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

[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".

[Ryner]

If you get nothing else from your trip, at least live with peace knowing I enjoyed reading about it.

[DOTTT]

Nice report, I liked how you played all of the hands, sorry about the bad beat.

[ddubois]

TURN K

Just reading it make me want to vomit.

[Greg (FossilMan)]

[ QUOTE ]
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?).

[/ QUOTE ]
Well, if there is ever a good time to slowplay, this ought to qualify. At most he has 5 outs, and may be drawing to only 2. If you do slowplay, pretend you're holding QQ as you think awhile before calling.




[/ QUOTE ]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??)

[/ QUOTE ]
It's been said many times but bears repeating. If you're going to bet or raise this large a fraction of your stack (about 40% in your case), then you might as well bet it all instead. While the result likely would've been the same here given the cards, it is usually the better play to bet it all rather than 40%.


[ QUOTE ]
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.

[/ QUOTE ]
Well, something's wrong here. When this same thing happened to Doyle Brunson, the player who said the word "raise" after not seeing that Doyle had already raised, was required to make a reraise. If this guy said "raise" in a timely manner, such that he would've been allowed to add more chips to his raise if he had not put out enough, then he should've been held to have reraised you. Which, in this case, would've allowed you to rereraise all-in and take down the pot preflop.


[ QUOTE ]
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.

[/ QUOTE ]
We don't have to point it out for you to know that's silly. ;-)

[ QUOTE ]
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

[/ QUOTE ]
Tough break. He certainly played it badly. Of course, so did you. Your all-in should've made it easy for him to play his hand correctly, but he was apparently too stupid to know it. Funny thing is, if you had made a standard reraise to T4500, even if he calls (which we have to figure he likely will), he probably check-folds on this flop, and you win T5000 instead of going broke. Not that I am trying to encourage hindsight thinking here, but it is interesting to consider.

The real issue for you is why did you let your emotions (i.e., your feeling of unease) to affect your decisions in the hand? If that's going to happen, then maybe you should heed those feelings and fold blind. Better to fold blind than to make poor quality decisions.

Better luck next year.

Later, Greg Raymer (FossilMan)

[nolanfan34]

[ QUOTE ]
I know Phil likes to play alot of pots and he was my main target.

[/ QUOTE ]

By far the best part of your report. I love that you made the all-time bracelet leader at the WSOP your "target". I really hope the K9 hand makes it on ESPN.

Great report, tough break on the last hand. I can't believe that guy risked almost all of his stack on a hand that was probably a coinflip at the most. Either that or he had the Binions pattern map v.8

[n1stunnor]

Thanks for the replies guys!

It's been said many times but bears repeating. If you're going to bet or raise this large a fraction of your stack (about 40% in your case), then you might as well bet it all instead. While the result likely would've been the same here given the cards, it is usually the better play to bet it all rather than 40%.

You're right.My thinking AT THE TIME if i made the check-raise to T4500 was, A)He has a monster and goes all in. B)He mucks right there. C)He calls and leaves me the oppurtunity to push in the rest of my chips on the turn with *A CHANCE*,however slight it might be,that he folds.

Given his cards,i think the only way we don't get all in is if he pushes right on the flop when i checked it to him.I would have still had T10975 and would have most likely let it go.

His T1500 bet into a T2750 pot,along with his 4x BB preflop raise,could have easily been AK.


Well, something's wrong here. When this same thing happened to Doyle Brunson, the player who said the word "raise" after not seeing that Doyle had already raised, was required to make a reraise. If this guy said "raise" in a timely manner, such that he would've been allowed to add more chips to his raise if he had not put out enough, then he should've been held to have reraised you. Which, in this case, would've allowed you to rereraise all-in and take down the pot preflop.

It does seem strange that they made exactly the opposite ruling in these identical situations.I might have been able to take it down preflop,depending on what Hellmuth(who had the jacks) would have did if the player was forced to re-raise.Most likely i would have been knocked out though.

The following is copied and pasted from Phil's website..

"A while later a gentleman opens the pot for $1,500 as I look down at J-J. I count him down quickly and decide that I will raise it to $8,000 to go when it gets to me-I have $28,000. Now a new player says, "I raise," and throws in $2,000. Now I think to myself that J-J is almost never a big favorite over a open, then raise scenario in front of it. But wait, how can he raise when he threw in $2,000 over the top of a $1,500 bet?

A ruling is made, and player 2 is forced to call. Now I see an opportunity to call cheaply, and flop a set and bust someone. The flop comes down 2-3-9, and I check, the raiser checks, and now the new player bets $2,000, and I call. The raiser studies a long time, and folds. The turn card brings the 4h, and I check and my opponent checks. Now the river card is the 10s, so that the board is 2-3-9-4-10, and I bet out $1,500.

The new player asks how much I have left, and I tell him $25,000 which he promptly raises. I fold my hand very quickly face up, and I say, "I know you hit the ten on the end." He says, "You call," and flips his hand face up-it is the 10c-9c. Que pasa? What in the bloody H is going on here? Of course I didn't call, but even worse, I suddenly understand the truth behind this situation. It is bad enough to take the bad beat with 10-9 over my J-J, but even worse, I see the light in an instant: this guy hadn't played a hand in a long time, and it is obvious to me that he didn't see the original raise. This is why he threw in $2,000 and announced he was raising. He would have folded for the $1,500 bet with this hand, this much I know.

To make matters worse, I have the gut instinct that the original raiser had A-K, and I ask him if that's what he had. He immediately says that that was indeed what he had. Now I'm freaking out over the simple inevitability of it all. I was supposed to win $8,000 on this hand, not lose $5,000. This guy was going to fold, and even if did call the $1,500 bet, I was going to raise the original raiser all-in for $8,000, and bust him with my J-J to his A-K. The only thing that stopped me from raising was the fact that I didn't think that this new player missed a raise right in front of his eyes-he was in the 9 seat, and the raiser was in the 7 seat. Wow! What a fluky start to day 2."


Funny thing is, if you had made a standard reraise to T4500, even if he calls (which we have to figure he likely will), he probably check-folds on this flop, and you win T5000 instead of going broke.

Yes,i have thought about this many times.There's no doubt in my mind that he would have folded to on the flop.

Thanks for the reply!

[Ian J]

Great report. It was funny that you were involved in all those pots with Phil, because he wrote about all 3 of them in his articles about the WSOP. Glad to know it was you who was in on giving him a tough time [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]