Well it has been a week since my final table appearance in the $340 buy-in WSOP circuit prelim event at Rincon in San Diego. I'm still sick but finally have gotten around to writing up the experience.
Tournament started with 313 players, 1500 in chips and 40 minute levels. The first 4 levels I played great poker. I built up a great table image and received a lot of respect. Every hand I showed I had the nuts. I built my stack up to around 8k by the middle of the 3rd level. The first hand back after the first break I played a great hand in the blinds. Blinds were 50/100 and it folded to me in the SB. I look down at A9 off suit and make it 300 to go. BB calls defending his blind. Flop comes 865 rainbow. I make a continuation bet for 500 into a 600 pot. He calls. I still like my hand because I felt if he had me beat at that point he would have re-raised. Turns comes a J and I now bet out 800 into a 1600 pot. He instantly calls. River comes a K. I decide to fire one more bullet and make a bet for 1000. This was a little less than a 3rd of the pot. The reason for the small bet was I wanted it to look like the King hit me and was just making a value bet and if he came over the top I could lay it down and not be pot committed. He folded and I raked in a 4200 pot.
After that hand things went dead and I mean dead. I maintained between 8-9k by stealing some blinds but for the next 3 levels or so I was completely card dead. One hand crippled me and put me in all in mode practically. Blinds were 200/400/antes 25 I think. Folds to me in cutoff + 1 and look down at 1010. I make it 1200 to go and both blinds call me. Flop comes 8 high all clubs. I don't have a club. I bet out 2200 and the SB calls and the BB goes all in for 550 more. We both call. Turn comes a 4th club and the SB moves all in and I fold. SB turns over AK king of clubs and BB turns over AK Ace of clubs. I'm now down to about 3k. One round later I limp with 78s along with 3 others and the bb makes a min raise. Every one calls. Flop comes 556. Surprisingly everyone checks to me and I go all in for 2200 more with my open ended straight draw. BB thinks and thinks and then mucks and so does everyone else. Now back up to around 6k. I steal some more blinds and win a few small pots to maintain my stack. Now down to 3 tables and I'm below average as I had been for the last 4 hours. Folds to me in MP and I have QJ. I bump it 3 times and this was my first hand I played at this table. The SB goes all in for about 800 more and I think I'm crushed and call and he turns over J7. Well he makes a straight ont he turn and now I'm short stack. Very next hand down to my last 2200 I go all in with KK and get called by AA. Flops come with a K and I survive. A few hands later I move over the top of the UTG raiser (he went on to win the tournament)player with KK again and he folds. So I then fluctuated between 6-16k as we whittled down to the final table of 10. Only 9 make the final table and waiting for 1 more bust out. I am now severe short stack and go all in when folded to me with A7. SB raises to give me protection with 77 and I luckily flop an Ace and survive to the final 9 as a guy for whatever reason goes over the top of a rock with A7 and is dominated by AQ.
Going into the final table I am 2nd shortest stack with 16k and in the bb for the first hand. The shortest stack is in the sb with 10k. NBA, RiverRat, and I figure everyone will fold to her and she will push with any 2 cards and I'll have to call with any 2 cards. Blinds at 2k/4k with 500 ante so 10,500 in the pot already. She pushes for her last 7.5k and I call with J9. She turns over A9 and I of course lose. Very next hand folds to me in the sb and I go all in for my last 5500 with Q10. BB has to call and he has 107. A 7 hits the turn and IGHN in 9th place good for $1822. So I made a $1482 profit not bad.
Overall I played really great especially short-stack laying down 2 pocket pairs preflop and waiting for the right time. Got lucky twice in the tournament but those are needed to go far.
I got 31 Cardplayer POY points also which is kinda cool.
Also want to give big thanks to NBA and RiverRat for sweating me Thursday night and for coming back on Friday for the final table. I'm stoked and can't wait for Vegas in a few weeks. Might try to play in a Bellagio 1k tourney.
WSOP Official Report
Card Player Results
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