tilted behaviour

When Brandon Steven’s A♣ K♠ was unable to improve against Matthew Jarvis’ Q♣ Q♠, to send nine players on a hiatus a guaranteed $811,823 richer.

My World Series of Poker (WSOP) was all about long nights that turned into daylight finishes, mixed with -EV gambling and plenty of colourful stories, but let’s end the Mecca of all poker tournaments with my continued tournament recap with the The Eight Points of Enlightenment: WSOP.

1 – Tournament Layout: For 2010, gone were the small Brasilia and Miranda rooms as the Pavilion Room (right) trumped them all with over 250 tables allocated for day ones, cash games and satellites. The Amazon Room housed all the restarts and 5pm starts, and consequently was a lot less cluttered than in previous years. Throw in the two additional staged tables for final table overflow or additional feature tables, and it really made viewing a pleasure. The WSOP really got things right this year with the way they structured both rooms and ran the tournaments, and hopefully they don’t find a need to change it again next year (like they have every year previously).

2 – Schedule: Although many praise the schedule of the WSOP, I would personally like it to become well-rounded and offer a greater range of non-holdem poker variants. At this year’s World Series, 33 of the 54 open events were holdem ones, while on the other end of the spectrum there were only five HORSE variants. Since the WSOP is a true test of tournament poker skill, I believe the schedule should be designed along these lines too.
If you spread buy-ins of $1,500, $2,500, $5,000 and $10,000 (championship) in each game of HORSE, 8-Game, Stud, Stud-8, Razz, Pot Limit Omaha, Pot Limit Omaha-8, 2-7 Draw, along with Pot Limit Holdem, Limit Holdem and No Limit Holdem then it would truly be a test of poker skill. Since holdem is what everyone wants to play at the moment, you could also add in four six-handed events of the same buy-in, along with triple-chance and shootout events of the three smaller buy-ins. Now with some space in the schedule you could also throw in a $10,000 Mixed Stud and Chinese Championship to make it a truly well-rounded World Series!

3 – Structures Too Good?: When poker tournaments are run, the major complaint is normally always revolving around the structure of a specific event. With reasonable buy-ins and a triple-stack starting stack, there isn’t really a chance to complain too much about the WSOP structures. Well apart from the fact that they may be too good!
The typical event at the WSOP is supposed to reach a final table by the completion of day two (after twenty levels), but I don’t think a single three-day event ever reached the final table before the start of the last day. With players getting better, and more and more players entering these three-day events, in a few years you will have to see a fourth day implemented so that the final table can be set aside solely for the last day . . . maybe with this a 4x starting stack will also come into play?

4 – Bracelet Display: Last year the WSOP conducted a daily bracelet ceremony in the Amazon Room that included a few words by Jeffrey Pollock before the presentation was concluded with the playing of the respected player’s national anthem. This year they moved the ceremony into the Pavilion Room so that a guaranteed large audience (due to the day one starts being located there) was there to greet the recent bracelet winner with a round of applause.
The one aspect that was added this year was that the bracelets were on show in a big display in the Pavilion Room for the public to view. Once a bracelet was presented to their recipient, the case where the bracelet was housed was replaced with a winners photo so as to see who had won each respected bracelet. Definitely a must for 2011!

5 – Poker Kitchen / Food: In one word . . . AWFUL! The salad bar was dishing out food poisoning everyday, the chinese food was always stale-tasting, and the pre-made salads and wraps were disgusting. Apart form the occasionally good burrito or quesadilla, the options from the poker kitchen of real food (minus snacks and drinks of course) were just terrible. After the first two weeks of putting up with it, the PokerNews team – and I suspect many others – would do anything to be offered a dinner option outside of the Rio regardless of cost! The WSOP really need to provide better options for their players and staff, preferably healthier ones too, but just better on all levels.

6 – No Service: About mid-way through the WSOP, us PokerNews peeps were refused service from the waiters stating that only players were allowed to order cocktails. Of all the media outlets, we are ones that don’t get a $10 food voucher (due to the size of our team), and consequently getting refused cocktail service just sent us into a spiral of tilt!
Like in all seriousness, we tip when we get a water or whatever, so it shouldn’t be that much of a big deal . . . but fortunately for us, we were allowed into the dealer break room which housed an unlimited supply of soft drinks, water, coffee, chips and the occasional dinner, so that the lack of cocktail service became an obsolete issue.

7 – Where To Sit?: Although we had issues with cocktail service, the media was still treated fairly awesome when it came to location in the Amazon Room. There were two dedicated two-level L-shape platforms in two corners of the Amazon Room that hugged each of the overflow final tables. Around twenty people could be spread in the media towers, and if there wasn’t enough room there, a media room located adjacent to the Amazon Room that housed flat-screen TVs, plenty of desk space and an unlimited supply of cold water and beef jerky could keep you happy. There were additional desks based in both the Amazon and Pavilion Room for the PokerNews crew to continue their exclusive live coverage, but the media towers was where all the degenerate prop betting went down . . . along with the occasional amount of work!

8 – Player of the Year: I personally view consistency as the ledger to mark poker success, and consistency is extremely important in tournament poker if you are to be regarded as one of the greats. Over the past few years there has always been a lot of talk regarding the WSOP Player of the Year and how it is exactly calculated, and with some mixed results this year, it has sparked even more interest.
Frank Kassela will be 2010 WSOP POTY but can tie with Michael Mizrachi if he is to win the Main Event. With only those two being in the race, there are many others like Allen Kessler (eight cashes, one final table, four final two table finishes), Shawn Buchanan (eight cashes, one final table) and Dan Heimiller (seven cashes, two final tables) who really stood no chance at capturing the POTY award despite such a great summer.
For this to be regarded more highly, the powers to be at the WSOP really need to take a better look at the points scoring system so that it is weighted more appropriately in relation to buy-in, field size and game type.

With the World Series all wrapped up . . . well until November anyway . . . I have a little time off before heading to Brazil to cover the LAPT Florianopolis leg before finally returning home after being on the road for over four months!

Unfortunately there will be nearly zero downtime as the Victorian Poker Championships will be in full swing on my arrival back in Australia as I hope to be again behind the computer for the series where it all began for me!

My final day of work for the Summer would also be the penultimate day, with Day 7 of the 2010 World Series of Poker Main Event kicking in with me at the Feature/TV table again.

Unlike yesterday – since the size of the field had been reduced to 78 – I wouldn’t have to cover the secondary feature table as Heath was located there, while all I had to worry about was my starting eight players.

Seat 1: Duy Le – 4,100,000 (in chips)
Seat 2: Damien Luis – 1,850,000
Seat 3: John Racener – 720,0000
Seat 4: Jeff Banghart – 645,000
Seat 5: Tony Dunst – 1,550,000
Seat 6: Sergey Rybachenko – 1,010,000
Seat 7: Jean-Robert Bellande – 700,000
Seat 8: Matt Harris – 965,000
Seat 9: empty

Jean-Robert Bellande made an oops of a three-bet shove with Q♦ 10♦ and was four-bet by Duy Le with A♥ Q♣. Once the original raiser – Jeff Banghart – folded his Jacks, Bellande was unable to improve and hit the rail in 78th place for a $94,942 payday much to the disappointment of the media and his many fans.

Arguably the best dressed man in poker; Tony ‘Bond18′ Dunst was unable to gather any momentum on his appearance at the final table. At one point he found himself all in holding Queens against Hasan Habib’s Ace-King. A King spiked on the flop, but a Queen on the river saw Dunst double through in a hand that will surely make the ESPN broadcast.

Unfortunately from then onwards, Dunst was unable to pick up any chips, and eventually committed his last 1,075,000 with a Jerry Yang-esque inspired “one mirrion” raise over William Thorson’s usually light open. Thorson made the call holding a dominating A♠ K♥ against Dunst’s A♣ Q♥. A chop draw fell on the turn, but a King on the river would see Dunst eliminated in 50th collecting $168,556 for his efforts.

Although play stalled around dinner time, we still managed to reach the final twenty-seven in reasonable time as Joseph Cheong would take the chip lead into the final day with an amassed 24,490,000 of the 219,570,000 in play as Matt Affleck, John Racener, Scott Clements, David Baker, Michael Mizrachi, Adam Levy, William Thorson, Johnny Lodden and Hasan Habib all remained with a glimmer of hope of making the 2010 November Nine!

With the blogging team reduced to just five of the best and Day 6 of the 2010 World Series of Poker Main Event starting with just 205 players, I was the fortunate one to be based at the Feature/TV table!

David Baker, Eric Baldwin, Adam Levy, Matt Affleck and Christian Harder were spread between both the main and secondary feature tables as I gathered hands from both over the duration of the day.

At one point the tables were switched out as both Michael and Robert Mizrachi, along with Theo Tran, John Racener and Alexander Kostritsyn being spread over the two tables before chip leader Theo Jorgensen arrived a little later.

Apart from some unusual six- and seven-way pots that didn’t result in too many fireworks, the only interesting hand I reported was this colour piece.

“What Is This Exactly?”
“So what is this exactly?” asked a railbird.

I guess it’s not too late for people to come check out the World Series of Poker Main Event!

The end of the day saw just 78 players make it through with Theo Jorgensen on top by nearly 2 million over Michael Mizrachi and John Racener as the highly-skilled players of Phil Galfond, Robert Mizrachi, Tristan Wade, JP Kelly, Theo Tran, Jesper Hougaard and Christian Harder all the bite the dust along with fan and fairy-tale favourite Johnny Chan when his Kings and Jacks were unable to improve against opponents’ Aces.

The Day 6 Feature Table (blogging desk located just out of picture in background on right)

Not able to hit the money yesterday, Day 4 of the 2010 World Series of Poker Main Event was going to become the money day for the first time in WSOP history!

Stripped of both blogging and reporting duties, I was sentenced(?) to iPad duty which entailed me continuously updating chip counts of my area roughly on average every ten minutes.

Based in the blue section of the Amazon Room, we were blessed with the majority of the chip leaders along with some of the better known players which made my job a little difficult at the start until Mickey came over once the remainder of the Pavilion Room broke.

As we neared the bubble, all those memories of playing like a donk in 2007 came flushing back as I wish I had a chance to revoke my button shove and just fold for two more hands so that I could have been US$20,320 richer!

The only positive thing about my bubble bust (apart from what I personally learnt), is the fact that many players either go out in worse situations, or play their hand horrible.

For the 2010 Bubble Boy Tim McDonald after being faced with a raise to 10,000, he made it 30,000 (of his 67,500-chip stack) to go as his opponent made the call to see a A♣ A♠ 2♦. Check, all in for 37,500, snap call! McDonald tabled his Q♣ Q♠ and his opponent tabled A♥ 2♥ for a flopped full house. Two Queens needed, but only one fell, as McDonald bite the dust just shy of the $19,263 payday but with an added bonus of a seat into the 2011 Main Event!

Only 575 players made it through to a day five berth, with adopted Aussie Tony ‘Bond18′ Dunst leading the field with over 1.5 million in chips.

Bruno, Rich, Heath and I all had a day off tomorrow so we decided to play a home game at the PokerNews Mansion where they were all staying.

We were expecting to get a few others, but due to some (soft) reasons, it ended up being just the four of us as we played $0.25-0.25 NLH on the pool table.

I was chipped down early and was forced to top up so I was in for $100 before my first major hand was when I stacked Bruno. He was playing like a banana, and after a three-bet Heath’s 75c open with A♦ Q♠ to $3.25 and Bruno made it $8.50 or so, I shipped it in. Bruno made the call for his last $30 or so with Kings, but when a Queen fell on the flop and the river, he was tilted and forced to rebuy.

I stack Rich when I overbet shoved my 5♠ 3♠ on a 9♠ 8♠ 2♥ 5♦ after he checked. He snapped off his last $60 (into a pot of around $15) with K♠ J♠, and was unable to improve after running it twice.

Then there was this hand that upset Heath after I opened K♣ Q♣ to 75c and the table called around to see a Q♦ 4♥ 4♠ flop fall. Rich and Heath checked as I fired out a bet of $2.50 with Bruno folding before Rich made the call as Heath bumped it to around the $8 mark. I three-bet to $24 and Rich passed as Heath smooth-called. We both checked the repeat Queen on the turn before the river landed the 5♥ and he check-called a bet of $10.25 with 10♣ 4♣ before launching into a tilt tirade once Rich told him that he folded a Queen too.

Heath eventually finished off Rich before we both played heads until the darkness of night had been transformed into early morning sunlight as I profited $194 from the friendly home game before finding comfort on the couch for some sleep!

Departing the PokerStars party last night completely sober meant that for once I could make fun of my fellow hungover blogging partner!

And of all people, it was the normally sensible, recently married and over 30 Heath ‘TassieDevil’ Chick!

Not at all in the best shape courtesy of countless beers, he arrived with water and gatorade in hand hoping that he could make it through Day 3 of the 2010 World Series of Poker Main Event.

Both of us were located in the Pavilion Room and expected that we would lose all our tables by the end of the day. We did have a few of the big names and big stories such as virtual POTY Frank Kassela and fellow contender Dan Heimiller, along with Allen Cunningham and the always aggressive Alexander Kostritsyn.

However it was one chair that was empty that bemused us . . . the empty chair of Jack Ury.

Ury has been playing the Main Event for the last few years, but what is amazing is that he is 97 years old! Hailing from Terre Haute, Indiana, Ury has been playing poker since 1923, and the 2010 Main Event marks his first at reaching day three.

For this fact alone, and of course that he is a little older than the average player, it made us at PokerNews a little worried that Ury wasn’t in attendance. Eventually he and his 8,200-chip stack was blinded off but we were later informed that Ury was fine.

2,557 began the day, but only 1,203 would survive with James Carroll leading the charge, and for those wanting to see a fairytale Main Event, then it was the player ninth in chips that everyone was rooting for . . . Johnny F**king Chan!

Feeling slightly better (not sure how), I was ready to tackle Day 2a of the 2010 World Series of Poker Main Event!

With such high numbers on the latter of the two day ones, the WSOP staff had deciding to merge both Day 1a and 1c together so that both day two fields would possess relatively the same numbers. Consequently it would be 2,412 players returning to battle out another eight hours of tournament poker.

Only 1,200 players would survive the day, but it would be an interesting situation that occurred with Matt Savage that would be the highlight of my day.

Savage Doubles and Receives Penalty
Matt Savage is one of – if not the – most well known Tournament Directors in the world having worked for many different companies; including the World Series of Poker.

“Well at least I doubled” Savage added before beginning his orbit hiatus from the table.

Today was also the day that PokerNews implemented the use of the iPad for updating player’s counts.

I managed to use it over the duration of the last level, and managed to update my whole section every ten minutes or so with relative ease. Where we will really see the benefit is most likely on days four an beyond, but so far everything about them have been on a positive note!

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!

Finally the biggest day of the poker calendar has arrived with the Day 1a of the 2010 World Series of Poker Main Event!

1,125 players took to the felt which was a slight nine player increase from last year. There was no real stories that came out of the day apart from when the two chip leaders; Kevin McGowan and Tyler Smith, were seated together. Combining for over 313,000 in chips at the 150-300 blind level, both of these players could potentially play an amazing 1,045 big blind pot with each other!

Only 762 players managed to sneak through to a day 2a berth, but one that was unable to bag any chips at the completion of play was basketball star Shawn Marion.

Once an avid basketball follower, the past ten years or so have seen my interest in the game decline, but one aspect of the game that I’ll always keep close to my heart is the arcade game NBA Jam!

Although Shawn Marion was never featured in the original game, I personally tried to use every NBA Jam comment that I could – whether it really worked or not.

When Marion was rivered with a straight, I used the heading Marion Slam-a-Jamma’d, and when he doubled up I used, Marion’s Heating Up, and when he was unfortunately eliminated I used, Marion Puts Up A Brick!