2003 World Series of Poker - Day 3
I woke up on day three after a restless sleep. The morning nerves were there again.
I went to the computer and looked at my table lineup. I was pleased to see that I had twice as many chips as the next biggest stack. I was not pleased to see Paul Darden and Johnny Chan at my table. At least, Paul, the stack two to my left, was really short. My nerves went away as soon as I entered the Horseshoe, I felt ready to play.
I entered the tournament room and Matt told me I would be at the ESPN camera table. For the first time ever, hole card cameras were used during the first few days of play at the WSOP. This will enable ESPN to spice up their 7 hours of WSOP coverage during the summer. I was told they plan to devote an hour each to the first three days, and two hours each to days four and five. I have some minor misgivings about the use of hole card cameras during the early course of play. I think it will give the better players an advantage. On day two, for example, Phil Hellmuth was put on the camera table. He has a lot of experience playing in front of the cameras, and presumably his opponents didn't have the same experience or comfort.
What makes this unfair early and not late is that "name" players are more likely than others to find themselves at that table. The table is hand picked by the producers of the coverage. At least at the final table, everybody left in the event is being filmed. I am a stickler for protocol, and this does tug at my sense of total fairness. Do I think it is a fair trade off for the good of promoting the game? Absolutely. Basketball has more "TV timeouts" than before TV coverage was universal. Television will change how our beloved game is played, and the poker community will benefit by that change.
So, I have to admit that I am pleased to see that I am at the TV table. I have been fortunate enough to have two experiences playing with hole card cameras. Paul is the only other player at our table with any experience, though I don't expect Chan to have any trouble adapting. I was also pleased that the second biggest stack is held by an internet player. Could Moneymaker be his real name? I plan on being patient, and waiting for him to make a big mistake.
About three hands into the day, I open in cutoff with A9 suited. Darden in the SB moves in for 25,000 more. I am getting 37,000-25,000 to call. It is early, I have a big stack, he might be moving on me, and even if I call and lose, I will send an early message to the table that I can't be moved off a hand easily. I call. Paul turns over the AQ suited and it holds up. Okay, so now I have sent my message, but I have also created a small monster two to my left. I am not pleased. A few hands later I open again, and that little monster raises me and I have to fold. Next round, I open with AQ suited and Moneymaker calls from the BB. The flop comes rags and he checks. I make a small bet, and he raises me. I have to fold. I don't like how this day is shaping up. I am down to 140,000 from 200,000 in just a couple of rounds. Soon after, Paul opens for 5000 on the button. The BB raises him 12,000 and he calls. The flop comes KQJ with two clubs. The BB moves in for 35,000 and Paul doesn't hesit ate, he calls and turns over the 45 of clubs!! The BB is visibly upset. He knows that he has about a 35% chance of getting bounced from the tournament. After a club falls on the turn, he has a 100% chance of getting sent to the rail. And, Paul is now sitting on about 120,000.
My cards turn ice cold for about an hour. I try to mix it up a little, but I can't get any thing going. I am down to a 125,000 when Chan limps in from UTG. He has hardly played a pot all day- maybe the cameras are affecting him, after all- and he certainly hasn't done any limping. I look down at 88 on the button, and am very suspicious. I decide I would like to know where I am at right now, and raise 8000. He promptly calls. So much for that plan, I decide he could have just about anything from AA to a couple of suited connectors. The flop comes 773 no suits. He checks. I can't give him a free one with what could easily be a couple of over cards. I bet 12,000 and he quickly moves in for 30,000 more. Fine mess I have gotten myself into. I think about it for at least three minutes. Of course, he could have 33 or even 77. But I finally decide he either has AK or AA. If he has AK I love how he played it. He figures to get called by a pair if he moves in before the flop, and get no action from a hand like AJ or AQ. This way, if he is committed to the hand, he gets the bluff money from AQ and AJ after the flop and he might get a bozo like me to lay down a medium pair with a check raise. I spend most of my time trying to convince myself that he has the AK, but I finally decide that he probably has me beat. I fold. I really hope they show this hand on ESPN later this summer, I need to know. A couple of hands later it is time for the first break. I fold and can\'t wait to get away from the table. I don't stay for the break hand.
I see Phil Hellmuth during the break, and ask him how he is doing. He tells me he is down about a 100,000. He also points out that it seems like everybody came to play today. I shake my head and agree. I also tell him that I am down about the same. It's nothing a bottle of water, a banana and a granola bar from the ABC store can't fix. When I return from my afternoon snack, I notice that Chan is missing. I ask what happened. Apparently, he tangled with the wrong guy, Moneymaker. Moneymaker raised the button, and Chan called. The flop came A34 two hearts. Chan checked and Moneymaker bet, Chan moved in and was called by Moneymaker. Chan was almost drawing dead with the K5 of hearts. Moneymaker had the A8 of hearts. Moneymaker now had well over 200,000 and wasn't showing any signs of weakness. After the break, things started to turn around right away. I opened a few pots and either got called and won the pot on the flop or I picked up the antes. I also busted Cucko with AA against his KJ.
We were now down to 64 players and I had my chips back up to 200,000. One more bust out and we were all in the money. Play tightened up considerably. I was hoping that we would stay 64 for a while. And we did. One strange thing seemed to be happening. Every time Matt Savage announced a short stack was all in, the short stack had the best hand. I thought it was supposed to be the other way around. Apparently, with the slow structure, the short stacks had time to wait for a premium hand, and the big stacks were impatient in attacking the short stacks. I decide that patience is the name of the game today. I will attack when I feel I can, and I will not make bad calls against all in raises. I wish I had followed my advice earlier against Darden. John Strzemp finishes 64th getting the best hand beat, of course.
The next couple of tables were a blur. The one innovation that Matt Savage has introduced that I disagree with is we redraw every time a table breaks from here on out. I feel like it makes it hard to get settled in. And, in fact, my new table lasts for less than half an hour. I can't remember more than a couple of the people at this table. I do remember that Sammy Farha was at the table. He had been all in for his last 7000 on day two with the 74 suited, but now he had a huge stack. He was trying to run over the game, and was mostly succeeding. Knowing that we would break up soon, I did not look to tangle with him. We spent a little more time at our next table. I had about 250,000 when I put Dennis Waterman all in for 30,000 with QQ. He had KQ. The flop came AJxxT and I was down to 220,000 instead of 300,000. Even though this was not a huge portion of my stack, it still hurt.
Our table broke, and I my new and last table of the day had Barry Greenstein to my left, with Men Nguyen and David Plastik to my right. Another Pokerstars guy named Olof Thorsen opened for 10,000 and I sensed weakness. I raised it 20,000 with AQ and he immediately moved in for 30,000 more. I was pot committed getting over 3-1 to call. He turned over 77, and when the board came no help, I found myself back down 140,000. If I had won the last two races I would have had over 350,000, but there was no panic in me. I was feeling almost no regret; and I was more determined than ever to earn my way back up the ladder. Men opened a couple of pots, and had to fold when I re-raised him. Then I picked up JJ. I opened, and when Barry Greenstein re-raised me, I felt like he didn't have much. I put him in for about 50,000 more and he folded. I now sat back as my cards cooled off, and got to marvel at Bruno Fittousi's remarkable rush. At other tables than mine, he went from 10,000 to the chip lead with over 670,000 in less than three hours!! I also had an amusing time watching Men and David Plastik jaw at each other non stop for over an hour. These guys really don't get along. They must have called the floor on each other ten times during the hour. Matt couldn't do much else, but shake his head and beg them to behave. I was disappointed when my sister was knocked out 47th, but she genuinely seemed pleased with her performance. I was so focused on my own play, I would have to wait for the end of the night to feel bad for her. It came a few minutes later, and we were down to 45.
This was our shortest day; about eight hours. My chips had gone up only about 20,000, but I was still above par. There has been no tournament in history where you could break even for the day, and still find yourself in good shape. But, I knew this would be the only mulligan I could afford if I was going to win. I needed to triple up on day four if I wanted to have a decent chance of winning. I was still strong physically and mentally. I couldn't wait to get the cards in the air again.