Travel Report: Sands Bethlehem DeepStack Extravaganza Main Event, Day 3

We’re done in Bethlehem. Chris “SLOPPYKLOD” Klodnicki indeed won the event after having ended both Day 1a and Day 2 as the chip leader.

The ending was a little like what I saw in Macau last month at the Asia Championship of Poker Main Event insofar as the final two players decided against playing out a lengthy heads-up match, instead agreeing on a deal that allowed them simply to end the tourney with a non-competitive final hand.

It was a little surprising, though not nearly as much as had been the case in Macau where the two players involved had battled for six hours before making their deal, whereas here the decision was made prior to the start of heads-up play.

I mentioned yesterday how the final day of the tournament was scheduled to be relocated up in the Sands Poker Room in the casino after having played out in a conference room the first three days. That first location had been brightly lit and mostly quiet, aside from a bit of noise coming late in the evenings from the Vision Bar nightclub down the hall. The casino, however, was dim and quite loud, which made for a very different environment in which to work.

The poker room has 30 tables, and the remaining 16 players were seated at a couple in the back and thus comfortably away from cash games and the traffic surrounding them. We had a nice setup, too, at a nearby table, giving us easy access for reporting and a solid wi-fi connection to the internet. But we were right next to the circular bar situated in the center of the casino and near the slots and other table games, which wasn’t necessarily ideal as we were close enough to smokers to be affected.

There were slot machines ringing, money wheels clicking, people talking, televisions blaring, and music pumping throughout the night, all producing an unceasing cacophony around us as the tourney played out. The players didn’t seem to mind too greatly, and I don’t think the noise interfered too much with their being able to communicate at the table, although there was certainly less chit-chat along the way.

Once the short stacks were knocked out and the final table began to shrink down to the last few players, the pace slowed as everyone became especially deep. After playing 60-minute levels on Days 1a and 1b, then 75-minute levels on Day 2, they played 90-minute levels on the final day, which further slowed things down. By the time just three players remained, the average between them was more than 90 big blinds.

Three-handed play between Klodnicki, Edward Pham, and Richard Allen was highly competitive, with all three leading at one point along the way. Then Allen ran queens into Klodnicki’s aces to lose nearly all of his stack before soon being eliminated in third, thus setting up Klodnicki and Pham to make their choice to deal rather than duel.

Was a little anticlimactic, although as was the case in Macau those of us covering the event weren’t too disappointed not to see the final pair battle on for another few hours. We were already edging up toward 2 a.m., and with the stacks so deep they really could have gone on until dawn, as they might well have done if some set-aside money or a bracelet was on the line. But they decided otherwise. Such deals really are part of the game and could be regarded as a natural extension of the ongoing “negotiations” (advertising, selling, buying) that happens in every hand played.

I believe plans are in place to stage more events at the Sands Bethlehem. I hope there are more, as I think the destination is quite accommodating and players might well enjoy checking out the venue and participating, especially those who are based on the east coast and can’t always get out to Vegas and California on a regular basis.

Was great fun working with Mickey Doft and Joe Giron again reporting on the event for PokerNews. There they are to the left on either side of Klodnicki who is standing in between holding up the big comedy check at night’s end.

Also appreciated the support given us by David Urie (the Sands poker room manager), Mark Valentine (who handled marketing), and the entire staff who were especially helpful to us as well. Fun meeting all of those guys, too.

Turning my thoughts homeward now, though, and looking forward to a little rest from all the traveling. Back to the airport I go.

Travel Report: Sands Bethlehem DeepStack Extravaganza Main Event, Day 2

Yesterday’s Day 2 at the Sands Bethlehem DeepStack Extravaganza Main Event saw players push through eight 75-minute levels and the field cut down from 70 to 16. The money bubble burst at 18, and in fact the two most intriguing hands of the day came right on the bubble when 19 players were remaining, both of which involved chip leader Chris Klodnicki.

Klodnicki was one of a handful of familiar faces in the field at the start of the event. Eventually we have gotten to know nearly everyone, but he was among the few pros playing whom we regularly see elsewhere. He only bought in once, accumulated chips throughout Day 1a to end as the leader, then ended yesterday’s Day 2 on top of the final 16 as the only player with more than a million chips.

My blogging partner Mickey Doft was reminding me that Klodnicki made a deep run in the 2008 World Series of Poker Main Event, finishing 12th (for $591,869) and just missing the first November Nine. He was barely featured in the ESPN coverage that year, and so kind of flew under the radar as he accumulated more cashes over the next few months, including winning a couple of events in Atlantic City (one a WSOP Circuit one).

Klodnicki kept cashing and making deep runs, including finishing runner-up to Chris Bell in the WSOP-C Harrah’s Atlantic City $10K Regional Championship in 2010. In fact, Ketan Pandya and Micah Raskin were also at that final table, finishing third and fourth, respectively. Pandya was the last elimination in our event last night, finishing 17th, while Raskin returns today to a healthy stack.

By the 2011 WSOP (where he cashed six times), everyone definitely knew him. Then in December of last year he had a big win in the last event staged by the ill-fated Epic Poker League, earning over $800K for winning the Mix-Max event. This year was then highlighted by Klodnicki’s second-place finish to Michael “The Grinder” Mizrachi in the $50K Poker Players Championship at the WSOP, earning him his largest career score of $896,935.

Klodnicki already had a big chip lead with 19 left last night, and he continued to add to it by leaning on others and pressuring them with his big stack during bubble play. One wild hand eventually developed in which Klodnicki managed to get Vince Baldassano to fold his ace-high flush on a paired board with a river shove, and afterwards revealed he only had two pair. Read about that one here in a post titled “Tricky Klodnicki.”

The other memorable moment yesterday came in what proved the hand that burst the bubble, when a short-stacked Abhinav Asija reraised his stack of just under 10 big blinds with pocket tens and Klodnicki thought a while before calling with A-Q-suited. A ten flopped, but Klodnicki rivered Broadway to eliminate his opponent.

The painful way the board ran out for Asija was interesting enough in that one, although Klodnicki’s subsequent explanation that he really would have preferred to keep the bubble going was also enlightening. He talked about it a little after the hand, then when play wrapped up for the night he continued to explain how he felt like he really should have folded in that spot. He was the chip leader by a wide margin at the time, in fact, with nearly 1.1 million when no one else had more than about half that amount.

I’d love to hear Klodnicki talk about those two hands, say, on the Two Plus Two Pokercast or the Thinking Poker podcast, as I think they illustrated a lot about the dynamics of bubble play and perhaps some factors that many players aren’t necessarily aware of or consider. They also helped further the impression we’d already developed early on Day 1a that Klodnicki had an edge over most of the players in the field when it came to tournament strategy.

Klodnicki’s clearly the favorite with 16 remaining, although there are several other savvy players left as well. The plan for today is to relocate up in the poker area of the casino for today’s final day, which will be a dramatic difference in terms of ambience (noisy and dark rather than quiet and light). Will be curious to see how that plays out and how players adjust.

Check over at PokerNews for live updates from today’s final day at Bethlehem, where Mickey and I will be chronicling it all and Joe Giron providing the great pictures (like the one above) to accompany our posts.

Travel Report: Sands Bethlehem DeepStack Extravaganza Main Event, Day 1b

As expected, the second Day 1 flight of the Sands Bethlehem DeepStack Extravaganza Main Event saw a larger turnout than did the first. In the end there were 188 entries total into the $2,500 buy-in event (including re-entries), which meant some overlay thanks to the $500,000 guarantee.

Ended up being a longer day for us than was the case on Friday, as things got started a little later and with more players there was a little more end-of-the-night tying up of loose ends needing to be done. The pace during the day also seemed to slow down at times, especially once we crossed out of the late registration period and into the portion of the night where re-entries were no longer an option. The blinds hadn’t quite gotten big enough for players to have to push, so a number of the short-to-medium stacks tightened up so as to try to make their tourney runs last a little longer.

I believe the event had around 50 or so players win their way in via satellites, and while we didn’t necessarily know which players had won their seats and which had not, there were instances during Day 1a and the first half of Day 1b -- when re-entering was still possible -- that the difference between the two categories of players would become apparent. While some were clearly ready and able to buy back into the event should they bust, others were not, and so sometimes that difference would appear to manifest itself in players’ styles. And in other ways, too.

I’m remembering one player, Jason Roth, kind of spelling out the distinction in concrete terms at one point on Friday. Roth is an amiable guy who ended up delivering a few good lines along the way during Day 1a, including a couple that made it into the live blog. He was playing at a table with Chris Klodnicki (who’d end Day 1a as chip leader) and a couple of other poker pros, and I’m assuming Roth was one of those who’d gotten in via a satellite.

“This is just another tournament for you guys,” he said. “But it’s like Christmas for us!”

I know those running the tourney would’ve liked to have had even more satellites and ultimately seen a larger turnout, but I believe the time to do so might have been limited in this case. Still, I think things so far have run well and hopefully this event will inspire more tourneys at what is a very nice and comfortable venue, perhaps helping make the Sands Bethlehem a better known destination for poker players outside of the area.

Speaking of making Bethlehem a destination, there was one interesting side story yesterday involving Andy Frankenberger who got a little misdirected on his way to coming to play Day 1b. As he tweeted about afterwards, he’d mistakenly set his GPS for Matt Glantz’s place in Bensalem, Pennsylvania rather than Bethlehem. That’s over an hour away, and so that detour necessarily made him later in arriving than he’d planned.

As someone with an especially bad sense of direction who relies heavily on GPS to point me in the right direction, I could totally identify with Frankenberger’s plight. I also felt bad for him when he busted fairly quickly after arriving to the event yesterday, although despite what had to be a frustrating day he was in good spirits nonetheless.

Glantz busted a short while after Frankenberger did, and in fact to go back to that distinction between the satellite winners (whom one might assume are mostly amateurs) and the pros, I noticed a lot of players talking afterwards about how friendly Glantz and Frankenberger were. That is to say, I think at least some of the amateurs enjoyed sitting alongside the pros, competing with them while getting to know them a little, too.

All of that helped contribute further to what I was suggesting yesterday regarding the overall atmosphere of the event being quite upbeat and even jovial. People are enjoying themselves so far, and as I’ve remarked before here, when the players are having fun at a tournament that always makes covering these suckers more fun, too.

From the first two Day 1 flights just 70 players will be coming back for today’s Day 2, and I imagine the mood will become increasingly serious as they reach the final 18 and the money, then work their way down to a final table. Check over at PokerNews’ live updates for details where Mickey Doft and I will be writing all about it while Joe Giron provides the pictures (as he did above).

Travel Report: Sands Bethlehem DeepStack Extravaganza Main Event, Day 1a

On Thursday I was writing from an airport and talking about those spaces we sometimes occupy where we find ourselves momentarily isolated from our usual networks of connectivity. There I was referring to the couple of hours I had to wait for my plane, during which time I was mostly free to read or write or think whatever I liked without feeling obligated to do much at all beyond keeping track of what time my flight departed.

I made a comparison to sitting at a poker table and how that, too, can provide a similar kind of respite. A momentary escape, so to speak, from the so-called “real” world and into a separate sphere where there exists an option to shut out everything beyond poker’s all-consuming perpetuum mobile.

Covering a poker tournament can be similar, insofar as it will often happen that I’ll be engaged in the work of reporting from, say, noon to midnight -- as was the schedule for yesterday’s Day 1a here at the Sands DeepStack Extravaganza Main Event in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania -- and be essentially shut off from whatever else might be going on in the world. Sometimes when at the World Series of Poker during the summer, days or even weeks will go by without my having watched television or heard the first thing about headlines or current events.

Such was obviously not the case yesterday, though, especially early on, as we passed back and forth whatever we’d heard regarding the horrific news of the shooting at a Connecticut elementary school. Eventually the discussions stopped and we all -- players, staff, and those of us reporting -- focused our attention on the tournament. But I imagine most continued to feel a kind of vague dread regarding what had happened, and I know I could sense the sadness creeping in to affect me off and on during unguarded moments.

Yesterday’s events are causing people to point back to another shooting in April 2007 that occurred on a college campus and also left an unfathomable number dead. I wrote something here then, a post titled “Lament,” where I noted my grief at the senseless violence, and how the feeling was perhaps increased (for me) by its having occurred in a place of learning. That yesterday’s shooting happened at an elementary school and children were victims makes it all the more ghastly.

When play concluded last night and I got back to my room, I watched some of the coverage and read some more online to gather further details. Then I went to bed, had a somewhat restless sleep, and woke up again with thoughts directed toward the unimaginable suffering happening just a few hours up the road in Newtown.

To tell about the tourney, a relatively small group showed for Day 1a, with just 70 entries being bought (for $2,500 each). But those who came clearly seemed to appreciate the quiet atmosphere (we’re in a conference room far away from the noisy casino) and amenities (free snacks and drinks), and also appeared happy with the staff, dealers, and structure, too. We’ll definitely see more come out to play today’s Day 1b, although the prospect remains for a possible overlay given the event’s $500,000 guarantee.

There were several fun hands to report, and some personalities emerged as the day wore on, too, which made the chronicling all the more interesting. And having Joe Giron here taking pictures adds even more to the blog, with Joe several times grabbing action shots during hands that were used to illustrate the reports. Speaking of personalities, that shot to the left -- taken by Joe -- was of the player David Hill who had a supply of different-colored pipe-cleaner glasses he’d pull out and wear during hands.

The overall atmosphere was quite positive, actually, with compliments for good play, grins and even laughter shared, and wishes of good luck delivered by the defeated to those who remained. And working with Mickey and Joe is always a pleasure. All of which is to say, it was a good place to be, in a community (of sorts) and enjoying the company and mutual support of others.

Here’s hoping everyone else finds such community and support today, wherever you happen to be. And going forward as well.

O Little Town

Have arrived safely and soundly in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania to cover my second event of the week, this $500K guaranteed DeepStack Extravaganza Main Event here at the Sands Casino.

Yesterday’s journey was mostly pleasant, although I did find myself feeling just a little stranded in Allentown for a short while. The small airport was nearly surreal thanks to the fact that there were so few people there waiting for departing flights. When walking out of the terminal and past security, I noticed there was only a single passenger coming the other way.

“No rush,” said the guard to the passenger in response to some question or action. “This is a stress-free airport,” he added.

I walked out front and asked about a cab, and was a little surprised when one had to be called. I was then told I’d have to wait 20 minutes for it to arrive. Was not a problem, as I was in no rush.

A half-hour later I was asking again, they were calling again, then telling me it would be 20 more minutes. We decided to call a different service, and after nearly an hour of waiting around I finally had my ride to nearby Bethlehem, located about seven miles away.

Bethlehem is even smaller than Allentown, population-wise, although I guess it isn’t really a “little town” but rather a small city. In any case, the Sands Resort is enormous. It opened very recently (in 2009), with the hotel only opening up last year, and it definitely feels brand new.

The accommodations are quite nice. The casino is big with a fairly hopping poker area. In fact, Mickey and I last night sat in a game for about 15 minutes before our colleague Joe showed up and we went for dinner. (That is a model of the resort to the left, incidentally, looking down on the casino.)

The tournament will be staged in one of the conference rooms, and from the looks of things it will probably be on the small side. Today and tomorrow will be Days 1a and 1b, with players given option to play one flight or both whether or not they happen to bust today. That is to say, if a player ends Day 1a with a small stack, he or she will be able to buy in and play once more tomorrow, then if the player survives Day 1b as well he or she would continue on Day 2 with the larger of the two stacks accumulated.

Kind of a quirky option, one I don’t believe I’ve never encountered before when covering a tournament. Will be interesting to see if it comes into play in any significant way.

Check over at PokerNews’ live reporting page if you’re curious to see who shows up and how things play out here in Bethlehem. The event runs through Monday.

(By the way, for anyone wondering, there will be a couple of Hard-Boiled Poker Home Games tournaments this Sunday, whether or not I play in them. I’ll set those tourneys up either today or tomorrow and mention it on Twitter.)

No Hurries, No Worries

Am posting once again from an airport, where I’m sitting in a terminal and awaiting my flight to cover my next tournament. Have two different songs running through my head as I do, as I’m flying to Allentown, Pennsylvania, then cabbing it over to Bethlehem (a.k.a. “The Christmas City”) to the Sands Casino where from Friday through Monday I’ll be helping cover the $2,500 Main Event of the DeepStack Extravaganza series.

Billy Joel’s “Allentown,” of course, is the first song on his 1982 LP The Nylon Curtain, a record I actually wrote about once over on 33 and 1/3 Revolutions Per Minute blog. Kind of a standout track on a record full of great, Beatlesque hooks, one making it difficult even to hear the name of the town without thinking of that chorus and how it’s “getting very hard to stay-ay-ay-ay-ay-ay-ay-ay-ay-ay-ay-ay-ayeyeayea.”

Meanwhile, with the holiday season upon us, I think I’ve already heard “O Little Town of Bethlehem” at least once or twice during the last couple of weeks, and so there’s another little carol bobbing up and down amid the brain waves as I contemplate my final destination this afternoon.

Since first starting to cover poker tourneys several years back, I’ve found myself making a few trips per year. Not nearly the nonstop jetsetting some of my colleagues undertake, but enough to have gotten extra familiar with the whole airport subculture and its various idiosyncrasies. Kind of an enclosed little world is the airport, once you’ve made it through security and are sitting or milling about among the shops and restaurants and endless announcements passing back and forth overhead.

It can be a stressful place, especially if you’re running late or looking after children or unable to reunite with a lost piece of luggage. But if you get to your flight a few hours ahead of time (as I have today), there’s something kind of serene about being enclosed within the airport bubble, kind of floating in limbo between one place and another.

I’m reminded of sitting down at a poker table late last week and having played a short session at the Harrah’s Resort Atlantic City. And how a similar sense of detachment from (or disruption of) the quotidian takes place during the time one sits at a poker table.

Once you’ve bought your chips and start taking hands, you necessarily disconnect from the regular routines, having earned a momentary respite from all of life’s usual obligations while sitting at the table. You’re not entirely detached. Or rather, you don’t have to be. You have your phone and can check messages and so on. You can even get up and walk away anytime you like to rejoin the outside world for a moment before returning to your seat.

But you do have that option to shut it all out and involve yourself utterly within the confines of the separate world into which you’ve voluntarily entered, one of cards and chips and bets and folds, circling around orbit after orbit, where there will be stressors and anxiety, but also contentment and even pleasure. Talk becomes “table talk,” a special subset of communication relative to the location. And every action has a specific meaning, given such by the business at hand. Or of hands.

So, too, does everything inside the airport point to the departures and arrivals and various codes of conduct and procedure firmly in place and maintained by the variously uniformed personnel stationed throughout. Airports can be confusing to those who aren’t used to them (just like a poker table). But to those who travel frequently, it’s a relatively easy place to be.

I have a little while longer to wait amid the hum and chatter and announcements. And the occasional roar of another plane passing overhead. Talk to you again soon, once I’ve emerged from another airport cocoon to rejoin you all.