Main Event 2017

Well, this year’s main event didn’t go as well for me as last year’s, but at least I was efficient. I busted just after dinner break on day one in unspectacular fashion, which, all things considered, is one of the more favorable results in any tournament. Being out early and really not having much of a chance at anything good happening is the next best result to cashing. I’m done quickly, not battling for two or three days before busting and I can be home to see my family and sleep in my own bed before day one is even over.

As you would expect from someone who busted early in the main event, my table was pretty tough. There were six players who ranged from competent to very good, one who was decent, and two that were just plain bad. I lost every significant pot that I played with the players who were bad except for one in the first level, and that’s a bad recipe for doing well at a tough table. If you can’t take advantage of the bad players’ mistakes and are constantly battling for chips in the other pots against players who are very good, it’s not surprising if you don’t do well.

I did notice a thing that I was very excited about at my table and I heard others say the same thing. Everyone at my table was very quick on trivial decisions and all except for one played quickly on all but the biggest decisions. We did have one player who was pretty slow quite often but not really egregiously so. I heard almost no complaining on Twitter or in person about how slow the action was and that’s a great trend. In fact, though I haven’t watched much of the coverage on TV, almost all of the play I’ve seen has been quick.

Even on Twitter, where everyone loves to complain, lots of people have complimented the speed with which players are playing as the tournament gets deeper and deeper. At the time I’m writing this, they are down to 27 players and can be forgiven for taking a little more time but it seems as though lots of people are acting quickly still. One of the things I hate most about live no-limit tournaments is all the tanking and the speed at which the game is played, especially in a game where tightness is generally rewarded, making the game slower just tends to make it more boring.

Also at my table, people were doing a good job of speeding the game up when not playing. Making change, not betting weird amounts, etc. It was a more jovial atmosphere. Even I, a horrible misanthrope that doesn’t like talking to people, got into the spirit of the table and had some conversations. I’m no Mickey Craft, but I got involved a little.

Speaking of Mickey Craft, I’m glad that the breakout star of this year’s WSOP main event is someone like Craft, who busted calling a three-bet out of position with 7-2 offsuit and came back minutes later with shots for the whole table, as opposed to last year’s breakout star William Kassouf. The jovial Craft who chatted up his opponents over and over again without badgering them with “speech play” like Kassouf did, is a great example for all of us who play poker. As the saying goes, you catch more flies with honey than you do with vinegar. Of course, not everyone has the natural inclination to be social and outgoing and I certainly prefer that everyone else leave me alone as much as possible, but I do try to occasionally take my earphones out and engage with my tables when I think of it. It takes quite a bit of effort for me, but I try my best to do it for as much as I can.

Last year at this time, coming off of my first cash in the main event, it was obvious why I was enjoying no-limit tournaments. This year, after having played a limited amount during the summer and doing poorly in all of them, it’s less clear why I would be excited about tournaments. I guess it just boils down to this: The World Series of Poker main event is the best tournament of the year and I have the privilege to get to play it every year that I want to. It’s a profitable venture and one that I look forward to annually. It looked for a little while like people were doing their best to sabotage the best tournaments in the world by playing slowly and disengaging from those around them. This year it feels like that general process and attitude has changed and it has me looking forward to getting back to Vegas next year for another shot at the title. ♠

Gavin Griffin was the first poker player to capture a World Series of Poker, European Poker Tour and World Poker Tour title and has amassed nearly $5 million in lifetime tournament winnings. Griffin is sponsored by HeroPoker.com. You can follow him on Twitter @NHGG