My First Major Poker Tournament

The Sitch

OK, I'll be the first to admit that I am jumping on the bandwagon once again. Poker is the hottest game today and I'm one of thousands who's getting in on the act.

I decided a few months ago that I would compete in one of the World Series of Poker circuit events. At first I chose San Diego, but because of time, I couldn't make it. I then realize that my aunt lives in Carson City just an hour from Lake Tahoe. So let's kill two birds with one stone. My wife constantly reminds me that we planned our vacation around a poker tournament.

The Preparation

For weeks leading up to the event, I'm doing two things: playing in online and live tournaments and reading books.

I competed in my first live non-home game, no limit tournament at the Bicycle casino about a month before the WSOP in Tahoe. I'm competing against 140 other people and I make it to 27th place. Just 9 seats from the money. My style of play was survive and watch myself get blinded out.

A few defining moments, I had top a pair (kings) and was raised over the top. I'm a little scared. He's practically put me all in. I call and was right. He was bluffing.

Then a professional comes to the table with a huge stack of chips. I have pocket fives. The board hits 3-4-6. Pair and opened straight draw. I put in a standard raise. The pro decides to put me all in. I reluctantly fold. In hindsight, I should have called. I think he just had high cards. I think my five beat him and I might have gotten the straight on the turn or river. Bad fold.

Then I just blinded out. The lesson of the night be aggressive. When short stacked, go all-in with good hands and try to steal blinds or double up.

Studying

What did I do when my wife was in the ER, having surgery and I was wasting away in jury duty? Reading books and watching the World Poker Tour on DVD. Why so much studying? I basically wanted to get the feel how professionals approach a tournament. What kind of game plan do they have. What starting hands.

Physical Preparation

Tournaments are grueling, so I had to be physically prepared. I've learned that it's impossible for me to play under the following conditions: hungry, sleepy and in pain. The day of the WSOP I was suffering from all three.

I guess the excitement of the event kept me from sleeping the night before. I think I got about 3 hours of sleep. I went to Target and bought some no-doze. It worked perfectly.

I also showed up about 4 hours early and went to the buffet, so I was good food wise. I made sure that I didn't eat anything that would want to leave my body early. Lots of protein, carbs and fruit and definitely no cheese. This plan again worked perfect.

The pain aspect though was different. I started getting a headache about an hour into the tournament. I think it was due to me cutting back on caffeine and then taking a huge dose in the No-doz. The sunglasses that I was wearind didn't help because I was straining to see a little more than usual. Once I felt the onset of a headache, I had to learn to relax my body and try to reduce any stress that I was placing on myself. This worked to some extent.

The Event

The day before the event is went to purchase my seat. I knew there was going to be trouble when I got my seat assignment at table 30. Have 300 people already signed up?

In San Diego, this event had 140 people signed up. When I got to my seat in Tahoe, I was informed that there were 542 people signed up. This was going to be a long day. To make matters worse, our table was playing 11 handed. By the time the tournament started we all found out the first place would win over $30,000 and that seats 45 and down would earn money. That's means I had to outlast only 497 people. Sure I've done that online, how much different can a live game be?...mommy!?!

I love these chips. They are official WSOP chips for the Tahoe tournament. They are really clay too. Not the plastic feeling stuff from Fry's or Walmart. This is authentic.

I was also surprised by the blind structure. We were all give $1,000 in chips and the blinds started at $25/$25. That seems like a lot but most tournaments I play in start at $1,500 to $2,000. My concern was that fact that I had only 40 bets before I was out of the tournament. I had to build chips fast, but I couldn't at the same time risk everything.

The first hand was uneventful. Someone stole the blinds. The second hand I would steal the blinds on a stone cold bluff (9-4). Then I basically had to wait for good hands. Later I was dealt pocket queens. Player in early position raised, then I reraised, then he came over the top. The question that I had, was I going to risk my tournament early on a pair of queens. That answer was no. I didn't want to go out this soon. I folded my hand.

After the first break I was at $1,600 in chips. Not bad. After 90 minutes I was moved to another table of guys with more money than me. I sat back and waited. Couple of notes of interest. After about seven hands, two guys were shorted stacked and moved all in. It came to me and I was holding Ace-Queen. I immediately called. I paired my ace and knocked both guys out. I was now at $5,000 in chips.

The guy sitting to my right was going all in with pocket pairs. Soon, he went all in when everyone folded to him. I knew he had pocket pair, but how good. I looked and my cards and saw Ace-King. It was going to be more than half my chips to call. I think that no self-respecting card player would fold Big Slick at this point. I called and he hit a jack on the turn to double up. Ace-Queen, Ace-Jack I might have folded, but not Big Slick.

Two hands later I was in the big blind with 4-6 and got to see a free flop. The flop came up 3-5-7. Nice flop. I checked and the chip leader, who is on my left raised. I called. On the turn, he raises again and I call. All the time, he's looking at me funny. So on the river, I assumed he felt he was in trouble. My only thought was that I need to raise enough that he'll call me. If I just check, I won't get anything, because he'll check too. If I raise too much he'll fold, thinking I have a hand (which I did). I raised $400 and it was small enough for him to invest. I quickly took the pot.

After that were several failed attempts to hit the flop. Our table was soon dissolved and moved to a table where I was immediately the big blind. Great, now I'm running out of chips, I'm in about $3,000, but now antes have kicked in and the blinds are at $100/$200. I'm now officially shorted stacked. Now I need to pick spots where I can go all in. If I had Ace high, two paint cards or a pocket pair I went all in. This worked about six times. It also gave me some flexibility to play a hand or two.

Now my table is dissolved again. I move right next to the featured table. With blinds moving up, I'm still short stacked. I have to double up to survive. I'm in the small blind, player in 6th position raises. So if I call I'm all in. I have Ace-Ten. I fold. I'm thinking this is a mistake.

I'm now the dealer. It's folded to me and I have K-9 suited. I go all in. The big blind and chip leader calls me. He has Ace-Jack. Jack hits the flop. I'm toast.

I exit in 78th place. Just 30 from the money, but I bested 464 players. But then again, I was as much money and the guy who went out first. Overall, a great, yet disappointing tournament. I'll definitely be back next year.