DAY TWO - 5/24
Listen, here's the thing. Poker is an easy game. You just get the money in bad and win.
My first attempt at the Wynn $600 was a dramatic affair. After a few slow levels, I managed to pick off a pot-sized river bet with A7o on a double-paired TT8x8 board. That brought me up to about 40k from 30k starting. At some point the seat to my immediate right was vacated and then populated by a Tough Player (TP) with high six figures in Hendon winnings. He mostly folded for the first orbit or two until the following spot came up.
Folds to TP in the BTN. He opens to 2k (800 blind level). I look down at AsJs in the SB and decide this is too strong to just call. I make it 5k. TP jams for his 24k stack. Now I'm facing a tough decision. Do we call off 25 more BB here with AJs in a blind vs. button situation against a wizard? By my rough calculation, we need about 40% to justify the call. AJs is flipping with stuff like 88-TT. We're ahead of wheel hands and non-ace paint combos like KQ, KJ. We're in rough shape against AQ+ and big pairs.
It felt like a close spot for me, especially with the suited variety of AJ, which adds a few percentage points. However, it may just be a pure fold for the sake of preserving our stack. I may have also leveled myself by giving TP too much credit for making next level plays, knowing his history of strong results. I ended up calling it off and was greeted by the ugly sight of AdKd. I flopped a jack...but he also flopped a king. No drama on the turn or river and I ship about 2/3 of my stack his way. Cooler or misplay? Maybe a bit of both? I lean towards it probably just being a sigh/fold after his 4-bet rip, but as mistakes go, it's at least somewhat understandable.
I was left with about 12k after that slip-up when another weird spot came up.
I open KQo UTG to 1.8k. UTG+2 flats. UTG+3, an aggro short stack who has just lost a huge pot, jams for about 10k total. It folds back around to me and I have another tricky decision. I feel like we're in pretty decent shape against UTG+3 since the steam factor and short stack frustration factor weigh heavily. I'm a little worried about UTG+2's flat, but him just flatting likely removes most AK, TT+, and maybe AQ from his range. If we're up against medium pairs, random paint hands, and weak Ax most of the time here then jamming our KQo seems good, so I rip for 12k. However, as it turns out, UTG+2 had near the top of his flatting range (AJo) and called. It was KQ vs. AJ vs. KJs.
I often complain about getting it in good and losing, so I have to acknowledge when I get it in bad and get lucky. A beautiful Q arrived immediately on the flop. Nobody improved on the turn or river. Suddenly, after being down in the danger zone, I have a new lease on life. I'm back over the starting stack.
I make a few more hands and leave for dinner break with a healthy stack of 70k, over 2x starting.
I come back from the break and win a quick one by 4-betting AKo vs. a BTN 3-bet. He folds. That brings me up to 80k with the BB at 1.5k.
A New Player (NP) arrives with a healthy stack two seats behind me. UTG folds. NP makes it 3.5k in the UTG+1 seat. Action folds around to SB, who calls. I look down at a beautiful AA in the BB. It's the first time I've seen AA all trip and there's action in front of me. I'm doing cartwheels on the inside, but on the outside I remain calm. I don't think slow playing is ever good here against an EP open and another caller. We have to raise. I land on 14k for the 3-bet size. After my raise, action is back on NP. Now I start praying.
Please have a hand, please have a hand, please have a hand. My prayers are answered when he slides out a chunky 4-bet to approximately 40k. SB folds and it's back on me. There's really only one move here. ALL-IN. NP calls quickly.
My AA is up against his JJ. Great spot for us.
However, the flop is a scary one. KQT. We're not behind, but we don't love it either. Any 9 or ace makes a straight for our opponent.
The poker gods send express delivery pain with an instant 9 on the turn.
Now I'm drawing to two outs, cruelly needing the very same jacks that my opponent holds in his hand.
River is a brick and I'm out of the tournament. I would've been sitting on approximately 5.5x starting stacks, worth maybe $2.5-3k in real-life EV.
Instead I'm left with another joyless march out of the Wynn, wondering how it's possible to run so bad in the big all-ins.
What I'm feeling is not nausea or pain, but a sensation of bewilderment. Is this real life or am I the subject of a cosmic practical joke?
It's frustrating, but you have to step back and look at the bigger picture. I got it in bad a couple times earlier in this event. I easily could've lost the KQ vs. AJ vs. KJ spot. The AA < JJ bad beat never would have been possible if I hadn't sucked out earlier. In that sense, I was lucky to even still be in the tournament.
There are lots of ways to bust tournaments and none of them are fun. This was a gross one, but it's just one result. I can't let it linger. We have three full days of poker left on the trip and several bullets to fire at other stuff. If I try to be process-oriented instead of focusing on the disgusting conclusion to today's session, I think I played well overall. Apart from the AJs spot, which doesn't seem horrendous, I struggle to think of other glaring mistakes. Mostly I was calm, confident, and making good decisions. All you can do is control what you can control, so that's the plan. We return tomorrow to the torture chamber for another lesson in misery.