Plan for today: TREAD carefully

In about an hour I will be sitting down in the Amazon Room to play day 1C of the $10,000 World Championship of No Limit Hold'em. Event #57 of the 2009 World Series of Poker.

I'm running good, as we know, so my confidence is up. Plan for today ? TREAD carefully:

T: Think. What has served me well so far is to constantly be appraising the tournament situation and what the current status of the stacks (mine and theirs) and the blinds and payout structure mean in terms of the approach we will take when we look at our cards. By constantly thinking, I hope to avoid getting into situations that will lead to a lot of regret.

R: Read. It is so, so important to read the table. This is one thing I have learnt over time. I am not an expert at reading individual players in individual hands but it is possible and vital to categorise the players as soon as possible and then to refine that evaluation as the game goes on. The corollary is that we need to be careful after moving tables, and when new players arrive.

E: Enjoy the event. It is a game, remember !

A: Aggression. I do think I have played a stronger game this year. Of course I have been very lucky (especially in terms of not getting UNlucky), but I have also played my game and played to my strengths. One of these is aggression. I must not put this away just because it's the main event.

D: Don't go broke. Well, as my win at the Rio shows, as long as you are still in, you are in with a chance. We have to be prepared to go out on any hand but let's try not to go broke with 1pair 200bb deep and so on. If we are going broke, let's do it raising rather than calling.

With 30,000 chips this year, and playing only 4 x 2hr levels (for some reason) the chances are I should be able to make day2 but I need to play with a view to playing several days.

Wish me luck and good luck to all other Gutshotters in action.