Busting Out At The World Series Of Poker

Ken Adams Talks About His Sudden Demise At Poker's Biggest Championship

(CBS) 
Early in Level Ten I was dealt 2-2 on the button (last position). A very aggressive player in late position opened for 3,000 (three times the big blind). I re-raised to 9,000 and did not expect him to call me unless he had a big pair or A-K. He folded, but to my chagrin, the player on my left called the double raise in the small blind. He was a very conservative, predictable player and I did not think he would call that big a bet without a very big hand. When the flop came out A-Q-10 the small blind checked and so did I, hoping to hit a 2 on the turn. Instead the dealer brought a 9, and the player in the small blind made a large bet. I had to fold. As he raked the 24,000 chips he flashed A-A.

Two hands later I picked up A-K. The player on my right opened for 3,000 and I re-raised to 9,000. He re-raised and I called, which put me all in. The flop came 2-2-8-7-K, but he had A-A and just like that, I was eliminated.

It was about 9:30 p.m.

I sat there for a minute, kind of stunned, not wanting to accept that I'd been eliminated. After battling to survive for 19 hours over two days, increasing my stack to 3½ times the amount I had started with, and outlasting 7,300 players, in the space of two hands five minutes apart it was over. Slowly I collected my stuff and left the table.

I once heard Chris ("Jesus") Ferguson say that the worst day of the year for every tournament poker player is the day you get knocked out of the World Series main event. I tried to feel good about outlasting 7,300 other players, many of whom are more experienced and talented than I am. I tried to feel good about playing well and not beating myself.

But in the end, I could not stand the fact that 1,500 players, at least 1,000 of whom were no better than I, were still competing and I was on the sidelines. I shuffled off to my room, packed my bags and headed to the airport for the red-eye flight home.