PokerStars WPT Event Day 1

The PokerStars Caribbean Adventure got started with about 425 players. The first day was split into two ‘flights’ of ~200 people each. I was assigned to the first flight so I played on Thursday. People in my flight included Greg Raymer, Chris Moneymaker, Hoyt Corkins, John Juanda, Kathy Liebert, Erick Lindgren, David Williams, Tom McEvoy, and more. I also met up with another ITHer, Mets2602. He is a nice guy.

Players were seated alphabetically rather than randomly which I thought was odd. My table was full of internet players who I did not know. It turned out to be one of the toughest tables imaginable. There were few reraises and a relatively tiny number of showdowns the whole time at my table. It was a tight table.

With 10,000 starting chips and 75 minute levels it was no surprise that no one on our table was busted for the first 5 hours. We just passed the same chips around while other tables were accumulating chips and busting players.

I made a little bit of headway early, adding about 1500 to my stack. I had AA once in the first level and won the blinds. I had JJ as well but just called a raise then folded on a K high flop. I blinded down for about an hour and a half to 5200 chips before making a late charge. I ended the day with 15,200 in chips, just about average. Some key hands:
Blinds 25 50: I have in MP. I raise to 175 and a player in the BB reraises me to 350. I call. The flop is . He leads 500 into me. I give a little thought then reraise him to 1500. He immediately folds his kings face up.
Blinds 200 400: I have in the SB. An aggressive player limps first in from the CO. This would be a warning bell but last time he did this he had A9o. The flop is . I have top pair and a gut shot. I lead out 1200, the BB folds and the aggressive players asks how much I have. He puts me all in for my last 4K and I call. He has A4o and I double up.
Blinds 200 400: A few hands later I have . We finally busted a player and he is replaced by Kathy Liebert sitting directly on my right. She raises to 1200 on a 400 blind and I call from the button. The flop is . She leads out and bets 2000. I immediately say “Raise” in an authoritative voice because I had been planning on raising with an ace. When I looked at my chip stack, I realized that a good raise of 3-4K more would commit me. Instead I raised the minimum, 2000 more. Kathy thought for a little while and then said “That was suspicious,” and folded. By sounding tough then making a weak raise because I was short on chips I let her think I had a monster hand. I felt like I accidentally outplayed a pro! The truth is I probably had her beat.

On the whole, I spent the day respecting raises and looking for any opportunity to raise first in to steal blinds. I raised with J4o (and folded to a reraise), 86s (won a nice pot when I hit the 6 vs. QJ from the BB), 55 (folded to a reraise), and 88 (defended my blind and took a nice pot). I had decided to get aggressive and take advantage of tight play but I seemed to run into a lot of monsters. I am thrilled to start day 2 on Saturday with more chips than I started with.

Mets2602 on the other hand… he had been asking me for advice on MTT play. He finished the day at 42,000 in chips, good enough for third! He was also at a table full of pros! He had John Juanda, Erick Lindgren, Steve Zolotow, Alex Brenes and Dewey Tomko… and he crushed them! Way to go, Mets and keep it up!

Another amusing side note; I have met a lot of nice and friendly people. Many of them have screen names that I recognize as aggressive or bully, or weak. It is funny to put a face to the avatar on Stars!