this was also supposed be part of the original message, but i don't think it made it......
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Thanks to the syndicate for a great year and another opportunity to play the main event. i had a fantastic experience and learned a lot about patience. being short stacked from the beginning of day 2, i knew it was going to be an uphill battle, but the card rush never came.

thanks for reading and thanks for your support.

FW: out

Not sure if this message posted correctly last time or not, but here it is again....

-----Original Message-----

Bummer. So patient throughout, but sadly, the cards never really cooperated. Finished about 1100 of 6500 runners, with the money coming at about 650.

I had raise / folded KJcc from the cutoff to a SB shove and a re-shove from the big blind. AA held there. I was dwindling after folding so many A-rags to raises. I don't know how many times i had A7o.

Bust hand: i open shoved KQhh in middle position for 33k at 1k/2k/300. As soon as the small blind looked at his cards i knew i was dead. I was hoping he had Js or Ts , but of course he showed up with AK. At least let me sweat with an AJ or something. The flop was pretty awesome(ly horrible).....AAK. I had runner runner royal flush draw, but couldn't catch the miracle. Done

out

Bummer. So patient throughout, but sadly, the cards never really cooperated. Finished about 1100 of 6500 runners, with the money coming at about 650

2nd break

Starving for cards here. I stole the blinds in late position once or twice with A high, but haven't had any real hands in the past couple hours.

Chip count is 43k. Blinds will be 1k/2k next level, so i need something to happen.

I shoved 88 over an active big stack's open and bluff shoved J6o from the small blind after hinkle limped. The very last hand of the level i flat called in position with 66 after a raise and a call, but missed and had to fold.

Send me some aces! (or kings or queens or jacks......or tens or 9s!)

1st break

Chip count is 49k.

At least the beginning of the level was good for me. I won 1 other pot where i raised and c-bet the A high flop with Q8o vs the SB. I also raised with KJhh and missed...check folded. Then i raised with KT suited in the cutoff and folded to the SB's re-raise. The button called both raises and the the flop came down KT6. Damn!

Monsterpotten of the level was won with 74dd who made a back door flush vs the nut straight. 260k pot.

A guy at our table never showed! He started with 17k and is almost blinded down now. Blair Hinkle got moved to our table with a bit over 200k.

There are a lot of cameras on our table as there is a really pretty girl on my left. Table is BR167.

Doubled early!

Moved in on my first big blind over an open raise with AKo....he folded. Next hand i move in with QQ in the small blind after raise and a call. 77 called my bet and i held! A bit over 60k!!

Day 3 tomorrow

I checked out my table draw for tomorrow and it looks a bit better than day 2. I am of course the short stack at the table, but the other two shortest stacks are the two seats on my left. I can damge their stacks at least, so maybe they will fold to my aggression. I also have enough chips to shove over an open raise and get some folds. Of course a call and a double wouldn't be too bad either.

I think about 2000 players remain from the starting field of 6500 or so. So many of the well known players are gone already.

Today i'm going to relax and maybe play a little bit of cash poker. I checked out the pool a bit this morning , but it got hot and windy so i retreated back inside.

The good news first

I have more chips now than what i started the day with.....24k. Ugh. Picked up just enough blinds to stay alive. 520 players remained at the end of the day from 1450 or so at the start. I think the avg is like 95k. I'm short but still have fold equity! Pretty frustrating to never get action when i had a hand and to get re-raised when i open with 77.

The guy who i folded QQ to in the 4th level of the day promised me after play was done for the night that he had AA. I believed him. I think most people would have gone broke on the J high board in that spot.

The bad news is we don't play again til friday! Tomorrow is day 2b, then there is a day off for a media event or some crap. Boooo harrahs!

Anyway, i made it to day 3.

Another hand

I opened with JJ on the button and fricke called in the BB. Flop of 653dd. He check called. Turn was like butta....Jc. He check folded. I can't give a free card there but it would have been nice to get more chips in that pot.

Last break

Took a hit that level when i slow played QQ and folded on the turn to an all in bet for 16k. I had about 7k in the pot. Chip count is 27k. Chip avg is 80k. Next level is last level of the night.

Also lost with 88 in a raised pot. Flop was A high and we checked all the way to the river with nothing of consequence on the board. He bet like 1/3 pot and i called his AQ.

100k pot

But i wasnt in it. Jimmy lost it heads up to what i assume was a flopped set. Look for a summary on pokernews.com or other live reporting site.

whoops

Pics in the post below showed up out of order, but i trust you people can figure it out....

pics

First pic is Me representing!

The 2nd pic is jimmy fricke (gobbo_boy online) who is a tough player. He hasnt stopped accumulating chips since he showed up at the beginning of the 2nd level and stacked a guy on his 2nd hand at the table with AA.

The third pic is this really crazy aggressive pro named logan tilley. Oh wait that's my 10 week old daughter and her chubby cheeks! Hi Baby!

Dinner break

Stop the presses! I won a contested hand with AQ. There was betting (by me) and calling by jimmy fricke. In the end my AQ was good for a nice pot. Of course it helped that i flopped three Qs, but i think my lead out bet on the flop confused him a bit and i think he had like pocket Ts or so.

That was my best level of the tourney so far. I think this might be the first time in the tournament (at least since the first level) that i am above the starting stack of 30k. I am at 33k right now. There are 2 more levels tonight (4 more hours!). I think the next level is 400/800/100. So i still need to accumulate chips.

I won both times i had KK. Just at the end of the level i raised UTG and got called in 2 spots. J high rainbow flop was to my liking and they both folded when i bet.

I also bluffed at a blind vs blind hand and took it down. Funny enough, that guy lives in carlsbad (he might be interested in the syndicate too!). I called his open raise from the small blind with 56dd. We checked the flop , but i bet my flush draw on the turn and he folded.

I had been playing tight and only showing down the goods so far, so i opened with 45cc in the cutoff. Fricke called from the small blind and the big blind was priced in. Flop of AQ3hh. At least i have a gutshot, right? They checked to me and both folded to my c-bet. I think the BB folded a Q cuz he didnt want to fold.

Wish me luck! Gonna eat some BBQ.

2nd break

Held fairly steady thru the last level. Picked up the blinds with AJo, but also opened with AJ and KQ that i had to check fold. Made a small 3 bet in the BB with AA from a button opener, but he folded. I was setting it up for a check raise all in on the flop if he called.

There was some pretty bad play in the first level, but those 2 players busted already.

Lots of "All in and a call"s heard throughout the room. I'm looking for some good spots. 1 more level til dinner break.

Send me some more aces!

btw

Jimmy fricke (2nd to gus hansen at aussie millions) is sitting 2 seats to my left. He just showed up for the first hand of the 2nd level.....and stacked a guy on the 2nd hand in with AA vs TT.

I'm sick!

Last hand of first level. I call a raise in the blind with 77. Flop a set (my first set of the tourney) on a KT7 board. The guy raises me on the turn which would give 89 a straight. I call. River J and i check call 7k. He shows AQ for the nuts! Wtf!!?? I was up to 29k before that hand. Now i dont even know what i have, i'm so pissed.

I won a couple nice hands with AA, AK. I just cant believe he got there with that crap. 94% heading into the river....that crushed me.

Rounders instead

You are the icon of movie renting in the US, Blockbuster. You carry new releases, movies released in the past several years, as well as classic films. You have made the business decision to NOT carry the American classic film that won academy awards, Rocky.
Yo, Adrian, get it together.

After the Blockbuster debacle, i decided to watch Rounders last night instead, a tale of a young poker player and his degenerate friend who wrecks everything he touches. In the end Mikey takes a shot at playing the best and most dangerous poker player in NYC, Teddy KGB. He risks everything he's got in the match......and wins ("Pay dat mahn hes monney!").

You have to be willing to risk death (or at least losing all your chips! haha) to live. I know how to play aggressively -- tournament poker calls for controlled and well timed aggression. Let's see how well i can implement that credo with the number of chips i'm starting with today!

Rocky

so i'm going to rent Rocky tonight for some inspiration. the underdog can do it. eye of the tiger, baby. i have more chips than a lot of players left from days 1a and 1b, and i have time to be patient and find some good spots.

i was a little bit frustrated after finishing day 1 without ever picking up a hand. but i know my time will come. with 50 big blinds to start the day, i have lots of play (and fight!) left in me. i will focusing on playing my best poker and putting my chips in ahead. i felt comfortable the entire day on friday, and i thought i played pretty well, it was just one of those times where the cards didn't break for me.

there were 2 hands that i bluffed where i lost a few chips, but i thought my reasoning and logic behind how i played them were good. they just ended up having a really solid hand. i open raised in the cutoff with 46o and the small blind, who i was targeting as probably the weakest player at our table, called. the flop was a scary KhQh8h. he made a small lead out bet and i made a small raise. the turn was a blank, and we checked it through. the river was the 9h, putting four hearts on the board. he checked to me again. at this point i'm thinking he probably has something along the lines of AQ or KT with no heart. i didn't think he could call much of a bet so i bet about 2/3 pot and he check raised. i guess i was representing his hand! damn! i think a big bet on the turn would have caused him to fold. but against such an ABC type player, i think him checking the river would normally have meant he was giving up.

the other hand was against the chip leader at our table (Marcucci Gianluca from italy) who finished the day 4th in chips in the whole tournament! he limped in MP, i raised with KJ in the cutoff. he was the only caller. we saw a 9 high flop, all hearts. (again with the hearts!!???? maybe i have a subliminal thing with bluffing heart flops...) he check called my c-bet. the turn was the Ac. check, check. the river was a brick and he checked again. now what is his range? he could have any heart...but hearts missed. he could have a hand like T9s and flopped top pair. or he could have any small pair that failed to improve. i think the latter two options were more likely, so i bet the river and he quickly called with AhQx. that guy just hit the crap out of everything all day!

i'm done thinking about friday now, and ready to think about accumulating chips tomorrow. a guy at my table on friday went from 12k chips to 55k in the span on 5 hands. my turn is coming.

i am ready to accept the chips of my competitors. if i raise it, they will come.

and now here's a link for your listening enjoyment:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mu9xx5Ri278

Some pics

I told jennifer tilly that people always ask me if we're related. I said she spells her name wrong.

Jason and brad both were funny, but not fantastic poker players. They both had more chips than me though so what do i know. Jason said he was thinking about calling an all in raise for 11x the bet on a flop of 789 after he had already called a big bet on the flop with..............KJ! That was the set of 9s vs JT hand that was a 55k pot.

How do i not have chips?

Day 2 coming up

Ugh. No cards. I think i won 2 hands in the last 3 hours of play. Meanwhile guys are flopping quads and getting paid off (happened again on my last table), flopping nut straight vs top set and doubling thru, making the nut flush vs a smaller flush, etc.

Stack is 20k. Next level on tuesday is 200-400-50, so i have fold equity at least. The 1 flop i hit hard was limped. I checked with 56ss in the BB. Flop was 9s7s5c. I bet 2/3rd pot. 1 caller, then the small blind makes it 4500 with 9k behind. If he was shorter or if i was i might have gambled, but i had to see 2 cards, so i can't just call. Folded.

TT called a raise from brad garrett. 4 ways to the flop of KJ8. I fold.

I had TT again on the button and raised a limper. Flop is 7 high and he calls my bet. Turn 5, check check. River puts a 4 straight and completes a flush and he bets 5k. Ugh again.

After my table broke, i got moved to a seat with mark gregorich on my left, jason alexander, and brad garrett. Lots of cameras and boom mics hovering over me. Don't think i'll be in any of the shots though cuz they were both across the table from me, so the cameras were at my back.

Thanks for reading. Think good thoughts for tuesday, when i play again.

Break #3

Still having trouble getting anything going. I won a pot with KK, but really have had crap else. Chip count is ~24k. Next level is the last level of the night.

2 players busted during the last level. One was pretty amazing(ly bad). Tightest player at the table re-raises from the blinds, gets 4 bet by the inital raiser, and then calls all in for 22k with QQ (!) vs AA. I think he was just frustrated at the relatively slow pace compared with online play.

Grinding.....

Dinner break

Different schedule this year. 2 levels, dinner break, then 2 more levels.

Still just under 30k. Can't get any traction. The pots i've won recently, i bluffed. I called the button's open in the BB with K7o and check raised the AA9 flop. He folded.

Then i open limped on the button with A6dd and flopped nothing but bet when checked to. Turn check check. I fired the river with A high when he checked to me again (mike wattel's brother) and he folded.

Just before the break, i limp/called with 45dd. I flopped a pair and a flush draw and wattel flopped top pair with AQ. He made runner runner boat, so i at least i got that going for me.

Next level is 150-300 so still a lot of play with 27k chips.

The italian guy on my right is running so sickly hot....it's like sharifi on a good day! He had AA twice and KK in the span of 10 min and won big pots with all 3. This is the same guy who flopped quads and got 3 way action all the way to the river. He's probably got close to 70k.

Wow!

I've never seen that in any game of poker. Huge commotion on the table right next to us. Reporters running from all corners to see the bad beat of the year!
89hh makes a J high straight flush and loses to KQhh with a royal flush!!

Holding pretty steady myself at just under 30k chips.

Table change!

They finally got enough tables in the amazon room to move all tables in here. Same people at my table but now we're in the middle of chaos next to cash games and clacking chips. Table Red 106.

1st break

At about 28k chips from starting stack of 30k.

No big pots yet. Had 2 black Queens early in the small blind and squeezed an UTG raiser. They both called. Flop is K high with two diamomds. I basically gave him the hand to a 3k bet and call.

Raised with KK a bit later, got the standard 2 callers and check / folded the A high flop.

At my table are a bracelet winner from a couple weeks ago and the guy who fought with jeff lisandro heads up for 5 hours for the $10k stud hi/lo bracelet last week. Only really 1 weak spot at the table and he's run pretty hot so far.

We've already had a 40k+ pot at the table. Flop is 553cc. Turn 4c, making 3 different straight flushes possible. Turn action was bet raise raise...call call. River action was bet raise raise again! Fold and fold. The middle guy showed 33 for a flopped boat, and the guy in position showed his flopped quads! The other guy folded the A high flush. Wow.

They've said that we're only playing 4 levels today. Oh yeah, and the first level was 50-100, not 25-50. So the deep stacks weren't quite as deep as i thought going in.

Wish me luck!

Pre Game

Plunked down the bank wrap of $10k last night and got my seat assignment for today. I'm in the Brasilia Room, Table 158, Seat 7. Not too often do you hand over that amount of cash and get only a little piece of paper in return.

The Brasilia Room is across the hallway from the main tournament room (Amazon Room), so I figure its likely our tables will be breaking earlier rather than later.

Anyway, thanks for rooting me on!

Hello World!

This blog will serve to update all you interested readers of my progress in the World Series of Poker Main Event 2009.

I am flying into Vegas on July 2, and plan to buy in for Day 1a of the $10,000 Main Event, which is on July 3. If Day 1a is somehow sold out when I get there on Thursday night, I'll have to play on Saturday, July 4. That's right, Independence Day. What's more American than a day full of playing poker? (Actually, I hope to spend it with my family BBQ'ing and having a few beers, while not melting in the Vegas heat. Shout outs to my wife and 9 week old baby daughter, Logan! --------------->)

Anyway, you can check back here for updates during the tournament as I will be posting "live" updates to things like my chip stack, any big hands that i've played, the numbers of people i've busted, random musings / thoughts, etc. We're starting with 30,000 tournament chips this year, and with 2 hour blind levels, there is a lot of time to accumulate chips and a lot of people to eliminate before the final table.

Let's dooooooooo thiiiiiisssssssss!