Chippy in Connecticut - Foxwoods Day One

I have 93k after day one. That is a ton of chips - should be top 10 out of 800 players, most of whom are now on the rail.

My starting table was real soft and I got to 23k without much trouble. There was a key hand against Richard "Quiet Lion" "Writer of Microsoft Word" "Gazillionaire and Proud of It" Brodie in which I raised with 89s. He reraised from the blind and I decided to call in position. The flop came K8x and he made a bet and I called. I bet when checked to on the K turn and he mucked.

Then Hasan Habib showed up on my left with a mountain of chips.

I smoothcalled a UTG raise with QQ as did a few others. It came KQJ and UTG checked. I bet 3k and everyone folded to UTG who made a raise to like 9k. I moved in and he called with T9 of hearts. I was down to 6k and in desperation mode.

I doubled up with AQs against an overplayed KQs soon after which got me back in the hunt. I beat JJ with AKs for some more chips. Then I raised with J9s in early position and Habib made his usual call, another guy called, and a passive player called. The flop was the dreamy T87 with two hearts. I bet 2.2k, Habib made it 7k, the passive guy went all in for like 9k, I moved in, and Habib called. Habib had the Beast T8 of clubs and the passive guy had AK of hearts. They had a ton of outs but none hit and I won a gargantuan pot of near 50k to become a real force.

I then siphoned about 8k on questionable play before raising with 55, hitting a set and turning a boat, and winning a medium pot when my opponent folded on the turn (board was 5677 and I bet flop and turn hard). A bit later I called an early position raise with pocket jacks in the big blind. The flop came KT4 with two spades and we both checked. The turn was a K and we both checked again. The river was a T and I bet 4k. My opponent, Pat Poels, a WSOP bracelet winner in O8 this year, moved in for about 10k more. I thought about his possible hands before concluding it was likely he had either quads or a complete bluff. AK or a ten would have bet the flop or turn. I made the call and he showed pocket fives, a complete bluff. Goodnight Moon.

Soon after Chris McCormack (7th place last year in this event) raised UTG to 2k and I smoothcalled in next position with my first pocket rockets of the day. Habib made it 6k in third position and I started to think about what I wanted to do. Everyone folded to McCormack who immediately pushed in for around 20k. I reevaluated for about a minute. I thought about smoothcalling once again. If I did that Habib would surely know I had a monster but not necessarily know it was aces. The trouble with this is that Habib would likely call for pot odds and if he hit his hand I would likely go broke. For example if the flop came J92 and he had pocket jacks I would go broke. I was too scared of this happening so I decided to push in for more than 40k. Habib thought for three seconds, said "I don't want to gamble with you guys" and folded pocket kings faceup! McCormack had a hopeless AK offsuit and I busted him.

I won some more pots and the last hand of the day I made a backdoor flush with 45 of hearts against Habib and got him to call my 9k river bet.

Hasan Habib is the most impressive player I have ever seen. He was playing like a mad genius, raising half the hands and calling raises the other half. I've never seen someone play as loose or aggressive, yet with great control. The entire table was scared shitless of him, and for good reason. He broke a rock with K3o against AA after a button raise gone bad, and called a 2500 all in on his 600 BB with 62o because he was getting 2:1 pot odds. He beat the poor guy's 55. He somehow beat 33 with As8h after a Qh5h3 flop, betting the flop, check calling on the 2h turn, and somehow getting the guy to call the rest of his chips on the heart river.

Having him on my left tonight was an absolute nightmare and I am so lucky to have survived, not to mention built a huge stack.

The Wolf, caught up in the excitement of a strong but relatively insignificant first day, is making an unscheduled visit tomorrow.