Bracelet No. 11!

I played for 21 hours straight in the last World Series of Poker event of 2006. We began the one-day event with more than 400 players. I had a fantastic chance to shock the poker world and win my 11th WSOP bracelet - which would have given me the record for the most bracelets (Johnny Chan and Doyle Brunson also have 10). With the spotlight on the final day of the main event, and the $12 million first-place prize, I would have loved to steal a little bit of that thunder! In fact, if ESPN only knew that Doyle and I were chip leaders with 18 players remaining, wow!

Alas, I finished in third place, but, it was still a record-setting performance that I'm proud of. It was my eighth time in the money at the 2006 WSOP, and that feat has been accomplished only three other times (Marco Traniello last year, and Richard Tatalovich and Humberto Brenes this year). It was my 57th all-time cash in WSOP history, which is a record. I had a first, a second, a third, and a sixth - for four final tables in total. Still with no energy left after the seven-weeklong marathon that is the WSOP, I felt like I left a bracelet or two on the table. It is my time in the poker world, and I picked up only one bracelet, and finished second in the all-around points race (because the last six events didn't count!). How often will it be my time at the WSOP?

My mistake in this event was that I didn't play aggressively enough. Too often, I felt that my opponent was weak when he raised, and I didn't do anything about it. I should have pounced on that weakness. Had I made some moves, every time I was right, I would have picked up a bunch of chips. Every time I was wrong, I would have lost a bunch of chips, but at least I would have trusted my instincts! Instead of using my powers of observation (reading people), I waited around and made almost no moves for five hours. On the other hand, I could have been lucky enough to win more pots along the way. Still, that "free money" that you win when you reraise your opponent and he folds can be the difference between winning and losing.

A couple of times, I was ready to make a reraise, but Lee Watkinson, who was sitting on my right, beat me to the punch (he reraised before I had the chance). Maureen Feduniak and a young European were left fighting for the bracelet when I left. The European made several moves at me, but I couldn't catch him with the right hand at the right time which was too bad. In one hand, with the blinds at $4,000-$8,000, I called from the small blind with K-8, and he moved all in for $100,000 more. The very next round, I called from the small blind and he moved all in again. Then on the very next round, I called and he moved all in again! This time, I had $59,000 left and the Q 10. I pondered for a while, but thought that I would find a better spot to put in my last $59,000. Looking back at it even now, I believe it was the right fold. However, rather than call his bet, I could have moved all in myself with the Q 10!

Instead, I was waiting for a better spot, and it came up the very next hand. Feduniak called from the small blind, and I checked with my 4-3. The flop was A-7-6, and we both checked. I thought, "Wow, let me get lucky and hit a 5 here to make a straight." The next card was a 5, Feduniak checked, and I bet $9,000 into the $19,000 pot. She called, and the last card was a queen. She bet out $10,000, and I moved all in for my last $40,000, raising it $30,000. She called instantly, and showed me a higher straight (she had 9-8 in her hand). Ouch! I was out of the tournament, and my wife, who sat by me with a fever - and no sleep - all that time, had the pleasure of hearing me whine for the next 30 minutes. So much history was hanging in the balance; so, so close, and yet so far. Now I have to wait until 2007.

Of course, we know that the main event was won by Jamie Gold (another great last name, like 2003 Champion Chris Moneymaker), and how good is that for poker: We now have a "Moneymaker" and a "Gold" as world champions!