Tournament Tales

After a pretty quiet weekend I decided to play day 1a of the main event at the World Series of Poker. I was a few minutes late registering, therefore drew a really tough starting table, which included Scott “masterblaster” Seiver, Greg Mueller, and three other young guys who seemed competent. Luckily for me the table broke 20 minutes later.

I got moved to a new table where I didn’t recognise anyone so thought it was going to be a pretty easy table. I played very tight the first level and just picked up a few small pots and managed to increase my stack from 30,000 to 32,000 in chips when my first interesting hand occurred. I open A-J offsuit to 525 under the gun with blinds at 100/200, a tight image, and two players call.

Then a young Canadian guy on the button who’s been in many pots per orbit, opening and three-betting a lot, makes it 2,675. With action back on me I decided it’s a good spot to four-bet. Firstly, I’ve a great image, and secondly, there’s a huge chance the guy is light in this spot. So, I pretty quickly make it 5,800 and he folded after thinking briefly. My plan to play tight early kind of went out the window there, but I thought it was a good spot.

I chip up in a few small pots to about 39,000 before the next hand of interest occurs. A middle aged solid guy opens under the gun plus one to 600 with blinds at 100/200 and a 25 ante.

Two players call and I’m on the button with K-K. I make it 2,800 and both the opener and the first flat-caller fold. The second caller is a crazy Asian guy who has literally been in every pot. He peels off another card. The flop comes an acceptable T-7-2 rainbow. He checks to me and I bet 2,400 and he instantly crams his remaining 16,000 into the middle, I call pretty quick and lose to his Q-T offsuit as the board runs out T-3. Fun.

I was pretty steamed so I was lucky the dinner break came a few minutes later.

I came back with 22,000 with blinds at 150/300 and a 25 ante. I won a nice pot early on. Under the gun plus one made it 700, I called with 3-3 in middle position, and the big blind called also. The flop came A-8-8 and it checked through. The turn rolled off an acceptable 3, the big blind led for 2,000, and the original raiser called. I felt there was a good chance one of the guys had an 8 here. So I raised to 7,200 hoping to play the big pot against someone with an 8. They both folded though.

I won another nice pot squeezing preflop with Q-J suited on the button getting one caller who check-folded a 10-high board. So I was up to 34,000 and feeling a lot better about things. I thought there was a good chance myself and the crazy Asian man would get involved again. I was correct and got the better of him this time.

I open 3-3 under the gun to 725 with blinds at 150/300 and a 25 ante. One guy calls in middle position, as do both blinds. The flop comes 6h 5d 4d and it checks through. The turn comes the 2h. Obviously a great card for me but the board is very draw heavy in a four-way pot. Both blinds check to me and I bet 2,100, the first caller folds, and both the blinds call. I’m very confident I have the best hand here but there are a lot of bad river cards. Lucky for me the river is the 9s and both blinds check to me again. I bet 6,400 and the crazy Asian guy in the small blind snap calls me, the big blind folds, and the Asian man mucks when I table my hand. Justice!

I up the ante a bit toward the end of the night and climb as high as 55,000. I started feeling tired towards the end of the night and made a few mistakes trying to overdo the aggression. I finished the day with 47,400. I’m happy with how the day went overall and was excited for day 2.

We’ll discuss the rest of my progress thought the main event next time.

Nick Heather finished fourth in a $1,000 no-limit hold’em tournament at the World Series of Poker 2010. He plays and blogs at PaddyPowerPoker.com.