Player's Stories

On the Tournament Trail
with Dr. Mark Burtman

Location: Gold Strike, Tunica, Mississippi -- World Poker Open

January 10th, 2002

Somehow my staff in the office misunderstood me. I had intended to leave after clinic on the 10th to go to Tunica. Instead, they thought that I wanted the 10th completely off. Hence with no patients to see on the 10th, I was Tunica bound on the 9th.

I reached the poker room about 10:30 and played three satellites. I played well but didn't make anything. I did get my buy in back on one of them after we made a deal heads up. I must say that I was impressed with the turn out. The pros are coming to Tunica, and word is that more are coming.

The first event on the slate today was the $500 no-limit Hold-em. I bought in and found myself playing against many familiar faces. Back in August when I took 2nd in the $1,000 no limit event at the Mid-America Poker Classic, I had busted a player named Todd Tucker at the final table when I called with A-2 suited against his A-Q, catching two doses on the board against one queen. I had three times as many chips as he had when I called, so I didn't think the play was that bad at the time. Today I found myself seated across the table from Todd early in the tournament, and Todd immediately said, "Hey Mark, if I raise, I can beat Ace-deuce!"

I just laughed. He told me that he still loses sleep over that hand. He is a good player and I believe he made the money today. As for me, the whole way down here I have felt the added pressure of having to play well in order to justify all the writing I have been doing. Particularly with me reporting on my play in these events.

I came out here with a plan and I have made many modifications to my game. I was quite pleased with how well I executed my game plan. I had to be patient, as I didn't get very many hands during the first three levels. Finally, with $600 left out of $800, I finally caught pocket Kings in the small blind and I reraised all-in, doubling me up. I caught several smaller pairs and ran them into Aces with faces and they were holding up. Soon I was up to $4,000. On one hand I reraised someone who was all in with my pocket 9's and the chip leader at the table asked me how many chips I had left. I confidently replied, "More than you can afford!" Of course he had me covered, but I had enough to put a dent in his large stack. He threw away pocket 8's, but I would have had a hard time with a big raise from him. I won the hand.

After that my luck ran out for a while. I went heads up with one guy, putting him all in. We both had A-K offsuit. He caught four clubs to make a flush. Fortunately he had a very small stack at the time. He ended up at the final table for tomorrow. Nani Dollison came over the top of me later when I raised with pocket 7's and I mucked them.

I ran all the way down to under $1,500. The blinds were up to $100-200 with $25 antes. Then I got hot. I built my stack all the way up to $29,000, by dinner break. I was in the money. With a big stack I had a chance to bully people. With 28 players in, we were one out of the money. Nani Dollison made a $2,500 raise from early position. I reraised with pocket 7's on the button. I knew she couldn't let herself be knocked out so close to the money. She mucked an A-10.

As we worked our way down to the final table, I got cold, but I managed to hang on and now find myself sitting in 8th place at the final table with $9,000.

As if that wasn't enough I played a stud hi-lo satellite to unwind, finishing third after leading much of the way when I knocked two people in at the very first level with an Ace high flush and a 6-5 low. There I started talking to one of the guys about how I did last year, and then he recognized me. He complemented me on my writing which I truly appreciated, just before he helped knock me out of the satellite, which I appreciated much less...