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Saturday, I took part in the $1,000 buy-in “Stimulus Event” at the WSOP. As expected, the place was a zoo of people and just got worse the closer that we got to the start of the event. Around 3,000 players started Day 1a of the event, and I was one of those located in the Brasilia Room.

The chips for all of Brasilia.

My table was the pretty standard mix of players. There was one guy in seat 10 that you could tell liked to gamble it up. Everything about him screamed that he was going to be active early. We had a couple of kids at the table that clearly were online players, and a couple that you could tell primarily played live.

A Fortunate Double-Up

It didn’t take long for me to get involved in a big pot. I was in the cutoff and picked up Ad-Jh. I raised and received two callers pre-flop from the button and small blind. The flop fell Jd-9d-4d. It was checked to me and I actually checked here in the hopes of either doing a check raise or maybe flat calling and trying to take it away on the turn. The diamonds did not concern me too much. I was surprised when the button bet and the small blind then raised. However, the small blind made a mistake here. He didn’t raise enough to push me out of the pot. I called the bet as did the button.

The turn came an ace. The small blind checked to me and I declared all-in. The button started shuffling his chips, but he was almost dancing, so I figured he must have flopped a set and probably would call. Sure enough, he called. The small blind folded. The button turned over pocket nines for a set and I showed my top two with flush draw. I was still not in horrible shape as I had 13 outs to win the hand. The river fell the Qd and I more than doubled up with the nut flush.

I found out I was even luckier than I thought as the small blind had flopped a flush too, but didn’t have the stones to call my all-in bet. However, Ill take it.

After this, David Levi finally arrived and was assigned to our table. I wish I could tell you some amazing stories about playing against him, but I never got a hand against him and he never got above 5,000 chips I believe. He busted by the 2nd break.

Czech Republic Hyper Aggressive

This kid from the Czech Republic was moved to our table and was playing very aggressively. He tried to steal my blind almost every time, and if I raised. He saw a flop and would try and take the pot from me. He was able to do so a bit because I was missing a lot of flops.

Well, my strategy for this type of player is to trap him, and that’s what happened. Long story short, I limp in with pocket sevens and then call a raise from him. Naturally, I was set mining. This time I hit. As was his typical style, he bet into me. At this point, I put on a nice Hollywood show. The board was 8s-7d-6s. While there was a possible straight out there, I didn’t figure him for that weak of a holding. I figured him to either have a largish pair or A-K at best. I really put him on a “let’s pick on the tight player” hand.

After appearing to anguish for a while, I raised to 2,000. A couple of older players gave me the “you did not just do that” look with a bit of a smirk. The kid just looked confused. The kid finally put me all-in and I called. He actually held pocket 10’s and did have a straight draw. The draw never hit and I moved up to around 12,000 in chips.

A Long Evening of Treading Water

After doubling through the Czech Republic kid, I pretty much tread water around 12k until around level 7. At that point, I went pretty much card dead and found very few chances to steal.

Luckily we were moved to the Amazon Room and our table broke shortly afterwards. I was hoping to pick up some cards at this new table because we had several big stacks.

Level 8

Level 8 was going to either make me or break me as we were at 300 – 600 blinds with a 75 ante. I had around 8k in chips. This older gentleman who was clearly a live player moved all-in from middle position for around 5,100. I looked down to pocket jacks and push. Everyone else folds and we are off to the races. He has sevens. I survive the jack and turn, but the river spikes a seven and the guy doubles up through me.

I am left with 3,000 chips at this point and then proceed to try and scrap my way back. I was dealt A-Q, pocket Aces, pocket Kings, and each time, I raised and didn’t receive any action. I got my stack back up to around 5,500 and then went cold again.

The last hand of the level, I have around 3,800 and the button. There was one limper and when I looked down, I have A-6. I decide to shove here. It is folded to the limper, who calls with A-3. Sadly, he spikes a 3 and my day is done at the end of level 8, one level short of Day 2.

Summary

For the most part, I am happy with my play during the Stimulus Event. As it turned out, I was knocked out with around 450 of the original 3,000 starting players. It was good to make a decent showing. I just wish that the jacks hand was different. I win that hand, and we are likely talking about Day 2 right now instead of talking about it being a “great experience.”

I still have at least one more WSOP event left. I will be playing the $1,500 Limit Holdem event, which is Event #26. I cashed in that event in 2006 and 2007, so I hope to make it three for three in cashes and maybe make a deeper run. (I finished 47th in 2007, but didn’t play it in 2008 due to obligations with my live reporting.)