Humbling Day in $1500 6 Max

Yesterday, I fired the WSOP $1500 6 Max Tournament. After cashing 2 events in a row, ($600 Deep Stack & $1000 Super Turbo) I came in feeling confident. 

6 max means only 6 players allowed per table. This changes the table dynamics greatly as blinds go around much faster and there’s a lot more bluffing because ranges (starting hands) are much wider.

Players started the tourney with 25,000 chips. I was between 18k and 28k for the first four hours with no major all in hands.

I did not feel as confident playing short handed as I did in the last two tourneys. I got in a couple of tricky spots where I made conservative folds. For example, I folded top two pair when a four flush hit the board. In another hand I reraised pre flop with AQ but gave up on 8876 board. On another I 3bet pre flop with KQ once and gave up on 622J board. My opponent ended up showing pocket 4s. 

The reason I am bringing up these hands is when I am at the top of my game I would pull the trigger on bluffs in spots like these. I leaked too many chips in this tourney inflating pots then giving up. 

A pivotal moment happened when I shoved 14,500 with K8 clubs on what I thought was a weak 2200 pre flop raise by an aggressive opponent. I could not have been more wrong running into Pocket Aces. I took the name of Crackin Aces literally and sucked out on KK9 flop to stay alive before dinner break. 

After dinner break I leaked some chips down to 16,000 when this embarrassing hand came up. The small blind called 1500 and I checked 85 clubs. Flip j87 two Hearts. He check called my 2500 bet. Turn J of Diamonds. He checked and I decided to shove to get what was in the middle. He snap called with 109 (flopped straight). I bricked the river and felt like an idiot. It was against the same guy whose aces I cracked. He deserved the justice. 

This was a rusty poker day I hinted might happen after two years off. I got exposed a little bit playing short handed. But there’s no reason to be upset or anything. I have cashed 2 of 4 WSOP events and am going to chalk it up as a humbling learning experience.

Today I am firing Day 1A of the massive $1500 Millionaire Maker (Over 1 million to 1st). I got back in gym for 5th day in a row and feel great after running a 5k. I told Billy Football I was going hard in Vegas for Mintzy Experiment and am at 13 miles for the week plus lifting. Gotta keep this going when I get back to New York!

I am writing this blog with 32,000 chips (from 25k starting) at a weak table in Millionaire Maker. Time to go to work again!

In other news, congrats to badass pro and good dude Jason Koon who won the prestigious $25,000 heads up tourney for $243,000 and a bracelet. He’s a great dude.

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Congrats also to Ari Engel who won the $10,000 Omaha Hi Lo event for $317,000 and his 2nd bracelet. Ari and I go all the way back to Bodog in 2004 and I could not be happier for him. 

The Poker Brat Phil Hellmuth finished 5th in the same event for $80,000 and will have to wait on his record 16th bracelet. 

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