The good news is I've made it through to Day 2a (Monday), the not so good news is, I'll need to double/triple up to get a stack going….. I finished the day with 17275 chips…… Day 2 starts with 250/500 blinds 50ante… So I'm not exactly super short, just don't have alot room to duck and weave.

Table Breakdown:

We started playing 3 handed a  people were late.

I had Kenny Nguyen on my right, I wasn't sure who he was exactly, but he seemed to know everyone in the Amazon Room, he was also on first name basis with 3 other 'regs' that joined the table. One of the regs was playing $100K Omaha cash games @ the Rio a couple of nights ago…. another was a $5000NL online cash player…. the other reg was Tommy “Nhan” Le, a couple of seats to my left.

There was 1 superfish @ the table who shoved/busted out with AT on a KQ4 flop vs AK…… in the first 2 levels

The other fish @ the table was a complete card rack….. e.g. I'd raise 750 @ the 150/300 and he'd make it 4000   everyone would fold and he'd show either AA or KK…. another example, (I wasn't involed in this hand) he called an EP raise from the CO, TAG on BTN, ISO squeezed, EP would fold and 'card rack' would call, flop QT7 BTN bets 2/3's pot, fish calls, Turn is 8, chk/chk, River

7, fish leads river for about pot size…… btn tanks and then makes a crying call about a 18K pot, fish shows 88 for a boat and btn makes in disgust…. This same fish flopped a set of 5's vs my AK, fortunately I airballed the flop of J65 and got away on the turn…. he then hit 2 pair after calling my CO raise from the BB I have QQ, and the flop is KT5, he donks the flop for a bit more then a pot size bet, I fold and he shows K5.

So apart from the 2 soft players, the rest of the table was pretty tough…..

LEVEL 1: Notable hands Blings 50/100

UTG+1 raises and I call with 99 from LP, he fires 3 barrels on 52285, I call the River bet of approx 2K and he shows AQo and I take down the pot.

After being a knit for most of the first level, I ISO 3 limpers from the BTN with 43s and all fold.

UTG TAG raises, Kenny 3bets from the SB, I muck AQo from the BB and UTG calls….

Flop: J66r SB bets and UTG mucks AKs, Kenny shows KK.

I finish LEVEL 1 with 32.5K…..

LEVEL 2: Notable hands Blinds 100/200

I raise from EP with AJo and get 2 callers MP/BTN….

Flop: A52r I cbet for about 1.1K (half pot) and both call

Turn: 5, I check, MP bets 2K, btn calls and I call the 2K

River: 3, and it's checked around

MP has AQ btn has AT….

I 3bet a CO (Kenny) raise from the BTN with AA and everyone folds.

MP TAG raises to 750 and I flat in position with AQo and the BB flats (BB in this hand is the card rack/fish mentioned above)

Flop: TTJr it checks around to me and I take a stab with a 1250 bet and both BB and OPFR call.

Turn: ACE, we all check.

River: 3. I'm not sure what OPFR is calling with here on the flop, in the back of my mind I'm concerned he's slowplaying JJ or maybe he has KQ, AK etc…… so it's checked around to me on the river and I decide to play it safe and check it here. BB show J9 and the OPFR doesn't show, but doesn't much either, I turn over AQ and take the pot down.

I finish level 2 with 26.1K

LEVEL 3: Notable Hands Blinds 150/300

UTG TAG Raises to 600, 4 callers I'm in the SB with JJ and decide to smooth call.

FLOP: 533r, checks around.

TURN: K and then 'card rack' fish bets around 2/3 pot and everyone (including me) folds.

I raise from MP with 44 and take it down.

END Of level 3….. I have around 25K

LEVEL 4: Notable Hands Blinds 150/300 25ante

I raise from MP1 with AQo and get flatted by MP2

FLOP: AJ6r, I cbet and he raises 2.5x and I make the call

Turn River are bricks and we check it down and I take the pot down. He didn't show his hand.

I raise from EP with the following hands and airball the flop AKs, AJs in a multiway pot and give up

I raise from EP with KQs and 55s and the 'card rack' makes a massive 3bet and I fold.

I raise from EP with KQo and 2 barrel on a T727 vs 2 villains, first villain folds on the flop and  the 2nd villain check/raises from the BB on the Turn and I muck and he shows an ACE….. there's gotta be a SEVEN with that ACE I'm thinking.

End of level 4 and I have 21K…..

Level 5: Notable hands 250/500 50ante

I open from EP with 99 to 950 and I have a 30xBB stack. Card rack fish 3bets to 3K and it folds around to me…. and I'm put to the test…. I've seen him get married to AK and believe he's in that sort of range…….I tank, then shove, he has about 22K in his stack, so he'll be crippled if he loses the hand…… it then gets back to him and he's hating the fact that he 3bet and that I've shoved….. This is the first time I've shoved……I have a very clean image and have only shown down 'paint cards', he then says he's not willing to get his stack in just yet and open folds JJ  dodged one there……

Shortly after an orbit or so passes by and we're into the last 30 minutes of play, again I have around 30xBB and I'm in the SB, MP opens up for about 1100, it folds to me and I have KK…… I'm not getting cute and decide to 3bet shove….. and everyone folds….

One orbit later the same MP that opened when I had KK above, opens again, I'm in the SB and have QQ, and decide to just call……

FLOP: 234r and I check, he bets around 1700 and I 3bet to 4100 and he folds…..

I 3bet 88 and 87s from the button during this level and got 4bet/jammed on and folded my hand….The 88 was vs Kenny who had opened from the CO and who I thought was light, I 3bet too 2625 and he then 4bet to 6K and I mucked and he showed A8o…. I had around 38xBB stack…. he'd been fairly agg during the session and I thought I might be able to take it down with a 3bet…. oh well….

I didn't play too many more hands and we bag the chips…….

It's my B'day on day 2a of the Main Event and I'll be more then happy to get a few doubles during the day…..

Pokernews is reporting 897 runners for Day1a with 556 surviving…..chip leader has 209500…..

Cheers

Southpaw