After some long overdue sensible preparation (ie by not going out the night before) I was feeling fresh and confident going into yesterday's $1,500 event. There were no 'name' players on my table, and some pretty poor play witnessed - one player was calling any raise with A-3o and couldn't get his chips in quick enough when an ace flopped.
With 1,500 starting chips and 25/25 blinds, tight play was the order of the day early on, even more so as the tables were 11-handed. I managed to see a few cheap flops with TJ-s, 7-8s and 2-2 but missed each time. After this however I won a few small pots, and was on about 2,000 chips when I got dealt K-K. A player in early position raised to 450 (blinds at 50/100), I decided to flat call. No other takers and unfortunately, as always seems to be the case, an Ace flopped. I had position, and he bet 500 into the 1,050 pot. He didn't seem to like the flop though, so I called. Turn and river were blanks, and he checked both times before revealing Q-Q. So if I reraised preflop or an ace didn't flop I double up there, a missed opportunity.
So now I'm up to 3,300 chips, above double my starting stack for the first time in a bracelet event (yes!), when average was perhaps 1,900. Five minutes after the above hand I get dealt Q-Q, maybe it is going to be my day after all. I raise, same player in the previous hand moves all-in for 1,500 total, I call only to be shown A-A. No help arrives, so back down to 1,700ish.
Went out with a crowd of nine last night to drown my sorrows, tonight will probably be another night out as Toshiwonka, Hawko and plenty of others have arrived today. Then tomorrow evening there is some sort of Betfair welcome party, and an early night for me so I'm well-rested for the Main Event which I will be starting in less than 48 hours time. Despite my lack of form so far in the five or six WSOP events I've played, I'm feeling fairly confident about my prospects with 10,000 starting chips and a long clock.
