After a truly grueling and bizarre Day 1, I have survived with 17,600 chips, just barely above my starting stack of 15,000, and well below the average stack (probably 26,000).
My table was the most conservative table I’ve ever seen at a major tournament, or any tournament, for that matter. We had exactly one all-in (mine, when I doubled up) in the first 6 hours of play, and then one more in the next 2 hours. We finally got our first and only elimination of the day less than an hour before the end, and that required QQ to beat a flopped set of Kings with a runner-runner flush. I’ve never seen a table like it in a major tournament - limping everywhere, check-check-check-check - we might as well have all gone to the beach and let them just pass our blinds around. I tried to get in and mix it up but that just got me into trouble.
Phil Hellmuth was “playing” today, but he never showed up. We got word that he was “en route” after busting out of the World Series of Poker Europe, and they put a broomstick with his photo on his chair. As we got to the end of the night it looked like he might survive, but [quoted from CardPlayer]:
Phil Hellmuth Eliminated in a Bad Beat
Phil Hellmuth, still absent, is all in on his big blind for 375. Action folds around to Sam Akiki in the cutoff and he raises to 2,000.
The button and small blind both fold and Hellmuth’s hand is declared dead. Matt Savage turns it up anyway and the crowd, who is rooting for an absent Hellmuth, cheers when they see JJ. Akiki shows A-10 and just for fun, the dealer runs out the board.
The flop comes J-10-6 and the rail cheers again as Hellmuth flops a set! The turn and river come out 92 and despite having the best hand, Hellmuth is eliminated from the tournament. Sadly, Akiki does not get to keep the pole holding up Phil’s head.
I’ll be back at it at Noon Eastern for Day 2, hopefully with a livelier table. I was never able to find the PocketFives guy to get myself on the list of covered players, but I’ll try to make sure they have me for Day 2.
-huge
Way to go Laurence!