WSOP Trip 2 Report
If you follow my Twitter feed or Facebook, you know that I went back out to Vegas for the last few events of the WSOP, as well as the Main Event. I had so much going on that I just didn’t have the time to post every day. Now that I am back home I can fill in all the details of this trip and my overall WSOP experience.
I left for Vegas on Sunday June 28th for Event 54 that started the next day. It was the last $1500 buyin NL Hold’em event of the series. To make things easier this trip, I stayed right at the Rio, especially since I had already accumulated 4 comp nights! I felt good going into the start, but I only made it into Level 4 when I got slow played by a guy holding AA while I was short stacked. I got it in after I raised preflop heads up with top pair. Too bad he had the better "top pair" – lol. After losing so quick, I had time to late register for a 3PM $330 Mega Satellite that was awarding prizes worth an entry into the Main Event. Due to playing so many tourneys during this trip, I don’t even remember how I lost. The only thing I know for certain was that I did not win.
I had now decided that since I booked this trip for a full week, which included the first 2 days of the Main Event, that I would concentrate on winning my way into the Main Event. Of course, the buyin is $10,000 – so I had a lot of work to do. I started the next day, Tuesday June 30th, by meeting my friend Rob for lunch after he arrived in Vegas. He had planned to come out for some cash game action and to hang with some friends of his. I joined him in a 2-5 NL cash game and won $500 by 6PM, so I took my winnings and registered for a $550 Mega Satellite that started at 8PM. I bested more than half the field, but it was only paying the last 15 or so spots out of 300+ entrants. I ended the night with a late night dinner with Rob and did a few laps around the casino floor just chatting it up.
The next morning, Wednesday July 1, I started the day with some time by the pool. It took some convincing, but Rob joined me too. He had plans for the next day, so he wanted to get back to grinding the cash tables. We got something to eat and then went to work. I ended up playing two $525 SnG by the end of the night and lost both. The best I got was 4th in the first of the two. Pretty weak. Ended the night late after doing laps with Rob around the casino again – lol.
The next day, Thursday July 2, Rob checked out of the Rio to move over to the Venetian to conclude his trip with some friends, Tiffany and Kristi, he was meeting. I woke up just in time to register for the 1PM $1060 Mega Satellite by the middle of the 1st level. Simply put, I just ran awesome. It wasn’t until 9:30PM, but I won!! There were 420 entrants and the top 39 won $10,200 (Main Event buyin chips and $200 cash) and the 40th spot paid $9860 cash. I ended somewhere near 20-somethingth for a top prize, $10,200 !! It was awesome. I had my friend Troy railing me during the last 4 levels. This tournament was full of pros. I started on the same table as Michael Carroll , had Joe Awada to my left during the last few levels, along wiht many other live & internet pros. It was pretty cool. After getting paid, Troy and I went to the Venetian to play some cash games and meet up with Rob and his friend Tiffany. They were having a good time drinking and trying to hit the clubs. Coming off the win earlier that evening, I just contined to be in the zone and cashed out $1700 by 4AM and then heading back to the Rio to end the day after winning a total $11,900 !!!
I woke up Friday July 3 with plans to meet Rob, Tiffany, and another friend of his, Kristi, at the Venetian. We met in the forum shops while they were shopping for some clothes due to the hard time they had meeting some of dress codes at the places they tried to go the night before. FYI, I had no problem, I already knew how it worked – lol. However, I did buy an awesome looking sports coat from Kenneth Cole. The 4 of us hit the pool at the Venetian for a hour or so and then split to get ready for dinner reservations at N9NE Steakhouse at the Palms. The dinner was great. I had Filet Mignon, Bearnaise & Skinney Fries. It was cooked just they way I wanted it. That made all the difference. Not too rare for my taste and not to well. It literally was perfect. After dinner we milled about the Palms because Jay-Z was playing there. We had all planned on going, but trying to get 4 tickets for the price we were willing to pay, was tough. Rob got 2 tickets really close to the stage and he and Tiffany went to the concert, while Kristi and I had a good time back at the Venetian. She wanted to learn how to play poker and within 2 hours she turned her last $100 into $500 . Of course, I did my best to impart my poker bankroll skills onto her (I even tried to pull her away), but she was so into the moment and the good time she was having, she of course lost it all. We walked around the casino together for a little bit and then went back up to thier room. Rob & Tiffany met us soon after, and we all went to the ‘V Bar’ in the Venetian. Little drinking, little dancing, and soon enough it was closing in on 4AM. They all had flights back home within the next 8-12 hours, Rob included, so I got some late night pizza and then I headed back to my room at the Rio.
I woke up really late the next day, Saturday July 4, and after not getting to play the day before, other than while I was out with Kristi, I was ready to see if I was still in my zone. I played the 8PM $1060 Mega Satellite, simalar to the one that I just won 2 days before. This time I knew if I won, I was going to play the Main Event. I had decided that after I won the $10,000 couple nights before, that it would be much better to have the cash. So, I had already sold my buyin chips the previous morning to some forgeign kid that was registering for the Main Event with cash aka ‘dead money’. haha
I was out of the Mega by the 2nd level when I ran my top 2 pair into a set. Nothing I could do there. I registered for a $525 SnG right after busting from the Mega and ended up losing in 5th place after running my 99 into TT – what a cooler. However, I did get to catch the end of the fireworks display over the strip from outside the Rio. It was pretty cool. I spent the rest of the night with some friends, Troy & Chuck, and went for some late night Vietnamiese food.
The next day, Sunday July 5, I played all day trying to win another $10k for my Main Event buyin – even though there was only one Day 1 starting day left. I played the 1PM $1060 Mega Satellite, and then 3 seperate ($525 , $275 , & $125 ) SnGs, without a single win. I did make it heads-up in the $125 SnG, but since the prize was only $1120 – I didn’t even want to offer a chop. Instead I got slow rolled by a non-english speaking idiot who got so lucky against me. I had the chip lead going into heads up play, until he called my Q9s all-in with 56s. He ended up hitting a 6 on the turn to take the chip lead. We battled back and forth, and then we saw a flop while I was holding 34os. I hit the 3 on the flop and checked it. He checked too. The turn was a 6. Check, Check. I should have bet. The river was a 4, but put 3 to a flush on the board. I shoved and the guy tanked for minutes. He finally called and I flipped my 2 pair over. He hems and haws before turning over 57 for the rivered straight and tries to say something about flush. Total slow roll, and I cant even tell him because he don’t speak english. FML. I def. should have bet the turn, there is no way he can call there. Live & Learn.
I ended up back in the main casino and found a $1-2 PLO game going in the regular Rio poker room. I ended up crushing the game and calling it a night at 5AM after cashing out $1900 on a $200 buyin. I was glad to hit that win, especially after the 4 tourneys I lost earlier that day.
Of course, I woke up late on Monday July 6. It was a crazy day to say the least. It was the last Day 1 of the Main Event, which everyone knew was going to have the largest field. It actually had such a large field that they sold out and had to turn people away. Almost 500-800 people to be exact. This is the first time in WSOP history that they denied someone entry into the Main Event. There’s some speculation as to how and why it all happened. Who knows, all I know is that dropping $10k on a single tourney is alot. I don’t think I’m quite at that level yet, but I can see it approaching by next years WSOP.
Since this was my last day in Vegas, I just took it easy and ended up playing a nightly $120 tourney at the Venetian that stated at 7PM. It had 256 people in it, with 27 getting paid. I finished just inside the money in 26th place for a payout of $122 . FML. The Venetian tourneys are so top heavy, it rediculous. But, I did hit a slot machine for $170 , so at least it was all a freeroll. I went back to the Rio and got all my stuff ready to fly back the next morning. Of course, I ended up doing laps for a few hours and playing that stupid Texas Hold’em Bonus pit game. I lost $200 bucks – lol
I woke up just in time to make it to the airport and flew back home. The best part of the trip is that I flew home with more money than I left with. I did some math last night and added up all the tournament buyin receipts I have for the whole WSOP series, both trips. My total buyins for just tourneys was $17,700 ! However, I have almost $2000 more in my poker bankroll. So – all in all – I had a good series!!
I can’t wait for next years WSOP!!!
