Dodging Poker World Champions in Canada: WSOP Super Circuit Montreal Main Event, Days 1 and 2
I played Days 1 and 2 of the $5,000, $10,000,000 guaranteed WSOP Super Circuit Main Event at Playground in Montreal. My first bullet busted after pocket aces ran into a flopped flush. I re-entered, made a hero call with bottom pair to build a stack, survived a very short bubble, and bagged 68,000 chips for Day 3 with a $10,000 CAD min-cash locked.
Chapters
- The $5K, $10M Guaranteed Main Event
- Exploring Montreal with Bob
- Strategy: high-variance lines with long levels
- Registering and Jonathan Little at my table
- Pocket aces cracked
- Ace-king vs aces: bullet one busts
- Studying on WSOP Academy
- Re-entry and a bottom pair hero call
- How to avoid punting after a big win
- Building a big stack and late-night coolers
- Day 2 begins
- Hand breakdown: raising jack-five suited
- Approaching the bubble
- Hand-for-hand and in the money
- Re-entering for a bigger stack
- Feature table and bust
The biggest event of the series
The $5,000 Main Event was the tournament I was most excited for in Montreal: a $10,000,000 guarantee, 50,000 starting chips, and one-hour levels. The goal was a WSOP Circuit ring, and hopefully a seven-figure score with it.
Before heading to Playground, Bob and I got out to explore the city. Montreal is beautiful, and fresh air and a walk are part of my routine before a long day at the table.
My strategy for long levels
With a structure this deep, you do not need to do much early. The patient approach is to wait. With unlimited re-entry, I chose to take some high-variance lines instead: spots where I risk more of my stack to win a big pot and build a stack early.
Pocket aces against a flopped flush
I late-registered, which usually means a tough table because the pros all late-register. Jonathan Little was at mine.
I raised from the cutoff, got three-bet from the button, four-bet with pocket aces, and got called. The flop came jack-eight-three, all clubs, and my opponent had flopped a flush. The money went in on the king-high turn and I was drawing dead.
Down to about 13 big blinds, I built back up to almost 40,000 chips before getting it in with ace-king against pocket aces. That was the end of bullet one.
Re-entry and a hero call with bottom pair
While I waited to re-enter, I did a few quick drills on the WSOP Academy app. Then I re-entered, and the key hand came with ace-three on a queen-queen-three flop with a flush draw.
I bet the flop and the turn king, then checked the river. My opponent bet 17,000, a huge size. If he had trip queens, I expected him to raise the flop or turn. The flush draw had missed, so I thought he could be bluffing. I called, and he showed seven-high. Bottom pair was good.
How to avoid punting after a big win
Right after a big call is when you are most likely to punt, which means losing chips to your own bad decision rather than bad luck. Confidence turns into carelessness, and you play a hand you would normally fold. I told myself to stay disciplined.
I built to 165,000 chips late in the night, then lost a big pot with pocket queens and a coin flip with pocket eights against ace-jack. I still bagged about 150,000.
Day 2 and a two-hand bubble
Day 2 moved to 90-minute levels. One hand I liked: I raised jack-five of spades from the big blind against a small-blind limp, because in position I want to raise a polarized range of strong hands and bluffs. I bet the flop, checked back a scary turn, and got a call on my river value bet.
My flight group had 1,042 entries, and 157 places were paid with a $10,000 CAD minimum cash. I was down to about 20 big blinds near the bubble. When we went hand-for-hand, two players busted on the first hand and we were in the money. It was the shortest bubble I have ever seen.
I bagged 68,000 chips for Day 3.
Best stack forward
The series allowed best stack forward, so I entered another flight to try for a bigger bag. I got moved to the feature table for the live stream and busted there. That was fine: my 68,000 was already locked in for Day 3.
Questions viewers asked
- What was the buy-in for the WSOP Super Circuit Montreal Main Event?
- $5,000 CAD, with a $10,000,000 guarantee, 50,000 starting chips, unlimited re-entry, and one-hour levels on Day 1.
- What is a high-variance line in poker?
- Choosing plays that risk more of your stack to win bigger pots. With deep stacks, long levels, and re-entry available, taking more variance early can be a reasonable way to build a stack.
- What does drawing dead mean?
- It means no card left in the deck can win you the hand. Lexy's aces were drawing dead after her opponent made a flush and the turn did not help her.
- What is hand-for-hand play?
- Near the money bubble, every table deals one hand and then waits until all tables finish it. It stops short stacks from stalling to sneak into the money.
- What is best stack forward?
- In multi-flight tournaments, a player who has already advanced can enter another starting flight. If they advance again, only the bigger of the two stacks carries to the next day.
Get the next stop in your inbox
Lexy's Poker Digest goes out weekly with where we’re playing next.
Free, weekly, and easy to unsubscribe.