And here we are. Back in Merrie Olde England again.
Took a few days to get the train back on the tracks here after leaving LV. I always used to be proud (proud???) of the fact that my body clock was so smashed after years as a poker player that I didn't "get" jet-lag. A full time job has changed that I think, and I was all over the place here for my first few days back. Anyway.
Trip-wise, short as it was, it has to be considered a success. Multiple days not withstanding, I effectively only played seven events in total, of which I cashed in two, chopping one three ways, and coming 12th in the other. Going out with around $9k in buyins, cashing for over $7k, and having $2.5k+ left in the bankroll unspent isn't to be sniffed at in a small sample size. All of the investors have now been contacted with the final numbers for the trip. We had several rolls of the bones, and essentially came out around even, with a few stabs at something pretty meaningful along the way. Some people are taking a return, most are pressing up the monies in the next poker outing, which will most likely be the WSOP in 2017, when I will aim to play some bracelet events, and possibly a number of DSE/Wynn guaranteed prize pool tournaments with multiple days and big fields.
I was a tad sidetracked in my downtime on this trip. I was helping with a house move/closing whilst visiting, and I also had a pretty limited window in which to catch up with my friends here. On the plus side I made some very nice new ones, and got a fair bit of stuff accomplished outside of poker whilst here. I kept my ongoing fitness quota up a bit, and didn't go off the rails with the tasty but terrible deep-fried diet that often goes hand in hand with these trips. I even managed to cook some pals a proper Indian curry one night. I'd not sought to be a gym bunny or anything, but in the run up to this trip I had been on a diet, I'd started running again, and had shed around 1.5 stones (21-22 lbs) before getting here. In the past if I ever felt bad about my weight or general demeanour, I only needed to look around a poker room to remind myself that things actually weren't quite so bad.
Maybe due to the work routine, or maybe just getting old, when I busted out of something I was normally home in bed pretty quickly to recharge for the next day. Sounds weird maybe, but two weeks here still feels like a very short trip for me, especially when I'd been used to staying for six to eight weeks previously. One of the few real upsides to playing full time poker before was being able to (largely) choose my own hours. For me the UK and Europe poker scene is just about dead, or at the least is not nearly as attractive to play as it was five years back. It's not exponentially harder to play I feel, it's just a lot bleaker with less money up for grabs, for more work, and more miserable faces, which is why I turned my back on it.
Took a few days to get the train back on the tracks here after leaving LV. I always used to be proud (proud???) of the fact that my body clock was so smashed after years as a poker player that I didn't "get" jet-lag. A full time job has changed that I think, and I was all over the place here for my first few days back. Anyway.
Trip-wise, short as it was, it has to be considered a success. Multiple days not withstanding, I effectively only played seven events in total, of which I cashed in two, chopping one three ways, and coming 12th in the other. Going out with around $9k in buyins, cashing for over $7k, and having $2.5k+ left in the bankroll unspent isn't to be sniffed at in a small sample size. All of the investors have now been contacted with the final numbers for the trip. We had several rolls of the bones, and essentially came out around even, with a few stabs at something pretty meaningful along the way. Some people are taking a return, most are pressing up the monies in the next poker outing, which will most likely be the WSOP in 2017, when I will aim to play some bracelet events, and possibly a number of DSE/Wynn guaranteed prize pool tournaments with multiple days and big fields.
I was a tad sidetracked in my downtime on this trip. I was helping with a house move/closing whilst visiting, and I also had a pretty limited window in which to catch up with my friends here. On the plus side I made some very nice new ones, and got a fair bit of stuff accomplished outside of poker whilst here. I kept my ongoing fitness quota up a bit, and didn't go off the rails with the tasty but terrible deep-fried diet that often goes hand in hand with these trips. I even managed to cook some pals a proper Indian curry one night. I'd not sought to be a gym bunny or anything, but in the run up to this trip I had been on a diet, I'd started running again, and had shed around 1.5 stones (21-22 lbs) before getting here. In the past if I ever felt bad about my weight or general demeanour, I only needed to look around a poker room to remind myself that things actually weren't quite so bad.
Maybe due to the work routine, or maybe just getting old, when I busted out of something I was normally home in bed pretty quickly to recharge for the next day. Sounds weird maybe, but two weeks here still feels like a very short trip for me, especially when I'd been used to staying for six to eight weeks previously. One of the few real upsides to playing full time poker before was being able to (largely) choose my own hours. For me the UK and Europe poker scene is just about dead, or at the least is not nearly as attractive to play as it was five years back. It's not exponentially harder to play I feel, it's just a lot bleaker with less money up for grabs, for more work, and more miserable faces, which is why I turned my back on it.
The US always holds a special place in my heart as I've played and done so well in poker here over the years, and had some great experiences here. The people are generally also just nicer. Being here whilst the election was going on was certainly an eye opener for me when it came to people's opinions and mindset. At times it was genuinely scary to listen to, whichever dreadful candidate they favoured. I hope they will be OK, as it's not going to be an easy road ahead. Hey, the UK has already ruined most of our country already, it's about time someone else had a chance :o)
That's all she wrote. Back on the proverbial treadmill for me for a while. Thanks for all the feedback on the site and the kind words whilst I was out in battle. Until next year, be lucky, and try to be nice to one another. Try to remember, it's not the end of the world, it's just a game, with cards, people to beat, and little bits of plastic to accumulate. Nothing more. If you regularly get bent out of shape, feel the need to rip into others, or have a shitty attitude, then maybe it isn't for you.
That's all she wrote. Back on the proverbial treadmill for me for a while. Thanks for all the feedback on the site and the kind words whilst I was out in battle. Until next year, be lucky, and try to be nice to one another. Try to remember, it's not the end of the world, it's just a game, with cards, people to beat, and little bits of plastic to accumulate. Nothing more. If you regularly get bent out of shape, feel the need to rip into others, or have a shitty attitude, then maybe it isn't for you.
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