Vegas & The Aftermath - Diary

[Karabiner]

Had my first "proper" meal this trip yesterday, in fact, probably the first time I have had a sit down meal in Vegas for several years. I don't do meals or social dining, as I have poor social skills in that department.

Thewy, Dylan & Ryan, all of been such kind loyal & supportive pals invited me, so it was hard to say no, really. I'm glad I went, too, it was most relaxing, & enjoyable.

I purchased some $$$'s from Dylan, & may purchase some more from Thewy before he & Dylan fly home today, as it looks like I may need them for the Main Event, & very few folks out here seem to have spare $$$'s for sale. I also conned all three of them into buying a bit of my action in the $3k PLO8.

We went to "Gordon Ramsay" in Caesars Palace, & all 4 of us had the same meal - fish & chips. I have a very unrefined palate, & short of steak & kidney pudding, Fish & Chips is just about the nut meal for me. 4 main courses, two afters, & soft drinks all round came to $165 I think.

Most enjoyable, thanks lads.

Click to see full-size image.

That looks average at best, lord knows what Gordon would say if he saw it.

4.5/10

Good luck today Tony, nothing less than a final followed by a bracelet will suffice.

[tikay]

Sorry Ralph, I'm not with you. It WAS at Gordon Ramsay, so I'm assuming he cooked it personally. No?

PS - Thanks for the good wishes. More than ANYTHING, I would love to cash for my investors, to repy their faith. I think we have, maybe, a 25% chance of cashing. A bit of run good & anything can happen. I only got all-in three times yesterday, got paid off every time, & I had villains drawing dead every time. Nut peddler me.

[Doobs]

Going to pop over the Rio now.  Don't suppose anyone fancies Dim Sum in about 25 mins?  Probably a step too far for Tony!

[jakally]

Good luck today Tony.... hope you have a great time.
Pass on my best wishes to Ben too.

Thanks Neil.

Ben who?

Dobson, on the same table as you I believe.

[tikay]

Going to pop over the Rio now.  Don't suppose anyone fancies Dim Sum in about 25 mins?  Probably a step too far for Tony!

You jest, David, you jest.

Dim Sum?

Not on THIS thread, please.

Wash your mouth out, & don't foul this thread with such nonsense ever again.

I thank you.

[tikay]

Good luck today Tony.... hope you have a great time.
Pass on my best wishes to Ben too.

Thanks Neil.

Ben who?

Dobson, on the same table as you I believe.

Ahh, sorry, he is listed as "Canada" so I assumed it was a different chap. On closer inspection WSOP list him as from "Poole, Dorset, Canada".

[tikay]

Many thanks for all the good wishes, it is really appreciated.

A bit of run-good today, & anything is possible. Almost.

[EvilPie]

Hey mate. Just sent money for my little slice.

Good luck today. Hope you manage to win it all but more importantly have fun!!!

[Big_D]

Good Luck today Tony

Have a great time :-)

[tikay]

Do you really believe in all this out of your depth stuff when you write it? Poker is about confidence isn't it? You have knowledge/experience in the game and you've cut through most of the field already. Think you should go get that bracelet really. And if anybody stands in your way just destroy them. David Sklansky? Who is that? Destroy him!!

If I ever get the book finished, this sort of stuff will get a whole chapter.

Of course I mean it.

Confidence, or lack of, is a strange thing. I wish I had self-confidence, but I don't, or at least, not in Big Buck events.

We are all different. Pleno, for example, bursts with self-belief. I AM GOING TO CRUSH. And he really believes he will. I approach it from the opposite end - I ASSUME I will not.

Self-confidence is all well & good, but let's keep our feet on the ground & get real. I DO have self-confidence in some things though. For example, teaching complete newbies how to play poker, the very basics? I'm the best in the world at that, bar none. I AM. Yes, I AM. Don't even think about arguing, I'm not buying. It's not even close. I have scores of testimonials on the CV, I can prove it. I am. Don't argue. Confidence, see? 

My self-belief in PLO8, say, is that, in the small-ball Tourneys round town I genuinely EXPECT to show a profit. I do.

Last year in Vegas, if memory serves correct, I won 1 & cashed in 5 or 6 others, from around 13 Tourneys played. Variance, yes yes, but I EXPECTED to do well in those small-ball things. My investors got a return of around 400% I think. 

This year, same thing. In the small-ball stuff, my little Team of Investors are showing a 33% profit so far on the original small-balll schedule. (Around $5,400 returned for about $4,000 spent, which included the blank in the WSOP $1,500). Truly, I would not sell to them if I did not EXPECT to show a profit. 

In the bigger stuff? No way. 12th in last years WSOP PLO8 was quite the biggest shock & surprise of my poker life, bar none. And I ran VERY good throughout. My biggest talent, or asset in that thing? PATIENCE & NITNESS. Nothing else. Well maybe just one other thing, I understand the basic mechanics of the game OK. Calling all-in with low hands as so many do is the way to Carey Street. Simple.

I entered the $3,000 almost reluctantly. You would not believe how many people PM'd me, spoke to me, told me I MUST play it. Channing was the worst, he did a right job on me, & I don't think for a second he would have said it if he did not mean it. (I'm the only plyer in the UK he has never purchased action in. I once offered him my action at 0.4 & he still rebuffed me). My profits must have been burning a hole in my pocket, confidence briefly high, adrenelin stuff, peer pressure sort of made me play it.

This year, I played the $1,500 WSOP PLO8, & am currently still in the $3,000. And I have to say, during the early stages of both of this year's WSOP Events I was utterly consumed by nerves, fear, & a general belief that the proper players were quietly laughing it my nitty play, pass pass pass, fold fold fold stuff. I had a decent table, with one old guy sorta thing. Did I enjoy it? Nope, not one bit. I spent all the time crapping myself, look at all these big guys owning me, time after time.

It was not until I got deep last year, & around Level 6 yesterday, when I actully settled down, & started to enjoy the experience. I did NOT enjoy the early levels, not one bit, I felt totally at sea, impotent & weak.

My first table yesterday totally ran over me. It was horrible.

I could not wait for it to break, then I got moved to.....Table Linton. Bugger.

Pete was two to my right, stacked up, & knows how weak I play. Surprisingly, because I expected him to major on me, he left me completely alone, & never tried any funny stuff on me. I steeled myself that if he got aggro on me, & I had half a hand, I'd not weaken, & I'd get it in. As it happened, the situation never arose, & he left me alone. Phew. It is a near certainty that if he had tried it, I would have bottled it.

Then I moved to my third Table, & by now, I was comfortable, I had the Table nicely sussed, & not ONE player on there bothered me. I had their measure, I just needed some material. Now, I was LOVING it, enjoying myself, having a ball, living the dream. Playing a $3,000 WSOP PLO8 Event. Me.

So there you have it.

Confidence is a very strange thing. I don't actually think "lack of" is necessarliy bad, either.

Respect for our opponents IS important. It damn well is. All these big guns who get turned over then say "I got called by the table idiot", "I had a table full of tossers & morons", I LOATHE that sort of thing. LOATHE it. They are all so bad. Sod that shit, show a bit of bloody respect, get your head out of your arse, & you'll do a lot better.

Buy my action at 1.5, it is a SOFT field full of SATELLITE QUALIFIERS (who said satellite qualifiers necessarily cant play?) FRENCHIES, RUSSIANS & OLD GUYS.

Oh really?  Think again boys, show me the results.

Too MUCH respect, of course - my line, sort of - is probably equally bad, I totally concede that one.

Interesting subject, very. The psychology of poker, & poker players, utterly fascinates, & is much under-rated imo. 

That'll teach you to ask me such questions.

And now I'm all angry, & revved up. And so I'm gonna go rip my table a new arsehole. *

* Believe that, & you are a fool.....

See?

[tikay]

Hey mate. Just sent money for my little slice.

Good luck today. Hope you manage to win it all but more importantly have fun!!!

Thanks Matthew. Fun is the goal. Be nice to cash, as a bonus though.

[tikay]

Good Luck today Tony

Have a great time :-)

Thanks Dyl, safe journey to you & Thewy, & really appreciated the dinner invite yesterday.

Actually, I did not appreciate it, I only went because it woulda seemed rude not to. But when I got there, it was wonderful. Thanks mate.

[tikay]

Right, gotta go.

Back to my room (10 minute trek), get myself patched up (poker patches....), may even have to buy me a hoodie or something, it was SO cold in that Rio cardroom yesteday, I was shivering, & my hands were so cold I could barely lift my cards to view them.

Stop off at Starbucks on the way back, get me a latte, living the Vegas dream baby. Day Two? Ooohhhhhh!

Gonna crush my table of idiots, fish & morons. Oh, wait......

[RED-DOG]

Do you really believe in all this out of your depth stuff when you write it? Poker is about confidence isn't it? You have knowledge/experience in the game and you've cut through most of the field already. Think you should go get that bracelet really. And if anybody stands in your way just destroy them. David Sklansky? Who is that? Destroy him!!

If I ever get the book finished, this sort of stuff will get a whole chapter.

Of course I mean it.

Confidence, or lack of, is a strange thing. I wish I had self-confidence, but I don't, or at least, not in Big Buck events.

We are all different. Pleno, for example, bursts with self-belief. I AM GOING TO CRUSH. And he really believes he will. I approach it from the opposite end - I ASSUME I will not.

Self-confidence is all well & good, but let's keep our feet on the ground & get real. I DO have self-confidence in some things though. For example, teaching complete newbies how to play poker, the very basics? I'm the best in the world at that, bar none. I AM. Yes, I AM. Don't even think about arguing, I'm not buying. It's not even close. I have scores of testimonials on the CV, I can prove it. I am. Don't argue. Confidence, see? 

My self-belief in PLO8, say, is that, in the small-ball Tourneys round town I genuinely EXPECT to show a profit. I do.

Last year in Vegas, if memory serves correct, I won 1 & cashed in 5 or 6 others, from around 13 Tourneys played. Variance, yes yes, but I EXPECTED to do well in those small-ball things. My investors got a return of around 400% I think. 

This year, same thing. In the small-ball stuff, my little Team of Investors are showing a 33% profit so far on the original small-balll schedule. (Around $5,400 returned for about $4,000 spent, which included the blank in the WSOP $1,500). Truly, I would not sell to them if I did not EXPECT to show a profit. 

In the bigger stuff? No way. 12th in last years WSOP PLO8 was quite the biggest shock & surprise of my poker life, bar none. And I ran VERY good throughout. My biggest talent, or asset in that thing? PATIENCE & NITNESS. Nothing else. Well maybe just one other thing, I understand the basic mechanics of the game OK. Calling all-in with low hands as so many do is the way to Carey Street. Simple.

I entered the $3,000 almost reluctantly. You would not believe how many people PM'd me, spoke to me, told me I MUST play it. Channing was the worst, he did a right job on me, & I don't think for a second he would have said it if he did not mean it. (I'm the only plyer in the UK he has never purchased action in. I once offered him my action at 0.4 & he still rebuffed me). My profits must have been burning a hole in my pocket, confidence briefly high, adrenelin stuff, peer pressure sort of made me play it.

This year, I played the $1,500 WSOP PLO8, & am currently still in the $3,000. And I have to say, during the early stages of both of this year's WSOP Events I was utterly consumed by nerves, fear, & a general belief that the proper players were quietly laughing it my nitty play, pass pass pass, fold fold fold stuff. I had a decent table, with one old guy sorta thing. Did I enjoy it? Nope, not one bit. I spent all the time crapping myself, look at all these big guys owning me, time after time.

It was not until I got deep last year, & around Level 6 yesterday, when I actully settled down, & started to enjoy the experience. I did NOT enjoy the early levels, not one bit, I felt totally at sea, impotent & weak.

My first table yesterday totally ran over me. It was horrible.

I could not wait for it to break, then I got moved to.....Table Linton. Bugger.

Pete was two to my right, stacked up, & knows how weak I play. Surprisingly, because I expected him to major on me, he left me completely alone, & never tried any funny stuff on me. I steeled myself that if he got aggro on me, & I had half a hand, I'd not weaken, & I'd get it in. As it happened, the situation never arose, & he left me alone. Phew. It is a near certainty that if he had tried it, I would have bottled it.

Then I moved to my third Table, & by now, I was comfortable, I had the Table nicely sussed, & not ONE player on there bothered me. I had their measure, I just needed some material. Now, I was LOVING it, enjoying myself, having a ball, living the dream. Playing a $3,000 WSOP PLO8 Event. Me.

So there you have it.

Confidence is a very strange thing. I don't actually think "lack of" is necessarliy bad, either.

Respect for our opponents IS important. It damn well is. All these big guns who get turned over then say "I got called by the table idiot", "I had a table full of tossers & morons", I LOATHE that sort of thing. LOATHE it. They are all so bad. Sod that shit, show a bit of bloody respect, get your head out of your arse, & you'll do a lot better.

Buy my action at 1.5, it is a SOFT field full of SATELLITE QUALIFIERS (who said satellite qualifiers necessarily cant play?) FRENCHIES, RUSSIANS & OLD GUYS.

Oh really?  Think again boys, show me the results.

Too MUCH respect, of course - my line, sort of - is probably equally bad, I totally concede that one.

Interesting subject, very. The psychology of poker, & poker players, utterly fascinates, & is much under-rated imo. 

That'll teach you to ask me such questions.

And now I'm all angry, & revved up. And so I'm gonna go rip my table a new arsehole. *

* Believe that, & you are a fool.....

See?

Proper writing that Tony. I lived every word of it with you.

[redsimon]

Dog biscuits Tikay