Day 5

“Lucky Bastard”

Diary of a Poker Enthusiast/Addict...

Day 5

Now, I was supposed to be flying home today, however due to Nigel’s gracious hospitality and the generous support of Ladbrokes my magnanimous sponsors, I appeared to have surfeit of American Dollars in my wallet. Here I was in Clark County Nevada, a hop skip and a jump from the Pacific West Coast, what is one supposed to do...

ROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAD TRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRIP...!!!

By means of a simple cash transaction, Virgin Airlines had changed my flight from the 12^th out of LV to the 24^th out of LA, just one integer and a consonant in to a vowel. Twenty-five quid a keystroke, now that is what I call easy money.

Having already garnered the support of a couple of travelling companions namely Kirsty Thompson and Liam Pace, we set off to Los Angeles riding high on the euphoria of an epic Vegas adventure...

Day 4

“Lucky Bastard”

Diary of a Poker Enthusiast/Addict...

Day 4

Awaking the following morning and without the need to prepare for Day 4, I found myself at a loose end. Hard to believe that after twenty-two hours of poker I could even start to contemplate that activity on the list of the day’s options, however Binion's Gambling Hall and Hotel was calling me. If I have not mentioned it already, and promise not to mention it again; it's not gambling it's poker...

Binion’s Horseshoe was the home of Poker, well the home of The World Series of Poker at least. The first WSOP was held there in 1974 and there is much controversy and intrigue surrounding the life and death Jack Binion which can easily be researched on t’internet. In 2004 the Horseshoe was sold to Harrah's Entertainment, the deal closed in March 2004 and almost immediately, Harrah's sold the casino and hotel to MTR Gaming Group. Harrah's retained the rights to the Horseshoe brand and the WSOP, but sold the Binion's brand. In March 2005 it was renamed Binion's Gambling Hall and Hotel. With WSOP Main Event entries peaking in 2006 at 8,600 runners the tournament was too big for it’s original venue and moved to The Rio. Although the final table decamped back to Binion’s for the sake of tradition. Since then the WSOP has been held in its entirety at The Rio. So after a short cab ride I found myself at The Mecca of poker. They hold and afternoon $ 70 rebuy which is a jovial game. I busted out of after a promising start when my aces were cracked post flop by a Gutshot straight draw...

The evenings entertainment had been laid on by Paul McCann and Steve Mills who had secured a couple tables at The Forty Deuce in The Mandalay Bay whose fragrant gaming area has a coconut aroma pumped through the air conditioning. The Forty Deuce is a Burlesque Club and the dancers appear to have been classically trained and with what Americans would describe as ‘Hard Bodied’ and we would classify as ‘Athletic’. There is nothing smutty, cheap or sordid about the show and it transpired to be one of the best evenings entertainment we enjoyed in Vegas...

Day 3(Continued...)

“Lucky Bastard”

Diary of a Poker Enthusiast/Addict...

Day 3(Continued...)

The more observant amongst you will have noticed that my attempt to become the most prolific blogger of 2008-2010 failed to materialise...!!! Now as I discovered some unpublished reports from Vegas'08 languishing in a word document, and am currently in the process of satelliting into the Nottingham leg of The UKIPT, I thought it might be a good time to reanimate my efforts...

After busting out of The WSOP’08 Main Event my mood was surprisingly buoyant, I was pleased with my performance and although I finished ten hours from the money that had been my minimum expectation, finishing in the top 16^th percentile was no mean feat.

There was no time to be maudlin as Nigel had arranged supper. The venue, Jasmine, a Chinese restaurant overlooking the Bellagio fountains which perform to music, sooo romantic...!!! The food was exquisite, the company jovial and we retired to a club at Wynn’s to mix with some poker glitterati until the wee small hours...

Day 3

“Lucky Bastard”

Diary of a Poker Enthusiast/Addict...

Day 3

At the end of yesterdays play, Mark and I retired to Shutters bar in the hotel for a post match post-mortem of the days shenanigans. We decided that the only way to go from here was up up up. The strategy we settled on was that I should play solid hands and get my chips in clean to steal some blinds or double up. Once I had built my stack back up I could revert to playing my conventional game. I slept soundly within this knowledge to awake in a particularly peculiar and extraordinarily buoyant good mood. Bouncing round the bedroom in between the various admin tasks that precede the ‘Green Mile’ walk to the Amazon Room and Day 3 of the 2008 World Series of Poker - World Championship $ 10,000 No-Limit Texas Hold'em(Event 54)...

Having no down side risk and being expected to exit the tournament within the first ten minutes of Day 3 seemed to have a relaxing effect on me and I sat down at the table and was able to chat jovially and joke with my fellow competitors. Once underway I managed to get my chips in and push the Big Blind off his hand, this brought me up just shy of 13,000 chips.

A short while later I was all-in with A8 off-suit(o/s)against a pair of fours. After four blanks I beseeched any deity within earshot to "river me" and duly received my ace on the river. Now with over 30,000 chips I sat tight for a while and then elected to play KdQd in third position. Min raising I got a call from the guy whose big blind I had stolen earlier. He had position on me and I made a continuation bet of 6,800 on a seven high rainbow flop containing one diamond. He put me all-in and I put him on at least a medium ace or a small pair so I laid my hand down.

The next had I played from the small blind was folded to the button who made his standard 4,800 raise. He had been quite busy raising two-three hands per round. We had not discussed this scenario the previous evening and I put him on a wide range of hands so when I saw pocket nines I decided to shove my remaining 20,000 to join the 800 small blind. He tabled pocket kings and the flop, turn and river did not improve my holding so I was walking...

Day 2a (Continued...)

“Lucky Bastard”

Diary of a Poker Enthusiast/Addict...

Day 2a(Continued...)

Up with the lark and after a bit of pool time, low level sunbathing and a County Ordinance breaking dip “no swimming before zero nine hundred hours Sir” followed a hearty breakfast of granola, fresh fruit, English muffin and coffee...

Long story short, I started the day with 45,450 in chips. Peaked at around the 82,000 mark midsession and well on target for a second day total of between 160-200k. Not quite sure what happened next, but will be able to go into full detail face to face with those who understand the full gamut of poker terminology. The remainder of the day saw my stack dwindle, but I survived Day 2a bagging up a paltry 8,800 chips at the end of session five just before one in the morning.

Down down down, but definitely not out...

Day 2a

“Lucky Bastard”

Diary of a Poker Enthusiast/Addict...

Day 2a

Having passed through the ten hours play of Day 1c and leaving with 45,450 in chips I had three days to wait until my Day 2b so the evening at the Wynn was enjoyed to the limit. The following evening Nigel, Mark, Ian and I had supper at Hugo’s Cellar at The Four Queens. This was the main eatery for many years when The World Series of Poker was held at Binion’s Casino. However, since the Move to The Rio the restaurant is not as well frequented. The main man is a very welcoming Yorkshire man named Jonathan and the food and wine were exquisite. The Four Queens is located ‘Down Town’ where the strip is what you would recognise from the various footage that infested our TV screens during the 70’s 80’s and 90’s.

Returning to The Rio we jumped into a cab in which the driver was listening to some music whilst waiting for his next fare. As I got in he started to turn it down but I stopped him as ‘Rock Me Amadeus’ by Falko is about as good as it gets when you feel the need for cheese...!!! This epic was followed by Boney M’s ‘Ra Ra Rasputin’ and in between playing ‘Guess the Intro’ we were bouncing down the freeway singing along as the driver clapped and sang along whilst steering with his knees, just like those family trips to Yorkshire...!!!

Upon returning to The Rio we joined the Bar Crawl/Red Rock Dawn Excursion which after trawling a few of the nightspots of Vegas, The Mandalay Bay and Hard Rock Casino to name but two...

Needless to say Having got to bed at ten in the morning after breakfast at M&M’s Soul Food Restaurant. I set the alarm for 14:30 and awoke at 13:45 in time to join the shopping trip organised primarilary for the wives & girlfriends. However, what with my new found love of clothes, and with the Dollar being so weak, how could I pass up the such an opportunity.

So I boarded the chartered coach for the brunch/shopping/lunch/shopping extravaganza. I think you can just see my hand ‘in shot’ as I am sitting close to the camera at Lunch on screen left. Wow stardom beckons. Soo Diesel Jeans, Abercrombie & Fitch polos, Dickies trouser/teashirt and Flip Flops later we returned to the i-Bar before heading off to Caesers Palace/Pure Night Club for yet another party(yawn)and an early(school)night for me as Day 2a beckoned...

Day 1c

“Lucky Bastard”

Diary of a Poker Enthusiast/Addict...

Day 1c

Landing at McLaren Airport tired and excited after the eleven hour flight to be met for the first time by a chauffeur holding a board with my name on it was an absolute joy. I cannot count the numerous times I have scanned the expectant faces as I exit Passport Control and Customs only to realise that their expectation was directed to other weary travellers.

Being a grounded and lightly packed voyager I carried my bag to the boot(trunk)of the Lincoln Town Car Limousine and I was whisked to The Rio All Suite Hotel and Casino in quiet and cool air-conditioned luxury. After having checked in I found Nigel Blower in the Ladbrokes Players Lounge and we planned the evenings activities. Mark Sallis was arriving from Derry the same evening and although we wanted to go big in Vegas on our first night we hit the wall just before midnight and retired to our suites for a well needed nights sleep. Needless to say I awoke at 04:30, which is usual for me on the wrong side of the Atlantic, although I did manage to doze until 07:30 before getting up to greet the day properly.

With two full days before my first days play I was able to enjoy the welcome party at The Voodoo Lounge that evening to the full and had a restrained 03:30 finish to allow a gentle pool/sunbathing session the following day. It is 110-120 degrees in Vegas at the moment and a lush dry heat that is not akin to relaxing in a fan assisted oven. Walking in direct sunlight is not an option so for the first time in my life I am quite happy to take taxis everywhere, who would have thought it.

Anyhow enough of the preamble, I am now writing to you after my Day 1c yesterday(5/7). Once play had finished at 00:45 we had a couple of sharpeners in the i-Bar before we heading off to the Wynn to join a few of the poker great and good who were partying hard. I crawled back in at 07:30 for a few shots of Yukon Jack, post match analysis, general strategy session and putting the world to rights chat with Mark my close friend and newly appointed manager.

Having deliberately skipped the important information from yesterdays play in order to build the tension, I am pleased to inform you that I am through the first day. Each day’s play consists of five two-hour sessions with a twenty-minute rest break and a ninety-minute supper break between sessions three and four. It is a twelve and a half hour day and although many of you may do those on a regular basis it is not in my normal repertoire of day-to-day activities...!!! My current chip count is a respectable 45,450 about a third of the way down the field, which is where I wanted to be. However, I was aiming for between 60-80k, which would still have put me in the third decile but would have given me more protection from any monster stacks that I may be drawn against on Day 2. Right, I promise, ‘No more Poker Talk’ because as I type I can just see your eyelids dropping and your head nodding down as you progress towards blissful sleep.

Welcome Dear Reader...

Welcome dear reader to 'Lucky Bastard 476' I do not know much about blogging so please bear with me as I get into my stride...

For the erudite pedants amongst you I welcome your editing skills to correct glaring grammatical errors(with the exception of the incorrect use of ellipses and triple question/exclamation marks), deviation from factual actuality and the inevitable spelling mistakes, so get proofing. Seasoned bloggers can pass on any useful information and general pointers. These and any other communications relating to this blog should be addressed to the Lucky Bastard 476 e-mail address at gmail.com

I have started this Blog to document a journey that started on Friday 21st December 2007 and with a following wind and a large slice of good fortune will conclude on Wednesday 16th July 2008.

A couple of months ago I received a telephone call from Nigel Blower, a good friend of mine who works for Ladbrokes and organises poker events for a living. The conclusion of The Ladbrokes Poker Million VI or final table in poker speak, was being televised by Sky Sports on Friday evening 21st December 2007 and Ladbrokes were hosting a party at The Marriott Hotel on Grosvenor Square which was to be attended by the friends and family of the finalists plus a veritable host of poker glitterati...

I have a keen interest in poker and started playing Seven-card stud with Nigel and a bunch of mates(who will undoubtedly make an appearance here as we progress)for pennies back in the eighties. With the rise in popularity of Texas hold'em I started playing on-line a few years ago and progressed to playing live tournaments in August 2006 at The Gutshot Club in Clerkenwell which has now been renamed The Powerhouse Club. The original band of Sunday night poker players have spread to various parts of England and Ireland, however we do occasionally get together for a game, usually around Christmas as we return to spend the festive season with our extended families. We have changed, the game has changed and needless to say the stakes have changed too...!!!

Nigel invited me to join his table at The Marriott, but as with most years I was planning an escape for Christmas and New Year. Although nothing had been finalised I was intending to go on an extended surf or ski trip and felt that I may have already left the country by the evening in question. So I had to decline his most gracious invitation. Those of you who know me will not be surprised to find out that by the middle of last week I had yet to fix my departure date. Seeing the note I had made in my diary, I called Nigel to find out if he had filled his table and advise him of my current availability should anyone drop out at the eleventh hour.

Unfortunately Nigel's partner Sharon had had to scrub at the last minute and there was therefore a spare place for slap up nosh, a free bar and good company in luxurious surroundings in central London. Now what can I say, 'free' and 'bar' are two of my favourite words, especially when they occur next to each other in a sentence that does not contain the word 'closed'...!!!
I accepted in a nanosecond.

I arrived just before 20:00 and made my way to table 14, the other guests were already seated and there was some hilarity as I have not had a hair cut now for over a year and my tousled barnet combined with the instructed attire of a shirt with collar no jeans or trainers was in direct contrast with my host and his male guests who were all suited shirted and tied... Oops...!!! Quickly settling into the first beer, the evening commenced in ernest. Norman Pace who is a keen poker player and Sky Poker presenter was comparing, and after a run through the six finalists, the first hand was dealt. Norman had been flanked on stage by a bevvy of pneumatic Ladbrokes promo girls resplendent in their uber low cut Ladbrokes red dresses and heels. As the event got underway they circulated through the room selling raffle tickets at "ten pounds a strip" for the draw that would take place later in the evening. Showing extreme fortitude I purchased a strip of five intending to purchase another strip later in the evening. Whilst conducting the transaction, fishing out the crisp score from my wallet and filing the tendered change I managed to maintain eye contact throughout, no mean feat I can tell you...

We finished eating and continued replenishing our fluid levels at regular intervals whilst watching the rather pedestrian early stages of the tournament. Round about eleven o'clock, at least I think that was the time, Norman was joined on stage by the delicious Sky Poker presenter Kara Scott who was going to draw the raffle. Kara and Norman can be seen on a regular basis on Channel 846 along with fellow co-presenters Helen Chamberlain, Richard Orford, Sean Boyce, DP Fitzgerald, Paul Musselle and expert analysts Tony 'Tikay' Kendall, Jason Barrasford, Trevor Harris, Ed Giddens, Tim Peters, Mark "Prince Charles" Banin, Grub Smith, Tom Sambrook, Caspar Berry, Matt Broughton and Nick Wealthall, a few of whom were also in attendance.

The room fell silent and Kara's hand rummaged through the tombola drum. Advancing to the front of the stage she joined Norman who had the microphone. After announcing the winning ticket colour and number the lucky winner made his way to the stage to collect the third prize...

• A Virgin Experience helicopter lesson

Kara repeated the process and a lady made her way up to collect second prize...

• A week of Corporate Hospitality at The Cheltenham Festival

The moment had arrived. The majority of people in the room had bought raffle tickets and you had to be present during the draw to win. Kara returned to the drum for the final time, as her hand withdrew from the multitude of tickets nestling in the dark confines of the hexagonal drum, I thought I detected a hint of yellow. BUGGER...!!! my tickets were green. It seemed to take an age for her to rejoin Norman with the winning ticket deep in the palm of her hand. The tension in the room was palpable, I had to shout, I had to pre-empt the next word, GREEN I shouted. There was a pause and then Kara spoke, "green" I could not believe it she had said green. The excitement was welling up inside me and I thought I heard myself shout out again, FOUR...!!! "Four" the word seemed to echo round the room, I was stunned to silence. "Seven" now I was poleaxed back in to my seat, the six to four dog and yet a country mile ahead of all but one person in the room... "Six" I was up on my feet in an instant and on my the way to the stage, my head spinning, my body shaking, camera flashes exploding around me, Sky cameras focused in bathing me in white light, could this really be happening...??? I showed Kara the ticket that matched the one in her hand, I had won first prize...

• A Team Ladbrokes World Series of Poker package including entry into $10,000.00 Main Event, Accomodation at The Rio All Suite Hotel and Casino plus a further $ 2,500.00 worth of expenses... That equates to roughly £7,000.00 at todays rates.
  

OMFG...!!! The 2007 WSOP winner Jerry Yang beat 6,537 entrants and trousered $8,250,000.00 The tournament paid 621 places down to $20,320.00 and the bubble got a free entry to next year's main event.

Norman asked me what my name was and raised the microphone in anticipation of an answer...


"Lucky Bastard" I beamed.

And So It Began

And so it began...