WSOP Report #2 June 5, 2011

What a great night our first night in Las Vegas proved to be. It never ceases me how much I can enjoy even the little places in this grand gambling city.

My daughter Hannah, who is here in Las Vegas for her coming of age trip with Daddy, needed a few things so we stopped at a drug store on the way to my favorite used clothing store in the world -- Savers Thrift Store. We stopped in Savers on Charleston and I filled in my missing wardrobe (I don't pack clothes when I travel -- I just buy them used and then leave them behind when I travel home). I picked out a new pocketed short sleeve shirt and a nice pair of walking shorts -- all for the low, low price of $6. Such a deal.

We then made our way gradually to North Las Vegas, stopping at an antique car show at the police station. Great vintage, cherry vehicles from the 1930s, 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s, and 80s. Can the 1980s be an era of antique cars? Hard to believe, but of course. When I was a youngster, in the 60s, cars from the 30s were surely antique cars. The 1980s are as far removed from today as the 1930s were in the 60s. Duh!

We arrived at Poker Palace at 6:00, to register for a 6:30 $20 tournament. It's strictly a local affair. Hannah and I were the only tournists. We got 4,000 chips for our $20, and there were $5 rebuys for $1000 in chips and a $10 add on after the first three 15 minute rounds that would give us 3,000 chips. The structure was relatively fast, starting at $50/100. It was a throwback to the short stack era. The key would be for us to survive until the first break at 45 minutes, so we could add on.

I had given Hannah a brief summary of a very tight and aggressive tournament strategy. She read it, and I went over it with her, but I had no confidance that she really internalized any of the lessons. I annoyed her by going over to her table (there were 40 contestants at four tables, and we were seated at different ones) and saying, with a punch on the arm, "don't be afraid to be aggressive". She saw it as an announcement to her tablemates that she was a complete novice. She was right; and I felt bad about it.

THe tournament progressed quickly. Few were knocked out by the first break, however, given the rebuys. We each made the break and added on. Hannah's stack seemed to be diminished and then well enriched as I periodically glanced over to her table. I held my own for the first hour and a half. After two hours, at 8:30, the four tables were merged into three. Hannah and I were still on separate tables. By 9:00 we were down to two tables -- and low and behold, my lovely daughter was seated four seats to my left. She had a fairly large stack, considering that she had been down near the felt. I'd say she had about $20K. I had about $40K. Par was about $20K at this time.

She and I tangled on a hand. I raised on the button hoping to steal the blinds and antes when two players, including Hannah, had called the blinds. I got called by the large blind and by Hannah. ON the flop they checked to me. I judged the big blind to have missed the flop. I couldn't be sure about Hannah. I had told her, in my earlier instructions, to shove if she improved. So I figured she didn't improve when she checked (I would have folded to a bet from her since I had absolute drek). When she checked I bet large and she folded. Yeah, I felt a little sheepish.

Hannah was knocked out shortly thereafter -- having made place 17 out of 40 and having lasted longer than the five other women who entered the tournament. I was very proud of her. She then managed to meet and chat with a couple of the guys who had gotten knocked out but who were sticking around to watch their friends. I was impressed with how easily she had conversations with these folks who, seemingly, had very little in common with a 21 year old vegetarian, philosophy major from Temple University. But she seemed very relaxed and happy to meet new and interesting people -- just as I would have been in her shoes. It made me very proud.

I continued to play -- and did fairly well -- catching a nice piece of horseshoe when my QJ went up against a raising KQ, only to hit JJ3 on the flop and win a huge pot. When the tourney got down to one table by 9:45 or so I suggested a 10-way chop. Two objectors. I eliminated one in short order, and kept offering to chop as we got winnowed down. I tripled up against two rivals, one of whom didn't want to chop, and then made an offer they couldn't refuse, since they would have been blinded out within the next round or two. I took home the HUGE CHAMPIONSHIP and a prize of $250. I can now say I that in the last two years I have twice come out to
Las Vegas for the WSOP and twice gone home having won a tournament! (not a WSOP tournament mind you -- but a tournament nevertheless).

After basking in the glory of the moment for a short while, Hannah and I, both very hungry, found our way to a Mexican restaurant near the Stratosphere. We ate Mexican food until we could eat no more and then, bloated, drove ourselves back to the Rio for some much needed rest. We went to bed at midnight or so -- about 3:00 AM on our east coast clocks.

I'm up today, having walked five miles in the cool early air of Las Vegas. It is a clear day with nothing but promise in the air. What's not to like?