WSOP Semi Trip Report(poker related only)..Long (Cross posted in MTT)

[n1stunnor]

I walk into the Shoe about 30 minutes prior to the 1 p.m start time on day 1 and go directly to the rail outside my starting table(Table 13, downstairs).There's a young gentleman there with a PokerStars shirt on and we start talking.I find out he's going to be at my table,in seat 4.I will be in seat 5.I go on to tell him what a wild and crazy player I am and that I will often re-raise him with any 2;while in actuality I play exactly the opposite.He seemed to buy it.This will come into play early in the tournament.Seat 7 is a Paradise qualifier,tight aggresive.

Seat 8 was THEEE maniac of all maniacs.He was in nearly every pot and if it wasn't raised prelop when it got to him,he would proceed to raise it.He would also raise my big blind what seemed like every round and he would always re-raise me if I open-raised or open limped preflop.He showed hands down that were complete trash such as 64o and the like and he actually built a monster stack early on.

Hand #1-
About 40 minutes into Level 1,25-50 blinds.Relevant stacks:Me-T11000,Seat 4-T10000.
I'm in the BB in seat 5.Seat 7 limps in,the maniac in seat 8 makes it T150 to go,both 9 and 10 smooth call,and it's up to the guy i met at the rail earlier-in seat 4.He pops it up to T600.I look down and am delighted when I see A [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] A [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] .I make it T2000 to go(thoughts on this?too big?too small?).I'm hoping that he actually has a good hand,thinks i'm stealing(from our conversation ealrier),and i'm praying that he pushes.Seats 7,8,9,and 10 all fold and it's back to 4 who thinks for about 2 minutes and calls(not the push I wanted,but a call is not too bad).
FLOP K [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] 7 [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] 5 [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] .
He throws out T1500 immediately,leaving him with T6500.I pretend to think for about a minute and announce "ALL IN" as I push my chips(Thoughts? Maybe just double his bet or smooth call?).He dwells up for about 5 minutes(Again i'm hoping he remembers our earlier conversation)and as i'm about ready to call the clock on him he mucks his A [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] K [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] face up and says "It's not time to go broke yet".Damn,I should have had all his chips there.Nice laydown by him.In retrospect, I think if I had just called his flop bet he would have fired out again on the turn.I'm up to T15000.

Hand #2-
Level 3,blinds 100/200.Relevant stacks:Me-T12000,Maniac in Seat 8-about T30000.
The maniac had already busted a couple of players.UTG I limp in(??) with A [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] K [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] knowing that the maniac will raise it.Folded to him and he makes it 700 to go.Folded back to me and I re-raise to T2000(??).He just calls.
FLOP Q [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] T [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] 3 [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] .
I lead out for T3000 and he immediately makes it T6000.Sh1t,my hand could easily be the best right know.But he could also easily have something like Q7 or T9,with the way that he has been playing.I finally deicide to let it go.I'm left with T7000.

I don't play another hand for about 1 hour and then this hand comes up right before the end of level 3.

Hand #3-
Level 3,blinds 100/200.Relevant stacks:Me-about T6100,Maniac-about T28000.
I open raise UTG+1 to T600 with A [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] A [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] .Folded to the maniac who expectedly re-raises it to T1200.Folded back to me and I put on a show,act like i'm totally frustrated about this maniac constantly coming over the top of me.I act disgusted as I motion with my arms all-in.LOL.He instantly calls with A6o.My hand holds up and i'm back up to about T12500.He's pissing away his once monster stack like *MOST* all maniacs eventually do.Soon after,he gets busted when he limps in preflop with Aces and traps himself.He couldn't lay down his hand after getting both raised and re-raised on the 456 rainbow flop by TWO players,both holding 78.

Hand #4-
Level 4,blinds 100/200 w/25 ante.Relevant stacks:Me-T11600,Tight aggresive Paradise qualifier seat 7-T16000.
Seat 7 open raises UTG+1 to T800.The cutoff calls and I call 600 more from the BB with Q [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] T [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]
FLOP 3 [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] 5 [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] 6 [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] .
I check(???),really hoping for a free card,and he fires out T1500 into the T2750 pot.The cutoff folds and I try to push him off his hand with a semi-bluff by check-raising it to T4500[(bad move??)(I've already seen him lay down KK on a ten high flop)].He immediately pushes in and I know im in deep sh1t now.I dwell up for what seemed like forever.Finally,i stand up and say "well,someone's gonna have to get lucky atleast a few times to win this thing" and call off my remaining T6275(????bad call??).Of course,he flips over Aces.
TURN Q [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] RIVER T [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] .
WOW!!I pump my fist as he shakes his head in disbelief and the rail ooohs and awwws.I'm up to T24350.

Shortly after that hand my table breaks.I get moved upstairs and I don't recognize any of the players at my new table.

Hand #5-
Level 5,blinds 150/300 w/50 ante.Relevant stacks:Me-T23000 in seat 8,Unknown seat 6-T10000.
Seat 6 open raises to T1000 from mid/late pos.Folded to me in the cutoff and I re-raise it to T3000 with J [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] J [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] (???,was hoping to take it right there really).Folded back to him and he smooth calls.
FLOP 9 [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] 9 [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] 2 [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] .
He moves his remaining T6950 in and I call.He flips Q [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] Q [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] and it holds up.I'm down to T12950.

For the rest of the night I proceed to go card dead and bluff some chips off.I ended day 1 with T8425 and had a hard time sleeping,thinking how much bigger my stack was just a few hours earlier.

I walked over to the Shoe about 1 hour before day 3 was set to begin to find my table/seat assignment.I saw that I would be starting at a table downstairs in the satellite area with Phil Hellmuth at my table.The one thing I didn't like was that the two biggest stacks at our table would be sitting 2 and 3 seats to my left.I would be in seat 7,Phil in seat 4 with around T33000,Robert Hollink in seat 9 with about T50000,Tim White in seat 10 with about T100000,and Jon Moonves would also be at the table in seat 1 with about T12000.

I walked back over to the Golden Nugget,got some java at Starbucks,and went up to my room to contemplate my plan.I made up my mind that i didn't want to "just stick around".I wanted to double up early and i would attempt to do so with mediocre hands if I had to.I know Phil likes to play alot of pots and he was my main target.

Hand #6-
I'm not involved in this hand but I'll mention it because it was quite funny and it got Phil really bent out of shape.
Level 7(i think),blinds 250/500 w/50 ante.
Phil raises preflop to T1500,the donk in seat 5(was at a table with him late on day 1 and yes,he is a donk) and Moonves both call.Flop is Txx,suits irrelevant.Phil bets T1200,the donk raises it up to T5000,Moonves folds,and Phil calls after asking how much the donk has left.Turn Q,Phil checks and donk checks.River rag,Phil bets T800 and the donk just calls.Phil announces he has Tens and the donk flips over Q9 and takes the pot.Phil proceeds to get up,start whining about what a great play the donk made on the flop,storms over to the wall and leans his head against the wall while endlessly talking to himself.ESPN had 2 cameramen filming this so it might make it on.

I steal a few blinds here and there and then our table gets moved upstairs.I have about T10000.

Hand #7-
Level 7 still,blinds 250/500 w/50 ante.Relevant stacks:Me-about T11000,Phil-about T29000,Timothy White-about T100000.
I'm UTG+1 and open raise to T1500 with A [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] K [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] .Folded to Tim White who I guess didn't see my raise because he said "raise" as he threw in T2000.A floorman comes over and rules that Tim's action is to call T1500.Folded to Phil in the SB and he calls.
FLOP 932 rainbow.
Phil checks,I check,Tim bets T2000,Phil calls,and I fold.
Turn 4.Check-check.
River T.Phil bets T2000 and Tim pulls the Hellmuth on Hellmuth."How much do you have left",asks Tim.He proceeds to put Phil all-in and Phil folds his pocket jacks face up.Tim showed his T9 top two.

Hand #8-
Level 7,blinds 250/500 w/50 ante.Relevant stacks:Me-about T9000,Phil-about T26000.
Robert open limps utg+1,folded to Phil in the cutoff and he raises the minimum,to T1000.I call from the BB with K [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] 9 [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] and Robert calls.
FLOP J [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] 9 [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] 7 [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] .
I check(???),Robert checks,and Phil bets out T2000.I think for a few seconds and decide this is my chance to double or triple up,or even take it down right there.I push in my remaining T7000 or so.Robert folds and Phil thinks for a minute then calls with Q [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] J [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] .
TURN 4 [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] WoooHoooo!
I stand up and start clapping while Phil stands up and starts moaning.I didn't even see what the river was but it didn't matter.A few hands later they break our table and I'm up to about T19000.

Hand #9-
Just got moved to this table and I don't recognize anyone.About 3 or 4 hands go by and I look up at the monitor to see that there is only 45 seconds left until the break.As the dealer is pushing the pot to whoever won that hand;i ask her if that's the last hand before break.She says she's going to deal one more.I should have just left,I had a bad feeling.

Level 7,blinds 250/500 w/50 ante.Relevant stacks:Me-about T19000,Young Russian(YR)-about T21000.
Folded to YR in mid pos. and he raises it to T1500.Folded to me on the button and I look down to see Q [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] Q [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] .For god-knows-why I just push in right there wanting to just take the blinds,antes,his raise,and get to the break.Folded back to him and he only thinks for about 10 seconds before calling.He flips over K [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] Q [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] .WOW!This guy just called off almost his entire stack with KQ hearts preflop.Crazy.I was loving it when i saw him flip it over to the point that I was already counting my new-to-be stack of about T40000.
FLOP T [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] 5 [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] 2 [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] .
AWESOME!I remember thinking aloud in my head "NO KING,NO KING".
TURN K [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] .
"[censored]"!
RIVER rag
All I know is it wasn't a Queen.I was both pissed off and heartbroken.I shook the kid's hand,said nice hand,and went staright to my hotel room to lay down and reflect.I litteraly couldn't move for about 2 hours.It was just so unexpected.I went from getting ready to fold my hand and head out for a smoke on the break;with a decent enough stack to do some damage,to out of the tournament and smoking up a storm in my hotel room in a matter of a few minutes.

Oh well,there's always next year.It still stings thinking about what could have been though.All in all,I had a great time the entire week and a half I was there and it was quite an experience.

P.S. To the grammar policelease take it easy on me,i'm not the greatest writer in the world.

[n1stunnor]

I left out the highlight of my trip.

Me and my brother walked into the main tournament room of the Shoe as soon as we got our bags up to our room of the Nugget on the 19th.He was really anxious to check out the atmosphere.As we walk in i look at him and he's "star struck".We walk past Men Nguyen and my brother shouts out to me in the packed room "Oh my god,is that Men the Master?"

Men looks back and starts laughing along with every one else who heard it-almost the entire room.I laugh,lean over,and whisper in his ear "Dude,Shut The Fuc k Up."He laughs and gets the "hint".

[dogsballs]

gotta give up the smokes, pal.

Unlucky on that last hand. Musta been gutted.

nice report tho - entertaining.

[yct]

nice interesting report. at least u got all in when you had the best of it...