Wednesday

It’s finally here, the day I’ve been looking forward to since I won the PokerPlayer Grand Prix back in October. I’m in a plush hotel in Singapore, rubbing shoulders with players like Tony G, Marc Goodwin, Gus Hansen, Liz Lieu and a host of other bigname pros. Neither my poker ability or my bankroll would allow me to play in such big buy-in events normally, which is why this trip means so much to me and why I feel a burning rush of adrenaline as Thomas Kremser announces the immortal words, ‘Dealers, shuffle up and deal.’

13.00
My nerves are immediately calmed when on the first hand I’m in the big blind with J-9. Everyone folds to the small blind who completes; I check and see a Jack and a Nine on the flop! The small blind bets, I minimum raise his bet, he passes and I win the first hand of the tournament. I feel like getting out of my seat, punching the air and screaming. From there I hit a rush of cards, including quad Nines, and by the first break I’ve gone from 10,000 chips to 16,000.

23.00
During the next few hours of play, nothing much happens. I go card dead and just steal the occasional blind to maintain my stack and wait for a chance to increase it. It doesn’t happen. After 10 hours of play my last 5000 chips decide they want to go elsewhere. I raise three times the big blind from the button with A♦-10♦, get one caller and the flop comes 10♠-7♦-4♦. It’s perfect and I push my remaining chips over the line and get called by J-J. No diamond, Ace or Ten comes and I stand up, wish the table good luck and make my way out of the playing area in 130th place. I might be out but I’m not down, with a million memories of a fantastic trip to Singapore that didn’t cost me a penny. I’ve got the taste for this now – bring on the next Grand Prix series.

Thanks to PokerPlayer and Betfair, and the poker gods for guiding me through the Grand Prix fi eld. And to Dave Woods and Shelley Rubenstein for all their support and help. Oh, and Dave, you still owe me for the cab from Singapore airport to the hotel!