Bazza in Vegas

Well started off on Wednesday night when I flew down to Gatwick and spent the night in the Holiday Inn. Decided to fly down the night before just to avoid any mishaps, nothing could go wrong could it? Well I woke in the morning and was shattered so decided to have an extra half hour in bed, I calculated that I still would have plenty of time however I failed to account for a number of factors a) I hadn't been able to check in online due to problem with their system so would have to do it at airport b) travelling time to the airport, shuttle buses ran every half hour and I faled to note the times they ran at c) the potential for a rather large queue at the check in desk.

Eventually I manage to drag my carcas out of bed and meander down to check out and get shuttle bus to airport. I checked times and realised I'd just missed a bus, hmm ok cutting it a bit fine now, so I went and asked thedesk to get me a taxi. "No problem sir" said the man, he calls them and then tells me "it will be here in 20minutes sir", eh wtf? that ain't no use to me so I decide just to wait for the shuttle bus after he confirmed that it is reliable and always on time...he was right. So off to the airport I go, whence there I follow the signs for departures only to reach the check in desk to be met with a queue that was zigzagged umpteen times...oh dear. Then I remember about the DIY check in kiosks so all is well. Checked in, ready to go and off I trek to the departure gate.

The flight itself was decent considering I'm not the worlds greatest flyer and the 9hrs 45mins seemed to go in relatively quickly. The first thing I notice about Vegas is the suffocating heat. I havebeen to warmer climes in the past but never experienced anything as hot as this. So that was me here in Las Vegas, It was late Thursday afternoon andI didn't play until Sunday, plenty of time to get acclimatised.

Its Vegas and everyone has fun in Vegas don't they?? Well not me lol, I was generally underwhelmed by everything. I was bored and pissed off due to a lack of sleep, and just really wanted to get underway. Eventually Sunday arrived and my preparation for the biggest game of my life didn't exactly go according to plan. 2.30am I wake up and an then unable to get back to sleep due to booming music aaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrgggggggggghhhhh. FFS just what I need. So i can do nothing but wish the hours away. Eventually it is time to get ready and head down to thr Rio. My eyes are blearly and my head is pounding and it would be fair to say I wasn't in ideal shape for a 15hour (including breaks) poker marathon.

Pokerstars were putting on a breakfast for those playing so thought I might as well head down to that for some sustinence to try and get me through the day. When I get there I witness the rather comical sight of 2 members of Pokerstars staff trying to explain to a middle aged European gentleman who spoke very little English that only he and not his wife was entitled to the breakfast. Having seen this and been told in advance that you were only entitled to the breakfast on the day you were playing (they had a sheet where the checked your name) I was expecting a banquet fit for a King, alas it was not even a banquet fit for a Bazza. Tight fuckers.

Anyway the time had arrived and my main event was about to kick off. I take my seat and I'm pretty happy when I notice that half the table is made up of online qualfiers (2 from Party, 2 from Pacific and one from Bodog). Jeniffer Harmans other half was also at the table (Marco something or other) and seat 8 was empty, it was to be filled some 20mins into the game by Simon Trumper turning up fashionably late.

I Started off pretty slowly went down to 9k after losing a couple of small pots then got myself back up to 10k when my 1st big hand arrived. I limped in MP with T9o with one limper before me, button also limps and Simon Trumper who had been raising a lot of pots makes it 300, 1st limper (worst player on table) calls so I call as does the button. Flop comes J84 and ST leads for 900, muppet to my right smooth calls as do I button folds. turn is 7 and its checked to me and I bet 2k..they both call, river is a nice and safe and St leads for 1175 and muppet calls. I have 5kish back and move in, they both pass, ST said he had set of 8's.

That shoots me up to 19k and I dont deviate much from that mark for next few hours.An aggresive scandi joined the table with a stack and rudely began raising every other pot. i pick up AQo utg+1 andmake it 800 (blinds 100/200), I get 4 callers, flop comes AJ4 and I lead for 1800, scandi calls, turn is a 2 and it goes check check river is 4 and i check call his bet of 4.5k...he mucks. that was me up to 30k+.

Next level came a big hand Joe Hachems cousin (Tony Hachem) was sat to my right and he had seemingly been playing pretty solid aggresive stuff. It was folded to him in the SB and he made it 1100, I look down at TT and elect to smooth call flop comes T87 and he leads for 3k, I raise to 8k which he calls. turn is a blank and he bets out basically committing himself, I move in and he calls with AT, he was evidently a non-believer!! That got me up to 50kish and gave me a sizeable chip lead, and I was able to use that stack to pretty much control the table and finished the day on 65,200 (39th of the 861 who made it through). Not a bad days work if I do say so myself.

I played very very well today (even if I do say so myself) without picking up any big hands preflop (nothing better than Jacks until I saw Aces with 50mins of the days play remaining). In the past few months my game as come on leaps and bounds and yesterday I believe I took it up another level. Prior to yesterday I had never felt totally comfortable playing live. I had very little live experience and no results to speak of but I realised the importance of building a strong table image, I had given it a lot of thought and had a plan of action, which seemed to work. When I had the goods they paid me and when I didn't they passed...long may it continue.

It was a helluva long day, 1st time I had played a live event for so long (6X 2hr levels) and was pretty drained by the end of it and took my foot off the accelerator in the last hour, I know I this was the time to pressurise the table with my stack but with fatigue now well and truly set in I didn't want to be making any mistakes and was more than happy to take my 65k onto day 2.

So it was off back to the hotel for some much needed shut eye, only problem was I had consumed copious amounts of red bull to get me through the day (15-20 cans), my heart was racing and my eyes were bulging..can't be good for you lol and it was after 6 before I got to sleep and I was awoken at 11.30 with the sound of a bloody pneumatic drill, wtf does a man have to do to get some sleep in this place.

Anyways time for some much needed food, then I think ill go and slap on the factor 75 and chill out poolside today as i prepare for day 2 on Wednesday.