Las Vegas - World Series of Poker 6/8/07.
I played in Event 15 of the 2007 World Series of Poker, which was a $1500 buy in. I stayed at the TI.
I was extremely unlucky in this event.
I was at table 169, which was full of a lot of tough poker players. At the table just behind me was Mike Sexton and Freddy Deeb.
Anyway, I played tight. I lost a pretty good pot early on with AQ against AK. An Ace hit the river and cost me about 600 of my 3000 chips.
I rebuilt my stack when I picked up AA. I limped in from middle position. I got raised by the big blind and decided to use Harrington's rope a dope. I just called the raise. The flop came with 3 small cards. I checked it. The big blind bet at me. I raised him. He re-raised all in and I called. He rolled over queens and I doubled up with my aces against him when they held up.
I played tight after that, but was lucky enough to pick up aces again in late position. Nobody had entered the pot so I did a 3 times the small blind raise in late position. I got re-raised from the big blind, the same guy as before. I re-raised him. He then pushed all in and I called. He turned over pocket kings, and I rolled over pocket aces. He gasped.
Needless to say, I lost. He hit a runner runner 10 9 for a king high straight on the turn and river. I lost most of my stack.
As we headed toward the first break, I picked up A4 in the small blind. I was short stacked. A late position limper entered the pot, and got a call from the cut off and button. Sensing weakness and being short stacked, I moved all in for what I had left. The first two guys called me but an older Asian man called me. He turned over KJ.
He flopped a Jack and I was yelling for an ace which magically appeared on the river. AFter that pot, I was back up over 2000 in chips.
In any event, I continued to play solid. my downfall came when i was in the big blind with 7 3 off. I was still short stacked. there were 4 or 5 limpers into the pot and I checked into it. The flop came 10/3/3. I had flopped a set. I wanted to get a caller so i bet 1/3 of the pot. I got raised from the utg player. I put him on a 10 and called for about 90% of my remaining chips. The turn card made me sick because it was a 10. It looked like I was beat by a 2 outer. I put in my remaining 200 chips on hope he might have an overpair. He turned over ace 10 and I was out with 10s full of 3s against 3s full of 10s. So, I lost my tournament when my aces got cracked by Kings and my set was outrun by a 2 outer. I felt like I deserved to win both those hands and I was very unlucky not to have a big stack.
In any event, I comforted myself by going to see Zumanity at the New York, New York. The next day I bought into a no limit tournament at the TI and lost by bluffing off all my chips and playing way too loose. After the world series it was hard to take a 65 buy in tournament seriously.
The next day I went to the Wynn and I bought into a 30/60 limit hold em game and quickly won a few hundred with strong hands that held up. I moved over to a 10/20 no limit game and bought in for 1000 dollars. I immediately got extremely lucky.
I first picked up a pair of tens and raised to 60. A guy in the sb raised me to 300. I called him. The flop came with all rags 9 high. The sb bet 300 into me and I raised him to 600. The turn bought another rag. He checked to me and I moved all in for 250 more. He folded. Thus I won about a thousand ont he first hand.
2 hands later I picked up AK. Again I raised to 60 and I got re-raised to 300. I re-raised again to 600. The flop brought an ace and the guy bet into me for 300. I raised to 1000 and he folded. Within 5 hands, I had won a couple of thousand bucks. The pit boss came to move me to a new table. Looking at the gigantic pile of chips, I chose to cash out. I rang the register for 2300 in profit.
I left the Wynn and went to see Trent Carlini as Elvis down at the Sahara. I also got a hot stone massage at the spa.
The next day I returned to the Wynn and play 8/16 limit hold em. I didn't want to risk my big profits from the day before. I had a really hot run where I won a large amount of pots in a row. I got up about 7 to 800 dollars. I cooled off and after being cool for a while, I cashed out for a profit for 435.
Other memorable experiences: I got a spin on the wheel of fortune slot and hit it for 400 quarters. I got 4 of a kind twice on a video poker machine. I got a chip from the New Frontier since it was scheduled for destruction. I also went to see the Legends show at the Imperial Palace: Ricky Martin, Bruce Springsteen, Blues Brothers, Whitney, and Elvis. I had a couple of hot runs at the legends pit when Tina Turner and Elvis were dealing and won 300. I did bad when Toby Keith was dealing.
Went to Fremont Street and lost a couple of hundred at blackjack in Binions.
I did the oxygen bar at the TI.
Phil Helmuth won the event I had entered. Morgan Machina got 4th. He was the guy at my table in the 2005 main event.
I saw a bunch of famous poker players. I saw Chris Ferguson, Umberto Brenes, Freedy Deeb, Mike Sexton, Eric Seidel, and a few others.
I ate a creme brulee filled eclair at the bellagio.
Overall, it was a totally wonderful trip and I returned home safely.
