Chugging along and then on level 6 sullen young kid who I've played before comes to the table and makes it 2k from a new 15k stack straight away. Wins the pot. Next hand he does it again and I make it 6500 with KK. He shoves with QQ. Flop AKA, and I'm now on 40k at 200/400/50. Thank you.

I've hit 60k after taking a flier for half my stack with AK vs QQ and 98s, I flop a king, all good and I bust two people.

Level 12. Move tables again, lose a pot and drop to 45k after I flop 2 pair and get counterfeited.

42k at end of level 12 break. I've lost every hand I played for the last hour. Crazy old Asian guy who had a problem with me in the tournament few days back is on my new table. Bets huge on turn when 3 clubs fall and I fold the Qh10h which I'd raised with. He thinks he turned a flush and shows the table KsQc...so he was unknowingly bluffing with the best hand. 5 tables left. We play in theory til almost end of level 15. 

Level 13, last level to enter (!!!) guy who won tournament here last night enters and is on the table with a 15k stack at 1K/2K/300.

83k after I just won monster. Guy w QQ raises my be, I call w 5c4c, flop Q 3 6 two clubs, he bets 6k I call, turn 2c, he bets 10k I ship, 7 on river. Yahtzee!

Get it all in blind vs blind on level 14, we both have AK, no horrors.

Level 15, last level of day I'm on 90k at 1500/3000/400

Raise with JJ  and get one caller, FLOP J35, he goes away after I bet out. No free cards here.

End the day on 93,900, bag up, restart at 2pm tomorrow on a new table with 4 starting flights combined. No other info as yet.

I drive home and make a meal of the curry I cooked a day ago, with flavoured couscous and buttered naan bread. Somehow the curry and the pictures feel better when I've not busted. Maybe I should try it more often. More to come, love to all x

The new approach

Yesterday I had a chat with a couple of pretty knowledgable poker pals, whose opinions I value. Despite the regular and reasonably vivid tournament updates on this website, those who know me in even more than a passing sense will know categorically that I really don't talk about poker. I don't pick hands to pieces, I don't labour on my exits, I don't sit with a bunch of nerds/virgins/neckbeards trying to hypothesise about the "correct" way to play a hand (that really is such bollocks, I wish they'd get over it), and last and by no means least I most certainly do not ever critique someone's play at the table either when I'm still in, or once they bust me. It's just a part of me being who I am, and love it or hate it it probably isn't about to change any time soon. There we have it. Just when you thought I couldn't get any more loveable.

The aforementioned discussion related to my not unsubstantial (cough, ahem) tournament record, and to my suddenly pondering if perhaps me doing the website updates regularly was in any way affecting my results or my play during tournaments. I'd be inclined to go with no...however I wouldn't discount the possibility and this was the subject on which we chatted at some length.

I'm a very private person. This might seem a paradox given my online ramblings. However the reason for this is a simple and honest one, which I've never tried to hide. Once I got the site up and running, I had a fairly loyal group of investers/followers, who were perfectly aware I could play poker pretty well (a lot of them knew me personally), and some of this select bunch were always going to take a small or larger percentage of my poker action even if my updates consisted of simply either "I'm out" or "I've won the tournament". They simply knew or liked me, and also recognised a business opportunity, or a punt (yes, I said a PUNT, stop sniggering at the back). Some for a small sweat, some for a substantial piece. These guys have stuck with me through thick and thin, and some have done pretty well from my efforts over the years. I think the biggest single chunk someone ever got for a percentage was $10,000. Very happy they were too.

My issue is do I play to the audience too much by writing too much in updates, and does this make me detract from my normal and fairly often winning style? I can't get it out of my head that the people who read the site, or maybe people who have shares deserve some bang for their buck, and cash or no cash I try to make the journey entertaining and readable for them in the form of my writing, videos and so forth. It is generally very well received (when I'm not being called a racist by trollers), but I did get to wondering if maybe a change of tack might be in order... That is to say, play the event, update later, allowing me more time to focus and play my natural game. As I say, this is pure speculation, so if anyone has any thoughts on it then please pipe up. In light of this, here is today's update, about 14 hours later...

Level 1

Second hand of the event, I get dealt AA and lose almost half of my stack to AQs. Some emotionless burke wearing sunglasses makes it 175, I raise to 700 (we're at 25/50), and he calls. Flop 9 high 2 diamonds. He checks, and I bet 900, he calls. Queen on turn he checks I bet 1200 he calls. River is a diamond and he bets 1500 and I call to see he's rivered a flush. Breathe.

I play nip/tuck and run it back up to 5400.

Level 2

I make it 700 preflop with queens against some bearded old rock who raised in early position. Flop comes king high and he bets 1k. Great. Fold.

I then get dealt AA again, and win 200 chips. I was the small blind.

I drift down again when the guy who cracked my AA calls my 500 river bet with 66, with an ace a queen and a nine on the board. Of course it's a good read.

Still at level 2 at 50/100 and one of the min-raise neckbeards at my table just stacked off 6k on a 3456 3 heart board with 10 7 no hearts. The old rock with the flopped flush, thought carefully, then called eventually for maximum pain. I feel like I'm playing a different game altogether. I guess I am.

I'm on 1400 chips at the first break, which is pretty disheartening.

Level 3. Back from break and the first hand I jam 77 vs a 375 raise, the old rock who had the flush earlier squirms and eventually goes away.

The very next hand another raise from a young aggro kid and I jam again for more, this time with 55. He calls me with... A9 offsuit... He flops a 9, the board then runs out 8910JQ and we chop. Not sure what to say about that. I'll just be happy I'm still in the chair I guess.

The same guy raises again on the button on my big blind, and I ship 1725 with 88, I tell him he has K10 as we talk a little.

He calls flips over...K10, I flop a set, back up to 3500. Phew.

End of level 4 approaches, and I've bled back to 2500. AdJd no good in 4 way pot.

Out, thelast hand of level 4 before the break. I shove with 77 for 2500, and get called by the big blind who tables....Q10 offsuit. He flops a ten. I have no words.

It was an inauspicious start but I played harder than normal and felt a bit unlucky in a few key hands, especially the second hand of the day and the exit hand. Of course anyone who buys in can play how they like, and good or bad luck is just the way it runs out. He said through gritted teeth.

I went home. Cooked a curry, and went to the cinema to see Jurassic World.

Sleep, rest up, try again.

Back to PH, the source of so much pain in the last week (!) for their one day $400 event. Looks like a fun start table. A Swedish guy has fired super strong on every street (I mean like 3000 on flop 3500 on turn at 50/100!) when the board is QQJJ9. The woman in seat 10 calls him down all the way with aces without batting an eyelid or considering for even a second that she might not be in good shape. He tells her he missed his flush draw... Please don't break my table!

It already looks like playing the shit out of big hands and draws is the answer here. My first big pot I have AsQs on an A36 two spade flop. I hammer the absolute life out of it and get called down by a really humourless guy who keeps putting on his sunglasses, trying to look cool and keeps taking between 37 and 55 seconds every hand to make any decision even if it's a fold I miss the flush and he's me called all the way with AQ offsuit to chop it. Bleurgh.

Level 3 and I'm still trying to get them going. Big raise with QQ and two callers. Ace on the flop and the humourless 37 second guy bets huge and wins it. Isn't life fun.

Level 6....no cards, dwindling, frustrated, conserving chips, etc, grrrr

Just found a good moment to obtain some chips, or so I thought. I call a raise with Ks9s on the button, and I am heads up when we see a flop of 10sQs2c. Raiser leads out with a small bet, I raise with an over, a straight draw, flush draw, and a flopped gutshot straight flush draw. He thinks and clicks it back, I raise yet again and he calls. Turn and river go check check(I'm getting called if I bet unless I jam with air) and he turns over QJ offsuit for top pair on the flop with no spades and wins.

Level 7 and the humourless guy who liked taking forever on every decision just spite called me on the river with ace high with two pair and a straight on board to bust me, when I told him what he had after I'd jammed the river. Some people just aren't very nice. The rest of the table had a good time and I'm feeling a bit short-changed but there it is. I'm actually very tempted to re-enter this and play it aggressive if the new table is a good one. There are about 370 players in today.

I decided against it. I'm not going to keep trying to force it when a shitty run is obviously happening right now. Will rest up and smash the WSOP tomorrow instead. That's the plan at least.

I used to play in a very seedy private tournament many years ago. I'm still sure that about half the original buy-in money never actually made its way into the prize pool, but that's all a learning experience of course and once you know that you know to simply avoid such joints in the future. It was a rowdy but good natured affair. I always remember the owner announcing at the start of the event "shuffle up and deal...chilled bog rolls are in the fridge on standby for those who need them", which was his way of saying that you were all about to get repeatedly outdrawn in ugly fashion by a bunch of numpties with any two cards, and a pocket full of rebuys, so don't think for a moment that playing poker properly is going to get you the results that you think you deserve. Sage advice indeed. It was a bloodbath, and many a buy-in was shredded with the best hand going in.

Another guy when I first began playing seriously told me "if you are going to play poker tournaments, then you'd better get used to getting outdrawn horribly, because it's going to happen a LOT!" I took this advice with me going forward, and that knowledge, accompanied with what I had always been told was a very good and even temperament for such things anyway, stood me in good stead for what was to happen many times in years to come.

I remember the first time I ever played in the WSOP main event many years ago. I was experienced by then, but obviously still a bit apprehensive since it was my first outing into the biggest poker tournament in the world calendar. I played solid, took my chances, built up a reasonable stack, and then the fateful hand came along when we were on (if I correctly recall), the 300/600 level on day one.

I got dealt KK, and there was a raise to 1250 ahead of me from an aggressive young kid who had a hoodie, shades, an iPod, 3 bottles of water, loads of poker (not sponsorship) logos, and the conversational and social skills of an elderly Yorkshire terrier. One other player called his raise, and I then made it about 3100. A player behind me then also called the 3100 and it was back to the youngster. He twiddled his chips and made it 6300.  Next player passes and it's back to me.

Three of us in the pot and we're all pretty deep. The money in the middle looks worth winning so I make it 14k out of my original stack of about 70. The guy who called my 3100 folds after about a 4 min dwell so it's me vs the hoodie.

He tanks for 5-6 minutes it feels like, then makes it 29,000. I immediately go all-in.

He looks shocked and thinks for a moment. I know he doesn't have aces or kings. My gut feeling is AK. He dwells and dwells, counts his chips and tries to give me the treatment. I was chatty even back then, so I decide to make it easy for him.

"You have ace-king don't you. Your hand is no good". He goes green.

Another two minutes passes. It's a big pot in the main event and luckily most of the table are aware of this, and they exercise some etiquette and don't pipe up calling a clock or anything.

More chip twiddling, he looks genuinely pained.

I tell him "look, you 100% have ace king. I guarantee it. You must realise by now what awful shape you're in?"

He sighs and slumps...and then slides the rest of his stack over the line, we both had around the same chips at the start of the hand. Over we go..

Me: KK 

Him: AK

One of the original guys in the hand exclaims "I folded Ace-queen". Good news for me but still not really something you should say at this point.

Flop...

A39. I stand up.

The other guy who was in the pot says "wow. I folded A9".

Turn and river are bricks, and I'm out of the main event.

This whole paragraph isn't to be accompanied by violins, or to illustrate my Jedi skills at hand reading. It's all about what happens next...

He springs out of his seat, and exclaims "YES!" very loudly. Then starts hi-fiving his buddies on the rail. I'm collecting my stuff and standing up. He comes back to the table, as the dealer pushes him the pot. He looks over at me and utters the word every poker player needs to hear at a time like this..

"Sorry".

I consider my reply very carefully. I've just been one outed in the main event to a guy who has called a 7-bet shove when I've told him what cards he has before he calls. Nothing I say is going to change that.

"Nice hand. Good luck everybody". I make my exit. There was little else to add.

I guess I'm trying to say that good players are going to get the shaft playing poker. It feels like it happens more than to bad players, because obviously the good players make fewer mistakes and are in better shape when the cards go on their backs. Having said that this doesn't give anyone a divine right to win a hand, a number of hands, or a tournament. A part of the game comes down to luck, and bad players or lucky players winning pots or tournaments is the foundation for why there is a poker world. Don't cry about it. Don't tell the other guy how much he sucked. Just accept it for what it is and move on. You'll be a better person for doing it, and generally people won't think you're a prick who doesn't know how to take losing. Look at the great players. The truly great ones. With one notable exception they all just suck up losing and get in with it. Maybe they know something that the cry-babies don't...

Today was a day of recovery. I slept late, did some swimming and some admin, went out to dinner with a pal, and went and got myself an hour's massage from a very sweet girl. I'm still wondering if she was providing therapy or trying to kill me with her feet by walking all over me. Felt good though. All very civilised it all was too. Days off here are very important. So is not bleating about it when you don't win. I may very possibly get the cucumber again tomorrow when I play at Planet Hollywood for a one day $400 event. Whatever happens, I know I'm better prepared for the inevitable ups and downs than most.

OK, I know, weird title. I'll elaborate later at greater length if you're all lucky. Don't worry. I didn't murder anyone and I'm not incarcerated with no hope of parole...yet. Was just chatting to a pal and that clip popped into my head. It's crowded in there.

I'm at the Nugget for another $350 one dayer. Had a day off from tournaments yesterday and of course that afforded me time for a bit of soul searching, as if I needed any more of that. Dont worry, I'll skip the 23 page monologue on where that head-trip went (you can all thank me via email), and suffice to say we're back today and in let's-try-to-kick-some-ass & maybe get a stack together mode. The video above pretty much sums up the conclusion to which I came about life the universe and everything anyway. I guess it's not rocket science, and it has Morgan Freeman. What's not to love?

Not a great start today, however I'm still smiling through gritted teeth. Level one was uneventful. Level two I tried to get a guy off a hand with two pair on the board by firing turn and river. He had an ace to go with the two pair on board which was a good enough reason to stay in the pot. Of course he was right. 11.5k as we approach level 3 and I've probably got a nice loose image which we can hopefully use.

Finally found a few people who can fold and got myself back to 13,500. Efficient but very serious looking pretty dealer has joined the table. She is now in fits of laughter. I can't resist a pretty face and a chance to do comedy. Spread the love :o)

First break and I'm on 12k. Clock shows 221 players so far.

Back from break. Moved immediately to a new table. Great. Up to 242 players and I'm back to 10k. Not overly fussed. Lots of people seem to treat one pair or AK like 4 of a kind so hopefully we get paid at some point. Currently at 150/300/50.

Moved tables yet again. Still on about 10k. I'm 46 and may be the youngest person on my new table! One guy is on around 80k, drinking like a fish, and busting people out for the fun of it with any two cards. Everyone seems pretty good natured, not that it means much right now...

We're having a hoot on the table, but I'm still struggling to get a stack together come the next break and the colour up. 15 mins and a stretch and some sunshine.

Screen shows level 9, 400/800/100 blinds and 160/279 left. Standard on the table isn't great but I've not got the chips to go mad. Need to find a hand a go for a double up since I'm on 9k.

I find it with AcQc and jam vs a limp. The big blind has a lot of chips and calls me with KQ off. I flop a queen and he rivers a king. Pah. I can still find a smile and a well-wish as I leave. A five hour slow bleed without ever getting going and with no big hands from start to finish. So it is sometimes... Next.

Doesn't look like my positive attitude is going to overcome poker's warped sense of humour just at the moment. I just zipped over to Planet Hollywood to play a satellite for their $1100 main with my own money just to take a shot at it. Got the whole lot preflop in with KK vs James Browning from the UK, who had JJ.

Flop K53

Turn Jack

River Jack

How we laughed. I'm never one to quote the numbers, especially at the table, but that one even had me scratching my head...If I can't win when I'm quite literally a 99.9% favourite on the flop, and then still almost a 98% favourite on the turn I should possibly consider taking up basket weaving. My famous wonderful temperament didn't flicker. Ho hum :o0 I guess I'm going to see a movie tonight, and then sleep off the pain. I'm surprised I can still walk straight.

Back to the good old days today...

In the Venetian for their DSE $600 event. Lots of fresh new faces, and, including me, a few tired and cynical old ones.

Screen showing over 250 entrants for today's flight. Trying to ease in gently, won my first pot and just chugging gently right now.

15 mins before the end of level 2 and not much to report, so here's some filler.

One guy at the table may have a posture issue he's trying to correct. I've never seen anyone sitting so bolt upright in my entire life. It's hurting me just watching it. He just lost a big pot when he fired hard on every street, and bet 6k on the end, and got reraised all in for another 5300. He thought for 5 minutes and finally released. For the following 10 minutes his posture was the worst I've ever seen....

He then jammed his remaining stack with KQ vs QQ and is now out. Some people have a great temperament for tournaments...until they lose a hand then the wheels come flying off. I'm guessing he might have been one of them.

My wheels are staying on even though I just lost an ugly pot. A French guy at the table called a preflop raise with 74 off and turned a full house against me. Disguised indeed. On we go.

We then chop a pot between us when he raises with Q4, I call with Q10s, the board runs out QKQ9....K. Would've got me back to about 14k. Instead I'm on 9.

Lost another with QQ when an ace flopped and the guy check-raised all in after I bet out. He shows AK. Down to 6200 and unimpressed. Not planning on going the way of the bad-posture guy. I'm sure my resolve is made of sterner stuff. I'd hope so anyway.

I guess my resolve isn't in too much question. Generally. I'm back up to 15k at first break :o)

I call a raise with 66 and flop comes 76q two clubs. The raiser leads out and after some deliberation I just get it in there and then, happy to either dance or just win what's there. He puts on his dancing shoes, and calls showing AcQc. Shiiiiiit.

No clubs and I double.

Next hand the French guy raises and an old rock calls. I decide I'm not having any of it and make it 2400 from the 800 raise. They both look miffed and fold. That'll learn them. Break time and some sunshine outside by the artificial canal.

Back from break and the screen shows 340/431 left today. Long haul and all that. Lose a small pot coming back but feeling OK. English guy busts just before the break when he jams a busted flush draw on the river and is called. I don't like bluffing at this stage, especially against people who aren't normally folding. On we go on level 4 with the antes kicking in.

Last hand of the level, and last hand for registration. Screen showing 340/474. They still pull 'em in at this joint.

I've dropped to 12k as we go into level 5 at 150/300/50. Pots more worthy of fighting for now but still not going mad yet.

Back to 10k after playing a pot with 99 where I get moved in on the river with two jacks on the board and reluctantly fold. Two French guys at the table. Both nice and friendly. One is as weak as piss and plays very open, the other has a lot of chips and is very tricky. He just got it all in with KK (when he actually had a hand) vs JJ, flop J4A. The guy at risk with JJ looks relieved.

Turn A, River A. France wins with aces full of kings and busts him out. When it's your day it's your day. He can play as well, so it's even better for him.

Spiralled back to 7k again when my JJ ran into 45 offsuit and he flopped a draw and turned an eight high straight.

Lose another to the French guy when I raise with 1010 and he calls with K6 off and flops a king. Getting pissed off now. Down to 5k!

Down to 3600 and getting frustrated with every one of my raises getting called and every big pair getting outdrawn. Some days are just like that I guess.

I raise with AJs to pick up the blinds and of course the aggro French guy wants to play. He looks at my stack and raises me 2/3 of it. Screw it. Let's just play a pot because I'm not standing for this all afternoon. We get it in, I flip AJ and there's a flicker from him. I tell him he has A10 before he even turns it over.

Board flops a pair but luckily no chop this time so I'm back to 8300 again.

Level 6 and still around 8k. French aggro guy has lost a few pots and looks a bit miffed. He's back to starting stack.

Made the second break on 7k. Blinds 300/600/75 on return so I'll likely be coming out blasting in 15 minutes.

I'm a man of my word...

First hand back and pissy weak French player flats the 600. I jam rightly figuring he's not calling without KK or better based on his previous form.

He calls and flips over KK. Great.

I flop a ten and mentally high-five the dealer but say nothing. Back to 13k.

Final numbers for today now in after alternates are seated. 280/493 remain so almost half the field is shredded already.

Table has gone a little insane. 3-way preflop all in with AQ vs 1010 vs QQ. Obviously the AQ rivers an ace and irons out both players. Aggro French guy had the 1010 and has now said "au revoir".

We've reached the last hand before the colour up break. I wish the old swashbuckling Kevin were here today. I consider getting creative with 3c2c in the small blind, but there's a raise and a call so I shy away.

Flop 39J with two clubs. Marvellous.

Another club on the turn. Two guys get into it. King high wins the pot and I'd have been on 25k if I'd stuck with my gut.

Now at 400/800/100 and I'm on 7500.

Argh. Seat open.

Just ran 99 into QQ with my 6500 stack. No miracles and I'm gone with 230 players left from 493. No crying. Such is life.

Undeterred by recent long fruitless days and a particularly crappy nights sleep, possibly the worst I've had all trip, I'm up and showered and now sitting in the Mezz for flight 1c (2nd day one) of the PH $100k guaranteed event. I can play day 1b of the Venetian tomorrow if this all goes tits upward, but the value in the PH guarantees is still pretty good (assuming you get some chips together and actually cash in any of the damn things) so today we're having at it again to try to multiply.

I arrived midway in level one, and am now at the first break with two table moves and starting stack. Meh.

16k and stealing when it looks like the right moment to do so. Not much resistance on this table from anyone. Bad news is we're going to break soon. Sigh.

I've been moved again, this time to table one, which would normally be the last to break so slight strategy change is required. We're 10 handed and the reduced likelihood of breaking means more time to hang back a bit and just target people, if that makes sense. Best laid plans and all that. Level 6 and I'm ok on 19k or so at 200/400/50.

Ugh. Almost at end of level 7 and going OK. Woman raises with J7 and I call in the blind with 10 8 suited. Flop 7 10 3, she bets, I raise and she calls.

Turn 7. Marvellous. I go from 19k down to about 7k. Next few hands I give the impression of steam raising a little and get action on my KK. Bully a few more and I'm back to 16k.

I seem to be having a less than enviable time last few days in blind vs blind encounters. This time I find AQs in the big blind. The small blind makes it 2200 after everyone folds. I pop it back to 5400. He clicks it back and I jam. He calls showing QQ. Funny that just earlier today I was having a discussion with a knowledgable poker pal about how blind vs blind strategy has changed, and how often both players get it in with not much of a hand where they're just trying to push the other off the pot. Personally it's not a strategy I think holds water at all, and leaves you more open to busting out with a speculative hand. The fact 2 of my last 3 events have seen me in the blinds with AK vs AA and AQ VS QQ. Such is life. Off to do something else with my day, Venetian $600 tomorrow.

Felt OK to play so whizzed over to PH in time for the $100k gtd afternoon flight. Most likely take a stab at this today, and maybe one more shot or play the Venetian $600 tomorrow if I brick.

Not to generalise (I know how the complainers love it when I do that), but this is a WAY softer line up than the WSOP. Of course you'd expect it to be. But I'm likely going to splash about much more than I would at the Rio. Not treating the buy-in with any disregard, but with a bigger starting stack and poorer players, getting a stack together early might well be a good strategy. I'm pretty aggro so far and dipped down a bit and then got back to start stack. Watch this space.

I mucked JJ on an AAK55 board while the guy was fiddling nervously with his chips tying to count out his 4000 river bet. Obviously he hadn't seen me muck. I announced "all-in" once he'd made the bet after mucking, and he sprung out of his seat in a huge display of emotion, almost picking up the rest of his stack in one movement ready to call my bet. Much laughter and merriment ensued once he's realised what had actually happened and his pulse rate had returned to normal..

Almost at conclusion of level 2 and the clock is showing 200 players.

Approaching the end of level 3 and I'm back to 18k or so. Still liking the table quite a lot. Just hero called a 1600 river bet with 3h2h on a 55428 board. He meekly showed AJ then mucked. Jedi powers seem to be working well. Not at the Rio obviously.

Nearing first break. On a healthy 22k.

Back from break and not off to a great start as I lay down two red jacks on a 44567 board when he bet 4k on and there are 4 spades on board! I'd bet every single street and I actually don't think this guy has it in him to run a bluff on the end. Took a chunky hit and my 22k is now looking like a much sadder 14k. Some people would be saying they're never folding an overpair...ever in a $300 tournament. Mind you most of those guys are out already.

Bullied my way back up to 19k. Table has also filled up now with latecomers and players from broken tables so we're playing 10 handed at level 6.

Laid pretty low as we start level 7. It's now 250/500/50 and I'm still around 18k.

Been card dead for a while and plenty of people now seem shove happy. Almost on level 9 which will be 400/800/100. I'm on 15,500.

Chatted during the break to a very pretty girl who wants to play the PLO tournament tomorrow but wasn't too sure on the fundamentals and how it differed from PLO cash. She was very sweet, I wanted to steer her away from the dark side of poker drudgery and off to safety. Sadly I think she's still too fresh faced and in awe of the poker world to be nearly as jaded with the life as I clearly can be sometimes. It's funny how people can see the same thing completely differently. Maybe neither are wrong. Well, maybe it's not funny. I like stuff like that anyway. Hopefully she does OK if she actually plays tomorrow after my 15 min pep talk. With my peculiar English accent maybe she didn't catch half of what I said anyway, but she was cute :o)

Level 9 is off and running at 400/800/100. I'd guess about 65 players are left from the starters, and I've got 16k, ready to get cracking!

Won the first pot on return uncontested so now on 18k. Nip and tuck.

I'm on 21k at level 10 and people seem to be dropping like flies. It's become a bit of a shovefest, so I try a little finesse instead. I limp with 43s and win a pot from an old Asian guy (sorry Coleen....he's ASIAN...and OLD) who for some reason takes unbelievable exception/offence to me winning the pot. Next hand he shoves mumbling obscenities and gets called and loses...chopping him down from 20k to 200 chips! He shoves EVERY hand for the next orbit and somehow gets back up to 18k. He harasses the dealer, keeps pointing at me (not sure what I've done wrong but me and everyone else find it quite amusing and finally the floor gets called and he gets a warning for his continual outbursts and abuse at the dealer. It's both weird and funny at once. Finally he implodes, murders his whole stack and is out. He marches over to the desk and immediately re-enters...on level 11 lol.

We're at 600/1200/200 and I'm on 20k, where I've been roughly all day long. 5 tables remain.

Level 12. 800/1600/200 and it's time to get it in with 14k and big stacks all around.

Well, I get my wish. Choose the right spot and rejam with AK vs a limp a call and a raise from a big stack. He seems to like playing pots against me but I don't really mind this time and am happy to get it in against him.

Me: AK

Him: 88.

He flops an 8 so that's 6 and a half hours of my life shredded. That pot gets me back in the mix so I'd play it again all day long. Just didn't go my way. So it goes sometimes.

Food, sleep, re evaluate. Most likely going to either have one more crack in the morning or play the Venetian DSE $600 tomorrow. More to come in the next fun-filled instalment.

All good in the hood and I've got my happy face back on again for today's WSOP event. My table was immediately broken and I've shifted to the Brasilia room so at least I'm getting exercise.

New table and two young guys already look to have doubled up and also lost any sense of humour. Ho hum.

Level one and I've lost 250 of 7500 with JJ. My life is over.

I open early with AK and it gets immediately popped to 450 and called. With me it's not all about the WSOP "experience" at all, so I'm never terrified of an early exit. However I'm also risk-averse early on when it comes to playing oversize pots when I'm likely in bad shape. I fold for the 450, the two big stacks have a cock-measuring contest on a 10 high flop and one goes all in and wins a pot of about 5000. Young kids and their testosterone fuelled table image, and scabby min-bets. It does make me smile.

Level 2 and save the AK and JJ hands nothing really has happened. Down to 6k just seeing a few flops. Not overly fussed. The two testosterone kids seem to have a mission to win 8/10 pots or go broke whilst there are still 1200 people or so in the event. All good, I'll let them get on with it.

Testosterone kid on my left is now down from10,000 to 2200 after hero calling with 33 on a 4J669 board. The other guy showed AA. Well played sonny.

We're approaching first break and it's not been a great two levels, 7500 is 5300. Meh.
Now on break. Out to the benches for some sunshine.

Back from the break. Two bracelet ceremonies mean we don't start for another 10 minutes or so. One Italian and one Brazilian get awards, and both national anthems are rowdy and loud as the supporters pretend they're at a football match and try to out-volume each other with singing and shouting. Good luck to the winners, it's nice to see them have they're moment, even when the audience seem to be living it vicariously though the guys who won the bracelets.

Anyways, we're off again at 75/150. Still happy to plod right now. A few guys look a little weak and a few others look overly aggro for this stage, but we'll wait and see.

Phew. 20 minutes into level three and I finally won my first pot. Back to 6100.

It's pretty amazing to me even to this day how predictable some people's play is, even when they're quite clearly thinking that what they're doing is mysterious and unusual because they're wearing a hood up whilst indoors. One guy at the table opens every pot with a smelly min-raise to 350 if no one else has come in yet. If he gets re-raised he calls. And if the raiser checks to him he bets. It's happened about 15 times so far this level. Every time he gets raised, he asks "how much are you playing behind?" Even if it's totally obvious how much it is. Every time he gets asked the question properly he stands and looks anguished and eventually folds like he just go unlucky. The funny thing is that against weak minded players this retarded strategy often works and they just muck. To me he may as well be playing his cards face up most of the time. I find the way that so many players try to do this at the table in tournaments both hilarious and pathetic at once.

Level 4, and my stack is more like 3700 after finding about 4 small pairs and not improving on flops into anything workable. Not wanting to bleed down to nothing especially with the blinds still quite small but if the hand comes up I'll play it as hard as I can to either get paid or win the pot.

fml

The other option of course is I could get AK in the big blind and everyone folds to the nice guy who's had aces twice in the small blind who makes it 425. Out of my stack I make it 1300 leaving about 2900 and he shoves. I HATE calling for the rest and if I'm on 5-8k I most likely don't. However I need to go with it and hope I'm in ok shape.

I'm not. He has...AA. Lovely. AK vs AA blind on blind.

Flop K1010, so I wasn't folding the flip if he flatted the 1200. Blanks on turn and river and I'm out. Ugh.

Just told a pal and he said it was a cooler. Most people will agree but maybe like everything I over analyse stuff and I'm thinking I could have folded once he shoved on me. My reasoning being that he hadn't spazzed out at all and would probably only shove with the hand he had or maybe KK. Who knows. Maybe a 5 second think up and I'd have let it go, but I didn't. I'm sure most people are calling but then most people don't fold KK or QQ preflop either when they feel their up against AA. Such is life.

Out after just under 4 hours. Wasn't a great morning for me today.

Oh well. Suck it up and move on. I'm on the strip already and reg is open for the 4pm flight, so it's onto...