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#157 – WSOP #7 – Save Me from Aquaman
I busted out of the $1500 NLHE in 179th. It was my first WSOP cash and I got $4297, but obviously I’m disappointed. I’ll never know if I was outplayed on the hand that cost me half my stack, but I made some (probably) correct but marginal plays, and got busted after getting all-in with T-T and getting a call from A-8o. My nemesis for most of my short time in the money, however, was A-Q, Aquaman.
Three players were all-in on the first hand and the biggest stack won, so our table immediately lost two players. One of the seats – two to my right – was soon taken by David Pham, who had a big stack and is one of the best NLHE players in the world. The first thing I think is: Aggressive.
He raises in middle position on the very first hand and I look down at 8-8. I reraise his 6,000 to 16,000. He calls. The flop comes Q-9-4. He checks. I bet 20,000. He moves all-in.
I think about it a long time before folding. The hand costs me nearly half my chips. There was one other time in the tournament when my hunch was that someone was making a move and I called their re-re-raise with A-5o and they had T-T. (I was almost ashamed by making a straight and busting them.) I tend to think players are making a move on me a lot more than they are.
But this is David Pham.
But he doesn’t know me. Is he going to make a move with nothing when almost half my chips are in the pot. How does he know I can lay a hand down? I see other guys like me – successful online players pretty new to live tournaments – refuse to give up A-K in that situation. How does he know I’m not one of those guys? How do I even know I’m not?
After that hand, I lost chips against short stacks on a pair of late position raises. Once, I raised with Q-J and once with Q-8s. Both times, I was priced in for the all-in reraise (with Q-8, I really wanted to drop the hand but there was a third all-in reraise). Both times, I was up against A-Q. I rebuilt a little but was still short stacked when David Pham raised from the button on my big blind. I had T-T so I pushed all-in. He called and hit an ace. I was gone in 179th.
I have lots more to tell you about my experience and about how the Series is shaping up. I’ll try to write more later on, or certainly by tomorrow. Thanks for reading, and thanks for rooting.
