EH, NO

Looks like my last mobile post didn't go through, so here's the recap of my WSOP 2008 experience: Started off pretty well, actually alot like last year. Early on I took a hit when I picked up pocket tens on the second hand of the day. After an Ace fell on the turn, the aggro dude at my table shoved a bunch of chips in and I laid down my pair. I think it was a bluff, but I didn't wanna kill my stack just minutes into the tournament. Took me from 3,000 to about 2,400. Anyway, things turned around when I took the same dude down pretty hard, calling his suspicious bet on the river. He showed a stone cold bluff on a board with two face cards. I showed a pair of 7s and was on my way to building a decent stack. My big hand during Level 1 came when I limped with pocket 8s, called a preflop raise, and watched a lovely K-K-8 flop unfold before me. My first big mistake of the tourney was that I wasn't able to put my opponent all-in here, as I think he had QQ, JJ, maybe even AK. I slowplayed my full house, check-calling his big bet on the flop. We both checked the turn (!), then unfortunately, a flush card hit the river, I tried to represent a flush bluff with a big bet, but my guy didn't bite. He put me on the flush and folded. I showed him the full boat. The mistake: I shoulda put a small bet in on the turn. He only had about 1,200 left in his stack and there was about the same in the pot. If I bet 400 or so on the turn, he'd have to call for a pot that size, and probably would just stick the rest of his money all-in. Missed opportunity and lesson #1 learned.

Our table broke around the start of level 2, and I slowly built my chips up. After folding about 20 hands in a row, I was down to 4,200 and we had our first break of the day. When we got back to the table, the antes kicked in, and I started going into blind-stealing mode. Pushed all-in preflop three times and took the blinds, 550 at a time. Ran into a problem when a big stacked pro at my table made a stand and milked a ton of chips off me. Then I picked up pocket Aces twice - the first time I was able to exact some revenge on the big stack. Limped into the pot, he raised and I flat-called. Checked the flop, he bet, and I came over the top. He folded, and I took down about 1,800 of his chips. At that point, my stack was at 5,200. Unfortunately, the average was about 5,800, and I was feeling the pinch. Then I look down at pocket tens and decide it's time to pull down a real pot. Made a small raise preflop, and a guy in late position goes over the top. I call him and we see the flop: J-8-2. I decide to make the big move with a check raise all-in, putting him on AK or AQ. Three fourths of the plan worked beautifully: I checked, he bet, and I shoved all-in, hoping to send a strong message. Unfortunately he was holding pocket Kings and insta-called. And that's where my WSOP 2008 journey ended. With a whimper.

By the way, I realize how bad this play was. The smart play on this flop would be a small bet. I would get exactly the information I needed with a $700 bet here. I'd put the feeler out, and he would surely have gone over the top with his kings, and that woulda been the end of that hand. Instead, I got into desperation mode and felt the need to build the stack or go home. Lesson #2 learned. A big, fat, $1,500 lesson.

The kicker: Tonight, I went to the California Casino with mom and sister Nana. I sat down at a stupid video poker machine and hit two jackpots worth $1,200! Made me feel ashamed to call myself a card player. Lame. And I'm sorry I didn't make this blog more interesting this year. Thanks for checkin' in, and we'll do it again next June!