I played the $1500 NLH WSOP Event on Saturday and it started out really good. My table was active and loose and I was 3betting early picking up some hands. In the first level of play at 25/50 I had chipped up to about 5k from the 4.5k starting stack and a guy limped the hijack. I raised with JTo on the cutoff and fold after the small blind led the flop into me.

The very next hand the same guy limps and I looked down at two black kings. I made the same 175 preflop raise. The cutoff and button both called and the small blind re-raised to 425. It folded back to me and with two other players waiting for action in the pot, I decided to 4bet here to 1225 to isolate. Nobody had seen a showdown from me yet and I’m sure they thought I was being active without hands. The other two players folded and the small blind instantly moved all in. I called and he turned over QQd against my black KK. The flop was pretty bad coming K89ddd with the turn being the Th but I faded and the river came the Ac and I was immediately up to 9550 during the first level.

I played a couple small pots like JJ out of position and reraised a guy in position with AK and he set mined me for like 1/4 his stack but I got away cheap. I have been 3betting more this tournament then I have my whole time in Vegas probably. The situations were there for it and my image was probably pretty loose.

My stack was now down to 7500 and the level was 75/150. An active player made it 425 from early position and it folded to me on the button with black KK. I had just 3bet the button the round before. I decided instead of just calling to 3bet here to 1225. Me and the opener were pretty deep. The small blind then reraised me to 3050. He had me covered with ~8500 chips. The first raiser folded and I decided with all the money in the pot already and my stack that the best play was to move in. I did and the small blind had AA and held. So a good start to this tournament was irrelevant. I played really good in that tournament and don’t think I could do much else in that spot.

Today I was supposed to play another $1500 but apparently they sold out early last night and I didn’t get the chance to register for it. I went last night to try to register but no dice. I’m not sure what I will do for the next couple of days leading up to the main event. Maybe some Venetian/Bellagio tournaments. I’ll keep everyone updated. I am definitely ready to make a deep main event run.