call. He flips 75o and says "wow I cant win" after seeing my hand. Douchebag A says "I folded two hearts" Thanks buddy, I really wanna hear that. Douchebag B says "that's what you said last time (kelly was all in earlier with 77 vs AK on a 743 flop said that and survived). turn is an 8 river is a J. Damn couldn't I have had QT instead? Plays out the same!!!

And I bust.

Unlike last main event I played where I think I played 9.5 out of 10 poker (was allin once the entire tournament with AA pre at the end of day 3 and of course get knocked out to AQo) I think I played pretty badly, in addition to having a few close spots not go my way. Im obv only speaking about the bigger hands, but I did manage to chip up a lot in different spots by grinding smaller pots and winning non interesting hands as well, so it wasnt all terrible play lol.

One of the guys I went down with ended up finishing 200 something for $38k, plus was on 2 feature tables (day 4 and 5) so got additional $ for wearing patches.

I stayed a few more days and played some cash with mixed results (games died down once the main started), went out a night etc.

Ended up down $1500 for the trip after expenses/parties etc. I guess not bad considering I bought into the main directly and played 2 1k satties ontop of that

Meh next year.... I think I may go down for the entire series. the cash action was fantastic. I'd play maybe a few Venetian Deep Stack Events and the main hopefully and besides that just grind cash. I ran well, but guys were bad. (Ex first major hand I play in PLO I have AQx9x4 in a 8 way limped pot. Flop comes Q95. Checks around to me and I pot for $40 with $500 effective, two calls behind me and BB check repots to $240. I decide to get it in with top two and the nut fd, other 2 guys get out of the way and BB calls. turn is a non heart J, which isn't a good card for me, and the river is a 2. I expect to lose and turn over my hand, BB misreads it as just AQ and flips over 9542 with no hearts. He then realizes my hand and mucks. Yea I just got check repotted with naked bottom two in a 8 way limp pot. Yes caller 1 complained he folds QJ9x lol)

does anyone check these anymore btw? Lol, I just posted bc I saw Invig and Wes' posts just today when I stopped by

[Robbie Robb]

Great report Zy! Oh, and Happy Birthday too!!!