The Summer Wind - A WSOP Trip Report …… and beyond!
Don’t ask me why I chose the title of an old Sinatra song to be the title for this year’s trip report, i have no idea, i
Let's go! Congrats
WSOP-C Thunder Valley
Day Four - Monday September 29th
Part Two
Where was I? Oh yes, I just shipped my 2nd WSOP circuit ring [emoji3] and the $13,850 first prize.
Credit to Omar from poker.org for the photos.
That all got finished up around 5pm, meanwhile today’s HORSE tournament had started at 3pm and was just going on break so I had 2.5 hours left before late reg closed.
I did plan to jump in, but needed a rest first and something to re-charge my batteries.
A very appropriate name for a steakhouse inside a casino.
Petit Filet with au gratin potatoes and a glass of red.
With my belly now full it was time to get back to work. No rest for the wicked.
They were just starting level 6 when I sat down. My table included Frankie O’Dell, Bin Weng and Allen Kessler and would be joined shortly after by Shirley Rosario so not the best table draw.
I’m in celebratory mood and continue drinking with a couple of after-dinner cocktails. As we hit the break and the end of late reg my 25k starting stack is down to 17k
We fare a lot better during the next two hours and have 75k at the end of level 12. Okay time to play seriously now so I switch to water.
I lose a huge O8 pot to Frankie. I’m scooping on the turn and with a better low draw but the worst card on the deck falls on the river. A low card that counterfeits my low and gives him a flush. Down to 30k.
Then I have a great Stud round winning 3 nice pots in a row to zoom up to 175k at the next break. At this point there is 17 players remaining with 13 getting paid.
Allen Kessler and Bin Weng have been eliminated by this point. The two table re-draw sends Frankie to the other table but I can’t escape Shirley who is unbelievably tough by the way, I had her all-in in Stud but she made two pair to beat my pair of Kings and is now rocking over 200k. And we’re now joined by another tough lady in the shape of Karina Jett who happens to be the tough leader.
The bubble bursts and we’re in the money but I’ve had a big reversal of fortunes and am down to only 30k.
I find a full double in Razz making a 6-5 which I needed as villain had a 7-5 and kick-on a little to bag 168k.
Another day another bag. [emoji3]
This is the tournament situation when we bag:
Same tables and seats for tomorrow. These are the chip counts:
The re-start is at 12pm again.
Such a badass. My investments in Tony have paid off better than the stock market LOL
Based upon the incredible results you are achieving, I think when WSOP 2026 rolls around you should replace "and beyond" at the end of your thread title and change it to "bracelet hunting." I think your time in the spotlight as a breakout WSOP performer is coming. I thoroughly enjoy watching you achieve great things in this thread. It's an awesome read!
Grats. Keep your foot on the gas!
Yeah, but now you have to go to that cockamamie Tournament of Champions or whatever it's called.
That event sure had a lot of too-many-cards tournaments. Is the whole thing mixed-up events?
The tournament of champions could very well be worth your time.
Last year, our friend and 2+2er Cuserounder won a bracelet in an online event the week before the tournament, flew out to play his free seat and to pick up the bracelet, and got 3rd place for $100k.
Bahamas Thoughts
To go or not to go? Help me out guys.
Reasons not to go:
I've already booked flights and accommodation to go to Las Vegas from Dec 6th - 20th to play 12 mixed tournaments at Wynn WPT which is an awesome schedule.
I would still have to pay my own flight to the Bahamas. Only the accommodation and food are included.
There's no other affordable tournaments to play.
Reasons to go:
I'm free-rolling. It's a free seat worth $2,750 for a $5 million guaranteed mystery bounty tournament.
The mystery bounty aspect gives more people a chance at a big payday as you don't even have to win the tournament. Just make the money, knock someone out and get lucky and pull a big envelope.
One possible solution I'm considering:
There is one mixed tournament in the Bahamas, an Eight Game, but it's a $10k. If I go then I'd like to play it, but I'd need to sell a big chunk of my action.
I could then still fly from the Bahamas to Vegas on Dec 13th and play the last 6 mixed tournaments at Wynn.
So my question to the forum and people who have bought pieces of me in the past is how much of my action would you take in the $10k Eight Game? (This would be with zero mark-up)
Either post here or message me privately please.
For some reason, I have a thought in my memory bank that there was an outrageous minimum amount of days you have to stay in the hotel to book a room in the past. I could be wrong, but I swear I read something along those lines somewhere sometime. You might want to check into that before committing to go.
also assuming you can't refund your flight and accom in Vegas? If you can, then the decision is closer.
IMO, the super autist way to do it would be to calculate a reasonable $ ROI by tournament for the Vegas tournaments and then Bahamas ones, including the fact that you have a free ticket and then put them in a calculation with the relative costs of - travel, accom etc. By all accounts food in the Bahamas is even more expensive than Vegas?
I make decisions differently though. After I'd done the ROI above and done a bit of thinking about the locations, what you'd do away from the felt etc, I'd close my eyes and ask myself where I should go to play, listen to the instant answer that comes back, also be aware of your body's energy levels and then I'd follow that answer
the answer seems pretty obvious to me, but you need to get there IMO
also assuming you can't refund your flight and accom in Vegas? If you can, then the decision is closer.IMO, the super autist way to do it would be to calculate a reasonable $ ROI by tournament for the Vegas tournaments and then Bahamas ones, including the fact that you have a free ticket and then put them in a calculation with the relative costs of - travel, accom etc. By all
Yea I can change the Vegas flight and accommodation no problem.
Maybe I’ll just flip a coin?
Yea I can change the Vegas flight and accommodation no problem.
Maybe I’ll just flip a coin?
The rare poker "coin flip" in which either outcome is good and you can't lose.
WSOP-C Thunder Valley
Day Five - Tuesday September 30th
I start the day with a morning swim but what’s going on California? Where’s the sun at?
The HORSE re-start doesn’t go as planned. I double the short stack up in Stud with buried Kings against his buried Aces all-in on 3rd. Neither of us improve.
Limits are high now so when I lose a big O8 pot with Aces full of threes to Aces full of jacks I’m left with crumbs and am eliminated shortly after. Still, 10th place is good for $1,255 which is better than nothing.
I was pleased to see Frankie O’Dell go on to with the tournament. He’s a great character from the old school.
With time to spare before the 2-7 tournament I have lunch in the cafe. Rigatoni a la bolognese with garlic bread today and it was pretty good.
I start the 2-7 steady enough increasing to 27k at the first break and then have a really good 2nd session to sit on 75k at the end of late reg.
I was making really good reads. One example:
I open with a D2 from the button and both blinds defend. We all draw 2 on the first draw.
It’s checked to me. I made an 8-7 and bet.
Sb calls and BB raises.
The BB is a good tight player and hasn’t gotten out of line.
I call deciding to break the 8-7 and draw to the 7.
SB also calls.
2nd draw is 1-pat-1
SB checks, BB bets and I raise having made #1
SB folds and BB calls.
3rd draw is pat-pat
BB checks, I bet, he calls with ………. a 7-6 !
WTF? He’s probably the only player on the table that wouldn’t have 3-bet me after the 2nd draw when I raised him.
I tell him jokingly I’m going to send a debt collector round for the bet he owes me.
Against one of the other players at the table I’d never break the 8-7 and in fact bet 8-7’s for value against him a few times as he was stying pat with 9’s. Don’t do that at home people.
It was just 2 hours where I was completely in the zone and everything went right.
Not so fast my friend
The swingy nature of 2-7 came to bite me in the ass after the break.
I get dealt lots of good D2’s: 235, 247, 257 etc. but cannot draw a card that improves me to save my life.
I do make two 8-6’s but run into #3 and #2. I go from being well ahead of the game with a 75k stack to walking out the door in the space of 2 hours. That’s 2-7 triple draw.
The bad thing here is there not really any cash games to play. They’re all small stakes NLH.
Allen tells me if I give them some action in the pit or on slots they will probably comp me some more nights.
I’ve never been a slots player but I did used to play a little Blackjack.
I find a single deck table and sit down. Blackjack pays 6/5 [emoji30] Why do they have to spoil everything? The double deck table pays 3/2 but that’s full so I stay and change $1,000
I bet between $50 - $200 a hand depending on the count which I still remember how to do, but theres not much penetration, only half a deck at best.
The best running count I got to was +8, so a true count of +4 but I lost the hand. I played for a couple of hours with a high mark of +$300 but I eventually called it a night down $
-$200. I only colored up 300 in green having palmed some black chips into my pocket to make it seem that I’d lost more. Not sure if it will make a difference or not. Will give them a bit more play before I leave then Mary the casino host Allen introduced me to said to see here before I leave and she’ll see is she can comp anything else.
On deck tomorrow: $600 PLO
this is actually a tricksy way of finding out which one you really want. Flip a coin and you will feel relief or disappointment, depending on the answer the coin gives you. So eg...if the coin says Bahamas and you're disappointed...then you know the answer is Vegas and you choose there
