Bouncing Around the Bubble

With a full night’s sleep, I settle into what will be my daily routine the next month and a half. I meditate, then head to the gym for a run on the treadmill. Back in my room, I shower, get dressed, and drink an overpriced vitamin supplement. I pack an assortment of snacks in my satchel, sling it over my shoulder and head out the door.

I call my wife on the way to grab some food and am lucky to get cameos from two of my kids. My youngest is running around the house in a top hat and sunglasses, and my heart warms when I watch a video of it later.

I get to the Wynn for another single day $1k, and spend the 30 minutes before it starts reviewing my 3-bet ranges.

The first level is calm, then I decide to shift gears. I bet and raise with impunity, and accumulate the biggest stack at my table. I’m making great reads and extract maximum value. I remain on my perch as the big stack most of the time for the next six hours.

After a while, some big stacks get moved to my table and I have to slow down a bit. I take some dents and am down to a middling stack before we break for dinner. There are 54 players remaining out of 263 entries, and 27 get paid.

Blinds are 3k/5k and a maniac in the HJ¹ raises to 13k. I 3-bet to 32k on the BTN with AQ. I want him to call, but give myself some room in case the big stacks in the blinds jam over me. The maniac tanks before calling. The flop is J77 and he shoves his last 20k. I call, and he flips over QJ, cutting me down to 15bbs.

On the same level, I jam UTG and it folds to the maniac in the SB. He asks for a count and the dealer cuts down my three tall stacks of 1k chips and announces “58”. The small blind tosses in a 5k chip and says “call”.

I flip over AKs and he shows 64o. I’m speechless.

He flops a straight draw and my mind is racing. Why did he call? A king on the turn gives me some comfort. A three hits the river, and I have to check twice to make sure he didn't hit a straight. I'm doubling up.

The dealer looks to my opponent and repeats, "58" while pointing at his chips. My opponent looks confused before finally putting another 1k chip in the middle. I'm stunned as I realize that he thought I had 58 hundred chips, not 58 thousand. Why else would he call 1/3 of his stack with garbage?

The double up helps, but the blinds are too high and I'm whittled down to about 5bbs by the next break. I'm the shortest stack by far, with 30 players left. It'll be my big blind when we get back, forcing me to put chips in the middle that I can’t afford.

It's painful to think about spending the entire day grinding, only to go home on the bubble.

Shortly after break I pick up KK at 3bbs with 29 players left. I shove. My hand thankfully holds, and I double up.

Not long after, we're on the stone bubble playing hand-for-hand. I'm in the big blind when the UTG opens, and the BTN calls. I look down at KK again and shove. It’s probably not correct according to ICM theory, but I can’t fold. Both players call. An ace on the flop has me nervous, but both players check it down to the end and when a king hits the river I know I’ll win. I scoop the pot and my stack's now at 23bbs.

We make it to the money. We're each guaranteed about $1.5k, and there's $65k up top for first place.

I battle, trying to find the right spots to build a bigger stack. After a couple hours we're down to the last 10 players — the final table bubble. I'm again the shortest stack and try to repeat my earlier performance.

But it doesn't come to pass. I'm disappointed to not make the final table with a shot for first, but thankful to have made a deep run. I head out with a $5k prize, and look forward to returning to the Rio tomorrow.

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Times someone at the tables ordered an iced coffee with cream: 2

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