A few of us are heading to the rail, there was a housemate bet for Jason to buy and wear a dress for 3 hours of their choosing...

Ryans made a final... jason is off to the shops.

Pics and updates to follow.

It all sounds pretty standard tourney stuff john
What's left to play on the stake please ??
Are you enjoying it all ?? - daft question probably ,who wouldn't

Vegas isn't a real place, it doesn't have real people and it just feels so strange every time I say it - "I'm in Las Vegas".

I am enjoying it, the house and guys have made it a great trip.

Just it's a tough place to be when losing... someone else is always getting the cake, every day!


Still left to play I believe are the
$1500 bounty
$1111 one drop
$777 lucky 7's
$565 aria second day 1

Planet Hollywood $1150 today and we tried but struggled to win a pot for some time...

Slowly chipped down and kept trying to make sure pots stayed sensibly small.  It worked as we missed draws and our tp hands didn't win by the river.

A few hands in at the start I open QcQh, get one call on the button by an older chatty fun guy.  Flop is K105 all spades and I just check fold flop, I'd seen this guy play two hands so far and sizing's were huge.. I didn't want to be heroing half my stack by river.

Then a few small ones and we still can't win.

I had one big hand during the day, it's a slightly controversial one and I've spoken to Ryan, Fraser and Pads already.

At the time I thought my play was pretty standard but in retrospect I agree with them.

There's an open to 800 from our fishier older guy and a flat from a reg, unlikely he has a huge hand here vs this guy imo.
I decide to 3bt AJo to 2.5k in the CO, button folds then I'm looking at the BB when he peels and he is def liking his hand but to me looked like the face of "I have a pair... they're good/ these are two big pretty cards" type thing.  He is new to the table and I can see him putting the 2.5k together for a call, somehow he accidentally picks up a 5k chip, and from his reaction to the dealers announcing a raise I still now believe this was à genuine mistake.

The raiser and reg fold, reg and I give each other a look saying "did you see that too??".

Because of this I decide to flat pre as I felt if he did acidentally do this then he isn't likely to give it up without a fight but I can't imagine him blowing completely.

I call pre and see a J68 board,

He cbet small and I decided that getting great price and not needing to raise as we now have a value hand. I call.

Turn brings another brick relative to the action and
River is a offsuit 8 and

We call down his small sizing's.. then get told "your probably winning..." and he tables. KK.



I was a little bit upset to say the least but bottom line he completely owned me.. Well payed sir.



We have 9k after the hand at 2/400 and grind and grind... eventually getting back to 23kish.


Was being really snug and careful, no positional only raises with J2o or 93ss as I didn't want to waste a single chip.

Then we find AK in the sb just a few minutes for the dinner break at4/800 and flat the MP open to underrep our hand and try to induce something from the bb if possible... bb squeezes to 7k over the 2k open, then MY re jams for just covering us and we re jam our 22k.  Bb calls and we have AK vs AA MP and QQ of the BB.  Shame!
Didn't make a draw... shame.

Sorry guys.  Next one!

I have a few favorites... but one that is only really useful after a hand and I seem to see a lot...

People snap counting their chips after a pot. I almost always know what every player has to within a few %, but every time I've just tried to bluff I always snap count my stack to make sure I know how many chips we have left.



And +1 to the live tells on certain people.... I had a cash pot where I 3bt pre IP, cbet, cbet and tank check give up on 77629 a week ago.

I was going to consider the all in river bet but then the guy snapped his stack down and fidgeted, then looked up at me and for the first time in any pot started talking to me.... "I've got a little something...". Now at the time part of me expected him to try and get to showdown cheaper by leading small or by trying to the talk me into giving up as he didn't seem comfortable on the turn.

What hand does he have that raise/calls oop then cc cnervouscall and now talks to me...... 99 full?

After another minute of staring at him and another minute of really trying to go through every hand I've seen him play.... I partly chickened out and partly felt like I was somehow getting trapped here....

Check....
"Oh I have 99,  you had an over pair, right? I just couldn't fold when it was only 7 high.... "
Nice hand sir....

You joke but we all know it's only a matter of a year of two until someone is accused of using a live hud assisting their play.

I've given up playing poker and am now a professional railer!

I had my tablet railside and so we had the stream on that for any interesting hands or comments.  A few small things came up during the time which were relayed to Barney, mainly the commentators seemed to be funking for him as he was the only guy trying to make something happen of the three.  

(not a criticism of you, more a comment on the ethics of streams/rails/sharing info etc)

do we think that railers being allowed to view the stream and relay stuff to the players is really appropriate?

i know the 30 minute delay helps but its short enough that reads, hand info etc can be passed on and really affect gameflow, the way the tournament plays out

shouldn't anyone in the rail area be stopped from viewing the stream as we do at home, mobile phones off players for duration of the final too etc etc?

It's definitely worth looking at, in this instance a few things were passed onto him that may have helped him, we hope....

Today each of the three players had someone watching, at the rail, conveying information - does that make it fair?

I've given up playing poker and am now a professional railer!

I had my tablet railside and so we had the stream on that for any interesting hands or comments.  A few small things came up during the time which were relayed to Barney, mainly the commentators seemed to be funking for him as he was the only guy trying to make something happen of the three.  They were so deep when they went three handed that the short stack had 40 bb, Barny 80bb and chip leader well over 120bb I think.  This caused a knock on effect and it lasted five hours until the frenchman had survived a few all ins to get back to alive and then get chipped away again by the other two, Barny made a few moves and one helluva good value bet with 88 on 95292 vs A5.


Unfortunately it was not to be and after him saying "I know they now know I've not had it in those big spots let's find a good hand and get some chips back" he then runs AQ into AK. After his preflop holdings all day he felt like AQ was the nuts.... couldn't find one more miracle but he was so happy and smiley afterwards - "I'm knackered anyways, I really want to get to sleep".

Only met him once briefly before today and he's such a nice guy... Really pulled out some good poker and obviously had a few big hands to get him there but played the final table like a pro.

Congratulations Barny!

Thanks for the comments boys, I agree with most to be honest....

That however doesn't stop
Hand 1 - both have AK.
hand 2 - guy has K10
hand 3 - already revealed, we cut ourselves vs a flush.

This is literally the tip of the iceberg for me in vegas.... It was started by KK vs AA on literally my first cash hand.


#vegas2015

Bust 2500 j7cc all in on 6432ccxc with only 1000 in flop before turn and 13k total each vs akcx. Ultinate punt from opponent. otr

Not going to lie I'm hurting right now but determined not to moan. 3k 6max tomorrow.

A drink and some good food....

Think we are coming in for the Rio rail later, on it?

$2/5 vegas Aria
We have KK and there is an open to 15 in front of us from an older guy who seems kinda nitty, pretty sensible.
We 3bt to 35 seeing as I haven't 3bt yet at the table and have no idea how this will be perceived, effectively this should just narrow it from potentially 5 ways to probably 3 or hu.

Get a peel behind from button older Asian guy who seems to be after me (I haven't done or said anything ool).  And the OR calls.

Flop
check, we cbet 50, call, call

Turn

check, I bet 125, button raises to 275, other guy effectively goes all in for 280.

It's 150 to us with KK 3 ways on J104Qdd.

What do we do now?
We have around 600 back if we call, other guy covers.


------------------------------------------------------

We open AA over two limpers to 30, folds back and both call.

Flop
K8K
Checks to me and I check back

Turn J brings two clubs
first older guy checks and second guy bets 50, we call, fold behind.

River 8 brings back door clubs
Guy quickly bets 100 and we fold after a few seconds thinking...

--------------------------------------------

We open fir 20 on the button and get a call from bb and a limp call from one of the previous older guys...

Flop

checks to me and I bet 35, two calls...

Turn


Checks to me and I check back.

River

Bet of 25 into 170ish ftom the blind and im sure he would go bigger with a flush, older guy hesitates then calls, i make it 80 with a plan to fold to a raise, but I'm certain I can get calls from worse.

Both call, I beat BB but older guy has 86dd..



Thoughts?

Was meant to play the 1.5k today but got very little sleep last night plus my housemates had a very, very heavy night at EDC so I have to be at the house for a couple of things for the next few hours as they are gonna be dead to the world today!

Few other 1.5ks left at the Rio so will have a look at let you all know.

Confirmed housemates struggling to walk and be coherent.
I am absolutely dying..... why is it so hot???

Seriously though we need to set up some kind of ethics committee here. How can wearing a cowboy hat to work in the state of Florida be +1? or dressing as Rambo to hunt rabbits be +1? Nah lads this is stupid. Did I mention he will only wear Wrangler jeans? Did I mention he got his staff line dancing to Achey Breaky Heart by Billy Ray Cyrus in a team meeting? I mean we are only scratching the surface here!

You're doing yourself out of the win here....

Boots are cool, hat is cool, ive just been to a line dancing bar in vegas and im in for those girls, esp over average UK competition, he hunts? Meh....

[I'm not sure if either of us care about winning £1million, I'm fairly certain we would rather see an article about how good we are thought to be circulated worldwide instead.]

I have known Patrick for a few years now and think we both have a similar love for the game that sometimes transcends the numbers, I'm not sure if either of us care about winning £1million,  I'm fairly certain we would rather see an article about how good we are thought to be circulated worldwide instead. 

Total egotistical madness if true, but if the situation ever arose I think you, (or anyone else not already wealthy) would realise that they are talking bollocks and take the money.

im with Tom, give me the money and call me a c**t

I get why you think I am mad... its just another example of differing value systems.  If I literally had to make the choice - £1 million or a worldwide article discussing how good I am from someone I idolise like Galfond or something then I think it would be super tough to ever not take the money because of my personal situation.

Make that number either smaller or less relevant to my personal situation I.E. I have 10mil in the bank or make the number £50k.... and I'd choose the article every single time.

People have different value systems, if it doesn't agree with yours then that's ok.  I don't however expect insults because of it.

Something I've heard a few poker players (all much better than i) say which shocked me the first time but hasn't since.... "money is only money, you can always earn more..."

Not ready for a full Vegas update but needless to say, it is an amazing place....

Had a decent stack in one tournament so far but made a big mistake and it cost me probably my first day 3 appearance.

Last few days we've had some vegas life stuff going on in the house, so railed Deadman to his 2nd place in the $5k 6 max event, so close! He lost a flip to finish it but it was worth 11 mil chips of the 13 in play.  So gutting for him, such a nice guy and have a lot of time for him.

There was a house group outing to a cowboy linedance/ twostep bar the other night and that was a lot of fun,  culminating in a car park 8 way $20 shoe toss using Ryan Spittles huge builders boot.  The staff still around stood to watch the tense finale.

I'm half way though and I've been burned on and off the felt, but we have plenty of time left, let's get this done!

I've been on the rail of this diary for the last week or so and seen so many of the posts and identified with the emotion.  I've never played a £10k, but I have played comps where I felt I was one of the best players, I have had those moments where I've said something out loud that I either believe or would like to believe and honesty is something that is often brutal.

I have known Patrick for a few years now and think we both have a similar love for the game that sometimes transcends the numbers, I'm not sure if either of us care about winning £1million,  I'm fairly certain we would rather see an article about how good we are thought to be circulated worldwide instead. 

I had Timoshenko on my monster stack table this year, granted I was fortunate enough to have a big chip advantage and position,  but when he sat down the rest of the table all hushed and ran back into their rabbit holes. I refused.
This was one of the few times I've been sat on a poker table with a geninely world class player - so I said "Im avin that!".  I only managed to play a few hands with him before he got his chips in good and got unlucky in a flip.  But I did step up, I did play well, and I used my two advantages to batter a world class player out of half of his stack. That alone gave me such confidence that I played some of the best tournament poker I have ever done so.  Unfortunately for me, I tried a little too hard and positive tilt hurt me on day 2 when I made a Bluff I didn't need to.

My point in all this is that I geninely feel like I have a huge mental edge over the people at the same level of skill in poker as myself.  My view, my opinion.
I've seen it translate into my other main hobby, tennis.... I now have such a strong mental game in tennis that where before trailing all set would eventually break me, this year I've won a whole host of matches for myself and my club that I would have been incapable of doing so only 18 months ago.

The above doesn't mean I think I'm better at poker than everyone, I'm aware I'm not, but I also know that I am learning and have highlighted some key development areas.  Acknowledging all of this still leaves me with the occasional thought of "what if I never played poker/ what if I left at x of clock".  They're both negative and unhelpful thoughts, they are part of the still existing weaknesses in my mental game, however overall I'm still stronger than I was, I'm still improving.

Shocker, I've managed to ramble.......

I agree with Mantis' post and reading about the weather and Brad actually made me feel a bit sick in my own mouth.  Unlucky fella.

I agree these negative thoughts or weaknesses in Patrick's mental game are things that need to be worked on, I also truly believe having an entire 'life and friends that coexists with poker but doesn't rely on it' is key also. 

One of the biggest things that I think will help Patrick is his own realisation that he has a different value system to other professionals -
A might consider winning 10 tournaments a year out of 100 played a hugely successful year
b might consider winning £500k net profit a year being successful
c might think being top of GPI is the ultimate achievement
D might think that making £70k a year and being the most talked about or written about/interviewed player is about successful year.

Occasionally these things will interlock, but all of them targeted individually require a different strategy.


Rant over.