Inside The Poker Tour - 53 - From The WSOP
My report on the World Series of Poker is mixed for sure. Harrah's crew made some progress in various areas—they brought in cheaper and more accessible food, they made the ten dollar food coupon usable at many places at the Rio, rather than just a discount at the buffet, they gave a decent poker rate for the rooms (suites), and brought some trailers in for portable toilets (found just outside).
When it came to signing everyone up they fell flat. For event number one many players just fell through the cracks and were brought back randomly! This happened for some players that wired in funds for multiple entries as one would get a seat and others might not. I arrived in some purgatory that I shared with Steve Zolotov and likely some others. Thirteen days before the first open event I tried to sign up and was told that early entries were not allowed within two weeks of the event! This should have given me a clue but instead I waited until they opened the satellite room and then signed up at the VIP credit office next to the cage and was told that my seat assignment would be given at 'will call' where I dutifully went every 12 hours until the night before the event, being always told the paperwork had not yet arrived. At that point, holding a receipt, I insisted that someone look into it and was kept at the podium for the next two plus hours whilst an occasional person would come out and tell me they were working on it! Finally I was offered alternate number 280 and I refused. They returned to a huddle in the backroom and now the tournament director, Robert Daily, came out and offered his apology and said he would make me the number one alternate or give me my money back. I agreed to the first alternate plan and came back the next day to find the room packed with people ready to get the 2006 version of this affair off the ground.
The assistant director had a list of players that no one was allowed to see but once he called Carlos Mortenson first I asked what was going on and the TD turned to Jimmy Sommerfield and told him to put me in next. As soon as Robert walked away Jimmy told me to get away and called some other names! Furthermore he now called for security to have me taken away! I was shocked to say the least, as I have never seen a situation where the assistant ignores his boss. I backed away before security could arrive and waited until they called my name. Several years ago I decided to not get myself upset with such things and I let it go, although my impression was that the event had spun out of control.
Soon enough I was given the five seat at a eleven handed table with Chip Jett on my left, and he played most pots in his relentlessly aggressive style, while most players seemed to be unfamiliar with live play, emitting a basket of tells. After a half an hour or so went by an interesting situation came up as six or so players limped into the pot and seat eleven, a pro holding AA, raised it. I was dealing with getting water and when I looked up the board read Q-T-9-8-7 and it was checked around with the button showing his Q6 to the AA holder before throwing it away face down. Now the player on my right asked to see the hand and the AA told the dealer to kill the hand before he showed it. The dealer dutifully tapped the two cards on the muck and turned over Q6suited! The player had clearly overlooked the "idiot" end of the straight and had mucked a winner! Now I suggested that the dealer call a floor-person over before he pushed the pot even though everyone at the table, including the two pros, said I was wasting their time. The floor-person came over and agreed with them.
I disagreed but did not make an issue out of it. Even though I believe the ruling to be correct in a money game I think it is clearly wrong in a tournament because an identifiable winner that is mucked allows someone else to get the chips and effectively cheats the other participants by not allowing the chips to go to their proper place. I find it fascinating that various other players do not agree with me on this, as their view seems to be predicated on deciding whether or not the player that erred was deliberately passing a winner. The line in the sand is drawn, because I do not believe in leaving it up to interpretation—if any reader has another viewpoint they should share their reasoning with me. None of us are mind-readers and if we drop a card on the floor or an "F bomb" we should expect a penalty. This rule, and many others, will only confound the innocent, but be of little detriment to serious cheaters.
I lasted less than two hours as a late position player made it 150 over my big blind of 50 when I held AK and had a stack of only 600. I moved all-in and he held AA.
Event 3 was 1500 dollar pot limit holdem and I had decent chips for a long while. 1102 runners began the race and I had dropped to well below average when I went out about 200th, raising to 1200 over a big blind of 400 from midfield with 10-10. The hijack seat called with AK and the flop came 997. I now moved allin for 2175 and after long thought the AK called, which was a very suspect action because it was most of his chips and the most important point being that if he is willing to call with such a weak holding on a dangerous flop he should re-raise before the flop. The river was an ace and I was gone.
Earlier in this event I watched Ron Rose take two horrendous beats. In the first a young player getting a massage and wearing a designer hat made it 300 to go from the one hole over a big blind of 150. One other player called and Ron made it 1350 to go from the little blind. Under the gun called and the other player mucked. The flop came 9h8d9d and Ron made the maximum bet with AsAc and the kid went into the tank, remarking at one point that he had a "big hand, big decision…" and at last when the clock was called on him he called and turned over QhJh? This was explained later by him saying that he thought he held QdJd and had flopped a straight flush draw. Instead he had only a prayer, but it was answered when a 10 fell off on the river! One round later a player holding 5s3s limped from midfield and Ron moved all-in from the button with 77. The 53 agonized for a while and then called. It came A-10-4 and a 2 on the turn. Goodnight Ron! This game can be incredibly cruel, incredibly brutal, and that is so very often what actually happens.
The professional poker tour {PPT), a spin-off from the WPT, finally made its debut this past Wednesday night on the Travel Channel and it was so good that I was amazed. The graphics and commentary and play were all superior to anything that I have seen on television.
Until next time play good…and get lucky!
Ed note: play good, and get lucky – every day at Ultimate Bet
