My WSOP has started

Hardly played poker in my last few days in the UK as I had so much stuff to sort out. Didn’t check my final poker tracker stats but was around $7k down playing cash and up roughly $40k on mtt’s, so achieved my target pre WSOP. My journey was long and uneventful, I was catching naps whenever I could and watched a few shit films on the plane, alpha dog was especially bad. Temperature was 105 degrees when we touched down in Vegas, so my jeans and sweater that I left Doncaster in where a little too much. No wait in the taxi line at Vegas airport (running good?) and a speedy check in to my hotel and all sorted.

After arriving mid-afternoon yesterday, I had a few hours sleep then went and wondered round the casino a bit in the evening and contemplated sitting in a live cash game, but was very tired and gave it a miss. Some food and a few beers and I was passed out by midnight, waking around 7.30 am today. Was undecided weather to play the $2.5k 6 handed event at the Rio, but felt refreshed after a good nights sleep, so didn’t see a reason not too. Had heard horror stories about the lines to register for tournaments so went down at 10.30am to register for a 12pm start. No line whatsoever and im all sorted by 10.40am, lol. Starbucks and a copy of card player made the time pass by and before I knew it, it was go time.

5k chips to start, but missing levels from last year apparently make the structure worse in this years tournaments. My table started with just 3 people, and the first hand I flopped a flush with 89 spades but no action. Next hand I have K6 in the BB, and just the guy in the small blind completes. Flop is K 6 5, he checks I check, turn A, bringing 3 spades on board, he bets I call, river 7, he bets 200 and I call to beat his 1 pair of A’s. Our table is soon complete with some random French donkey and a random American donkey, more commonly known as Phil Ivey.

I get nothing at all, Ivey is in most pots and winning most without showdown. He is 2 to my left so on the BB when its my button. My first button raise is at the 50/100 level and I make it 300 with QT hearts, Phil defends as expected. The flop is K high rainbow and he check raises my 400 continuation bet to 1200, oops. Next notable hand is pretty sick, folds to me in the SB and I make it 300 with KQ clubs, crazy old guy defends in the BB. Flop comes J T 2, two clubs, I bet 400 he calls, turn is off suit 5, I bet 650 he calls, the river is an off suit 7. I cant help myself and fire 1k, he dwells for a little while and moves all in, he has me covered and I have about 3.5k behind, I pass and he flips 74 clubs, put a club up there 1 time. A few missed flops and stabs later and I go to the break with 1.6k. First hand after the break and the blinds go 100/200 (no 75/150) so I am in big trouble. I am on the button and both blinds are not back from the break, utg folds, tight lady folds and cut-off makes it 500 to play. I look at A3 hearts and shove, I hate shoving with this type of hand but the situation was so, that he would open almost any two cards to take the blinds as I cant play back without something of a hand. He calls me with A6 in the end and it was all she wrote.

Not quite the start I was looking for, but didn’t really play that badly just never got going and in these events with pretty shallow starting stacks, a good start is vital. Was cool playing with Phil Ivey though, he was constantly harassed from the rail by people wanting autographs and also some random old woman who wanted his email, lol. Not sure what tournament ill be playing next, but I think my next wsop outing will be the $2k pot limit on Friday, but will probably play at Bellagio or Venetian before that. Will try and take some decent pics to make the blog a bit more colourful for next time.