I have no idea how this show will come out. Will the WPT want me as their new bad boy?

Just so that everyone knows I wanted to win this event really bad and did all I could to win that is within the rules. I came up just short but I loved every minute of playing this final table. I may be rude to you if you are at the table with me in a WPT final but remember, its never personal. Off the table I respect everyone, but when you play with me at a WPT final then its a fight.

The chip leader was my target, and I feel that I got him to play very bad. I hope I was not too nasty; please judge me and let me know what you think about me via this blog as many comments as possible are welcome. All views are welcome. As long as the show was fun for everyone at home then I am ok with any comments and I will leave them all up, just please dont swear. I never ever abuse the dealer or swear when playing. If the majority on here feel that I am bad for poker because of the way I behaved in Paris, then I will change my conduct, and look for help.

A tough second day with Markus Golser (Austria) sitting right behind me. He is a very good player and is extremly solid. I think he is the best Austrian poker player. I did live in Vienna for about 18 months and made my living playing poker there. Markus has been a prolific winner in Europe over the last 10 years.

Since we are decent friends, we swapped 5%. I started out with 26k and quicly dropped to 16k. The table I was at today was not a table where I could raise every pot and get away with easy pots, as after the flop players were good. Isabel Mercier was also on this table, and I believe she is the best woman poker player in Europe by a mile…perhaps even the world. She has some game.

I started to get desperate, and started to be very aggresive. I got back up to 20k then 29.5k and felt that I was back in the game.

Then the table was broken, and I was moved to Gus Hansen’s and Martin DeKnijff’s table and this was tough. I played real well here, and got my stack to 40k blinds with the blinds at 600-1200 with a 100 ante. I found A8 of spades in late position…keep in mind this event is all 8 handed. I raise, and the button calls. Flop is K 10 8 two spades, I bet 4k and he raises me another 9k. I figure I can dump it or gamble, and hope he drops it. I moved in. He had flopped a set of 10s. The river was a spade, but also paired the board, and I was gone.

As soon as I walk in the door they tell me I will be at the TV table. This is third time in three tries for me as I started at the TV table in the last three TV events I played in. I am trying to behave better, so I toned it down a little. They must have liked what they saw, as I spent nearly the whole day at the TV table.

I played with Greg Raymer, and the Tennis star Kafelnikov. There were two online qualifiers at the table who were weak, and initally that was where the value was. I probably raised almost 50% of the pots, and was very active. Raymer impressed me, I had heard he was not a good player, but I feel now quite the opposite. He played really well, and in fact outplayed me a number of times, but the cards fell my way, and I took most of the chips. He had his trademark glasses on, but I could see his eyes through a little hole, and I think I picked something else up on him that I will use in the future.

The tournament room was so cold, everyone was complaining, and coughing, and I believe many people will be sick tomorrow. It is very hot here in Monaco, and they had the air con blasting the whole time. I was in shorts and sandals, which did not help the situation.

Everything is so expensive here, you can easily drop $1,000 US a day just to stay, live, and eat. No internet, so I have to dial up at a four star hotel, which seems silly these days.

Met the owner of Noble Poker, who are sponsoring me here. Everyone was really nice, and I think I gave them good value as I was at the TV table for over seven hours. I brought the needle out a bit, but toned it down trying to keep everything light, and have fun. Several players commented I was a different person, and that it was fun for me. I don’t want to become a sideshow, but I will continue to have fun at the tables, that’s for sure.

I have 26,000 chips, and I will start tomorrow above average which is 17,000. 120 something left in, and a long way to go. I will update again tomorrow.

I got in from Nice today, it was a really nice drive Nice-Monaco. I loved it. Every house was nice and it was France at its best.

I’m staying at the Hermitage Hotel. I walk into the lobby, and immediately run into Erik123(Sweden). I started playing online poker with Erik when it all started. We played way back in 2000 on Paradise Poker. He was always better than me online, and I moved to the soft cash games in Europe.

Erik has won more money online then several nasdaq companies are worth. He is the most fanatical of players, everything he does he does well and he does not go on tilt. I once made a play on him in a NL Holdem tournament in Vienna. I had no hand and called him on the flop just to bluff on the turn. He figured it out right away, and it cost me.

Anyhow, I know all the big guns are rolling in and this going to be huge here. It must be a dream for anyone to make it here. I know that 5 years ago I would have viewed this as a milestone tournament for me…now its just another tournament I have to play. The good thing is that its free for me as Noble Poker are footing the bill this time for the entry and the expenses. Also if you join via Pokernews then you can come and play with me in the $5,000 Freeroll on March 27th… check the site for all the details.