If This is the Future of Poker, Count Me Out

Today was the $1500 PLHE at the WSOP. The structure was a tad slower than yesterday, but not by much. With so few starting chips it's very difficult to play any "real poker" and do things like bluff, value bet, lay down big hands, etc - basically all of the things that make the game fun to play and reward intelligence. Huge fields and fast structures are good for casino executives and average Joes who don't really know how to play the game, not intelligent 23 year olds questioning their commitment to the game and its role in their lives. There's still some skill involved but right now I find the decisionmaking in video poker to be more stimulating.

Hands:

1. Second level. 25-50 blinds. My VPIP is zero (I have not once voluntarily put money into a pot). A guy raises to 150 and I reraise to 450 with AKs. The small blind moves in for 950, the initial raiser folds, I call and lose to his QQ. I am down to 375.
2. I raise to 175 in the cutoff with JhTh. John D'Agostino in the big blind thinks for about a minute and then puts me in for my remaining 200 with Ah3h. I make two pair and win.
3. I raise to 150 with 99 in mid-early position and an older fellow calls on the button. The flop comes 355, I check, he bets 200, I move in for 450 more, he calls with 66, I double again.
4. 50-100 blinds. I raise to 300 on the button with QQ, the big blind calls. The flop comes A76 with two spades and one diamond and we both check. The turn is the Jd, he bets 450, I move in for 900 more (a play inspired by the Bag), he folds.
5. At a new table where I have played none of the first fifteen or so hands, a late position player raises my 150 BB to 450. I entered the hand with about 1800. I thought for a long time and then called with QhTh. The flop came 8h7d6d and I bet the pot. He moved in for my last 400 and I called, he had 5c4c and eliminated me.

Toph said something about a straight flush draw that got him knocked out. The Fish had 9k after the second level. He said he raised ten consecutive hands. When I got knocked out halfway through the fourth level it looked like he had around 7k but it was hard to tell.

It was only about 105 today, and it even rained a few drops last night and again this afternoon. Tomorrow the Bag and Wolf arrive and I try to get something going in the 1.5k limit hold em.

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Saturday night: +2440

Event #2 NLHE: -1500

Event #3 PLHE: -1500

Year to date: 133,067