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This year was my first WSOP, and after twelve events, I think it’s safe to say that nearly everyone I speak to is impressed with the overall success and well being of poker. I held my positive outlook on this summer despite all the negative opinions I read or heard. One month before the Series, I felt there was a slight chance that I missed the peak of poker popularity and that I might never have a true WSOP experience, one that I was only vaguely familiar with through ESPN.
I drove to Vegas from Texas with my friend and poker player David Benefield (online alias “Raptor”). We towed a U-Haul trailer filled with our computer equipment, plasma
TVs, enough clothes for a couple months, and my dog. We rented a huge house that we coined “The Compound” for 8 of us to stay in during the 45 days of the WSOP. The Compound is stacked with amenities, including a pool, basketball court, tennis court, and movie theatre. I arrived with very high hopes and anxiously awaited my first WSOP event.
I am now over halfway through the 2007 WSOP, and I am very fortunate to be able to say that I am content with my results so far. My first WSOP cash was in Event 15, the 5k Pot Limit Hold’em Championship. This was a very tough field throughout the tournament, a huge challenge. I maintained a large stack all the way through until the final table where I ended up placing 6th, busting to Allen Cunningham, who won a bracelet for his 3rd straight year.
This was an ESPN final table and it really was a special experience that I can’t wait to relive. Unfortunately, I was disappointed in a few aspects that I hope can one day be fixed. My biggest concern is with the poor final table structure. I just think it would have been such an amazing experience to be at that stage of a tournament, with that class of players, and be able to play deeper stacked. ESPN is getting good footage for entertainment, but I think there is also a ton of great entertainment they are missing by not allowing skilled players to really maximize their abilities and open up their games.
The next day, I played in the $2,500 NL event with no luck. After that, I decided I would mix it up a bit and play at the Bellagio the next day for a $2,500 Bellagio Cup event. It was a great change of pace and I enjoyed playing in the newly fashioned Fontana lounge. I ended up 8th out of around 100 for a tiny cash.
I felt so unsatisfied thus far. I had played hard and made it very close to two wins. I began Event 25, a $2,000 NL event, with the same mentality as always: to try my hardest to own this tournament. I was patient throughout Day 1, and it wasn’t until Day 2 when I had two giant hands that almost doubled me each time versus other chip leaders. I ended Day 2 busting the 10th place finisher. Heading into the final table as chip leader, I fully expected to win and I was completely focused the whole day. Unfortunately I lost a hand for almost 2/3 of the chips in play, with JJ vs. K-Q all in pre-flop, and I busted 5th.
This was a sequestered final table, where only two guests are allowed per player. All players and guests must give up their cell phones for the whole time they are sequestered, as well as having to be escorted anywhere out of the black curtained-off final table area. These precautions were pretty awkward, although I watched a few of the WSOP live internet broadcasts and was very impressed with the professionalism and entertainment of the segments.
A couple of events later, another one of the compound roommates, Alan Sass, finaltabled the $2,500 6-Handed event. I attended the sequestered final table, as he entered the day 2nd in chips, barely behind Hoyt Corkins. Alan played amazingly, but unfortunately it was Hoyt’s day, as any hand he had was unbeatable. I was just as happy to see Alan make the final table as I was that I had made mine. He handled a pretty terrible bad beat from Hoyt very well as he automatically shrugged it off and headed to the cashier.
The living situation with the guys has worked out great so far. There is always someone up doing something at all hours. It’s really nice to bust out of a tournament and instantly feel better once you arrive at The Compound, as the different groups of people offer activities for the evening including going out for dinner, going to a club and getting a table, watching a movie, bowling, beer pong, and tons of prop betting games.
We keep getting very close to the prize and I will be disappointed until next year if none of us leaves the compound with a bracelet. All in all, I am very happy to be successful in my first WSOP. But, I am exponentially happier to see the success that poker continues to generate. Poker is a game of diversity and that is why I believe it will always thrive.
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