2021 has been such an incredibly better year than the SHIT SHOW known as 2020 - not the least of which because I've been able to play live poker this year. And the absolute cherry on top of the glorious sundae of 2021 (again, compared to 2020) poker wise was the fantabulous World Series of Poker!
This was the very last time in the history of history that the WSOP was going to be at the fabulously shitty Rio All Suite and Crap Hotel and Casino.
Yeah, the Rio is a dump (so bad I even had to ask for a different room one year, when I was staying by myself. IMAGINE how bad it would have to be for me to ask for a different room when my wife isn't with me ha ha) but the nostalgia is THICK down the halls and throughout the ass-end of the property.
This has been the home of the WSOP for going on 15 years now, and after 2021 it will be somewhere else. - the not quite as crappy Bally's and Paris hotels on the strip. Yeah, don't forget to tell me not to drive (or rent a car) because parking there SUCKS.
A couple of great things about this WSOP. First and foremost, I would be joined by my dear friend and longtime poker compatriot Jeff G. Jeff plays in my home game and shares the same sick addiction to poker that I do. He took the awesome photo above where I sat down 15 minutes early for my first tournament of the trip - the 1pm $250 Daily Deep Stack. I was pumped!
Also, you'll notice I was sans mask. Follow along if you can.
- Wearing a mask inside the Rio was mandatory.
- Wearing a mask at the poker table was not.
- Players were required to show proof of vaccination.
- Dealers and spectators were not.
Made ZERO sense. But I was super happy I didn't have to wear a wet face diaper for 10+ hours of poker play every day. I'd had my booster 2 weeks prior - and I've long determined that I'm going to live my life free of fear and without a mask as well except for where I am required by law to do so.
My first table of the trip was soft and super friendly - just how I like it. I was quick to chip up, although the friendliness and chattiness cost me early on when I was speech-played by a little old lady from Pennsylvania. I dragged about 4K in chips when it seems I could've gotten a lot more, but I tipped my hand and she got away with an overpair that she likely would've stacked off with most of the time were it not for my friendly gabbing.
Meanwhile I saw this tweet from Jeffy -
I was in town to play tournament poker for 6 days, I knew a nasty brutal ridiculous bad beat (or two or three) like this was in my near future. It was good to be reminded of it ahead of time ha ha.
Then this happened.
That was fun, but it also got me back in line - I have to be careful when the table is soft and I'm card dead and deep. I can get into trouble real fast!
On the other hand, I had been very active - so I did get paid with KK when I jammed a dry flop and my frustrated opponent called off with just pocket 3s. That happy payday more than made up for my light 3-bet spew.
Both of those hands were against the same opponent who was a few seats to my right. So was this hand -
Less than an hour later we tangled once more, this time it cost me heaps. I lost 15K and found myself just above ten big blinds. Once again I had been impatient, and once again paid for it needlessly.
Just before the next break I won a flip - which is always great and absolutely essential in tournaments. My stack would be just above average when we got back.
Got back and then tweeted this -
The table which had started out soft and nice, was now no longer soft at all - thought the new people were still nice. I was grateful when the table broke, I was down to 15 big blinds and eager for a change of scenery and a chance to double. I had tweeted that we were a long way from the money, but it turned out we were a lot closer than I thought.
Pre-pandemic the 1pm Daily Deep Stack at the Rio, even on a weekday, would typically go far beyond midnight and often have a nice five figure score on top.
Well those days are gone (for now). I looked around after the dinner break at around 7pm and realized that there were only 6 tables left. This was shocking, but to be expected in an event that was on the tail end of the Covid scare and required players to be jabbed. The numbers were WAY down in attendance in this particular tournament.
I was card dead for quite awhile at my new table, didn't play a hand for over an hour at one point. Then I got a lovely triple up plus more when I spiked a set in a multi-way pot. Just under 100K (20 big blinds) and we were hand for hand -
Hand for hand lasted about an hour, and featured many hands and many disappointments, but the bubble eventually did burst and I was guaranteed a whopping $404. Womp womp. I was for sure looking to ladder up.
That said, I didn't hesitate to jam my short stack with 89o when it was folded to me on the button. The big blind (who was also a big stack) snapped with AQ, but I spiked an 8 on the flop and we held. Got my first cranberry chips and was feeling pretty good!
The pay jumps were super flat - it was $505 for the entire third table - then it jumped a little when we hit 18 players, but stayed the same for the next five to bust. I held on, but wasn't shy about getting it in if I had to. ICM didn't matter much to me, final tabling and a top 3 finish mattered more, and I was still a long way from that.
Alas, a final table was not to be, my JJ lost to KQ AIPF, but I did take home $887 in 11th place. A great start to my WSOP! I had literally just flew in that morning, and now it was almost 10pm at night and I was up! I should jump back on the plane - quick!
Well no, I wasn't going to do that! I got my payout and then went upstairs to bed right away but didn't fall asleep until after midnight - I was super excited, both because I had cashed and also because tomorrow was my very first Seniors Event in my very first year of eligibility! Yes, AARP had tracked me down in 2020, and in 2021 I could throw down with the old fogies as a 50 year old codger myself!
Could not wait!
(More to come!)
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