It was a very interesting 1^st level here at the WSOP Europe in London.   We started with 30k in chips.  As for my table, there is a Swedish guy, Johanas, to my right.  There is Tony Cousineau to my left, with whom I have quite a bit of experience playing—and he plays a solid game.   Dan Shack (a businessman from the USA with whom I have played a bit) is two to my left.  There is a man from Turkey in seat one (three to my right) who oddly enough has NOT FOLDED even one hand pre-flop!  He has called re-raises with hands like 9 5 off and seems to be hitting everything.  In the 9 5 hand, for example, he hit a flop with 9 5 and river 5 for a full house against a over-pair.  Also, he called my re-raise pre-flop with a Q 5 spades against my A Q (I had the A of spades).  The flop came with 3 spades and flops the flush on a board I can hardly get away from with the draw to the nut flush.  So, I was 75% favorite pre-flop against Q 5 with my AQ and I couldn’t hold which pretty much epitomized the first level for me.  Until about an hour and twenty minutes in, I had not won one single hand.   I was playing pretty tight and playing only good cards pre-flop.  I even missed 3 flush draws.   I couldn’t seem to hit anything.

 I was down to 20,000 in chips with 10 minutes to go in the level.   I then hit pocket K’s under the gun and raised it up.  Of course, the Turkish guy in seat 1 calls and the button calls.  There are the 3 of us in it with 1100 in the pot. The flop was 3 babies of 9 2 3 with club flush draw.  I had the K of clubs just in case I had to redraw if someone hit a flush on the turn (unless it was, of course, the nut flush).     I bet 850. The button calls and the Turkish guy folds.   I was excited that the Turkish guy folded because it was one of the only hands he had folded the entire time.  He had won 95% of all the hands he played.   As he folded, I thought I could finally win a hand and that would be a nice turn of events!  The turn came and it was another red baby (5d).  So unless the button had a A 4 or 4 6 (unlikely) and hit a straight on the turn, I should be ok.   I bet another 1100 and the button calls.  The river came and hit another 5, so there was a pair on the board.  I bet 2500, he called (didn’t show) and I showed my Kings.  I finally won a pot there and increased my stack up to 25,000.

After that hand, I missed another flush draw with 10, J clubs.  I had a flush draw on the flop and I picked up a straight draw on the turn.  I missed everything on the river.  This brought me down to 22,500, which is where I sit right now going into the 2^nd level.

Although I have not had any luck this level, I am not frustrated.  I am very optimistic, especially when someone is playing every single hand.   I should be able to extract value from him in the long run and so I will continue to focus on the bright side.  I am feeling good and I will give you another update after level 2.