My main event journey seems a distant memory now, and reading back here, there's some gaping holes in the story, and I definitely want to fill those so here's a more detailed report.
Days 1 and 2 were a grind that's for sure. I increase my stack by about 80% both days, over the course of 5 two hour levels. It was reasonable going, and was all very stress-free. Never risked much, was not even close to being all-in. I remember a spell of maybe 4 breaks in a row where I had a chip stack of 50-52k to report!
I bagged up 96k for day 3, with blinds 800/1600 going back. Checked the seat draw and saw my roommate Scott there. I knew our table would never break, and you literally never seem to see anyone get moved in the main event either. So I knew we'd be there all day together unless one of us busted.
I'm really familiar with playing with friends of course. I've spent countless hours in cash games with my closest mates so it's just part of the job to me now, though even other poker players don't understand our ruthless attitudes when playing against each other!
This was no £1/2 game though. The stakes were really high here, and today would be the day we make the money too. Neither of us wanted to be together, we will inevitably clash and it's going to be really horrible if it's fatal.
I had such a good start on this table. The first heater of the tournament for me in fact. I was probably 98% to cash at this point. Then an absolute catastrophe of events. Bad beat after bad beat, relentless sucking out and coolers against me. Half an hour of hell and my stack was obliterated. I was in bits.
I found myself for the first point in the tournament, below 50bbs, and not just below 50, below 20. And the timing was terrible too, we were about 60 off the money. With 1000 places paid, that's pretty damn close. Not the time you want to have a short stack.
I don't pretend to be an emotional robot, I care about things like this, and believe me when I tell you - If I'd not cashed in the main event, after the car crash of a trip it had been - I would've been absolutely gutted. I can remember most of my "nut low" moments in poker, and this definitely would've been a new low.
It's not even about the money. Don't get me wrong, $15k is a big mincash and a nice chunk of money, but it wouldn't affect my life in anyway. But at that point, it seemed the most important thing in the world. It would half save the trip, it would be great for morale, it would feel good for my backers, swapees etc, and looking back on the whole trip when I get back, see my family etc, it's something I can be proud of.
None of the above would ever affect how I played my hands. And when I looked down at two eights, with about 16 big blinds, in middle position, I knew I had to go all-in. I wasn't loving it, 60 off the money, you're supposed to fold some pretty strong hands in that spot, 88 is nearing the bottom of my range to shove there, but I knew I had to do it.
Scott asks for a count.
Is he just messing about? Making me sweat? Maybe he is stalling? I daren't look at him. Please fold.
"Call".
Fuck.
It was destined to happen. When I told him the seat draw, he said "That's not good. I've got a bad feeling about this".
Please be a flip, please be a flip....
He turns over
.
Please win the flip, please win the flip.
I was in seat 9, and the way the dealer turns the cards, I had to stand up and lean over the table to see them. We wished each other good luck. Does he want to knock me out? Does he really want to win this flip? I knew I did. It meant more to me than him. He had 30bbs left.
The dealer dealt the flop. The index of the cards are so small, and my eyes aren't great. I could see two paint cards. I had to look closer to see whether the paint cards were a King or not.
. OK, not ideal, but better than a King...
Another paint card on the turn, shit!
Too many outs, this is too much. My heart is racing.
It was fucking hard to keep my cool and not react. I sat back down, nodded my head a little, then let out a huge sigh of relief. Even half a smile. I couldn't control it.
I've played plenty of pots for more $ equity than that in the past, but never reacted like I did there. I've never felt such a rush of adrenaline, tension and then that immense release when it was all over. I'll never forget that hand in all my life, I'm sure of it.
There were no more dramas after that point. Scott became short and shoved on two of my opens, I never had a hand to call him with though. We both made it into the money and went on to bag up OK stacks, less than average but both very happy.
On day 4 I was put on a TV table, on Brian Hastings' direct left. I could write more about him but I'll save it for another time. I played a big hand with him that I hope'll make it onto ESPN.
I 3bet him with
and he peeled
, flop
he checked, I checked. turn
(cartwheels in my head) he bets, i call. River
, he jams, I call.
I was buzzing at that point. Now I had a big stack again, at my peak for the tournament, the table was soft except for Brian and he was on my right. I picked up a few more hands afterwards too, including making a flush with
! (#redemption, finally) and peaked at around 450k iirc, at blinds 3/6k.
4/8k was to be my last level of the tournament though. I chipped down to 240k and got it in vs Brian in a standard AK vs QQ spot.
I won one crucial flip to get to this point, now I needed to win another to survive. It was probably the biggest coinflip of my life, worth 6 figures in equity easily.
He flopped me basically dead, Q52r and no miracles came.
I felt alright, definitely not gutted or upset like I would've been if I bubbled. Pretty deflated and disappointed I guess. What a chance that was. A tournament that happens once a year, to go deep in it, is really special. The atmosphere and buzz around this tournament is unlike any other, it's truly unique. I absolutely loved it. I renewed my vow to play this tournament every year until I die haha. I hope it's not too many years before I get a chance this good again.
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