$3,500 NLH UltimateStack Tournament at the Venetian, Day 1

I’m playing in a big 3-day tournament at the Venetian today with a guaranteed $1 million prize pool. Wish me luck!

It’s the first break, and I have an average stack, which is great. I'm always happy with an average stack. Players are entering slowly. Many are coming from the $10K buy-in tournament at the Wynn as they bust out there.

Right before the break, I got A4. Someone raised. I called. The other players folded. The flop was 7Q4. The other player checked. I bet $1K (5 x min bet). The other player called. The turn was a 4. The other player checked. I bet $2K. He called. I put him on a Q. The river was... Q, giving me a full house but if I was right, he had a bigger full house. He checked. I checked. Sure enough, he had a Q. Only 2 cards in the deck beat me, and he got one.

I'm losing lots of small pots. I keep getting small pairs or big aces, but don't connect on the flop.

I just got pocket Ks for the 3rd time! One player raised to $1K. I reraised to $2.5K. Everyone else folded. He called. The flop was K34. I checked. He bet $2200. I “hesitantly” called. The turn was 3, giving me a big full house. I checked. He checked. The river was 4. He bet $5500. I hesitated, bet $11K. He called. I showed him my cards, he mucked his cards (folded without showing). I'm back up to average stack.

Second break. Two hands before the break I lost a good-sized pot. At the break I had K10. I called a min raise. The other players folded. The flop was Q74. He checked. I checked. The turn was 10. He checked. I bet. He called. The river was 3. He checked. I checked. We both showed K10 to chop. I have just under average stack. I'm still happy.

I just got pocket Ks again!

Just lost a big hand. I had AQ. The board ran out 996QK. I bet and the other player, with a really big stack, shoved. I figured he had a 9 so I folded. He showed me a 5 but not the other card.

I got pocket Ks again! I made a little, since everyone folded. My stack is getting low, though. I lost a big hand with pocket 5s.

I had A10. I limped in with $600. One player raised to $4K. Another player called. I had assumed a player would raise, but not by that much. was tempted to call, but that would have been 1/4 of my stack, so I folded. The board ran out A 10 4 A 7. I would have tripled up with a full house—the nuts. Damn!

I got pocket Ks yet again. Five times in one day. Very rare.

Dinner break. I have about $20K, which is 25 big blinds. Not very good, but I've come back from much worse.

I had 7♡7♤. I shoved on the turn, with 3 spades on the board. The other player called and showed 10♧10◇. He was ahead. When the river was dealt. I got up to walk away and the players called me back. "You won." I forgot I had a flush draw, which was the reason I had shoved in the first place. I had gotten the flush on the river. I doubled up and have a decent (not great) stack.

Not doing well. Down to 20 big blinds.

Last break of the evening. I'm short stacked, about 10 big blinds. I need to get very lucky, very soon.

I shoved with AK. I got two callers, KQ and pocket 10s. The board ran out 378AA! I tripled up! Thanks for sending me luck, everyone!

I'm getting decent cards but can't seem to connect on the flop. My stack is getting low again.

Just got pocket 5s in the small blind. The button raised. I shoved. Big blind folded. The button called with AQ. I flopped a set and doubled up! Just when I needed it.

Just got pocket 4s. The flop was 10 4 10. Everyone kept checking and I didn't want to scare anyone away, so I kept checking. Finally on the river I bet big and someone called. I won and now have a decent stack. Only 4 more hands till the end of Day 1A.

At my table is Anthony Zinno and several other pros. I like him. He always plays well, is respectful of the other players, and dresses in a three-piece suit at the final table, though tonight he’s unshaven in a sweatshirt.

I made it to Day 2 (Tuesday). With a decent stack! I have $83,000, which will be 41.5 big blinds on Day 2.