On the last hand, I went in with Aces against Q 9 of diamonds. The flop was 6 3 7 with two diamonds. There was a limper, and I didn’t raise that much – I wanted to keep him in, and play a big pot to get back into it. I got all the money in on the flop, but the diamond popped out on the river.

Pretty tough day after I got a boost early on, I was the short stack most of the day on the table. But, that’s the WSOP, you have to beat almost 10,000 players this year. So, I don’t feel too bad. I didn’t do anything too wrong.

Tomorrow, I play in the Mansion Poker Dome Challenge, which will air Sunday night at 10pm. I am not going to post the result, so it won’t spoil the surprise, but make sure you tune into FSN this Sunday night to watch me on the Poker Dome.

I still have that event to look forward to, then I will get the first plane out of here. It’s been a long trip, I had a lot of close results – I played great poker, and had some fun, and worked a lot.

I’ll keep plugging away to try to get some results. That’s the WSOP – you need a lot of luck. See you all soon.

So we’re through for the first hour it’s still in play, I thought I’d get up from the table and think about what’s happening even though the blinds are going around, we’re playing 25-50, with a 10,000 starting stack, it’s 2 hour levels today. We’re gonna play 7 levels today and I went off to a really aggressive start, I was raising every single pot for the first hour. Got up to 15,000 at one stage and picked up 10 J suited, and if I decided to call a re-raise on the flop. The flop was A, Q, J, I bet 300 and got raised 400, I called. Unfortunately the other player had 10, K, and that was a bit of a problem for me because he had the nuts on the flop. So the turn came up a J, so I had 3 jacks and I needed a J or a 10 on the river. On the turn he bet 1,000 and I raised 2,000 and he just called, thank god for that. Thankfully he didn’t take control of the pot so I could minimize my losses. On the river came a 6, a blank which I was happy with and I quickly bet 2,000. The thing is, you save money when you bet quickly and he just called me he didn’t raise, and I got away with it. I only got clipped for 4,700 on the pot so I was back down with what I started with. Right now I’ve got 10,500 and I’m gonna slow down a bit and just see if I can pick up some big hands.

I had pocket Q’s on the big blind, there was a raise and four callers and I just called, and won a pretty good pot as well. Sometimes I like to deceive my hands so there can be many ways. When you have queens and there’s been a raise and several calls you can just call and see if you hit a set though, anything, but the board was like 6-6-3, 8-2….and someone had pocket 9’s so I got paid out pretty good. I am going to tighten up now and go into another gear since I showed everybody I could raise every pot for an hour. I am 500 in front so i’m pretty happy and that’s a pretty good start. I have my table’s image like I want it, I’ve got a good table not a lot of big names there, that I know of. So, I’m pumped up…it’s gonna be a long day though.

It’s day one for me today, and I am playing in the first flight, and a lot of the professionals have decided not to play today, which is encouraging for me. I hope I have a good table, and have some fun. It’s very important to get through today. I didn’t sleeps so well – I don’t know what it is, but I guess it’s so exciting to be here and playing in the main event. I think I will be making a very steady start, not being too aggressive. In the right situation, I need to watch and see who is going to be gunning for me and looking for really weak players who I can push around, and get involved with in pots. It’s so important to double up, last year I was able to double up pretty early with my Aces. Unfortunately after that I couldn’t pick up a hand. It goes pretty quickly even if you double up, you can be out very quick in the WSOP, it doesn’t give you much protection.

I am actually not thinking anymore about doubling up I am just thinking about playing well, picking up small pots all day is better than doubling up once and losing the big pot, it works out pretty much the same. I just want to play my game, today, just pick up small pots, pick up big pots if they’re available and see what happens. I gotta get through the day, if I can get through with 25,000 I will be very happy. Let’s see if I can do it. I’ll update everyone pretty regularly during and I will give you the atmosphere from the WSOP and the table that I am on. So, anyone who hasn’t made it here yet, you will get a good sense and feel of it all from me. I’ll do my best to update very very often.

I’m out of the Deuce to Seven. Just a stupid day today. Everyone is asking me to do things today, I’m just wound up. I just hate it. People ask me to help them out, help them out, and I just got really wound up before the tournament.

I had some good cards today, and I just couldn’t hit. At the end, Layne Flack busted me out. I had a really smooth draw, but I couldn’t hit.

Just a total waste of a day. I played the last hand so bad, I never should have called that bet.

Now I have to focus on the Main Event. I play Day One, and the next day I play the Mansion Poker Dome, which will air on FSN this Sunday. Hopefully, I can win the Mansion one, and I hope to have a good day.

I am going to see Elton John, and his Red Piano show today. Just trying to get some relaxation going, and get away from poker for three days. I hope to play well in the Main Event.

Right after getting knocked out from the final table, I moved over to the $5,000 duece to seven rebuy tournament, and I rebought once, so I was in for $10,000. Almost right away, I doubled up with 9 6 4 3 2, against Bill Baxter’s 9 7 4 3 2. So, I was pretty excited. So, I added on, and I am in for the minimum $15,000 to play in this tournament. Carlos Mortensen has made 12 rebuys, and is in for $65,000 in this tournament.

I was prepared to do the same, but since I was playing solid, I didn’t have to go for all the rebuys.

I have played this game a lot online, and in the cash games, but this is a bit different. This is single draw no Limit, I am used to playing triple draw limit, but you get used to the game, and get a good understanding of the game, and its nice to have a break from hold em.

I have 62,000 in chips. I have a really great table, I have the same French guy that I bubbled off the $1,000 rebuys final table, and he has a lot of chips, which is really good. I want a tight player at my table. The blinds are 2,000/4,000 with a 500 ante, so the 60,000 will go fast.

I’m really ready for tomorrow, and I look forward to tomorrow. I hope I can make my seventh cash, and get to another final. There’s a lot of money out there – $400,000 for first. So, I am going to play really hard, and of course have fun casue that’s the most important thing. This will be my last event before I play the Main Event.

I’m out. Nothing I could do. I got down to 62,000. On the button I picked up Q 2 on the button, didn’t like the hand. But, I had to put 56,000 in the middle to try to pick up 36,000 in the middle – so good situation – but a bad hand. You gotta go for it in that situation, so I moved in. Small blind had A 10, and had a long think about it. He was a small stack too, and called all his chips off. The board came 4 5 6 7, and I needed some help on the river, but nothing came up, and I was out in 9th.

So, I have taken a bunch of steps by making the money a number of times, now I have made a final table – now I have to win a bracelet. I don’t know how many years it will take, but it’s gonna happen. I don’t have to rush. I enjoy the tournament, I feel pretty good, and I played pretty well. A lot of players would wait there, but with the players to my left being so tight, I said it before – I was going to go for it. Unfortunately, they picked up a decent hand to call me with, and I was out.

So now, I move over to the Duece to Seven Rebuy event. I am starting about 30 minutes late. I hope it doesn’t cost me the $50,000 I just made in the last tournament. I will update again soon.

We had to finish off the level from last night, and so far there hasn’t been much action. I picked up 10 10 once, and AK in early position. I moved in both times, and picked up the blinds and antes. So, I am up to 92,000, and I am playing a really solid game. I am attacking Phil Hellmuth a lot, and he made a big mistake against Juha Helppi, who is now the chip leader. Juha is a good friend of mine, and we have a 10% swap in this tournament. Its going to be a profitable tournament for me, that’s for sure.

That’s how poker goes – you have really good friends off the table, you swap percentages, and hang out, but you go after each other once you are on the table.

I’m up to about 90,000 now – average is about 230,000. We’re playing 6,000/12,000 with a $1,000 ante – so I still have several rounds before I get blinded out. Plus, I have two tight players to my left, so I think I can steal the blinds, and antes on the button.

Phil Hellmuth is under a lot of pressure, and we have had a lot of arguments already. We had an argument over how long the first break should be. I won the argument, and we got a 10 minute break, instead of the 15 Phil wanted.

If I get busted off this, I will go into the deuce to seven, which starts at 4pm. I have a good feeling about this – I think I can do it.

I finally did it. I finally made my first WSOP final table after a couple close shaves. I made the final table of the $1,000 rebuy No limit. I finished 22nd in the first one.

I had a tough day all day – I couldn’t get any cards. I was up to over 200,000 chips, and then back down to 10,000, but I just kept battling, and at the end I was at 77,000 chips, and I am the short stack.

The key hand was one where I finally got to face Phil Hellmuth, and he doubled me up. I had no chips, and he had over 600,000, and he is the chip leader. So, it will be Tony G (David), vs. Phil Hellmuth (Goliath). I love to face Phil. He talks big, and he is a great player. I have great respect for him, but every time I face him, I get the best of him. Its fun to play with him, and he is a really good guy.

I love the game, and I am really looking forward to tomorrow. I don’t have the stack to have much of a chance, I do have the heart, and the commitment, I want to make it tomorrow.

I have had a great WSOP, and have played good poker, and I can feel good that I am one of the best players in the world. My results are there. I have been very consistent, making the money a number of times.

I was the low stack during this tournament several times, including being at 450 chips after the rebuy period was over. I don’t give up. I like the table, and I want to face Phil Hellmuth.

The key hand was I had 10 2 spades in the big blind, and there were about 5 limpers, including Phil, who limped with two fives. If he raises there, I have to fold. The flop was 3 6 7 with two spades, and I moved in with 50,000 in the pot. Phil called with his fives, and I caught the King of spades on the turn to double up. The next hand, I picked up 9 9, and the French guy, the short stack moved all in. This guy got blinded down from 200,000 to 22,000 without playing a hand. I saw him laydown A Q against a terrible player. He let himself get blinded down all the way from 200 to 22k, I would never do that. Then, at the end, he went all in for 22,000 under the gun with J 8. Why not wait for your big blind? This is what you waited for all day? Under the gun with J 8? I had to call with 9 9, and several other players called. Unfortunately, one of them had pocket tens, and I couldn’t pick up that pot.

But, that put me in the final, and I am the short stack. In Paris, I was the short stack, and came all the way back to be the chip leader. I hope that happens today. Whatever happens, I am going to have fun.

We have played 2 levels today. I started the day at 62,000, and I built up to 135,000, so I have doubled up, I am playing great poker right now, and I feel great about it. I made one really terrible call which I hate myself over, but it will be alright.

Still Phil Hellmuth is not on my table, but we will redraw for seats at 27 players. I want to bust him if I can get a stack. Oddly enough, the guy from the CBS show, Ralph Perry is on my table, but we made up. I apologized to him, and we made up. I want to bust him quietly, but he is a nice guy and a great player. He has 250,000, and is the chip leader in the tournament right now.

The main thing now is to be really smart, and I have a really big stack. The average is about 65,000, and I have double that. We are playing 1,500/3,000 with a 400 ante, so I am still plenty deep. We have a whole day left, and everyone who is left in the tournament is a good player. There are no weak spots left, and its going to be a tough fight to get to the final. I am going to try hard, and I really want this final table. I’ll update again later today.

I must be one of the leaders with six cashes at the WSOP. I have been very consistent all the way through, but I have been struggling with the last 10% of the field.

Today, I beat Matusow for a last longer, I got $2,100 to his $2,000 because he had a few more chips than I did. But, I ripped him apart again today, this is like the fourth time in a row I have outclassed him at the table – the last time being the bad boys.

Our key hand was 10 10 for me, and AK for him. I made a raise, and he re-raised – I moved all in. The flop was 10 6 8, and he was pretty much drawing dead on the flop. Mike is a good guy, I really like him. He has a good heart, and he is a great player. I would say he is a friend, and is becoming really good in his life, which is nice to see considering where he was a while back. He is turning into a good example for everyone. But, when he comes up against me at the poker table, I want to crush him. I did again today – I won most of the pots I played against him.

I’m at 62,800, well above average. There are about 60 players left. Phil Hellmuth is still around. I really want to get onto his table, and crush him. I love to play against him – I want to take everything he has.

But, its been a wild day for me, considering I was down to 450 chips, and by far the short stack in the tournament. To fight back from that to having the 16th biggest stack just feels great. This is one of the best poker days I have had in my life. I am really pleased, considering how bad it was early. Just shows you, you can come back from now where, and have a stack.

I don’t like rebuys, it’s a bit disgusting. I’m in for $13,000, but with winning the last longers, some of my costs have come back to me. See you tomorrow.