Reflecting on event #2, Event 9A tomorrow

I've had 3 and a half days away from tournaments to focus on the cash games. During this period I've had some time to reflect on my past performance and to think of ways to improve my tournament play so that I can continue to push deep into World Series Events this summer. Just from event #2, I feel that I've learned and experienced so much. I had the privilege to play against some great players on Day 1 and Day 2 of Event #2. In fact, the players who got 2nd and 3rd place in the event both were at my day 1 table for the majority of the day. I was impressed with their composure and their playing styles. They played very aggressive and almost always took the initiative and were in control of the pot. They played very aggressive but also knew when to slow things down and sit back. The player who won the event, Brent Hanks, was at my starting table on Day 2 of the event. He also played a great aggressive style. I already knew never to give up, but his story proves that anything can happen in these events. While I was still in the tournament, Brent was down to his last 900 in chips when the blinds were 800/1600/300 ante. After posting his ante, he was Allin for 600 chips in the small blind, he didn't even have a full big blind. After 3 people called a preflop raise, the flop fell 667. Everyone checked to the last player who bet and the rest of the players folded. The player who bet won the side pot and him and Brent had to show their cards face-up for the main pot before the dealer put out the turn and river. The unknown player had 88 and Brent had 33. The side pot was 5700 in chips(3.5 big blinds). The turn was a 2 and the river was a 3. Brent won the 5700. The very next hand he picked up KK and got allin preflop vs 55 and doubled up again. He took those chips and put them to use and ended up winning the event and over $500k. Never throw in the towel mentally, you never know what's gonna happen. If you have a 50bb stack and take a bad beat that knocks you down to 15bb's, the badbeat has to be irrelevant. You have the power to choose how you react to that scenario. You can pout and give up because you didn't have what you once had, or you can focus on what you do have and how you can best use it to your advantage. All that matters is that you have a 15bb stack and you have to devise a game plan to effectively put those chips to use. He who creates a great plan, follows the plan, makes adjustments, and works to stay the strongest in the mental department, will have success more often than the other players.

Tomorrow is starting day 1A for the $1500 buyin event 9. I expect this tournament to draw a huge pool of entrants because it falls on a weekend, it is one of the lower buyin events which attracts more players, and it is a re-entry, so players who bust out on Saturday have the option to rebuy into the tournament on Sunday at the start of day 1B. The remaining players from each day will converge into one on Monday for day2. If things do not work out for me tomorrow, I plan to take a second shot and rebuy into the event on Sunday.

Tomorrow I plan to wake up at 9:30am, eat a great breakfast of Greek yogurt with blackberries, an orange, and oat cereal with almond milk. I'll hit the gym for a short, yet fast paced workout to get the blood flowing and to start my mental preparation process. Then I'll be back to the Rio to be in my seat for the National Anthem at noon and the start of the tournament. I will be prepared, we'll see what happens! Goodnight!

"Concentration and mental toughness are the margins of victory."- Bill Russell