Deep Run in Caesars Palace Main Event

Taking a seat in the Caesars Palace 5th Annual Poker Classic, I was pretty nervous over a few things. Firstly the decent-sized buy-in of $1,100, and secondly, the fact that the tournament was a re-entry, which meant if you busted, you could re-enter for another $1,100. However the most concerning thing to me was the quality of the field.

Eric Baldwin, Allen Cunningham, Steve Gross, Barry Shuman, Jimmy Fricke, Sam Barnhart, Filippo Candio, Billy Kopp, Jon Turner, Scott Sitron, Joseph Serock, Justin Young, Jason Koon, William Reynolds, Ted Lawson and Lauren Kling were just a few of the known names taking a seat in my day 1b flight.

Fortunately none of those players were on my starting table, but I did have Brandon Poe on my direct right who has won a Venetian Deep Stack himself, and would prove to be a difficult hurdle throughout the day. Early on I three-bet him with ace-jack, but he managed to only get one street of value out of me on the jack-high board, as he tabled pocket queens. I slipped down to less the 35,000 from my 40,000-chip starting stack before taking a substantial pot from Brandon when he flatted a raise and I three-bet holding pocket nines. The original raiser folded by Brandon made the call and check-called a bet on a seven-high flop before check-folding when the board paired on the turn to put me back over starting stack.

Our little battle continued in the 200/400 level when he opened under the gun to 900 and I flatted next to act with A♣K♠ and three of us saw a J♦4♠4♣ flop. Brandon continued and I decided to float him as the third player folded and the 3♠ came on the turn. Brandon bet and I raised it up with Brandon making the call as the A♠ completed the board and he checked. With around 12,000 in the pot, I decided to value-bet super small to make sure a jack or any other pair made the call and tossed in 3,500. Brandon responded by shoving for about 25,000 and I spent about five minutes in the tank before folding while slipping down to 28,400. Eventually Brandon would go on to tell me that he had 6♥4♥ for trips.

The next few levels would be fairly dull as I flopped a set of eights and check-raised the chip leader before bet-shoving the nut flush-draw with A♠T&spades on a 9♠9♦3♠ flop after opening the action and eventually got my stack to above starting. I would then implement some well-timed three-bets to take my stack to 76,400 with blinds at 1000/2000 before losing a flip with fives against J♦6♦ to head to dinner with just 45,300 in chips.

I then opened threes and lead into two players and taking it down before moving tables to be on Lauren Kling’s left with around 17 big blinds. Down to around 10 big blinds, I shoved tens and picked up the blinds before shipping with ace-queen and getting immediately snap-called by the player next to act with ace-three. I flopped a gutshot to his pair of threes, and managed to spike a queen on the river to double through to 131,500 before going into the last level with over 154,000 and blinds at 3000/6000. Moved to another table, it was pretty much fold-city as I eventually ended the day with 138,500 in chips after playing one of the toughest days of poker in my life.

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Returning for Day 2 with 91 players and just under half the field receiving a guaranteed US$1,967 payday, I was sitting 58th in chips while players such as Justin Young, Steve Billirakis, Barry Shulman, Eric Baldwin, Jon Turner, Tim West, Matt Marafioti and a few other bracelet winners and online guns were still in the very stacked field.

Table 12 Lineup
Seat 1: Sam Razavi (117,000)
Seat 2: Marc Berens (166,500)
Seat 3: Michael Senestraro (119,000)
Seat 4: Paul Kozusko (110,000)
Seat 5: Marcucci Gianluca (112,000)
Seat 6: Luigi Rohefo (33,500)
Seat 7: Justin Young (737,500)
Seat 8: Tim Duckworth (138,500)
Seat 9: Praveen Lokam (673,500)

The thing I did like about my table was the stack sizes, and I felt that with my 23-bb stack, I could probably accumulate with just well-timed shoves and steals. Unfortunately I had the chip leader on my right and fifth chip leader on my left … and that chip leader was none other than Justin Young … fresh off a $5,000 Festa Al Lago win for $374,590 to add to a poker resume that features eight titles and US$2,950,408 in lifetime earnings – oh and let’s not take into account the millions he has earned online under his “robert07” screen name.

I spoke to some friends regarding how I should battle him in typical blind-on-blind and late position battles, and the consensus was to pretty much avoid him. Once we took a seat we found out that we would be the first table to break, so I wasn’t too concerned about him anymore, and when he shoved the first time it folded to his small blind I knew he wasn’t going to go easy on me. Next hand however I picked up pocket sixes, and when he opened the button I shoved my 21-bb stack from the small to force him to fold.

We broke tables and I moved to this kid Daniel Chamberlain’s left. Within the next few orbits he made four sets and sent his stack up to the mil-ball and then pushed it out further to have nearly a final-table average stack before we were even in the money. As that money bubble closed in and my run of cold cards continued I noticed that there were about seven players with stacks shorter than mine and under 10bb, and decided to play the super-negative game of folding to the money since only four players had to bust until we hit the min-cash. It wouldn’t be too long until the last female in the tournament was all in for her ante and we were in the money.

I played the blinds, then moved tables into the blinds again where there were three limpers and I checked my big blind with Q♣J♠ before open shoving pot on the J♦5♥3♠ flop. Two players called as the A♣ spiked on the turn and both players got it all in with one holding A♦T♦ and the other A♥5♣. I dinked the J♥ on the river and was pushed the big triple up before our table broke.

I made a few shoves holding pocket tens and ace-jack before my final hand. The previous orbit I gave a decent player a walk in the big blind, but on the next occasion I tank-shoved 13-bbs with J♠9♠ and he called with A♥7♥. I spiked a jack on the turn, but it was also the time he made his flush as I was bundled out the door in 39th of 520 players for a $2,219 collect.

Totally not satisfied with my finishing place, I thought I played extremely well to recover from the spots that I was put in and don’t regret any of the hands I played. Shipping 100k for first would have been awesome as it virtually buys me a decent house here in Las Vegas for me and the girlfriend, but for now it’s onto the next tournament!

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