In the Money in My First WSOP Event
- Published 2005-06-22
- Author Pokeraddict
A few months before the WSOP touraments started I carefully chose which event I would play. I decided to play the seven card stud high/low $1000 buy in. The low buy in made it a great first tournament and the fact that I have played this game for half my life gave me a great advantage over many players. I figured at least 25% of the players would be playing simply because it was a low buy in and would know little about how to play the game so there would be a lot of dead money. From the play I saw I would have to say it was closer to 40% of the players were dead money. Players were getting knocked out as early as level 2 in this limit tournament. Some played almost every hand at my table. I knew early on getting in the money would be likely. 48 players would get in the money and I was confident I would be one of them. The field was 595 players
Seven card stud high/low is not a game for everyone. It is a drawing game. What I like about it is the ability to freeroll another player. What this means is if you have a low made and the cards another player is showing are only high cards you are guaranteed half of the pot. When a player has a low they can also have a flush, a straight, trips, two pair, or even one pair that can scoop the entire pot instead of a split. This low opportunity also gives a player more of an ability to draw because they can always back into a low if they miss their high hand. The low hand split opportunity also creates situations where poor players will draw at this low only to scoop half. A low is any hand that is 8 or lower that does not pair. Aces are high or low. A straight or flush may also be played high and low for a potential scoop hand.
There were many notable names in the field. Among them were last year's seven card stud high/low winner Cyndy Violette, Andy Bloch, Paul Darden, 2004 Main Event winner Greg Raymer, John Juanda, Mike Matusow, Mark Seif, Doyle Brunson, Men "The Master", Barry Greenstein, Daniel Negreanu, and Dutch Boyd. Of these only Paul Darden, Men "The Master" and Barry Greenstein would make it in the money. I had the pleasure of knocking out Mike Matusow early on. I did not even know it was him until he was gone and several players at the table congratulated me.
I played a tight game. The night before I gave myself a strict hand selection and promised myself I would stick to just these hands depending on the position. For the most part I did a great job with this. I watched the field drop considerably as the limits went up. When we went to the first dinner break I was one of the chip leaders. This was after 8 levels.
The next 4 hours would be quite the grind. I gave myself an even stricter start hand selection as I knew I would get in the money if I was patient. I was very comfortable with my chip count. As time went on the tournament directors would come over and give the player count and just before the 1am break 49 th busted and we were all in the money. When we came back from break we were only going to play one level. In this level 15 more players busted out and going into day 2 I was 6 th in chips. There was only one player who had a huge stack. Five of us were in the mid $30,000's. I had $33,900 in chips, the chip leader had $51,000.
I decided to be superstitious and wear the same clothes I wore the day before. I did not want to change anything. As we played into day 2 times got tough for me. I was constantly the bringin, or the low card that must make the first bet in a seven card stud game. This became devastating to my stack. I literally bought in the first 5 hands of day 2. Finally 33 rd busted out and we were down to 4 tables. I could not catch a hand though. I got into a 4 way pot where on 4 th street I had a 4 card flush, low and straight. I caught 3 running bricks and folded. On other hands I would start with a pair of kings on 3 rd street only to find myself easily beat or freerolled by a player showing an ace and 3 to a low on 5 th. After several of these hands I found myself severely short stacked. I got lucky and caught a flush on Paul Darden who called me down with two pair even though I was showing four clubs. This would be my last scoop hand. I dwindled away in antes but luckily found myself at the final two tables. When we got to two tables a large crowd gathered around. There was applause for the pro players when they would win a hand, when I won something you could have heard a pin drop. It certainly made me feel how a road team in a sporting event feels. 16 th place busted out and we went to dinner. I was 14 th in chips out of 15 players. I knew my time would come soon. During the hour break I called my wife, friends and mother back home to tell them how I was still in but was hanging on by the skin of my teeth. I was too nervous to eat. I am at least guaranteed $3790 no matter what happens but I had to hope I would at least make it to the next payout level. All I can do is hope that someone can at least go out before me or I can get lucky and double up.
Just before the dinner break was over the only shorter stack said to me "I am going all in the first hand" and so he did. He got knocked out and now I was guaranteed $4875. Within about 10 minutes I was down to about $8000 in chips. The limits were $2500/$5000 so it was time to make a move. I was dealt trash but had an ace showing. Men "The Master" was the low card bringin. Everyone folded to me and there was one player still into my left showing a queen and Men "The Master". I decided to raise to try to at least steal the $4500 in antes and bringins. The queen called and so did Men "The Master". I knew I was doomed. I was all in and on 4 th street the queen was all in too and we all showed. I had run into rolled up queens and Men "The Master" had two pair showing. My only hope was to make a low. By 6 th I had made a 4 card low and straight but bricked 7 th street. Mike Wattell filled up his rolled up queens and scooped up the entire pot. Men "The Master" had boated as well but lost. I congratulated the remaining 13 players, wished them luck, got mobbed by many news services, and went to the cage to collect my $4875. On the way I had many spectators congratulate me for getting that far and several asked questions like "What is it like to sit next to Paul Darden?" and "Did you ever think you would play at the same table as Men Nguyen?" I never had thought about any of this. My goal was first to make it in the money, then to change up my game to insure a large win. It did not matter who the other players were, I could not let this intimidate me.
This was my first World Series of Poker event and only my 2 nd live tournament ever. I receive many compliments on my play, even from a notable pro who told me never to tell anyone he said that so I will keep my word and not tell who it was. I think I had a great advantage from not playing these players ever before where these other players had played each other many times. I chose this event because I felt I had the greatest advantage and it was the lowest buy in. Although it was disappointing to bust out 14 th after having such a large chip count I certainly cannot complain. The experience was worth far more then the $4875 prize.
Steve Hohn went on to win his first WSOP bracelet. He won $157,000. I would like to extend congratulations to him and all of the players who made it in the money on my tournament. It was an experience I will never forget. I will be back to play more WSOP tournaments next year. I cannot wait.