Warning: Long...If you don't feel like reading, skip to the pics! Since this is my usual forum, i'm posting this here althought it probably belongs somewhere else.
So I'm in Vegas this weekend and entered my first ever WSOP event, the $1500 NLHE shootout. The shootout event is basically a series of 1 table satelites.
To start the tounament only 9 players sat down at my table none of which i recognized. About an hour into the tounament, Phil Hellmuth shows up and takes his seat.
I'm ashamed to say, this was a serious thrill for me. I've been watching and reading about hellmuth for many years, and now he's at my table. Three hands after phil sits down, a player calls his raise with J-10 off, flops the nuts, and takes 2/3 of Phil's chips. Phil immediately got steamed and i was loving it. He started berating the player for calling his raise and made several "9 bracelet" references. The camera's show up to record the moment and Phil definitly picks up the act for their benefit. He's certainly a performer.
About an hour later several players including phil limp to my big blind and i decide the time is right to make a move. I make a big raise which nobody calls and show the table my J-3 offsuit.
Phil: Nice play, but you should not of shown that
Me: Oh, why not?
Phil: now i know what you look like when you bluff
Me (thinking to myself): he's got a point!
about 10 minutes later i force Phil to make a big laydown (which he shows) when a flush card comes. I show my semibluff (i had a strait draw).
Phil: Keep doing that, you're going to double me up soon
Me: But i thought you knew what i looked like when i was bluffing. You should have doubled up right there.
Phil: I'm just waiting for the right time. You play so bad i can wait until i'm a 90:10 favorite
Me: Thanks, please keep waiting
Anyway, phil and i go on like this for hours and our table draws quite a crowd. Phil is low on chips just about the entire time so the ESPN cameras are filming to see what he does when he busts out.
4 hours into the tounament we're heads up and i have phil outchipped 12.5k - 2.5k. We take a break and 50 people stop me on the way to the restroom to wish me good luck, tell me how much they dislike phil's antics, etc. It's truly my 10 minutes of fame.
When we come back from break the ESPN cameras are rolling and i'm feeling pretty good about my chances. About 10 minutes in, i make a flush when Phil makes a straight and i bust him. Phil stands up, mumbles to himself for a while, shakes my hand, and storms off. While i'm waiting for the floor, i talk to the crowd for a while and do a brief interview for the ESPN people.
For the record, let me state that i sincerly enjoyed Phil's company at the table. Several times he assured me that his comments were nothing personal and I said the same back to him. All the needling was in good fun. Phil played great making it to the final two without really making any hands. I was very lucky to get as far as i did and ran very well.
Unfortunately, i was an early bust out in round 2 when i got my money in on a coin flip. But i did cash in my 1st world series event and beat Hellmuth heads up. What an experience!
