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.