I just blogged Day 3. If my listing the URL here is against the 2+2 rules, I am sorry. Just let me know and I will not do it again:
http://www.pokerxfactor.com/news/
I came into the day w/158k chips and what I thought was an easy table draw. Boy was I wrong! There was a ton of raising and reraising preflop, and after a few orbits, I had committed chips 3 times preflop and never even got to see a flop. At this point I was the only one at the table who hadn't dragged a pot, but then I picked up AK once and AQs twice and reraised to take down all of those.
At 2k-4k/500 Tony Bloom limped in from the SB and I raised to 15k from the BB wth A-10. He called and the flop came A65 w/2 spades. He checked and I bet 20k, he ckraised me allin for an additional 109k and I put him on either a flush draw or straight draw, so I called. Sure enough, he had KQss and my hand held up, so I was up to 325k. I then lost 85k to a player I was sure had AA or KK on a 278 flop. Soon after, I raised from the button with AJ, and Kirill moved in from the BB. I had a strong feeling I wasn't behind, so I called and he flipped 55. The flop came KK7 and a Q turned, but I couldn't hit any of my 254786454380450958 outs and I was back to where I started.
I was now in shortstack ninja mode, and every time I rose up above the Mendoza line, someone repopped me and put me back in my place. In the meantime, my cards were just horrendous all day, as my best pair was 99 until I finally picked up AA and KK, but didn't get any action either time.
I managed to double up when I shoved w/AQ in early position, and was called by the big stack who had A-10. After that, I doubled the short stack to my left 3 times. KQ v 55 allin pre, QJhh v A2cc allin pre, and A4dd v 88 couldn't get there on a 356 flop with 2 diamonds. Ironically, a 9 turned then a 7 rivered, and he shook my hand thinking my hand was best, but he had made a higher straight. I seriously felt like a mole in the whack a mole game. Every time I lifted my head up, a hammer just came and smacked me right down. Fortunately, Men the Master came to my table at the end of the night with a million chips, and he raised 5 of his 1st 6 hands(the only time he didn't raise was when there was an allin ahead). On his 5th raise, when there were only 6 hands left in the night he made it 30k to go at 5k-10k/1000, and I moved in for 152k with A-10ss. He called so quickly that I thought I was way behind. I couldn't help but chuckle when he tabled QJss and my hand held.
I ended the day on a good note w/322k chips, which is below average but play still playable. A total of 71 players still remain for a shot at the $3.7 million.
If you care, Cardplayer interviewed me:
http://www.cardplayer.com/poker-tour...p;video_id=958
Bax