Thanks to my wife, I was granted a shot at the World Series for my 50th birthday and Father's Day. Dreaming of playing for years, got the idea to try it at my 50th a year or so ago when I went out to watch a friend play (our player of the year gets a 1500 entry). Couldn't play the seniors as I'm not technically 50 until Thursday. At the tables, I heard mixed reports on how strict they are, but in any event, I was happy with $1,000 NL Event 34 which started on Sunday (Father's Day).

Arrived on Saturday, driving from SoCal. Friend and I played a little at the Palms and I cashed up $60 at 4/8. Not going to bore you with any details, can't remember most anyhow since a lot has happened in the two day since.

About that, I registered on Saturday, found my table and seat, then returned on Sunday for the noon start. Been thinking about it a long time and boiled it down to three things -- have a good time, try to keep on an even keel, and trust your skills/take your time on tough decisions. Ok maybe that's four.

Goals: 1 Make it to the second hand (worried that I'd somehow get pushed all-in and have to call with AA and get sucked out on first hand). 2 Win a hand. Make it longer than my friends' previous tries -- about 5 levels. 3. survive day one. 4. Cash. 5. Make Final Table. 6. Get a bracelet. Realistically, I thought, I could do the first two.

Check off goal number one - Q7 off, fold. Check off goal number two, 4th hand, big blind, one caller, no raise A3o, flop two pair, check, raise, fold. This is easy.

Now it gets tougher, both to accomplish and to remember details. I texted that I survived and my chip counts at breaks to friends and relatives, but didn't take notes. Tough enough just to pay attention.

Some random thoughts along the way, got AJo an awful lot during the first 3 rounds or so and somehow either got away from them or won the hand, but that hand can get you in a ton of trouble as you all know. Got my fair share of AA, maybe 4 times and 2 times got no action and 2 times got plenty for a double up that held up. Very nice. Once knocked a player out who pushed with AK, the other time knocked a player out whose JJ was an over to the board and thought he might have been good.

Two big hands that helped, one that I won, one that I lost. Was getting pushed around by a young internet pro (or so it seemeed) with 2.5X big blind a lot, especially against me, and with a big stack. I decided I had to defend at least once to keep him honest. I'm not sure, but I could swear the way he peaked at his cards that he didn't even see them it was so quick and he barely lifted them. I had 46o (no hearts). Flop comes KT5, two hearts, I bet out 3/4 pot to represent K, figuring he knew I had a good hand because I hadn't defended. To my disappointment, he calls and I thought I was done with the hand. I hesitate, then check to the 3rd heart on the turn. He checks behind, hmmmm. River comes another heart, I go in tank. Part of my thinking was I really don't want to check, check and show the bluff, I also thought he might fold if I made a bet that was small enough that I was looking for the call. I did, he tanks, folds. I don't think I've ever tried to pull of something like that in my home game, but I just had a feeling and it played out well with the check by him on the turn.

Before the other hand, I should say that I was only above the originally 3K starting stack after the two pair check raise. For several levels I floundered around 2K, stealing the occaisonal blinds or small hand but just hanging on. I did survive until about level 4 this way and although the blind structure is aggresive, the hour length does give you some time. It was some time in levels 4-6 that I had my first AA double up, and the bluff I just described that I was hanging around.

Dinner break of 90 minutes after level 6 and calling my friends and wife to say that even if I get knocked out first hand of L7, I had a blast. I really did look around the room and say to myself "I'm playing in the f***ing WSOP" and smile. I also found out from my brother who was following that people were dropping quite quickly, also, one of my tablemates was friends with a tourney official who estimated we had lost over 1000 from the original 3144.

Return to level 7, get moved for the first time about halfway through and I only spent about an hour at this second table, but it was a great hour. One hand I raise late with 66, one caller, flop JJ5, bet, fold, decent pot. Then a big one. I'm on button, UTG raises, I have her covered pretty well, I push to isolate with QQ, small blind goes all-in for about 60% of my stack, big blind, original raiser fold. We flip cards, villian actually is mad to see his AA against my QQ because he says that's what knocked him out yesterday. For some reason, this gives me hope, and the flop shows me another lady for the only suckout I can remember getting in the whole tourney. The 46 bluff being an exception I'm quite tight, perhaps too much so, so I'm usually ahead. This really helps me and when the table breaks, the loser in JJ5 hand says to me "bet you don't want to leave this table".

At third table, is the other notable hand I referred to earlier. Now in L9 (and all along the way I can't believe I'm still there) Before that, this where I doubled it with AA vs AK and I have about $22K in chips and can smell the end of the day if not the money. Again, I feel picked on and I want to do an occasional defense. 79c seems like it should do the trick, and I think I'm gold with a flop of 8TQ, 8 and Q are both clubs. I bet 3/4 flop and I get pushed all in. I don't know how long I waited, probably 3-4 minutes, because if it had been longer somebody probably would have said something, but they all understood it was a big decision and I'm usually quick to act. But here's my thought process, 1) remmeber your edict to take time on the important decisions, 2) how many outs do I have here, couldn't count them all because higher straights and flushes were possibilities, not to mention set could fill up and beat me. I was guessing I was either in a coin flip or a slight favorite, if I lost I had $8K and I would have been crawling/wishing to the end of the day and/or cash. Finally, I said to myself I've come too far to risk 2/3 of my chips on a flip and I'm sure mentally the fact that it was a draw, even though a great draw caused me to fold. He got knocked out not too much later, and told me he was fine with call or fold, he had AQ. I think if I was a player who had played 10 WSOP events, cashed 2 or 3 times, I call but since my initial goals were more modest, I folded and don't regret it.

Now level 10 and it finally dawns on me that I might actually make it to the end of day 1 and also, they were paying 324 and we're under 400. I understand that the bubble usually bursts in these kinds of events 2-3 hours into day 2 and I was guessing we were going to end the day at around 340. We get to about 10 minutes to go, they announce that each table will play 6 hands and they'll end the day. After 2 at our table (others played more) they announce we're hand for hand. Also unusual I'm told is that the bubble burst after only 1 of these hands. Woo-hoo, cash! High fives all around. They announce that we're coming back tomorrow at 2:30 in a different room.

Day 2, after very little sleep, I arrive early. Banana and a water to refresh. I have a bad habit of drinking too much coke, but other than one to avoid headaches, I stick to lots of water to avoid the ups and downs of the caffiene. I get a 10 minute chair massage which was just awesome, almost forgot I was about to play in day 2 of a WSOP event.

I have about $16K chips which is in the lower 2/3 of the field but other than a big stack, the number 2 guy at our table has $20K. Quite lucky. I'm hoping at this point to move up a level or two on the pay chart. Was advised by a more seasoned player to wait at least 5-10 minutes unless I have a monster because they'll drop like flies at the start. Wow, was he right, we lost 4 at our table alone in first 5 or 6 hands. Was card dead til near end of L11, then pushed with AKo, called by a pair, hit the Ace, back to well over 20K in chips.

New table, nothing notable. I'll note here (and apologize to the veterans of the WSOP) how cool the energy in the room was, the railbirds, the press, the excitement. Other than the AK, I was as card dead as I was lucky day 1, but it probably served me well because I just watched folks get knoced out left and right and moved up the chart. By now, my wife, brothers and friends are monitoring my progress on the internet as there's 250, 220, 200 left and I'm still there. Make it to the level 12 break. Return, once I watch it go down to 144 which is the next prize cutoff, I look for anything to push with as I'm really getting short stacked, blinds are now $1K/$2K with 300 antes and I'm down to $10K (I started looking before that) when I get 77, far better than the min it would have taken for me to go at that point, I get called by AQ, the dagger Ace came on the turn and I'm done, in 127th, for almost triple the buy-in.

I can only think of one hand, other than the massive draw fold I mentioned, midway thru level 10, where the prize structure altered my game, I folded AKo to a raise from a big stack cause I wasn't prepared to tangle at that point.

If you've read this long, thanks, and I hope you've enjoyed at least 1% as much as I enjoyed playing. A completely enjoyable, exhilirating thrill ride and I'm sure if I play again 5 more time I won't have as much fun or do as well.