(LAS VEGAS) - It was 1:45 Las Vegas time yesterday afternoon, and we were 15 minutes from the start of Day 2 of the World Series of Poker $1,500 Event #54. I was walking to the room at the Rio where I figured I would meet my demise shy of the money. My phone rang. I looked down and saw it was Chris Moneymaker.

It turns out that call was worth about $3,000.

Let's backtrack...

Less than 24 hours earlier, I felt like I was on the verge of making a big run as my chip stack had gotten to double the average. But, by the end of Day 1, I felt like I was doomed. My stack had gone from $32,000 to $11,600 by the end of the night. And, I was under the impression that Day 2 would start with the blinds at 800/1600 with 200 antes.

In other words, I figured that even though only 385 players were left...and more than 75% of us would make it to the money cut-off line of the top 297...I was going to be one of the 88 who didn't make the money.

My strategy, as I wrote yesterday, was to be ready to die. In other words, I wasn't going to be afraid to move all-in and put my life on the line...because I was all but dead anyway. I figured it really didn't matter.

However, St. Louis area poker pro Kyle Kloeckner made it clear that wasn't the case. He and I had been texting throughout the day and I actually saw him on my way back from the Rio Monday night, and he wanted to get it into my head that things were far from over.

So, I shot him a text Tuesday afternoon to seek some counsel. When I woke up Tuesday morning, I was thrilled to see that a well-know German player who claims he's not a pro by the name of Matthias Kurscher was directly to my left. And, even better, he had $55,000 chips.

Not good.

The chances of me shoving all-in...which was going to have to happen at some point to survive...and getting called with Matthias on my left and his monster chipstack were a hell of a lot greater than if some random with $20,000 were sitting next to me.

I needed some advice from some people who had been to final tables. Kloeckner went to two last year, and of course, Chris Moneymaker won the WSOP Main Event in 2003.

Moneymaker and I have developed a bit of a friendship over the last year or so, and while I'd be the first to say we're not like crazy close, he has been a good sounding board for poker decisions...and he's just a really nice, cool guy.

So, just for the hell of it, I shot him a text with details of my situation.

About 10 minutes passed, and he hadn't gotten back to me. I completely understood and didn't expect some anxious reply with a how-to guide of getting in the money and or chipping up and running deep.

But, as we were walking to the room, not only did he reply...he picked up the phone to call me.

We started talking immediately about the situation, and he said, "The first thing you need to do is decide if you want to make it in the money or if you want to try and win. That's a decision you'll have to make, because it will decide your strategy."

And, my honest answer---at that time---was I wanted to chip up and run deep...and if I got burned and bad beat or run into a bigger hand, then so be it. But, I wasn't going to play scared.

"You're going to need to move your stack all-in in the first three rounds. I would say that unless you have a premium hand in the first two rounds, fold. That way you can see how everyone is playing. But, on the third round, you're going to have to move all-in. But, you need to figure out if you want to cash or if you want to try and take a chance and run deep."

Those words echoed in my head. I thanked him...big time...for taking the time to call, and I walked into the room and sat down.

Before the cards were even dealt, I won a couple of battles. First off, the blinds weren't going to be 800/1600 with 100 antes to start. They were going to be 600/1200 with 100 antes. That was absolutely huge. That little difference meant the world to a guy with a $11,600 stack.

And, secondly, there were only 374 players left...not 385 as published on the WSOP website yesterday morning. That was big as well considering my stack size.

Those two factors put me more at ease. I still knew I'd have to move all-in at some point, but I could be just slightly more selective.

On the first hand, I had absolutely nothing, but a guy with a good-sized stack---probably close to $20,000---moved all-in...and he looked like Pookie in New Jack City the way he was shaking after moving his chips in. That meant either he had a monster...or he was scared shitless and didn't want a call.

That wasn't my problem. I had already folded. But, the dude next to him looked at him, and he said, "I call."

Everyone else folded. And, they were heads-up. The caller turned over TT, and Pookie turned over a "monster" of A8 offsuit.

Seriously...after playing poker for 13 hours yesterday...is that what you want to put it all on the line with when you have plenty of chips?

But, whatever. Justice was more than served when the caller flopped not a set...but quads. Four tens. That wrapped it up for Pookie.

A couple of hands later, I was in the big blind, and a German player with a shortstack to my right had action folded to him in the small blind. Euros tend to be super-aggressive poker players. And, not to my surprise, he moved all-in. I looked down at K9...and I was tempted. It was $5,500 to call his all-in...meaning I had him covered and would have had $4,500 left had I lost...but I wasn't going to go Pookie and put my tournament life on the very dangerous line---especially with a call and not a raise---when I didn't need to with some crap hand. It would completely go against the way I have played the game...even if there is a chance...albeit a slight one...that I had the best hand there.

On the very next hand, action folded to me in the small blind. I have Matthias and his monster stack to my left in the big blind. I look down at J9 suited. As weak as that hand may sound to many people, it's a good hand to move all-in with. And, that's exactly what I did. Matthias looked down and showed his 25 offsuit...and folded.

That, my friends, was the last hand I played for the next 1 hour and 45 minutes. No bullshit.

And, here's why:

20 minutes into Day 2, I looked up at the board, and we were down to 344 players. We were only 47 away from the money. And, to my surprise, I was still sitting there with around $12,000 chips...and I had plenty to survive...especially with the rate people were dropping.

So, the idea of just playing for the money entered my mind. I still planned to put my chips in the middle if I had a good hand, but I pumped the brakes and dug in...because I may have been about 45 minutes of picking up two cards and tossing them at a dealer from $2,770. And, that was not something I thought would be the case at the start of the day.

The cards kept coming...and I had nothing. It wasn't even a decision. I was getting nothing.

Then...

...a decision.

There were 324 people left. I had about $7,500 in chips left with the blinds at 600/1200. It was either all-in or fold. And, after three players folded to me, I looked down and saw pocket 10's.

This was it.

Either move in...or consciously choose to just hold on and hope to make it to the money.

I sat there and thought for a second. Moneymaker's words ran through my head. And, more importantly, I had to ask myself if I could live with it if I missed the money by going out with 10's...a hand I've hated ever since I picked up the game five years ago.

And, the answer was no.

I had made my decision. I was going to play for the $3,000 and my first WSOP cash.

I laid down the pocket 10's.

From that point forward, it was fold, fold, fold, fold.

And, I kept watching the number of players on the board drop. 324. Then 315. Then 305. 304. 303.

Meanwhile, my stack was dropping as well. I looked down to see a grand total of $5,800 in chips as I was about to put $1,600 out for the big blind along with a $200 ante.

Before the cards were dealt, I joked to the guys at my table, "Are any of you wondering what my strategy is?" They laughed...as it was obvious I could just be picked off.

But, I didn't expect any favors. Nonetheless, as my big blind of $1,800 was sitting out there, everyone folded all the way to the button. He thought for awhile, and then said, "Ok, I'll be a nice guy." And he folded.

Next...the German dude in the big blind. I thought/was hoping he was going to show me the same mercy and fold just to be nice.

But, this is the World Series of Poker...and the cocksucker moved all-in.

I looked down at T4...and made the easy decision.

Everybody laughed, and Matthias said, "You're going to make it. There are only two more players to get knocked out before the money."

Sure enough, I looked up at the board...and there were 299 players left. That's it. After folding my small blind, I was down to $2,600...meaning if it got to me in the blinds again, I was doomed. But, I was on the button, and that meant I had seven hands to go before I'd get hit with the blinds.

Right then the public address announcer announced, "Dealers, we are now hand for hand. Please deal one hand, and then wait for our announcement as we are one player from the money."

Oh, my.

We played our hand. I did a fine job of picking up two cards and moving them approximately 15 inches to fold them...and then I waited.

And waited.

And waited.

The room was silent as the tension of the money bubble bursting was mounting.

And, then: "Players in the World Series of Poker's $1,500 No Limit Hold 'Em Event #54, one player was eliminated in the last hand, and that means you are all now in the money."

Wow. What a fucking feeling.

I didn't realize how much it would mean to me, but it was pretty overwhelming. I realize that the idea of winning all of $2,770 isn't exactly overwhelming...but knowing how much time I put into this game and how fucking terrible I used to be at it...and then to get to a point where I'm cashing in a WSOP meant the world.

We all shook hands, and the players at my table were especially congratulatory towards me...as they knew that I was barely hanging on and reached my goal.

The room was alive with energy, and the excitement of playing the game was back.

Two hands later, with only $1,800 chips left, I picked up KJ offsuit in early position.

No brainer.

All-in.

I really didn't care at this point.

The small blind and big blind both called. The flop came off QJ9. The turn treated me even better with a T...and the river was a blank. I beat them both with a straight...and all of the sudden, I actually had some chips to work with. Not many, but $6,500.

We hit the break, and we moved tables.

A couple of hands later, I was in the big blind with blinds at 1000/2000 and antes at 300. Once again, not particularly caring at this point, action folded to the small blind who moved all-in.

I looked down at Q7 of diamonds.

Good enough.

I call.

He had J6 offsuit.

I hit the Q on the flop and wound up with a flush to move up to $13,000.

Could a monster comeback actually take place?

I still needed to double up two more times to really be able to go back to actually playing. And, I thought I might have a shot when, with only $9,000 in chips left, action folded to me on the button. I looked down at QT of clubs.

Good enough.

I moved all-in.

The small blind was shortstacked and called. He had me covered by $1,000. So, it was game on as he turned over...not fucking again...pocket 4's.

The nightmare hand from last year was back again this year.

And, sure enough, he flopped a set. I hit a Q on the turn...but I was doomed, and that was that.

I finished 227th...and actually moved up in the money to $2,923 from $2,770.

Man, what a rush.

As I said...the money---a profit of $1,423 isn't exactly mind-blowing. It's the accomplishment of outlasting more than 90% of the people who played. We started with more than 2,800 players...and I was able to outlast nearly 2,600 of them.

Thank you to everyone who sent messages either cheering me on or congratulating me. Quite cool of you.

I look forward to the next couple of days off...and then getting back to it at the Main Event on Friday. We start with $30,000 chips this year and blinds at 25/50. That's a blind to stack ratio of 600 to 1. Uh, yeah. It's a deep stack tournament. And, the blind levels remain the same for two hours. That's not to say I'm guaranteed to make it through Day 1 by any means...but it gives you an idea of how different the Main Event is from this tournament...in which we started with $4,500 in chips and one hour blind levels.

This event gives me some confidence going into the Main Event as you might imagine...but even if I bust out early on Day 1 of the Main Event, no matter what...I have a cash in the World Series of Poker...and after donking off thousands of dollars over the years as I taught myself the game, that's all that really matters right now.

Log-in to post your comments, or you can email me at tmckernan@insidestl.com.