The Toughest Day of the Year

Ask any serious poker player, they will all tell you that the day you bust out of the Main Event is the toughest day of the year. You just can't imagine the excitement of 6,500 players all trying to chase down their dream of being World Champion. To watch it disappear with the turn of a card can kind of get you down. Luckily for me, MJ was in Vegas with me. Unluckily for MJ, MJ was in Vegas with me. She did a great job of cheering me up (can anyone say the Bellagio Buffet?). Now, the day after, I am in a very good mood and ready to get back to real life.

I'll cover my bustout hand. I had Qh9h and was 3rd to act with a stack of 30k. I raised to 1,300 mainly because I hadn't played but 2 hands in my first hour (it stinks not having chips) and Qh9h is a really sneaky hand if you hit it right. I thought I had a "tight", conservative image until I got 4 callers. I was very pleased to see a 2hJhQd flop. Check, I bet 3,500, fold, fold, SHOVE FOR 27,000!!!!. Everyone else turbo folded, I am sick to my stomach. This spot was just like an earlier WSOP preliminary event when the guy was supposed to make a reasonable raise and then let ME push all-in. I've not got a 23,500 call to get up to a 62,000 chip stack - above average, finally! I was sooooo confused becauge I've got one of the only reasonable hands that would shove on that board. I thought 22, KK maybe, but more likely something like Ah7h or even KhTh. After some debate, I decided that I just couldn't fold here. You always have to have a hand like this work out in order to get a nice stack, and I was a decent 60/40 favorite against a lot of hands and 50/50 up against most hands. I called. The whole table gasped when they saw my opponent turn over QsTs. We were all floored as to why a guy would put in 60BB's with this hand. I could easily have AA, KK, or even AQ. This guy was trying to commit poker suicide. One problem, his 10 kicker beat my 9 kicker. Sharing the Q actually brought my hand down to a 51% favorite. Mathematically, I had the best chance of winning the hand, but I was still behind. The turn was a K and the river was a blank. Good game, good luck, maybe next year. Unorthodox players can be difficult to play against.

The whole series has kind of been this way. I just haven't been able to gain any traction (except the one tourney that I made the "hero call" to bust out). It's been fun and I can't wait till next year.

Look out summer - here I come!!!

Travolta would be proud!

Although, I've never been a fan of polyester suits, I think John Travolta would have been proud of my 1st day of the 2009 WSOP Main Event. C'mon sing along, point at the ceiling, then the ground: ah... ah... ah... ah... staying alive, staying alive!!

I worked my butt off to make it to Day 2. The chips actually came easy, but they kept leaving when my opponent would hit a miracle card (oh... and one littly bitty 9k bluff that went wrong). I quickly went up to 40k, then lost to a guy's dream card on the river to go down to 20k. Built back up to 40k only to lose another hand that I could have sniffed out a little better that took me back down to 20k. Rebuilt to 38k and then abruptly went down to 15k. About 30 minutes into the last level, my stack was all the way down to 7k. I was very proud to suck it up and get it back up to 32k by the end of the day (we started with 30k). I played every chip as hard as I could.

I've got Day 2 on Wednesday with a below average stack. My table draw looks very interesting because I've got several big stacks to deal with. Luckily, 2 of them are to my right. I'm excited because only one of the players has accomplished much at all. I think it's going to be a really big day if I make it through. I don't think I'll have a below average stack for long - I'll either be big or be out.

Today, MJ and I went to the spa (c'mon, I'm a grown man... do I really need a robe and sandals?) and then just goofed around. We walked the strip and actually gambled a little bit. MJ did pretty well and I hit a royal flush for $1,000 in video poker - I'm hoping that's a good omen. In the evening, we went to see Tony and Tina's Wedding. It forced me to change a theory. I've always said "it's a Vegas show, it has to be good." Not at all what I expected. It was such a beating that we actually left early.

Anyway, root for me tomorrow! I'm pumped up and ready to roll!!!

Oh, that familiar feeling!

I had a little trouble sleeping last night. Woke up this morning with that child-like Christmas morning feeling. I know poker in no way compares to birth of Jesus. But, I get sooo excited on the morning of the World Series of Poker main event.

It looks like the economy is going to drag the attendance down a little bit, but I guess it's still worth playing for. I think we'll be right around 6,500 players. Everyone of us has the dream and has "that" feeling - the one where you just know this is your year to be the World Champion.

I can't imagine what that would do to my life. I'm not even sure that I would want to find out. I am sure that I want to play well and go deep. I want to feel the rush of adrenaline when I am allin and trying to have my best hand hold up in a high success situation.

Can I win the main event and then just retire??? That would be the perfect option. I could be the World Champ just kicking around the pool in the back yard in Lewisville, Texas. Went out on top - walked away from the fame and further fortune.

Well, let's go find out..... I hope I don't get a lump of coal!!!


PS: I can't believe I forgot to mention what a great time I had with my wife in Vegas yesterday. If you ever get the chance and can put up with a little bad language, you should definitely go see Wayne Brady. That man is so talented I think I developed a man-crush.