They stopped play in the event for about 15 minutes...they didn't tell us why, and they STILL haven't told us what's going on regarding the number of players left in. I appreciate what a logistical nightmare this is to run, however that bit of info is at least pretty important for the players to know. So on that level this counts as something of a fuck up.

I've hit 32k. They've just sent us on a 20 min break early, and promised to have accurate numbers upon our return.

Back from the break. Jack Effel is giving out a ton of waffle, but essentially the gist is that they've crunched all the numbers, and we're now FIVE places off the money. There are over 224 tables still active, and we're all playing hand for hand. Nothing more needs to be said right now. The poker people reading this understand only too well what's going on.

And on the first hand for hand we lost 9 players...so I'm in the money in my first WSOP event of the summer . Oddly I'm not overly excited, although it is of course always nice to get a WSOP cash. On a personal note however I am quietly pleased though. This cash finally pushes me over the edge, and I've now officially won over $1 million playing live poker tournaments. I guess I must have done something right a few times.

Feeling much better in my zone right now, and I've allowed myself to open up a little. So far it's working and I'm up to 40k.

20 mins remain in level 14 which is 1000/2000/300. I'm back to 34,000, and we get down to 1932 players pretty fast once the bubble burst.

Level 15 and its 1200/2400/400. Starting to bite again. I'm on 30k.

Argh. Card dead. 25k. Breathe. 1600 players left, which strangely feels like we're close to the conclusion of the tournament, since over 22,000 of us started. Weird huh? I'm bleeding dry slowly, but still staying disciplined enough not to waste a chip.

Just paid off. A bit of fortuitously timed raising and I'm back on 30k. 1500 players left.

Key hand alert you crazy kids.

I played a few pots and was on about 29-30k. I found JJ and there was a limp and a raise. I decided that this was the moment to get into it. I shove and the limper folds, the raiser calls and tables AQ. The board runs out all rags, I just have him covered,and suddenly I'm on 71,500. Personal best!

Short lived.

I raise with 77, and the short stacked big blind jams 20k. He's jammed earlier with Q3 off and I'm not in love but I decide to take a shot.

He shows aces. Marvellous. No help for me and I'm down to 50k at the next 20 min break. Screen shows 1275 players remaining.

Back from break and down to 36k. Had to put down AJs to a reraise that looked precisely like it was supposed to illicit either a call or a shove. Maybe an error to fold but it was going to be for all the chips and I wasn't feeling it so I went away. Onward we go.

Gamble time.

Getting shorter again, so raise round the back with an ace. Asian woman in the big blind who has been fascinated with how the giraffe changes colours decides to see a flop. The pot is pretty big. Once I squeeze out the other card I find it's the 4d, giving me Ad4d. The flop is jack high, with 2 diamonds. I open ship. She almost beats me to the middle with...J9.

I river the flush. Aaaahhhhh....

Back to a healthier 74k. 1080 players left and 18 mins left on level 16.

Finally we're showing under 1000 players. Level up in 3 minutes and I'm on about 65,000. Blinds are about to be 2000/4000/500. Even at this stage I've seen some pretty shocking play. Trying to tiptoe through the minefield right now as we approach level 17.

Little to report except I've had a few hands that I've just binned because the situation didn't feel right, and AQ which I just mucked and would've tripled up through JJ and AK. Maybe I should play worse sometimes. 905 left.

My table just broke and I'm on a new one surrounded by big stacks and new faces. 840 remain.

Made the last break of the day with 41k. Pretty card dead apart from one middle pair I had to fold because of too much action. Had I been stubborn I'd have rivered a boat and tripled up. Meh.

810 remain and we come back on 2500/5000/500. Serious stuff. Lap of the gods and all that. Whatever happens, I'm happy with the way I've played and with my timing. If anything maybe I update on here too much, but I don't feel I've lost any focus, and it's kept me pretty sharp. Back in a bit. Off to soak up some night desert air.

Back from the break and the numbers have again been adjusted. According to the screens we are down to 760 players. I can't let these blinds go through me too often.

Whittled down to 31k. Six bigs, and the standard open is 10-11k.

I jammed twice and got it through. 51k.

Defended my big blind vs a button raise. He went away. Up again to 67k.

620 players left coming up on the last level of the day, and Kevin has just passed the 100k mark...110k to be precise. On we go!

507 players left and we're dealing the last hand of the day. I look down at K5 off, so I'm finishing day 2 with 111k. Pretty knackered, so I'll type or vid something later. We're back here in 11 hours!

We're here and we're seated. Guy to my right just pushed his last 1700 with AJ and was called and busted by JJ. Table seems pretty steady with no nutjobs so far.


Just won my first pot. 5000 now looks like 6400.

Now 7300. Much better start than yesterday, I should turn up four levels late more often.

Level 6 is almost upon us and a few new faces join the table. I'm still on around 7k and seeing how stuff unfolds. Tiptoe gently etc.

The mood has become a bit more aggressive, and having lost a couple of hands, I've now drifted back down to my original 5k starting stack. 15 mins to go until the next break and level 7. Shorter stacks are getting a bit desperate and shoving light. We're currently at 150/300/25 so no major concerns yet.

Things started to get a little squeaky as I slid slowly down the ladder. However it was just raised and called, I found QQ in the big blind, and shipped on a short stack who decided now was the time with 44. Fortunately on this occasion no fours surfaced, so I busted him and elevated to the giddy heights of around 8k. Another bit of footwork and I make the break on 9200.

Back from break and motoring steadily. Up to 11k.

We're playing 11 levels today, and currently we have 20 min to go on level 8. This doesn't mean too much of course. Getting through a WSOP day one always feels nice, but sometimes the cards or the situation dictates how things unravel. I'm currently still on about 11k. The 250/500/50 price tag stings a little, but there are a few spots on the table I can press if things get super desperate. No worries right now.

Decided it was about time I played a pot. Strong-armed my way up to 14k.

Level 9 and the 300/600/75 cost will soon bite if you're under 20k. Time for selective aggression.

Sigh. Bumped back down to 9300 after my AK ran into trip 2's when an ace flopped. Not good but certainly not a total disaster. Got moving a bit next hand or two and am back to 13k again.

My table just broke and I had to bag up and do the procession through to the pavilion where I was assigned a new table and a whole new set of foes. A few of them are smiling and chatty, which for me is generally a good sign. I've Made it to the next break with 12k in chips. We return at 400/800/100 so the pressure is still on with a sub-par stack, but still being in the hunt is what matters.

The pic above is the area out of one of the Rio exits where people congregate during the 20 minutes we get to stretch and pee. Temporary toilets, parked cars, smokers, unwashed kids talking about bad beats, and an overwhelming smell of weed. Yeah, the poker lifestyle sure can be a glamorous one at times.

We've hit the day's final level at 500/1000/100, and I've hit my peak of today at 15,500. Stolen a few but generally just played solid nuts and bolts poker. 25 min left before we bag up for the day. Of course making the next day is good as said, but also you have to play, so fingers crossed and we'll see what happens.

They just stopped the clock at the 10 minute mark, and announced 3 more hands before we bag up and are done for the day. It's been a slog certainly, but I'm happy to have got through. It's currently 3.20 am and we restart at 5pm with the combined flights. Many thanks to the people who were messaging me and chatting to me during the course if tonight. It keeps the spirits up and honestly means a lot. Phase 2 of my campaign will continue tomorrow with me starting with 14,700 at 600/1200/200. My home made curry never tasted so good...

The strain of being in Las Vegas life for an extended trip, the constant pain of poker tournaments, issues in your personal life, not having someone special in whom to confide who makes you smile, self doubt, mid-life crisis...whatever. After a while it can all get to you, and you need some kind of outlet to depressurise and feel better about things for a bit. Some people go and find themselves a hooker or three. Some spin up (or down) their bankroll on the roulette wheel. Some will do enough drugs to be able fund a small country's economy, some jump out of a plane with or without a parachute.

I cook a curry from scratch.

I'm almost certainly not the best cook in the world, however it's something that I love and try to put my heart and soul into. I've said in the past that if I could make as much from cooking as I do from poker I'd consider quitting poker at some point. Romantic idea of course, I'm too old and not good enough a cook. However, it's always nice to have a passion, and my Las Vegas friends generally seem very happy when they hear I've been cooking, often as I cook enough for 15 people. It's an escape for a few hours, and the end result is generally well received, especially here, as I've been known to point out I struggle to get a decent ruby this side of the Atlantic. The obvious solution is to just make my own. We'll see what's left in a day or two.

I managed to re-reg for the colossus today. They were doing starting "waves" as opposed to flights, since the flights were full. Some people are coming in at the 250/500 level with 8 big blinds....I squeaked into an earlier wave and will be starting at 100/200 with 5k which isn't ideal but I feel is worth the investment. Starts in a few hours...updates to follow.

The title pretty much says it all huh?

Later today I'll play the WSOP Colossus, being hyped as the biggest poker tournament IN HISTORY. I think they may be right. Over 2 days they are expecting around 20,000 players all with a shot at the $5m guaranteed prize pool, which obviously they have smashed already. First rule of running poker tournaments-don't offer a guarantee unless you know you're going to exceed it.

This event is good for poker in that's it's affordable and gives everyone a shot at a WSOP event, a bracelet, and serious money. I feel from an organisational point it's going to be an utter clusterfuck to run properly based on sheer numbers. They'll do the best they can. I know people who have bought in for all 4 flights, and are willing to spend a small fortune in this. I'm playing 1B tonight, and possibly one more stab depending on my feeling after the first one if absolutely merited. Updates on this page later today.

Yesterday both sucked and was cool. I busted in the Nugget event to my buddy Dan Goldman, super nice guy. No-one likes busting out, especially with kings, but the saving grace for me is the chips went to someone I respect, and he went on to cash 15th.

After the event I went to the Rio with the thought of possibly buying for colossus 1D, but the lines there were insane and I gave up. As an aside I went back at 3am and the lines were just as bad. I will play by ear.

I hooked up later on yesterday with a new pal who I'd met for the first time at a WSOP dinner the other night. We hung out with various poker people we both knew at the Rio for a bit, then took off for a late bite at an Irish bar that I know,and spent the next few hours basically bullshitting together, putting the world to rights, finding random things to laugh or bitch at, then had a very long drive up, down and around the Las Vegas strip with the top down on the car exploring iPod music and Spotify at high volume, singing very loudly (and in my case, very badly). All pretty low key but quite honestly just what I needed after busting out of an event yet again and feeling kind of low. Maybe sometimes I'm not as complicated as I like to imagine I am. Sometimes smiling a bit can be enough.

Updates later tonight at the Rio. Stay tuned.

We're off in the colossus.... I arrived 15 min late due to their being NO parking spaces in a 10,000 space parking lot.

Already on level 2 and I've won one small pot. Few chatty guys and one chatty cute girl, and about 5 robots.

Level 3 and the cute girl busted with QJ vs AQ on a QQ384 board. Personally I wasn't getting 5k in with either of those hands at any point in the hand, but it takes all sorts.

20 min left of the level and I'm just existing right now. Happy to sit back and see what's going on with the table right now.

Sigh.................. I tried the approach of sitting back, however I just flopped a straight with 10 6 in the big blind in a 3 way unraised pot (789 flop) bet it all the way vs one opponent, who rivered a boat once most of the money was already in. No one did much wrong. I was protecting my hand and he was hoping his set paired up. My 5k is now 1900 and there's a break in 8 mins, with me reevaluating my tournament strategy to make it there.

Back after 20 minutes of desert fresh air. Find myself in the big blind at 100/200 and get a walk. I won't complain. I'd far rather jam or rejam with a workable hand here than try to see flops obviously. I think while I have enough chips to dent someone's stack I need to use it and try to get something going. Defensive poker is crappy enough as it is without bleeding to death in a 20,000 player field on level 4. Wait and see.

I've squeezed out an ace and one shitty card 6 times since we got back from break. On each occasion it's been raised about half my stack before it got to me thus nullifying any chance of a shove I could make getting through. Getting thin and now 6 minutes to go before we hit level 5. This is where the 25 antes kick in. I've a useless stack but at least if I get that far there are chips to be won by jamming besides just the blinds.

Down to 700 (!) chips at 100/200/25. I pushed on a flopped flush draw into 4 people and got it through. Back to about 2k which isn't ideal but better than 700.

The guy who made a boat vs my straight has been drinking champagne pretty much non stop, has played too many pots and has gone from 10k to out whilst I've been updating.

Quickly whittled back to 1400 and looking for a spot. I find it with one limper and jam Kc9c. My read is right and the limpers and blinds fold.however one guy who has a 25 chip invested decides that his KQ is worth another 1375. Again I flop a flush draw, the board also pairs giving me chop possibilities, but I brick everything on the river and I'm out.

The most traumatising part of the summer WSOP trip for me isn't the money. It's not the stress of endless days of gruelling poker. It's not missing my dog (though that's always right up there, he's no spring chicken any more the little love). It's not the pain of being separated from the people who care about me, or the many days of lonliness or self-reflection about bad decisions or the future..


It's jumping into the swimming pool for the first time.

Fine, yes I'm a big girl. You stand on the edge in the desert knowing the damn thing isn't heated and throw yourself in. Let me know how that works out for you. Anyways, as always I did it, and for 5 seconds it was horrifying, then the rest of the time was pretty good as I did some laps and loosened myself up for the day to come, and whatever pain and turmoil it may bring me. Felt like a small victory. I'll take it anyway.

Off to shower, then play the noon event at the Golden Nugget. Updates to follow.

Had a few moments accessing the wifi here today but finally seated and plugged in. 205 players currently and crash helmet firmly on. One young guy already shipped 66 preflop fore 15k at 100/200. The old rock with aces gave him a spin.

Made the first break with starting stack. Won a few tiddly pots. Nowt to report of any note. Talking and bullshitting. The dealer just asked me if I was Australian. The Australian guy at the table laughed loudly.

Currently on level 5...100/200/25. This definitely ain't the WSOP. Some pretty questionable shoves and reshoves on my table, which is all good of course. It's kind of a free country. I'm still in plod mode which some might say is too cautious, but I still find it hard to win these things with 246 players still remaining.

Level 6 and the most excitement I've had so far today is getting very alarmed that the French guy in the 4 seat is riffling his chips, then eating potato chips out of the bag with the same hand and licking his fingers. To coin a phrase...ew. If he wins the tournament good luck to him, he'll need to money to cover the medical bills for whatever he catches from basically licking casino chips.

Level 7 is underway at 200/400/50 and I'm still basically where I began. Less wiggle room now than earlier of course but I'm continuing with the plodding approach, and will hope someone plays bad enough to get me up over 20k soon enough.

197/260 remain on level 8 and I'm up to my old tricks with the antes as can be seen from the stack of quarters obviously. Still not enough room to get too flairy just yet. Seems like a few of the players are loose enough to pay me if I get anything. One French guy just jammed with 10 3 suited (hey, it was suited) and beat AK, so it's a regular laugh a minute here. The AK didn't seem to think so to be fair.

Won a decent pot to get myself back into shape just before the colour up break. 183/269 and I'm on about 19k with average at 21k. 10 mins of fresh air awaits.

We're about to hit level 10, and have lost just over half the field of 275, though people are still buying in (!). I've pretty much had one proper hand all day, but have dodged and weaved my way to stay around average. Still liking my table quite a bit, and I've got a pretty tight reputation (!!!!) so hopefully that bodes well going into the 500/1000/100 level.

Quiet level for me as we approach level 10. I'm on around 25k, and the lovely Sabrina has just appeared parrot-like upon my shoulder to say hi. Pal who worked at the Venetian back in the day and is now doing massage at the Nugget. Always nice to see a friendly face in the room.

99 players left from274 starters. Time to warm up very soon. They seem to have screwed up the prize pool calculations so the screens are blank where the loot should be. I try never to look anyway as most people know, but on this occasion I don't have a choice anyway 😁

I'm told now 81 left and 30 spots pay whatever the mystery prize is. Far from out of the woods yet but still motoring.

Joined at my table by good friend and former PokerStars supremo Dan Goldman. Fun guy to have at the table, even if he does have over triple my chip stack.

We've made the 1 hour dinner break, so we went exploring, and found happy hour pizza in the Grotto restaurant, along with a cheeky cocktail each. Nice company and a good way to pass the hour before battle recommences shortly.

Starting back at 800/1600/200. I'm on 20k which I can live with. Time to spin and grind.

Argh. Shortly after getting back my AQ loses to KJ and I lose about 9k of my much needed stack. Not dead but certainly a move I. The wrong direction. I feel only a bit better because if I'd jammed against the guy I was getting called and would have been out now. Ho hum.

Aaaaaand. The fun of getting it in good in tournaments continues.

Dan has been having a little ding-dong battle with another guy on the table. All good natured stuff. The other guy opens for 3800 and dan makes it 7900 or so. I find KK and jam my 13k out of the small blind. Player A folds and Dan sheepishly admits that he was just taking a shot at the other guy. He kind of has to call, and tables A10. He hits not one but two aces, and that's my day done, again around 30 off the money in a dismaying exit. No point bitching, it is what it is. However I'm disappointed to have played well and ground all day just to go out as I did. Nothing to do but call it a night and try to stay positive and prepare for the Colossus tomorrow at 6pm. Cest la vie and all that. Off to try to find a hug which won't be easy as I don't do the self pitying bad beat story. However, hugs are always good. 😕

Of course in my unconventional life it turned out to be anything but...

Today's plan was a simple one. Rest. Take the day off. Clear the mind of any crap that was distressing me/getting me down/making me question myself. Lay by the pool, knock back a screwdriver or two, read a book, have a paddle, think nice thoughts, maybe manage an agreeable meal later. The sum total of my efforts today was going to be maybe popping to the Rio later on to buy in to flight D of the Colossus event, which starts in a few days. I'm already in flight B, and as you know I've steered clear of any extra bullets thus far in the trip (I'm only 2 events in), but the $5m guarantee, which is going to get smashed even for a $565 buy-in makes this one worth firing again at if need be. Registration and the lines will be an enormous clusterfuck on the day as thousands clamour for a seat, so my preferred MO is to go over to the 24 hour cage in theRio during the wee small hours and do the deed in peace and quiet, without a line of know it all knob-jockeys telling you how they played A9 really well when it flopped 9-9-2.

That was the plan.

This morning I was up about 8.30 am. My buddy Chad works the door on one of the Las Vegas nightclubs, and wanted to put in a gym session, so in the interests of dual motivation and me becoming less blob-like, I concurred, and off we went. I'm getting back into it pretty gently, being an old man and all that (actually someone I knew about 15-20 years ago recently hooked up with me on Facebook. Their first line was "why the fuck haven't you aged?" lol). I did about 25 mins of cardio, some leg, back, biceps on the machines, stretches and crunches. Probably an hours workout or so, whist Chad was over bench pressing the equivalent of a Ford Taurus. It's all good. Eat a bit less, move around more. I think that's the key, and the way I've been feeling inside lately, it's certainly extra good for the mind as well as the body.

Anyways, after that my plan for a restful day went truly tits up.

A couple of Las Vegas friends recently bought their first house. It's turned into a bit of a fixer upper and a few of their tradesmen have recently let them down, leaving them with a lot of jobs unfinished, and moving day already upon them. I'm pretty handy when it comes to most DIY things, though I like to avoid plumbing and electrical on a particularly big scale, especially in the U.S. as they do things funny over here. Anyway, they needed some jobs doing, so I ended up fitting door locks, ceiling vents and doing various other odd jobs with no working a/c for a few hours at the house, which was less than fun in the desert heat, but good for the soul as they're friends and good people and mushy though it sounds, I'm sometimes all about the good karma. All might not agree, but I'm basically always ready to pitch in if I can and save the day, or at least not make it worse...and especially in poker rooms I see players who are happy to be unpleasant rather than nice for pretty much no reason, which I always found puzzling. Corny though it sounds, it's nice to be nice. Maybe somewhere along the line fate will decide I can have a 6 figure win and a few months lying on a beach to balance things up...who knows?

Tomorrow the campaign for me cracks on, with a $350 one day event at the Golden Nugget downtown, with a $100k guaranteed prize pool, followed by the $565 WSOP Colossus the following day at 6pm. Cross your fingers, toes and bra straps please, and thanks for the nice messages x

Back on the horse today to have a crack at the Venetian $600 after a dour and depressing few days. None of this affects the poker for me one bit, poker's just well... poker. However waking up today to find out I've a parking ticket to fight from 5000 miles away is just the cherry on the cake for me lately. No point going into details because everyone has their own crap, and it doesn't make great reading if someone's rattling on about their life being unfair/no-one understands etc. To me its kind of like the inevitable bad run that comes along in poker. You simply have to grit your teeth, do the right things, hope it passes, and that things will turn, situations improve, the right people come into your life and stay with you and enrich things, or the wrong ones just leave you alone if they've nothing nice or positive to offer...

Anyway :o)

Bought in nice and early today. Always good to be sat for the first hand. Kick off in 10 mins.

OK start, and 15k quickly becomes 17k. A few familiar faces on the table and I'm talking nice and early to try to get things loosened up appropriately.

At 50/100 I make it 425 with AQ, my neighbour makes it 4000. I jokingly take his pulse by touching his wrist, and everyone laughs. He says "please don't touch me" in a voice that has overtones of "I've got a car full of firearms in the parking lot". I folded and gave him a sweet smile. Could be a long day.

First hand today a girl busted out with a set vs the nut flush draw that turned. When one player was recounting the story to his buddy who wandered over, the important part seemed to be not that the girl busted with a set, but more that she was really hot. Poker players and their priorities lol.

Back to starting stack just coming up on the start of level 3. 98/93 currently with players still filtering in. Most of my table seem to generally know their way around so right now I'm not trying to get too clever with anything.

First break and I'm on 13k. 103/118.

Back from the break, my two red Kings just got smashed to bits on an ace high all club flop. Luckily I was unconventional in my approach, so it cost me 900 chips instead of around 7000. On we plod.

20 min left in level 5 and I'm just around average still. No heroics. 93/133 left and my table line-up is pretty much unchanged.

Level 6 and I'm a bit frustrated. Lost with QQ vs A9, and JJ vs 66. Down to 11k. Keep it going.

Just back from break at 300/600/75, and things appear to be looking up. I find 88 in the big blind just as UTG raises. I feel pretty sure that even though it's an early position raise he's not strong at all and is just trying to bully me. Of course sometimes reads are wrong but I go with it and reraise, I get called. The 3 7 10 flop doesn't look bad for me but I decide to check raise as I think he'll fire again with a sub standard hand. He bets 2k after I check and I then shovel in 8500 or so. He looks crestfallen, sigh dwells and calls, tabling Q10 offsuit.

That's my $600 done after 7 levels. Not over the moon even though my read I felt was right. Next. I likely won't re-enter this for another $600 but never say never, I'll sleep on it for now.

Get a quick shot of some chips whilst I still have them. Just kicked off. Raise with 66 the very first hand, JJ shoves for 40k and I go away. Meh.

99 players remain from the 790 entrants, and 81 get paid, so it'd be nice to get into the loot on the first event, but obviously all you can do is play. Watch and wait.

Dwindling pretty fast (my stack that is) and we've just reached 1500/300/500 on my big blind. Marvellous. Dropped back from 99 players to 93 quickly, but I'm in the all too familiar spot of needing at least a double up to get me into the money and progress in the event. It'll likely be a case of me jamming with something strong and not getting called, or me taking a flip which of course I'd rather not do. However it is what it is. My 48k start is now 34k and it's going to cost 4900 per round minimum to play. So you see where I'm at.

Now 10 off the money and really not liking where I'm at. Any skill for me here pretty much goes out the window, along with my edge.

And just like that I'm reintroduced to the pain of playing poker tournaments.

I raise to 7500 out of a 31,000 stack with QQ, my neighbour jams and I call once everyone else folds.

Me: QQ

Him: AA

The old soak at the other end of the table says to me before the board is dealt "hey, I got some bad news for you".

I politely cut him off and thank him for not telling me he folded a Queen, though clearly he wanted to. No one outers for Kevin, and that was that. Bust 7 off the money in a 790 player field.

Little to say about it. Sigh etc. onto the next, which will likely be the Venetian $600 in a day or two.

Any sharp eyed readers will now spot that my stack consists of different chips and also that I'm sitting in a different casino. No point in crying into my beer over today's Venetian exit, so I've gone over to the Wynn to play the daily $200 on my own dime. The Venetian had a $400 DSE bounty event with a $30k guarantee, but right now I'd rather keep the allocated schedule budget for the events with much bigger guarantees in the coming weeks if possible. Also I'd rather not bust one schedule event and dive into the next immediately. That might sound overly cautious, and I'm sure if I have some $ left over near the end of the trip then I could be more flexible, right now I would just rather take it slowly with the budget and use it on events that offer the most value for both me and the stakers.

Not that's it's great consolation, but I'm doing ok in this at the first break.

Next break and I've played well and kept slowly building. Catastrophe then strikes when I get AQ and QJ all in vs my JJ. I manage to come last and am down to half the average and 1/3 of my stack. 26/51 remain with 6 getting paid. Ho hum.

Limped on for a bit and found a second wind. Win a few small pots and the table broke. Got moved to the right of 3 big stacks and finally got it in with a pair, a gutshot and a flush draw, and got called by two players with over pairs. No love for me and that was that. This time 11 off the money.

That's enough poker for one day. Don't think I did anything terribly wrong in either event today but as most of you know that's sometimes not enough. Driving home from the strip now to try to relax for a few hours, get my head together a bit, and regroup for the next assault. Will maybe try a video update if it's behaving itself now.

Undoubtedly the first of many pics of chips, giraffes 'n' stuff.

One player busted and was replaced by Alan Cunningham. This proves to be good for me as I'd dwindled a bit more and betting into him on the flop and turn got me back up to a working stack. He's obviously good enough to get away from a speculative hand, and we've played before a few times anyway. Besides, my need was greater in this instance, so needs as must and all that.

Just about to start a 15 min break at the end of level 3 before the antes kick in. I'm now on about 10k which is fine.

The updates feature on my website , as with so many things in my life recently has decided to make my life problematic on a regular basis just "because". This morning I tried to update a 2 min pre-tournament video I recorded, which has worked perfectly well in the past. Today despite 3 uploads, each attempt had me broadcasting my witty banter laying on my side as opposed to sitting in a chair, which I'm still pretty sure I was doing when I made the vid. I aborted and will look into it later, and today it keeps broadcasting text in an illegible dark font on a dark background. I've changed the page layout to a slightly less chiq but hopefully more readable format for the ease of the 3 people and a golden retriever that might be out there reading my drivel. When I get my kings smashed I'd like people to at least be able to read it clearly.

Just into level 4 and up to 191 players. At least the table is talking a bit now. Knew I'd soften them up eventually.

Ahh Kevin you silver tongued devil you.

It's taken almost 5 goddam levels but I'm finally over starting stack. Ok it only came about by talking the guy out of calling the river bet, but still I'm pretty sure that's supposed to be part of my MO right? Happy days...

Boom.

Difficult game. Woke up with AA, and AQ decided that shipping 13,000 in preflop on a 5 bet against me was the way to get me to fold aces. i decided to gamble with him. It's rare for someone to be drawing dead on the flop against me but luckily this was one of those times. Now on about 27k with average at 18k and feeling OK about life :o)

Level 6 and there are 103/212 left. The stacks have gone up and the standard seems to have gone in the opposite direction, without the table line up changing too much. Weird. I'm on about 30k and nipping away. The guy on the tournament table behind me is whooping and hollering pretty much every single hand, and I think has possibly consumed enough alcohol to power a large paraffin stove for around 4 days.gotta love the poker drunks.

Argh.... Tried yet another video update on the last break, which went tits upward...literally. Instead of being on my side this time I was upside down! Hilarious though it looked to see me discussing Las Vegas poker whilst I was inverted, I deleted the vid and and its back to typing for now. I'm on 37k with the average at 26k and 98/212 left.

Coming up on level 9 now. 62 left and average is 41k. I'm on 51k so all good.

Average 42k. Me 68k. Table dynamic a lot better than before and I have more freedom to open up a little.

Next break. I'm on about 80k, average 49k. Back in 15 min at 600/1200/200.

Nice artsy exterior shot.

Took a few hits and down to 79k. Average is 65k so not terminal by any means.

We're on level 11, supposedly playing for around another 75 min or so today before bagging up. Again the table dynamic has changed a fair bit. Anthony, a nice guy I'd never met before but had seen quite a lot playing cash games over the years sat down on my left and we've been trading a few pots back and forth and bullshitting together for a couple of hours. It's nice to have a few players at the table with a good temperament and mentality, and less douchebags who think every hand is a TV dwell opportunity. Makes the day pass by a little easiy. Also the guy who was drinking and shouting on the table begins earlier just sat down with a monster stack of about 250k. Gotta love tournaments. 38/212 left..

Carnage.

The pic above shows the loud drunk guy (who may actually be called Kevin!) who has been playing quite literally EVERY pot since he sat down. He went from 250k down to about 30 and back up again, leaving a trail of corpses in his wake, including poor Anthony, who foolishly busted out after he played a huge pot with way the best hand, and then walked into drunk guys 96 preflop who made a dirty two pair. All you can do is the right thing...sucks when it goes wrong. Now everyone on the table is trying to get a piece of him. Meanwhile I've drifted back down to 54k with 29 players left at the last break of the day.

I've had a shitty last few hours,with the drunk guy either busting out or doubling up seemingly everyone else at the table. Average is probably about 90k as we now bag up for the end of the day, but I'm likely on about 48k. Not overly concerned, we come back on Sunday for the redraw for day 2 and start at 1200/2400/400, so first tournament, 10 hours later,made day 2 and could have more chips but I'm happy with getting to the next hurdle in the first event. X