The Media Tournament During the WPT, January 2008 at the Gold Strike in Tunica, Mississippi

A report by David Sasseman

Maybe a new WSOP/WPT Circuit Event Record, I cashed in four consecutive WSOP/WPT USD 300-USD 500 Circuit Events in four different cities (Biloxi, Caesars Indiana, New Orleans, and Tunica).

We had over 64 players in the Media Tournament. Then all of a sudden, I am at the final table. I look down and I am the chip leader. I look one seat over and there is my wife, Anne. The guy in the seat next to me is eliminated and I get to hold her hand as she rubs my back. She is eliminated at in 7th. I am so aggressive, the players at the table are yelling in protest at me. „If you ain’t whining, I am not playing right,“ I yell back, as I switch gears and tighten up.

Anne and David at the WPT reception Jan 2008<br />Gold Strike, Tunica.I just made friends with the photographer to my left, Joe. He and I were drinking together in the VIP lounge last night. He is the tightest at the table. The player to his left is a publisher with a new magazine out that I am trying to get a job with. He is the second tightest at the table. Between them, the range of hands they play is AJ (ace jack), JJ to nil. They are getting short stacked and the blinds are going up every 15 min. Even after I tighten up, with six players at the table I am still going all-in almost 1/2 the hands!

Joe, my new friend to my left, folds to me every time. Finally, he has to go in with a mere J4 and he is bitching all the way, he losses all his chips. What a way to lose a drinking buddy. My hopefully new boss, the publisher, is giving me ‚if looks could kill‘ as he flashes an A4 folding to my relentless all-ins. This just confirms how tight he is, even five handed he folds an ace. So, I raise him every time from my little blind and button position. He finally gets so short stacked he goes in with 79! Later that day, when I called him on the phone, I tell him I was sorry. He calls my a liar (1/4th joking) and asks me if I want to sell ads for him in Oklahoma! No lie Oklahoma. And proceeds to tell me they have way too many articles and just needs ads sold. Oh well, at least we are down to four player at the table now.

With the elimination of my new ‚friends‘. The new short stack, in seat 1, is now to my immediate left. He gets lucky time and time again. We cannot put him out. The semi-pro to my right is second chip leader, we have not played a hand together by design during this whole Mississippi river boat ducks in a barrel shoot out. But now we are ganging up on the other two short stacks but they win their 30% sucks outs over and over again. The guy in seat 2 now has a sizable stack. I look down and I have AQ, a very good hand with only four player. I go all-in and seat 2 calls with only 55. I did not think he would call with that low of a hand because he is another semi-pro and has just built up his chip stack; He explains I have been running over the table way too much and cannot possible have a hand that many times so, any pair will do. He wins the race (we each had 50% chance to win) and all of a sudden, and just that fast, I am the low stack!

Freddie Deebs and David Sasseman WPT Jan<br />2008 Gold Strike, Tunica.I go out in third place and immediately go the the reception feast that the Gold Strike Casino has prepared. The food is great, wait, it is terrific … ice carvings, WPT chocolate playing cards to eat, a 1 1/2 foot by 2 foot chocolate WPT display with chocolate dice along side filled with Oreo cookies and a rich, creamy moose and many other delectable treats. (See picture). Freddie Deebs (a well know poker celebrity) comes in and I ask him to sign my hat. As he is signing, he asks, „David, are the banks closed Monday?“ „Is it a Holy Day.“ I think for a moment and almost laugh out loud. I say, „Yes, Freddie, it is a Holy Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and yes, the banks are closed.“

The final table presentation was in the Millennium Theater. Anne and I get a WPT coat (> USD 100 value) and pull in USD 400 in cash and many more prizes. The winner got a WPT bracelet worth $ 1,800. It is just like the one given for the main events. I was so close to getting this bracelet but I now see it in the luck box’s hands and he was so low stacked. Oh well, I hope to see you there next time. Sorry you had to work, Michael.

It was one of the best trips I have had in my life! Free food, won USD 2,000 in the USD 1/USD 2 no-limit hold’em cash games, cashed 35th out of 383 players in a USD 500 WSOP Circuit Event, finished 9Th out of 192 players in a USD 200 WPO (World Poker Open) event (which, I think, qualifies for point on the WPT/WSOP tours), and lost a USD 500 WPT event to quad nines. But, that cash for 35th place maybe allowed me to have a WSOP/WPT new record: I cashed in four consecutive WSOP/WPT USD 300-USD 500 Circuit Events in four different cities (Biloxi, Caesars Indiana, New Orleans, and this one in Tunica).

  • 35th out of 383 entries in the USD 500 Circuit Event #2 of the WSOP at the Grand Casino in Tunica, Mississippi.
  • 18th out of 281 entries in the USD 300 Circuit Event of the WSOP at Harrahs in New Orleans (Dec ’07).
  • 6th out of 120 entries in the USD 300 Circuit Event of the WPT event of the IP Poker Classic in Biloxi (Nov ’07).
  • 18th out of ~548 entries in the USD 300 circuit event of the WPT at Beau Rivage in Biloxi (Sept ’07).

My wife Claire „Anne“ McDonald finished 18th in the Ladies WSOP Circuit Event (LIPS) in Tunica, Mississippi October 2006.