Nadim Shabou:Wsop day 2

Day2 A started very slow for me, with 18k in chips it was crucial that I started well this day or It would be a short one. The chipleader at the table was on my right with 105k in chips and Scotty Nguyenwith40k was on my left. Everybody was playing very cautiously and it was the best scenario for me. after an hour of play I finally picked up AK and raised to 1200 ( 200-400 blinds + 75 ante level) and got called by Scotty Nguyen ( Yah Baby) the flop came 5 high and I bet 1k and got called, turn was a 6, we both check and the river was an insignificant deuce and we both checked again, Scotty showed AQ and I won my first pot!

I was playing very tight, got a couple times pocket nines and 8-8, called raises with and never connected with the flop. Four hours in, I looked down to AQ of clubs and raise to 1800, at that moment I was down to 14k in chips (every hand that I was playing could have been the last one) I got a caller and the flop came K-10-2 (2 hearts), the caller checks, I bet 2200 and I get call instantly hmm… turn was 6 of spades and we both check, river was a 7 no hearts and my caller bets 2800. For some reason, I didn’t think he hit the river and really thought that he was on a flush draw and missed, the problem was that I had to put 1/3 of my remaining chips to call and stay with about 6k if I was wrong. It took me about 4minutes to make a decision and I decided to trust my read and made the call with ace high, my opponent showed A-4 of hearts for a busted flush draw and my AQ high was good enough to scoop the pot and I was back to around 20k plus phew!!

I didn’t see a card for a couple hours and went back down to 16k when I picked up a pair of deuces, UTG raises to 1800, player B calls and after a long hesitation, I call. The flop came K-2 6, sweet!, the raiser checks, player B checks, I bet 2400, the raise folds, player B raises to 7400, I move all in and got insta-called by player B who shows K-2 for 2 pairs,
He had only 2 outs, (K-K) to beat me and when he missed, I was looking good with my new 34k. I did sit tight until diner break with no hands and then we play 2 more hours. Just 20 minutes to the end of day2 , a player in mid-position raises to 2200, the chipleader at the table reraises to 6800, I looked down to QQ and tanked for a while. I could reraise here and play for all my chips or be cautious and take a look at the flop, I decided to look at the flop and the initial raiser folded. The flop came Q-10-6 rainbow and my opponent bet 7200, just a call would look suspicious so I raises to 16k hopping that he pushes all in and….he did, showing AK for an inside straight draw, I prayed strong when the turn and river were revealed and no jacks showed up Yeahhhhh!

Now I was sitting on 76k+ and 15mn to play, I lost a small pot and I ended up the day with 73900 in chips on my way to Day 3.
At my table, sitting with 200k, Billy Kopp was very tight for the 4 hours that I played with, remember him? Last year, with 14 players left, he shoved 20 million in chips all in with a baby flush against Darvin Moon holding a Queen high flush and Kopp missed the November nine…

Well, It was a good day after all, thank God.

Until Day 3
May the flop be with ME!!!