tilted behaviour

For most of the series I have been under the weather with what I’ve dubbed an ‘air-conditioning cold’, but over the last few days it has increasing getting worse.

Cough medicine, throat lozenges, mouth wash . . . I’ve tried about everything, but yet my health still slides downhill . . . but I’m a trooper, and work isn’t getting in the way of the World Series!

2,314 players took to the felt for Day 1c of the 2010 World Series of Poker Main Event which was a considerable 618 player increase from last year. 1,645 players managed to survive with Johnny Chan sitting second in chips as I was let go early to try and recover from whatever the hell I had.

Day 1d of the 2010 World Series of Poker Main Event was one that fell short of last years numbers by only managing to get 2,391 entrants in comparison to the 2,809 that registered for the 2009 sell out.

Starting the day in the blue section like normal, I was coughing up a storm mixed with blood and other disgusting things, and on several occasions left the Amazon Room and opened one of the doors leading to the outside car park to cough and unleash whatever was in my throat.

About a minute before play started, I quickly bolted from my chair, pushed through the Amazon Room doors and then swung one of the outside-leading doors open in readiness to hurl.

Unfortunately this was the exact time Phil Ivey had decided to enter the arena, and slowly walked up the stairs before detouring to the door I was still holding open.

“Thank you” he stated as I just nodded my head in acceptance before shutting the door and letting my many coughs and spits out.

It was purely Phil Ivey Watch 2010 for me and fellow Amazon Blue blogging partner Donnie Peters, but one of the best hands – well it wasn’t really a hand at all – didn’t involve Ivey.

Where Is My Seat?
Currently there is a player walking round the blue section of the Amazon room.

Unfortunately for the lost player – or as we discovered Stanley Quinn – he is a little confused at the difference between the one and six seats, as well as his proximity to Mr. Phil Ivey (since he is on the opposite end of the blue section to him).

1,713 players managed to bag and tag their chips, and still be in the running to take home part of the whooping $68,798,600 prizepool; well if you’re one of the lucky 747 anyway.

The goal however for the remaining 5,143 players heading into day two is the $8,944,138 first prize on offer!

It must seem like I’m the laziest PokerNews employee, but after just a few days on, I have another day off . . . and of course I headed to the Rio to play some cash!

I keep getting told how unbelievable soft the games are and how bad the players are, and yes what I have witnessed makes me wanna pitch a tent there, but I’m still yet to get any of it.

Sitting down at a $1-3 NLH table I post in the hi-jack and pick up A♦ K♦ and make it $11 with just one caller on my immediate left. The flop falls J♣ 10♠ 4♥ and I know that this most likely hit his range, but I still fire out $17 to force a fold from those hands I don’t have showdown value against. It doesn’t work as he calls and then successfully pushes me off with a $45 bet on a blank turn after I check.

I top up, and then get dealt 8♦ 8♠ under the gun and make it $12 and find three callers to see a 9♥ 2♥ 3♦ flop fall. The blinds check and I fire out $30 which is called by the button as the blinds fold before the A♠ is delivered on the turn. I felt that I could be up a just a flush draw, and even if I was beat by a nine, if I fired a strong bet to represent the Ace, then he may just fold. I led out for $65 and he instantly moved all in for over $400. Yikes! Ace-high flush draw it must be, and I mucked to slip down to $195 and topped up $75 to now be in for $400.

I squeezed K♠ J♠ to $28 after a straddle for $6 and four callers before being shoved into with King-Queen to run into my Aces to see my stack return to $357. I then made a terrible call with A♣ 6♣ on a 2♥ 4♠ 8♦ A♠ to be up against A♦ 8♠ as I slipped back down to $233.

I then bricked my 5♠ 3♠ on a 9♠ 8♣ 3♦ Q♠ board against Ace-Queen and an all in short stack’s Jack-Ten. Eventually GG came along and said he wanted to play somewhere else instead of the Rio, so I took my $171 off the table and we made our way to the Venetian.

GG had planned to meet Jonno Pittock there, and Jonno treated us to a nice dinner at Valentino’s even after getting three-outered for a $600 pot!

After dinner GG and I sat down on a $1-2 NLH table and I was quickly put on tilt when my K♣ 10♣ was run down on a 10♦ 7♥ 6♠ 2♥ 6♥ by J♥ 9♥ before I managed to flop two pair (after squeezing preflop) with Q♣ 6♣ and finding a little bit of value.

Bruno had been playing on a different table and soon joined us as I made it $6 under the gun (still tilting obviously) with Q♠ J♥ with GG calling before some banana made it $16 from the button. We both called and then check-called $15 on the Q♦ 4♥ 10♠ flop as the 9♦ landed on the turn and we again checked to the banana. He fired out $25, I called and GG made it $85 total as the banana moved all in for just $55. Although I think it’s technically a call here nearly every time, I opted to fold as GG tabled his K♠ J♠ to collect the pot and send the banana reaching into his wallet.

I then three-bet someone to $37 over his $12 raise with A♠ K♠ and then folded to his $50 donkbet on a Jack-high flop. He flashed his A♥ J♥ and I sarcastically said well played before topping up to now be in for $400.

Jonno then joined us on the table as I chopped Kings vs. Kings preflop in a five-bet all in pot before taking a nice pot off Jonno. Bruno opened to $6 and GG called before I three-bet them to $24 with Q♥ Q♦ for about the fifteenth time in the last few hours. Jonno called from the button as we went heads up to a Q♣ 8♦ 7♥ and I fired out $27 with Jonno check-calling as the A♠ landed on the turn. Because I had been barrelling a lot and showing my nine-high three-bets, I was hoping that Jonno might have hit the Ace, and if not, call super lightly. Therefore I only fired out $49 and he quickly called. The river landed the K♦ and unless he was floating with a gutshot, or slow-playing an overpair, it shouldn’t have changed anything. I had about $120 or so in my stack and really wanted to get paid off by the bottom of his range like 10-8 etc. Consequently I only made it $50 to go and he snapped me off with A♣ K♣ to see my stack soar into the positive . . . if only I knew he had that hand and I could have had an additional buy-in up my sleeve!

Quite a few orbits later once Donnie and Lynn had arrived from work, I opened K♦ 10♦ and was called in three spots to see a K♠ 7♥ 6♦ flop fall. I fired out $16 and Jonno raised it to $40. I really didn’t believe I had the best hand, but even if I did, the cards that fall on the turn that make it ugly for me to call a barrel far outweighs the good ones. Consequently I showed no fear (which if you’ve been reading Tilted Behaviour lately you will have noticed as I’m continuously unafraid to bluff and play big pots in comparison to my old game – something playing online has contributed to I believe) and made it $105 to go. Jonno thought for ages and mucked, as I flashed the 10♦ to try and tilt him.

With Donnie having no money since he had just bought into tomorrow’s $2,500, I decided to cash out a $116 winner and lend him some money to play since I was basically folding every hand to build crazy Carlos Mortensen-inspired chip sculptures.

Unfortunately that was a terrible idea as the game continued until deep into the morning as I tried to doze off on the chair next to Donnie as the Rounders-esque game continued until the bright daylight of Las Vegas pulled us out of the Venetian in time for three hours of sleep before my midday start!

With a tough run behind the computer over the past week or so, I decided to cash in a day off I had up my sleeve and take the weekend off.

My plan wasn’t to sleep it off in the hotel, but go play some cards to see if I could switch off some of this run bad.

I headed to the Rio and sat down in a $1-3 NLH game which was full of maybe one good aggressive player and the rest amateurs. Both the under the gun and button straddle were in play frequently, and I had had mine three-bet a couple of times, as well as myself three-betting them too – especially when the only decent aggressive player (let’s call him Tom) did it.

On one occasion Tom straddled under the gun to $6 and I made it $18 with K♣ 7♠ from the cutoff. He four-bet me to $50, and instead of just releasing the King-high like I should, I decided to five-bet to $135 to really put him to the test. It took him about three minutes, but he eventually made the call before shoving for over $250 on the 9♣ 9♥ 2♣ flop to put me to a test for my last $225. I actually thought about making a ridiculously light call hoping he had a Q♣ J♣-type hand, but instead just mucked and topped up back to $300.

After not playing a hand for ages I decided to play a pot holding J♦ 10♦ when the tightest player on the table raised to $15 under the gun. I called from the small blind as a 6♥ 6♣ 5♠ flop fell and my opponent fired out $15 again. I check-raised an additional $37 making it $52 and he made the call as the 4♣ landed on the turn. Of course my flop play was meant to produce a fold, but since it didn’t, and the turn card was pretty good, I decided to run a triple barrel bluff and fired out $70. Taking his time, my opponent made the call as the 10♥ landed on the river. Although my hand improved (against those small overpairs) I was certain I was behind but continued my plan and fired out $140 to effectively put him to a decision for his last $120. He shook his head, shrugged his shoulders and angrily mucked as I sheepishly smiled before raking in the pot.

I then had a real interesting hand come up where, if I was online, I would have played it entirely different. I opened to $11 from middle position holding Q♠ Q♥ and the big blind called as the J♥ 8♠ 3♦ flop fell and my $16 bet was check-called. The 6♥ landed on the turn, and following a check I fired out $35 only to get check-min-raised to $70. To me, when playing online at the limits I’ve been playing this is normally a huge indication of a hand that beats me, but since we’re playing live it makes it different. I decided to smooth-call because if he was bluffing he wasn’t calling a shove, but may bluff the river, and if he had a hand it gives me a chance to reassess on the river. The river landed the 4♠ and my opponent moved all in for $110. I probably sat in the tank for over three minutes running a range of hands through my head.

“You could have a set here. Threes? Jacks? Nah . . . You could have Ace-Jack of spades too!”

Another minute went by before I finally made the call and he amazingly tabled his A♠ J♠ as I raked in the pot to soar up around the $200 mark.

Unfortunately a few minutes before I was leaving I gave a bunch of chips back to that same opponent, when after he limped, I made it $14 with K♠ J♠ from the cutoff and he was the only caller. He check-called $17 on the J♥ J♦ 7♠ flop and it automatically made me smell something funny. We both checked the 8♣ on the turn before I just called $35 when the river landed the 4♠. He showed me his 7♥ 7♦ and all I could think was that I got out of that cheaply!

I cashed out $553 but it only meant $73 profit after having to top up early several times . . . lesson . . . don’t five-bet preflop with K♣ 7♠!

Returning to the Rio for some Sunday cash game action I again found myself on a $1-3 NLH table.

On my second hand I was dealt 4♦ 4♠ in the small blind and called $10 to make it six-ways to the flop. The original raiser fired out $10 on the 2♥ 5♠ 6♣ flop and everyone folded round to me before I check-raised to $32. He called and I dinged the 3♠ on the turn. I led for $65 and he moved all in for $180ish. I snapped it off and tabled my hand, and he just mucked and left the table (without realising we could chop), as the dealer just pushed the pot to send me to $540 without even dealing the river!

The following hand I was dealt A♠ Q♠ and opened to $11 from the button only to have a short-stacker in the big blind make it $20. I put her all in for her last $89 and she called it off with Jacks and held to send me down to $450.

Then about an orbit later I copped a bad one when another multi-way pot saw me dragged in for $13 with Q♠ 10♦ from the blinds. I checked the A♥ K♠ J♥ flop as the original raiser fired out $15 and was called in one spot before I made it $70. The original raiser called before the other player folded as the K♣ landed on the turn and his last $90 went into the pot holding K♥ Q♥. No heart on the river but an even dirtier Q♠ saw me slip right back to what I sat down with.

I flopped trips and turned quads blind on blind with Q♠ 4♠ but played it fairly awful as I only managed to get $110 out of the sucker before getting taken to value town with King-Jack against Queens on a dry Queen-high board. With Donnie’s tournament heading on dinner break, I decided to join him and took my $270 off the table to leave me down $330 for the day so far.

Following some food and a much needed break I found myself at a new table with my $270 and was soon involved in a big pot after calling $16 last to act in six-handed pot with 4♥ 3♥. The original raiser fired out $45 on the K♥ 9♥ 4♣, and once the action had folded to me I decided to make a huge committed check-raise to $155. He angrily folded and I was up to $338 before making the nut flush with A♦ 9♦ and winning a small pot to see me end the session up $114 but down $206 overall for the day.

With Mickey flying in from the east coast late last night, Greg, Mickey and I decided to all meet up for some lunch at the 24-hour dinner-type restaurant called Mr. Lucky’s 24-7.

Funnily enough we all ordered breakfast and spent the next hour or so catching up and sharing laughs before they both retired to their rooms for some quiet time as I prepared for the Brunson Beer Pong Invitational III!

I wasn’t actually playing, but we had a few representatives in with F-Train and Eric teamed up while GG and Kristy were also playing. Throw in Doyle and Todd Brunson, Erick Lindgren, Vanessa Rousso, Eli Elizra, lots of alcohol and pride on the line, and it was bound to be an interesting day.

F-Train and Eric busted first round while GG and his partner made it through to round two only to exit pretty quickly.

GG shoots . . . and scores!

GG and Donnie however started some $20 games and proceeded to make some handsome moolah as they dispatched of team after team – including smashing by Beer Pong cherry . . . but in my defence I did manage to sink six cups like a slanty-eyed white Kobe, however it was just my partner Rich that epically failed after declaring his Beer Pong super skills!

We all called it an early night again with meetings tomorrow before the WSOP kicks off on Friday with Event 2: $50,000 Poker Player’s Championship (8 Game Mixed) being my first event of the 2010 series.

Arriving for day two, we always knew it was going to be action filled, but no one expected it to be this heavy of action!

APPT Macau Day 2 Level 8-10 Updates
APPT Macau Day 2 Level 11-14 Updates

Bust out after bust out kick-started the day as Tony Hachem, Eric Assadourian, Daren Yoon, Andrew Scott, Dinh Le, Aaron Benton, Raymond Wu, David Steicke, Michael Pedley and Julian Powell all biting the dust before the end of play.

160 players began the day, but only 44 would survive with just four eliminations needed until we hit the money . . . I guess we’ll be reserving that until tomorrow!

During the day we had all received word that there was a secret karaoke party occurring later that night, so after showering and changing into some fresh clothes we all made our way to the VIP night of singing, gambling and boozing!

We were not disappointed with the constant bottle service, the giant screen displaying the video clips to all the songs that were going to get destroyed by us and the large display of dice to keep the inner degen satisfied! Straight into the Vodka Redbull and then the gambling games where I firstly had to teach everyone the game of Bluff before we all decided to play for some money . . . a whopping HK$20!

Donnie and I ended up chopping the small but pride-earning prizepool as the girls left us three boys alone to run amok as we downed a few more drinks while talking shit.

GG grabbed the mic and started to tear it up as both he and Donnie seemed to know every word to every rap song they played. Unfortunately for GG the award for the coolest crooner of the night would go straight to Marcel Luske who’s presence was enough to see the award on a plane back to Holland.

We talked up the thoughts of heading to massage parlour after being advised on some nearby good ones by a few of the Australians that now call Macau home, but eventually those plans would be dismissed since Donnie was getting tired and GG might get yelled at if he was any later than he already was.

Consequently we called it a night and made our way back to the rooms as I decided to get a start on my packing in preparation for my trip back home tomorrow.

After a relatively early night last night, we were all back on the floor for day two action.

APPT Macau Day 1b Level 15-18 Updates
APPT Macau Day 1b Level 19-21 Updates

The highlight of the day was the fact that David Steicke was playing. Why? Because it is David Steicke!

Also in the field however were JC Tran, John ‘The Razor’ Phan, Neil Arce, Terrence Chan, Mike Kim, Andrew Scott and Eric Assadourian as Steicke finished near the top of the counts – second to be exact – behind Henrick Gwinner.

Unsually the APPT Player Party was scheduled for tonight instead of being at the start or the end of the tournament, but either way, that wasn’t stopping any of us from partying!

Heading up to the Grand Ballroom there was tables full of varying types of alcohol and a small buffet for all to enjoy as the music played on and on. With rumours of a cool show for everyone, it would be Jordan Sam – the world’s greatest Michael Jackson impersonator – doing his thing to a few tunes.

We thought it was pretty cool, and it actually felt like we were at a Michael Jackson concert, but in reality it didn’t seem like the rest of the crowd appreciated it.

As the night began to wind up we all found our way to the Lion’s Bar at the MGM where we managed to share a booth with some of my mates from back home that now live here in Macau.

The Grey Goose flowed, the dance moves were embarrassing but the view was amazing as we had lines of ladies looking down on us. Of course GG began the flirt-off as he would find a girl, give her the look, and she would be instantly hooked on this ‘whitey’ giving her the time of day!

Jordan Sam somehow made an appearance and rocked a few songs as the crowd went wild! Donnie got in on the flirting action as GG somehow managed to step it up (didn’t think it was possible) as I had my eye on this Filipino girl how seemed to be enjoying the night out bopping away to the music as we were doing too.

The night kicked past 3am and the question was where we were off to next. I made my up to the bar – and courtesy of a mad friend – somehow got introduced to the girl I had my eye on.

Her name was Cindy and she lived in Manila, but was studying dentistry off-campus at Brisbane (university?). She was young, petite and attractive, and consequently I bought her a drink as we all vacated the Lion’s Bar in preparation to head to D2.

“Don’t hang out with him, come hang with us. We’re going to D2″ a drunk GG kept saying to her as we walked out of the MGM to await for a taxi.

With no one (of the twenty or so people that we had been partying with) moving or doing anything, me and Cindy jumped in a cab and headed back to the Grand Lisboa for the night.

The Boys: Donnie, GG and myself enjoying a drink at the Lion’s Bar

The start of another tournament series, but this time there is a twist!

I’m doing my maiden gig for the PokerStars Blog . . . so who knows how this will turn out!

APPT Macau Day 1a Level 1-3 Updates
APPT Macau Day 1a Level 4-7 Updates

The blogging and back-end system was totally different to what I had been use to while working the tournament trial with PokerNews and PokerNetwork.

As you can see by reading the updates from today (but more from previous events) you will see that the blog is more about providing colourful stories from the floor instead of the pure hand reporting format that many have become so accustomed too.

Unfortunately it was difficult for me to shake the pure seek and find aspect of tournament coverage, and consequently there is still a very PokerNews-styled reporting format that I took to the blog.

Following a rather successful first day Donnie and I, along with Elissa, decided to venture out to grab some local food instead of the westernised cuisine that the hotel offered.

After talking to the concierge, he guided us to a place down the street, past the carpark and next to an alley where there wasn’t a non-slanty eye in the room.

We ordered a range of food that collectively was nearly cheaper then just one meal at the Grand Lisboa as we all tucked into some fantastic tasting grub. Wonton Noodle Soup, Prawns and Vegetables, Noodles and Fried Wontons were what was on the cards as every little bit was devoured quite easily.

Returning back to the hotel, Donnie and I decided to play some cash, and although I lost a little bit, profit splitting with Donnie had it’s advantages as he won some money for me!

Arriving at Hong Kong in the afternoon, I was held up at the airport for a couple of hours waiting for a direct fairy to Macau.

Once I managed to check into the Grand Lisboa I made my way up to one of the most pimped out rooms I’ve stayed in while on the job for PokerNews / PokerNetwork (although this was a PokerStars gig).

My room at the Grand Lisboa – includes massive rotatable Plasma, two bathroom TV’s and in-built sauna and jacuzzi . . . BALLA!!!

I had a shower and caught up with Eric who had already been round for the day, and although I wanted to go eat and hang out, he wanting to crash in the room for a while. Consequently I went and got some food and made my way to the poker table.

Sitting down in a HK$10-20 NLH game with HK$2,000 (which works out to be $300 and blinds at $1-3) I never managed to gather any momentum and finished down HK$200. I did feel that I played really well, but just didn’t get a chance to win many pots apart from the occasional three-bet pre or steal from the button after a gazillion limpers.

Donnie finally arrived, and we got a chance to catch up before we all decided to meet the following day so we could see the sights that Macau has to offer.

Donnie, Eric and I were joined by Elissa as we set on a hike around town.

Although I was trying to lead us to the Ruins of St. Pauls, I was basically winging it before – after an hour of walking – running into a hotel to grab a map and some directions.

Eventually we found the Guia Fortress and the Ruins of St. Pauls before finding Gloria and the other video guys filming some b-roll as we all made a return back to the hotel before deciding to take a dip in the pool.

After Donnie, GG and I talked crap for an hour or so in the pool we all jumped in the sauna before heading upstairs to get changed as the whole team made our way to the Venetian to get some grub.

We found an Italian restaurant and ate some great food while sharing PokerNews stories from the past few years before retiring for the night.