First break

50,000 chips, down 10,000.

I had aces on my second hand.  Raised to 600, and I got one caller, who folded to my 3000 bet on the flop.

The next hand I played was calling a preflop raise with 67 diamonds.  A spade flop was scary, but the check on the flop made the turn bet easy to make when I paired my 6.  Guy called 2000, and river was a 7.  I bet 4000 and he folded.

At the one hour mark, I was up 6200.  I got one more decent hand - QQ - before I caught a bad run of cards.

AQ - Q on the flop, preflop raiser raises again, I reraise to 4000. He reluctantly calls.  We checked the turn (big mistake) and then he hits a heart to make the nut flush.  I called his 5000 bet like an idiot.

QJ - Q on the flop, one caller to my flop bet of 3000.  He catches a K on the river to take the pot with his KJ.

A10h - Aggressive player raises preflop.  I call.  Junk flop with inside straight draw.  I stab at the pot, he reraises to 10,000.  I think he knew I was a little on tilt.  I fold.

Impressions of the table:

• Guy to my left is a good player who has been getting a massage the entire tournament.  He told me he’s budgeted $20,000 for massages.  I believe him.
• Guy to his left (Seat 3) is from Dallas.  Solid but not scary.  Wearing a hoodie.
• Guy in Seat 4 is from Utah, looks like the Skipper from Gilligan’s Island.  Playing obvious hands, not a lot of imagination.
• Seat 5 is a Euro who laughs too much.  Not serious at all.
• Seat 6 is just a guy.
• Seat 7 is a guy from Boston.  He originally claimed this is his first tournament, but later amended it to say that this is his first Main Event.  He got hammered on the first hand by the guy to my left, but has played solidly since then.
• Seat 8 is a scary young Asian guy, playing very aggressively and having the goods when he shows. When we got back from the break, I had AK and raised to 800; he called and when I didn’t catch anything on the flop he attacked in position.  I think he is not scared of me AT ALL.
• Seat 9 is a guy.

46,500 two hours and ten minutes into the tournament.  Just need to stay patient.