What a great time, next year we're getting a crew together and doing it up proper. Of course gadget freak had to document the event, check it out:

The Video - http://www.onroad.com/wsop/WSOP2006_01.wmv

Doyle Brunson meets a poker legend - http://www.onroad.com/wsop/doyle.jpg

Chris "Jesus" Furguson - http://www.onroad.com/wsop/jesus.jpg

Greg Raimer - http://www.onroad.com/wsop/raimer.jpg

Jennifer Harman and Liz Lieu (who I busted with AA vs her KK but was gracious to pose with me) - http://www.onroad.com/wsop/harman_lieu.jpg

Photo taken for Liz Lieu's website that I'm in showing both Liz and Jennifer Harman to my right - http://www.onroad.com/wsop/table.jpg

Not meant to be

It's a tough game, you can do everything right but not win. Busted out with 35 left. Got stack up to 20,000 then the wheels fell off:

- JJ lost 5000 pot to shortstack with KJ
- AT lost 7500 pot to shortstack going allin with JT
- AK flopped both lost to fish on BB calling with 94 preflop 4x raise and calling his chips in with flush draw cost me 10K in chips
- QQ ran into AA for remainder of my chips

Like I said, it's a tough game. Played perfectly and now I'm walking to dinner.

And that's all she wrote. Damn it's hot in Vegas this time of year.

Update from Bellagio

With 155 people in, we're at the first break. Average chips is prob around 7 or 8000 (started with 5000), I've got about 14,000 and playin well if I do say so myself. Trying to make uncle sam another 30 percent...

Another one

This morning I won a one table satalite buyin for 215 that got me into a 2 pm $1000 buyin tourney at Bellagio. Should have about 150 entrants so the payout will be huge. Hopefully next posting is a good one!

Uncle Sam

After waiting in line to get paid out for over an hour they held back 30 percent of my cashout for being Canadian...ughh

Starving but room service will be an hour and it's 2:30 local time, 5:30 body time so I'm going to sleep.

Thanks again for all the support!

7th in consolation

Happy with the showing, won 3600...sweet! But before I went out two shortstacks got stupid lucky costing me an additional 2k (KK lost to short 99, AK lost to guy blinded in with 23). Still awesome!

Heading to final table

Got there but shortstacked and blinds are sick. Hopefully some decent news next post

In the money

At break in the second chance tourney, down to 26 left and in the cash. Not sure how much but at this point I'm really stoked as it kept me away from the casino and shopping! Now I'm going to go back and win this.

Consolation looking ok

Above average chips with 65 people left. Payday starts at 27 left, winner takes 38K. If I'm around at next break in 90 mins ... Well that would be good.

One more try

There was a second chance tournament at 5 that I entered. About 220 in, at first break I've increased my chipstack from 1500 to 4000.

The action hands

Aqs flopped fl and st draw - down 400
Aa vs pro w kk - won
QQ had to lay down with board akjj - lost 500
77 on bb lost 200 to jen harman w aq
99 lost 1000 vs
AQ tlost race to 88 after hitting A lost 2200 pot to 2 outer on river
Aqs lost allin race vs other shortstack w 88
99 short stack vs aj and jj and that was it

Lasted 4 hours.

Lesson of the day, AQ sucks!

See you next year

Just busted out, the scenerio played out just as I was hoping it wouldn't. A crippling bad beat then a lost race.

I had 2200 chips with AQ on the big blind. A shortstack with 1200 chips raised my bigblind (blinds 100/200) to 700 I called. Flop A75 he throws in his remaining 500 I call and boom, 8 on the river to cripple me to 1000 chips.

Few hands later I get AQ suited and go allin and again get called by another shortstack wioth 88...board blanks out and I have 300 chips left.

Final nail came couple hands later wit 99 vs AK and JJ.

Did everything I could, played the best I can but couldn't win my big hands. It was so much fun playing in this tournament and know that I could have actually had a chance.

Made first break

Got into some interesting hands. AA early took down pro w KK. Took shortstack AJ out w AK flop AK4. Lost big one right before break 99 vs 10 10 that I led out with pre and post flop and luckily the guy checked to trap after he hit set on turn.

At my table is Jennifer Harman, a pro Elizebeth something. Table beside is Mike Caro.

Had 3500 chips at one point down to about 1900 at break, still a 25 percent build from the start.

Insanity

Checked in at the Rio, insane the craziness going on. Event is sold out so people are frantically trying to buy seats. I've been offered double my money to sell my seat, sorry supportive wife, 10 K and I do it.

Can't tell you how good it feels to get the supportive comments...thanks so much. Dont' know what to wear, shorts? hat? sunglasses? ipod? t-shirt or button down? I'm a mess, like a teenager dressing for her best friends sweet 16....going to puke.

Here goes...

Unbelievable as it may seem, I came up to my room after dinner last night, read some poker books and went to bed by 11 local time. Well rested after a 9 plus hour sleep (again sorry supportive wife, I know that's as much sleep as you will have total while I'm here) and feel rerally groggy right now. Ordered up the world's most expensive breakfast as I have no idea how we'll get food over at the Rio.

Really hoping I at least make it to the first break so I can tell some interesting stuff and not just about my bad-beat demise...will know soon enough. I'm a bit nervous right now, actually I'm shitting bricks but excited to get it on.

Awwwwww

Amazing how a 5 lb Nova Scotian makes you forget everything else...think I'm going to heev right in the middle of the Palm. I know that not a single one of u will believe this but I'm heading back to go to bed.

Touchdown finally at 5:11 PST

One of my favorite things about this city is taxiing in to the terminal seeing the strip right there!

Got on Ted flight

Delayed 30 mins of course but still at least an hour ahead of any other options and more then 2 ahead of what they put me on by default after 1st cancelled flight. And 5 hours ahead of the next Air Canada flight if I would have accepted that in Toronto. I'll still arrive in LV at 5 pm local time which is really only 2 hrs off what I thought when I had a 10:30 flight.

Although this travel day has been rough, it's a parallel to what the poker tournament is going to be like. If I can adjust successfully in real time like I have had to today get the safety deposit box ready for a gold WSOP bracelet!

The Race continued

Made a move, couldn't accept a 2.5 hour wait in this place... took the tram from one terminal to the other and was able to get the next flight out of this massive Denver airport. A bit concerned as I sit here looking out a a jetway with no arrived plane 40 min before it's supposed to liftoff. Somehow I'm not too confident this flight is going to leave and 99 percent certain my bag is going to end up in Sri Lanka.

Air Canada Sucks!!

Damn, arrive in Denver only to find out my connector flight to Vegas was cancelled. Next flight out is in 2.5 hours so I'm going into Amazing Race mode to see if I can get there sooner.

Not the best start...

Got to the airport a nice responsible 90 mins before takeoff, went to checkin and noticed a bewildered checkin attendant. Turns out the 10:30 flight was changed to 8:30 and my journey had begun, just like I wanted it amid chaos and dissapointment. Air Canada claims to have emailed me in late March about this but with all the spam I get from them it was probably deleted upon arrival in my inbox. After some negotiations I was able to fly business class through Denver leaving at 1:30 arriving in Las Vegas at 4:30...two hours after originally planned. Definitely better off without the two hours with nothing else to do in Vegas, I'll still be whoofing back a Palm steak at 6 pm so it's all good.

Until later, later!
Rob

The tourney is getting close and I am very excited. For information on the tournament I'm playing you can go to http://www.worldseriesofpoker.com/2006wsop.asp - playing in event #2, you can click on the information there to see blind schedule and information on it.

I figure about 3,000 entrants will be competing in the event giving my chance of making the final table about 1:20,000 based on the fact that compared to about 2,800 of the competitors are going to be incredible players. Not that I'm lacking confidence, in fact I'm going in feeling pretty good about my abilities but realistically these huge multi table tournaments are very difficult to win without all things falling into place at the right time. In fact, I'm scheduled to fly home on the 3rd day of this event which consists of only the final table. If I have to miss my flight I'll still get home by the weekend but will have a 6 figure prize in my pocket, would be a nice problem to have.

Last night played in my final live game tuneup and won about $100. Would have cleaned up but lost two allin ahead showdowns, one to a two outer and another to runner runner ....all part of the game, just hope I exhausted these beats in my backyard and they won't come out at the Rio.

Until next time,
RMLL

Hi, I've created this blog to journalize my experience playing my first live poker event taking place June 27 - 29, 2006. It's Event #2 of the 2006 World Series of Poker at the Rio in Las Vegas. I'm really excited for it and hope I have some good news to post up here once I get to Vegas.

In other personal poker news, I've been invited to go to Montreal next week for the F1 race by PartyPoker. They are flying me and a guest down, putting us up at a hotel, we are invited Thursday night to a VIP party that they claim will have celebrities and some F1 drivers then special seats for the race....should be pretty cool. Only problem is I am going to miss an event Nancy is throwing at her cottage for her firm on the Friday...thanks to Nancy for letting me miss it and to Pearse for covering my duties there that day!

Also, after not playing PartyPoker for a month they deposited some freeroll money into my account and I played a $164 buying multi-table no-limit tourney on Sunday night with 400 people and cashed in 2nd for $8615...SWEET!!!!

Will be in touch.

RMLL