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Thread: WSOP musings

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    Owner Dan Druff's Avatar
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    WSOP musings

    Some of you follow my Twitter, some of you follow both my poker Twitter and my regular Twitter, and some follow neither.

    So here's the way the WSOP has gone so far:

    $1500 O8
    Finished deep in the money last year, and was looking to do it again when I quickly doubled my starting stack (plus a bit more). However, I stopped winning hands, and was out in the final level of Day 1.

    $500 Big Fofty
    Event was a complete clusterfuck, as you'd expect, because Caesars is never prepared to do anything correctly on the first try. I ended up playing in the former bowling alley, now a warehouse, and it was super hot and stuffy in there. The AC was "bagged off" with actual trash bags over the units. I asked if they could be cut down (it was like 30 feet up, so it couldn't be reached easily), and they claimed "a ticket was submitted to maintenance", which obviously meant it wasn't happening. Probably some kind of health code violation, but whatever. Started out crappy, but the event was shockingly slow structured despite its $500 price tag. I lost half my stack in the first 4 hours, but then I caught fire, and finished 24th out of the 7000-something entrants on that day's flight. However, I wasn't too excited because the field was 28,000 deep, the structure was slow, and I knew I'd need to get lucky for 6 days in order to make big money. Sure enough, my time of reckoning came late Day 2, when an amateur called with AK on a 966 board, hit the K on the turn, and a K on the river. I had the 6. Fortunately she went all in on the river so I could fold before putting any money in there, and she showed me the AK. But what a fucking joke. That and a few other hands ate some of my stack, and I finished Day 2 about average, despite a good start during the first half of that day. Ultimately, I finished 666th out of 28,000-something entrants, oddly getting knocked out by 666. That's better than top 3%, but only paid $3273 or something. This is why I hate huge field, low buyin events.

    $10k O8
    Got a nice table draw, with a surprising number of fish. Last year same thing, but I ran bad and still didn't make it through Day 1. This year's table wasn't quite as good as last year's, but still good. Then I heard the dreaded, "Big Blind come with me", and they moved me to a new table formed by taking the BB from other tables. That was a dreadfully bad table, full of really tough pros. Even the "worst" players at the table weren't all that bad. On top of that, I ran horrendous, and missed just about every single flop, which is a killer in this game. I was one of the early ones out.

    $1500 Millionaire Maker
    I've been very competitive at these non-Main NL events at the WSOP lately. Dating back to 2017, I had four consecutive cashes in them -- two deep. I approached this one with optimism. Unfortunately, I had two cooler hands. The first was JT against JJ on a board with 89T by the turn. The second hand, and the one which took the majority of my chips, involved Tc9c on a board of KcJs7c, meaning I was a favorite over most hands, including AA. The board bricked and I was gone.

    $1000 NL Double Stack
    This was the last one on the schedule for early June. I couldn't get much going on this one. I was in a lot of hands, but was losing more than I was winning. I got temporary new life by flopping a set of 2s against AK with an ace on the board, but I stopped winning hands after that. I could have gotten new life again in the final hand before dinner, where the SB and I both had a little more than half starting stack (I had him a tiny bit covered), and he decided to shove 96o pre on the final hand before dinner. I snapped with AQo and the board ran out giving him a pair and me just ace high. So I was crippled and all-in on the SB. Actually got dealt A8 but was against AA, and that was that.

    Took a 2 week break at this point and went back to my family. Then I returned on June 25:

    $1500 PLO8
    With bullet #1, got it in with a big draw bricked, and that was that. I bought in a second time (we were about 4 hours in), and I started losing again, and was down to just 9k of my 25k in starting chips. However, I showed incredible patience, and kept folding hands which were marginal, knowing that the slow structure gave me time to get it in good. I slowly chipped up to 14k, then doubled off an over-aggro guy, and finished the day with about 60k, which was essentially average. Day 2 went well enough, as I surfed the wave of average to again finish the day with average chips, with just 58 people out of 1117 left. One notable hand involved me making a great fold with just 126k left (not much at the time), and reading the hand perfectly, to where I only had backdoor flush outs. Guess what would've got there for an 800k pot? Despite that, I ran it somewhat back up, and as I said, finished average for the day. Day 3 I played pretty well, was dealt a ton of monster hands pre, but kept totally missing the board. Despite running bad like that, I showed patience again, and still skated into 30th place. I got $6687 for that effort.

    $1500 Mixed Omaha
    This event is a combo of limit O8, PLO8, and Big O. I took about a 45 minute break after finishing 30th and late-regged (about 2.5 hours after start) to Mixed Omaha. There was a PFA Radio listener who identified himself at the table. I ran well, and played the table well, having a great feel for my opponents. I only fired one bullet, and finished the day with almost 83k chips, which was 16th out of 717. Once again I had a huge Day 1, just like at the Big Fofty. Unfortunately, unlike the Fofty, I didn't make much of it. I came back today to play and was just "off". I just didn't play well, butchered a few hands, and also ran bad. I also lacked the incredible patience and restraint I showed during the previous three days of WSOP play (both at the PLO8 and Day 1 of this event). It was just one of those days where you're not yourself poker-wise. I busted shortly after min-cashing for $2249. I've been disgusted about this one, because I should have done much more with this opportunity. However, I will also say that I ran quite poorly, only winning one decent-sized pot the entire day -- where I busted Eli Elezra. Guess the people he owes will have to wait longer.

    Tomorrow at 3pm is the first limit holdem event -- the $1500 one. This is the event where I have the greatest edge, but sometimes that doesn't matter. Last year I was one of the early ones out.

    Also coming:

    June 30 $888 8-handed NL Holdem (only if I fail to make Day 2 of Limit Holdem)
    July 2 $10k Limit Holdem
    July 4 $10k Main Event
    July 8 $3000 6-Max Limit Holdem (only if I'm out of Main)


    TL;DR:

    Three cashes out of seven events (eight if you count that I fired a second bullet at $1500 PLO8).
    Two deep runs beyond top 3% but ran out of cards before I could really get big $.
    Two huge Day 1s.
    Fucked up the second huge Day 1 and barely mincashed.

    I've cashed 4 out of the last 6 NL $500-$1500 holdem WSOP events I've played, two being deep runs.
    I've cashed 4 out of the last 6 $1500 Omaha events I've played (all variants), two being deep runs.

    Tournaments are idiotic.

    That is all.

  2. #2
    Platinum GrenadaRoger's Avatar
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    so you won't be putting in $10 to the next radio show freeroll?
    (long before there was a PFA i had my Grenade & Crossbones avatar at DD)

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    Owner Dan Druff's Avatar
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    Last year was somewhat similar.

    I cashed 4/10 events I played, two of which ($1500 O8 and a $1500 NL) were deep.

    This year I've cashed 3/7 so far, two of which ($500 Big Fofty and $1500 PLO8) were deep.

    On the surface, I'd appear to be an Allen Kessler, cashing 7/17 but not finishing better than 30th in any. However, three of the seven cashes were better than top 3%, and one other was better than top 6%, so I'm not just folding to min cashes. I'm just running out of luck when it gets deep into the event.

    One of these days it's finally going to happen again.

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    Gold MrTickle's Avatar
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    Druff, what would you say your biggest leaks are? Is it common for you to run up a big stack then punt it off? Maybe you’re playing too wide? I’ve noticed that in games like Big O people play waaay too wide with a big stack because there’s almost always two or three connected cards.

  5. #5
    Hi Todd JACKDANIELS's Avatar
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    how many of these did cmoney stake you for ?

     
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      Tellafriend:

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    Plutonium simpdog's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by JACKDANIELS View Post
    how many of these did cmoney stake you for ?
    Jack sorry if you haven't heard, but he has passed away from cancer.

     
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    Hi Todd JACKDANIELS's Avatar
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    IM LITERALLY CRYING RIGHT NOW

  8. #8
    Owner Dan Druff's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by MrTickle View Post
    Druff, what would you say your biggest leaks are? Is it common for you to run up a big stack then punt it off? Maybe you’re playing too wide? I’ve noticed that in games like Big O people play waaay too wide with a big stack because there’s almost always two or three connected cards.
    I actually have punted off a number of big stacks in recent years, but truthfully it's been more a product of suddenly running awful than anything else.

    I probably should get a bit tighter after getting a big stack.

    In general I don't fall into the trap playing too loose in Big O, as I know that's people's biggest leaks. On Day 1 of the Mixed Omaha, I was one of the tightest players at the table during the Big O portion.

    I didn't play very well on Day 2 of the Mixed Omaha. I played too loose, and didn't read opponents' hands well enough to fold when beat. The day before, on Day 1, I did a much better job at both things. Just wasn't a good day for me. Wasn't even emotion or tilt. I was just off that day.

    I played the PLO8 well and was very patient with things, and made a lot of good reads.

  9. #9
    Hurricane Expert tgull's Avatar
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    I think Dan Druff needs to come to reality on a couple things. It's quite obvious as he is pushing the age of 50 with several well documented chronic medical conditions, he is simply not the same player he was 15 years ago when he won his only bracelet. He is almost like an aging first baseman on a team and they make him a DH because they really don't know what to do with him. It's almost sad to see ushering out the old to make way for the new.

    Druff won his first bracelet nearly 15 years ago. He says he wears the bracelet now to intimidate players at the table. Most players that would be intimidated would be young 25 year olds, correct? Here is the deal, any 25 year old that asked when Druff won the bracelet would laugh, saying 'you won that when I was in elementary school'! It's just not relevant Druff. The real issue is these young guys are too schooled at Mathematics to be intimidated by a guy who won a bracelet 15 years ago when the game was so much different.

    Druff was a GREAT player 15 years ago, but the game is simply been hijacked by math wizards to be beaten by a pedestrian guy in his late 40s. It's not to say he or anyone his age cant scratch off a lottery ticket in some obscure 2/7 lowball tournament, but the big fields very unlikely.

    Druff, the game has passed you by. It's not a flame, it's just sad to see you trying to reclaim your Buster Douglas moment 15 years later. It's over.

     
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      big dick: biggest piece of shit to ever grace the internet
      
      sah_24: He literally just made it through a massive field lol
      
      Muck Ficon: :noose

  10. #10
    100% Organic MumblesBadly's Avatar
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    For all the money you spend on entering WSOP NLHE tourneys, do you think it might be worthwhile to do one of the MTT training programs put on by the younger pros? I say this because while you are certainly very smart, optimal NLHE tourney play has probably changed quite a bit with the many younger and more experienced MTT specialists now playing in the WSOP for some number of years. Prolly too late to do so this year, but you might want to consider it for next year.
    _____________________________________________
    Quote Originally Posted by Dan Druff View Post
    I actually hope this [second impeachment] succeeds, because I want Trump put down politically like a sick, 14-year-old dog. ... I don't want him complicating the 2024 primary season. I just want him done.
    Quote Originally Posted by Dan Druff View Post
    Were Republicans cowardly or unethical not to go along with [convicting Trump in the second impeachment Senate trial]? No. The smart move was to reject it.

  11. #11
    Owner Dan Druff's Avatar
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    Really annoying thing happened tonight.

    Was at the $1100 buyin Limit Holdem satellite, where 10% gets $10,100 and the next person down gets whatever remainder is in the pool.

    135 entered, so 13 gets the full 10k, 14th gets $3700, and everyone else gets zero.

    Well, I got put at a very fishy table but kept taking beats/coolers and couldn't go anywhere. The structure of this is also terrible and the blinds get huge. Once the blinds got big, I only played hands which would hold up well all-in, not be drawing, and not be dominated. This meant no Q9 suited, no 67 suited, etc, unless I was able to see it cheaply from the blinds or steal from late position.

    Anyway, I got down to 5500 with lol 1k/2k blinds after losing a hand, and I was running out of time to do something. It was two hands until I was the BB and would have to call with any 2 cards. UTG+1 comes and I have A3dd which is obviously going in. Unfortunately UTG raised, but this guy was a loose Euro and I thought A3 may still be good. I 3-bet all in. The BB called too. Laughably, I had the best hand pre, and I also won with an AKTK7 runout, as neither had a king either.

    Then I paid the blinds and had 14.5k. Picked up QQ, 3-bet a guy who raised early, and the SB called, original raiser 4 bet, I called (with only 6k behind, planning to go in anyway, but force the SB off if the board flops low and he has AK), but then the SB cap 5-bet it.

    So now the pot is 30k and I only have 4500 behind. The original raiser has just 3k behind. Board comes Q24 and I'm looking great. We all get it in, and it's QQ vs 99 vs AK. So I have it almost 100% locked down, and it ships to me, and I'm up to 43k. Sweet.

    A few minutes later they break the tables and redraw with 30 left. I'm slightly below average and can taste the $10k coming to me.

    I almost had a mess with Q9o in the BB, but a shortstack went all for 1k in over the original raiser, so I tossed the Q9o. Flop came Q high, but turned out the original raiser had AQ and LOST the hand when a 4 hit the river to someone with 44. Had I been in, we would have forced the 44 out and the AQ would've doubled off me. Instead the AQ busted. So I breathed a sigh of relief I had folded and still had 39k.

    Well, then came a fucking awful mistake which happens sometimes in tournament poker but the timing was horrendous.

    They had just raised the blinds to 1500/3000. Came to me in late position. I had 66, I tried to open raise. I threw out 4k, thinking we were still playing 2/4, but that made it just a call, since it wasn't at least 1.5 bets. This allowed the button to limp, the SB to complete, and the BB to check. Fuck. I didn't want that holding 66. Well, the SB, who had a monster stack and could otherwise just fold to the max prize, was the only one to call a flop of 553. Uh oh. He ended up winning the hand, and wouldn't have been in if I had raised properly. Keep in mind he was playing just about zero hands because that was the smart strategy not to.

    That ate 12k where otherwise I would have won 4.5k by taking the blinds (at least, perhaps more if someone called and folded flop).

    Then I lost the next hand I played against 77.

    Then I played AJ, flopped KJx, bet flop, he called, and then turn Q. I was pot committed and had to put in my final 5k even though I hated that Q, and indeed he had AQ. River a brick.

    I was out 25th. Not that I was guaranteed to make the $10k or anything, but I was pretty fucking deep with ok chips, and just had to survive to 13th (or at least 14th). That stupid mistake with the raise of the 66 started a downfall which busted me.


  12. #12
    Gold SPIT this's Avatar
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    I heard fields are quite a bit bigger this year vs. last year, and that the action is really good. Are you finding this to be true? Why do you think it is? Is it just the economy, stupid? The Big 50 drawing people in?

    Unrelated, but how do you think the move to the convention center in the future will help/hurt attendance or have no affect?

  13. #13
    Diamond TheXFactor's Avatar
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    It's because of Donald Trump.

    He's the reason there are more rich douchebags, I mean bad poker players at the WSOP this year.



  14. #14
    Quote Originally Posted by Dan Druff View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by MrTickle View Post
    Druff, what would you say your biggest leaks are? Is it common for you to run up a big stack then punt it off? Maybe you’re playing too wide? I’ve noticed that in games like Big O people play waaay too wide with a big stack because there’s almost always two or three connected cards.
    I actually have punted off a number of big stacks in recent years, but truthfully it's been more a product of suddenly running awful than anything else.

    I probably should get a bit tighter after getting a big stack.

    In general I don't fall into the trap playing too loose in Big O, as I know that's people's biggest leaks.
    Well if you're in a spirit of self-criticism you played an absolute trainwreck of a hand with JJ and something like 25 BBs in one of the early NL tourneys. You ended up calling off 1/3 of your stack pre-flop, out of position, and folded to a bet on the ace-high flop. Yes, you were probably beaten at this point, but you can't play 4-bet pots with that short a stack and hope to realize your EV. Either fold or ship it in pre-flop. You have the 4th best hand in Holdem and very few chips. If they have QQ+ then you got coolered.

    I don't play much Omaha so I'm not qualified to comment but playing too loose might not be an error in a tournament. Saving cash makes no sense in a hyper-inflation economy and tournaments are something similar.

     
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      MumblesBadly: Somebody ship Druff a copy of Dan Harrington’s book.

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    Platinum Jayjami's Avatar
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    I’ve seen you play. You are a typical internet player. Perhaps if you put down your phone for a few seconds (instead of obsessively Tweeting to your 10 followers) and took some time to actually observe what is going on at the table, you might improve your results. Especially in no limit. Not trying to be snotty, just giving no you my two cents.

     
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      sah_24: Druff knows more than you ...

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    Platinum garrett's Avatar
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    wsop is much about catchong the topside of the variance as well as playing well. Huge feild MTTs take some amount of luck, skill will get you on the cusp ot the money but at some point or points you will have to run really well too. The few who are blessed will achieve that life changing experience. Druff has caught the topside of the variance before so he k ows better then most this is true.

  17. #17
    Gold MrTickle's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jayjami View Post
    I’ve seen you play. You are a typical internet player. Perhaps if you put down your phone for a few seconds (instead of obsessively Tweeting to your 10 followers) and took some time to actually observe what is going on at the table, you might improve your results. Especially in no limit. Not trying to be snotty, just giving no you my two cents.
    On Negreanus blog you can see Druff on his phone at the table lol

  18. #18
    Owner Dan Druff's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by ShawnFanningsLimpDick View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by Dan Druff View Post

    I actually have punted off a number of big stacks in recent years, but truthfully it's been more a product of suddenly running awful than anything else.

    I probably should get a bit tighter after getting a big stack.

    In general I don't fall into the trap playing too loose in Big O, as I know that's people's biggest leaks.
    Well if you're in a spirit of self-criticism you played an absolute trainwreck of a hand with JJ and something like 25 BBs in one of the early NL tourneys. You ended up calling off 1/3 of your stack pre-flop, out of position, and folded to a bet on the ace-high flop. Yes, you were probably beaten at this point, but you can't play 4-bet pots with that short a stack and hope to realize your EV. Either fold or ship it in pre-flop. You have the 4th best hand in Holdem and very few chips. If they have QQ+ then you got coolered.

    I don't play much Omaha so I'm not qualified to comment but playing too loose might not be an error in a tournament. Saving cash makes no sense in a hyper-inflation economy and tournaments are something similar.
    Playing too loose is actually a big mistake in O8 tournaments.

    Regarding the JJ hand, later I'll try to go through my updates and comment. At the moment I don't remember it. This may have been player related as to why I did what I did.

  19. #19
    Owner Dan Druff's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by ShawnFanningsLimpDick View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by Dan Druff View Post

    I actually have punted off a number of big stacks in recent years, but truthfully it's been more a product of suddenly running awful than anything else.

    I probably should get a bit tighter after getting a big stack.

    In general I don't fall into the trap playing too loose in Big O, as I know that's people's biggest leaks.
    Well if you're in a spirit of self-criticism you played an absolute trainwreck of a hand with JJ and something like 25 BBs in one of the early NL tourneys. You ended up calling off 1/3 of your stack pre-flop, out of position, and folded to a bet on the ace-high flop. Yes, you were probably beaten at this point, but you can't play 4-bet pots with that short a stack and hope to realize your EV. Either fold or ship it in pre-flop. You have the 4th best hand in Holdem and very few chips. If they have QQ+ then you got coolered.
    So I'm confused here.

    I played 3 NL tournaments early.

    First was the Big Fofty, where I made it to 666th out of 28000 something. I searched my tweets on that one, and while I played a few JJ hands, none of them were of that description.

    Second was the Millionaire Maker. I played just two hands -- JTo and T9s, lost both, and was out. So it wasn't that one.

    Third was the $1k Double Stack. I went through that, and again no JJ hand like that.

    That was it for my WSOP NL prelim events this summer. The rest were either Omaha or Limit Holdem.

    Are you sure you read the hand right?

  20. #20
    Quote Originally Posted by Dan Druff View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by ShawnFanningsLimpDick View Post

    Well if you're in a spirit of self-criticism you played an absolute trainwreck of a hand with JJ and something like 25 BBs in one of the early NL tourneys. You ended up calling off 1/3 of your stack pre-flop, out of position, and folded to a bet on the ace-high flop. Yes, you were probably beaten at this point, but you can't play 4-bet pots with that short a stack and hope to realize your EV. Either fold or ship it in pre-flop. You have the 4th best hand in Holdem and very few chips. If they have QQ+ then you got coolered.
    So I'm confused here.

    I played 3 NL tournaments early.

    First was the Big Fofty, where I made it to 666th out of 28000 something. I searched my tweets on that one, and while I played a few JJ hands, none of them were of that description.

    Second was the Millionaire Maker. I played just two hands -- JTo and T9s, lost both, and was out. So it wasn't that one.

    Third was the $1k Double Stack. I went through that, and again no JJ hand like that.

    That was it for my WSOP NL prelim events this summer. The rest were either Omaha or Limit Holdem.

    Are you sure you read the hand right?
    I read the hand correctly but I can't find the post myself now. It's not impossible I read an old tweet or post by mistake though. From memory there was an early position raise, you 3-bet with JJ and now an Asian player (female?) who you said had been playing weirdly or doing strange things 4-bet it. You called and check-folded on the Axx flop. I remember you ended up putting in a shade under 1/3 of your stack pre-flop the fraction was 475 out of 1500 although those numbers seem strangely low. Maybe it was 47.5K out of 150K.

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