STARTPOST TITLE: World Poker Showdown Cruise AUTHOR: Damian DATE: 12/19/2005 11:04:00 AM ----- BODY:

We just got back from an amazing Caribbean cruise. We were aboard the Royal Caribbean Mariner of the Seas for a week with stops in the Bahamas, St. Thomas, and St. Maarten.

What made this vacation special was not only was there poker, but we also got to hang out with all my friends from PSO. I'll have to break this vacation summary into two sections: Poker and Vacation.

Poker Summary

Honestly, I didn't want to play a lot of poker on this cruise. PSO gave away SIX poker packages to freeroll winners, and I decided to tag along more for fun than for poker. My plan was to play the PSO sponsored $100 event, plus another $100 event, and maybe a satellite for the main event.


$100 + 30 Event

The first $100 event was with rebuys. I hate rebuys. Thought I would just stick it out without a rebuy or add-on. I got to play on the same table as Greg Raymer for about 2h before I busted out 28th out of 104 entries. I wasted time I could have spent with my wife, but I think I needed this warm up for things to come.

Private PSO Tournament

The second evening we held a private PSO tourny. Pretty much a 2 table sng with a $35 buy in. This by far the most fun game. I knew everyone, maybe even played them online at one point. To have a live game with these people was just plain fun. I finished 3rd and won $80. SkyRattlers (Darren) finished 2nd and 41DMB41 (Cory) won it. Too bad we couldn't have some more of these private low stake games.

Main Event Satellite $260+30

The third evening was the second Main Event Satellite. I skipped the previous one to play in the private tourny. I was about to skip this one too as I did come to spend time with my wife and up until the third evening I had been playing non-stop poker in the evenings. Jim from Nevada Jacks told me I should play as he thought I could win it. 5 minutes before it started I decided to just play it instead of having a big "what if..." later.

There were about 45 people in this satellite. That meant the top 3 finishers won a $2600 seat into the main event and 4th place got $1900 cash. With about 30 people left I was very short stacked. $650 in chips, blinds $100/200 with $25 ante. I had to push my stack soon so I was just hoping for some cards before my blinds came around again. I magically look down and see pocket 10s. I calmly push all my chips into the middle hoping I get called, yet not quite sure I want to be called. When I got called by 2 players, I thought my game was done. Flop was KTx, both players toss money into the side pot. Turn was an A. This time there's a reraise.... River is another A. There's another bet and raise making me think I'm done. Turns out the winner of the side pot only had A9 for a best hand AAAKT, and my pocket TT hold up for a full house, tripling me up to just over $2000.

I managed to hang on and make the final table. Sitting to the right of Monica (KrazyKanuck's girlfriend). This worried me a bit as I have heard she is a very good player. Definitely distracts the guys at the table with her low cut tops :). She took out 3 guys very early on the final table when her KK held up versus AK, QQ, and 49o who was all in with the Big Blind.

Now she had more than half the chips in play. Instead of bullying, she decided to try and coast to the final 3. Unfortunately for her, she also announced this to the table, which meant FREE Big Blinds for ME!!! All I had to do was raise her with any 2 cards as long as there were no callers in front of me. This saved me and I managed to make the top 4. Extremely short stacked, maybe $5k in chips with ~$50k in play. I'm thinking to myself, $1900 isn't bad. I may be better off with $1900 instead of the seat so I can spend the rest of the cruise with my wife.

Well I went all in with A6 and got called with A8, I managed to flop a 6 and double up. Every time Monica is in the Big Blind I go all in, making her still fold and each time showing her 26o, 93o, etc. Finally the 4th time around I push all in as usual, this time she calls. I honestly didn't look at my cards. She turns over 33 and I flip over T8o. I flop a T, and river another T to win my seat to the $2600 Main Event. Had I won the $1900 I wouldn't have shelled out another $700 to buy in to that event.

Main Event $2500 + $100

Here we go, the big four day event with lots of poker pros. I draw a seat and it turns out I have MIKEJ (PSO) 2 seats to my left. I was hoping we would start on different tables, cause I didn't want to take all his chips. Just before the cards are in the air, Greg Raymer takes his seat to my immediate left :(. I'm thinking I have drawn the worst seat in the tourny.

The Greg Raymer Staredown

I got lucky in the first hour when I rivered a full house and doubled up. This was what put my game plan to work. With Raymer on my left I had to be aggressive with him. I had to try to steal his Big Blinds as much as possible, and that's what I was doing for most of the evening. During the 3rd hour I raised my usual with Raymer in the Big Blind and this time he raised me. I had AKo this time, so I called. Flopped an A and checked. Raymer made a pot bet of $1000 and without hesitating I raised him to $2000. Now I'm staring directly at him as I say "raise" and throw my chips in. I was staring at him to pick up a tell, I can tell you there was none there. Just his trademark glasses looking back at me for at least 5 min, which felt like a lot longer than that. I was finally relieved to see him muck his cards saying that my set or my A was good. I mucked without showing, but I did learn afterwards that he laid down KK.

Raymer's Glasses

About an hour later Greg Raymer was getting short. I did my usual raise, this time on the button. Raymer immediately pushes all in, and MIKEJ considers going all in himself. One all in is fine, but two all ins I wouldn't have liked. MIKEJ did fold (JJ as he told me later), I call Raymer and flip over QQ. He has 67s. My ladies hold up and I have eliminated the 2004 WSOP champ. He signs his glasses and hands them over to me as a trophy. I've never watched the 2004 WSOP DVD, so I think I'll go out and buy one just to watch it now.



Greg Raymer was a nice guy. Just a little too chatty at the table for me. I don't like to talk when I'm playing and I don't listen to music as I find it distracting. Just hope people don't take my quietness as offensive, I just like to observe and concentrate.

End of Day 1 and Day 2

I ended Day 1 with the outright chip lead. $42k, the next closest had $25k. Day 2 my stack started to vanish. 2-3h into it I was down to $15k. I had KrazyKanuck to my right. He was short stacked starting. I tried to bluff KrazyKanuk early and after a long staredown with him, he decided to call. Not an easy call for him as it would have left him with ~$5k. but managed to double up when his KK cracked Phil Nagy's (ACR) AA. By the end of Day 2 I built my stack back up to $50k. Mostly on stone cold bluffs versus the non experienced players and I tried to stay away from KrazyKanuck once he built a big stack.

KrazyKanuck (Jim Worth) is a very good player. Extremely nice guy. I read one of his articles in Canadian Poker Player which really has shaped my game. I rarely talk at the table, but I got into a conversation with him. It did distract me and I accidentally called. Can you believe the guy actually apologized for distracting me? It was completely my fault and I have KrazyKanuck apologizing. Great guy and I will continue to read his articles.

Final Table

I managed to make the final table with a slight lead over JD604 (Jason) another PSO member and a fellow Canadian. I was nervous before the game began, but as soon as the cards were in the air I was calm as usual and playing to win this thing. 10 people at the final table, top 5 paid with 1st being $27k and 5th $10k. 6th place got a handshake and that's all. I'd say that I was one of a few amateurs at the table, it was definitely dominated by pros.

A short stack goes out quickly, then surprisingly Monica goes out when her KK ran into JD604's AA. Another short stack goes out, then KrazyKanuck soon after. Now we sit on the bubble and with blinds at 4000/8000 and 300 ante, I am not catching any cards and am in danger of bubbling out like my friend AngryRook did at the USPC. That cost him $28k. I see a guy raise in front of me and one caller. I decide to push my remaining $20k all in, and get 1 caller. Thank god he had 88 vs my 99. He didn't catch any of his 2 outs, and I double up to $50k and a better shot at making the money. Phil Nagy then goes out on the bubble and another short stack goes out 5th. I'm getting short again with $20k in chips and I decide to push all in with my 33. This time I get 2 callers and one of them flopped a pair of tens to take me out 4th.

So $12k wasn't a bad payout considering I only paid $290 to enter the satellite. JD604 ended up winning. He played a strong game and I'm glad he took home the trophy.

My buddy dlk9s (Dan Katz) also finished 3rd in a $100 + $30 event. Paying him $2500. JD604, dlk9s and myself ate at the same dining room table every night. So I guess our table cleaned up.


Vacation Summary

Problem with playing so much poker was that I didn't really get to enjoy the ship. We did do lots of excusions. Snorkelling in the Bahamas, Blackbeards Castle in St. Thomas, and Ziplining above the trees in St. Maarten. My friends will have access to my pictures soon.

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