In just a few weeks, I’ll be heading off to the World Series of Poker (WSOP) to play my third Main Event with 888poker. Nothing compares to the intensity of the biggest poker tournament in the world, and I’m beyond excited to take another shot at it.
While last year’s journey ended in disappointment on day 2 after a brutal hand, the story of my first Main Event remains one I’ll tell for years. It’s a great story, but it’s so packed with twists and turns that it needs a couple of columns to do it justice. So let me start by setting the scene.
The Anti-Sweat
In my first year with 888poker, the company ran a competition for all members of the Stream Team. The winner would get a coveted package to the WSOP Main Event. It was a 6-player sit-and-go format spread over six weeks, and as a cash game player, I didn’t feel like I had much of a shot. After the first two rounds, AndreiCoz had a commanding lead, and I thought my dream was over. But after back-to-back victories, I managed to pull myself back into the running.
Heading into the final week, I needed two things to happen: 1) avoid a last-place finish, and 2) hope that Andrei didn’t finish in first place. After a brutal beat where aces were knocked out early, I feared the worst, especially as Andrei started making moves. He got pocket tens in against pocket fives, and I turned pale when the miracle 5 hit the turn. That moment secured my spot on the plane, and I was off to the Main Event. It was a rollercoaster of emotions, but I had done it!
Fighting for My Life
The Main Event has the deepest structure in the world, and going into it, I felt confident. My online cash game experience had me accustomed to stacks of 100 big blinds or more, so I thought I’d have an edge early on. But after a rough first day and some extremely tough spots, I managed to bag a reasonable 42,000 chips from 60,000. That’s about 50 big blinds, and while my confidence waned, the sheer experience of being there was worth it.
I wasn’t expecting much, especially after being drawn at a table with Sam Soverel, a US pro with over $20 million in tournament earnings. I checked my Hendon Mob stats, and my biggest live tournament win was a humble £150 4th place finish. The disparity between us was laughable.
After a brief resurgence, my stack dwindled to 16,000 chips. I found myself all-in with against and got lucky, surviving to see another day. A table change followed, and I managed to bag chips once again after 11 grueling hours of fighting.
Selling a Story
With 20 big blinds and a dream fading, I entered day 3 with little hope, as is customary for me. But then I realized something: my table was one of the toughest in the room, with solid regs in every seat. Luckily, I picked up early and doubled up against – a crucial moment.
From that point, I had one goal: make it to the money. I knew I had to survive with my 40bb stack to secure that sweet $15,000 payout. That meant a lot of folding, but I knew exactly what I had to do.
After another lucky seat change, I decided to sell a story. I started complaining about how few hands I was getting and lamented that I couldn’t wait for a remotely playable hand to shove all-in for a double. In reality, I had no intention of playing any of those hands. At this stage, it was all about surviving and getting to the money. I even managed to get two walks in the big blind, and I like to think my little performance had something to do with it, though who knows?
But soon, the mask came off. There was no hiding my intentions anymore, and I found myself exposed as we inched closer to the money bubble.
What happened next was the most stressful, mentally taxing three hours of poker I’ve ever played. Next week, I’ll tell you all about it in detail.
