WSOP Event #48 $2,000 NLHE

I'm seated at Amazon Blue Table #29, Seat #6. Start time is 1200 hrs. I will update whenever I can. The thought process for the day is position, focus, and discipline. I don't give a $*&% if I go out in the first level as long as I play solid. Let's do this thing...

10:40 a.m. Just got ready for the tournament by losing another $250 online at $1/$2 NL. I have more leaks than a Swedish fjord....

7:15 p.m. Okay....here we go.

1st level (25/50)- UTG+1 limps, I raise to 250 from MP with Q-Q, SB calls and limper calls. Flop 5-4-2. I bet 350 and both call. Turn-Jc putting 2 clubs. I bet 600 and original limper calls. River-Jh, check-check. He has 3-3. I win

I limp in SB with Q-J, 4-way pot. Flop Q-8-2 with 2 hearts. I bet 175 and BB calls. Turn 6d. I check-call 250. River is Kh...I lead out with some sort of a blocking bet of 400 and he quickly calls with K-Q. Basically a horribly played hand on my part.

2nd level (50/100)- UTG+1 limps, guy next to him raises to 300, I look down at A-A on the button and raise to 900. Raiser calls. Flop A-7-4 rainbow (fairly good flop I'd say!). I wouldn't normally slowplay any hand but this is a rare occasion that no turn card could be a scare card. I check behind on the flop and the turn is the 10d putting 2 diamonds out. he checks, I weak lead 900, he shoves, I call with top set and he mucks his hand and walks away to go get a beer.

I raise UTG+1 with A-K, BB calls, flop is K-8-2 rainbow. I lead for 400 and he calls. turn is the 8. check-check (for pot control or so I tell myself). river is a 9. I bet 500 and he calls and mucks.

Middle position raises to 300 and I call in position with 7c-5c, SB and BB also call. Flop is Qc-8c-5d. Let's just say I'm too stupid to ever fold a pair and a flush draw. I get it all in against Q-Q (top set) and lose half my stack.

1st BREAK-$5,475

3rd level (100/200)- Here is the worst played hand in history. Aggro Asian opens for 600 from the cutoff and I have Ac-Qc in the BB. I should have 3-bet him but instead choose to just call (WEAK). Flop comes Kc-9c-5d. I check (WEAK) and he leads for 400 and I just call (WEAK). turn is a brick and we check-check (WEAK). River is a Queen and like a dumbass I call his bet of 500 (WEAK). He had K-2. Well played, Eric.

TABLE SWITCH to other side of the room. Kathy Liebert is at the table. This is a much weaker table. Early on, I raise UTG to 700 with A-K and guy on my direct left shoves for 3300. I call and he has 7-7. Flop K-J-10 and that was all she wrote. Another victim sent to the showers.

3 guys limp and I limp in the SB with 10-8. Flop Q-8-8 (farely good). I check acting first and a guy bets 500. I smooth call and turn is a 9 putting two diamonds. I check-call a bet of 1000. The river is probably the best card in the deck, the 10-diamonds making my full house and putting a flush and 4-liner straight on the board. I acted a little hastily here and thought that he really couldn't call much so I elected to check to see if I could get him to bluff at the pot. Unfortunately, he checked behind and I won a nice pot but I think it could have been more.

2nd BREAK- $11,250

5th level (150/300/25) I raise to 900 from MP with As-Qs and BB ships for $5,000. This one took a lot of time and I must have tanked for a good 4 minutes. My deciding factor was that I would have at least 18BB left if I lost the hand so I called and he turned over J-J. Flop A-K-5. It then went runner-runner spades to make the unnecessary nuts. Another victim to the shower.

6th level (200/400/50) I raise from the CO to 1100 with Jd-10h and the BB (good player) re-raises to 2800 making it only 1700 more to call. This was one of my only "gambles" all day so I called since I had position. The flop came 10-8h-4h. He checks (bad move...you'll see) and I check behind. Turn is the 7h. I now have top pair, flush draw, and gutterball draw. He leads for 4500, I ship for about 14000 and he calls with K-K. I have 17 outs and the beautiful Ace of hearts hits the river and I win a GINORMOUS pot. Another victim sent to the showers.

TABLE SWITCH to across the room. I now have about $32,000 as I switch to this table. Tough table, lots of good players. I get blinded down a bit before raising with 7-4 offsuit from the cutoff to 1200. The button re-raises me to 3000 and I inexplicably call out of position (I have no explanation other than I put him on a big hand and thought if I flopped hard I could win a monster). The flop comes K-10-4 rainbow. I check and he bets 4500. I swear to God, I thought he looked weak. I thought he might have A-J or A-Q and was just C-betting with a straight draw. I actually thought about it for quite awhile and even considered shipping but I folded. The guy shows me 8-5!!!!!! Yes, 8-5! Oh well...if you're never getting bluffed, you're not playing good.

The dinner break was fast approaching and a guy at the other side of the table was raising a lot of hands. I decided I had enough chips that I wanted to 3-bet him one time to see if I could slow him down after dinner. He opened for 1250 from early position and an older tight-weak guy flat called him from his immediate left. I decided to re-raise to 4500 with the old Qs-8s. The original raiser fiddled with his chips for a long time and I actually thought he might 4-bet me but he just called (I didn't want that...for the record). Old guy folded and the flop came 7-4-2 rainbow. No use stopping now!!!! He checked and I led for $6,500. He folded rather quickly and I took down a nice pot as the dinner break had already started.

End of LEVEL 6- $33,800

The average stack is $14,500 and they list the chip leader at $70,000 but my stack is definitely Top 50 for sure. 4 more levels to go. I'm feeling good, calm, confident so we'll see what happens. Position and aggression. LET'S MAKE IT HAPPEN!!!!!