Gray-haired poker TRs: Living the WSOP dream

Your dedication to studying and improving your game is impressive.
I enjoy your posts as they inspire me to work a little bit on my game too.
Hope to see you next year at the WSOP.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Guess I could sign up on May 15...

I'm planning on doing 8-10 days next wsop. I actually did a very early (refundable) booking a few weeks ago when Caesars Rewards had a very good promotion. I will build my trip around the Senior's week/fortnight and I basically guessed when I thought the wsop event would be. No loss if I need to change, but it ight save me a grand or so on hotels.

there was one year when they released the schedule in Dec but generally they do an early release of the dates for the biggest 5 or 6 events and then the rest in Feb, which is a little annoying.

from memory, you play smaller events and don't like rebuys but I really do recommend the Senior's. I can't imagne there are many softer 1k events in the world

I have changed my mind on rebuys, and I will embrace the concept/opportunity in the 2025 WSOP.

As for the seniors events, I completely understand what you are saying, but it doesn't fit my agenda. I am not looking to find the softest WSOP event. I am looking to challenge myself against the best possible competition. I know that this thinking is -EV in terms of ROI, but it is +EV in terms of what I want my journey to be. And what I want my journey to be is to go up against the best players I can within my bankroll limits. I want to be at a table with players like Phil Ivey, Ben Yu, John Hennigan, Erik Seidel, Daniel Negreanu, Shaun Deeb, Ari Engel, Jeremy Ausmus, etc. I am not delusional enough to think I am better than them. I am not delusional enough to think I am as good as them. But I do want the opportunity to play against the likes of them.

My journey is all about trying to go up against the best of the best, or at least the best of the best who play in buy-ins that fit my poker bankroll. I like the fact that I got a bluff through against both John Hennigan and Arthur Morris in a specific hand. I enjoyed the fact that I outlasted Ben Yu, Eric Baldwin and Erick Lindgren when I played at various tables in which we were seated. (Fact check: I outlasted Yu in one tournament, he outlasted me in a different tourney where we were at the same tables).

Does going up against players of this caliber make poker difficult? Of course it does. And that is precisely what I want to experience.

It's not necessarily hard to outlast a top pro because you're probably playing different games. You're probably playing to last as long as possible but they are playing to win a bracelet and push thin edges to build a big stack early.

I've played the Seniors tourney several times cashed a couple. You'll still be playing with a lot of older top players including some bracelet holders. And the tables tend to be a lot more fun with table talk, story telling, etc.

Give it a shot one time - I think you would enjoy it.

Trip report Breaking News!

Breaking News! Not major scandal breaking news. But TV stations put "Breaking News" on the screen constantly for pretty much everything these days (i.e. Breaking News: Dog barks at a moving car!), so by those standards, this is Breaking News!

A new trip report is on its way. Well, a mini trip report. Actually, more of a one-day poker field trip. But given the dearth of trip reports on 2+2's LVL at the present time, I'm calling it a trip report.

The important information is, I spent today in a live casino-based multi table poker tournament. Precisely what a bunch of you have recently recommended to me. Some live play to go with the poker studying I have been doing since my 2024 WSOP ended.

Plus, some added bonuses: 1) I complete my thought reversal and embrace the rebuy concept in my thinking at one point, 2) I participate in the minor leagues of leon-style video poker and the results are positive.

I've got to write it up, but trip reporting content is incoming. I should start posting in the next day or two.

this is a good idea. I'm not old enough to play it but I know several people who really enjoy it. Nothing wrong playing a more laid back tournament as a change of pace from the other events.

Looking forward to it!!

Hollywood Casino, Aurora, Illinois (part 1 of 12)
I’m doing what?!!!!!

If this were anywhere other than a poker forum, my judgment would be called into question.

It is a perfect 77 degrees. Not a cloud in the sky. There is a great art fair being held in my hometown today and tomorrow. It is Week 0 in the college football season (my favorite time of year) and the Florida State-Georgia Tech game will be on TV in just a little bit.

I am going to be taking advantage of none of the above.

Instead, I am planning on spending the bulk of my day indoors in a facility with no windows. Taking the advice of many of you in this thread, I am going to play in a live poker tournament at Hollywood Casino in Aurora, IL.

One of my wife’s very best friends lives in Aurora, so Mrs. rppoker and I will take the 75-minute drive together. She will spend the day shopping with her friend. I will play in a live poker tournament. My younger daughter has agreed to watch our dog Astro in our absence.

The timing of this poker trip has a now or (almost) never feel to it. Next week is the start of the full-blown college football season. My beloved Michigan Wolverines start their national title defense next weekend. That makes today “Last Chance Saloon” for me as a live poker player for the next four months in terms of weekend availability.

While I am waiting for Mrs. rppoker to finish getting ready, I take Astro outside to our backyard.

If he could talk, Astro would tell me I am crazy to take a pass on outdoors yard time all day. He shows me what he thinks the +EV approach to today is.

The neighbor’s dog Finn sees us outside and comes racing through the open gate between our two back yards. Finn loves me. He constantly wants to be pet nonstop and never ending. If he could talk, he would also tell me I am crazy to take a pass on outdoors time all day.

Sorry, Pups. Am I crazy? Guilty as charged. I am off to play poker. Astro takes one final look at me, shakes his head in disapproval and thinks to himself, “You’re leaving me on this perfect day to do what?!!!”

Hollywood Casino, Aurora, Illinois (Part 2 of 12)
Pregame activities

Mrs. rppoker drives and I sit shotgun on the 75-minute drive to Aurora (she enjoys driving, I don’t) in which there is little traffic. A nice start.

We arrive at Hollywood Casino and park the car in the free parking lot in front of the entrance. Mrs. rppoker’s friend picks her up, and now I have a car available to me whenever I finish up my poker tournament.

While Hollywood Casino is on the older side (a replacement is under construction and should be completed in about two years), it is nicer inside than I expected. Mrs. rppoker’s friend had warned me that Hollywood Casino was getting long in the tooth, so I was expecting the worst. My big concern was whether smoking was allowed. Given my allergies/asthma/somewhat low breathing levels on tests, smoking being allowed would be unpleasant for me. With Hollywood Casino being on the older side, I was worried it would have smoking. I worried for nothing. There was no smoking anywhere inside the casino. At one point I saw a door leading to who knows where for a smoking area, but that area seems to be as far away from the gambling activities as possible.

First order of business. I inquire whether I will need a player’s card. I am told yes. Since this will be a new card, I am told by the cashier that I am being offered several options of free money promo possibilities. I select the ability to use this free money toward food and slot play.

While I am at the cashier, I also give a 20-dollar bill and ask for chips. The reason for this is I know from the Hollywood Casino website that for my tournament, the entry fee of $160 gets me 10,000 chips and if I also give $10 in real money chips to my dealer (which goes into the dealer tip toke) I will get an add-on of another 10,000 chips.

I get $20 in chips because I am reversing my 2024 WSOP trip report hatred of rebuys and I have decided to embrace the concept (as discussed at some length in this thread). Thus, by having $20 in chips, I will have the add-on in the event I rebuy.

At this time, I notice that the Florida State-Georgia Tech college football game is on TVs everywhere throughout the casino. Given my love of college football, this could be an attention problem for me once the NLHE tourney begins.

I ask a casino employee where the restaurant is that is open, and she points me toward The Penalty Box, which is a sports bar style eatery. I sit myself down right in front of a giant TV screen and get the waitress’ attention. I tell her I have a tournament starting in 45 minutes, and ask her if I will be able to get my food in time.

She says, “Yes, you will be good on time. Thanks for asking. You’d be amazed by how many people come in short on time before the start of a tournament, order a ton of food, and then start screaming when it doesn’t come out fast enough.”

I take a quick look at the menu and order garlic parmesan wings, my favorite when I go to Buffalo Wild Wings with my college friend NextDoor Lou on Michigan football weekends. I don’t order my beloved Dr Pepper because I have hit my max for the week (four) already, and while I eliminated this restriction during my 2024 WSOP in Las Vegas, I abide by the limit otherwise because I know it is not good for me.

While I wait for my food, I look up at the big screen and see that the score is Georgia Tech 14, Florida State 11 in the second quarter. We’ve got a competitive ball game! I can’t begin to tell you how happy I am that college football season has arrived. The sports drought for me from the end of the NBA Finals until the start of college football season (I hate baseball) has seemed much shorter this year thanks to my poker obsession (playing at the WSOP and then studying afterward) and the Olympics.

My food arrives six minutes after I placed the order. That was fast. My garlic parmesan wings are solid. The sauce is different than I expected, but it is edible. It’s also free thanks to the promotion I received from getting my new player card. Allen Kessler would approve. All I owe is a nice tip to the waitress. She tells me that I have $17 left of free play on the slots. I figure I will use that up after I have completed my poker tournament.

To summarize, I have chicken wings to eat (free of charge), a good college football game to watch while I eat, and in 45 minutes I have a poker tournament to play. All is great in the life of rppoker.

In the football game, Florida State drills a 59-yard field goal on the final play of the first half to tie the game 14-14. As I leave the sports bar, I see a really comfortable looking area to watch ball games.

I remind myself that when my poker tournament begins, I need to focus on my table, not the Florida State-Georgia Tech football game on the TV screens all over the place in the poker room. Do I have a college football leak in my poker play? Only time will tell.

I eventually get to the poker room and I look at my ticket. Ugh, I am in Seat 1. That means I will have a hard time seeing the player in Seat 9. Actually, it turns out we will start play 10-handed. Ugh, I don’t like playing 10-handed.

Hollywood Casino, Aurora, Illinois (Part 3 of 12)
The starting lineup

Seat 1: Me.

Seat 2: CaptainAmerica because he is wearing a USA shirt and a U.S. Army hat.

Seat 3: TakeItEasyOnMe because he announces to our end of the table that he has only been playing poker for 11 months so please, “take it easy on me.”

Seat 4: TenYear because he says this is the first time he has set foot in a casino in 10 years.

Seat 5: ChewingGum because he is ferociously chomping away on his chewing gum.

Seat 6: LarryDavid because he looks like the actor from Curb Your Enthusiasm.

Seat 7: Gray Man because he has gray hair, a gray shirt, gray pants (plus, “Gray Man” is the lead character in a series of books by Mark Greaney, one of my favorite authors)

Seat 8: Baldy for obvious reasons.

Seat 9: CubsHat.

Seat 10: BlueShirt even though I can’t see him from my spot in Seat 1.

Hollywood Casino, Aurora, Illinois (Part 4 of 12)
The Greatest Fold Ever (not) … everyone wants to see a flop … an angle shoot or just a mistake?

Level 1: 20,000 chips
100/200/200

First hand of the tourney I am in the big blind with Kc-4c. There is a limp, LarryDavid raises to 400, a call and I call. The flop is Ad-Ks-3s. It checks all around. The turn is 7h. There is a check, LarryDavid raises to 600, a call, and I fold since I see no reason call with second pair, terrible kicker on the first hand on four to a flop in which I strongly suspect someone has an ace. It turns out that LarryDavid is trailing one of the other players who has an ace, but Larry David hits runner-runner to make a flush with surprisingly poor cards to start the hand with.

Next hand I am in the small blind. I have K-T off suit. Four people limp. I just call. The big blind raises large and I get out of the way.

Two hands later TenYear is in the big blind and does not realize he has to put in the big blind, which makes sense since he earlier said that today is the first time he has been in a casino in 10 years. TenYear has 2-5 off suit, but in the mother of all big blind specials he hits a full house on the river to win a big pot.

In another notable hand there are a ton of limpers, TakeItEasyOnMe raises big with Q-Q. When TakeItEasyOnMe takes down the hand, he shows his cards (all day he frequently shows his cards voluntarily when he doesn’t have to after he takes down a hand before showdown). TenYear sees the Q-Q and says he folded 9-9. TenYear declares that he has “just made the greatest fold ever.” He looks to me for confirmation. I just smile back at him. I don’t say that if you fold K-K preflop against A-A then yes you have made a great fold, but folding 9-9 against Q-Q preflop is not that big a deal. If he wants to think he made a great lay down, I’m not going to say anything to the contrary.

It quickly becomes apparent that we are seeing a lot of four- and five-way flops. Other than when I was in the blinds the first two hands, I am not a part of the large flop fests as I am not getting playable cards.

Level 2: 18,800 chips
200/400/400

CaptainAmerica loses his mind with A-Q on a flop of K-7-4 rainbow. CaptainAmerica makes a massive, massive overbet by going all-in. He gets called by A-K, and he is off to the rebuy line. With his new chips he takes the seat he was already in.

I am dealt 8-8 in middle position. There are some limps before me. I just limp hoping to set mine. We go seven to a flop. SEVEN!!!!! The flop is A-7-2 rainbow. There is a lot of betting. I fold. There is a K on the turn and a Q on the river. TakeItEasyOnMe wins the hand with A-K.

Next, I am dealt A-K off suit. I bet 400. Baldy tries to min raise but he does not put enough chips in for it to be a legal raise so the dealer tells him he has only called. He is either angle shooting (I don’t think so) or he has a huge hand and just screwed up (more likely). The flop is Q-7-5 rainbow. I am hearing alarm bells in my head. I think he has a big hand, and I have missed the flop. I check, he bets, I fold.

I am dealt 5-5 in the big blind. Four people limp, I check hoping to set mine, and we go five to a flop. There is no 5 in the flop. I fold to a bet.

Hollywood Casino, Aurora, Illinois (Part 5 of 12)
It’s already getting turbo-y … am I ever going to win a single hand?

Level 3: 17,000 chips
300/600/600

As we start this level, I realize I have not won a hand yet.

The levels go up every 20 minutes, and even though we are only in level 3, starting stacks of 20,000 chips are already feeling light for some players. Several of the players on my end of the table are discussing how “turbo-y” this already is starting to feel.

In the big blind I am dealt K-4 off suit. There are a bunch of limps ahead of me, I check and we go five to a flop and see 10-9-7. I fold to a bet.

Level 4: 14,800 chips
400/800/800

As this level begins, I still have yet to win a hand.

In the small blind I am dealt 2-10. That’s not going to end my drought, especially when there are two all-ins before I can act.

At this moment, CaptainAmerica says, “I cannot believe Georgia Tech beat Florida State.” I look up at the TV screen and see the final score of the game that has just ended. I am pleased with myself. I realize that I did not look up at a TV screen one time to see what was happening in the football game. I have been focused 100% on the poker tournament. I don’t know if this makes me a good poker player, but it does make me a disciplined poker player. I do not have a college football leak to my poker game.

Next, there is a hand that I may or may not have played wrong. I am in the big blind. I still have not won a hand today. There are four limps before it is my turn to act. I have A-10 off suit. I have 12,800 chips after I post the big blind. As I see it my choice is the raise big to say 4,800 given all the limpers, go all-in or just check. I decide to just check. It’s not a premium hand. It’s close to the bottom end of premium, but it’s not quite premium. Do I really want to commit my tournament this early with only A-10? I decide no, so I just check. The flop misses me completely, and I fold to a bet. I still have 16 big blinds, which is plenty. At my 2024 WSOP I feel I got a bit too panicky in the 15-25 BB range. I decided today that 16 big blinds is not a reason to hit the panic button. I think this was the right decision, although I am curious if people think otherwise.

Level 5: 12,800 chips
500/1000/1000

I still have not won a hand in this tournament.

The hands I am dealt this entire level represent an avalanche of poker misery. I think 5-10 off suit was the best hand I saw all level.

I do not play a single hand.

I really would like to hear what you guys think I should have done with the A-10 off suit hand described above preflop with four limpers before me when I was in the big blind and had 16 BBs remaining. I was really unsure what to do so I went with the low variance check, but I'm not certain that was the correct choice. A-J (especially suited) I think I might have let her rip, but A-10 off seemed just a little too thin. Opinions?

I can understand the limp to see if you hit something (ANYTHING!!!) before going with it. Patience IS a virtue, including in poker, and is often rewarded. We don't want to bust with A-high when we have 16 big blinds behind, and can see a flop "for free". If we hit top pair, or a flush draw, then we can get active. Still, there's another perspective to think about ...what is our table image? We've been folding ALL DAY (okay, it's only been an hour and a half, but c'mon!). A raise from us in the BB, when we could have just checked and seen a flop "for free," is going to look mighty strong. I like the raise to 4,800 line, and then jam the remaining 8,800 on nearly any flop if called. Only flopped sets, straights, or flushes (and maybe top two) should call when the player who's been folding ALL DAY takes this line.

I'm not a solver guy, but I think you can probably just squeeze shove the AT there from the BB in an unraised 5-way pot with <20BB. Depends on what type of game it is and whether these guys are going to limp hands like TT/AJ/AQ/AK. Some low stakes games can be remarkably passive. In that case there's elevated risk of being outkicked. In a typical tournament with appropriate levels of aggression, AT is usually going to be the nuts in an unraised pot though. Worst case is probably being up against 77, 88, KJ type stuff that gets curious.

You need roughly 43% to play for stacks there and you'd be 25% against the dreaded AJ/AQ/AK part of the range. Flipping or ahead of everything else. A lot of times we just win uncontested against the A7, 89, and 33s of the world. Seems like a shove to me. Can't always wait for the nuts in a turbo. When you have a good hand and a smallish stack, and nobody has shown aggression, it might be time to announce yourself. Going 5-ways with one of the better hands in our range that also doesn't flop great is probably not the play. I think we just shove here instead of letting everyone draw at what's probably the best hand pre-flop.

I recall Brian Rast wearing a "fear is the mind killer" Dune shirt at the 2023 WSOP. Fitting motto for poker. Don't just think in terms of the bad things that can happen, but also consider the good things that can happen. Occasionally you get called by TT or AQ and lose in this spot. Many times the shove gets through or you win at showdown.

Soon after the A-10 hand, I felt I had made a mistake just taking the passive checking route five way. The more aggressive line with a large squeeze bet is what I think I should have done. Given the fact that a) everyone had just limped, and b) I had been folding so much, it should have made a squeeze play by me preflop look like I had quad aces (joking).

My problem is that in game when such an out of the ordinary, somewhat difficult decision comes up, I have difficulty making the aggressive, high variance decision in the amount of time I would normally take. For me to process this decision I need more time than is otherwise being taken. I think a squeeze at normal game speed looks way stronger than if I were to take 2-3 minutes and then make that move.

I think this is an example of my inexperience and the fact that I have not been faced with decisions like this often enough. I think the more I play, the more these type of decisions will be based on muscle memory and can be made at game speed.

The glass is half full view is I quickly recognized that there was a different tact that I could have (probably should have) taken.

The glass is half empty view is I wasn't able to process and get comfortable with the more aggressive, alternate line fast enough to go with it.

In game I saw the alternative line, but I couldn't get my arms around it fast enough to see it as the best decision. At game speed I felt A-10 offsuit was just slightly too thin to go the aggressive route. With a little more thought I felt it was good enough to go with it. But by then it was too late. A-10 may not be a monster, but I needed to give more consideration to my table image which would have made a squeeze look so strong.

Hollywood Casino, Aurora, Illinois (Part 6 of 12)
I finally win my first hand (in level 6) … and then another … and then another … and then another

Level 6: 9,800 chips
600/1200/1200

I still have not won a hand in this tournament. And while I am all for patience, I only have eight big blinds. I need to find a spot. I find one when I am dealt A-9 off suit in early/middle position in an unopened pot and I go all-in. A big stack calls me with A-7 off. I am ahead. I flop a pair of nines, I turn trip nines, and I river a full house. Finally, it’s good to be me. Finally, I win my first hand. It took me six levels to do so. I have 16,600 chips which isn’t going to put the fear of God in my opponents, but I am up to almost 14 big blinds which is playable for the time being.

Level 7: 12,000 chips
800/1600/1600

CubsHat, easily the youngest player at the table, is the big stack, and he has started pushing the table around. In middle/latish position he raises. I have K-J off. At this point I have a pretty tight image as I have put on a clinic of folding bad cards. Given this image and the fact that CubsHat appears to have really opened up his raising range, I decide to make a move and I go all-in. CubsHat folds. I have 18,600 chips (11.6 big blinds).

In the big blind I am dealt 5s-5c. Five people limp ahead of me. My choices are check or go all-in. I don’t think I want to put my tournament on the line with so many people in the hand with only 5-5. I just check. If I hit a set, I’ll play for it all. Otherwise, I will live to fight another day. The flop is 10-9-7 two hearts. I fold to a bet.

Soon thereafter, I am dealt 5-5 again. CubsHat limps. Given his aggression of late, I suspect he has nothing special. Unlike the prior hand where a jam would have had to get through five players, a jam here only has to get through big stack CubsHat, who I don’t think has much of a hand. I go all-in. He folds. I have 20,000 chips.

When I am in the big blind, I am dealt 3-6 off. Two players limp, so I just check. The flop is 5-7-8 rainbow. This flop smashes my big blind range, and it turns out I have an open-ended straight draw. I go all-in. As I see it, I have not yet made a hand. If my opponents fold, I have won a nice pot with only 8 high. If they call, I figure to have eight outs, and if I get there I will finally have a decent chip stack. They both fold.

I think I like the fold as opposed to shoving at this point

I wouldn't even say image is necessarily the driving factor in this situation. If anyone is out there with a hand better than AT (AJ+, TT+) then they're probably not folding for <20BB against a squeeze, so image doesn't matter much in this spot. The rationale for raising AT would be that it's highly likely to be the best hand. When you have the best hand, you usually benefit by taxing the other players and forcing them to pay to continue. When you limp AT in the BB you allow all the A5s, 87, 33, and 54s of the world to see flops for the minimum. You are almost asking to get cracked.

On the other hand, I like the decision not to raise the 55 in the BB because, even though it's actually ahead of AT pre-flop, it's a hand that's more comfortable going multi-way. You either flop a set and can play a huge pot or you hate the flop and can get away for the minimum. Hands that can flop really well like suited Ax or small pocket pairs make more sense as traps than stuff like AK or AQ that's vulnerable multiway. You can put AT in that category. It's not going to smash enough flops to love going 5-way because even if you hit the A or T, you may be beaten. That's not much of a concern when you hit the set with 55.

I will say the AT spot is weird because the stack depth is slightly large to be shoving a vulnerable hand, yet probably not high enough to just raise. You can't really stick 7BB in there pre-flop and then just shut down and give up all bad runouts, so while we don't love it, I think jam is probably the play from the BB in an unraised pot on 17-18BB. The key variable is that the pot is unraised, which should drastically reduce the odds of getting crushed by an AK, QQ, JJ type of hand. If it's a really trappy game where people are limping AK, AQ, etc then the jam becomes less good, but I think it's probably going to win chips according to a solver. I don't consider it a super volatile or high risk spot since you're shoving into pure weakness. Had the pot been raised, the equation totally changes.

Hollywood Casino, Aurora, Illinois (Part 7 of 12)
My two pair get run down on the river … a rebuy may be in my immediate future … and then I win a monster pot

Level 8: 22,000 chips.
1000/2000/2000

The structure of this tournament has been really fast. I have been grinding a short stack all tournament long while attempting the balancing act between patience and not getting so low on chips that even a double up won’t help.

I am in the big blind with Q-2 off. TenYear limps and it folds to me. I just check. The flop is K-J-2. TenYear says he’ll keep it friendly and he checks. I check back. The turn is a Q, and I now have two pair. I bet, and TenYear mutters that I’m not being friendly, but he calls. The river is a J. TenYear checks. I have an uneasy feeling, and I just check back. It turns out that the river gave TenYear trip jacks to run down my two pair. I am surprised he just checked after the river, although I suppose he was trying to induce a bluff from me. Having two pair get run down on the river kind of sucks, but the amount of chips I lost probably should have been far worse than it was.

We are in the back half of this level and I only have 15,000 chips. I have a thought. This is the last level people can rebuy. We go on break when this level ends. Once the next level starts, no more rebuys. As I see it, I should look for thin value bet opportunities and/or ramp up the aggression. If I bust, I can rebuy for more chips (20,000) than I currently have (15,000). Not saying I’m going all-in with 2-7 off, but I am in a very specific spot where going bust can result in me getting a bigger chip stack (although admittedly I will have to go into my wallet for another $170 to do so). Whereas I whined about rebuying during my 2024 WSOP, I have recently said in this thread that I am going to reverse my thinking and embrace rebuys in the future. I am pleased that in game today I am thinking this way.

The next hand after I have this epiphany, I am dealt K-K. It’s as though the poker Gods heard the rebuy thoughts rumbling in my head and decided to reward me. But it gets better. A new player to the table opens to 5,000. But it gets even better. CubsHat calls. With only 15,000 chips I go all-in. NewPlayer folds. But it gets better. CubsHat calls. But it gets better. CubsHat called with 6-7 off. HE CALLED ME WITH WHAT?!!!!!!!!!!! CubsHat flops a gutshot. You can’t be serious. Is this really how I am going to go out? CubsHat does not improve, and on the river I improve to an overkill full house. I now have 40,000 chips. Soon thereafter we go on break.

But just before we go on break, the very likable TakeItEasyOnMe busts. I ask him if he is going to rebuy, and he says no. He says he enjoyed playing against me, and, remembering that he said earlier that he just started playing poker 11 months ago, I ask him to come over to me (throughout the day he has seemed genuinely enthusiastic about improving his game based upon his table talk). He walks over to me, and I quietly say to him, “You showed your winning hands a lot when you didn’t have to. Just a suggestion, but you may not want to do that. It gives out a lot of information and makes it easier for people to play against you.” He explains to me that he was trying to build a reputation that when he bets it, he has it so that he can flip the script on this table image later on. I say, “Just a suggestion. Something to think about.” He seems to take it in the spirit I intended (or at least I hope he did). I was not trying to show him up, which is why I offered my advice very quietly with my back turned to the table.

Hollywood Casino, Aurora, Illinois (Part 8 of 12)
Preparing for turbo carnage as the blinds get extreme … my opponent folds a huge hand (incorrectly)

Level 9: 40,000 chips
1500/3000/3000

The blinds are getting out of control. I am at my high-water mark for the tournament with 40,000 chips. The average chip stack is 24,800 chips. Yet, even with 40,000 chips I only have a little over 13 big blinds. The average chip stack only has a little over eight big blinds. I write down in my notes, “It’s going to be turbo carnage.”

When I am in the big blind, I am dealt A-8 off. One new player raises. Another new player re-raises. CubsHat goes all-in. My A-8 doesn’t look so good, and I fold. The original two raisers both call. One of the new players has K-K and eventually improves to a full house to take a monster chip lead at our table.

Next hand I am in the small blind with 5-7, and obviously I fold to a bet.

We are now down to two tables. Nine players will cash. I get moved to a new table.

The blinds eat away at my stack. I am dealt A-10 off in middle position. I am first to act and I go all-in, and it gets through. This brings me to 32,500 chips.

Soon after, I am dealt A-9 off suit. TenYear, who has also been moved to my new table, is directly to my right. He bets. I go all-in. He folds, but not before showing As-Qs saying he figures I have a pair and he doesn’t want to have a coin flip decide his tournament when there are only 16 players left with nine to cash. I am up to around 43,000 chips. TenYear immediately gets moved to a new table. The elder gentleman two to my left has a huge stack and he gives me a look that says, “I can’t believe he just folded that. What the f%#k was he thinking?” I tilt my head, raise my eyebrows and give him a wry smile. This hand probably should have ended me. I am lucky to still be in the tournament.

Hollywood Casino, Aurora, Illinois (Part 9 of 12)
The blinds are out of control … and then a cooler

Level 10: 43,000 chips
2000/4000/4000

The blinds are completely out of control. At this point you need to run hot as the sun.

I find myself in the big blind with Q-J off, which looks somewhat pretty. There is a raise and an all-in. Q-J no longer looks pretty. I fold.

After the blinds go through me, I am down to 33,000 chips. There are 12 players left. Nine get paid since there were 62 entries. As if the blinds weren’t brutal enough, we are playing six-handed at each table, meaning the blinds are going to come around at warp speed.

I am on the button, and I am dealt Ah-Qh. This appears like it will be my salvation. With a little over eight big blinds, I go all-in. The big blind (the huge stack two to my left) calls and shows the dreaded A-K off. This appears like it will be my ruination. My opponent flops a king, I don’t improve at all, and I am out of the tournament just short of the money.

Obviously, the final hand played itself. I suppose I might have been able to fold to the money (although I kind of doubt it), but that was not a consideration. Ninth place only pays $295, a pittance of a min cash. First place pays $3,374. I was playing to win. The only choice from where I sit was to go all in with A-Q suited. It was simply unfortunate timing to run into A-K in the big blind.