Overview of WSOP 2010

Now that I’m back home, seems like a good time to give an overview of my WSOP 2010. I played 2 events this year for WSOP 2010 which was Event #44: Mixed Holdem and the Main Event of the WSOP. I placed 22nd in the Mixed Holdem event and I lost very early of Day 3 of the WSOP Main Event.

Recap on the Main Event:

I started the tournament with 30,000 chips, got there shortly after the cards were dealt in the air. When I finally arrived, folded a few hands and picked up 86clubs and isolated a limper. I figure it was proper for me to start figuring out my table as soon as possible while we’re playing very deep so that the mistakes would be minimal to my stack size if I were to make any. I weighted the risk & rewards. The risks? I figure making a mistake wouldn’t be so bad to my stack in the first few levels due to the ratio of the pot sizes to my stack. The rewards? The information I’ll gain about my opponents which I’ll be able to use in the later stages of the tournament when the chips are valued more since the blinds increase. Having said that, when I picked up the 86clubs, I flopped a flush on a King high all club board. My limping opponent overbet led the flop in which I just called so that I can play cautiously given we’re about 300 bb deep. The turn paired the top card King in which he threw out another overbet which scared me since if he flopped a set or higher flush, I would be drawing dead. However, this was the very beginning of the tournament and my information on this player was practically readless. Using my logic of measuring the early stages of the tournament, I decided the calling down here would:

1) Possibly award me the pot decently large pot
2) Give me information about this limping player and overbets which I can manipulate to my advantage in the more important stages of the tournament
3) Lose the pot but the affect of the pot size loss would be less at the 1st level due to the small blinds

Eventually, on the river he overbet the river again and I snapped called and he flips up trip Kings with a ’5′ kicker. Right then and there, I realized that this player was unlikely to be a professional player given his bet sizing, his limping range in early position, and his line of action on the type of board. While a top trips is a good hand in absolute strength, the relative strength of his hand is rather weak relative to the hands I would ever consider calling down with. Most professionals in that spot, would never call down worse in an environment where information is that severely limited. I’d imagine that if I was to call down in this situation of the WSOP 1st level, I’d always have at least trips with a better kicker as I wouldn’t be playing such weak kickers. As you can see from such a seemingly simple hand, sometimes there’s more to decisions than the cards itself. Even times, it’s beyond the chips and potsize. You have to be aware of how each play affects other outside factors such as images and information. In poker you’re playing a game of imperfect information, and the more you can close the gap, the more successful you’ll be.

Now I must say, that analysis above caught me off guard a bit so let me continue my recap of my main event. So I then proceed to analyze the players at my table, and a few seats to my left sat TJ Cloutier. This man is a legend, a very successful poker player who’s won many bracelets in the WSOP. It was definitely and honor playing with him, and Dan Cypra of pokersoftware caught up with me to do a quick short interview with me about my main event during day 1.

Check it out here for some more words on that: Randy Lew (nanonoko) Breaks Down WSOP, Future in Poker

I eventually ended the day 1 with a stack very close to my initial starting stack. That was the 1st time during the WSOP that I played day 1a, so I had 3 days in between until Day 2. At the wsop, after each day, you get a new table redraw. During day 2, I ran my stack up relatively early in the day. The cut off who was a Swedish player who reminded me of Leonardo Dicaprio, raised and a short stack player right after him shoved all in with a little pair. I was in the SB and I reshoved all in w/ AKo to isolate the short stack player since my range was likely dominating him and I’ll pick up the dead money already in the pot. Leo tank a little bit then called my shove w/ QQ. There were some fans who I met earlier in the day railing me this hand so it was nice to have some fans in the crowd! They rooted for me and the door card came the King and I more than doubled up. Things eventually went a little sour as the day went on and I was moved to another table.

The new table, seemed pretty tough given the table talk. You can tell from the table talk that the majority of these guys played on the internet. One of these players included internet MTT specialist Adam “Roothlus” Levy. He played very well and placed 12th in this year’s Main Event. Congrats to him! Another reason I figure these guys were internet players was because when it was my turn to act, a few of the guys would say something along the lines of “hey you’re playing only 1 table” since I didn’t act instantly. When you hear the laughter all around, you have to figure that they know who I am based on my screenname and the amount of tables I’m capable of playing. It was a very enjoyable table in the social aspect! Eventually I ended the day very shortstack with about 21bb at about 21000 chips.

After Day 2, there was a break for 2 days so I found a thread on 2+2 which showed the table draws for Day 3! After looking over the names, I found that I was going to be reunited with Patrik Antonius from my EPT event. I was ready and hyped up to prepare for war again however my chip stack was rather short so my room for war was rather limited. I got there on Day 3, and found my table was actually moved to another table. Eventually I found my table and it was on the stage in it’s own exclusive area. I think it was the secondary featured tables without the holecard cameras but I’m not positive. I was ready and determined to run a stack up and start some fireworks at the table.

1st hand: dealt junk -> I fold.
2nd hand: In the BB, dealt junk -> I fold.
3rd hand: In the SB, dealt 88. Early position limps, folds around to me in the SB and I open shove 20bb expecting to take down the blinds and dead money from the limp. The BB snap calls my shove, and the original limper snap folds. BB flips up JJ and I failed to improve.

My day 3 must have lasted less then 3 minutes and it was very disappointing. I didn’t get to double my stack and give Patrik Antonius round 2 at the poker table. Although I was definitely bummed, two of my friends were with me who aren’t exactly poker savvy people but that doesn’t matter at all. What’s important is that, it changed my disappointment so quickly to a positive moment. We hung out for the rest of the day and I decided to fly back home early from Vegas. After typing out this blog, I thought that maybe I would talk about how much I would have loved to have done better. But you know, I’m actually very happy with myself and one of my motto’s is: “Reflect, don’t dwell”.