A Series of Events by Jeff Madsen

Needless to say, the World Series of Poker is responsible for my notoriety as a player ... and without question, coming into the 2007 WSOP I had some high expectations for myself to perform at the level at which I knew I could perform. I recognized that the coming six weeks would be a journey and that the path that this World Series would take me on could be either glorious or devastating. One way or the other, I was excited, nervous, and, to be honest, a little flustered psychologically. Only time would tell.

Sadly, I did not play this event, mainly because I am not and never have been a casino employee. Meanwhile, a player who claims to be my friend gambles away $25,000 of my money online without my permission. Not a fun note to begin the Series. At least I still reign supreme as the youngest bracelet winner of all time!

Jun. 01 – Jun. 03: Event 1 – $5,000 World Championship Mixed Hold’em (Limit/No Limit)

I play well and go deep into Day 1. My limit game, to my surprise, is better then I thought it could be. However, I falter late and end up donking like the donkey I am. Two days later, some punk Steve Bilirakis wins this event as I watch from the sidelines and he becomes the youngest bracelet winner at 21 years, 10 days. I am not bitter at all. Nope... (tears).

My game is good, but I can tell that mentally I am in a different place than I was last year. This Series is certainly going to be an exercise in becoming comfortable and focused in what I do — and playing my top game. Hopefully I buckle down, as I have made a large crossbooking bet with Gavin Smith for the entire World Series. It’s okay though, not tooooo worried about Gavin, aha, haha, hehehahah...

I don’t play Pot Limit Hold’em events generally, and this tournament was no exception. Gavin does. Being the luckbox he is, he sucks out at least 400 times and finishes in 2nd place for $150,000 (more tears). Although on tilt because of his instant surge in our bet, I do feel for him since coming that close without winning the coveted bracelet must be tough to swallow.

This event I do play. I like that the WSOP schedule this year includes many more mixed tournaments like this instead of being another No Limit donkeyfest. Limit tournaments allow me to slow down and remember that I’m capable of playing solid without having to outplay everyone every hand. But this one doesn’t work out.

Despite what I just said about Limit tournaments, I was referring mainly to Limit mixed games rather than Limit Hold’em. Because I’m a No Limit Hold’em player, I find Limit Hold’em to be excruciating most of the time. Although I’m not bad at it — in fact, I can be quite good at it when I put in the effort — I generally decide that it’s more fun to play super aggressive and try to get it all in every hand, although that is impossible when my usual stack is 50 bets.

This is an expensive one. I wonder at what point during the Series I will start to realize how much money I’m dropping in such a short amount of time on all these events. Skip it.

I make the minimum number of rebuys and make it past the rebuy period with a nice stack. I’m moved to a table with Shannon Shorr, my alter ego and the only stack who can bust me. I limp with Q-Q; he raises, after which he says that he didn’t see me limp. I reraise, and he pushes, thinking I only raised because of his comment. He has A-Q, and yada, yada, yada, I’m left heading to my car steaming. I take little solace in the fact that he is in a wheelchair.

I got third in an Omaha High/Low tournament last year. This means I don’t suck at this game. But on this day, I believe I do suck at it ... mentally I am already feeling some fatigue.

Besides my crossbook bet with Gavin Smith, I have a more public bet with Gavin and Joe Sebok for the entire WSOP, which is similar to last year when Joe had to wear a different goofy costume each day of the Main Event as a result of Gavin having a better WSOP. This year it is a three-way competition in which we chose all the No Limit events and three wildcard events that each person would count in the bet. The person who does the best in these events — based on the point system we established — is the winner. The fun part? The two losers must dress up as court jesters during the Main Event and carry the winner in on a throne as long as he is still in. Sounds like it’s going to be a fun experience no matter what happens... right?

On days of events I don’t play, I generally work on getting my new Vegas house organized and put together. It is a fun experience, but it is also a huge responsibility to get together all the things needed for a home. I’ve never been to Bed Bath and Beyond so many times.

Speaking of Shannon Shorr, today is our birthdays. I think I’m actually a few hours older than he is, so he had better respect his elders. Despite being a bracelet winner in a shorthanded Hold’em event, my head is not in this one and it is a rare early exit for me this Series. I go to dinner with friends, but don’t really party for whatever reason. There will be plenty of that in coming weeks.

This is probably my least favorite game. It is like watching paint dry, but less fun and less productive. I don’t play.

Jun. 08 – Jun. 10: Event 13 - $5,000 World Championship Pot Limit Hold’em

I feel stressed from the expectations I have put on myself and from the pressure I feel from other people and the media. I guess I haven’t realized that not cashing in the first week of the WSOP isn’t something I should be disappointed about. This is how poker is, especially if I keep worrying myself. The prop bets I have made with various people aren’t helping my mindset either.

I find that I am going fairly deep in most of the tournaments I am playing. This can be more frustrating — playing 10-14 hours and then busting when the money is in sight. At the same time, I know this means I am playing pretty well; I just need finishing power and a good psychological attitude. My mind wanders to the fact that I put in countless hours and good poker play to win the Player of the Year award in 2006, and didn’t get a truck like Cunningham and Negreanu. Or a trophy. Or a plaque. Or even a $20 gift certificate to Foot Locker. I feel underappreciated.

My parents come into town to support me. I had asked Jeffrey Pollack, the COMMISSIONER OF THE WORLD SERIES OF POKER, if he could get a room comped for them at the RIO for a night or two while they are here supporting me, the 2006 WORLD SERIES OF POKER PLAYER OF THE YEAR. He replied that if I sent him an email he could possibly get them a pretty good rate on a room, but could not comp it. You are too good to me, Mr. Pollack.

Jun. 10 – Jun. 12: Event 17 – $1,000 Ladies World Championship No Limit Hold’em

I consider attempting to pass as a manly, curveless, poker femme fatale to go for another bracelet, but decided against. Speaking of ladies, I had been in a relationship for a few months and it was coming to an end around this point. It can be difficult to deal with personal issues while trying to play good poker, and this situation weighed on my already shaky mental state.

Again, #%&* Limit. Distracted by my story about the glorious Mr. Pollack, I had forgotten to mention that I made my first Day 2 of the Series in the $2,500 H.O.R.S.E. event, with my parents cheering me on. As I neared the money, something fell apart and I busted. For some reason, this was the most upset I had ever been after busting from a poker tournament — possibly even more so than the 8th place in San Jose. It is never good to play the game in such an emotional state, and my devastated reaction after this tourney really wasn’t a good sign.

Maybe I should take a little break, but although emotional, I am determined and playing fairly well.

Again, a game that I finished third in last year. I play aggressive and focused and have chips for much of the tournament. With 32 players paid, I once more have some sort of mental fizzle and drop to an extremely short stack very close to the money. I hear from the tournament director something about going on dinner break early, supposedly because one of the players wants to get to a particular restaurant by a certain time. I object to this, other players object to this; I do not want to go on dinner break as the short stack when we are only a few from the money. With 25 minutes on the clock to go until dinner break, the decision is made to break early because of ONE player’s dinner reservations. We are one from the money. I am the shortest stack. I am steaming. This is one of the worst decisions I have seen made by a floor staff. Regardless, I sneak into my first cash of the Series and bust in 24th. Oh well.

I don’t play, but end up doing commentary for the live sequestered table; I want to watch Negreanu and Lindgren play and maybe win the bracelet. It is a plus that people at home get to watch these tables live, but the notion that players who have waited possibly their whole lives to make a WSOP final table can’t even have a group to cheer them on and see them make history in person is a huge negative and is not in the spirit of how poker should be. Hopefully the WSOP will take the players into account in the future when making certain decisions, as opposed to focusing only on making money … the industry will benefit enormously.

I’ve mentioned that I am possibly cracking under pressure, but still playing fairly deep in many tournaments and playing well at most times. What I haven’t mentioned yet is that I am legitimately not running well as of late. This tournament is a good example: 10 hands after I sit down, I pick up 7-7. I raise, a weak player min-reraises. I call. We each have 300 of our 10,000 starting stacks invested. Flop: 10-7-3. I check, he bets, I raise, he reraises, and I push. He thinks and calls with Q-Q, proclaiming, “I’ll gamble.” Sigh. At least the queen fell on the turn and not the river. This kind of tournament makes me think about the money and how fast it is leaving my wallet. Deeeep breath.

My first month living in Vegas has been tumultuous. There are so many good friends and experiences here and already I am starting to get used to the crazy Vegas lifestyle. I have managed to balance partying and poker well enough, but when it comes to poker it has been tough. The WSOP is hardly half over, so hopefully I can find more positives than negatives in the second half. I need to start having fun at the table again.

Jun. 14 – Jun. 16: Event 24 - $3,000 World Championship 7-card Stud High/Low 8/OB

Early in this tournament, I am doing well and take some chips from Eli Elezra in a few pots. He is quite shortstacked. Hours in, I lose focus and play some pots poorly and bust. Days later, I see that Eli Elezra has won the tournament and his first bracelet. This is really an important lesson for me … why does my mind let unfortunate circumstances affect my possibility of future success? I can’t keep putting this sort of pressure on myself by thinking that yesterday’s bad beat or a lack of success up to this point has anything to do with the future. It only does if I really think it does. There is always the chance for a comeback.

Tune in next time for the second half of my journey through the World Series of Poker … and see if I can ever figure myself out.