This report will be as quick as my exit in today's WPT event at Bellagio but I wanted to give a quick update as I wasn't around long enough for anyone to notice and report on my demise.

It was a gruesome day that very much reflected much of my year at the tables. I'm a bit bitter having hopes that the deck would hold out some hope for me in this the last of the main tournaments of the year. Having a good finish here could really salvage a poor year but it was not to be for me.

We started with 30,000 in chips and 1 1/2 hour rounds with blinds at 50-100. Pretty hard to go broke early with this structure but somehow that's what happened. I speculated a couple of pots and was sitting around 28,000 in chips when I picked up Aces in middle position. An UG player who had already doubled up in the first round but had lost a number of hands since was now frustrated and pressing, opened the pot for 1k! The player on my right called and I decided to play the pot passive/aggressive and elected to flat call and not reveal any real strength.

The flop fell K/J/5 which is perfect if either of my opponent's held AK. Both players checked and I fired 2200 and both called! This concerned me and when the turn card came a 4 I was apprehensive until they both checked to me again. I decided that I would be sick if I check my hand here and a King or a Jack came off, so I fired 3,000 into the middle. UG folded and now I got check-raised by an unknown player who made it 7k. It stank of trip jacks but for 4k I found it hard to let go and so I called. The river came a queen and it went check-check and sure enough he turned over a set of jacks. Quickly I was down to 20k at the end of round 1.

Round 2 started out much the same. I speculated with the T/9 of hearts in middle position and a multi-way pot and flopped a flush. The river was another heart and it went check=check but not until I lost another 2k in the hand. Down to 16k I picked up AQ of clubs UG and made it 500 to go. The player on my left flat calls as do two others and we take the flop 5 ways. It falls K/Q/Q and all I can think of is "Vegas and the xxxx Mirage." I led out into the 2500 pot for 1k and got called by the guy on my left and everyone else folded. The turn was a deuce and I bet out again for 2700 and was called again. The river was another deuce giving me the full house and I pushed 6k into the middle hoping to get called by this guy looking me up with a King. Instead he moved all-in and I called my last 4500 with my Queens-full only to look over at him slow playing pocket kings and having slow played Kings-Full from preflop to the river.

I can't tell you how dissapointing it is to prepare and play this week and have the results be so brutal. It's good for me that there is some time off before the next major in Australia. I will reflect and take some time off to spend with family.  I am determined to have a great year next year and hopefully have learned from the beatings I had to endure throughout this year.  That said, I still feel very lucky to be able to compete at the highest levels in a game that I love so much.  Happy Holidays everybody.  Easy on the eggnog and hope to see you across the felt.  Till then,

Enjoy the journey

Kenna James