More Observations From Day One Of The WSOP
I returned after the dinner break to see who had fallen asleep at their table after eating a good meal. Personally, when I am playing in a big tournament I try and avoid eating a big meal at the dinner break because all it makes me want to do is take a long nap. I saw a couple players that looked like they need a nap but no one was nice enough to give me a photo opportunity of snapping a photo of them asleep at the table.
Phil Laak was bragging to his good friend Antonio Esfandiari how he laid a beat on some one. Antonio asked him if he was still at the table. “I wouldn't do that,” Phil laughed. Antonio poked friend at Laak saying “you play so bad, I don't know how you win.” Laak responded with “I read your book. I learned a lot.” Antonio laughed and walked back to his table.They are supposedly enforcing a strict no cell phone at the table rule this year. Phil Ivey is such a rebel. He's hiding his phone under the table and texting in between hands. Maybe the next time they have a Bad Boys of Poker he should join in.
When you're running good, you're running good. Tony Licastro was far and away the chip leader in the tournament when this hand went down. A player in early position raised the size of the pot and Licastro re-raised the pot. The big blind called all in for 11,000 in chips and the early position player put in a third raise, enough to set himself all in. Licastro called and was way behind the other two players with his pocket tens. The other two had kings and aces. A ten on the turn sent both of them home and put Licastro's stack at over 300K, more than double the size of the 2nd largest stack in the tournament. I'm going to set the odds that he doesn't even make the money at 2:1.
Lyle and Brad Berman have often played in the same tournament with one another. I'm sure they've even been seated at the same table. I wonder how often, however, that they've been seated directly next to one another. They are now. I wonder if Brad raises Lyle's big blind if Lyle will take him out back to the woodshed and give him a whoopin'.11:00 p.m.
It's no secret that one of the things you have to do to win a big tournament is win races. Phil Ivey raised two limpers and found himself facing a re-raise from fellow WPT winner Jonathan Little from late position. Ivey quickly announced he was all in and Little called. Ivey held A-K and Little pocket queens. An ace on the flop put Ivey in the lead, a position he would not lose. Ivey brought himself back up to nearly average chip position after the
hand with approximately 60K in chips. Ivey would go out shortly after when he got it all in with a flush draw with K-J of spades against an opponent holding A-J. The draw didn't come and Ivey quietly left the building.12:00 a.m.
I can't end the day without a daily bad beat story.
The action started when the two seat limped in. The four seat, David Bach, limped as well. Dirksen raised it the pot, 8,000 total and was called by the two seat. Bach studied Dirksen and said I raise and made it an additional 25,000 to go. Dirksen wasn't having any of it and re-raised the pot which was nearly the size of Bach's stack. Dirksen started talking to bach and told him “I could be bluffing.” Bach seemed convinced his hand was the best telling Dirksen “I feel I have you beat,” to which Dirksen responded “if you think you do you gotta put it in buddy.”
And put it in he did. With A♥-5♣. Dirksen had A♠-Q♣ and was a huge favorite to rake in the 160K pot. The flop came 7♥-4♥-K♣ keeping Dirksen comfortably in the lead but the turn was a bad card for him as it gave Bach many additional outs. It was the 6♥. Any heart, 3, 8, or 5 would give him the pot. The RNG must be rigged because the river was the 5♦ and Dirksen was crippled down to about 20K. To Dirksen's credit, he took the loss good naturedly saying “I've laid down worse beats on people.”
And that folks...is all he wrote for Day One of the WSOP.
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