We went down to the arena to support Chubbs and Grumpy, its mahem. 200 tables and spectators are 6 people deep. There are TV camera's everywhere, microphones dangles over the tables where the stars are sat, hoping to hear some trash-talking. To reach the arena you are forced to be diverted through a large mall, full of stalls trying to get you to sign up for their web site, or selling poker memorabilia, poker tables, personalised dealer buttons, poker software, and instructional videos. It's big business here, there was even a queue to get your photo taken with The Flying Dutchman, Marcel Luske, who incidentally, is one of the friendliest stars on the circuit. Poker is just huge over here, the top players are worshipped and everybody is trying to cash in on the poker boom.
Day-26 - 7th July - Main Event Day 1
Day-25 - 6th July - 1 Day To Go
I'm getting a bit nervous about playing on Friday, every tournament for me is a roller coaster, as I play so many pots, and I face with so many tough decisions. This is the biggest tournament of the year and I want to go back home feeling I have put in a good performance but I know that if I have 5h6h, and the flop comes 2 hearts, I'm not passing, so I could be out on my ear very early on. My head keeps saying, 2 hour levels, 10,000 chips, you can wait for hands, but my heart says play your own game, with so many people playing tight, there will so many easy chips ready for the taking.
Day-24 - 5th July - 2 Days To Go
It looks like the rumours about 10,000 + players in the main event may have been just rumours, although there will be double last years entry at least. On Thursday Grumpy and Chubbs are playing, so we'll be supporting them, as Nick and me are not playing till Friday.
Day-23 - 4th July - Champion Rebuyer
Independence day in America and they are celebrating it with a huge firework display in Vegas. Meanwhile, Simon Aces Trumper is down to the last 6 in the Omaha $10,000 buy in. It looks as if a top 3 finish is the minimum he will achieve, and with a 1st prize of $511,000, Simon is probably wishing he bought 100% of himself, and we are all wishing we bought some of the shares, that he advertised on the Blondepoker forum for this event!
Day-22 - 3rd July - The Blondeites Arrive
No poker today so we went to the arena to support Simon Trumper in the $10,000 Omaha. He was chips leader having double the chips of any other player in the field. They played down to 18 players and although Simon's chips decreased over the day, he still managed to get into the money and finished the night with just under $100,000 chips, 7th out of 18. He returns tomorrow and fingers crossed for him to get a good payday. I had a bit of shock when I say that Tikay has modernised his look somewhat, bleaching his hair totally blonde - even blonder than El Blondie. Nice to see some familiar faces like Thewy, Zach, Womble and Ariston over here, although I have to admit, after 20 days over here, I'm finding it hard be the life and soul. I have notices a tired look in a lot of the English players that have been over here as long as me, their expressions say, I've played a hell of a lot of poker, spent loads of my bankroll, and I haven't even got a sun tan to show for it.
Day-21 - 2nd July - The Main Event
We're starting to talk strategies about the main event now. There are now 4600 confirmed entries. There are 3 days of heats where 2200 people will play down to 500 on each day. $10,000 chips with 2-hour levels with blinds starting at 25-50. Nick and I are playing on Day 2, Friday 8th July. If we get through Day 1, we will resume on Day 4, Monday 10th, with 1500 runners and the top 660 will get paid.. Day 4 and 5 and 6 will play 5 levels per day, and day 7 will play down to 36 players. The action will then move the Horseshoe on Day 8, playing down to the final table of 9 players. An interesting fact is that out of 6,600 starting runners, 30 players will be dealt AA on the first hand, if they manage to get the pot heads-up and get all of their chips in against their opponent, 6 people will be elimatated with AA and have only played 1 hand in the WSOP main event! Everyone is saying how tight they intend to play and they SHOULD get through the first day, however, 4100 won't, no matter how conservative their approach is.
Day-20 - 1st July - Pocket Kings In The $3,000
I had some well known pros at my table including JC Tran (35 WSOP money finishes) and Paul Darden (2004 WPT Winner). With only 3000 chips and 60minute levels the field started to bust out pretty quickly as some players tried to double up early. I am still unsure what the correct strategy to deploy is:
Day-19 - 30th June - Lawrence Gosney Triumphs
The last time I saw Lawrence was at the 100 Nottingham re-buy, he had arrived at 9.03pm and had missed the 9.00pm deadline that Gala enforce. He had just driven 100mph for 90 miles from Leeds, and they still did not let him in. He was very polite, but firm about his views to the Gala staff, said his goodbyes, and left to return to home. Would they dare turn him away now.........I have just returned to my room after sharing a drink with the new $2000 NL WSOP Champion, Lawrence Gosney. We (Chuubs, CK, The Shrew) supported him all day in the final.
Day-18 - 29th June - Slow Play? Me? Never
Went for breakfast with Willy Tan this morning hoping for some good advice. We were joined by a friend of Willy's whose theory of poker was very simply, he told me that I should only bet with the nuts and call with the nuts, that way I won't lose chips (he actually meant it!). After breakfast I went back to the room and re-read Dan Harrington's chapter on short-handed play. On my table that day was a young lady who I had busted out of a the $1000 final at the Bellagio last year, she informed me that she had turned professional shortly after that and was going to knock me out of this event. I also had a really nice guy who I had busted out of the $2000 PL earlier on in the WSOP, and 2 other players who I had also played with in previous touramants. This meant that I had playing experience with 4 out of 5 of my opponents, so I was very happy with my table. After one guy got knocked out early, Peter Costa came to our table which meant I knew 100% of the table. I got up to 8000 chips from my starting stack of 5000 within 3 hours of play without having to showdown many hands, all was going well until me and Peter clashed in the following hand:
Day-17 - 28th June - 'But They Were Suited'
I managed to play 2 hands before I was out today (which is twice as many as I played in the main event in Luton last month). Ironic really, as I had passed Lucky Steve Lui on the way to the arena at 12.05pm as he had busted out in 5 minutes with a straight flush draw, that I should be busted out soon after. The problem with these smaller events is that you simply do not get enough chips to play one pot to the river and still be in reasonable shape. Example, blinds 25-25, one raise of 100, 3 callers, raiser bets 400 on flop and to call costs you 25% of your starting stack. To re-raise him 1200 with your top pair will cost you over 60%, so you have to win your first major pot, and by the river, you are all-in. The best strategy seems to be to not play any pots early on and look for a double up when the blinds reach 50-100, where you could still have over 1500 chips at your disposal if you did not play a hand. This was going to be my strategy today, until I got involved in 2 pots when I was in the big blind.