2011 World Series Of Poker Event No. 52 -- Part Two

In the last column, I highlighted the bad beats and questionable decisions that led to my being whittled down to 625 in chips from a starting stack of 7,500 in the World Series of Poker mixed hold’em event (limit and no-limit), along with the two-outer that kept me alive and eventually got me back up to 3,900.

When you win your showdowns, you get to stick around a while longer — and I won another one to move into more reasonable chip territory. Then, as if the tournament hadn’t been going oddly enough, I managed to double up with jack high unimproved. In no-limit, I opened for a small raise from middle position with J 9, and I got called by the player in the cutoff. The flop came down A-2-2 with two hearts, and I followed up with a continuation bet. My opponent raised and, since there weren’t too many hands he could’ve been raising for value, I decided to move my stack in. He thought for not too long and called, which was sad news for me, but when he rolled over the 5 4, I felt a lot better about my prospects! I was almost a 2-1 favorite, and I ended up winning without making a pair.

Despite that piece of good fortune, I lost a big pot later when I got it in holding bottom two pair against a player who’d flopped a pair and a gutshot. I ended day 1 with 24,400, lingering near the average stack size of 33,000.

Day 2 began poorly, as I hit traffic on I-15 and arrived at my starting table 10 minutes late. It was the first time in eight years of WSOP events that I’d ever been late for a day 2. (I’m routinely late to day ones.) As if to punish me for my tardiness, the poker gods gave a button-raiser A-Q, and when I squeezed him all in from the big blind with J-10, he didn’t fold, and I didn’t win. I was quickly down near the danger zone, but I won a bunch of pots uncontested to get back to 46,000 by the first break.

It was then relatively smooth sailing until late in the evening. I’d win a few pots and then lose the next one, but the trajectory remained positive throughout. Then, during the last level, I caught my big break. Noah Boeken, a great no-limit player who, like me, has been around the poker world for almost a decade, opened for a small raise under the gun. I three-bet him in the next seat with pocket kings, and when it folded around to Noah, he decided to four-bet me. I had three-bet Noah twice earlier in the tournament, and both times he’d folded to my aggression. Obviously, I was thrilled that he’d chosen this moment to take his stand. I moved in, and Noah, getting more than 2-1 on his money, called with A-K suited. Noah flopped a gutshot and turned a flush draw, but I managed to fade all those outs and double up to about 590,000. A few minutes later, day 2 ended with nine players remaining, and I was in third place.

On to the final table! Chip leader Brandon Meyers began by playing hyper-aggressive, and I mostly stayed out of his way while the first few players busted. Eventually I had to tangle with him, and I chose to do so more in the limit rounds than in no-limit. (I’d played with and talked to Brandon enough to know that he’s a top no-limit hold’em tournament player.) I three-bet him twice in limit with A-7 and was lucky enough to win both pots.

When we got to six-handed, we moved to the main stage (its actual name is the Thunderdome — I’m not kidding). I’d increased my chip count but dropped to fourth place and treaded water for a while until we got five handed. That’s when the roof caved in. In limit, I three-bet Brandon’s open from my small blind with 8-8, and he called. The flop came A-10-3 with two clubs, I bet, and Brandon raised. I called, and check-called when the A hit the turn. The river brought the J, and I check-folded. Brandon was nice enough to show me his A-Q.

I then lost another big limit hand, which I detailed in a recent Final Table Takedown in Card Player (Vol. 24, Iss. 14), and went to dinner break as the shortest stack of the five remaining players.

I came back from the Sao Paulo Cafe and shoved in from under the gun with A-5 offsuit, but got no callers. Then, twice I moved in over Brandon’s opening raises and won uncontested. By the time we entered the limit round, I’d doubled up without showing a hand.

The showdown victories arrived playing limit, and I clawed my way back into second place. We returned to no-limit four-handed, and I then hit the cooler that would become the tournament’s pivotal hand. Matt Hawrilenko raised under the gun, and Brandon three-bet from the button. John Lane folded in the small blind, and I decided I’d move in with sevens or better, A-10 or better, and K-Q. I looked down at two kings. I followed my self-prescribed course and sent my chips to the middle. Hawrilenko quickly folded, but Brandon, knowing how wide my range was in that spot, called instantly with his pocket queens. My kings held up, and suddenly I had a big chip lead three-handed.

Hawrilenko and his short stack soon went down, and I went into heads-up play with a nearly 4-1 edge. John Lane, however, provided a tough match, and he took the lead after we’d finished playing limit. I got back in front after making a big no-limit call (also detailed in the Final Table Takedown column) that knocked John down to 20 blinds worth of chips. Then, from the button, I opened with A-10 offsuit, and John moved in on me. I had an easy call, and couldn’t believe my fortune when John revealed J-10. I had him dominated. The flop came Q Q 5. Then the 4 hit the turn. I rechecked my hand, and indeed I had the A. John was drawing to two offsuit jacks. The river came 4, and I had my second WSOP bracelet in two years!

Months later, I’m still dumbfounded at the results. One never expects to hit so many big hands and have them hold up in so many big situations. Who would ever conceive of having such good luck for two WSOPs in a row? After the 2010 victory, I said I wouldn’t complain about anything poker-related for a year. Now, I’m promising no poker complaints for the next two years! It might be tough to fulfill that one in the post-Black-Friday era, but I’ll give it my best shot. The poker gods, fickle though they may be, deserve that much.

Matt Matros is the author of The Making of a Poker Player. He is also a featured coach for cardrunners.com.