Since last we spoke Pt.9 WSOP 2018 was interesting 1/5ish?

"If you look around the table, and you can't spot the person who got pump and dumped..."

2018 Summer Camp is upon us! I'm half a million dollars and roughly 65% of my net worth lighter than I was at the start of the year; being an investor rules! This is not the time to start stressing however. It's time to empty the bank account, offload some crypto, and see if the Rio and I are still on speaking terms come August.

Our relationship wasn't looking so hot by the fourth week with only 3 small cashes notched - One being a punt in the Big Bet Mixed where I had played what I thought to be very well prior to a hand where I patted in Pot Limit 2-7 Triple Draw after believing somebody at the table who wasn't in the hand's bluff speech about folding relevant cards to my drawing hand, when I would have otherwise drawn. I don't understand why this guy who knows better was talking, but it turns out he was fucking around, and I basically busted after my opponent used my hypothetical draw card to roll over a winner. My fault in any case obviously

Fortunately the 10k PLO Event appeared on the calendar just in time. Why do they have the 25k PLO before the 10k btw!? I've only played the 25k once because of this dynamic, mostly out of spite coupled with self-loathing.

Before I continue, and on that note, one of two massive omissions leading up to this point was receiving a text from my friends David Benefield and Jason Koon imploring me to play the 50k Player's Championship, when I had previously decided not to, given my lack of success thus far in the Series and the event's expedited position on the schedule akin to the aforementioned 25k PLO. I was thankful for their belief, inspired, and while I wound up busting late day 2 in a PLO pot to Ben Lamb, when my pair plus open-ender turned a set filling Ben's gutshot to give him a straight, I remember taking my awareness and intensity level to the degree it needed to be at for the remainder of the WSOP, and I was extremely grateful for the wake up call. The second omission was my best friend's own bracelet run, that I will touch on a few entries from now.

Walking through the field of the 10k PLO Championship Event, the tables overflow with tracksuits, and juiced up Floridians. A cluster of glorious unicorns more commonly known as the long-haired Scandie graze on fruits and spinach bowls. Pockets of weird Euro colognes hang in the air. My friend Andy has a Big Bird tracksuit he lent me to let the rest of the field know that I mean business.

In the first 6 hours of play I 4xed my stack before being informed that I would be moving to a new table. I remember being a little internally frustrated as I liked where my image was to this point, and how much attention I had given to balancing various hands. There was a very lucky spot where I flopped top set, the turn brought in a straight on something like A29hh4, and I wound up busting a nice Texan in the big blind holding 35 after he got it in on the turn and the board paired on the river. He was so nice about it I grabbed his details, and gave him a small freeroll ( like 3% or something ) for the rest of that tournament. Typically if I beat somebody in a hand like that, the line is "So that's how you win a bracelet," before stomping off, then presumably running upstairs and slamming the door as loudly as possible.

I made a few sloppy decisions at my new table. Moreover, I distinctly remember a bizarre encounter where I flopped top set on a 36K9hh board. I bet turn, get jammed on, and obviously call, but before I finished fast-rolling my hand over the guy proclaims in this exclamatory yet deadpan tone

"I HAVE IT. I HAVE IT."

My hand showing KK is literally flipped over onto the felt in front of him, and I can't process what the fuck this guy thinks is going on.

"I HAVE THE BLADE" He rolls over 4578hh.

I'm so mindfucked by this still that I don't remember at all who won that hand. It was the end of the night, and I was pretty upstuck so I think he got there? In any case, I wonder if this title is a reference to some Aaron Katz thing, as his nickname is "The Blade." In any event, a very strange end to an otherwise smooth day, and I ended with 150k from the starting 50k going into Day 2.