WSOP Trip Report part 15, The Devil in Miss Elizabeth 2,Bellagio $1500

[Bond18]

WSOP Trip Report part 15, The Devil in Miss Elizabeth 2, Bellagio $1500
When you’re going to bed at 6am planning to play a 2pm tournament you know your not getting enough sleep, you so you anticipate not having your full focus the next day. Not that I regret any of tonight whatsoever, seeing as we had a victory party for Mlagoo then hit up the Korean BBQ place at 5:30am afterwards. It’s the kind of night you’ll always remember, witnessing a person on, for what is probably up to that point, the very best night of their life. When I hit the bed I’m praying I won’t wake up feeling to exhausted to play, as that will no doubt totally [censored] my schedule.
I come to 5 minutes before my wake up call at 1:40pm, continuing my body’s weird trend of knowing a few minutes before the call despite the call time often changing. I’m actually feeling not to bad, so I get dressed, change some money at the desk, and head to the Bellagio, get registered, and seated about 90 seconds late. I order a red bull to really wake my body up and get myself ready for another run.
For the first couple rounds I pick up small and medium pots by hitting flops. I was hitting quite well, but I also realized with live I NEED TO SLOW PLAY MORE. Because I am so used to online I end up fast playing way too much with big hands, and live players are making to many folds for this to be profitable. One annoying part of live, is that in many situations, playing worse (more obvious) is in fact the best play. A few rounds into the tournament Iweargoggles is moved to my table, or as he says it “it’s destiny.” We joke back and forth about how we’re going to slow roll each other, a round or so after which the following hand develops:
25/50 blinds, 9 handed. Both of us have somewhere around 5 to 6k. I am in MP2 with QhJd.
Preflop: Folds to me, I raise to 150, folds to goggles on button, goggles calls, blinds fold.
Flop: Q T 4
I bet 225, goggles calls.
Turn: 6
I check, goggles bets 450, and I briefly think about it and call.
River: T
I check, goggles bets 1125. I think it over a bit. The river is not a great card for me, but I can see a few things that missed the river, plus he’s a cash player who has plenty of practice floating people. In the end, my thought process goes something like “its goggles, he’s pulling some [censored]” and call. “You must win” he says and I flip up my QJ to take the pot.

After that hand our table is broken up and I show up to my new table with a comfy 8k. Seated 2 on my left is Shannon Elizabeth, hidden by her hat and glasses. I say hello to the table and upon picking up some hands start raising frequently as well as 3 betting, as I find quality hands in the blinds vs LP raises. None of my big hands get a lot of action, but I am steadily growing my stack. At one point I stack a short stack with 88 that holds up over his 44 and climb to around 9-10k.

The table is moderately chatty, as is Shannon, and I regale the table with the story of how I saw Shannon play in the hand where two guys tried to out retard each other with their god awful folds. The table seems entertained, as does Shannon, who seems as nice as she did last time. A hand comes up at 50/100. I have around 9.5k, Shannon has 1675.
I hold AQo UTG+1 and have an aggressive image. Shannon is in MP1.
Preflop: UTG folds, I raise to 300, UTG+2 folds, Shannon moves all in for 1675, folds back to me, I call. Shannon flips up As5s.

Flop: 9 7 2
Turn: K
River 5

When the 5 hits I don’t react. I very quietly and jokingly say something like “D’oh, oh well.” Then stack up my chips and ship them to her. “I was getting so short, I had to make a move ya know.” I shrug a little, and politely respond “no worries. I’ve got plenty left. I’ll just stay away from you, I can’t afford to get beat up by women, this isn’t high school anymore.” My side of the table laughs, and life goes on.

At one point during my rampage on the table Shannon makes a 3 bet on a guy and I remark that she’s stealing my move. “I’m just trying to learn from the best” she quips.
“What makes you think I’m any good?”
”Well you certainly look professional in the suit and all.”
”No, no, that’s just an illusion. I don’t know what I’m doing, I’m a young stockbroker who’s clueless and lives in his work clothes.”
“Sure you are.”

After the hit of her 3 outer and losing a couple other small pots my stack has slipped to around 6.5k when the following hand came up:

I hold AQo In the SB with a total of 6700. The CO in question is a middle aged guy who I have 3 bet a couple times already, both times with good hands. He has about 7.5k. Blinds 100/200.

Preflop: Folds to CO, CO raises to 600, button folds, I raise to 2000, BB folds. CO thinks things over for a while, and he doesn’t seem very strong. He also seems pretty sick with my pushing him around, and talks himself into a call. Blegh, OOP with a pot sized bet left, this is not a good situation.

Flop: 9c 7c 7s
It seems to me at this point I’m fairly stuck. Since live players take all in bets very serious, and I’m praying he doesn’t have a pair or perhaps talks himself into thinking I’ve got a bigger one, I shove my remaining 4700, a slightly over pot bet. The CO calls almost instantly. Shiiiiiiiiiiiiiit, I am so screwed. CO flips up his cards, Kc Jc. Weeeee, all ahead with the worst hand.
Turn: 6s
River: 5h
Jesus [censored] Christ, how did I dodge all that? I now have a pretty large 13kish stack.

I continue my aggressive play and build my stack to about 14k when the following hand comes up between Shannon and I:
Hero: ~14k
Shannon: ~7k
Blinds 100/200, but the SB is dead so only one BB. Hero holds Ah 8h on the HJ.

Preflop: Folds to hero, hero raises to 500, CO folds, Shannon considers her options then calls. I say “wait, your trying to learn from me and your just flat calling?”
”Mmmhmm” she responds, while nodding.
”Then you haven’t learned shiit.” The table laughs again, this hand should be friendly.
The BB also calls.
Flop: Kh 8s 6h
BB checks, I lead out 1300 hoping to get a large pot going as I’m very happy to get it in at this point. Shannon considers her options and calls. The BB folds.
Turn: Jc
Blegh. Shannon looks to have about ~5k left. The pot is 4100. Checking seems like a give up, and I certainly can’t bet fold. Since it’s live I want to maximize my fold equity by betting large, and if I can ever get her to fold a mid pair or a KT/KQ type hand here I gain huge. Even if she calls I’ve normally got 14 outs. I grab my stack of yellows and lead out 4500. Shannon instantly announces all in, to which I respond “I obviously call, but your ahead.” She flips up KJo, and I flip up my Ah8h for a 14 out draw.
River: 9h
Shannon EXPLODES. “GOD DAMN IT! I DON’T BELIEVE THIS [censored] BULL [censored]! EVERY [censored] TIME I RUN SO BAD!!! UNREAL, ABSOLUTELY UNBELEIVEABLE!!! THAT’S JUST [censored] REDICULOUS, ALWAYS SOME AWFUL PLAY THAT GETS ME, I RUN SO [censored] BAD!!!”
I am staring up at her in shocked silence, how can she be so mad? I had a massive draw and its only one random ass daily $1500 tournament at the Bellagio? We were getting along just fine and now she goes off on me like that? WTF mate? The entire table bursts into laughter as she storms off after seeing her tirade. “Well, I guess she owed me one right?” I quip. Seat 7 responds with “Well kid, you certainly just blew your chance at dating her.” Somehow, I think I’ll live knowing that.

The next 60-90 minutes of the tournament are kind of a blur. Why? Because Shannon Elizabeth decided to make this hand into a massive Bellagio poker room drama bomb. About 5 to 10 minutes after the hand Cardplayer reporter Julio Rodriguez comes up to me and asks exactly what happened in the hand. I relay to him the precise details as they happened.
“Oh really?” he says. “She thinks you just hit a 9 outer, that you moved in with just a flush draw.”
”No, I had a pair and a flush draw, any A/8 or heart. Ask the table, I have a whole bunch of witnesses right here.” The table jokes that their going to go along with her story, but both guys on my immediate left and right confirm that it went down exactly as I said.
“Oh, I’ll go tell her that then” and Julio walks off.

During this period Shannon is standing on the steps leading up to the table where the previous days final table is being held, as she has a friend who’s still in. I see her talking to a lot of people, seemingly quite animated. About 20 minutes later Julio comes back over to me.
“Uh yea man, she’s over there and has told like 15 people that you sucked her out big time.”
“Wait, you told her about there being a pair and flush draw?”
”Yea, she says that’s not how it happened. She won’t believe me or anyone else, she says you just had a flush draw.”
”What the [censored] dude?! She’s over there gossiping and lying about my play and telling people I play like [censored]? What is this, middle school? Besides, she sucked out on me way worse first.”
”Yea man, I don’t know, I told her friend that it didn’t go down like Shannon said. The friend says ‘yea I know, just don’t tell her that right now. She’s really mad.’
“Look, I don’t care if people want to call me a bad player for some hand I played, whatever, that’s fine. But I am not [censored] down with somebody out there spreading lies about the way I play just so they can have their bitch fest. Look, if your around next time we’re both in the same room, I’ll grab you so you can report when I go up and ask her what she’s trying to pull.”

So that’s my plan. I’m gonna ask Shannon what the hell she’s thinking spreading lies. I’ll start off polite though seemingly agitated, and if she keeps up her [censored], I am not averse (read: above) to creating a mild scene and childish name calling. If she apologies or admits she was in the wrong, then I’ll tell her no worries and move on.
A: It will make for a hilarious story I’ll have the rest of my life.
B: Since Julio will report it for me, any publicity is good publicity.
C: I know I am right.
Do I really care all that much what Shannon Elizabeth and her douche bag Bellagio friends think of my play? No, not really that much. However, I do believe in the principal of the thing, that you shouldn’t just run about slandering people with zero consequences cause you feel [censored] about something. Besides, I know I’m in the right here, and wasn’t like the 9th commandment something like “Thou shalt not allow C rate movie stars who are only famous for getting naked in a teen comedy to slander thy name?” Probably, I don’t know, I haven’t been to church in a while.

Anyway, so the tournament goes on, and when her friend is knocked out she leaves and things settle down. At this point I now have a massive stack of 21k which is probably enough, or certainly close, to the chip lead. Things go pretty smooth for a while, mostly because I go totally card dead and just fold a lot. The blinds go up to 200/400 with 50 ante, I lose a few k raising pre, c betting, and then having to shut down when I miss.

At 200/400 with 50 ante a hand develops between myself and a loose/bad/stationish player and I:
I hold Ad5d in MP2 9 handed.
Preflop: Folds to me, I raise to 1100, folds to button, button calls, blinds fold.
Flop: 9s 7s 7h
I bet 1600, button considers, then calls.
Turn: Ah
I think briefly, then check. Button pulls out his yellows, counts them out, stacks them up, thinks things over, then bets 4000. I call.
River: Kc
I check, button checks, and A5 is very good. My stack is now in the mid 20 k’s.

A round later a dark haired guy who looks to be about 25-30 is moved to the table. I’ve never seen him before, just looks like a standard live guy to me. One of his first hands at the table he is UTG, and the following hand develops:
UTG: ~15k
Hero: ~23k
CO: ~12k
BB: ~10k
Hero holds Kc 8s in the SB. Blinds 200/400 with 50 ante.

Preflop: UTG limps, folds to CO (fishy/weak/station), I complete with K8o (prolly not online, but with live stations, I think its okay. Perhaps you all think fold?), BB checks.
Flop: Ks 6s 7h
I bet 1000, BB folds, UTG considers and calls, CO folds.
Turn: Jc
I bet 2200, UTG calls.
River: Qh
I check. UTG thinks things over, counts his chips, and bets 3800. Argh, this situation sucks. I have no idea about UTG. Did he limp a hand like 54 or 89 suited and whiff? What about a flush draw? Lots of live players like to limp and station weak suited aces, could he be bluffing here? I make what I think is probably a pretty bad call vs a live player considering they don’t bluff. UTG flips up KQo and pwns me. I got taken to value town hardcore. I’m now down to roughly ~16k.

For about an hour very little of interest happens and my stack floats around in the mid teens area. I find out after that hand that the player who beat me with the KQ is online player ‘Varico’, who I have played quite a lot with online. He plays pretty well live overall, quite aggressive, though sometimes a little loose/sloppy. Nice guy as well.

At 300/600 with 50 ante the following hand develops between me and the SB. The SB is a middle aged guy who is way to loose/passive and clearly a recreational player:
I hold Qd Td on the HJ with a ~15k stack. SB also has like ~15k.

Preflop: Folds to hero, hero raises to 1700, folds to SB. SB attempts to complete to 600. I tell him I’ve raised. He honestly was out of it watching TV and had no idea. The floor is called over and they quickly verify that the 600 must stay in, and he can either call for 1100 or fold. He thinks things over for a while, not really thrilled with his hand. “It must be an omen” he says, and calls. The BB folds.
Flop: 5 5 8 rainbow
The SB donks out 3000. I decide he would absolutely never play a 5 this way, and that he can’t call with an 8 cause he’s a live nit, so I move all in. He takes only a few seconds to think before declaring “I can’t call” and folding while flashing me an 8.

At 27 players left the tables get rearranged and I am seated in seat 1 of the same player, with Varico 3 on my right. The blinds go up to 400/800 with a 75 ante. I also make friends with the new guy on my left, ‘Dan’ and hit it off enough that we decide to hit up the buffet together. With about 25 players left a hand develops between Varico, Dan, and I:
Varico: ~50k
Me: ~23k
Dan: ~22k
I am UTG+2 9 handed with 4h4d, the table is playing tight.

Preflop: Folds to me, I raise to 2400, Dan calls behind, folds to Varico in SB, Varico looks like he’s going to fold, but then seems to sort of talk himself into a call. He calls, BB folds.

Flop: 9h 6d 3h
Varico Checks. Well, I’m pretty sure Dan is going to play me honest and not get fancy here, and I think Varico’s range is pretty wide. If I C bet here I should get a lot of respect and I can also pretty easily shut down. I decide to fire 4200. Dan folds. Varico asks how much I have, then moves all in. I’m pretty sure he’s on a draw, but even if he is, it’s a 15 outer at worst. If I’m wrong about him having a draw, I’m totally crushed. I fold, and Varico shows me Th7h for a massive draw that’s way the best hand.

We begin getting closer and closer to the bubble. With about 22 players left the following hand develops:
Me: ~18k
MP1: ~10k
I hold Q Q UTG 9 handed.
Preflop: I raise to 2400, folds to MP1, MP1 shoves, folds back to me, I call. He shows JJ
Flop: J X X
Turn: X
River: X
Crap, I am now down to about 8k. I begin restealing, especially off the highly aggressive Varico, and get my stack back into the teens without a showdown jamming hands like JTo, K5o, A4o.

We hit the dinner break with 20 players left. I go to dinner with a group of 7 people, Dan, his wife, and a bunch of guys I met, all pretty well known online players who were very nice guys and smart players.

When we get back from the break we drop the 20th player and am now at 19. Dan gets moved, so now the guy on my left is a young guy who I’m making friendly conversation with. He’s pretty young looking, roughly my age, and seems to play smart/aggressive. The topic of the WSOP comes up and we talk about how bad we crush the bubble there, and I tell him about some of the crazy folds people gave me in the last $1500 event. The first hand into the bubble we are 6 handed at my table and I peer down at TT UTG. I’ve got a pretty aggressive image after all my restealing, and my stack is about 16k now. The following hand develops:
Me: 16k
UTG+1: 13k, blinds 400/800 with 50 ante.
Preflop: I raise to 2400. UTG+1 considers his options then takes his 10k stack of yellows and slides them into the middle. It folds back to me and I consider everything. Hmm, we just had a conversation about how easy it is to crush bubbles. Maybe I shouldn’t have said anything? He seems like a pretty smart aggro guy, and I’m pretty sure he doesn’t care about bubbling. Plus we’re only 6 handed. I decide to move in and he obviously calls. He flips up AJ and we’re off to the races:
Flop A 3 A
D’ooooooooooh!
Turn: J
There went my outs.
River: X
I am now crippled sitting a little over 3k having to pay a 800 BB and 75 ante. I tell the table “go ahead boys, just try to steal this BB.”

We deal the next hand and I look down at ATo, fully expecting to call anyone’s raise. Surprisingly, it folds around to me. Boo yah! The next hand I post the small and it folds to me again. I peer down at KK and move in. The BB goes into the tank, tells me its 50/50, and folds, flipping up Q7o, the ‘computer hand’. I show my KK and we all have a laugh. The next hand it folds to me on the button with K8o and I jam. SB quickly folds and the BB now tanks. The BB goes “well, if he can’t do it, neither can I” and folds, flipping up his Q7o. The next hand Varico is UTG and min raises to 1600. It folds to me, now having ~8k, and I peek down at KK. I jam, it folds back to Varico and he calls with 99. The KK holds and I am suddenly very much back in the ball game with over 16k.

A couple hands later the bubble bursts and I am ITM for 3 of my last 3. Bottom money is only $2100ish, with first being over $100k, so it’s definitely worth playing very aggressive at this point to get some chips. The tables are consolidated and the blinds go up to 600/1200 with a 100 ante.

At my new table I sit tight for a while and blind/ante off some chips, though raise AQ and take the blinds once. I have a pretty tight image when the following hand comes up:
Hero: 15k
Button: 35k, blinds are 600/1200. Button is roughly 35, somewhat aggressive.

Preflop: Folds to button, button raises to 3500, SB folds, I shove, and button calls. Button flips up 99 and we’re off to the races.
Flop: A K 8
One time dealer one time.
Turn: 9
D’oooooooh! Ten?
River: Q

Oh well, I bust 18th and shake everyone’s hand, wishing all the players luck. Everyone at the table seemed very nice, and I’d been to dinner with four of them. So GL to all those guys and I’ll see everyone again at the Bellagio tomorrow for the $2500.

[Soulman]

Nice report as always. I'm not sure about the attention whoring in NVG though, is all PR good PR?

[Bond18]

[ QUOTE ]
Nice report as always. I'm not sure about the attention whoring in NVG though, is all PR good PR?

[/ QUOTE ]

So i've been told? Perhaps i should stop posting in there, nothing good seems to come from hanging in that forum.

[Soulman]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Nice report as always. I'm not sure about the attention whoring in NVG though, is all PR good PR?

[/ QUOTE ]

So i've been told? Perhaps i should stop posting in there, nothing good seems to come from hanging in that forum.

[/ QUOTE ]
I don't know, I'm not into poker circles as such so can't really speak on the PR bit. But you seem like a classy guy, and while I certainly understand standing up for yourself, this seems a bit over the top and unnecessary. Just my impression.

[Bond18]

I think you are very probably right Soulman. I'm kind of tired and stressed out from all the poker and lack of sleep, and now that i've had some time to relax at home, looking back on my day, i think i got way to involved over something fairly immature and pointless. Thanks for the reality check.

[bismillahno]

Another great read Bond, congrats on the 3rd straight cash.

I wouldn't stress too much about her bitching, though it truly would have made an awesome story to confront her about it.

[blaze2007]

very enjoyable to read, keep it up and gl

[Rekwob]

i think its pretty funny, i dont think you can spin it the wrong way at all, whether you tell the truth or act nonchalant about it, bottom line is shes a spoilt "celebrity" that cant stop throwing tantrums about something she cant understand and you're a classy young internet kid

[Heavens_Myst]

wow i read half of this and realized you actually want it to be some highschool [censored].

who gives a [censored] what someone is saying? just play your game

[DonkeyChip]

[ QUOTE ]
“Uh yea man, she’s over there and has told like 15 people that you sucked her out big time.”

[/ QUOTE ]
lol potstiraments