PokerRoom $300 + $20 WSOP Qualifier

I qualified for the PokerRoom $300+$20 WSOP qualifier by placing in 1 out of 2 Stage 1 WSOP qualifiers ($6) and then placing in the subsequent $44 Stage 2 Qualifier on my 1st attempt. So for $12 I had a decent shot (45/1) at qualifying for this years WSOP main event with Team PokerRoom on a package worth $13,500.

The tournament started at 11pm Saturday, but finished well into Sunday, 4am BST. 265 players entered, for a total prizepool of $79,500 - 1st to 5th: WSOP seats.

Starting chips were 2500. For the first 30 minutes I miss every flop and I am down to 2150. Couple of trash hands later and after UTG limps, I limp in the CO with 66 flopping a set. UTG bets the K high 2-flush flop and I reraise. He calls. Turn is blank. Check, pot bet (all-in), call. My set beats his pair of kings and I have doubled up.

Just before the 1st break and the blinds still relatively low, I am in EP2 with 77. UTG does a min raise and straightaway I put him on AA/KK because up to now he had been playing the best poker IMO at the table. Despite this something tells me to call, but in the end I decide to muck with 8 people yet to act. Flop is 97X all diamonds. BB check raises UTG all-in who calls with, surprise surprise: KK. No more diamonds and the cowboys hold up - I would have won a big pot there!

BREAK 1 STATS:

54th out of 207 remaining of 265. Me: 3.9k, Av: 3.2k, CL: 8.2K.

Get no hands again for the next 30 minutes, then make a stand by calling the Button's second consecutive all-in on my BB with 77. He shows KQs, but my pair hit a set on the flop and I win. That was it for that hour, no cards, guy on my right constantly raising and showing down big hands.

BREAK 2 STATS:

75th out of 90 remaining of 265. Me: 3.3k, Av: 7.3k, CL: 31K.

I'd been at the same table since the start and seen AA, KK and QQ left, right and in front of me. But somehow, they had avoided me for over 2 hours! I felt that they would me mine soon, especially since my best hands had been going up progressively: 77/88/99/JJ...

Alas, I only pick up AQ and go all-in, nobody calls. Good cos I didn't fancy a race. One orbit later and I get 33 in MP3. Desperate and knowing that I am taking a big risk with 4 people left to act I go all-in trying to win 900 with my 3k. Cut-Off isolates me and I am left hoping for a race situation. Unfortunately, he turns over 88 and I finish disappointed after 2 and a half hours - especially since QQ, KK and AA were waiting for me just around the corner!


Results.

PokerRoom WSOP Package Winners: croywhale, dogg30, georgivt, jamie0331 and minjita.

****

Played in the Noble Poker $52 + $5 WSOP qualifier after at 2am BST. It started with only 155 players but it was a winner take all: a WSOP Package. The late starting time, faster structure, worse players, ZERO hands and blogging the Virgin and PokerRoom games, meant that I was hardly going to win. Finished 54th/155. Down to 16 after less than 2hrs, the eventual Noble Poker WSOP Package Winner was FuzzyBear40.

Congrats to all the winners!!!