wrapping up the WSOP

One year ago (well, over a year ago, because this WSOP ME was about 25 days later than last year) I came home from the World Series with a revelation. I entered the tournament quite confident (overly so) about my chances, and came home after going out on the first day with the knowledge that I could play with these guys. It was confirmation for me that I was good.

This year, it's interesting. I'm an incredibly more complex, skilled player than I was 13 months ago. I'm a much more mature player. I've had a few big scores, and I've gone through the worst 7 months of my life pokerwise. This slump has, variously, wrecked my game and wrecked my confidence, and yet I've emerged from it a better player (even if the results continue to not manifest). I went into this World Series with an uncertain goal. I was focussed more or less on playing well and hoping that the luck and cards would fall into place.

I've been home since Saturday night, and in the three days I've been home I've taken some time to reflect on my play and my experience out there. I played 22 hours of poker (11 levels) and I can look back and point to exactly two hands I actively misplayed. I think that's phenomenal. As opposed to when I'm playing mediocre poker, I wasn't playing merely to avoid mistakes. I was making several winning plays during the course of the tournament. I can point to, in particular, the KQ hand on day 1, the JT hand against Cassidy on day 2 and the 32 3 bet bluff late on day 2. I think my A7 hand was a winning play that just did not work out. I avoided going broke with the set of jacks. I avoided going broke when i was getting no service late on day 1.

I've also learned that I still need work on being proactive in my adjustments to the game. It took me almost 2 hours to adjust my game late on day 1 when I went card dead and my image got vomitous. Instead of being reactive, I need to ascertain early on that this is happening and adjust my game before others notice this. My play on day 2 I think was much more proactive in my adjustments.

And, just as last year, I've learned that I really am good. I don't mean that to sound cocky, I mean it to sound as validation. I believe I am good, and it was validated this week. I have no regrets (well, other than the 2 hands I know I misplayed). The only regret I have on the hand I busted with is that I lost it. I believe it was a winning play, I believe it was a play that would have helped me get into position to do much more than just money. After all, that's what I came to the tournament to do.

Also, I want to play in a lot more of these. And maybe win one of them.