Friday, July 11, 2014 (Day 4)
***Obviously, with the in-depth detail I'm giving here, it's pretty easy to look up who I am and how I finished. I appreciate how those of you who have done that haven't posted the end result yet!!
746 players left. With 206,500 in chips, I was in 388th place. The top 693 get paid. I wasn't too interested in that mark. Obviously, cashing the Main would be a terrific accomplishment, and I'd be lucky to add it to my poker resume, so to speak.....but I wanted to make a real run here. Another very tough table draw....
Seat 1 - Felix Kuermayr, 250,500 - From Vienna...."FaceMyAlterEgo" online, a top player in 2012 & 2013
Seat 2 - Jens Kyllonen, 224,000 - From Finland....super high-stakes player, played the One Drop in 2012, played for 100% of himself
Seat 3 - Kojiro Mizukami, 274,000 - From Japan, had one previous tournament cash lifetime....so it was natural to underestimate him going in, but he played a lot of hands, and played them all pretty well
Seat 4 - Frederic Bertrand, 141,500 - From France.....didn't play many hands
Seat 5 - Christos Papulis, 245,500 - From Vegas....mentioned prior to the bubble something to the effect of, "I need this, I have $47 to my name"....and everybody kinda laughed. He said "I'm serious".....turns out he won a massive freeroll to get into the Main, offered to sell some of his action, couldn't find any takers, and then made the money. Cool story and I was really happy for him to make the money! (I see now he cashed for $22,678)
Seat 6 - Jolmer Meelis, 224,500 - From the Netherlands...on Day 3, I read a Pokernews report about how a guy basically snap-called for his tournament life on the river with Ace-high.....it was good....that guy was Mr. Meelis...scary to say the least
Seat 7 - Ryan Tepen, 68,500 - Circuit Grinder....busted pretty quickly after the bubble
Seat 8 - Steve Brecher, 183,000 - $2.8 million in career tournament earnings. A complete class act, as you all might expect
Seat 9 - That would be me with 206,500 in chips
Continuation of Level 15: 2000-4000 with a 500 ante (about an hour left in this level)
I lost the first hand I played, and was down to about 180,000 in chips before this hand....
I raised with 99 to 8.5k. Jens called behind me, and Meelis called in the big blind. Flop: 9cl-4cl-3cl....Meelis checked to me, I bet 14k, Jens called, Meelis called....Turn: 5s. Meelis led out with 33k....I called, Jens called. The river was an absolutely gorgeous 5h. Meelis bet 55k, I shoved for about 115k, Jens folded....Meelis shrugged while putting his chips in and said "you have 9s?" I said yes, and he showed 44. A sick cooler, and I'll certainly take it.
We played about 5 hands over the next 25-30 minutes before the bubble burst. Meelis and Tepen were nursing short stacks and both would tank for 2 minutes every hand before the clock would be called and they would fold.
Bubble bursts, everybody cheers, one table ordered a bottle of champagne. I gave a nice golf-clap but in my mind it was back to business.....
Level 16: 2500-5000 with a 500 ante
I was moved to a new table pretty quickly after the bubble burst...
Notes aren't great for this level.....I'm pretty sure I 3bet 3 hands in a row....first one was on the button with A9s (got 4bet and folded), then in cutoff with JJ, then in hijack with AK (those two 3bets got all folds)
Ended this level with 475,500 in chips
Level 17: 3000-6000 with a 1000 ante
I raised to 13k in the hijack with 74cl. The button, an older gentleman by the name of Joe, called. (Joe had played a decent amount of hands leading up to this, and was constantly involved in big pots)....
Flop: 5-3-3 with one club. I check, Joe bets 21k, I float here.
Turn: 6d. That's nice. Haha. I check, Joe bets 33k, I call.
River: 2s. I check, Joe bets 78k, I snap call, he says "straight" and shows 44. I obviously missed value here if I'm being strictly results-oriented, but other than 44 I don't see what hand I beat that would call a river check-raise besides a high pocket pair, which he'd have 3-bet preflop. With that hand, I was up to 615k.
I 3bet A5cl in the cutoff later, and was 4bet again by the same guy who 4bet me last time. I couldn't pull the trigger on a 5bet or a call and just laid it down.
Later on, the cutoff raised to 13k with about 110k behind, it folded around to me in the big blind.....I looked down at AQ and put all the chips in. He called with AK.....he holds, and I'm down to 435k.
On Day 1 of the Main, I met ESPN.com's Andrew Feldman. We had known each other through Twitter, I had previously worked at an ESPN Radio-affiliate in Dallas. Now I'm trying to pursue a career in politics, in case anyone cares. Andrew promised an end of Day 4 interview if I made it that far.
Now back to mid-Day 4, Andrew brought Norman Chad by. I talked with him for 3-4 minutes or so. It was an entertaining conversation, as you all might imagine.
***Side-note, in the "meeting media members" category, I also met Kevmath & Frank Op de Woerd....both really nice guys who do a great job
Shortly after Norman stopped by, Maria Ho took the seat to my right. Her first hand, she raised on the button, I 3bet in the SB with AA (nice timing)....she called. I tried to trap on the flop and turn. She checked both back, though. I value bet a blank river and she folded.
With about 5 minutes left in the level, a floorman came by and said "Please come back from dinner break early, I'm moving you all to an ESPN Featured Table"
Sweet.
I ended this level with 465,000 in chips.
The sweat during dinner was whether it'd be the primary featured table (in the "Thunderdome") or one of the secondary featured tables.
It was the ESPN main stage! We brought our chips there, filled out bio sheets, got mic'd up, and we were off!! Red Bull Robbie was calling the action on the stage.
They're using the jumbo cards at the featured tables this year, which I personally do not like at all. They're very difficult to squeeze, you have to lift the cards up too high, and I don't think they look great. I understand the RFID technology is in those cards, but can't you insert the technology into new regular-looking cards too??
Level 18: 4000-8000 with a 1000 ante
I raise 78h preflop in mid-position to win the first hand of the TV table. (I figured everybody was going to play pretty tight at the beginning, so I was planning on raising most hands in my spot)
My friend Vegas Dave gave a very light golf clap from the stands, I asked him to pick it up a little bit, and that started a new wave of rail support. I know watching the TV table live is not the same as watching poker on TV, you don't get the action hands back to back to back. So my goal was to make it fun for the people who were watching live...and to acquire some new fans along the way!
So....anybody who didn't have anyone to root for, I'd talk to, and so would Vegas Dave.....we tried to build a following of sorts, and tried to make it exciting for those people who were watching poker for the first time.
Shortly after, I raised with J8h in the cutoff. Good ol' Joe called from the SB, "Randy" called from the BB. (I had looked him up and found his name to be Phillip Lowery, but he said his name was Randy, so Randy it is!) The flop was 10-3-2 with one heart, Checked to me, I bet, they insta-folded. I received a little bit more applause.
Later, the same player who I lost AQ < AK to raised in the cutoff to 17k. I made it about 45k with AA in the big blind.....
Cutoff: "Why didn't you ship it this time?"
Me: "This looks stronger"
He folds
I think to myself "PLEASE DON'T SHOW THAT ON TV"
Everything is going great, I'm having a blast, acquiring some more fans on the rail, Red Bull Robbie is a hilarious announcer....Maria Ho is great to play with, she really makes the amateurs feel at ease, and also have some fun.
Well, then this hand happened.
I raised to 17k in the hijack with AJ. Joe called (again) on the button.
Flop: J-7-2 rainbow.....I checked, knowing Joe would bet and I'd look like a genius if this hand made the TV coverage.....Joe did bet, and I called.
Turn: Ace. I checked again, knowing Joe might fire one more time.....but he checked. (I look less like a genius now)
River: 7. I bet 32k.......Joe makes it 78k. I say, "I can't fold, Joe"....and toss some chips in.....he shows 7-5cl. Ugh.
I say, "Well, Joe, if I could lose to anybody....it'd be Tim" (Tim was a really nice guy who had just joined our table......the Main was Tim's first live tournament, he used $10k his grandfather had left him in his will to buy in....another great story!)
Ended this level with 241,000 in chips....uh-oh
Level 19: 5000-10000 with a 1000 ante
Seat 3 was open coming into this level.....and quickly filled by....Brian Townsend. I didn't even know he was in the tournament!
Townsend raised preflop in mid-position to 23,000....Juan Rodriguez called behind him.....Maria called in the SB.
My shove range here would be pretty wide.....and with As5d, shove is what I did.
This is where I have to give so much credit to my friend, Vegas Dave.....my "rail coordinator" had built up a group of about 10-12 fans, all cheering when I said the words "all in"....I know 10-12 doesn't sound like much.....but in a relatively quiet room, to me it felt like 10-12 thousand people.
Back to the actual action.....Townsend folded (and in my mind, I thought everyone else would fold and I'd win a big pot).....Rodriguez went allin (and in my mind, I thought my Main Event was over).....Maria folded.
Juan showed 88. So it's 88 vs As5d
"I'm kinda feelin' it!!!", I say to the rail as I stood up. Nice Guy Tim says to me "I folded an Ace"
"I'm not feelin' it as much anymore!!", I say to the rail.
Flop: Ks-2s-5s. HELLO!!!!! Best flop ever (besides, of course, a flop that would've given me the lead)
We waited about 26 seconds before seeing the turn card.....
Turn: Jd (It's never that easy)
All my new fans started shouting for the spade.......the cameras got into their positions.....the wait was about 35 seconds.
Red Bull Robbie: "Let's see the river"
River: 7s!!!!!!!!!!!
I think I gave a Tiger-like fist pump, gathered some of my chips, and then ran over to the rail. High-fived everyone, and a double fist bump for my boy Vegas Dave, who shouted, "THE MAINNNNNN BABYYYYYYYY!!!"
I'm pretty sure that hand will make the TV coverage. It was certainly a moment I'll never forget.
The rest of the night was....well, it was a blur. I was on a heater, signed an autograph for some fans from Washington, and just had an incredible time.
I ended the day with 991,000 in chips, and an interview with Andrew Feldman.
I thanked the ESPN crew that was still there, and headed back to the hotel.
Day 5 report comes tomorrow!!
