2009 WSOP Trip

What a trip... I had a blast. It started on Friday, June 5th. I loaded the family (boyfriend, his mother and son, and my youngest son and only daughter) into the SUV and headed to Vegas after 9:00 p.m. The kids slept the whole way - which was great - and we arrived at our timeshare around 1:00 in the morning.

On Saturday we met up with my parents who were in Vegas for a conference being held at the Caesars and we walked across to have brunch at the Flamingo Buffet. (Like a true grinder, I will go anywhere for free food.) I kid you not, one could spot the frugal WSOP players staying at the Flamingo from a mile away.
After brunch, Johan (my boyfriend) went off to the Poker Room and my Dad was dismissed to hit the Black Jack tables. I chose to spend the day with both moms and the kids. First stop, Super Walmart!!! Can I get a woot? Ha, ha, ha. Ok, really, we were staying in a timeshare and I needed to make sure the kids had lots, and lots, and LOTS of snack foods to keep their little mouths busy. Of course, the moms were totally on board (my mom had never been to a Walmart before). When we got there, I gave each kid $20 and let them buy whatever they wanted. Needless to say, we returned to our room with a lot of junk, cookies, chips, soda, etc.
The timeshare had an arcade that offered a "Kids Club" daycare from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., so after the kids were safely deposited with the club staff, I took my mom and Johan's mom back to Caesars to play the penny slots. Let me tell you, my mom is pro! She took "Li'l Lucy" down! Johan's mom also got the most for her money. Johan met up with us and the two of us just watched our moms and cheered them on from the sidelines. By 9:30 both mom's had had enough. My mom retreated to her room in Caesars and the rest of us went back to the timeshare to pick-up the kids and put them to bed. After the kids went to sleep, it was my turn to hit the Poker Room.
My Dad had done well at Craps and gave me $400 in Caesars chips so we returned to the Caesars Poker Room to check out the action. Along the way, I lost $100 on Craps. With $300 I played 3/1 NLH and made a tidy little profit. We only stayed a few hours because I was set to play the Ladies' Event at noon on Sunday (June 7).
After morning coffee, Johan and I headed to the Rio to buy-in for 2009 World Series of Poker, Event 17. After a last minute decision to consolidate all of the ladies into the main ESPN room, the cards were in the air. I caught some great cards early on and was the chip leader at my table before the end of the first level. By the first break I had turned my initial 3K in chips to over 10K. Unfortunately, after the break, I knocked out the player to my right who was replaced by the ever-so-sweet and well-liked Proker Pro, Maria Stern . I say "unfortunately," because first, Mrs. Stern (who won a WSOP bracelet in 1997 in the $1,500 7-card Stud event) is a poker force not to be reckoned with and second, she had not been at the table long enough to watch my play when she called my re-raise off position with A♥6♦. I had pocket J♥J♦ and with an all low, 3-spade, straight re-draw with a 6 on board flop, she didn't put me on an overpair. She caught another 6 on the turn and with that I was down to 6K just as we went into level 5.

What could be worse? How about two rounds later my table (Table 76) was broken on my button and I was tossed a seat card for Table 74. Of course I sat down in the chair under the gun and caught both blinds before the second break. Right after the break, I was moved again on my button. After being card dead for over an hour, I made a move with K♠10♠ against the big blind who had just tripled up after pushing all-in with pocket Aces under the gun (she had been the shortstack with just 5K before she pushed with her Aces). Well, guess what - lightening can strike twice. She turned over two red aces, and even with two spades and a King on board - the dealer threw up nothing but runner-runner bricks. I was busto 5 minutes before the dinner break.
After grinding out all nighat after my bust out of the WSOP, I bought myself into the Venetian Deepstack Extravaganza for $330. Again, I caught great cards and was above average the whole way. Of course it only takes one mistake or one bad beat to keep from making a final table - - and I managed to do both. The mistake was, after raising the pot in early position with 9♦10♦ with two callers, I folded after the small blind (who hadn't played a hand in hours) pushed all in for 1/4 of my chips. The two callers then pushed all in behind me (the largest of the all-in stacks was 1/3 of mine. The hands were A♠K♠, A♣J♠, and the small blind had A♥7♣, the flop came K♦J♦?♥, turn♦, river♦. Yeah, I would have doubled up if I had gambled there. It was a bad lay down.
The bad beat came when I four-bet under the gun with A♠K♥ and some donkey in mid-position pushed for just under 30K . I had over 150K in chips and snapped called. He turned over A♣3♣, and I was way ahead. Although we both flopped the Ace, he turned a 3 for two pair. The break started during the hand and as I was counting out my chips to ship, he said he was sure he could push me off anything under Jacks, and was shocked when I called and showed such a big hand. Uh-huh, four-bet under the gun (blinds were at 800/400 - 75 ante), sure you can push me off a hand that I think is worth a 3200 bet into a 1950 pot. Lucky moron. I got it all back later, but getting back what I lost and getting ahead in chips are two different things.

Just after the announcement that the remaining players had made the money, they shuffled the tables. With just fifteen minutes left in the final level of the day and the blinds at 8000/4000 with a 1000 ante, I woke up with A♥Q♠ on the button just as a monster chipleader table moved into the big blind. I shove with my 120K in chips and, after he finished straighting the last of his 12 columns of 5000 and 1000 chips, he looked me up and down then peeked at his cards. He insta-called with A♣K♣. The flop went 9♥10♥J♦, followed by two bricks...BOOO! I was out at 53rd. I cashed $583 although for some reason the results list me at 55 with $483. Oh well, the stats may not be right - but the money I was paid was the money I was paid, regardless.
On Wednesday, Johan and I went to Bellagio. We had doubled up at the 5/2 when he got a call regarding a family emergency involving his son's maternal grandmother. We immediately cut the trip short, packed up and headed home.
With all the ups and downs, this trip will be one to remember.