Bellagio Five Diamond 2022

On Wednesday, I entered the World Poker Tour Five Diamond tournament at the Bellagio Casino. This is one of the most prestigious tournaments in the world. I'd be competing with the best players. I haven't played a live tournament in a while, so I hoped I wasn’t rusty. I meant to play a few smaller tournaments first, but work got in the way. Damn work!

Every year I played in this tournament, I got further and made more money... until last year when I busted out on Day 1. I really, really, really hope to do better this year. Here is the live blogging.

Day 1

Just starting now. We start with $50K in chips and one-hour levels. This is my kind of tournament—large and deep.

I won the first hand! I'm the table chip leader!

First break. I was winning a lot of small pots and then lost a big one. I had 7♣8♣ in the big blind. A player did a min raise and I called. The flop was 5♦6♦10♥. The other player bet $2K. I had an open-ended straight draw. I figured he had two pair or possibly a set (3 of a kind with 2 in his hand). He bet like he didn't want to see another diamond. I called. The next card was 3♦. I bet $2K to make him think I hit a flush. He called. The next card was J♠. I bet $2,400. It was just enough to make him think that I wanted him to call me because I made a flush (I was bluffing). He hesitated for a while but unfortunately called me. I just folded without showing my hand.

Just lost a really big pot. I'm down to $18K. I had A♦3♥ on the button. I called the blind, and the small and big blind players also called. This told me they didn't have big hands. The flop was A♥8♠3♠. I had two pair. There were two spades on the board. I bet $1K. The other player raised to $6K. I put him on an A or maybe a set of 3s. I called. The turn was 4♥. I checked. He checked. The river was 7♠. There were 3 spades on the board, but I didn't put him on a flush draw because why would he raise after the flop? I bet $6K. He raised to $15K. I called. He had A♠7♠ for the nut flush.

I'm up a little to $20K having won 3 hands in a row. It helps that I had AA, KQ, AA.

I won a small pot with AK. I'm up to $22K. Working my way back slowly.

I keep winning and losing and hovering around $20K. I need to stack up soon.

Third break. I'm down to about $17K (17 big blinds). I'll keep playing tight and hope for a miracle.

Down to 11 big blinds. I need a shoving hand!

I just got written up on the WPT blog. I was down to just under 10 big blinds. I shoved with pocket 7s. I got called by pocket 10s. I got a 7 on the flop and doubled up.

Won another hand when with 3 Js and a big flush draw.

I made it to Day 2, but just barely. I start with only 10 big blinds tomorrow.

Day 2

I'm starting Day 2 with the 4th smallest stack in the tournament. Well, I've always like a challenge! (Actually, I hate a challenge, but I face them all the time nonetheless). I need a miracle!

I shoved with QJ. Got called by pocket 6s. I flopped a J and doubled up!

I got A9 after that. Called a raise and the flop was 2A2. I shoved; the other player folded. I'm back!

Won a nice pot with A♦Q♦ when the flop was 37Q. Almost back to starting stack!

Won a hand with 99 and another with JJ. I'm now above starting stack!

Not playing many hands, but the blinds are eating away at my stack.

I just got pocket As in the small blind. One player raised. Two players called. I shoved. One player called, the others folded. He showed AK. He turned a K but I won to more than double up. I won the next hand too with A4. I now have a very good stack!

First break. I have $75.5K.

I just had Q♣J♣. The board ran out K♣J♦8♣3♦A♣. Then every player's dream came true for me. I had the nuts (best possible hand) and another player bet $10K. I thought for a while and raised to $30K. He folded. I now have $124K!

After running card dead for a while, I'm down to $82K, but still a decent stack (over 30 big blinds).

192 players left. 72 get paid. First place is just over $1 million.

I'm just folding cards and my stack is dwindling. It's still OK, but not great, and I'm a little worried.

I recently doubled up, so I'm good again.

I was on the button with pocket Qs. Everyone folded to me. The shortest stacks were to my left. I limped. The small blind called. The big blind shoved. I called. Small blind folded. Big blind showed AQ. I just need to avoid an A... I did! I doubled up. He busted out.

168 players left.

160 players left. I've stacked up but don't have time to write about it because I’m getting good cards and playing them.

136 players left.

Running card dead.

128 players left. I doubled up against Garrett Greer when I rivered a full house.

Third break. I'm doing OK. 128 players left.

My stack is getting short again. 118 players left.

Just shoved with AQ under the gun. Got called by Ryan Tosoc with A 10. The flop was 5Q 10. I won to double up!

100 players left. I'm once again short stacked.

Just won a big pot against Garrett Greer. I put him on tilt from my previous big pot that I won against him, and he’s now making bad plays against me. He’s a really nice guy and only blaming himself, but he’s not too happy about it.

I made it to Day 3!!! My stack isn't great, but it's (relatively) better than I started with on Day 1. 96 players left.

Day 3

Day 3 begins in 10 minutes!

I got AJ on the button. Everyone folded to me. The blind was $5K. I bet $25K. The small blind folded. The big blind, another short stack but with more than me, shoved. I sighed. I had to call. He turned over AQ. The board ran out A4JJ7, giving me a full house and my needed double up!

90 players left.

Down to 10 big blinds again. I keep getting high cards, calling small bets, and getting bad flops. There are 83 players left.

I shoved with A♠9♠. I got called by a player with nothing cards (my stack is so low that anyone can call just in the hopes of eliminating me and getting closer to the money. I won with two pair, but lost a hand after that and again have just over 10 big blinds. Sigh...

80 players left.

First break. My stack is very, very low. There are 78 players left. 72 get paid.

I got A♠10♠. The big stack bet $10K (actually the minimum had just changed, and so he needed to bet $12K but no one noticed). I called. The flop was 8♥10♥K♠. He bet more than I had, but I called. He had A♥J♥. I needed to avoid a J and a ♥. The turn card was 8♦. The river was J♣, giving him a pair of Js. I busted out at 78, just 6 places away from the money.

Epilogue

I went across the street to the Venetian Casino and entered a small tournament there. The prize pool is $200,000. There are four Day 1 flights (i.e., you can enter the tournament on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, or Sunday), with Day 2 on Monday. I made it to Day 2 at about 11:00 PM with a guarantee of cashing. How much I cash depends on how far I get on Day 2.  Wish me luck on Monday!