This is going to be quite a long post so if you get bored half way through I don't blame you ;-)
We kicked off at 5am at my house, and myself and Ben (Sunday8pm) headed towards Heathrow. The flights changed twice as this was the cheapest route, at Chicago and Miami. All flights went pretty smoothly, we missed one connecting one from Chicago but there was another one soon after and it wouldn't effect our arrival time. We were a bit nervous about the propellor plane that would carry us over to the Bahamas but it worked out fine and we landed around 9pm.
The useless gits at AA had lost my luggage on the Miami->Bahamas flight so we had to hang around the airport for an additional hour asking where the hell it was. They said it would be on the next flight and they would deliver it to our room at the hotel by 9:30 the next morning. I was a bit anxious to get some clothes, I had a pretty nasty odour working for me by this point and I was playing in the main event the very next day so I didn't want other things on my mind.
Well the luggage turned up at 12, to the bellman, so I had to start the tournament in a pair of Bens shorts and a Poker Stars t-shirt. I looked like a bit of an idiot but who cares I was playing the WPT!!
Day 1 went pretty smoothly for me, I loosened up towards the end of the day and tried a couple too many bluffs. I had Eric Seidel on my table who couldn't find a hand all day. I had a nice chap to my left whos name I can't recall, but when one guy made it T1000 with blinds 200/400, I whacked it straight up to 3000 in the small blind with AQ (he was an aggressive player and I had a ridiculously rocky image), the BB folded AK and showed me!! It was the last hand before the break so I showed him my AQ and we had a laugh about that (only he saw my hand). The other guy claimed he folded 88.
I ended up the day on T19600. A pretty good day I guess, my highest point was around 29000 so I was a little disappointed especially as I said to myself that to do well today I had to finish on around 30000. I was still happy with the way I played though and I don't think I made too many mistakes, whilst still making a couple of moves.
The next day I had off as it was the second Day 1 players so we had a few drinks and fun with Brian Wilson, played some $1/2 NL very loosely and ended up losing some money. As it was my day off we decided to check out the swimming pool. Day 2 was pretty nasty in weather terms, it was cold and overcast... Wheres the Bahamas weather!! Needless to say, it was 3 degrees back home and a bit of wind wasn't going to stop us having fun. The swimming pool was empty and we tried out all the slides they have there including the "Leap of Faith", pretty suggestive by name, it was a near vertical drop curving off through a shark tank with glass walls. It was a good kick and we went on it a few times.
Day 3 I was playing again, I drew a ridiculously hard table at first but fortunately it was to be broken up soon. I didn't actually recognise them but Brian told me there were a couple of very good players there. We broke up after 5 hands and I got moved to a much softer table where I would spend the rest of the day. I slowly accumulated some chips and slowly lost them, up and down all day. Then I went into 9th gear and raised in early with JT off. The guy on my left had been coming over the top all day, on one occasion I raised in the cutoff and he reraised me. I considered moving in with my 52o because I was so sure he was just restealing but I ended up laying it down. He showed me an ace, but as he chucked his cards to the dealer a 6 was revealed as well! I was annoyed at myself because going over the top again there is the kind of move I make. Later on I told him I passed AQ and he said he also had AQ, I laughed! So after he reraised me I called this time to take a flop. It came ten high and I was out of position so I checked. He bet nearly all my stack and I pushed in for about T13k total. It was an underraise so he pretty much had to call and his KJ couldn't catch a king so I doubled up to 33k. Not long after I found myself raising with 67 hearts. The SB reraises me quite heavily, something like 4k after my 2100 raise. I decided to peel off a flop, he was playing the hand very aggressively, he had a big stack, and I think I had ridiculously good implied odds. I certainly didn't think he would play a big pair like this, something like jacks or tens I think he would take a flop with rather than reraise. By this point I was like 90% sure he had AK, maybe 8% jacks/tens. The flop came 862 and he bet 14000. Huge bet and if that isn't AK then I don't know what is, I push all in which came out as an underraise and he called. Of course he has AK and my pair is winning. It holds up and I double up again to 65k! I am now amongst the chip leaders, probably top 15. A few steals with hands like 77, AJ, and I am up to 75k. The day is going very well all of a sudden. Unforunately I didn't shift back down a gear and got involved in a pot with AT with a big stack. I can't remember the details but it cost me about 20k and I know I played the hand very stupidly. After the dinner break we were battling for the money, 130 paid with 130th getting $10,700 so for all the satellite players there was a lot at stake and my goal now was to make the money. This is where I think I started playing badly. I was playing for the money, not for 1st. It allowed every other player to capitalise on my tightness. I squeezed into the money with 45k and decided I would loosen up. I then had my most annoying hand of the tournament. I had 67 suited in the BB and a guy 3 off the button raised it up to 3.5BB. I called as he could be doing this with lots of hands, he was an aggressive player. The flop came ace high and I bet out and he called. I had no pair no draw, and we both checked the turn. I then bet T8k on the river which he called with AT. I only had 20k left total so I think if I pushed he will fold but I think he knows that I had loosened up now we were in the money. Next time I think I will pass preflop... So I was down to 12k at the start of the last level of the day. First hand in the SB I have jacks, the same guy raises before me again, another short stack goes all in, I go allin as well, the other guy calls presumably for the value. I am in pretty sick shape, original raiser has 44, other all in guy has KK. Flop comes 789 with 2 spades and I have no spade. Turn comes a rag, but a spade rag and the KK guy has a spade. I stand up getting ready to order a beer when miraculously the river comes an offsuit T. Wow, saved or what. I am back up to 40k, still under average but very playable, blinds now 1k/2k with a 300 ante. After lots of folding I get those f'ing jacks again. I raise to 6k in second position, chip leader 2 to my left calls, next guy who had a rock image pushes in for 50k. When I am awake, I fold this hand quicker than a Japanese Origami artist, but for some reason I lumped those chips in and of course he had kings which held up nicely for him. He was a nice Canadian chap called Brian and he bought me a beer later on which was a nice gesture.
A great experience overall and I was 10 grand richer. 2 silly hands to learn from but lots of people have told me they liked my 67 play against the AK. It was also great fun playing with John Phan who was pissing about no end. A really good internet player called Ozzy87 was an experience to play with as well, I swear, that kid was a different gravy.
The next few days were holiday and we chilled out with the sharks, lots of swimming, playing $1/2 and just getting drunk. Met some great people on the $1/2 game, mostly guys and gals who have come with friends in the main event. I'm going to give them a mention just in case they read this: John, Kyle, Jeanine, Anthony -- others whose names escape me as well!
I entered the $2k event out of my own pocket on the last day, I think I played it well but I can't be sure. Second hand, blinds 25/25 starting chips 3000, I made it 125 with 78 spades. There were only 5 players at my table as it had only just started so I think this was a fair raise here. The BB called and the flop came 982 with one spade. I quite liked it, he checked and I bet 225, he raised me another 325. I wasn't sure if he just sensed I was weak and put me on high cards like AQ, so I decided to call. The flop came a pretty dangerous 7 and he bet out 700 very quickly. I figured I should find out where I am in this hand and so I pushed in ;-). He dwelled for a bit and called with JJ. River came a Q and I doubled up. The guy plays the 25/50 NL and he went and told them all that he got donkeyed out! Matusow took the piss out of him though so all is good.
A few hands later and I have TT on the button. Aggressive player calls, internet player raises, 25/50 player calls, I call, limper calls. Flop comes 332. Checked to me and I fire out, aggressive player raises me right up, other guys pass, and I push in. He calls with 63 and doubles up. Back down to 2500. Soon after I raise UTG with AK suited, aggressive player calls, another guy calls as well. Flop K72 with 2 spades. Wrong suit for me but I decide I will check raise it, I check, aggressive player checks, other guy fires out for 1200, I push in and they both call. Fuck there goes 2k I am thinking. How right I am, they both get it in on the turn which is a spade. Aggressive player has 77, other guy has A9 spades, river paired the board, but that didn't matter to me and I walked away disgusted.
The evenings cocktail party was great fun, all drinks were free for an hour and a half which made a change from the $8 a drink we were paying in the poker room. The inevitable happened, Ben and myself hung out with Brian Wilson most of the time (WSOP $5k PL HE champ), tried on his bracelet and silly things. We also made sure we got our photos with Mr Raymer and Mr Hachem. Later on I was shitfaced and hit the poker room, bad idea obviously, thankfully the cash game was full so I played a $50 sit and go. This basically meant all in or fold for me, I don't remember much specifics but I got AA 3 times and was completely running the table on the bubble. Heads up the guy asked if we wanted to chop it and I laughed and pushed my chips in blind. He called with Q7 and I had KK! He flopped two pair though so nevermind. I doubled up a couple of times and went on to win it somehow.
Myself and some of the 1/2 players hit the casino to test the blackjack tables. Obviously a stupid idea and I dropped $500 veeeery quickly. At some point in the night I ended up in bed and at 7am Ben thought that we should get ready to go so he woke me up. Our flight was at 3pm and I had a killer hangover so this was waaaaay to early to wake up! He told me Daniel Negraneuaneuneunruneu was in the lobby though and I idolise him so I had to go and meet him. We went down and he was kicking back on the sofa with his laptop. We got some photos done and I asked him when he was coming to England, he told me it wasn't on the plans so he wasn't sure.
The flights back went smoothly, although once again the propellor plane decided that the best way to land was a nose dive, that scared us shitless. Hachem was on our plane as well and he looked like he was about to cry!
Back to Blighty and I hit Gutshot for the £50 freezeout, I played it very well, got my KK outdrawn by AT all in preflop, then ran into AA with my QQ in a hand that played itself.
A fantastic trip all in all and I have lots of catching up to do uni wise and sleep wise as well. Hope everyone is well... Till next time
P.S. pics are available
here -- sorry for huge filesizes but i'm too lazy to resize them
