ThePokerResource.net: A Rounder’s blog

WSOP 2008 Main Event, Day 3 - starting chip stack: $90k

What an amazing day. I end the day with 376k for an above average stack with 477 players left. I am already in the money and am guaranteed 27k. The day didn’t start off good but ended well. For the record, I couldn’t believe some of the hands played today not only from my table but adjacent tables as well. I will never ever miss or consider missing this tournament again. I have come to the conclusion that the Main Event is the single biggest overlay in all of gambling. I really mean it.

Blinds 800-1600 with 200 ante, starting stack of 90k

I scan my original table and see a Full Tilt Pro (FTP) Mark Vos with a 150k stack. He is the only big name at my table. I don’t get any hands and fold nonstop, raising rarely, but manage to maintain about a 90k stack. The only eventful hand I played is when a huge stack raises and a cannon to my right smooth calls. I squeeze them with K8 off suit making a pretty big reraise and they both fold.

This same cannon ships Mark Vos 100k. Mark raises to 5k with KK and the cannon calls. The flop is 1066 with 2 clubs, Mark checks and the cannon pots it for 12500 which Vos calls. The turn pairs the 10 and Vos checks again and the cannon fires 25k, which he calls. The river is the 7c, Vos checks again and the cannon bets 40k, which Vos calls and he doesn’t even have a hand to table so Vos stacks a 200k pot early. I am so disgusted. I can’t believe I’m witnessing this.

A new player sits down and plays pretty snug. He has a 160k stack. Dustin Holmes comes over with a huge stack of 300k and he raises to 4200, which the new players calls. The flop comes 999 and Holmes bets 7k, the new player raises to 24k, and Holmes calls. The turn is a 6c, Holmes checks, this guy bets 40k and then Holmes moves in. After about a minute and a 100k left the new player says I call. Now, before I see the hands I’m thinking the new kid has 1010 or JJ and that he should have checked the turn. But since he bet he’s in a real tough spot. KK for Holmes and two deuces for the new player. OMG!!!! Did I just witness a 350k pot with deuces on a 999 board? I can’t believe what I’m seeing. This is seriously unreal.

Anyways, I finish the level with 85k with not much happening.

Blinds 1000-2000 with a 300 ante

I get moved to a new table and I notice Alex Baladin with a 250k stack. This guy is scary. He’s kind of like the Spaniard but with better control. I literally fold for 2.5 orbits or about 25 hands and then I finally get 99 on the button. A solid player next to the cutoff raises to 6200 and this Swede smooth calls and I decide to make it 22,200 for a reraise of 16k. The first guy folds, and then after a minute this Swede moves in on me. WTF is going on here? I literally take about 4 minutes and replay the hand. I have no idea how this kid plays b/c I just got to this table. It’s a serious disadvantage to get moved to a new table and have a short stack. You have no idea what the dynamics are. Originally, I thought he was an American kid from the East coast or something. I find out later he is Swedish. Anyways, I end up mucking saving myself 52k and really burning.

I open in late position with 44 and the BB calls. He is actually the same player I played with yesterday. The flop comes off 1092 and he leads for 8k which I obviously fold. I’m down to 45k and at my low point.

At this point I’m really getting discouraged b/c I have absolutely no room for error. I’m at a critical point and I really need to get a hand. In the next half hour or so I open a few pots and finally get back up to about 70k. By now I notice this Swede is really sick. Opening way too many pots and people are just letting him get away with it. After this information, I would have instantly called with the nines an hour earlier.

I end this level with 75k or so.

Blinds 1200-2400 with a 300 ante

What a great structure: the blinds increase only 20% with no increase in the antes. I raise fairly early against tight Blinds with K10 off suit and a tight player calls behind. The flop comes AQx with 2 hearts. I’m really burning and stressing out. I pray he has a middle pocket pair or KQ and I bet 12k leaving myself another 45k behind. He makes me sweat it out for a minute before finally folding. Back up to 80k.

I smooth call a raise from the Swede with 10Jh. I have been playing real tight and I know he has to give me some respect. I’m hoping to out play him or flop something big. The flop is A83 and he bets 8k into a 17k pot. I call quickly b/c my intentions were to float him. I know in his range, he doesn’t necessarily have to have an Ace. The turn is a 9, a great card b/c now I have a draw to the nuts. The Swede bets 17k, and I just tank for 2 minutes. If I call and lose I have 51k. This is such a tough spot b/c I have no leverage with chips. I’m really burning. I have visions of shipping on it but think better of it. I’m forced to fold B/C this 17k is so valuable to me to make raises preflop. So much for that feeble attempt. Note to self: don’t mess with cannons when you are short stacked.

I keep folding and folding and get back down to 65k when a kid raises to 8500 and the Swede calls on the button. I look down in the SB and see 2 red Aces…boy, do they look nice. I raise to 20k more leaving myself 35k behind and they both fold. The very next hand, a tight internet player opens for 7k and the same kid calls. I see AQ off suit on the button and call. The flop comes off 973 with 2 diamonds for a complete miss for me but surprisingly they both check. I deliberate, then take a shot with a 17k bet and they both fold. I finish this level with 100k. I know I’m short but in all honestly I’m ecstatic to have this 100k chipping up 33% in the last 5 minutes right before dinner break.

Blinds 1500-3000 with a 400 ante

Now this is a much bigger increase in blinds and antes. I know I need to catch a hand soon. I open for 14k with 98 off suit in late position trying to get a walk but the tightest player on the table calls a 3.5x raise from me. The flop comes off Q73 with 2 spades and I am left with no choice but to fire a continuation bet of 16k, which he quickly folds. Thank god. This is freaking so heart wrenching; every single hand is a sweat.

We are getting close to the money now with about 690 people left and 666 making the money. It’s such a stressful time for me b/c my stack is so small and I can’t make any mistakes or play any form of poker that I enjoy playing with a big stack. I wait all day and play so tight dodging and weaving and then it happens, I double up. The Swede opens for 8500 and I smooth call behind with JJ. The young tight internet kid than raises 22k more for a huge reraise. The Swede folds and I study him for about a minute. He looks so nervous, so I’m pretty sure he has AK. I can’t ship on him for 80k more b/c I’m certain he’s calling me so I finally just call the 22k more. The flop comes a beauty, J107 with 2 clubs. I check, he bets 37k and I instantly move in for 48k more. He agonizes and calls me with AK, with the K of clubs. I’m a monster favorite at this point and bam the turn is another 10 pairing the board and having him drawing dead. Just like that I’m up to 240k and loving life. All my stresses are over with. I’m now above average and can almost guarantee I make the money at this point.

The solid player to the right of the Swede opens for 8400 and I call from the SB with A4 off suit. The BB still hasn’t come back from dinner (he said he fell asleep) and both the Swede and this guy are having a field day on this dead BB. I now have enough chips to look him up or so. Anyways, the flop is a horrible J97. I check and he quickly checks. I was completely done with the hand but bam the Ac hits the turn. I check and he fires 11k. I call. There is so much value in checking the turn with my hand. Every preflop raiser is going to represent an Ace here whether they have one or not. All the value comes from calling when they are bluffing. If I bet, he will certainly fold and only call with a better hand. The river pairs the 7. I check and he takes about 40 seconds and finally fires 24k. I’m pretty sure I got him. If he did have a bigger ace than he would definitely bet smaller for value so either he has a monster or complete air. I call and he tables 105d for 10 high. Just like that I’m up to 300k and feeling even better.

I pick up two aces for the 2^nd time and smooth call a raise from the Swede. If you haven’t already noticed this kid is super aggressive. He’s not like the Spaniard whose aggression is post flop. This kid’s aggression is preflop. Anyways, a real tight passive player from the SB calls. The flop comes 1088 and the SB leads for 7k into a 27k pot. I know I got him crushed b/c I’m almost certain he has a 10 but if I raise he’ll probably fold. The Swede folds and I call. The turn is a 5, he bets 12k and I call. Now, before the river he checks in the dark so now I’m 100% sure he has a 10 and it comes an off suit 9. I bet 16k to ensure a call which he does and I table AA. The Swede looks at me and says “tricky.” I scoop a fatty and cruise on up to 365k.

We are now playing hand for hand, and the solid player, the Swede or I take down every pot in this level. Nobody will play with us. I finally reraise the Swede with 55 which he eventually folds. Whew. I have chips now and am the table chip leader. The money bubble busts and I end this level with 370k………..what an amazing level.

2000-4000 with a 500 ante

I chip up another 35k and then our table broke. I’m really unhappy about this. I have a good feel for our table and have position on the two really good players. My new table has a few monster stacks and right away I raise from under the gun (UTG) with AKs to 13k and this big stack min raises to 26k. This is horrible for me. I have no idea how he plays and a min raise is such a brutal spot. I call in hopes to flop a flush draw to make the nuts. The flop comes off Qxx, I check and he checks. HMMMMM I wonder if he has 3 queens? The turn is a blank. I check, he bets 40k, I fold and he shows me QQ.

I play pretty tight for a half hr and decide to get feisty with A4 off suit on the button. After a tight old man limps early I raise to 16k, which he calls. I actually played with this guy on my first table of the day so I have a little feel for him. The flop comes off Q95 with 2 diamonds. He checks, I bet 20k, and he calls. The turn is an 8, he checks and I fire off 35k with absolutely nothing. To my horror he calls after about a minute. The river is the Kd and he checks a third time. At this point in the hand, I put him on KQ or QJs. Those are pretty close to the range he had. I think about firing big on the river, but I have to fire a huge bet of like 80k to make this triple barrel bluff. I’m burning b/c I can’t win a showdown and if he has KQ he’s definitely calling. He might even call with QJ. I check and he turns over AQ. Damn it, I think if I fired huge enough I would of won this pot. I’m losing my mind here to play so well and then blow off 70k for no reason at all. I bottom out this level at 280k and I’m not happy about it.

I play real tight for the next 40 minutes b/c of image and that stupid bluff. However, with 40 mins left I open it up again hoping to get to 400k by the end of the night. I start off raising to 11k with K6 off suit in late position and a short stack BB calls. The flop comes off Q109 and he checks. I decide to take a small stab and bet 11k trying to represent a big hand. This player has a small stack and by the size of my flop bet he has to respect it more thinking I’m trapping him. He folds after about 30 seconds of deliberation.

I open again in early position with 89d and the same player calls behind me with an 80k stack. The flop comes off A74 with 2 diamonds. I do the same thing and bet 11k which he quickly folds. An orbit later, a big stack raises in middle position and I defend with A9d from the BB. The flop comes off 955. I check and he checks. The turn is a 2h, I check and he checks. The river is the Ah completing a backdoor flush. I know I got him and I fire out 20k quickly which he calls with AJ.

On literally the last hand of the night a kid raises in the cutoff to 11k and I reraise him to 44k from the SB with 84 off suit. He quickly folds and I gobble up the 20k in dead money putting me right back to 376k for the night. I let this kid get away with too much after my failed bluff attempt, so I decided to reraise him here.

Overall, I played some amazing poker today. For the first 5 hours I hovered between 45k to 100k and just like that, I got right back in contention with a key double up. It’s amazing how all the tournaments I’ve played prior have helped in my development and my ability to play a short stack. I have seen numerous players absolutely just blow it, moving in and getting it in bad when they can wait for a better spot. I’m especially proud of only being all in once this whole tournament even when I was as low as 45k. I’m really excited about playing tomorrow, and as every day goes by so does the dream seem more and more real. I’m absolutely exhausted and can’t wait to get back to playing again.

Thanks,
KK