Foxwood 2002
I was incredibly impressed with the Foxwood's structure. I was able to survive a couple of setbacks in large part due to the structure.
Also, the Foxwood's dealers and floor people were among the best I have seen.
Early in the tournament I was down to T4000 when this hand came up. Adam Schoenfeld raised my 150 blind to 700. The button and SB called. I looked down at 9-9. I felt that I had the button and the SB beat, so if I raised and Adam folded, I would win the T2800 (after my call) in the pot. I had a chance to increase my stack by over 50% with out risking a flop. I moved-in, Adam folded and the button called T2650 all-in. The SB also called. The button had 5-5 and the SB had 3-3. After no 3's or 5's hit the board I had over T11,000.
Things went very well late during day 1 and early day 2. I had my chips up to about T50,000 when this hand happened. I raised with KQ from middle position and Ron Rose called. The flop came KQ3 and I bet. Ron raised and I put him all-in. He had slow played AA and got himself in trouble. The pot was T70,000 and if I won, I would be chip leader with over T85,000. The board paired 3's on the river and I was devastated. I was now down to T16,000 and had to compose myself.
After I lost the big hand to Ron, I still had T16,000 and the blinds were 300-600. Yes, I had gone from T50,000 down to T16,000, but I still had enough to wait for some kind of a hand. The average stack was about T35,000 at the time, and with blinds of 300-600, there was a lot of play. Soon after that hand, I picked up KQ in the BB. Syracuse Chris opened to T1400 in the cut-off and I called. The flop came K-T-4 rainbow. I decided that a bet of about the pot would be suspicious to Chris, so I bet T3500. He called and raised T7500. I thought I had the best hand, and it would only be appropriate to go broke with KQ after losing with it to Ron, so I called and raised T4400 all-in. Chris couldn't call.
I took that T30,000 to our new table with 18 players left. I was able to work it up to T50,000 with pre-flop raises. I did not see very many flops. Then my cards went dead for about 90 minutes. Finally, after anteing off to about T42,000, I came over the top of Jay Columbo for about T20,000. When he put me in, I had to fold my bluff. I was now down to about T22,000 and we had 11 players left. I was "bubble boy" in Tunica this year, so when Kathy Leibert survived with A-5 against Allen Cunningham's A-9, I figured I was next. Instead Allen went broke a few hands later.
We went to the final table with an average stack of T90,000 and blinds of 600-1200. I was low chips at T22,000 though. Layne Flack opened up front for T6000 and I figured that if I anted off much more, I would be unable to steal pre-flop, so I raised all-in with K-J. He called with 8-8. I knew I had a decent chance to double up, but not after the flop came 8-J-Q. But, with the turn a J and the river a K, I survived. WHEW!! Even though I was still low stack, I felt like I had a lot of play.
Here is where the great structure really saved me. I had about T45,000 which was low stack. But, with blinds of 800-1600 I was able to wait for a hand. When Peter Giordano opened up front, I decided to lay down my A-Q instead of committing my entire stack. In most tournament structures, the low stack would not have a decision with a hand like A-Q. I was very fortunate as Nick Hanna, behind me, had K-K. I was able to play all small pots for the next few hours, and I finished the day with T73,000.
The great structure continued throughout the final day also. We started the last day with an average stack of T150,000 and blinds of 1500-3000. And when Layne and I got heads-up (average stack T450,000), the blinds were 3000-6000.
I will leave the play of the final six for the TV show.
I don't get nervous at the table much anymore, but I will admit it took me about 30 minutes to get used to the cameras and the crowd. That being said, I don't think the hole card cameras had any effect on my play. I think that the exposed hole cards will help a lot of players improve their game. But, like a book, it can only help you get to a level of competence. There will still be no substitute for experience.
The WPT staffers are all real pros. I am expecting the final product to reflect their level of professionalism. Poker on TV could have a bright future.