Day 1, Main Event
I took my seat at the beginning of Day 1A expecting to be surrounded by nits who would do anything to just stay alive in this tournament. Boy was I wrong, as we had four “all-ins” and at least six pots of over 10,000 chips in those first few hours. I was shocked, as this is usually completely the opposite of how players play at the beginning of such a big event. I was lucky enough to capitalize early when I flopped a set with my 10
10
and ended up almost doubling up very quickly. Things were off to a great start, and they would stay that way…for a while.
I continued to build my stack up with a nice run of cards and some good decisions, until I got it up to about 75k, which was good for the chiplead at that point. Things were going exceptionally, but it just couldn’t last for me. I ended up getting into some tough hands, which I just couldn’t get away from. None of them were suckouts at all, just hands which started going my opponent’s way instead of mine. Here are a few…
- I held 89 on a 6
9
J94 board; my opponent held K9. Strangely, he never raised me at any point and thus I turned up my hand happily when he called my oversized river bet. I was shocked to see that he had me outkicked, but also felt lucky to have not lost even more on the hand.
- I held KK and my opponent ended up making his flush on the river, with QJ. I just pitched my hand here, definitely knowing that my Kings were no good once the third spade dropped on the river.
- I ended up flopping a set with 33, but my opponent filled up with a bigger boat on a 75375 board. In retrospect I probably should have just folded this one on the river, but she didn’t move in for much more and I was getting something like 3.5:1 on my final call. I ended up making a crying call just in hopes that she had somehow misread her hand, or maybe held something like 64, as in this event it is more likely than you would think.
- I also lost a race for about 6k in chips when an opponent opened with KQ and I looked down at 88 in the big blind. I moved her in, as this was an automatic decision for what she had left. She flopped a Queen, and that was that.
I had a few other tough hands, but nothing too interesting, and nothing else I want to bore you with. I think I may have lost a little more than I should have in a few spots, but am pretty pleased with the way that I played throughout the day. I had some pretty severe swings in my stack size, but thankfully it had less to do with me playing like a maniac, and more to do with just how the cards fell. It did get ugly a few times though…
20k (starting stack) to 75k to 9k to 45k to 3k to 8500 (ending stack)
I actually had a chance to get right back to my heights, and a little more, when I got in with AK against my opponent’s KK late in the day. I had opened for 2500 chips, and my opponent shoved for his stack, 42k, right into me. I thought there was no way that he could have me crushed, as he would want action if he had such a strong hand. In retrospect, he played the hand beautifully, given my cards. The only real problem is that I had to have a big hand for his move to pay off, which it obviously did for him in a big way.
From that point I just tried to hang on, which I did, and ended up with a meager 8500 in chips. I was disappointed, obviously, but was happy that I was able to play my short stack effectively and still be alive to see day two. I was actually extremely happy with how I played all day, as I fought through quite a few frustrating situations and never gave in. The proverbial “Sebok Blow-Up” never came, and despite losing so many chips from such a great height, I believe it was simply due to the actual hands themselves and not over-aggressive misplays from me…
Let’s hope I can get it going tomorrow and pick up a few big hands early for some double ups…
“HaxtonGate 2007”
Who would have thought that a little blog I wrote would cause such uproar? I would like to nip this one in the bud, as I consider it to just be so ridiculous…
Let me be very clear about this, as I will only be writing it once…I meant absolutely no personal attack on Isaac whatsoever. If he, or anyone else, felt that I was making some sort of personal statement about him, then they are dead wrong. I simply made a comment about the play that he made against me, which I stand firmly behind, as I feel that it was a terrible play. Truth be told, I just shouldn’t have used an actual name in the blog, and then all of this wouldn’t be such an issue.
Upon a second reflection, I am quite sure that some of the frustration from this year’s WSOP close calls seeped into my writing and affected some of my comments, which lead to them being a bit more biting than they would usually be, which I definitely apologize for. Any name-calling by me was totally over-the-line and I, again, apologize for that as well, and that is 100% on me…
Of course, the attacks that I have received in the forums have been about 100x the intensity of any I have dished out, but that is neither here nor there, and probably not due to Haxton himself.
I can’t speak for Theo Tran, but my issue is 100% not personal and as far as I am concerned…over. In regards to the Tran interview, I in no way am trying to become a radio shock-jock and we, as a radio show, shouldn’t have let the shit-talking continue on as long as it did, and I take full blame in that as well. We all view the show as a bunch of us just hanging out and having fun, and that is honestly our strength. Unfortunately this one time, we let that mentality get out of hand and it was embarrassing. However, those who feel that we shouldn’t discuss what is going on in the poker world, such as this situation, and those who participate in it, well, there wouldn’t be a need for a radio show at all if we didn’t.
A thanks to Alex Jacob and Shane Schleger, whose comments got me to rethink my words and see some of the error of my writings…
So now, can’t we all just get along?
“The Bet II” Buyout Controversy
Man, if I’m not fucking one thing up, then I am doing it somewhere else. The bottom line with this year’s WSOP prop bet is that I screwed up. That’s it. Plain and simple. Place the blame on me…
Jeff Madsen came into his day one and began to pay his bet, by dressing in full jester attire. As most of you know, both he and Gavin Smith were supposed to carry me into the Amazon Room here at the Rio, for all of the opening days of the Main Event. Gavin welched on his side of the bet by heading up to Tahoe and going golfing since Thursday. I didn’t even think about it when he said he was heading out of town for a few days, as I had a million things going on myself. When I did realize it, I felt slightly cheated, but certainly wasn’t going to force Madsen to pay a debt that Gavin didn’t have to, and thus released him from having to carry me solo…however that would have worked out for his back...
Gavin came into his day one today and was obviously not happy with the prospect of having to dress up as a jester and play some poker. So unhappy, in fact, that he proposed a buy out of the bet and that he be released from his debt. While we did the radio show we discussed the parameters and I ended up settling on a cash payment so he wouldn’t have to play in said outfit, but he would also have to do a personal interview with ESPN in the outfit, as well as walk through the hallways of the Rio in full attire as well, in addition to the money.
I honestly did not think about it long enough, and thought that it actually made the story a little more funny this way. Boy, was I apparently wrong…
I would like to apologize to anyone who feels that they were slighted by my decision. In retrospect (which is where I seem to be living these days), I can completely understand why the fans and the media would feel cheated by this. There was so much buildup to the bet, and now, with very little payoff, and I, again, apologize for this. I dropped the ball. Though buyouts are commonplace with prop bets of all kinds, I think I was wrong to book one in this context. Though it meant some cold hard cash in my pocket, I can see how the public would be bummed with the resolution.
I also want to apologize to Jeff, as he showed up like a trooper to pay his debt off, and did so like a champ. We will work something out for the continued payment of the bet, as I don’t want anything to be unfair in what was supposed to just be an extremely fun bet.
I’m not sure what else to say. Again, a ton of apologies to everyone who was so fired up for the payoff. Just as with the first deal that I made in regards to playing poker, I now feel sick about making a deal in this context as well. Rest assured though, as there will NEVER again be any other deal in any public bet that I will ever make. I promise you that…
That’s it, kiddies. I’m living in ApologyLand, and it sucks. The weather blows and there are no good movies on TV…
I hope I can pick up Aces a few times tomorrow and get back into this thing…
Talk to you guys…
PS- Here are at least a few pics of Gavin during his short stint as a jester this year, for you guys to enjoy...thanks to Heather for the pics...
