2014 SUMMER POKER SERIES -- PART I (2014 WSOP EMPLOYEE EVENT)

During this 3 part series, I'll delve into my Summer Poker Series giving you insight to my journey through the Las Vegas tournament scene which becomes the center of the poker universe from May to July. Poker players, Pro and amateurs alike flock in numbers dreaming of gold bracelets and winning life changing prize money...Of course, I'm one of those people.

I decided early in the year I was going to play some of these Summer Poker Series Tournaments (As much as I can play). In the past, I've done pretty well. Back in 2010, I chopped a Caesars Mega Stack for over $3,000, and last year I chopped the first Binions Classic Tournament for over $2,000, I've had a couple of small scores earlier this year, nothing to brag about but still profit. More importantly, my confidence in my tournament poker game was sky-high

Part I, I'm going to give my experience in the EVENT #1 of the World Series of Poker -- The Casino Employee Event...

I've played the WSOP Employee Event twice before, but I haven't had much luck. I took a 7 year hiatus, but this year I decided to give it a shot. The Buy in is $500, 60 minute levels, and 3000 Chips. My strategy going in was to try to build my stack to 7,000 by the time the antes kick in - Therefore, I'll have enough to chips to be able to maneuver and be creative going forward. So my strategy was to see a lot of flops and hopefully I'll be able to hit some hands and wins some good pots.

The World Series of Poker is the center of the poker universe, it's the mecca of poker players -- a little like heaven with a lot more baseball caps. As soon as you enter the World Series of Poker area the energy is so palpable -- the buzz is incredible. The click of ships rattling in the hands, the smell of the money floating in the air, and you hear every bad beat story ever told as you walk down the halls: I had AK, is always how it begins.....

I enter the hallway and instantly feel the energy. I spot one of my co-workers and wish him good luck before I enter the Amazon room. I find my table, observing two people already sitting down. I don't go right away. I'm very superstitious when it comes to tournament, and I always wait until a minute before the cards are scheduled to be dealt before I sit down. So I walk around, and you can feel the buzz of anticipation around the room. Players, Floors, dealers, and cocktail waitresses are mingling around this enormous Amazon room, dodging each other like some maze. You can feel and see the excitement hovering over the entire room....it's spectacular to be at the center of it.

As game time approaches,  I finally grab my seat (a minute before noon) and get myself situated. I don't recognized anyone at my table until a female dealer who temps for our poker room occasionally sits in a Seat #6. We're not close, and I'm not going to pretend we're buddies so we don't acknowledge each other. Finally, WSOP tournament director, Jack Eiffel approaches the podiums and welcomes everyone to the start of WSOP 2014. Then after the typical introductory salutations are done. He says these words, "Do you guys like money?? Then we hear a huge explosion and all of a sudden money starts falling the ceiling. I didn't realize what was going on at first until the first $1 bill fell on the poker table and people starting grabbing the money raining down on us! I thought, "Shit!" Then I began rummaging, grabbing as many $1 dollar bills as I can. It was an amazing site as 800 people were on their hand and knees grabbing all this money. In the end, I ended up with only $28:

Other than the obvious, the money grab was a well-timed stress reliever for not only me but for a lot of players in this tournament. I know there was a lot of laughter and good natured conversation about what just happened and it was definitely what was needed. Moments later, the moment of truth arrived as they told the dealers to shuffle up and deal. I took a deep breath, fired up about the journey I was about to take.

I knew it would be a tough hill to climb. As evident by the "Seat Open" i heard a couple of minutes into the tournament. I knew I had to get lucky, play well, but more importantly run incredibly hot for a long time. 

Unfortunately, I could never get anything going. For the first 2 levels, I was playing a ton of hands, but couldn't connect with any flops nor could I find any spots to get my chips where I feel I had the best of it. It was frustrating, but I kept the faith hoping I could get a hand. Right before the first break I managed to get my stack to above starting when I hit top pair with 98 off suit and got someone to commit her entire stack with a flush draw. So at first break I had 3400. So despite not getting any hands, or any good spots to put my chips I felt pretty good.

After the break, things starting falling apart.  Two hands in particular was my down fall:

HAND ONE -- At this point, my blinds went through once and I played a couple of hands so I was down to 3100. Everyone folds to me on the button and I hold AJ offsuit. Very strong hand. I raise to 450. Small blind whose been going all in frequently after losing half his stack early and rebuilding since then goes all in for 2500. After tanking for a minuted, I folded my AJ. After the hands hit the muck, I knew I made a critical error. After my raise I was left with 12 BB with the blinds 100-200. There was no way I should have folded that hand with my stack at a critical stage. Even if I knew all-in range included AK AQ, JJ, AA, KK, I had to take a chance. If I win the hand my stack would grow to around 5000 which would be give more breathing room and give my extra ammunition to try to get to my target stack of 7500! Even if I busted there, at least I gave my opportunity to chip up with a very good hand in an excellent spot.

HAND TWO -- With my stack decimated to 2200. I was in the Big Blind (BB) Action is folded to an aggressive Asian lady who raises to 500. Small blind goes all in for 1600. I look down and see 55. I hesitated for a moment then moved in over the top for the rest of my chips. Asian lady folds. Small blind turns over 88, flops a set, and rivers quads, and my stack neutralized to 900 chips. My thought process behind going all in. I have a chance to get my stack to about 4400. What I didn't take into account was my raise was the 4th raise in a spot where my 55 wasn't the best hand. Even if the small blind was moving in with a hand like 66-99, I was still way behind, and in if the initial raise called, I'd have to beat two players with a marginal hand. If I wanted to make that play with 55, I should have been the first one in rather than the 3rd player in. Despite the results this was definitely the wrong move in the wrong spot. Even if had somehow won the pot, the play was a -EV and should never been done. My wife and I had an argument about this hand, and of course I was stubborn and felt I made the right move, but thinking about more and giving myself a few days to think about I know now it was the wrong move. 

A few hands later, I stuck my last 900 over an initial raise with AQ, the big bling had AA and the initial raiser called with 99 and nailed a 9 to knock us both out. Thus, ending my dreams of winning the coveted WSOP bracelet. 

Despite the sickening thud of being eliminated and how badly I played towards the end, I have no regrets about playing this tournament. I told myself as long as I'm a casino employee I'll play this tournament every year. I know I'll learn from my mistakes and hopefully I won't make these same mistakes in future tournaments. 

WSOP 2014 -- MY ONLY SHOT AT GREATNESS!

In two weeks, I'll be playing the World Series of Poker Employee Event. Being an employee of Caesars Entertainment, I'm not allowed to play any bracelet events except the employee event, which is absolutely ludicrous for reasons I may explain in a future blog.


Haven't played the employee event in 5 years mainly for 2 reasons 1) The structure is horrific, when I first played we only got 1000 in tournament chips. They upped the ante to 3000 chips for this year's event, which still horrific 2) I've had terrible luck lasting a grand total of 5 hours in 2 separate past employee tournaments.

So why am I playing it this year and forking over $500 when I know the structure is terrible, and I know I'll be a huge underdog to cash despite being a fairly decent tournament player?? Because I want too...sounds simplistic but I really want to play it this year. The shot at the coveted World Series of bracelet at the end of the tournament -- I want to win and wear it to work the next day, and have customers point to it, asking "What's that?" What a great conversation piece it would be??

Also, I want to feel the buzz surrounding the world series. Through the pop and circumstances, the World Series of Poker is the mecca of the poker universe. Everyone who loves the game of poker, everyone who plays poker, everyone who dreams of winning a bracelet, wants to prove themselves on the grandest stage of them all -- at the highest level. Nothing compares to the buzz, hype, the ambiance surrounding that month and a half of just poker actions pulsing throughout the rooms. It's a feeling like no other -- an orgasm for action junkies if you will.

So do I think I have a chance of winning the 2014 World Series of Poker Employee event?? Yes I do. Will it be difficult?? Of course it will. But I'm going to out there and swing for the fences and hope the cards fall my way. Perhaps they will, and I'll be sitting there in the end behind a mounting of chips holding up a bracelet with a huge grin in my face.

Dreams turned to reality, will it for me?? We'll find out when I put my skills to the test starting May 27.

UPDATING MY BLOG!!!! NOW!!!

Been telling myself to update my blog, update my blog, update blog. Met a couple of bloggers at a Luxor on Thursday, and it made me realize, I need to continue this. Well today, I'll do just that. I'm not going to talk about one specific topic, I'll let my fingers to the walking and let the words flow...

I've been increasing my cash game poker play the past few months and other than a blimp at Harrahs about a month ago, I've done very well. I don't play as much as I would like mainly because of my family obligation and that fact that I work in a casino for 8 hrs, and I don't feel like spending my free time in a casino. Lately though, I've been consciously trying to play more. Rust is definitely a factor in my early sessions, but the past 3 of 4 sessions, I've found my groove and a comfort zone similar to the one I had when I was playing a lot a few years ago. More importantly, I've been self-analyzing a lot of the hands I've been playing seeing if I could have played them better, both winning and losing hands alike.

My tournament play has been very scarce which is completely by design. I hate playing long sessions but tournament poker you have to dedicate a lot of your time and concentration to thrive in them. I actually playedthe FIRST EVENT of the Binions Open (Where I sat next @Robvegaspoker for most of the day) and chopped up the final table for 2K,  but it came at a price...The tournament started on Saturday 2PM and we completed the deal at 6AM...Too top it off, I had to work at 11AM!! Needless to say, I was a complete zombie and it took me 2 days to completely recover physically. Poker tournaments are taxing, tough, and rough on the body/mind. Although it's the probably the most lucrative time to play tournament poker (WSOP time!!!), I'll probably only play 1 or 2 more tournament this summer.

Another aspect of my life which I've been giving a lot of my concentration as been betting Major League Baseball. I've been fascinated by the game cause it's the only sports where you can beat the game cause you can isolate certain statistics to correctly predict the outcomes of the game...The term is called sabremetrics, and I've been a student of this statistically science since the end of last year. This year, I've had some incredible winnings streaks and some tough losing streaks, but overall I am ahead. But with each passing game, I'm learning what statistics are more important than others -- (EXAMPLE, RBIs and ERA are not true measures of a baseball player.)

Well, that's a start...Once again, just wanted to get this blog updated and maybe it'll give me momentum to write and write and write...

LADIES LIPS CHAMPIONSHIPS: INTERVIEW WITH TONYA BALTAZAR (MY WIFE)

On July 1, 388 Ladies competed in the 2012 LADIES LIPS CHAMPIONSHIP! After nearly 24 straight hours of play, Tonya Baltazar (My wife) went got through a tough final table including professional poker player, Karina Jett, and got heads up with Tamara Cruz of Arizona...After tough heads up battle, Tonya came up short to finish in 2nd place...I took some time to interview my wife about battling through a VERY tough field:

Q: What was your initial strategy going into this tournament??

   

My strategy in an all women poker tournament is very different than when I play an open event with men.  I find women are harder to bluff.  I always maximize the value of my good hands and flops that I hit because women will tend to call you down if they hit any part of the board.    

Q: Was there a hand or hands you played that indicated that you were in for a long run??

I just moved to a table and I had about 35,000 chips, I just played the blinds and then on the button I had J 10os everyone folded to me so I made a standard 3 times raise, the lady in the SB reraises me but only doubles my initial raise so I call.  The flop was  A K Q, I flopped the nut straight, lady in SB bets out so I go ALL-IN and she instant calls me and she turns over pocket 5’s and I double up.  I’m not even done stacking my chips and a lady UTG raises, everyone folds to me and I look down at  pocket Aces so I announce ALL-IN and she instantly calls me with pocket Queens and I double up again.  A few hands later, I get A J hearts and this lady raised and I call, and I think the BB called too, the flop is K 10 Q, BB checks the initial raises makes a continuation bet and I announce ALL-IN BB folds and she instant calls and she has K 10 for two pair and I take her out.  I went from 35,000  chips to over 200,000 at that one table.  

Q: You had a mountain of chips with two tables left, but lost a big pot to eventual winner, Tamara Cruz, how did you overcome when you got to the final table:

Well I am a Short Stack Ninja Specialist, I know how to play a short stack well. 

Q: Talk about your double up against Karina Jett early at the final table.

Well I have played with Karina before and have taken a WSOP boot camp that she taught with Annie Duke, so I know her style of play and what her hand ranges would be.  She was one of the chip leaders going into the final table , but she did double me up twice, which was nice. 

Q: I know there were issues with the tournament playing out the tournament in one day, I heard not just yourself but other players had an issue with it, please explain your stand on this issue?

 Yes, it was complete craziness, they changed a lot of things this year with the Lips Championship than the years before.  It was the Golden Nugget’s decision to make it a 1 day event this year even though in the past years it was a 2 day event, and this year was the biggest turnout that Lips had a record of 388 women.  It definitely should have been a 2 day event. 

Q: Fatigue played a major part in not just you but your opponent, how did you maintain your compusure in the end?

I drank a lot of starbucks coffee! 

Q: Finishing 2nd is a great accomplishment, can you put into perspective how important this tournament was for you??

First of all, I have played the Lips Championship for the last straight 5 years and was always close to the money or bubble girl, so to actually get this far and finish 2^nd was just one of the greatest accomplishments that I had in poker besides my two cashes in the World Series of Poker in 2010 and 2011.  

Q: How was your support able to get through this tough tournaments such as your friends and family??

I truly have the most amazing husband who not only taught me this great game, but always supports me and encourages me to be a better player, he is my ROCK!  I also have the most amazing friends that I have met because of poker, who will be long life friends, and who are always my cheerleaders not only in poker, but in life!  Poker is just not a game to play for money, but it’s a great way to bond and have fun with the people you love.   I am truly blessed to have such a wonderful husband, kids and friends who support my passion for poker. 

Q: What poker goals do you have left to accomplish??

  

My next goal is to play in the Main Event at the World Series of Poker and to make it the final table, but if I cash in the Main Event, I will be just as happy…I will be working on that goal this coming year in my 10K league. 

Thank you for the interview.....