Poker - WSOP '08 Event 43

This June I sacked up and went out to Vegas to play in my first World Series of Poker event: Event #43, pot limit omaha high/low.

I wasn't sure if I was ready to play in the world series--yet-- but I found a letter in the mail that Spring that made the decision pretty easy. The Wynn casino and hotel offered to put me up for three nights anytime in June--free... I knew that $2 blackjack we played piss drunk at 4am last New Years would pay off someday! Good work, friends.

I booked my flight and got my tournament buy-in ready...

Three days into the trip, I am middle of the pack in chips, and I am one table away from an ESPN televised final table. I've spent the last two days playing next to (outplaying :D) some of my favorite poker players. And I've even knocked out a couple of them--something I hope to get used to. Of the original 720 players, 18 are left.

Shit is getting real: winner gets $220,000, and I am guaranteed $7,500, if I happen to get knocked out anytime soon. The first big pot at the table I flop a fairly strong hand and the guy first to act goes allin... My mind starts racing. All I can think about is that if I win this hand I will be the chip leader and have a great chance at winning the entire tournament. I play to win and make the call............ and miss my hand completely. It's all over with the turn of a card. No final table, no massive cash prize. Done. I never thought I'd see the day when I was upset about making $7,500. Of course, after collecting my winnings in cash, I was a little less upset. That night I went to sleep replaying that last hand, over and over.

Now I had a day to kill before my plane left for Boston. So I did what any self-disrespecting poker player would do: I sat down in a cash game with everything I'd just made--yep, all $7,500. I was taking a page out of my friend Egizi's poker book, "Bankroll Mismanagement." It was only a $5/$10 no limit game and the next biggest stack had $2,000, so I wasn't truly risking it all--so I'm not really that reckless.

Wearing my nicest suit, I sat down at the poker table and told the waitress to keep the whisky on the rocks flowing. I bought in for $2,000 in chips with a $5,000 brick of $100 bills nestled behind. My goal was to play the part of a guy who was having a good time and who didn't care about the money. I played for a couple of hours, made some money, and got up for lunch before the drinks affected my poker game negatively.

Red wine and filet mignon poolside followed by a sobering read in the sun for a few hours--this too, I could get used to. After lunch, I went back to the cash game and mopped up some more loose action before calling it a day. Walking through the airport I felt pretty bad ass not declaring the $10,000+ in cash on my person. All in all, it was a good trip, but you ain't seen nothing yet.

-Ian Graham, August 8th, 2008


"Do not repeat the tactics that have gained you one victory, but let your methods be regulated by the infinite variety of circumstances."

-Sun Tzu

Beirut- WSOBP '07

I know this happened a couple years ago, and not to dwell on past defeats, but I wanted to put the general story in print...

One day I received a call from my friend Mason who was busy doing some serious online research. He told me of a beirut competition called the World Series of Beerpong, which was held yearly in Las Vegas (this would be the second year). Not only did the tournament exist, but the winning team would recieve $20,000... This was great news.

(If you've never played beirut: go look up the rules online; call up a couple friends; and then have them help you move the rock you've been living under. Except you, mom. Yes, we are bowling.)

Mason and I booked our flights for Vegas and continued our regular routine of playing beirut on weekends and the ocassional weekday afternoon...

At the airport in Vegas we met up with a group of fellow teams, and borded what was technically a limosine, but perhaps more accurately described as a stretch station wagon. The burly driver looked like he'd be good in a fight, except for his right hand which was wrapped in bandages. He seemed like a nice guy.

Turns out the actual tournament was held in a place called Mesquite, Nevada, just outside of Las Vegas. A quick 45 minute drive through the desert and one arrived at our hotel called the Oasis. The slogan for Mesquite on our hotel brochures read, "It's Mesquite!"--nothing dishonest about that. We came up with our own slogan, "Reno's Reno..." At least the complete lack of anything to do helped us focus on what was important, and that was winning the national competition of our favorite drinking game.

The actual World Series of Beerpong was held in an event tent in the vacant parking lot behind the local McDonald's. And after three hard days of waking up at 9:00am and then promptly drinking all day, we found ourselves at the 2007 World Series of Beerpong final table.

As the final tournament wore down, Mason and I were focussed on our game. We shut out any distractions and simply outplayed the competition. Before we knew it, we were surrounded by rows of rowdy fans, multiple television cameras, and were playing a game of beirut for $20,000--the highest stakes on record in the history of the game. Oh, and were we pretty hammerslammed.

Bottom line, we lost. One of the opposing players had a perfect game and didn't miss a single shot (the beirut equivalent of pitching a no-hitter.) Mason and I still received a check for $2,500 for our efforts, but essentially we spent the rest of the day in complete silence spare intermittent four letter words.

Our team name was "Pwntrain" and we got owned. Youtube it.

- Ian Graham, December 12, 2007

.

"It's a sport-- it just happens to involve alcohol."

-Some dude

Poker- Biggest Hand $1,107.75

If you're gonna overbet to shut out your opponent on the river... make sure you have the high nuts. Whoops.

Full Tilt Poker Game #4064487148:
Table Jewel Springs - $5/$10 - No Limit Omaha H/L -
8:00:53 ET - 2007/11/04
Seat 4: JF1234 ($1,542.75)
Seat 9: Somakid314 ($1,108.25)
JF1234 posts the small blind of $5
Somakid314 posts the big blind of $10
The button is in seat #4*
** HOLE CARDS
***Dealt to Somakid314 [Ts 6c 7c 2d]
JF1234 calls $5
Somakid314 checks
*** FLOP *** [8c 5c 2s]
Somakid314 bets $10
JF1234 calls $10
*** TURN ***
[8c 5c 2s] [4c]
Somakid314 has 15 seconds left to act
Somakid314 bets $20J
F1234 has 15 seconds left to actJF1234 calls $20
*** RIVER ***
[8c 5c 2s 4c] [6s]
Somakid314 has 15 seconds left to act
Somakid314 bets $80
JF1234 has 15 seconds left to act
JF1234 raises to $1,502.75, and is all in
Somakid314 calls $988.25, and is all in
Uncalled bet of $434.50 returned to JF1234
*** SHOW DOWN ***
JF1234 shows [Qs Ac 9c Kd] a flush, Ace high, for high
Somakid314 shows [Ts 6c 7c 2d] a straight flush, Eight high, for high and 7,6,5,4,2, for low
S omakid314 wins the high pot ($1,108) with a straight flush, Eight high
Somakid314 wins the low pot ($1,108) with 7,6,5,4,2
*** SUMMARY ***Total pot $2,216.50 Rake $0.50Board: [8c 5c 2s 4c 6s]Seat 4: JF1234 (small blind) showed [Qs Ac 9c Kd] and lost with HI: a flush, Ace highSeat 9: Somakid314 (big blind) showed [Ts 6c 7c 2d] and won ($2,216) with HI: a straight flush, Eight high; LO: 7,6,5,4,2

Poker- Biggest Hand $647.4

I like when people miss their draws in big hands.


Full Tilt Poker Game #3706830228: Table Rickenbacker - $2/$4 - Pot Limit Omaha H/L - 14:43:21 ET - 2007/09/29
Seat 1: napalm69 ($820.60)
Seat 2: Ruler 2 ($160)
Seat 3: REman612 ($320.90)
Seat 4: fastfredriver ($228.90)
Seat 5: Ashwagandha ($194)
Seat 6: davebreal ($416.40)
Seat 7: Keep_Walking ($401.50)
Seat 8: stonebriar ($154)
Seat 9: Somakid314 ($403.50)
Somakid314 posts the small blind of $2
napalm69 is sitting out
Ruler 2 posts the big blind of $4
The button is in seat #8
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to Somakid314 [Ks 8h 5h Kc]
REman612 calls $4
fastfredriver calls $4
Ashwagandha calls $4
davebreal calls $4
Keep_Walking calls $4
stonebriar calls $4
Somakid314 has 15 seconds left to act
Somakid314 calls $2
Ruler 2 checks
*** FLOP *** [Kd 3d 4c]
Somakid314 checksRuler 2 checks
REman612 checksfast
fredriver has 15 seconds left to actfastfredriver bets $32
Ashwagandha folds
davebreal folds
Keep_Walking calls $32
stonebriar folds
Somakid314 raises to $160
Ruler 2 foldsREman612 folds
fastfredriver raises to $224.90, and is all in
Keep_Walking calls $192.90
Somakid314 calls $64.90
*** TURN *** [Kd 3d 4c] [Jc]
Somakid314 bets $174.60, and is all in
Keep_Walking calls $172.60, and is all in
Somakid314 shows [Ks 8h 5h Kc]
fastfredriver shows [Ad Js Kh 9d]
Keep_Walking shows [Qs 6s 2h Ah]
Uncalled bet of $2 returned to Somakid314
*** RIVER *** [Kd 3d 4c Jc] [Qh]
Somakid314 shows three of a kind, Kings, for high
Keep_Walking shows a pair of Queens, for high
Somakid314 wins the side pot ($345.20) with three of a kind, Kingsfastfredriver shows two pair, Kings and Jacks, for high
Somakid314 wins the main pot ($703.70) with three of a kind, Kingsfastfredriver is sitting outKeep_Walking is sitting out
No low hand qualified
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot $1,051.90 Main pot $706.70. Side pot $345.20. Rake $3Board: [Kd 3d 4c Jc Qh]
Seat 1: napalm69 is sitting out
Seat 2: Ruler 2 (big blind) folded on the Flop
Seat 3: REman612 folded on the Flop
Seat 4: fastfredriver showed [Ad Js Kh 9d] and lost with HI: two pair, Kings and Jacks
Seat 5: Ashwagandha folded on the Flop
Seat 6: davebreal folded on the Flop
Seat 7: Keep_Walking showed [Qs 6s 2h Ah] and lost with HI: a pair of Queens
Seat 8: stonebriar (button) folded on the Flop
Seat 9: Somakid314 (small blind) showed [Ks 8h 5h Kc] and won ($1,048.90) with HI: three of a kind, Kings