WSOP my event number 2

Today was the 2k no limit hold’em event and a team of 1500 odd players decided they would try their luck. My table was the worst possible one you could draw. Directly to my right was the 2004 WSOP world champion Greg “Fossilman” Raymer. On my table there were 6 other world class players, not including Raymer, with multiple titles between them. It was a real horror draw. Once again I hardly got any cards. I went all-in on a flush draw and got called by someone with a higher flush draw (the only bad player at the table). I lost that hand and was left with only $200 in chips. However, through a combination of minor miracles and some good play I managed to build the stack back up to $5000. I really battled hard and picked my fights well. I felt I played well at a high level against the very best players in the world.

Raymer is a real piece of work. A real nice guy who constantly talks about poker and gambling in general. He has a passion for poker like none I have ever seen. He remembers 1000s of key hands and every face he has ever played against. He is truly dedicated to his work and it was no fluke he won 5 million 2 years ago. One lady took a photo of Raymer and to add a bit of humor to an otherwise dull session, I asked her if she would like me to autograph the photo she just took (as I was sitting next to him and was likely to be in the photo). She said matter of factly “kid” you are not even in the photo.

When our table got broken up I moved to another table and found a guy with more chips that I have ever seen in my life at such an early stage of a tournament. This guy must have had $100,000 in chips and the blinds were not much more than $100/$200. I concluded, without even seeing him play a hand, that he was probably raising with junk hands and observed him continually raise for about 1 hour without anyone calling him. Eventually he raised again and I came over the top all-in with absolutely nothing figuring I had just enough chips to make him lay down the hand. He did fold, so my chip stack was looking healthy. Then that table broke up and I moved to my third table. With blinds at $200/400 I found JJ. A guy from early position put in a raise for about $1400. I thought for a while but I really new all along he had AK (because of the size of his raise) so I went all-in confident he might lay his hand down with the knowledge that if he did not I was a 57% chance. Turns out I was right, but he managed to make a higher pair when an ace came on the flop. If I won that hand I would have been in a great position to figure prominently in the tournament, instead I am writing to you good people as he had more chips than me. The annoying thing about no limit holdem is you can be perfectly right, know exactly what you opponent has, risk all your chips in a perfect spot and be walking to the door 1 minute later in 300th spot.

It really is an adrenaline rush that I am enjoying a lot. I must have been all-in 25 times during the day because I was always the low stack. If someone was to call me I would be a huge underdog in any one of those hands. You hope and pray that someone will not call. Another funny story from yesterday was the guy that literally prayed every time he bet. He prayed to god and crossed himself even if he bet small. Tony G was on his table and gave him a real hard time and I felt a bit sorry for the kid. Tony bluffed him in a hand and promptly announced “I just bluffed GOD”. But you can’t go to a table praying and crossing yourself each hand, it’s just plain stupid.

Am I good enough to mix it with the best in the world? I don’t know, but Raymer made some very favourable comments about my play and Annie Duke even spoke to me. I was standing in the doorway and she said “get out of my way stupid”, so I did! I am having a break for a couple of days but I will ante up very soon for another shot at a WSOP bracelet.