WSOP Trip Report part 9. The German Connection, Event 22

[Bond18]

WSOP Trip Report Part 9, The German Connection, Event 22
Some nights you get just the perfect amount of sleep, enough to feel fully rested, but not so much that you’re a little drowsy. This morning I wake up 5 minutes before the wake up call, which I guess means my body is getting conditioned to the WSOP schedule. The wake up call is now an automated message, which appears to be standard at most hotels. I’d have to think this would become standard fast as actually making wake up calls as a person could get ugly very fast. Wake the wrong hung over drunk, especially in Vegas, and your seconds away from an 11am death threat. Actually, has there ever even been an 11am death threat?
Today is the $5000 no limit event, one that’s sure to draw a mixed field of the top professionals and enough clueless donks to go around. When I arrive at my table I find an old friend from Australia, Ewan, waiting for me. Along his side of the table are 5 or 6 young, internetish (I word I’ve now added to MSwords vocabulary) looking players, which is not a great sign. I used to play Ewan mostly in limit, but he’s aggressive and knows what he’s doing, and knows I’m the same as well.
The first interesting hand of the day (I flopped a set before but didn’t really get much in the way of action) comes vs Ewan. At 50/100 blinds he open limps in MP1 and it folds to me in the SB. I look down at QhQs and raise to 400, BB folds, Ewan calls.

Flop: Kh 8h Kc
I lead 600, he raises to 2000, I call.
Turn: Jd
I check, he checks
River: 5c
I check, he checks back and my QQ is good. I think this hand might be worth posting for discussion on the river and what our plan is.

At the first break I’m up to 13k and the young players I thought might be good all appear to have pretty bad leaks, including one who stacked off in a really obvious spot that was played just terribly by him. The friendly and talkative middle aged guy on my left now has about 30k after stacking the younger player plus winning some other good sized spots, and we joke back and forth about tangling in a huge hand.

After the break we come back to 100/200 with no ante. A very bad player in MP2 raises to 600 with 11k behind and I call him on the HJ with 8cTc. The button, a middle aged guy who plays straight forward, also calls, the SB folds, and Ewan hesitates but talks himself into a call in the BB.

Flop: Jd 5c 5h
It checks around, both Ewan and the button seem totally not interested.
Turn: 4c
Ewan checks, OR bets 700. Hmm, 700 into like 2500, that’s not suspicious. He’s either completely FOS hoping AK/AQ takes the pot, or he’s got a slow played big pair. I decide he’d bet the flop with big pairs often enough into 3 players that he’s likely AK/AQ and I raise him up to 2000. He’s not the type of player to make a hero call with either of those hands here. Button folds, BB folds, unfortunately the OR calls without a lot of hesistation.
River: 2c
OR checks, and I fire 3300. He begins mumbling about how I’ve played this so much like a huge hand. Finally he talks himself into a call. “I got a flush, your gonna hate me man.” I flip up my 8Tcc and he angrily mucks his cards “Yea, yea I do hate ya.” Perhaps I can still make it in time for a 3pm death threat.

When I’m utg later that round, now with near 20k, I open limp 22 for 200. It folds to a young player in seat 4, who only raises to 600 with 11k behind. Looks like a big pair raise to me, come on dealer one time. It folds back to me and I call.

Flop: Qd 3c 2d
Often I like to lead my sets, but I feel that after having shown a raise on a flush draw, and given stacks, it might be really hard to get it in here with my set by leading. I think with a flop check raise he might put me on a Q or a flush draw and make a big enough reraise, or flat in position intending to raise me on the turn, that he’s basically commited. I check, he fires 750 and I make it 2400. He grabs a big chunk of his yellows, about half his stack, and quickly jams them into the pot. I deliberate fairly briefly, but nothing close to a Hollywood, and then move all in. I’m almost certain with so much of his stack in, he can’t fold a big pair here. Unfortunately, he doesn’t give me the insta call I was hoping for. He goes deep into the tank and starts staring me down. I barely move. He thinks, pulls up his cards, and mucks. [censored], he was supposed to stack off with KK there.

At this point my stack is around 25 or 26k. Things seem to really be going my way today, and very quickly on top of that.

A couple rounds later the guy I beat with a set open limps, MP2 open limps, and the guy who I beat with a flush limps the CO. The button folds and I peer down at AKo and make it 1200. It folds back to the CO who jams for 5.5k and I insta call. He flips up 55 and manages to hold up, knocking me back to around 20ish. Fair enough, I’m still in awesome shape here.

A few rounds later we’re up to 100/200 with a 25 ante. UTG+1 I look down at AsKs and raise it to 600. It folds around to Ewan in MP who shoves for roughly 6k total. It now folds back to me and I call. He flips up AA. I don’t manage a miracle suck out and am now knocked back to 15k.

The next hand I’m UTG and find nickname them whatever the [censored] you want it’s the best hand in poker AA. Wow, perfect timing to, having dropped 10k in 20 min and 6k just last hand people have GOT to think I’m a little steaming. I raise to 600. The young player who I beat with the set flats in MP and it folds back to BB who folds.

Flop: 9 4 2 rainbow
I lead out 1000, he calls.
Turn: 4
I bet 2200, he moves in for like 10k and I call. Boo yah, I got your ass now. He flips up his hand…………AA. Jesus Christ, live is so rigged. We chop the pot and gain just about nothing.

For the rest of 100/200 with 25 ante I see some cheap flops and raise pre with a c bet and things don’t slide my way. I get moved tables and find myself across from Matt24, have Nordberg on my left, Daneil Aliai on my immediate right, and a few other decent players round out the table. Sweet, very awesome table draw. I play tight for a round or two there, then a couple hands before the break I try to resteal Aliai’s cut off raise to 600 by making it 2000 with A4 on the button and after the blinds fold he insta min reraises me. Alright sir, nice hand.

Coming back from the break I now have like 8500 at 200/400 with 50 ante. At some random point I raise something, c bet, then shut down and lose some chips, I really can’t remember exactly what. After that I just go completely card dead for about 50 minutes. I find myself with 4700 near the end of the level, and on the CO am dealt 22 with a very tight image. It folds around to me and I jam, and the German gentleman on my left with a big stack decides to call. SB and BB folds and Colonel Klink flips up AJ. We are off to the races, and seeing as I haven’t won one in an event yet, I’m feeling pretty due.
Flop: T 5 4
Turn: 7
River: 9
BOO YAH! I am incredibly excited for having won such a small and standard pot. Matt24 looks at me oddly for being so elated having won in such a basic spot. He’s been running pretty awful as well, so I think he probably understands.

The blinds move up to 300/600 with a 75 ante, and at the start of the round I play what will be my last hand for a while. With a roughly 9 or 10k stack I make it 1800 UTG with AdQd and a fairly sloppy player in MP1 with about 30k flat calls me. Said floppy player got 2nd in the 2k event a few days ago, life is so fair.

Flop: 7h 6d 6c
I C bet 2400 and he calls.
Turn: Th
I check and he checks back.
River: 7d
I check and he puts out this little [censored] value bet of like 1500 or 2000. I’ve been watching him enough to know what it means. I fold and he gleefully flips up 8h6h. Nice cold call of the super tight UTG raiser with about zero implied. These are the people who FT WSOP events.

For the rest of 300/600 I desperately try to keep my head above water. When we reach 400/800 I have around 11k in chips. Lyle Bermans son, whose name I have no idea about, is two on my right, and has been short all day push boting quite a bit. When I played with him before he seemed pretty tight, but at one point today he OPEN SHOVED 35 BB’s in MP. WTF is with these people? Either way he’s been short for 2 hours and push boting in LP a steady amount.

About half way through the level a key hand comes up. I’m sitting with 10,500 in the SB and it folds around to Berman’s son on the CO. He open shoves for 9700 and the button folds. I peek down at Ac9c and tank. I haven’t had a chance to see what his shoving range is like so I start adding up what I do know. First, he’s been open shoving in LP when folded to a lot, and he did have that one massive over bet stupid ass shove. Also, the player between us is quite weak tight so I don’t think he’s worried about him. The BB is the somewhat donkish Colonel Klink who has 30-35k. Berman has a bit over 12 BB’s, which isn’t a small shove, but with these antes his range SHOULD be pretty big if he has a clue right? I sit there and mutter to myself for a while, trying to figure out what I’m going to do. Live donks don’t push anywhere near as wide as most online players. Finally I decide he’s shoved enough that I’m ahead of his range and rejam. Now Colonel Klink goes into the tank, oh [censored], there’s no way I’m ahead, or even flipping, a hand that would call two shoves in a live donkament. Klink thinks, deliberates, looks back at his cards, counts his chips, stares at me, then finally……………………folds. Pheeeeeeeew. Berman asks if I have a pair and I answer no and quickly flip up the Ac9c. Berman shows Jc5c. Klink slaps the table and says he folded AT.

Flop: Tc 4c 3d
Turn: 8s
River: Kh
Holy [censored] [censored], my hand held. Live poker feels slightly less rigged. My stack goes up to around 21 or 22k and I’m feeling pretty good.

A few hands later I try to capitalize on my super tight image by raising Qh9h in MP3 to 2200. Nordberg ruins my fun and flat calls on the CO with a whole bunch of chips behind him. BTW, Nordberg absolutely owned everyone on the table post flop while playing quite aggressive pre, I was really impressed with his play. The blinds fold and we’re HU.

Flop: Kh Jd 6c
I lead out 3200 and he calls.
Turn: 5s
I check, Nord bets and I have to drop it. I’m going to post this hand and see what people think about check shoving a heart turn, but given my image it might be a bad idea since I can’t see him flat calling me to loose pre. Then again, given my image, he might make some big lay downs if I move in on the turn….

So that hand puts me down around 15 or 16k. A round later I’m in the BB and peer down at KK. It folds to MP2 who raises to 2100, he’s somewhat aggro and has a big stack. He’s also been with me since the first table (we were moved at same time) and has seen how insanely tight I’ve been playing all day (was stuck at 14-20 BB’s for a lot of the day desperately trying to find a spot to resteal and got zero legit chances.) The player behind him also with a decent sized stack calls. It folds to button who jams for about 10kish. SB folds and I obviously rejam. The original raiser looks longingly at his cards and folds, as does the flat caller. The SB flips up QQ and I show my KK. The OR informs SB he had the other QQ and thought it was a super easy fold considering how tight I’d been and the fact that I didn’t really think about putting my chips in. [censored], guess I should have Hollywooded a little and put some thought into it, I guess I just don’t care for cheap tricks but if it might get me called lighter with a big hand, then I’m willing to play dirty.

The board blanks out for Mr. QQ and I am now up to 30 or 31k and we go on break. When we come back blinds are 600/1200 with a 100 ante. For some reason, after the break my body’s exhaustion really caught up to me. We’d been playing for 11 hours besides breaks and I was really starting to feel it. As the cocktail waitress walked by I called out to her and asked for a Redbull. Colonel Klink on my left also asked for and as he reached for his wallet I told him I got this one. “I know you how your feeling man, its exhausting, besides, good karma.” Good karma indeed.

As the waitress walks off to get another Redbull for him (she only had one on her tray, so she gave me the first) a fold a few hands then while 9 handed on the HJ with a 28 or 29k stack I peer down at AsKs. It folds to me and I raise to 3200. Klink quickly reraises to like 11 or 12k. The blinds fold out and its back on me, and I very obviously move all in for about 16k more. Now Klink tanks. Lol, zerounderstandingofpotoddsaments. He counts down his chips, stares at me, counts some more, stacks his chips, stares some more and finally moves his stack into the middle. “You probably have me he blurts.” Please god let it be AQ.

I flip up my AsKs and he sadly nods and shows his AdQd. Sweet, the average is like 35k and there’s 60ish in the pot.
Flop: Ts 8s 5c
Hahaha! I am [censored] invincible on that flop! Nothing could possibly go wrong at this point.
Turn: Qc
Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck!!! Alright, it’s cool it’s cool, I still have 16 outs. Good karma right?
River: 3d
#$YOSIRY#DFHDFHDHFDHG$# !!!!!!! [censored] YOU KARMA!!! Live poker has been restored to its full blown riggedness again. I say or do nothing when the hand is over, just politely shake Klink’s hand, wish him luck, then go and do the same for Matt24. I feel exhausted, and as I walk away throw my half drunken Redbull in the trash. Good karma indeed.





Hilarious hand of the day moment: This is a new feature I’d like to add to the end of all trip reports to end things on a lighter note. Please imagine reading these with the voice of the guy who does those NFL historic moment commercial things with the rustic yet intense voice. To illustrate how god [censored] awful everyone is at live I’ll be including the most hilarious hand I see of the day, whenever possible including a player with a reputation as a pro or being good. Today’s hand comes from the 100/200 level with 25 ante featuring well known donkament pro David Chui. Chui had been moved to the table a few rounds ago and through sloppy aggressive play had managed to spew about 60% of his stack off, leaving himself with 2600 before posting the BB of 200. The SB in question was a spaz/donk with about 15k.

Preflop: Folds to SB, SB looks at cards, leans over to look at David’s stack, then grabs a bunch of yellows and throws them in the pot. David now tanks forever. He stares at the SB, counts his chips (he’s got 6 chips to count), stares at the donk some more. He puts his hands on his head, plays with his cards a little and sighs. This goes on for a good 90 seconds. Finally, David reluctantly calls.
SB shows: K4o
David shows: AQo
HAHAHAHAHAHA what in the living [censored] are you thinking about dude?! The board comes A high and David lives to nit it up for another day.

[mpn]

lovely.

[shaundeeb]

better then busting 75 minutes in.

[Exitonly]

Nice report again... Until the Qc [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]

[JustinWilliams]

live poker is rigged [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] , haha keep up the reports there great.
stupid Q

[Bond18]

[ QUOTE ]
better then busting 75 minutes in.

[/ QUOTE ]

You got to be free for the rest of the day. I spent 11 1/2 hours and feel/look like hell and wind up with nothing.

Shaundeeb>Bond18.

[shaundeeb]

that's true we did finally get a car, alcohol, and some volcano in.

[MT A CLIP]

good stuff... tough luck

[jonnyd]

you'll FT one of these in no time man

keep it up

gl

[cameronw01]

You mentioned the war, huh?