My brother Glenn had been offered a choice for his 50th birthday. Golf at Pebble Beach or play an event @ WSOP. Well, of course he chose poker! We decide to go on June 18th and play event #36, one of the $1k buy in tourneys. The plan is to arrive Thursday evening around 8pm, have some dinner, play his favorite table game, 'Let It Ride' get some rest and hit the satellites Friday morning. We get to DFW about 2 hrs before the flight, only to find we are now delayed about 1-1/2 hrs. We find something to eat, then finally leave the ground around 8:45. we're in 1st class and they had listed snack service, and when the flight attendant brought around the warm cup of mixed nuts, I thought, so much for a snack. Next thing I know, she's back and serving dinner! I'll have the steak salad, thank you. Glenn had the burger, which he said was OK. We land around 10pm and go to the longest cab line I have ever seen. Nice cabbie to the Orleans, he takes the tunnel but I don't care. Actually I think it was quicker. Check in and no need for dinner, so we hit the Let it Ride. Now, Glenn is addicted to this game, he will play non stop if you let him, so we agree, $100, that's all for the first night. First hand, I have 3 clubs and I have the 3 card bonus bet out so I tuck my cards and the dealer turns over a club and then another! First hand , I'm up $200. I should get up right? Oh well, I do finally get up with +$75 profit.
Next morning we have the breakfast special in the orleans cafe, two eggs, bacon, sausage, two pancakes for $4.99, but Glenn gets all tweeked because the cup of coffee is $2.99. He cracks me up. Since we are cheap, we decide to ride the shuttle to Gold Coast and then WALK to the Rio. I mean, it's only right across the street, right? Well first the shuttle goes PAST the Rio and makes a stop at Bill's, then back to the Gold Coast. It was like walking thru 3 casinos by the time we got to the Rio and I just stand there with my mouth open. Just the sight of that many poker tables in one room...I get signed up for a $125 satellite, where the winner gets $1k in lammers plus $120 cash. I've been told that most everyone will chop when it gets to two players. I figure, a couple of these and I can buy my way into the $1k event. Glenn has already registered, as his bankroll is way bigger than mine. So we get down to 5 players and I'm not getting anything. It folds to me on the button and I shove for $600 with A6 os. The big blind has been knocking out everyone, so he calls before even looking at his cards, and turns over A3 os. I feel pretty good until a 2 on the flop, the turn is a 4 and the river is a 5. On to the next one. My pocket nines get called by A10 and I bust out again.
We sign up for the 1pm deep stack which is capped @ 200 entries because the Senior event is starting and they had over 3k runners, all on one day! Look at all the old people! ( I'm 51)
I bust out after 4 levels with AJs, flop 4 to flush, K high board, my C-bet gets raised all-in, and instead of folding, I throw in all my chips, I still had 14k, my brain sometimes just does not think things through, she has 2 pair and my flush of course, does not come. Glenn gets knocked out a little later and we decide to go back to the Orleans and play their 7pm tourney. Instead of the shuttle we decide to splurge and take a cab back. We walk out to the WSOP drop off in the back just as a cab is pulling up. We get in and I say, 'The Orleans'. He snaps his head around and and says, 'Are you kidding?' What's the problem? He then mumbles, 'this is why I never work over here.' Then he proceeds to try to kill us with his race car driving skills. At one point he actually says, 'short cut!' and blows through an intersection, almost has 2 wrecks, horns honking, we get to the Orleans and the meter reads $6.80. He was not tipped well.
The 7pm tourney starts and only then do we realize that you can re-buy, only they don't call it that, you can get on the re-register list, so the first hour is crazy play. One guy was raising UTG without looking at his cards, another guy that had just bought in, shoves preflop with 2 5 os, and of course doubles up. I lay low, strictly card dead for a looong time. Then double up my short stack when I go all in with AA. The very next hand I have KcQc, limp in an un-raised pot, the flop is AcAh10c, EP min-bets, and I call as does the button. I'm not too happy about the paired board and am only thinking of one card, yup, the turn is the Jc! Yahtzee! AND, the EP player leads out! whee! I try to act casual and just call. The river is a blank and he checks. I bet $2k for value thinking he wouldn't call anything else. He's not happy but reluctantly calls. I show the Royal, lot's of ooohs and ahhhhs. But it is short lived as I go back to folding 29os every other hand and finish out of the money.
The next day is Saturday and we head back to the Rio. Glenn has has signed up for Day 1b of event #36, which is Sunday. But once at the Rio, I mistakenly question his knowledge of which day he has signed up for. Now he starts to panic because his sign up card is back at the hotel. He goes to registration and they look him up, and indeed he's set for Sunday. Now he can relax. We sign up for the 1pm DS again and I get into a $175 satellite. The 2nd hand of the sat. I limp with 9 10 os in MP. 5 people see the flop of JhQsKs. Hmmm, K high straight, they check to me and I bet $250. The SB check-raises all-in, the BB says 'all-in', the UTG says,'all-in'! WTF?! I know someone has the flush draw but can I fold? more than 3:1 so I call. The SB turns over KJos, The BB has the flush draw, the UTG has...Q 8os? what is he doing in the hand? The turn is a 6c and the river...Jh. Once again, I shake my fist at the Poker Gods, and they just smile and say 'Come again!'