Yet again I find myself writing my blog while on a plane. I’m heading home for just a few days before heading to Vegas to watch the November Nine, and then to LA for the NAPT.
I’ve been away from home for 11 days, six of which were spent in a miserable little place called Hammond, Indiana. The other five were spent in the only slightly less miserable Foxwoods Casino.
While in Hammond for the WSOP Circuit stop I played two events ($1,500 and $10,000). I was able to build stacks in both tournaments, but found myself going from healthy stack to out on both occasions in rapid fashion.
On the way to Foxwoods I made sure I cleared my head of all the nonsense that happened in Hammond. I just wanted to be more focused and ready to make a deep run. I was only going to Foxwoods to play one tourrney, the WPT main. It was a $10,000 buy-in which drew around 260 players.
On day 1 I was able to accumulate a decent stack getting up to 53k from 30 to end the day. In these slow structured WPTs a lot of times I’m showing down very few hands throughout the first few days of the tournament and usually building a decent stack.
However, the WPT is pretty much the only major title I am missing. The fact is that before this event I had played 14 WPTs and only cashed one. My sole cash was at Foxwoods one year ago, where I got 23rd… I think.
On day 2, similar to day 1, I increased my stack playing my usual game and finished the day with 99k, which was around average stack.
Day 3 I was able to get up towards the top of the leaderboard, finishing the day 7th in chips with only 28 players left. Unfortunately, we were still not in the money.
Whoever decided it was a good idea to pay 25 spots instead of 27 in this event shouldn’t be making those decisions. It was an enormous mistake, and I feel bad for the players who busted in 26th and 27th because they honestly deserved to get paid.
On day 4, the bubble play began, as a kid busted in 28th within the first few minutes of the day. We combined to three tables and went to hand for hand. This continued for almost three full hours before we lost two players to get into the money.
I had increased my stack from 342k to around 440k during the bubble and was feeling great.
The rest of day 4 got really rocky. I got down to around 250k before I was finally all in for my tournament life for the first time in 4 days. Fortunately I had AKo vs AQs all in preflop and it held up, even after the guy flopped a flush draw.
I ran my stack up to 650k at the highest point, but after losing pot after pot, I finished the day with less than I started with… 322k. We were down to the final 12 players and would come back on Day 5 to play down to the TV final table of six players.
My stack put me 10th in chips, but when I looked at the remaining stacks I realized that there was 5 other players with 400k or less. This was going to make for a very interesting dynamic as the blinds were going to start at 8k/16k.
On Day 5 things started out just fine, I was able to pick my spots well and chip up to around 500k. While this was happening Hoyt Corkins busted from the other table in 12th place, which meant we were only one player away from combining to a single table of 10 players.
I was praying one of the shorter stacks would bust as I would be able to maneuver much better with my stack size at a 10-handed table instead of a 6-handed table.
I lost a pot here and there and a shortstack survived on the other table. I got down to 335k, when I picked up 99 on the cutoff. I had just raised the previous orbit from the c/o and Kevin “stammdog” Stammen jammed on me and showed 55. So obviously I’m pumped to see 99 here.
I open to 35k, button and s/b fold, stammdog asks me how much I have left, I say 300k, he says all in … I say CALL!!! I flip over 99 only to see that he has me crushed with TT with both of my suits covered.
The flop was decent 5♣ 6♣ #7 and the 3♣ turn gave me tons of chop outs. I was sad to see a red jack peel on the river, meaning my hopes of becoming the third player to ever win the Triple Crown will have to wait.
I had found out the night before that Daniel Negreanu had the chiplead going into the final table of EPT Vienna but ended up finishing 4th. I was hoping he would win that event and get his triple crown, and then I could follow it up with getting my own only two days later.
Unfortunately, we both have to wait for our next chance. Maybe WPT Five diamond will be the one?
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