Strong start

11. July 2006 | Category: 50outs

Katja Thater playing poker in Las Vegas at the WSOP

Yesterday Katja played the $1000 NLHE with 2890 other players. The amazon ballroom at the Rio’s was a huge crazyness again. I stayed in the hotel. When my cell phone rung at 12:15 local time I already expected Katja to tell me that she is done already but she just informed me that she had trippled up already! First hand she had made some kind of flush and second hand she had AA with an AJx board vs. JJ… busting two players in the first two hands.

While that was a very good and strong start when she called me in the first break after two hours she was down to 1100 and that even only after a double-up she just had. What happened? I asked. She told me she had a “race situation” where she tried to get many many chips very early: she found AKs in the BB but the button had raised. The player had about 4500 chips himself and she said she was just trying to get those to have a really strong start into the tournament. She figured the guy on a middle-pair or a worse ace (like AQ, AJ) and re-raised him strongly. He thought for a little and then moved in, Katja called. He had JJ. The low board brought out a flush draw for Katja also with two spades (her AK in spades) but nothing, JJ were good and Katja down to 500 chips.

I totally liked the attitude she showed there. I mean, we are so used to nurse short stacks so it would be a whole new experience to play from a large stack. This is the winers spirit!

In the next break Katja was still in with 3100 chips, about average at that time. She had a table change to a bunch of “easter-bunnys” but that is only nice if you happen to catch some card. All she could do is steal some blinds during the next two hours and so when level 6 ended for the dinner break she still had 3000 in chips, now way below the average. I did not went over this time (I had some fun watching americas funniest home videos after three hours on the pool) to eat with her during that dinner break. 30 minutes after play resumed in level 7 she called me and told me that she just busted out (I didn’t even ask what hand she had). Sad after such a strong start.

Today is the last tournament until the main event, the $2000 pot-limit holdem. Thursday we fly home for 10 days before returning for the main event.

Some messages:

@felicia: Thank you for your nice words. I liked the “skinnier” 🙂 (it’s also true). Sorry for not being talkative on our last meeting but that happened just 30 seconds after that beat so I was in no mood to talk to anybody about anything. Next time, I promise!

@Pauly: Nice to meet you buddy, it was my pleasure! Hope we can catch up again soon!

@Houston saft: Sorry if my english is not good enough… about the ladies event: damn sure I am frustrated and as this is our blog and we are independent I will rant here about what I want, for as long as I want and as dirty as I like. No harm intended… “hihihihihihi” 🙂

@all random dudes: keep calling!


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