KK’s 2008 WSOP Main Event, Day 7 - July 14
WSOP 2008 Main Event, Day 7 – starting chip stack: $8.8 million
Wow! I finally got there and boy did I ever! What an amazing ride and the beauty of it is that I still get to come back for 1, possibly 2 more days. This is so surreal guys. It’s crazy b/c now I’m doing interviews and I even signed my first autograph a few days ago. This is absolutely insane. Its Thursday morning now and day 7 happened on Monday night. Honestly, I’ve been sleeping about 5 hours a day on average for 6 straight days and now after the fact I really don’t remember too many of the hands. I do know I was absolutely card dead the whole day and yet I still managed to squeak into the final table.
Blinds 40k-80k with a 10k ante (There is still 45 minutes left in this level from last night)
I get to my table which is the main featured table. I am seated in seat 4 and have position on the two Denmark kids, one named Peter (my pick to win if it’s not me). I have Brandon Cantu in seat 5 with a 4.8 million dollar stack. Initially I was very concerned about him having position on me but the fact of the matter is I’m 2nd in chips on this table and way above average with an 8.8 million starting stack. As I sit down I just feel nauseous, I’m hot and uncomfortable and I feel like I’m going to pass out on numerous occasions. I start sweating profusely. If you guys don’t already know I sweat all the time anyways. However, the sweat drenches my white Dodger hat and now my Full Tilt sticker isn’t sticking on that well. Full Tilt is making us wear our hats backwards B/C there is going to be a lot of head shots for the ESPN crew. I get very self conscious of my sweat and my sticker not sticking that I kind of get in this uneasy panic.
Anyways, I play very tight and reraise Peter from the SB once with AcJc which he folds quickly. We played together a lot yesterday and have a mutual respect, not playing big pots against each other w/o big hands.
No memorable hands occur and I maintain about an 8.5 million dollar stack. The break can’t come any sooner.
Blinds 50k-100k with a 10k ante
My gf Jocelyn brings me a new black FTP hat and I put it on. It’s snug but not wet and I feel so much better b/c I’m no longer self conscious of my sweat and the sticker. I’m very grateful for her to know exactly what I need to make me feel much better. I no longer have the nervous jitters and ready to play some poker.
The blinds hardly go up this round and I’m loving how deep I am. I play real tight and just see how the table develops. Peter raises my BB from the button to 300k and I defend with A9d. The flop comes 923. I check and he checks. The turn brings the 5h, making a backdoor flush draw. I lead for 400k and he calls. The river is the 6h completing a back door flush draw and I check and he checks. I table A9 and he turns over the same hand. Cantu is shocked at how we played it and comments on how little the size of the pot is. Peter understands small ball poker against another big stack.
I just maintain my stack and watch these guys play some fairly large pots. I raise in the cutoff to 275k with 22 and Cantu announces “950k.” That’s a huge raise so I just felt he was light here. I deliberate if I want to make a sick reraise but the tightest player on the table Dean moves in for 1.5 million more. I obviously fold and Cantu goes into the tank with about 3.3 million behind. He agonizes and starts saying “why do I put myself in these positions. Do I want to gamble here?” He then turns to Dean and says “if you lose, this will be one of the sickest bad beats ever.” He tanks for 5 minutes and finally he yells “I call!” AA for Dean and 105 off suit for Cantu. HUH, 105 off suit for another 1.5 million more and only 3.3 behind. Did I just witness this blow up from a big name pro with 20 players left in the WSOP main event? WTF is going on? Anyways, the board bricks off and Dean scoops an absolute monster with AA.
Blinds 60k-120k with a 15k ante
We redraw now b/c it gets down to 18 players. I draw to the secondary table and I’m actually quite relieved. I really don’t remember many hands but I start to lose chips a bit. I get down to about 7 million or so but I keep my cool. I am so card dead and just play ABC poker. I haven’t done anything creative like squeezes or reraises light and I bleed chips down to about 6.5 million.
Blinds 80k-160k with a 20k ante
I was hoping to open it up this level and I start in early position with AK off to 360k. Craig reraises me to 1.1 million. I elect to reraise here to 2.8 million straight, he tanks and finally folds. A round later, a very tight player Owen Crowe opens for 325k and I reraise to 900k total with AKo. He deliberates and folds. The very next hand Owen opens for 325k and I reraise to 900k with QQ. He tanks this time for a minute and finally folds. Well I quickly chip back up to 10 million straight and start to feel real good.
Chino raises my BB to 375k and I defend with A3h. The flop comes 1053 all diamonds. I check and he fires 450k. I elect to call B/C his flop bet seemed weak to me. I’m hoping to represent a bigger hand later in the hand. The turn is the 8d and I check with the intention of giving up. The river brings the 4s and I decide to represent a big flush and put a small bluff bet of 525k. He quickly calls with the Q5d and I obviously muck. Bad play for sure. It’s obvious he’s going to bluff if he didn’t have the flush on the turn. This was just stupid. If I were to bluff I have to bet huge which would also be stupid. I should have saved the 525k or the 450k bet on the turn. So dumb, so dumb.
I lose a few hands here and there and blind down to about 5.5 million. Craig opens for 425 and Chris reraises to 1.1 million. He had just did this exact thing a few hands ago and reraised twice in the last orbit. This is just like me when I had AK, AK, and QQ in about a 6 hand window. I now look on the button with JJ and this is just a painful spot. I know 100% Chris is not raising light here b/c of his previous reraises so I deliberate for about 2 minutes. I know the best case scenario for me is JJ vs. AK and even than I don’t like it. I have no chips invested in the pot and it takes all my strength to fold the best hand I’ve seen all day. After, Chris says to pick a card and I pick a red Ace so I know he has to have AKh or AA. Oh well.
Blinds 100k-200k with a 30k ante
I’m getting a bit anxious b/c I’m so card dead and since we are playing 6 handed each on both tables I’m starting to feel more pressure. I raise with 1010 utg to 600k and Darus smooth calls after asking me how much I have left. I know this is a medium strength tell but as soon as he calls I feel Craig is going to try and squeeze here. Sure enough he raises to 1.7 million and everyone mucks to me. Immediately, my instincts say move in for the 4.5 million total and a 3.4 million raise. However, at this stage and this amount of money I begin to study a bit. I stare at him and honestly this guy is nails. I get nothing, I really sensed strength and I tank for about 3 minutes. I can’t believe this BS is happening. UGH! What a predicament I’m in. I’m only playing for 9 million. I finally trust my read and not my instinct and fold. Darus then shows AQ and folds. Craig than tables 73c for a successful squeeze. He shouldn’t have showed me that hand. I picked up some information I hope to use at the final table. Either way, I’m still bleeding chips and starting to really feel the pressure.
We are now 11 handed and Chino limps and I limp from the sb with Ac3d. The BB, Darus checks. The flop is 652 with 2 clubs and I take a stab and bet 325k into the pot. Darus folds and Chino calls. The turn is the 4s and I lead for 500k with bottom straight. Chino deliberates than raises 800k more. This is absolutely BS. I know he likes to limp with suited connectors and I know that he is capable of making a play here. He had just lost a pot like 2 hands before when he flopped the nut straight and lost to runner-runner full house. This is an absolutely brutal spot for me. With the flush draw he could have the 7c with maybe the 9c or even the 78 suited. I’m really in a tough spot but folding on the turn seems way too weak. I can call and test to see if he will triple barrel bluff or give up. The river paired the 6 and I check and he bets 1.2 million into 3.3 million pot. I’m just so confused and burning. After about 2 minutes I finally call. He shows the 78d and scoops a fatty. This just sucks. I’m now down to 3 million and really stressing out. 11 handed and I’m really, really short.
I blind down for two orbits and hovering about 2.5 million or so. Joe Bishop raises, Darus reraises from the BB and Joe quickly calls. The flop comes Q56 and Darus bets 2.3 million and Joe says “Let’s play for all these and moves in.” Darus tanks for 2 minutes and then finally calls with KK and Joe tables AQ. The Kings hold and Joe is down to about 7.5 million from his 15 million dollar stack. The very next hands Joe raises to 700 and I look down at 88 on the button and move in for 2 million total. Joe goes into the tank and then finally says “I call”. 78d for him and 88 for me. What a great spot for me. I had no idea I was in this good of shape. The flop comes A1010 turn 7 and river 2 and I hold to put me at 4.5 million. The very next hand, Chino opens for 550k and Joe says “all in!” for his last 4.5 million. Chino calls. 22 for Chino and A3 for Joe. The flop comes A35, turn Q, river 4, and everyone screams b/c now we combine for the final 10 and play down to one more. This is such a disaster for Joe. He compounded his mistake when the tightest player on the table reraised him out of the blinds. He literally lost 15 million in chips in 3 consecutive hands and busted out 11th. Wow.
The final 10 playing down to 9. Blinds still 100k-200k with a 30k ante
I start the final 10 with a 4.5 million dollar stack. The next lowest has about 9 million so the pressure at this point is unbelievable. I know I’m a huge favorite to bust out first and everyone is eyeing my stack. That’s ok. I know how to play short and I’m going to play my best game no matter what.
On the very first hand Craig opens to 525 and Ylon makes it 1.1 million more. Craig than reraises to 4 million straight and Ylon moves in and Craig ultimately folds. I knew he didn’t have much and this guy is not playing smart IMHO. I literally fold for 2 orbits and blind down to 3.3 million. Peter opens to 700k when Dean (real tight player) reraises to 1.9 million. Then Craig out of the SB pushes all in for a total of 6 million. Peter deliberates and folds AK and then Dean calls with QQ. OMG!!!! Could it be, AQ vs. QQ with 2 aces gone? Dean is an enormous favorite and the flop comes off Jxx with 2 hearts. Craig has the Qh and the suspense is killing me. The turn is another heart and the crowd roars with an ooooooohhhhhhhhh! They wait literally about 2 minutes before turning the river and it is the 5h. Craig backdoors a flush to scoop this 12 million dollar pot. WTF is going on? How can Craig put in the 4th raise with a hand as little as AQ? This is absolutely insane and I almost squeaked into the final table on a monumental mistake but to no avail I go back to my seat.
Blinds 120k-240k with a 30k ante
I fold for another orbit then find JJ utg and I’m so burning about this. It’s a 10 handed game and there is some chance that there is a better hand behind. However, I know I’m going to get called by hands like 1010 and 99 hundred percent of the time so I move in for 2.9 million and get a walk. I fold again for an orbit and then move in late position with AK off and get another walk. These are the only 2 hands I played in the 2 hours waiting for the 10th player to bust. It’s already 2am and everyone is absolutely exhausted but I know I’m not giving up. No F’N way, not now, not ever.
It is funny b/c as the night continued and it was approaching 3am. Peter and Ivan look at my stack and I know they are just waiting for me to break and do something stupid. I look at both of them and reply “If I double this up to 6 million we are gonna play until 6am boys.” If you could have only seen the look of horror in their faces. It was truly priceless. LOL!
Dean opens for a raise and someone reraises him and he folds. He is now down to about 4 million in chips and I know the gap is shrinking between me and him. Craig keeps mixing it up and I know he’s going to make a key mistake soon. After about another hour Dean open pushes for 3.6 million from utg. Craig reshoves for 6 million and everyone folds. AJ for Dean and QQ for Craig. What a reversal of fortune. The flop comes K10x turn K and after another 5 minutes the river blanks off and just like that we are 9 handed. And I did it.
I REALLY DID IT!!! I made no mistakes from 13 on and I was shortest from 13 on but I never lost sight of the prize and I really am so proud of this accomplishment. I have a huge task ahead but in the mean time I get 4 months to soak it in and get all this media exposure doing interviews, etc. This is truly amazing. I feel real bad for Dean, he played real solid and he lost as about a 19-1 favorite on a Jxx flop and 2 Aces exposed. Then he gets it in as a 70-30 dog against Craig and loses to the same person and out on the final table bubble. What a horrible thing to happen to him.
Now that it’s all said and done, I played some amazing poker for 7 days and now I get 4 months off and a chance (not a big chance but a chance none the less) at $9 million and to become the next world champion. I wish I had just a tad more in chips like 5 million but my goal was to just get here. I had to change strategies as my reversal of fortune flipped between days 6 and 7. I made a few minor mistakes along the way but overall I stayed the course and never faltered. I will say that all my past experiences in these spots really helped me to maintain the course and never give up. I thought I executed a great game plan each and every day. If I ran just a bit better I would have a real chance at this thing.
Overall the whole experience has been truly amazing. Each and every day I would get up and it wasn’t until days 5-7 that I felt I had a real chance at this. To put all this in perspective, I am one of the final 9 players of the 6,844 people that entered. WOW!!!! I have been all in about 10 times, and out of all those eliminations I only have 4 bounties to account for. But I did it and we did it together. I survived each and every day, and each day I survived so did the dream. I have prepared so long for this moment and I never lost focus of the big prize. There is only two more days left and in between I’m gonna enjoy every moment of it. It’s so surreal and it still hasn’t sank in yet. I know you guys rode the ride from beginning to end and I thank you all for that. Hopefully, I get to write two more blogs and not just one. Thanks again for all your continued support and prayers.
Much love,
KK
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