That Damn w88 Poker School Online:
To say that I have been running bad is an understatement. I have
now seen how streaky tournament play can be. Coming into the WSOP(World Series
of Poker), I had only one final table for the year. My personal life has also
been turbulent as well. I have become divorced and sold my practice in Paducah.
Thus I find myself presently homeless and unemployed. I feel like a true road
gambler. However, despite the immediate disarray in my life, I have a job lined
up in Mississippi, and I look forward to putting many of my past problems
behind me. The sale of my clinic has given me a bit of a bankroll to play on,
while I wait for my Mississippi license to come through. So here I am at the
WSOP.
I don't have the money to play all the events here at the WSOP,
so I have been focusing mostly on Hi-Lo events and some mixed games with a few
Hold-em events mixed in, avoiding all of the limit Hold-em events. I have also
been playing super-satellites. I came very close in the first super-satellite I
played. I finished third, when they gave away only two seats. I moved in from
the big blind with pocket 5's against the small blind. He faded the bet with
pocket Kings, which he had also had, when we were heads up in the blinds last
round. Luckily I flopped my set, but for me excitement didn't last long, as the
King fell on the turn and I was done. I still took in over $2000 for third,
which paid for the Omaha 8 tournament.
The only tournament I went deep in was the w88 event,
which is Hold-em, Omaha 8, Razz, Stud, and Stud 8. I got off to a great start.
I had Huck Seed sitting on my left. He was really firing it up, but I actually
won a few decent pots off of him. The field was about 120 people, and it was a
who's who of poker. Our table broke and I found myself at a table that starting
from my left had Phil Ivey, Eskimo Clark, David Chiu, Chris Bjorn, and Vince
Burgio. I was actually very pleased with how I fared against Ivey. However
every time I built a stack, I went card-dead. I never won a single hand in
Stud. I entered two pots the first round, once with Aces and another tine with
Queens. The next two rounds of stud I never entered a pot, except for bring-ins
and one steal in last position before the low card after it was folded to me. I
had nothing that was playable. I still somehow managed to get down to the top
thirty, but I just couldn't get a hand. I eventually had to just start pushing
my short stack in with anything as the antes went up, when I finally busted
out. Doyle Brunson won the event, showing that he still has what it takes.
I left Vegas and headed back to Kentucky to take care of things,
and I returned a week later. I got off the plane and headed straight for the
Horseshoe tournament area, buying into the super-satellite. I busted out and
decided to go check into my room. For some reason I came back for the
second-chance tournament late at 11:45PM when it started at 11:00. This is a
late night $225 buy-in no-limit Hold-em event that gives you 1000 starting
chips. Warren Karp was kind enough to let me in at the last minute. Three hands
into the event, which I didn't start until the 3rd level, I picked up pocket
Aces in early position, and made it $250 to go with the blinds 50-100. I picked
up two callers, and moved in after a Jack-10-x flop with both players calling.
I tripled up, and I was off and running with that. I ended up chopping the
first three places, and I made $5000. I was awarded first place, because I had
a few thousand more than the next guy, who was Brian Plona.
I had a chance to talk with Brian, and he turned out to be a
Poker School Online Student, who finally decided to give it a shot at the WSOP.
We had a nice talk about the site and poker. I told him I wrote articles on
Pokerpages. He said he didn't recognize me at first, until I reminded him about
the content of my articles. Then he indicated that he might have read them,
probably just to get me off of his back. I started to feel like Max Shapiro,
trying to get people to acknowledge his literary skills. (By the way I read
everything he writes, except his book). Nonetheless, $5000 is a good start to a
poker trip. We could both agree on that.
I was really looking forward to playing the $1500 Limit Omaha
Event, because I play it almost exclusively in the Paducah home-games, but I
couldn't get anything going in that event. The only highlight was having a
chance to mix it up with Amarillo Slim Preston, who was on my left. He is so
much fun to play with. I won a hand off of him, when the board paired the top
card, which I held and he folded to my bet. There were no other exciting hands,
and I was out in time to play the 4PM super-satellite. Again I got down to
three-handed, when there were two seats to be given away. We were all pretty
even in chips, and I moved with K-Q suite in the big blind against pocket 6's.
I caught the Queen on the flop, but lost to a set on the river. I am two
two-outers away from a seat in the big one now. I was desperately looking for
my luck to change.
It didn't change in the Omaha 8 event either. I was up a quick
500, but then I didn't win a single hand for the next hour and I was busted, possibly
first. I actually think I played decent hands. I just couldn't hit a flop or a
draw when I got close on the flop.
With all the hold-em I was playing in the supers and the
second-chances, I actually was feeling better about my hold-em game, so I decided
to play the $2000 Pot-Limit Hold-em Event on Saturday, May 3rd. I was getting
off to another crappy start. David Pham, the second ranked player for Player of
the Year right now, was playing very aggressively. I decided to call his under
the gun raise with 9-10o from the button. He had been raising with a lot of
crap hands himself from any position, so I decided to take a flop. It came
9-x-x. He bet and I moved in, figuring my pair to be best. He thought for a
long time and moved in with me, showing K-9. Oops, I didn't expect that. If I
would have had a coat, I would have been putting it on, but I rivered a 10 and
I was back up to 3000. I had the honor of busting my first former World
Champion of the day, when Huck Seed raised from the button, when I was in the
big blind. He had been playing so wild, that I figured him for a random hand,
and he only had 125. With my blind at 50, it was an easy call with my 6-8. Oops
again, he had pocket Queens. No problem I made a straight on the river, and he
was out.
Naturally, the way I playing at that time, it wasn't long before
I started losing chips and I found myself at 1400 again. I was expecting to be
in the super-satellite real soon. I almost got up and registered. I picket up
an A-Q, and raised. I flopped an Ace, and I moved in, only to be doubled up by
a guy who called with a flush draw, that missed. This took me back up over
3000, and our table broke. Now I was two to the left of Johnny Chan. I had
never played with him before. He had already won an event at this year's WSOP.
I picked up A-K suited under the gun and bet the pot, only to be called by Chan
in the small blind and the big blind. The flop came with all rags. It was
checked to me and I bet the pot again, and they folded. One round later, I had
my Rounders moment. Johnny made it 300 under the gun with the blinds 50-100. I
called two positions to his left with pocket 8's. The board flopped K-4-5 with
two diamonds. He checked. I figured that he could have anything from A-Q to a
set. So I welcomed the free card, thankful that I didn't have to contemplate a
bet. The turn brought an 8 and a second heart on the board. He bet 500, and I
decided to move in, just in case he had a flush draw. He came over the top for
a few hundred more than my original raise, giving me concerns that he might
have trapped me with a set of Kings. I wasn't folding, so I called and showed
him my two 8's, legitimately asking him, if they were any good. He nodded yes,
showing me his pocket Aces. I was now on my way. So by eluding Johnny Chan's
attempted trap, I was able to get him to trap himself.
With the thrill of busting Johnny fresh on my mind, I was moved
into the section of tables that were last to break. I had Ralph Perry on my
left. I wrote about him in my third article titled, "The Amateur's Tale
Part 3: Is Jack Keller Anyone I Should Know?" I described a very
aggressive player, who I handled by check-raise bluffing a lot. He seemed to
respect that move from me, when I was in early position. He finally busted me
after I made the money, finishing 17th. He had Q-10, while I had A-9 suited.
The chips went in when the flop came A-Q-10. I was not at all surprised to see
him at the final table of the 2002 Main Event of the WSOP, as I have a lot of
respect for his play. He was on my immediate left and he was the only stack to
be as big as mine at that table. Every time I raised him from the button or the
blind he would come back over the top of me and I would lay it down. He usually
would respect a raise back at him, but I hadn't wanted to move in with any of
my hands. I had built my stack to about 15,000 on the strength of pocket Queens
all-in that held up against A-K. Ralph was at around 12,000, getting most of
his money by reraising any late position raiser, who came after his blinds. I
was tired of getting pushed around by him, so I decided to only raise him with
hands that I could make a stand with.
We found ourselves heads-up in the blinds yet again and I raised
him with K-5 suited in hearts, ( Yes, I know that's not a hand to make a stand
with) and as predicted he came over the top of me. I just couldn't believe that
he actually held a great hand all six times he had done this with me, so I
reraised him big, making it 10,000 to go. Oops, he called. I hated the call. I
had a huge stack and I just tangled with only other big stack at the table. The
flop came A-J-x, with two hearts. I moved in hopping he had an under pair, but
he beat me into the pot. Oops, he had A-Q, and I had only a flush draw. I
called for the heart, and a black Queen came next. I called again for a heart
and the river was a disappointing diamond. Then someone said,
"Straight." It was a ten. I didn't even see that I had picket up a
straight draw. Ralph flinched. He wouldn't let the dealer push me the pot. He
just sat there and looked at the board. Oops, I had over 27,000 in chips.
I was moved to Danny Negreanu's table. Danny is a PokerSchool
Online instructor. He had a mountain of chips. I got into some trouble briefly
when I bluffed into Mickey Appelman's meager stack with J-10o, after he made a
button raise into my big blind. Then an Ace flopped, and I put him all-in,
hoping that I could represent the Ace that Mickey himself actually had. Oops,
now Mickey had chips thanks to my generosity, he made very good use of them. I
was able to catch a set of sixes later, after limping on the button, when
another had limped. It was a dangerous board of 5-6-8 with two hearts. Danny
Negreanu bet, and Scott O'Brien, most known for his second place finish to John
Juanda in the 2001 WPO Main Event, came over the top. I was now quite wary of
my set in light of the scary board I faced, but I decided to make the play, and
I raised it over 10,000, and everyone dropped. Scott told me he had 8-7. There
was no way I could ever justify slow playing that hand. You have to move in
with the hand. You cannot let a straight draw or flush draw have a shot at you.
If you are beat, then you're beat.
After that I went on a run. We slowly eliminated players to get
into the money, and then I started busting people. I busted Jacks with A-K. I
busted pocket 8's with my pocket 9's, catching a set on the flop. Then I busted
9's with my 8's, when I flopped another set. This was already my first money
finish at the WSOP, but with a stack of over 50,000 I wanted a final table. I
was careful not to get out of line against other big stacks as we waited for
the last small stack at the other table to fall. When that happened, I was 4th
in chips. Outside of one small stack, everyone had enough chips to maneuver at
the next day's final table.
Guess who else was at the final table with Dan Negreanu and
myself. None other than the PokerSchool Online Graduate, Brian Plona. It was
Brian's second lifetime major event. He started with 31,400 in chips, I had
50,800, and the biggest stack, belonging to Michael Carson was only a little
more than mine at 74,000. Ian Dobson had the second biggest stack and busted
the short stack of Roger Easterday, with his A-2 against Roger's A-K, when Ian
rivered a deuce. It was clear that Ian was going to get out of line, and he
didn't last terribly long. I got involved in a big hand when Ian raised my
small blind. I came over the top for about 10,000 more with pocket 10's. Ken
Jacobs also came into the pot with a very short stack, after Danny made a set
of 7's against his pocket Aces a few hands earlier. Ian called my raise. The
flop came 9-8-5, and I moved in at the side pot. Ian thought for a long time,
which convinced me that he didn't have me beat, but I knew he had to have outs
to beat my holding. Ian eventually folded, and Ken took the main pot when his
pocket Jacks held up. I lost about 10,000, but at least I didn't get busted
with my tens.
Michael Carson, went on a tear busting Ken Jacobs who took his
under-pair against Michael's over-pair. Michael also busted Ian Dobson, and now
Michael had nearly half of the chips in play. Then things started to go badly
for Danny. His student at Poker School Online, became his nemesis. Danny would
raise, and he would run into a reraise from Brian who was on my immediate
right. On another hand I picked up Aces, and Danny had raised into me. I smooth
called. The flop came A-K-9. I made a small 6000 bet. I expected Danny to put
me on a bluff, because he had seen me bluff several times. The turn brought a
scary Jack, that allowed for draws to a flush or a straight, if he didn't
already have one. Danny Checked and I bet all-in. Danny thought for a long
time. He started commenting on my play. "Normally this is an easy laydown,
but this is Doc. He could have pocket 6's or something."
What an insulting compliment. I was glad to have him guessing.
That's the one good thing about bluffing into Mickey Appleman with J-10. I
actually had Danny contemplating a call against my set of Aces. He eventually
mucked and I showed the Aces. Danny did have a live straight draw, and I wasn't
letting him get there for free.
Danny was finished off by Brian. They were heads-up in the
blind. The flop came A-J-5 all in spades. Brian had raised before the flop. The
flop was checked. Danny bet the turn and Brian raised. Danny was flustered, but
eventually called, showing the A-6, and Brian had only pocket 7's, but one of
his 7's was a spade, and it was larger than Danny's 6 of spades. A 4 of spades
hit the river and Danny went out in 6th place.
The play got tight after that. It was two hours before another
player went all-in. It was Michael Carson with a mountain of chips, and the
rest of us jockeying for the rest. At one point I pulled ahead of everyone else
getting close to 80,000. I was trying to be more aggressive, since everyone
else was playing so tightly. Then I started to get caught, and I found my stack
dwindling to 30,000. Brian was making a lot of pot size raises for 10,500, but
I was often able to come over the top for the pot, and he would let it go. We
found ourselves heads-up in the blinds, and I was holding A-8. He raised my
blind for about the 5th straight time, so I moved in expecting another fold.
Instead he moved in with K-Q suited in spades. I had a bad feeling even though
I was slightly ahead. The flop came J-10-7, with the J-10 in spades. He flopped
a straight-flush draw. Now he was the favorite. The turn was a red deuce, but
the river was an 8 of spades. Brian jumped up jubilantly, as the card fell. I
graciously accepted the defeat, and we shook hands. We had developed a
friendship over the course of the week. He had introduced me to his family who
had begun to pull for both of us. The dinner break came one hand later, and his
mother came over to me, teary eyed and apologetic, and gave me a hug. I told it
was OK. That's how poker is played. I was now a Brian Plona fan. They call him
shag, and I told him what I thought his image was at the table, and recommended
that he adjust to that perception. Now I would sit with his mother and family
and root for Brian, The Poker School Online protege.
I was frustrated with my own play, as I lost patience. This day
belonged to the patient ones. I watched as the small-stacked Mickey Appelman
and Paul McKinney patiently waited for hands. They along with Brian busted
Michael Carson, as he finished fourth. At the end it was down to Brian and
Mickey Appelman, who I built up by bluffing into him earlier.. I advised Brain
on making a deal with Mickey. They left most of the money in play for first,
but saved a little for second. Brian had gained the lead for a while, but lost
two decisive hands, once taking an A-9 into a Q-J. When the flop came J-9-8.
The chips went in, and Mickey dragged the pot and the lead. Brian finally put
the rest of his chips in with a K-7 against A-K, and succumbed to the hand that
dominated him preflop. It was a great first time out for Brian and he held it
together so well. He'll be heard from again.
Still I have to be concerned about that damn PokerSchool Online.
The PokerSchool Online is the reason Brian was there today, and he busted Danny
and myself. Soon we may be faced with an army of new poker players. It's gonna
get tougher. The new players are going to play a more solid game, and make some
big scores. They know what the good hands are, and know when to push them. It
was clear that Brian was not going to put his chips in when he was taking the
worse of it; Except for the two flush draws that he beat Danny and myself with.
He achieved in two events what has taken me 13 WSOP events to do, and that's
make a WSOP final table. When Brian started to lose chips, he didn't melt down,
like I hoped he would. He played a solid game. Tournament poker will only get
more difficult, if they all play as well as he does.
For myself this is a dream come true. I have always wanted to
make a WSOP final table, and I finally did it. Strangely I am not nearly as
thrilled at this moment in time as I was in 2001, when I walked out onto my
first final table in stud 8 at the WPO in Tunica. I couldn't sleep, because I
was so excited that I won my first satellite back then. Today my excitement is
tempered by the fact that it has cost me over $26,000 in entry fees at the WSOP
to get to this one $18,000 score. I am sobered by the fact that I caught a
three-outer early, to avoid elimination. I benefited from Johnny Chan's
slow-played Aces to catch a set and bust him. Then I completely miscalculated
against Ralph Perry, only to bust him, because of my mistake, and become a chip
leader. It was nice to get lucky this time. I still think I played well most of
the time, but I still had to take the worst of it on a few hands and survive,
and I won all of my coin tosses til my last hand. But people were hitting three
outers on me like crazy before, so I guess it all comes around. My conclusion
is that this is a wonderful hobby, but I will never let my life hang on the
turn of a card.
Web : https://178.128.27.166/
Social links :
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https://ext-4356121.livejournal.com/384766.html
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https://anotepad.com/notes/62mgm4nx
https://telegra.ph/That-Damn-Poker-School-w88-link-Online-02-14
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