Oxygen, Undies & Higher Stakes

(CBS)  This report by Ken Adams is part of a series for CBSNews.com chronicling his run at the 2005 World Series of Poker in Las Vegas.

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It's almost midnight Saturday night.

In 12 hours I will join the other 1,850 players who have survived Day One of this year's championship event. We started on Thursday with a total of 5,619 players. More than 3,750 have been eliminated including some of the top stars of the professional poker ranks -- Erik Seidel, Daniel "Poker Kid" Negreanu, Chris "Jesus" Ferguson, Andy Bloch, Phil Gordon, Phil "Unabomber" Laak, Antonio "The Magician" Esfandiari and Phil "Poker Brat" Hellmuth to name just a few. In the celebrity ranks one of the top contenders was Tobey Maguire. He busted out too. Unfortunately, my friends Russell Rosenblum, Matt Matros, Larry Weiner, and Adam Green were among the Day One casualties.

I will start tomorrow with $34,725 in chips. Thirty percent of the remaining players have more chips than me. Seventy percent have fewer. Every two hours the blinds and antes (forced bets before the cards are dealt) will be increased, so everyone has to win a pot or two every hour just to stay even. Plus you have to win additional pots to replace the chips inevitably lost when you play a hand and lose, or raise before the flop only to find that you have to fold your hand when a player with a better hand re-raises.

Play will continue on Sunday until 60 percent of the remaining field is eliminated. When we get down to about 750 players, the survivors will move on to Day Three. It took more than 15 hours on Day One to eliminate two thirds of the field. Presumably it will take less time to eliminate 60 percent tomorrow, so we should be done by midnight or 1 a.m.

To prepare for Day Two, I took two days off. I have not played a single hand of poker since Thursday night. I spent Friday and today sleeping, lazing at the pool, studying poker books, and relaxing with friends. I feel great. If the cards cooperate tomorrow, I feel like I have a decent chance to make it to Day Three for the first time. (I busted out at the end of Day Two in 2003, the only other time I have played in the championship event.)

I have many stories to tell from the things I have seen and people I have met in the past three days, but they will have to wait. I need to finish my preparation and get to bed. But I can't resist telling just one.

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