Eighty Percent

Eighty Percent

WSOP $1500 Limit Hold ‘Em

I made it through 80% of the field in the $1500 Limit Hold ‘Em event yesterday. I stacked up to 9200 before losing several pots in a row. I had a very enjoyable table with lots of banter. I had been busting the chops of Adam Wallace, a nice Edmonton native wearing a New Jersey Devils hockey jersey to complement my Full Tilt one with “Quiet Lion” #5 on the back, when he raised on the button and I defended with Ace-Five of Clubs. The flop came Ace-King-Queen and he called my checkraise. The turn came Ten of Clubs and I check-called. I missed my flush and paid off his straight on the river. He showed Jack-Nine offsuit. I don’t particularly love his call of the checkraise on the flop but oh well. Then I raised in middle position with Ace-Nine of Diamonds and Jim Feldhouse, with whom I had also been bantering and recognized as a smart guy even before Jerrod Ankenman sauntered up to him and started chatting, defended his blind. The flop came Queen-Queen-Ten with two Diamonds and he check-called. The turn was an offsuit Nine so I checked behind him for the free flush draw, suspecting he might be slow-playing trips. The river was a blank and I made a questionable call of the river bet with Ace hi. He showed King-Jack for a straight. Then Adam raised in the hijack and I three-bet on the button with King-Queen offsuit. He four-bet and I put the rest of my chips in. He showed Ace-Queen. The board came all low cards and I was out of the contest in 125^th place out of 701.

I unwound at the sushi bar at Little Buddha with a Palms roll and some Rombauer Chardonnay, then returned to the suite to watch Phil Hellmuth not win his 10^th bracelet via the live Internet coverage at CardPlayer.com.