David Williams' Blog

It's 9am in Aruba, 3 hours until I begin the tournament. I don't normally wake up this early, but I went to bed at about 11pm, and got plenty of rest.

Despite the results, I am fairly happy about the Borgata WPT last week. I think I played well, and felt very focused. I think I may have made two small misplays, but I learned a valuable lesson from those hands, and that should be corrected for today's tournament. The hand I was eliminated on was somewhat interesting, and everyone I have discussed it with seems to think there was no way I could get away from it.

I was in the big blind of 150, when 3rd position limps first in, another guy limps behind him, and the button limps also. The SB folds and I check with Td6d. The flop is Ad2d5d! I check along with the other 3 players. I wanted to put in a large check raise, and the 2 of the 3 limpers were very aggressive, and I was prepared to make a very easy lay down if it checked around and another diamond came on the turn. Well it did check around, and the turn was the Jh. I bet out 500, the first limper called, the 2nd folded and the button made it 5500! The button had about 50,000 and was totally new to live tournament play. He didn't understand basic tournament rules, about announcing raises and handling chips. Nothing wrong with that, I am happy he was giving it a try, it's just I knew he wasn't that experienced of a player. I didn't feel he had a flush, and I had 11,000 chips left. I knew I couldn't just call 5000. I thought the player behind me might be drawing at the nuts, so I wanted to try and raise him out. The other option was to be cautious and fold, which I SERIOULSY considered, but I thought this was a good spot to try and double up, so I pushed in for 6000 more. Here is where it gets weird. The next player begins to think, and while he is thinking the raiser on the button yells "I CALL HIM!" and points at me. The dealer informs him that the action isn't on him and he needs to wait. He says "I DONT CARE, I CALL HIM!” Now the thinking player decides to go all in for 30k himself. The button players yells " I DONT CARE, I CALL YOU TOO!" and moves all his chips forward and emphatically turns over two black Jacks. I was right about him, but I knew I was dead when the other guy still moved in; knowing the guy behind was calling. The "Hitchhiker" in the hand did indeed flop the nuts, and turned over his Kd3d he limped first in. Oh well, I was correct about my read, the original raiser didn't have me beat. The board didn't pair and the guy with the nut flush won a monster pot, and I was on my way. I felt extremely good, considering the circumstance and ended up staying at the Borgata supporting Evelyn, who ended up getting 11th. Congratulations Evelyn!

I went back home to Vegas to get my passport which I forgot, and got to come to Aruba on Larry Flynt's private jet with Phil Ivey and his wife, Barry Greenstein and his girlfriend Alex, and Erick Lindgren. It is quite amazing flying out of the country in a private jet. No custom's lines, no security, no waiting on luggage. Man, what a life?

Well, it's time to eat some breakfast and get ready to go play a poker tournament. There is nothing better than this feeling before a tournament. I hope I don't get too used to them and stop getting so excited.