El Blondie's Vegas Diary

Here's the second of Dave's Diary pieces.

".......Day 2 June 4th.
The $1500 Pot Limit Holdem event only attracted slightly over a thousand runners. Almost triple last years figure. If there is a slight problem with the World Series earlier, cheaper events, it is the amount of chips you get. For a $1500 buy-in you get 1500 chips. One chip per dollar. As the first level is 25 25 all the chips can easily go in one hand, so its crucial to win your first hand. Unfortunately, I forgot this basic rule. I ran a pair of Jacks into a pair of Aces, and exited after only 40 minutes.
As I have obviously got off to a bad start I thought it best to take the rest of the day off. I wandered down to Wynnes. The new casino in town was holding a 300 player competition in aid of charity. The entry criteria is that your net worth is 800 million dollars. Bill Gates was rumoured to be there. Not sure if Phil Helmuth qualifies yet Whilst I was there I had a stroll around the casinos very own Ferrari showroom (just in case I win the big one !)

Day 3 June 5th.
Only a few years ago, Limit Holdem was more popular in the US than No Limit. In fact it is still that way in cash games. Not so in tournaments though. A mere 1049 turned up compared to the NLH shut out two days prior. I had a quiet first couple of levels making little progress, and when I had my first confrontation, I lost. Another early bath for me.
Just to add insult to injury I have gone down with a virus or fever or something Quiet a few players are sniffling around the place. I wonder if its the air conditioning in our aircraft hangar ? Anyway, Im running a temperature of about 110 and am only fit for bed. And I call myself a professional ?

Day 4 June 6th.
I wasnt go to play the $1500 Omaha Hi-Low due to lethargy, but managed to pull myself together just for the sake of getting out of the hotel room. Fortunately I played a lot better. Once you know the starting hands and strategy for Omaha Hi-Low it is much more a game of patience and discipline. There is little room to show any flare, which was ideal for the state I was in.
I had the pleasure of playing with Phil Ivey and Scotty Nguyen amongst the field of 698 (another record for this event). Having got down to around 200, I took a bad beat in a huge pot where my opponent could only win with a 10 on the river,. Its appearance left me short stacked, and I exited just before the dinner break.
As I drove downtown I was reasonably happy though. Id played better, and I think I was just beginning to feel a bit better. I just needed one more early night, which isnt so easy in the city of temptationdiscipline, discipline, discipline."........