Levels 9 & 10

 1000/1500/1500 no big hands. Grind grind grind. Have about 55K after this level. 

1000/2000/2000 Get 44 in the SB. Mid position makes it 4K. Button calls. I call. BB calls. Flop is 346 rainbow. I check with check raise intention. Everyone checks. Turn is a Q. I bet 4K, BB makes it 10K and original raiser calls 10K. I jam all in. BB folds. Mid position calls and shows KQ. I scoop 113K pot. 

I raise from mid position with AdKh, guy to my left goes all in for 25,500. I call and he shows AA. I hit a K on the flop but don’t improve  down to 87,500. 

End of night bagged 102,500  ….. to be continued tomorrow  

Levels 7 & 8

 500/1000/1000 

Standard stuff this level. Buying some pots. Losing some. 

I have 78K when this hand happens. In middle position I open raise to 3500 with QQ. Small stack shoves for 21K. Button studies me for awhile and then only calls. He had about 90K. I think for a minute and fold. The call smelled like he wanted me to come along. All in shows 66, button AA. 6 on the flop and I’m glad to dodge a bullet there. 

62,500 at dinner break. 

Levels 5 and 6

 300/600/600 play has really slowed at this level. I am able to accumulate chips without showdowns. Up a little to 40,100.

Last hand of the level loose guy to my right raises from mid position to 1600. I call with Ac9c and BB calls. Flop comes KdKcQc. Loose guy bets 6K. I call. BB calls. Turn is 9h. Check check check. River is Ks. BB checks. Loose guy bets 20K. I fold. BB folds. Asks me if I folded a Q. He says he had a Q. 

Down to 38,700

400/800/800 

Have Kc6c in BB. Active player raises from the cutoff to 1800. I call. Flop comes 7cKd3c. I check. Original raiser makes it 2100. I reraise to 6K. He makes it 15K. I jam for about 40K. He folds. Nice pot there. Up to 57,700. 

Loose player at my table open raises to 6500 (yes over 5x)  I look down at KK. I make it 20K.  He calls.  Flop is 588. He checks and I go all in . He folds. 

69,500  at the end of the level. 

Levels 3 and 4

 200/400/400. Open from the button with 99 to 1k. BB calls. Flop is A53 rainbow. BB checks and I bet 1.5K. Turn is 7. He checks. I bet 1.5K. He raises to 6K. I fold. 

Missing my flops. Then cbetting and losing on river reraises. But winning some small pots. Need to get paid on a big pot. 

200/400/400 Raise from hijack to 1k with KhJh, get 3 callers. Flop is AhQhJd. One check to me I bet 3K. One caller. Turn is Qs. Check check. River is 10d. Check to me. I bet 5K. He folds. 

Still 2/4/4 UTG raises to 1K, mid position calls. I raise to 4500 with QQ. Both call. Flop is K78. Check check to me. I check. Turn is 3. UTG bets 4500. Mid P calls. I call. River is a 10. No flush possible.  Checks to me. I don’t see where I can raise and get a call here so I check. UTG mucks, MidP had K10 and scoops pot. Sitting at 37,100

Now at 300/500/500 

30 min left in level 4 our table finally fills in to 9 players.

No big haves this level.  won a few and lost a few. Blinds got a bit. Sitting at 34,100

2026 Level 1 and 2

 First hand I sit and get a walk. Good sign for the day! 

Couple hands later I hit nut flush on river and guy bets into me. I raise he folds. Buy some blinds. 62K now. 

Lot of activity at my table. Guy limps UTH for 200, I raise to 700 with 10cJc from cutoff. Button calls. SB calls. BB raises to  3200. UTG limper raises to 8200. I fold, BB calls. Flop is 1023 rainbow. BB checks. UTG bets 15K. BB folds. 

Lots of limped pots. Lots of multiway pots. Guys winning with 2nd or 3rd pair. 

200/300/300 I open from the button with Qd10d. SB calls. Flop is Ad9h7c. SB checks I bet 1700. He calls. Turn is 7s. He checks I check. River is 9d. He bets 5K, I call to see, he shows As3d. At 47,200. 

First break sitting at 46,500. 

WSOP 2026

 Headed back to Vegas to play in the WSOP Event #18 Monster Stack. Will post updates here.  

Final level 4

 Level 4 200/400/400

Get AsKs utg. Raise to 1k. Mid position calls. BB calls. Flop is Jc5d6d. I bet out 1k. Villain reraises to 3K. I call. Turn is 8h. I check fold to his bet. Down to 7800. 

AhKd on button. Hijack raises to 1400. I jam all in for 7800. SB and BB fold. He tanks and finally folds. $10,200. 

Down to $8200. UTG raises to 1200. Mid position calls. I jam $8200 with AhAd. UTG calls.  Mid folds. Shows 8d8h. 8 in the window holds and I go home. 

Only down pairs I had were 22, 77, 88,99, and QQ but never won more than the blinds. Had AQ once and won had after the flop. Had AK twice, lost once and won a small pot once. Then finally AA and lost. Tough day of grinding and never getting above starting stack.