Jon Kalmar says...

WSOP Day 36 - Jon Kalmar

Wednesday 8 Jul 2009

Day 2 of the main event and 2900 return. I was 21st (someone told me) overall after all 4 day 1’s. I was pleased to see no large stacks on the table and was feeling confident.

Blinds are 250/500 and a guy in 2nd position raises my big blind to 1200. This seems a little fishy and when it’s folded to me I look down and see pocket jacks. He has around 30k and I want to see where I am so make it 3500. He instantly pushes and I throw them away. (I later find out he’s French. He re-raises me later with KJ and runs into somebody’s queens, who knocks him out. I had A 9 and would have got em both, doh! I wonder whether I should have called, but in retrospect I am sure I was 50-50 at best.)

I limp in with 54 of clubs and the button raises to 1300. It is obvious he hasn’t seen my limp when the blinds fold and I make the call. The flop is 3 6 J with 1 club. I check and he bets out 2500. He has around 18k back so I make it 9k to call with the intention of calling his all in. He does indeed go all in with AJ and I make the call. A two on the turn and he’s drawing dead. He films the whole thing on his mobile phone, pretty sure it will end up on youtube at some point.

On my table was an old guy. Normally you would expect the older generation to be quite steady and tight. They have been around a long time and really don’t want to risk all by gambling. Beware of the wolves in sheep’s clothing, this guy made Tom Dwan look like a bigger rock than Womble. When he was re-raising early on I assumed he was hitting cards. It was apparent he was at it a lot when people looked him up and he quickly folded.

Up to about 170k and the blinds are 300/600 someone makes it 1700 and I re-raise to 5800 from the small blind with AQ, he calls. The flop is J 9 7 all spades. I have the Ace of spades and I consider betting out but check instead. My opponent had over 100k and I didn’t want re-raising off this, nor did I want to make a big move. He bets out 9k and I call. The turn is a Jack of clubs and we both check. The river is a blank and I have to fold to his river bet. A setback but no disaster.

I then call an 1800 raise with 66. Two more call and we see a flop of 3h 7h 7d. It’s checked to me and I bet 6k. The button calls and the initial raiser makes it 17k. Now I am pretty sure the button has a heart draw. He had shown his eagerness to re-raise with made hands so I was sure he would fold. The other guy could be trying to find out where a big pair is. I am sure the only hand than can continue to a re-raise is pocket 3’s. I make it 30k more to go and indeed the button folds. (He later told me he had the nut flush draw) The other guy moves all in and it’s around 45k more to call. I obviously can’t call. I am down to 107k. Still a great stack but feeling a little hurt. The guy eventually informed me he had pocket 3’s. Oh well, at least I got something right.

It’s the dinner break and I am glad to get out of there. I am tempted by a bag of “Jack links Beef Jerky” (one of this years sponsors) but I had tasted it on the first day, you need to be very, very hungry for this stuff. The bag said new and improved flavour; god knows what it tasted like before.

I get aces soon after I return and with the blinds 400/800 I make it 2500 to go. Only the big blind calls and the flop is Kc Jc 8d. He checks and I bet 5000. He calls and the turn is an ugly queen. He checks as do I. The river is a harmless 6 and he checks again. I value bet for 7k and he calls. He mucks his cards and I am starting to feel better with around 125k.

This was to be the last I hand I would win. A succession of missed draws were taking there toll. I was picking up nothing. Three times more I pick up pocket 6’s and see a paired board each time. I try to take all but one down and fail every time.

I am trying not to get involved to much and pass AJ twice in position to a raise, yet I keep getting hands in the blinds like 99 and 10J suited. The raises are never enough to not price me in. To make it worse I keep catching enough to leak more chips. The 10 J suited was Qs Kc 8c flop. I call the flop bet and the turn is the king of spades giving me an outside royal flush draw. I obviously miss the lot.

I get 99 on the button and call a raise. The flop is 8 high 2 hearts. I re-raise the continuation bet, he calls. The turn is the ace of hearts and I need to pass to his bet.

Blinds at 400/800 the cut off makes it 2000 to go. The button calls and for 1200 more I decide to see the flop. It come 3 8 9. The raiser bets 4k and the button passes. I call, and the turn is a 4. I call an 8k bet. The river is a queen, I check and he checks. He has k9. Not great play by me, I was not reading things well. It felt more likely he was bluffing than flopping top pair.

The day was running very similar to yesterday. I start very well and then hit a brick wall the difference today would be things never turned back around.

With around 68k left, and the blinds at 400/800 and a running ante there is a raise of 2300, 2 people call and it’s just 1500 to see a flop. I have J4 of diamonds and I call. It’s a 10k pot and I hope to flop a miracle. I have no intention of losing anymore chips even with top pair. The flop is Jh 8d 4h. I have top two and back door flush. I check and the initial raiser bets 6k. The button calls and I make 20k to go. The raiser folds and the button asked what I have. It’s Tom Dwan’s great grandfather again. (not really, but who knows) I say 47k, he declares all in. Now I don’t like it but surely he’d raise the other guys bet with a set on this board. He doesn’t want flush draws getting in cheap here. I decide it’s more likely he has a draw or over pair and my 2 pair is good, so call. Unfortunately he has pocket 8’s and they stand up.

That is it for this year. Still here till the 16th so I will be playing cash and a few events at the Bellagio. My diary will continue till then.

This is a customer announcement. Due to unforeseen circumstance Skalie’s blog will not appear for day 37. Probably due to a fierce hangover.

Normal service will return in a couple of days.