Okay, this is getting crazy!
Day Five? Seriously? Didn't look like it was going to happen there for awhile...then in the last hour of the night, I pulled a couple of slick moves to get back up to 346k (from 195k) to close out the night with what I would call a short stack Ninja Monkey's chance of winning this damn thing!
Despite having a relatively soft table yesterday...I nearly ran myself off the track with a couple of plays I would have liked to do over. Granted, both were just based on 'feel' and 'position' so it's not like I would call them horrible plays. The first one...after I had just managed to chip up to 715k came against the pesky Russian kid, who had a very cagey style of play. Standard Russian. He had raised (which he did a lot) at middle position, and since he (and nearly all the good players in this tourney tend to do) raised a small amount (generally 2.25x to 2.5x) I decided to take a flop with him, holding KhJd. The others folded.
The flop came out Kx-6h-9h. He led out for a pot sized amount. Now, one thing I'd made a mental note of, was that he almost always c-bet post flop after being the original raiser. Several times, on showdown...it was revealed that he was doing this with nothing. So I had to think I might probably be good there with the king. So I raised him about 2.5 times his bet. He tanked for a long time...and then I thought I saw him about to fold a couple times...before announcing 'all in.' It felt like an attempted steal. And I sat and watched every little thing I could...his eyes, his mouth, his throat, his pulse...his hands...everything...and everything was telling me he had nothing, and was pulling the typical 'Russian move' that we have all seen on TV a million times from these guys. And making a hero call here...with the cameras surrounding our table...would gain me not only a LOT of chips, and put me over a million, and in the top 5 of chipleaders...but garner me a lot of respect at the table.
I made the call. He had damn sixes. For a set. Shit. I needed to go runner runner for either a flush or a straight. It didn't happen. It knocked me down to 425k. Then on the next hand...the little pest in the 5 seat raised, and I flatted at cutoff with 55. A flop of J-3-4 hit the flop...he checked, I put out a pot sized bet...and he shoved his 200k. Fuck. I mucked. Lost a little more.
Then the major one...where I raised on the button with KQ. Now, most of you know, I seldom raise on the button...and when I do, I usually have a pretty good hand. But these players from other corners of the world don't know that...so there is always a good chance I am going to get played back at. So when I raised the guy from Asia somewhere...he sized me up...and re-raised me. But he was sitting on a short stack of about 200k...and I really just felt like he was making a move. This was the same guy who called a raise earlier with J8 from the SB...and cracked the guy's aces when he flopped two pair and rivered a boat. So I tried to make him know I was serious...and didn't take a lot of time deciding what to do...as I think the longer you wait, unless you have aces, the more you instill in their mind that you don't have much.
So I blasted my stack into the middle, putting him all in. He got a look of disgust on his face...and I was really hoping he was going to fold...but I think he thought he had too much in the pot to give it up...so he called, and turned over AQ. Shit balls! Not the hand I wanted to see at ALL! And the flop didn't help one bit...putting out all rags. Now I was down to 210k and that feeling of dizziness was setting in...the pain in the stomach...the same feeling I had the night before when I dropped down to 27k.
I started looking up at the clock...counting the players we needed to lose to get another $5600...jumping from 32k to38k. That became my #1 priority...as I'm trying to win some loot for 'Monkey's Gang of 30' and for my family. But along the way...I picked up some hands I could play...and actually picked up some pots. The big play was when I raised with KJs...and that same Asian guy...after craning his neck to see how many chips I had over there in my all-too-familiar now 9-seat...decides to re-raise me. But he min-raised me. Fuck that. I'm calling. So when the flop came Q-10-4...it seemed like a hell of a time to spring the 'ol stop and go move on the guy. I can't imagine what was going through his head when I flatted his min raise...then jammed 120k on the flop. But he folded...and was shaking his head. Wonder what he had? Hmmm....
When we got to the In The Money moment...the place was a nuthouse. I have to give Jack Effel credit, he took the situation on the microphone and calmly, and slowly explained the whole process to all the players...and explained to them why they needed to remain in their seats. The rail was filled about three rows of spectators deep. It was pretty cool. And once we went hand-for-hand...we fortunately only needed one hand to decide it. On that first hand...we had FIVE tables that were all in with a call...and nearly every one of them was a sick hand. I think there were three AA vs. KK...one AA vs. AK (which was won by the AK when he flopped two kings)...one with KK vs. 55...with the fives flopping a set and busting the shorter stack with KK. In all...four ended up busting...and splitting the final payout...giving them something like $4600 each...what a bummer. Then the four of them were given the chance to play in a 4-man SNG for the $10k seat into next year's Main Event that always goes to the bubble boy.
Shortly after we made the money...they put us on what was supposed to be a 20-minute break. That break then was extended 10 minutes...then another 10 minutes. What is going on here? All the suits were huddled up in a corner of the room, with what looked like panic on their faces. Something's up...that's for sure. Then...Jack Effel came on the mic and told the players that they were going to go ahead and place us on dinner break for an hour and 15 minutes. Now the players were really stirring. Having just sat around for 40 minutes...we were now dismissed for another 90. Weird. But I didn't care...hell, nothing changes...just trying to win 8.5m...don't care how long it takes. So I took a picture of my chips and headed to my room!
Yes...those are my 'show monkeys.' I figured once we got in the money, it would be a good time to let them come out and make their first WSOP Main Event appearance. I think they enjoyed the attention! The little guy in the middle was a gift, given to me by my good friend Christian 'Da Professional' Iocabellis last year sometime. I had never used the little guy before...but figured the Main Event would be a good time for his debut. He hasn't let me down so far!
I went up to my room...and got on the Skype for the first time with Squirrel and Carley. I wasn't sure Carley would be responsive to me on the Skype...I was wrong! She sat there staring at the screen the whole time...and started cooing a little bit. It just pulled at my heartstrings. She is so beautiful..and makes me so happy just looking at her beautiful little face. And watching Squirrel with her...and how much she loves her too...its just incredible. Everyone was right...there is nothing in the world more amazing than the love you feel for your child. I worry that I might hurt her when I get home because I'm going to want to hug her so hard.
I want all of you who have been leaving all the nice comments on here to know that I am reading ALL of them...and really, really appreciate them. It feels great knowing so many people are behind me. And I feel a special kind of joy knowing that you haters, like BOTH of the Chads who have made themselves heard this week...have to sit there and wallow in your misery as this 'pathetic loser' continues his march to a place none of you have ever gotten even close to. Hurts, doesn't it? But I know...I know...as a poker player...I suck. I'm the worst.
I will go ahead and repeat this...as I have said to numerous people in the past few years...if I ever....EVER win the Main Event....I will retire from poker. Period. You will never see me again...at a poker tourney anyway. I will spend the rest of my life doing what I have wanted to be my whole life...a daddy. A good daddy.
I don't know what else to write about. I have barely slept the past two nights. I went to bed at a little past midnight. Woke up at 3am...watched the news...went back to sleep, woke up at 6am...read some emails and Facebook posts...ate a croissant...went back to sleep. Woke up at 9am. Read 28 text messages and 32 emails. Some from people I haven't heard from in 2 or 3 years. I really want to make this final table...and want to send out a special hello to Kathy Sidoway...my Dean of Students from Redmond High School, who in 1985 told me I would never amount to anything in life. Yeah...that was when my name was Corey Magnuson. The last name of my adoptive step father (I changed it back to my birth name of Souther when they divorced) and my first name that only a few know and dare to call me! Let me see if Corey Magnuson can prove you wrong...bitch!
Claudia Crawford...'The Claw' went into the day with the same number of chips that I did. We both had peaks and valleys yesterday. I got to 700k. Then she got to 700k. I lost a big hand. She lost a big hand. We both won a couple to get it back. It was weird. I was really feeling like we both might turn this magical ride into a Roll Tide Rendezvous at the Final Table...but in the last level of the night...I saw her walking out of the room...backpack in tow...knowing she was out. My spirits sank a little...knowing it was just me know...fighting for Biloxi. And our family...since Claw is basically a member of our family now. She didn't bother to call or text me telling me she was out. She didn't need to.
Amazon Table 414
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1 comment:
Best of luck to you, Will. I'm railin' you from London - go deep.
David (aka VegasDWP)
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