The heater continues! I've had a banger last couple of months in both cash and tournament, recording 11 winning sessions in a row, posting profits from $20 to over $600 to my most recent cash of $10,000.
Wait, what?
Yes, you heard right - I locked up 10K! In the form of a seat at the Main Event at the World Series of Poker. This is the biggest and bestest poker tournament on the planet, and I get to play - again!
I got to go in 2018, read all about how by clicking here.
Back then it was 8 guys in my garage. 7 awesome friends and myself who each put up 1125 for a chance at the big dance.
It was a day long battle, but in the end I prevailed and got to go to the big show - read all about how that turned out here.
With a cash in the Main locked up, I figured all of my poker dreams had come true, and I felt that if I never made it back - that would be ok.
Flash forward, 8 years later. We have long stopped playing World Series Satellites in the garage. Instead, if anyone who wants a shot at the greatest tournament of all time asks about it - I simply point them in the direction of our local Moose Lodge.
For 7 years now the Moose has run a year long series of monthly tournaments that culminate in a chance to win 10K Main Event seats and 1K bracelet event seats.
Every year participation grows, and this year we had 12 tournaments where we played for points and a small on the day cash prize for the top finishers. In the month of May no less than SIX Main Event Seats will be handed out, along with another 5 1K Bracelet Event seats! That's crazy!
The first Main Event seat went to the overall points leader of the season - a friendly fellow named Tim who has won a seat before.
The second Main Event seat went to the winner of a special 9 person Sit-N-Go tournament (that we played last Monday) consisting of the top 4 points finishers in the first half of the season and the top 4 point finishers in the second half of the season. The 9th player was chosen via raffle, with the number of raffle entries per player determined by participation.
Guess who won that raffle and played last Monday night?
Yes that would be me!
But I didn't win this tournament! Boo!
Instead, the winner was this guy -
That's right, our very own Allen R. won his first ever trip to the Main!
I busted in 7th I believe, card dead and unable to get anything going. All the same I was super happy for Allen, it's an absolute thrill for sure!
And in the meantime, there was poker popping off all over the room as Mondays are cash game nights! I managed to grind a small profit in Mix games after all. This Sit-N-Go being a free roll meant that it was still a winning night.
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| AI Phils lol |
Proud to say four other people who've played at Pepper Street, including three regulars, also were in the mix and did well. Chris R., who is the aforementioned non-regular but has played in the garage, ended up heads-up with Allen. Allen had an 8 to 1 chip lead, so the battle was very brief.
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| LFG |
While I was happy for Allen, I was disappointed in myself a bit, I really didn't play well. I started out correct, very tight - as one should in a single table Sit-N-Go. But I failed to shift gears sufficiently. This is the correct approach to single table tournaments, but it should be even more-so with a winner take all format. Since second and third place get nothing, it really is important to grip and rip often and play for stacks to have a chance to do what Allen did - accumulate so much that when it's short handed and heads up, the advantage is tremendous.
But even though I had not played well, I knew I would have another chance. Sooner rather than later as it turned out, because the third of six Main Event seats to be won would be up for grabs 48 hours later - Wednesday night in another single table Sit-N-Go.
This tournament would feature the top finishers in points for the year who had NEVER won a Main Event seat in the Trek to the Main series. I actually qualified for this one, so it was on like Donkey Kong!
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| Far fewer PSP players this time! |
This time around I played MUCH better.
As per usual I started out playing tight, and card dead which made it easy. But after a couple of players dropped, and it became evident that I was going to remain card dead, I got involved more and more.
Mainly I targeted two players to my left who were over-folding, but I also took every chance I got to over call when I was on the button or cutoff. Then if we went to the flop multiway, and my cards weren't egregiously disconnected with the flop, I would stab if it was checked to me. This worked way more times than I thought it would.
I also was fearless in pushing my post flop equity with sub 20 big blind shoves, whether someone led out into me or was betting later streets after they had checked the flop.
I also got pretty lucky several times against the player on my immediate right, who was likely one of the more capable players at the table. Her sizing was good, her timing seemed to be correct, but more than a few times she just ran into it with me.
I remember one hand in particular where I flopped a MASSIVE combo draw along with top pair. She led out in flow and I jammed, and she took FOREVER to correctly fold her AA face up. She was ahead when she folded, but she for sure was not a favorite.
Then later, as blinds were higher and higher, we might've been 4 or 5 handed - she opened from her small blind 4x, I snap jammed with 88. She took a LOOOONG time (again, she was a slow player who has obviously watched a lot of poker content) and finally folded TT face up. Yikes!
Finally I believe I did eliminate her when we were three handed. Before that I had busted the previous two players, and I was now the chip leader over my heads-up opponent.
I certainly did not have an 8-1 chip lead, it was closer to 3-2. But I was facing off against the same heads-up opponent that Allen had faced on Monday night - Mr. Chris R.!
Chris runs the whole series, along with his partner in crime Jason (not our PSP Jason) - so I told myself when we started heads up play that if I couldn't pull it out, I was happy for Chris to finally go to the Main - after all these years of running the series (not to mention he's easily one of the very best tournament players at the Moose) he was definitely due.
Our stacks were both about 20 bigs - and I knew the fight would not last long.
We played about a dozen hands or so, and then this happened.
I opened 3x from the button, Chris three bet my open - and I gripped and ripped with KQo.
Chris snapped.
I thought initially that I had stepped in it. But I was relieved to see he held the Hollywood Park nuts - KJo.
I had him coved by a bit, but I would be crippled if I lost.
Flop came KxJ, my heart sank but I lightly tapped the table. I was sad but it was going to be ok. Chris deserved it.
Turn was a blank.
River was an amazing Queen. A fucking 3 outer.
I involuntarily gasped. Chris took it like a champ and immediately and with genuine grace extended his hand.
As he left to get the cash and the contract to sign, I allowed myself to quietly cry (manly tears) at the table with my head in my hands. It was a big release of emotion for sure! I am just so blessed and lucky to get to go do this again!
I am VERY much looking forward to this chance to play with the best in the world for the most prestigious title in the world. As of right now I'm jettisoning my other WSOP plans - not doing the Mini-Mystery Millions, not doing the Ultra-Stack or Gladiators. I'll be playing on day 1D, Sunday July 5th!
Cannot wait!
