Powdas WSOP blogs...

Did I ever post them here? I don't think I have... Anyway it's kinda slow at work to today and I was reading them and they bring up some great memories. Anyway here they are. Damn Vegas was fun last year


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June 15, 2007

@ The WSOP NOW!

ARGHHHH!!!!! I typed out a whole nice blog entry and I lost my net connection. Also for some gay reason I couldn't copy and paste my entry. GAY!



Anyway I am here in vegas and my first tourney starts in about an hour and a half. Um I guess I will try and summarize everything I typed earlier as best I can.



- Flight went well, it was my first time being on a big plane (I flew in a little 4 seater cesna once) and it was cool. The Hoover Dam is cool form above.



-Check in at the hotel took about 2 minutes but I did get an asshole cabby. He literally waited until we were a block away and turned around and acted like he didn't know where he was going jsut to run the fare up. What a dick, then all I had was a 20 and he pretty much refused to give me my change, what a prick.



- Went to the Rio last night to check in for the tourney. That went smooth as well. Pros EVERYWHERE you look. High stakes games, tournament final tables. It's all here! I heart the WSOP. I bumped into Greg Raymer (litterally) and watched Robert Williamson lose a very signifigant pot in pot limit 2-7 triple draw (by signifigant I mean around 20k).

Afew notes on the pros -



- Scotty Ngyuen is a very small person. Annie Duke is loud. Sean Sheikan seems even cockier in person while Men "The Master" Ngyuen seem like an even bigger asshole. Greg Raymer is huge and Matusow is in fact a loudass. John Juanda seems very quiet and Daniel Negraeau isn't alway talkative.



-another thing. I was talking to my buddt rannie and his wife Amanda wated an autograph from scotty ngyuen and that is all she asked for. Well last night I was outside smoking and who is standing in the corner but scotty all by himself smoking a cigarette. I couldn't find a pen and he went inside. Sorry Amanda!



Well I start my tourney in about an hour and a half. It is WSOP event #25 $2,000 NL Hold em. I am at table 168 seat 3. Wish me luck!


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June 16, 2007


I love Vegas, I love the WSOP.
Current mood: Hungover

I love vegas, and I love the WSOP.

Yesterday I played in event 25. It was great for my first WSOP try. I ended up taking around 200th to 300th for no cash. This is not official yet but I only counted around 20 or 30 tables left when I was busted out. 153 paid out and there were over 1600 entries. I am very happy with my play and felt very comfortable playing at this level. I don't find it very realistic to think you are going to cash at your first try in the WSOP but I was pleasently surprised to see that I did in fact have what it took to play this game against these players. I have no doubt I will cash in the WSOP eventually. A lot of bad players and even more really good ones. It was not the push fest you are led to believe you are going to play in that you see on tv.

The way they had the tourney set up was half was inside the Rio's convention hall (where the main room was) and the rest of the tourney completely filled up a "tent' (more like a giant metal shed with A/C) with at least 50 tables in it. I was very surprised to see how smoothly the tourney went and they way they broke the tables down in perfect order with no glitches. Easily the nicest tourney I have ever played in (it better be, this is the fucking WSOP). Needless to say I was very impressed with the Rio and the WSOP. It was a great expierience.

One thing that surprised me was the amount of pros in the game. One table over Evelyn Ng, Phil Hellmuth, and Michael Mizrachi were all at the same table. Phil just had to show off by getting a chip runner to go cash out a $25,000 chip he had on him. I can only guess why he needed 25k to sit at a tournament table. I have seen every pro imaginable form Annie Duke and her brother to Scotty Nguyen and Greg Raymer. As far as my first table it was very easy. We had one guy who obviously was WAY out of his league go out in about 5 hands. Not many solid players at this table, maybe two. Other than that nothing to really talk about. It was early and we were one of the first tables to break. We all started with $4,000 in chips and I left this table with around $6,000.

My second table was a little different. Still out in the tent, 2 seats to my left was a guy I thought I recognized. It turned out he won a circuit event or bracelet before. I can't remember his name but I really was not too impressed. Sure he was a solid player but he was like an open book. He liked to open raise for 2 1/2 the big blind and rarely ever re-raised or showed too much strength the whole time I was there and we must have sat together for 4 hours. I won a lot of little pots off of him by re-raising him.

Things were running along smoothly and I busted out the guy on my left which left a seat open. You never know what you are going to get as far as the player who is going to fill the seat. It was pretty funny as a guy says "wow look at that stack" and I look over to see Mark Seif filling a rack with yellow (1k) and light blue ($500) chips and say "damn feel sorry for his table." There was an open seat on my left. Oops. The blinds are at 100/200 now and I have around 12k when of all sudden the chip leader Mark Seif is sat directly to my left (his chip count was 34k eith the blinds at 100/200 no ante!). A major pro with tons of chips on my immediate left. I had the worst seat in the house. (I realized later that the red head guy to the circuit winners left was in fact PearJammer. I did not know that at the time)

He actually turned out to be a nice guy. Him and the circuit winner guy (now both to my immediate left) were talking a little as Seif recognized him and me and Seif actually talked a bit. Seif discussed some 100k+ prop bets and talked bad about Lindgren to wich the circuit winner guy said "uh yeah, he's my backer." Me and Seif joked about how if someone dies from the heat in the tent if the release we signed would allow them to show it on tv. He laughed, I laughed, the whole table laughed, he had 34k in chips, it was gonna be a long day. It was my first time playing with a major player and it was very cool. You realize he can bust just as soon as you and you play your game. Sure you have to adjust but it is'nt really because he is a pro, it is because you have the toureny's chip leader on your left.

I had come into the tourney thinking I would try and long ball it. Sort of a Kill Phil type strategy where you try to get a lot in pre-flop and not let the better players have a chance to out-play you on the flop but it was appearent early on that I WAS one of the better players at my table and ended up playing almost exclusivley post flop, short balling it, out-playing my opponents. I had some chips but with the chip leader on your left there is always fear that you may be raised even if you raise. You adust. Play tighter. I cannot really recall any certain hands but I must have played 5 or six hands post flop with Seif and I won at least half of them. Very cool to have a known pro fold to you multiple times, not to mention the times I took his blinds uncontested. One hand when he first sat down I took a pot around 4k from Seif and he said "wierd, thats the first pot I have lost today." I told him that "with his chip stack, I believe him." Well this table lasted about 2 hours and when we broke I ended up at my next to last table.

I enjoyed this table. Just about everyone was pretty solid and we must have gone 4 hours only losing about 3 people. We were in the tent for a while and moved into the main room right at dinner break. The 5k HORSE tourney was in full swing and the table directly next to me had Doyle Brunson, John Juanda, and Chris Fergusen in the 8, 7, and 6 slots. What a table. At this point I was card dead. I would take a pot here and there but my stack could not creep up over the 14k mark. At one point I had around 17k but a bad flop in a multi-way pot with AK brought me back down as I was forced to bow out of a huge pot with a lot of post-flop action. I watched as there was really nothing I could do but watch my stack dwindle away. 12k, 8k, win a small pot, back up to 14k, lose one, down to 8k, up to 10k, yadda yadda yadda. I was card dead but I was stealing pots when I could and playing very solid, I don't think I could have done anything different unless I could see my opponents hole cards. Eventually the blinds were at 300/600 with a 75 ante and our table broke. Everyone wished everyone good luck. Nice people, I hope they all did good and it was great to be at the table with all of them. ( I realized a few days later that the woman on my immediate left was Katja Thater. I had no clue who she was until I saw that she won the Razz event which I played in 2 days later. Of all the players I sat with in the NL event she showed the most strength. When she was in a pot you had to play for it, she was a damn good player)

I drew "table 3 seat 8" and went and sat down. The blinds were now at t400/800/100 and I had barely any chips ( around 9k), it was going to be time to make a move and pray, as if it hadn't been for a while. I sat down and looked at my opponents stacks first and noticed something funny about the stack on my right. Two plastic sharks. I looked over and on my immediate right was Humberto Brenes. I looked at him, smiled and said "ha! you even have the sharks!" he laughed, I laughed, it was cool. Humberto was a very nice guy. Very soft spoken while I was at the table with him. I took a picture of the sharks and he said "no here is a picture" and pointed one of the sharks (which was some wierd laser pointer that looked like a shark) a the other shark and made me take a picture. He was a very nice guy and really made no huge moves while I was at the table. Well about 45 minutes into this table I pick up a10 off suit. A guy who has won the last 5 pots in a row and been raising ever since I got there makes it 2500 to go. I only have 8k now and really have no choice and push. I am hoping he has an underpair because I need to race here but he doesn't. He has AQ, flop, turn, and river are all bricks and I am sent home around 200th place. I didn't cash but I loved the expierience and will do everything I can to be back every year.


I love Vegas and I love the WSOP. There really is nowhere else I would rather be. I have a $1500 RAZZ tourney tomorrow at 5 and I am sure the field will be rich with pros. Can't wait for the next time I am watching poker on t.v. and can say "I played with him." Now if only I can get a bracelet

June 18, 2007


Where do I begin?

I started yesterday by waking up in a new hotel room that I bought for the night just for the wifi. Seriously it pisses me off that I don't have it in this room. Anyway I played the $1,500 RAZZ event yesterdday and made it about halfway through the field before I was knocked out. It was crazy. Humberto Brenes was at my table AGAIN for nearly 8 hours and Ted Forrest was 2 to my right for around 6 hours (until he busted out). Once again Humberto was very nice BUT I seriously was not to impressed with his play. Ted Forrest was actually scary as hell to play a pot with at first but I adjusted. He was super quiet and I sat with him long enough to play many many pots with him. EASILY the best player I have ever sat with by a mile.

Not many hands to talk about but I did have one against Forrest. Blinds are at 50 ante, 75 bring in, 200/400 (I am pretty sure the ante and bring in were this but I know it was 200/400). I pick up A7(2) and a guy to Ted's right brings it in. Ted has a 7 showing so I know I am best and at the VERY best he could have me tied but I am sure he was a weak 8. Ted completes too 200 and I raise another 200 and another player (named Mickey, he obviously was known by all of the pros) called the 400 with a 6 showing. the bring in folded before calling any bets. Forrest re-popped it and I capped it and Mickey called the additional 400. this was the first pot at our table I had seen capped since it started and we were at least 5 hours in. Well Mickey gets a 3 (for 63 up) Forrest pulls a 2 (for 72 up) and I pull an ace (for A7(2A). Forrest checks as he had been a lot when he looks ahead or close too it. I decide to bet as all of the up card other than mine, Mickeys, and Teds, were huge before the flop and I figure any of these guys could have paired. If I can win this pot now great and if I can get it heads up that is great too as I could just run down one guy instead of 2 OR get called and have it cheap on 5th if I brick or they do. miceky folds (I am asuming his hole cards were something like j3(63) as he had been calling raises with crap like that all day. Forrest Calls. Next card is an A for Ted giving him a board of XX72A and a 7 ( I now have A7(2A7) giving us the same board! Forrest checks to me again and I bet 400 and he folds.

It was really cool to outplay a pro and it wasn't like I was gunning for him it was more like I knew that if I bet he folds. I had a read, trusted it, and beat him out. I'm thinking he capped with air and he ws the only player at the table capable of this, why he didn't follow through on the bluff is beyond me. He actually sat there and went in the tank too deciding if he was beat or not, thought about it, and released his hand. Pretty cool to put ted Forrest in the tank while bluffing and have him fold! I am thinking he had either 2 pair like me (unlikely) but most likley a pair and a big card in the hole but I am positive he was ahead or at least even with me. He STILL folded to me in a very big pot at that point but I wasn't that surprised. I also had my back to the rail and some guy had been trying to tell his wife how the game worked and half the time I could hear him whispering about my play. I kinda flashed him my hole cards this time and hear him pull his wife aside and I coulda sworn he told her really quietly "that kid just outplayed the hell outta Forrest." Fucking awesome as I can't think of many pros whos game I have always respected more than Forrests but I had a play, I tried it, and it worked. This was hardly the first pot we played and not the first I took by playing his board or mine and not really having anything but this one was a pretty large pot at this point and it criplled him down to about 1200 chips. it really made me feel good about my game.

On a bad note I am now out of the tourney. About an hour and a half after Ted busted I was back down to a low stack after some horrible cards (well good hands that ended badly) and picked up 84(2). the bring in was on my left (Paul Wolfe, Full Tilt pro) and everyone folded to the guy directly on my right who completed with a 7. I have around 1600 chips and raise. Wolfe folds and the raiser calls. He pulls a 10, I pull a four and he bets! I raise all-in and he calls. We open our cards and he shows A8(710) and I have 84(24). i get a king and he pairs his 7 and I paired again and in the end had I had 8424K89 for a 2489k low and he had something like a87106 and I am sent home. Humberto looked at me and tapped the table as if to say "you played well, good game" wich felt great as he hadn't done that for anyone to this point. Awesome tourney and i couldn't be happier even though I lost (well I would be happier if I had cashed or won it).

Afterwards I went to check on a guy from my poker forum in the 3k buy-in bracelet event and ran into another guy from my forum (aces713). He said there were other guys from my forum on the rail so I went and met them. Tdizzle, ZaiGezunt, and Mag. Pretty cool guys. About 5 minutes after I met them stoners (sean the one in the 3k) tourney broke for the night and we went to a bar/resturaunt in the Rio. Shawn was in the money for this tourney and it should have resumed an hour ago. Go Shawn!!! GL MAN! Anyway me and Josh (mag) start drinking and we move to another bar at the Rio (just one of those ones with video poker in front of them). I am getting really drunk and talking with shawn and mag is hanging out with some of his friends from south carolina and tdizz and zai are hanging out talking when I see Todd Brunson on the other end of the bar. I tell Josh I am going to get him to buy me a drink and he laughs. I go over to Todd and tell him I will buy the first round. This night would get crazy.

Well i am talking with Todd and getting wasted (andrew black was running around too and I talked to him also) and some other kids came over and we were all getting tanked when i hear todd say "he's a fucking asshole." I was talking to Andy Black at this point and turn to Todd and say "who's an asshole" and he says "Sammy Farha, he's a liar, a cheat, and a thief and thats the worst thing I can say about someone." ha ha! he goes on to say how noone likes sammy. I told him to be careful what he says because it could end up on some internet forum and he says"post this shit, seriously, please do" so i guess I am now . He was talking about a hand where he cheated him out of 100k pot by shooting an angle when the dealer read the hand wrong and mucked his cards and how much he absoloutley hated him. I actually have his rant recorded on my voice recorder on my phone because he told me to Actually a fucking cool guy to hang out with and was a really fucking cool person. It was funny when he said "yeah, Farha cheats everyone, me, other players, MY DAD." The way he said "my dad" was awesome because Todd is one of the highest stakes cash game players in the world and "his dad" is THE undisputed living legend of poker Doyle Brunson.

Well Andy decided to go gamble 10k on blackjack (and I guess ended up losing a lot more than that) and me and todd hung out for like 2 hours getting wasted when he had to go to bed. I sat at 3 card poker. I will never do that again. I don't want to talk about it but lets jsut say my wallet is nearly empty now. $1,700 gone in about 2 hours. Seriously I am kicking myself for that but still last night was awesome! I think I am going to hit an atm and play some 1/2 and try to make up some losses. I love vegas.

Oh yeah I almost forgot! I showed up early at the Rio yesterday to see if there were any RAZZ cash games and there weren't but I hear over the loud speaker "sattelites to the 1500 RAZZ tournament are filling, $215 buy-in, come to the podium to sign up." So I did. I was already in the event but decided at the very least it would be a warm up and get me use to the format. I won it for $1500 in tournament buy-in chips! I just stood by the buy-in window and sold them to people who were buying into events that day. All the money is gone because of Danielle (my 3 card dealer for half the night). I was tipping like 25$ on some hands. I am so pissed. Thats all.

Good reads!

That was very enjoyable to read and sounds like good times. I was out there last year during the WSOP in June then again in July during the ME. Unfortunately, I never made it out to the Rio to check out the action (36 hour sessions on the strip, long story). You've got me pumped to want to setup a trip to the WSOP this year.

Scrupboy wrote:Good reads!

That was very enjoyable to read and sounds like good times. I was out there last year during the WSOP in June then again in July during the ME. Unfortunately, I never made it out to the Rio to check out the action (36 hour sessions on the strip, long story). You've got me pumped to want to setup a trip to the WSOP this year.

Glad you enjoyed them! I can't believe I never posted these here before!

I swear I've read this before somewhere. I could be wrong, but I really recall the bit about Scotty out by himself smoking, and some of the Katja Thater stuff...Anyway, very entertaining read, either again, or for the very first time.

There is nothing I'd rather do than try my hand at the WSOP...I just fear the waste of bankroll.

Mondogarage wrote:I swear I've read this before somewhere. I could be wrong, but I really recall the bit about Scotty out by himself smoking, and some of the Katja Thater stuff...Anyway, very entertaining read, either again, or for the very first time.

There is nothing I'd rather do than try my hand at the WSOP...I just fear the waste of bankroll.

I think this was on DP.com. I jsut realized it was not here (my site) and there was something wrong with that

Mondogarage wrote:There is nothing I'd rather do than try my hand at the WSOP...I just fear the waste of bankroll.

Never a waste when your talking Vegas poker! Especially at the WSOP.
...but of course I am a gambler and if you've been tracking the blog notice the huge swings both ways. Take my comments lightly.

Scrupboy wrote:

Mondogarage wrote:There is nothing I'd rather do than try my hand at the WSOP...I just fear the waste of bankroll.

Never a waste when your talking Vegas poker! Especially at the WSOP.
...but of course I am a gambler and if you've been tracking the blog notice the huge swings both ways. Take my comments lightly.

Yeah I very well might be spending the entire roll to go out there again this year and I would have no problem with that. Honestly how long can one continue to grind it out? Is the WSOP not one giant goal for most of us? I have no problem going back to grinding it out again for a year all to just to do it again as long as I can play the WSOP. There is seriously nowhere else I would rather be so I find it would be worth it (at least for me). I dropped over $7500 last year!!! i wont have nearly that much this year but I am sure I can still manage to have a great time with a buy-in, a plane ticket, and a little extra spending cash.

I remember before I went out last year i had around $10K and my g/f said "if I had that money I would take some time and travel" and I said "I would go play the WSOP." A lightbulb went off and a few months later I was short $7500 but had some great stories to tell and don't regret one second of it (well maybe the 3 card poker part but thats about it).

Also the $7500 is an estimate I have used... I honestly just had a bunch of money and went crazy out there. My blog doesn't include the 10/20 and 30/60 limit games I played well in, and the 2/5 NL and 1/2 NL games where I lost it all. It was still totally worth it. if I could change anything it would be sitting any NL hold em at all especially the 2/5 game when I was wasted and also sitting 3 card poker. Other than that I did pretty well

Well, that's just it, I'm in the grinding out phase, and have always been. My total online roll is about $800. I've got money in the bank, but my stocks have taking an ass-pounding this year, I've got a near $300k mortgage, and am generally financially risk-averse to begin with. I think the only way I'd have the stones to play the WSOP is if I, say, took down the Bodog $10k first. Even leaving the money on the site, I'd consider myself up a few grand, so I could chance it in Vega$.

My two biggest fears in life are unemployment and homelessness, so I tend to conserve cash (especially in this shitty economy) to stave off the effects of the former, and the chance of the latter.

Which kinda sucks, as I'm 1 for 1 in taking down Vegas tourneys -- won the $62 at Sahara on my first attempt. Anyway, I'm still holding out for either winning the blogger's WSOP ME seat, or somehow taking down a big online tourney, to fund such a trip. If not, there's always next year. If the WSOP events were $300 or so and not $1500, I'd take a crack at a couple. In fact, I *do* plan on playing a couple WSOP Circuit events, if I can just ever fit the right trip in.

Bump.

Guys (and gal) it looks like I am going to make it this year!


Wooooooot!




So...


Who's comin with me?

PoWdA wrote:Bump.

Guys (and gal) it looks like I am going to make it this year!

Wooooooot!

So...

Who's comin with me?

Right on!! I'd be more than happy to tag along, as long as it comes with a stake into one (or more) of the satillites.

Heres my WSOP journal from 2007...

(the best day)

Went to Bellagio..played $1 video poker so I could get free drinks..down $75 but drunk

Went over to the Wynn to play $1-$3. put my name on the list for 1/3NL and $8-$16 limit. Went to bar and ordered a double tall Grey Goose Orange and Tonic..That will be $26 sir..Thanks. Slam down said drink and get seated at $1-3 table. Preceed to drink about 12 Coronas... Muck a flush to some guys trip As.. go to ATM..tell Ian Im going huge...buy back in and win all my money back ...stumble back to hotel...

PoWdA wrote:Bump.

Guys (and gal) it looks like I am going to make it this year!


Wooooooot!




So...


Who's comin with me?

So what's the determining factor? Inquiring minds want to know.

Just got a coupon in the mail for three free nights at the MGM. Should I start packing now?

Meh.. It has to do with some money I now have access to that I wasn't sure if I had access to it before or. I could be more vauge but that might take effort

PoWdA wrote:Meh.. It has to do with some money I now have access to that I wasn't sure if I had access to it before or. I could be more vauge but that might take effort

You do realize that you can't claim your baby on this years taxes, right? You have to wait until next year.

dexman1349 wrote:

PoWdA wrote:Meh.. It has to do with some money I now have access to that I wasn't sure if I had access to it before or. I could be more vauge but that might take effort

You do realize that you can't claim your baby on this years taxes, right? You have to wait until next year.

I hope he realized he can't sell it on the black market, either.

Mondogarage wrote:

dexman1349 wrote:

PoWdA wrote:Meh.. It has to do with some money I now have access to that I wasn't sure if I had access to it before or. I could be more vauge but that might take effort

You do realize that you can't claim your baby on this years taxes, right? You have to wait until next year.

I hope he realized he can't sell it on the black market, either.

No but I did hear that you could trade a baby in to double your starting stack though.

Mondogarage wrote:

dexman1349 wrote:

PoWdA wrote:Meh.. It has to do with some money I now have access to that I wasn't sure if I had access to it before or. I could be more vauge but that might take effort

You do realize that you can't claim your baby on this years taxes, right? You have to wait until next year.

I hope he realized he can't sell it on the black market, either.

I know when it's a newborn I can drop it off @ the firestation if I don't want it...


Does this apply to when it's 15 and I don't want it anymore?


Just a question....

PoWdA wrote:

Mondogarage wrote:

dexman1349 wrote:

PoWdA wrote:Meh.. It has to do with some money I now have access to that I wasn't sure if I had access to it before or. I could be more vauge but that might take effort

You do realize that you can't claim your baby on this years taxes, right? You have to wait until next year.

I hope he realized he can't sell it on the black market, either.

I know when it's a newborn I can drop it off @ the firestation if I don't want it...


Does this apply to when it's 15 and I don't want it anymore?


Just a question....

Nah Just have him/her steal for you to pad your bankroll. They are minors afterall

ak1971 wrote:

PoWdA wrote:

Mondogarage wrote:

dexman1349 wrote:

PoWdA wrote:Meh.. It has to do with some money I now have access to that I wasn't sure if I had access to it before or. I could be more vauge but that might take effort

You do realize that you can't claim your baby on this years taxes, right? You have to wait until next year.

I hope he realized he can't sell it on the black market, either.

I know when it's a newborn I can drop it off @ the firestation if I don't want it...


Does this apply to when it's 15 and I don't want it anymore?


Just a question....

Nah Just have him/her steal for you to pad your bankroll. They are minors afterall

Brilliant

Ha!

I'm losing money this year as I get no child tax credit if they are 17 or older on January 1, 2008. Makes no sense to me, but I do get to claim Hope credit for college.