Born 30 something years ago into a card-playing clan in the North of England: the low-roller's poker odyssey has taken him from the school common-room via down-trodden Midlands' casinos, smoky Cotswolds pubs, celebrity Soho drinking spots and of course the ubiquitous world of cyberspace to the home of poker itself, Las Vegas. Join his search for juicy take-downs, great pot odds and the occasional back-door straight as he goes for glory.
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Saturday, July 07, 2007
And On The 7th Day God played Poker
Well we shall see whom the poker Gods favour. Currently they are shining on a fellow Englishman, Julian Gardner, who has come closest of any Englishman to winning it - he was runner-up in.... recently ish - look it up. It's late here but I am not so tired, so a little bit of writing before bed. I am feeling good, prepared and energised. I spent the early afternoon shopping, a new pair of jeans from the Lucky Brand Jeans Company (I got the shirt from there on Wednesday). This time the lady who served me was called Siva Simmons, SS being my initials (I also have the nickname Shiva by one or two people), another good sign, just as Dennis is another nickname and he was the man who converted my $10,000 into two plastic chips and then into two pieces of paper - my ticket to ride or should that be raise. My plan for tomorrow is pretty straightforward - play it tight, be ultra observant and flop a lot of sets (when your pair hits trips - 15 to 2 in the odds book, but I'd like to shave a point or two off that). It would be nice to end the day on a par with Mr Gardner - he currently has 195,000 from an original 10,000, and the leader, Timten Olivier (with his dog Snowy?) has 235,000. Next Monday was a day off, but has been converted into a fourth starting day, so it looks like the field will top last year's 8,800 or so. Today around 2,500 players started. Last year's winner, a Mr. Gold, received $12,000,000. Thirteen has always been lucky for me, so I would like to see a figure of $13,000,000 - I did in fact write myself out an imaginary cheque for this amount a little under a year ago.
I looked in on the Rio around nine this evening after completing a 7-mile jog in the mountains, which has left me feeling on top of the world. I was running through the oldest trees in the world - I have forgotten their name and their age, bristlecone pines I think, at a height of 11,000 feet. The sun was setting the other side of the mountain and the temperature was utterly perfect and all this just 45 minutes from the Circus. I made a couple of new friends, Bob and Jerry. Bob took my picture and was sure I'd win, while Jerry let me off the $7 I should have paid for parking in the campsite and provided me with a very welcome Coke. So arriving at the Rio, I headed over to the televised table, where I couldn't recognise anyone, until my neighbour piped up in a thick Yorkshire accent that the guy with virtually no chips was The Devilfish, Dave Ulliot (from Hull and rather good at the game). Anyway my new buddie, Alan, lives in Doncaster, my home-town, and had qualified through a local satellite at the cost of a mere £160. So lots of good omens although I am sure I said this last year. Some would call it folly putting up 10K of my own cash with three kids to provide for and a five-figure debt and no discernible assets bar this computer and a car half paid for on the never-never - the triumph of hope over experience, but I know I am in the right place, loving America, digging the people I meet, chuffed not to be meeting too many - particularly glad not to have to walk through a casino full of slots to get to my hotel room. The madness of slots - what is that all about? There is only one good slot and if you put your loose change in it, you'd most likely get a slap in the face...
There is a little bit more good news in that I now have the buy-in for another $300 tournament at the Wynn, which is almost opposite the double Circus (the single Circus, the WSOP is five minutes along the freeway) and the Fashion-Show Mall, my favourite shopping centre on the planet (I would guess I've spent nearly the whole 10K in there over the last three year). So how did this $300 appear? Well I didn't win it off the cleaners, and I am 100% sure it wasn't there as I was forced to change almost my last £160 for today's $500 buy-in, so in truth I don't know. A little bit of magic maybe. Anyhow I'll be playing there on the 8th as it is a great tournament - over 11 hours in length with a great structure, so it is good practice for the main event.
You might not get much from me tomorrow morning. I won't be setting any alarms - it is currently 2.34 a.m and I am sleeping around five hours a night. I might even head up the mountain where they do a great breakfast, but we shall see. I hope to do you proud, and I will report back when I do....until soon and many thanks for the texts and comments - keep them coming. Sorry I can't reply to you all - but Alan well done for your money finish and no I don't know the bridge player in question, and Rich, stay off the avaition fuel - stick to sniffing glue.
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