Morten Erlandsen says...

Morten's WSOP Diary - Main Event Day 1D

Wednesday 9 Jul 2008

Main event Day 1D

Finally I got started on the Main event, which I've been looking forward to for so long. It’s the coolest feeling to be part of the world’s biggest poker tournament here in Vegas.

Day 1 became a bit of a rollercoaster ride. Starting with some sick set-ups where I really got tested to the max.

Here is a short run-through of the first couple of levels:

In my very first hand I actually flop top set of 10s, but luckily the pot is not very big, when the board shows 6-9-10 with two diamonds. I stick out 3/4 pot and get a call.

Turn: 8 of clubs

I bet out half a pot, and he calls again.

River is the worst possible card, a jack of diamonds, which gives a flush and a straight. I choose to check. I check-fold this and end up losing a smaller pot with my top set in level 1.

Next hand worth mentioning and I've got QQ against Inoriss from Ladbrokes, who opens to 400 from middle position, I go at him to 1400. Fold to Inoriss, who now bets 4 times to 4200. I chose to muck my queens, because I've played quite a lot against Inoriss and know he is a solid and clever highstake cashgame player, who also plays quite tight. He tells me that he had rockets in that hand, I actually believed that.

A little later the hand I see as the most important for me on day 1.

Blinds are 100/200. Average stacks approx. 24k. An aggressive guy raises from middle position to 625. I chose only to call, with KK in SB, which I know is a bit risky out of position, but on the other hand there has been folding and reraises at the table, so I take the chance and slow play my kings.

Now all of a sudden, guy in BB, who I haven’t seen raise a single hand, makes a small fishy raise to 1200 for 2 players who have already paid 625?? I smell a fish who is trying to make action on a high pair. Initial raiser pays. I say 4400, which BB pays instantly. Next man folds. We are now HU. The fish I guess has queens or aces.

Flop shows 7-9-9 rainbow. I get a really strong feeling that hes got AA. But also a small chance that its QQ or AK. KK isnt very likely when Ive got KK. I decide to test him on the flop and bet 4k. He raises to 10k. Im now on approx. 14.500 and almost sure he has got AA. I think for a while and fold. He then shows AA. Damn… I’m so happy about this lay down, and that he showed his cards, as I then don’t have to speculate if I made the right decision. A lot of players would say it was a stupid lay down, but I just couldn’t understand why he would play QQ in that way or bluff when you haven’t seen him raise this way before. I consider this hand to be the most important, because if I had decided differently, I would have been out.

I lose a pot on a bluff and make it down to 10k before it all turns my way. I pick up AA and take a HU against the biggest bull of the table, who hits top pair on Q high after some betting pre-flop. After all-in, my rockets stands distance against his QJ. Im back in 20k.

Later I go all-in again against same guy where I've got KK against AK, which held up. I am now on 33-34k. Here I start playing a bit more aggressive, due to ante as well, and I take a lot of smaller pots. I win a decent pot with JJ and end the day with 66.400.

A really good day! And I really feel that I've played some of the best poker in a long time. Also considering that I was down to half a stack – its super! And I'm looking forward to playing Day 2B : ).

There was also a really funny event in the Ladbrokes lounge, where all players played in an 8 table tournament. Where all the sponsored players got 7 team members who all played each other in a shootout tournament. When all tables were played, the points were calculated and the winning team won seats in the Ladbrokes Irish poker festival. Really good way to get people to interact!

Morten Erlandsen