WSOP Event #18 - First & Second Level

I hung around for the remainder of the first level, and even chipped up to about $3,000 chips.  So during rounds two with the blinds now $50 - $100 when I saw wired 5s in my hand I knew I needed to use them to chip up.  I made it $300 to go and got re-raised to $700 from the player to my left.


After it folded around I called to see a A23 flop.  We both checked and the turn brought a K.  The board was still a rainbow and even if he had an ace or a king I still had outs on a 4 or another 5.  I check and he immediately checks too.


The river brings an 6, effectively a blank, and without more chips to splash around with I am forced to check.  He follows suit to show wired Jacks and wins the pot.




After a few orbits I am reduced to about $1,800 chips and in the Big Blind for $100.  The same guy raises to $250 and with everyone else folding I call the additional $150 with a suited K10.  The board misses us both, we both check all the way down, and I show my hand only to see his KJ and the pot eludes me again.




Some more time passes and the blinds increase to $75-$150 with me short stacked at $1325 and in the big blind.   It folds around to the small blind who makes it $375 to go.  Looking down at the ace and ten of diamonds I ship it all in and get called by a red 89.  My cards hold up and I am back to half a stack again.




Somewhere along all this I got AA three times, AQ another two times, and AJ.  The AA I raised 3.5x the BB and won without a flop to take some small pots.  The AQ & AJ raises got called and saw multi-handed flops that missed me and I was forced to fold.




Which finds me on the button with $2650 chips and the blinds still $75-150.  I find Q10 of clubs and decide to semi-bluff and pick up the blinds after everyone else folded to my button.  My raise to $450 is called by both blinds including the guy to my left who has been the nemesis in the hands I've been losing.


A flop of queen of spades, king of hearts, and five of hearts doesn't scare me especially since it went check-check.  I don't want to shove all in and scare off the players, so I bet half of my remaining chips.  The guy next to me raises my $1,100 bet to $3,500 and I'm forced to call.  Yes, he may have a king but facing the blinds going up to $100-$200 soon being left with $1,100 chips isn't great.


After the big blind folds and I call I am very happy to see 34 of hearts for no over cards and only a flush draw.  I have a good chance to double up and end up with just over the equivalent starting stack.  I did at least until the turn was the six of hearts and I was drawing dead and my first ever WSOP was over in less than 90 minutes.




Getting short stacked on the first hand really crippled my ability to play.  I played every hand well, except maybe the 55 vs JJ which I could have tried to steal when the K hit.  But without enough chips I couldn't risk him re-raising me holding only 55.


It was fun, but frustrating.  The worst part being I didn't even learn if I have the mental stamina to play for 8+ hours which was one of the main reasons I entered this tourney!!! :(