WSOP event #32
$1,000 seniors bracelet event.
20k starting stack
Thursday June 13th. 4 day tournament. 4836 entrants at the end of level 2.
60 minute levels
Objective of today is to get to tomorrow!
Level 1: blinds are 100/100/0
Take my first blinds, hand 5 with kk
Steel with A10. It’s a quiet table.
First all in and call, trip 4s versus top top. After the floor called for an “accidental “ raise… 400 bbs pot. (I was not involved)
Steel blinds with aq.
I’ve played 3 hands that level, winning the blinds.
Level 2: blinds are 100/200/0. I have 100bbs.
Raise with kqss. 3 callers. Take it on the flop with top top.
Lose 1300 with Ak. Fold to a re-raise on the flop. 754.
Lose 1500 with kqss top top to a re-raise.
Raise with 1010. Angle shooter calls. Checked to the river where he bets 1800. I re-raise and he instamucks. Board was k84qk. Good read I think as I knew he didn’t have a king
Steel blinds on the button with k10.
Down to 16300. Jj v aa. I’ve raised the flop and he’s gone all in, so I fold. Shows aa.
17400 at the break.
Steal with q10 to get back to even. Lose 4K with middle pair on last hand before the break.
A bit of a rollercoaster those 2 hands.
So two levels in, what have I learnt? Keep folding rubbish hands. The hands I’ve won with have been good starting hands. I’ve picked up blinds in the cut off and on the button. A couple of dangerous players on the table. Everyone knows what they are doing.
Level 3: blinds are 100/200/200.
I have 17400. 87bbs.
We are table broke tables and I head to Brazilian room. Blue 15. Seat 7. Arrive in the big blind.
Another table of players to beat.
Lose minimum chasing a flush. Down to 15700.
I have 14300, and I’m not the short stack. That’s 33 bbs.
I appear to be bleeding chips…
Haven’t won a hand that level, or hit a flop.
Level 4: blinds are 100/300/300.
Win blinds plus 2100 with kk.
Win blinds next hand with kk. Helps when you have hands, but you’ve got to grind it out.
Lose 2600 with 88. Fold to a raise on the flop. I have 15k.
Lose 800 with ak
Lose 1100 with 99. Down to 12100.
Down to 11300. Keep grinding
Win the blinds with aj.
Win a small pot with q10. Up to 14300.
Lose minimum with aj
Win blinds with aq. Up to 14900 at the end of level 4.
30 minute break
Level 5: blinds are 200/400/400. I have 14500
Up to 21500. 44 utg. Flop kq4. I’ve checked the flop, then re-raised, they call. Turn is a blank, I bet out again, he calls. River the third spade. It goes check check and he tables kq for 2 pair.
Fold qq on the button with a raise, two callers and a re-raise. It’s jj v ak, runs out a straight for jj. Another guy folded qq also… lucky escape. Adrenalin is running now!
Lose 2400 with 4 to a flush. Doesn’t come and I double up the short stack. I need to hold on to these chips! But if you don’t speculate how do you accumulate? I have 38 bbs.
Lose 3k raising in bb with 1010. Fold to an all in from the small blind. He Shows aa…
Win blinds plus 1k with queen high. Up to 17800.
Win small pot with ak v aq. K on the flop.
I’m losing small, winning smaller. It’s a downward spiral…
Level 6: blinds are 300/500/500. I have 18700, 37bbs.
DOUBLE UP!
In the bb with 79. 5 players. Flop comes 568 for the straight. Two hearts. Everyone checks. Turn is a Q. Bet out 2k. One caller. A re-raise to 8700. I jam. One fold. One call (big stack) he tables two pair and the river is a k of hearts. Folder would have got his flush.
You play decent hands all day, then double up with middling hands like this!!
Now on 42400. 84bbs. I have to hold on to these!
Raise to punish the limpers with AQ and everyone folds
32800 at the dinner break. Lose 8k with 88 on last hand
Level 7: blinds are 300/600/600. I have 54bbs.
Old guy just flopped quads 3s. I wasn’t involved
First hand played this level: 1010. Fold to a re-raised flop. No show down but an ajq flop I’m way behind
Raise with 66 in bb. Both limpers fold.
The fire alarm has gone off but no one is moving…
Level 8: blinds are 400/800/800. I have 29900. 37bbs
Lose 7k drawing to a missed flush. Down to 21300.
Win 8k with 55 at showdown . Now have 26500
Steel the blinds with 10j suited
Lose minimum with 99. Was aa v kk, k on the flop…
Steel the blinds with q9.
Level 9: blinds are 500/1000/1000.
I have 27500. Ideally I’d like to finish the day with about 64k, that would give me 40bbs
But to get to that I’ve got to win some chips
Win the blinds with q10ss.
Win with the Walsall nuts (63). Turned 2 pair. I have 31500.
Steel the blinds with a4cc
Win 7k with a10. A on the turn. Up to 42200.
Steel the blinds with ak.
Fold 88 on the turn with 3 overs. 8 on the river but it goes bet raise, winner is the kq for the straight
Level 10: blinds are 600/1200/1200. Last level of the day. I have 40500.
33bbs
Lose 3k with a10. Should I be raising not calling there?
Steel the blinds with something. I don’t remember… a3 of clubs I’ve remembered. After 9+ hours everyone has tightened up…
Win the blinds with aj
Win the blinds with ak
Lose 3.5k bluffing in late position with 62… jj shown
Lose 3k with a8… j58 flop. I fold to a big bet and aj is shown. Down to 36400.
Lose 4K with 22. No set.
Lose 4K with 1010. Re-raised qq shown. Down to 25800.
Lose 3k with kj.
7 more hands.
DOUBLE UP!
Find aa in the big blind. What a time! There’s an all in and I call. It’s my aa v qq. Flops 54q… turn a 4, river an ACE FROM SPACE and I double up. To 44,400.
Steel the blinds with ak on the final hand.
I bag up 47400. And make day 2.
Day 2.
So what have we learnt from day 1? Get lucky. It’s a long day. Keep your concentration. Don’t do anything stupid.
Aim today is to be still in at the end of the day. 10 playing hours. I need to increase my chip stack by at least 20% each level. To do that I need to win pots, and not lose chips. So disciplined folds are required.
Level 11: blinds are 800/1600/1600. I have 29bbs.
It’s 9 handed today. I’m bb to start with. I don’t recognise anyone at the table. I’m about average for the table by the look of it.
It’s push/fold for the short stacks based on the first 2 hands…
Make that 3 hands.
Call a raise with 44. 3 players. Flop is checked, turn is a 4 giving me a set and straight draw potential. I call 10k. River a j. Check check and I take an 18k increase.
Fold to a turn raise when I have 88. K and a j on the board. I have 60600.
I’m losing 4K an orbit in blinds.
I have 56600.
Steel the blinds with q2
Win a small pot with 66 against the table chop leader. Up 8k.
A disciplined fold with a9.
Level 12: blinds are 1000/2000/2000. I have 59500. 30bbs.
The aim of this level is to get to 80k.
Call a raise from bb with kq. Flop ak10. I call a bet of 5k. Turn 10. River 9. I table a king and jj are shown. Up 10k. 69500.
Making myself write down what I’m doing is actually helping my concentration and thought process.
There’s some interesting all in and calls. Kq v kj?
Win 11k. 66 v j8 (short stack looking to double up) aipf after I’ve raised. I flop a set.
Lose 10k with a missed flush. Raise on the button with a2ss. Turn brings a 4th spade. River catches the big Blinds 9… I was ahead until then. He was flushing also.
I have 67300. Move to #208 seat 1. Much deeper stacks on this table.
I think it will be harder to win chips on this table.
I win the blinds with aa.
I’m at 77800 at the break. Win 10k with 88, 8 on the flop. He folds to a raise. I should have checked?
Level 13: blinds are 1200/2400/2400. I have 32bbs. Aim this level is to get to 90k.
There’s 6k in the pot, so if I can steel 4 lots of blinds…
Steel the blinds with 56.
Steel the blinds with 22.
Raise with jj. One caller. Raise on a low flop and get a fold. Up 11k.
Win the blinds with aa.
Steel the blinds with a9.
Lose 6k raising with 33. Small blind re-raised to 21k. He’s the chip leader, and remains that way.
Level 14: blinds are 1500/3000/3000. I have 84100. 28bbs. I’m aiming to get to 110k at the end of this level.
Call a raise of 7k with ak. Flop a king, bet out. Instafold. Up 14.5k
Interesting all in and call a7 v kq… king hits.
I have 102800.
Win the blinds with 67 and 102
We are 50 off the money.
104590 at the 30 minute break.
Ok – we’ve got to let the bubble burst before we get busy. 14 players to go. Minimum cash out is $1499 for about 120 players.
Level 15: blinds are 2000/4000/4000. I have 25bbs. I think I have to fold to make the money, you would not want to go out after about 15 hours of play with nothing
Big hand before the bubble burst with two chip leaders – a big re-re-re-raise takes it.
The bubble has burst!
Re-raise with aa on the button, folds, shows an ace. Up 20k. To 115500.
Lose 20k raising with 88.
Win most of it back on the next hand with 44, 5 players. Bet out with a set and everyone folds.
I’m not winning much when I hit my big hands… am I betting to early? Should I check and encourage action, or take the risk of being caught up?
Get caught bluffing and down to 75k. Lose with aj v a4, flush shown
Level 16: blinds are 2500/5000/5000. I have 15bbs.
Steel the blinds with q6. Nets me 10k.
My first all-in with aj – everyone folds. Up to 82k. But 10k an orbit…
Steel the blinds with 22
68.5 at the break. 60 minutes for lunch
Just thinking through the last two levels. I’ve lost a large percentage of chips? How? Raises that I didn’t follow through with? I don’t have much play left, with 10bbs. And my level by level strategy seems to have gone out of the window.
Second hand back, put it all in with qq. Called by the button with kk and I don’t improve. Hand played itself. Out 567 of 5916 for $1883.
A memorable experience… I’ve never seen so much ear hair and mobility scooters in one place before! I’ll be back next year. I don’t feel like I’m a senior.
Now to try and crush the cash game at the Nugget…
Roger The Dachsund
