WPT Championship Day 2 - The Only Way Is Up
You guys remember the song "The Only Way Is Up" by Yazz? I think it came out in '88 or something (yes, I am that old!). Anyway, that was how I was feeling during Day 2 of the WPT Championship.I started in good shape with 110,000 and my stack never dipped below that amount during the five levels we played on Day 2. I was actually able to take it beyond 300K at some point by means of lots and lots of re-raising pre-flop, but eventually I lost a couple of pots and ended up bagging 264,000!
Looking back, I didn't really have a whole lot to play with. The cowboys and the rockets were completely absent. The only time I had Queens on the button everybody folded. And when the Jacks finally decided to pop by, they were quickly taken down by my opponent's gun-slinging cowboys. It was all about hard work - some stealing here, a little nip and tuck there and quite a bit of re-raising pre-flop to keep the good players on their toes.
I played two fairly big pots, each containing about 100,000. I won the first one as a 2:1 underdog but lost all my equity and then some in the second one when my 4.5:1 super spot didn't hold up. Here is what happened:
Winning 2:1 underdog
Blinds are 1,000/2,000/200 and Sammy Farha opens 1 off the button for 7,000. Scotty Nguyen folds on the button, Joe Cassidy folds reluctantly in the SB and I am left with a decision in the BB. I don't really put Sammy on a top hand and I decide to make a move based on my read, not my hand. In order not to confuse myself, I don't look at my cards. Now, what kind of move should I make? Sammy has about 45K left so I don't like re-raising, leaving myself pot-committed if he comes over the top. That leaves only one decision - the all-in move. Maybe a little crazy but it is Sammy Farha we are talking about. He could be raising with just about any two cards. I move all-in (at that point I have about 250,000) and Sammy snap-calls! UPS!
He flips over
and I have to start looking at my cards. I turn over
and find myself a 2:1 underdog. Fortunately for me, that flop changes everything completely as a Queen appears in the window. Blank, blank and I take Sammy out of the tournament.
Losing 4.5:1 favorite
Same level and I have just been moved to a new table. I open for 7,200 in middle position with
and the BB calls leaving himself with 38,000. The flop comes:
He moves all-in and I call. There is about 94K iin the pot. He turns over
and I am a whopping 82%-18% favorite. Alas, the turn brings one of the three remaining Kings and my stack is back down to 250,000. What a strange play! It seems that people are more afraid to commit their stack pre-flop than post-flop?
Day 3 here I come
From where I am sitting I can see the bracelets I was awarded at the WPT ceremony held Monday after the tournament ended. I left the party early in order to be in the best shape possible for Day 3 on Tuesday.
A good table draw and better cards than Monday and who knows what can happen.
Wish me luck
Gus
And remember, the only way is up.
