How it started so well, and how it all went downhill from there. You've probably experienced it, too.
Nobody wants to listen, and nobody wants to hear, so why do people keep on telling bad beat stories?
I'm allergic to bad beat stories. I know. You think you are, too. But listen. I really am.
Whenever my body recognizes a bad-beat story it goes to lockdown mode. My ears physically shut down.
I can hear the noise, but not one single word. Is it skill or luck? Either way I feel blessed.
Outside in the Smoke Fog
The 2015 WSOP is running at full throttle with new bracelet winners everyday. It's hard to keep track and I find it even harder to be interested.
It was the same in my last WSOP in 2012. I think everything else is the same, too.
Like people telling bad bead stories everywhere you go; in the food court, outside in the smoke fog and in the restrooms where people can't escape.
It's during the breaks the real value of headphones come in play.
What sanctuary it is to listen to Balls to the Wall by Accept instead of countless, endless, pointless bad-beat stories you've heard a million times before.
Running Out of Bullets Fast
My form was deteriorating fast and I started to lose the flips I was supposed to win at a 70% rate.
Since I was on a small budget I was running out of bullets fast.
My last shot before the Main Event was the $3K PLO tournament. I must presume now I chose that sick game just to cement the bad-beat parade.
You could divide your starting stack into three bullets if you wanted to because somebody thought you needed extra bullets in PLO tournaments.
Myself I think that someone should learn the game instead.
We played five-handed because someone else thought it was a good idea to punish the guys playing from the start, which includes almost all the recreational players.
Someone else gets less work when filling up the tables with late comers instead of letting the late comers wait and play against each other on a new table.
Heads-Up on a Slow Boat to China
Needless to say five-handed PLO is a completely different game than nine-handed.
I lost my first bullet as a solid favorite against a young guy who thought he was god's gift to poker. And probably to girls, too.
Since he felted me he concluded that I was a fish. So we got it all-in again a few hands later with my AA versus his pretty naked KK.
He flopped a set and called my all-in that was already automatic. We got into an argument about what was good poker.
“You probably think you are a pro," I said.
“As a matter of fact I am," he said, proud as hell.
He had played poker almost a year and learned everything needed several months before, just in time to conquer the World Series.
He had taken two bullets from me and would probably love to play poker with me on a slow boat to China.
He was wearing a black leather jacket, sunglasses and was chewing a huge wad of gum with an open mouth and lots of noise.
It's OK to Be on Tilt in PLO
He had put me on tilt. It's hard to do, but I think he was a natural.
It's okay to be on tilt in a PLO tournament. It can actually be a good thing. That is, by the way, the only game where tilt can ever be a good thing.
I gritted my teeth and waited for a good hand to play it like a bat out of hell.
Just two hands later he raised my big blind from the button. Because he was a pro he raised almost every hand.
I figured my KK double-suited was a solid favorite against his range, especially with my ace-blocker.
The best play would probably be to call and outplay him post-flop, but I was on tilt so I raised the pot.
He insta-raised pot giving me almost 3-1 on my call, which was as insta as his raise.
He looked disappointed; you know, implying that he actually thought he had fold equity.
I Didn't Even Get Butter On It
When he showed his JJT2 with one flush draw I knew I was toast.
I didn't even get butter on it and had to stand up and leave moments later.
“The sick part is that you probably believe Jacks is a good hand.”
“Bye bye fish!”
I would've loved to see how cocky he was if it was just the two of us - preferably in a dark alley.
But given how good he was running I would obviously never get the chance. I was out of bullets. It was time for the cash games.
About Ken Lennaárd:
Sweden's most controversial poker blogger Ken Lennaárd has been around the professional poker circuit for almost 20 years. Among his numerous accomplishments are Swedish Championships both live and online, three WSOP final tables and over $1.5m in live earnings. He's now bringing his singular poker voice to the English world via PokerListings.com. Look for new posts every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
Note: Opinions expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not represent the views of PokerListings.com.
Visit www.pokerlistings.com