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Every year, Las Vegas, Nevada hosts the largest poker festival worldwide known as the World Series of Poker.
For a span of seven weeks, individuals from various parts of the globe, both seasoned and novice in the game of poker, gravitate towards Las Vegas, driven by the desire to triumphantly seize thousands of dollars and earn the esteemed accolade of a World Series of Poker gold bracelet.
Being a professional poker player, I frequently find myself in Las Vegas at this time. This year will be my fourth visit to the WSOP. Regrettably, my previous three trips resulted in returning home to Michigan with less money than I had when I arrived in Las Vegas. I had high hopes that my fourth attempt would bring better luck.
In addition to losing money on each of my initial three visits to the WSOP, I also failed to achieve any success in WSOP bracelet events. Throughout these three trips, I participated in a total of 17 WSOP tournaments, only to be eliminated on Day 1 without making any winnings every single time. Seventeen attempts, zero cashes, and no progress to Day 2.
Given that around 15% of participants receive a payout, one would assume that I could have performed adequately enough to secure a monetary reward at least once. However, that was all in the past, and my aspiration was to have 2022 marked as the year of my breakthrough.
Starting the trip as a spectator, not a player
Even though the series spans seven weeks, I typically only participate for one week. This year, my allotted time falls towards the end of the series. Within these seven days, my goal is to achieve success at the tables.
However, my plans took a different turn when I arrived and discovered that my friend and fellow professional poker player, Dominic Choma, was still in the WSOP Main Event on Day 4! Dominic and I began our poker journeys together in the same high school home game, playing with our friends. Witnessing his first ever WSOP Main Event run was something I couldn’t miss, so I decided to kickstart my trip by spectating rather than participating in the game.
Despite encountering some unfortunate situations on mid-Day 5, Dom managed to accumulate an impressive stack throughout the tournament. However, his run came to an end in 216th place, earning him a commendable $53,900. It is worth noting that Dom’s performance is particularly remarkable considering the fact that there were over 8,600 participants in the tournament.
Now it’s my turn … hopefully
After witnessing Dom’s triumph in tournaments, I eagerly anticipated my own chance. The first event on my schedule was a $400 buy-in at MGM Grand. Luckily, I managed to make it to the money with a short stack before ultimately busting out in 23rd place for a modest $585. Though it wasn’t a substantial victory, I hoped it would provide some momentum for the remainder of my trip.
The following day, I revisited MGM Grand to participate in another tournament, this time with a $400 entry fee. However, luck was not on my side as I experienced a setback. I ended up losing both entries in the tournament before reaching the money stage, resulting in a loss of $800.
Following my elimination from the tournament, I made the decision to visit the Paris Casino, the venue for the WSOP, in order to engage in some cash games. Opting for a $2/$5 cash game with a buy-in of $1,000, I joined the table and managed to secure a modest profit of $164 by the end of the evening.
The following day held great anticipation for me as it marked the pinnacle of my week—the day I would participate in my one and only WSOP bracelet event during this trip. The event required an $800 buy-in for a deepstack competition. I began on a positive note, swiftly increasing my starting stack of 40,000 chips to an impressive 70,000. However, my journey soon took a tumultuous turn, plummeting to a mere 6,000 chips before miraculously bouncing back to 65,000. Sadly, my luck eventually ran out, leading to my elimination from the tournament. Undeterred, I decided to give it another shot by re-entering the event. Regrettably, lightning struck twice, and I was eliminated once again before reaching the money. As the day drew to a close, I realized I had incurred a loss of $1,600.
Looking for some late luck
Despite my awareness that I wouldn’t be able to end my streak of not winning any cash in the WSOP tournament on this particular trip, I had high hopes for the next day’s $400 tournament at Aria. Unfortunately, it turned out to be a repetition of my previous experiences as I got eliminated twice before reaching the money stage. However, I managed to salvage the day by participating in a $2/$5 cash game at Paris and walked away with a satisfying $795 win. It was a relief to come so close to recovering the losses from the earlier tournament, falling only $5 short.
With only one day remaining, I had my last opportunity to turn this trip into a profitable one. Despite being down a considerable amount, I held onto the belief that anything could happen. Determined to make the most of it, I focused solely on cash games on my final day, opting to play $2/$5 at the Aria. Unfortunately, luck was not on my side as I concluded my trip with a disappointing loss of $1,975. It was definitely not the ending I had envisioned.
After concluding the trip, it was time to assess the aftermath, and regrettably, it amounted to a staggering loss of $4,031. This unfortunate outcome marked the fourth consecutive WSOP trip where I returned home empty-handed, without any cashes in WSOP bracelet events.
Despite the disappointment of leaving with yet another loss, I made an effort to remind myself of the enjoyment I experienced while playing and how lucky I am to have the opportunity to pursue a career in a game I adore.
David Kaye, a poker enthusiast from Mason, regularly contributes to Playinmichigan with his captivating columns. To keep up with his exciting poker adventures, make sure to follow him on his various social media platforms where he goes by the name “DavidKayePoker”. You can find him on YouTube, Twitch, Twitter, and Instagram.
