Ciaran Corbett does Vegas

I decided to do it as cheaply as possible, so I booked into the Gatwick Yotel. For anyone that can't be bothered to click on the link or who doesn't know what a Yotel is; it's basically a smart room with everything you would want from a 4* hotel crammed into about 10 meters squared.

It may sound cramped but let me assure you it was big enough for me to lose my work laptop! I now go down in Boylesports folklore as the first person in the company to ever lose a laptop! The following morning, after a serious night's drinking with an old friend in London and 3 or 4 epic treks for some vitamin N, I boarded my plane to Vegas.

I managed to sleep for most of the flight courtesy of some sleeping tablets I pilfered from my parents medicine cabinet (I'll pay you back Mam if you're reading this) - so I arrived relatively rested in Vegas. I quickly dumped my bags in The Gold Coast and scooted off to the Rio to wander around the WSOP tournament area.

I was nearly running to get to the room (very unlike me). When you enter the tournament area it can only be described as awesome. Trying to spot the big American pros sitting in the middle of thousands of players is great fun and I was mad to get involved. I got speaking to my ex boss/drinking buddy/sparring partner Paul Spillane and we decided to head and play the nightly tournament in Caesar's Palace. I was motoring along nicely until Marty Smyth decided to come down and rail me, distracting me by starting talk of going on the beer. Needless to say I didn't last too long and was back down in the Amazon room in the Rio railing Julian Gardner with Paul, Padraig, Scott, Marty, Karen and Julian's wife Kerry.

There was a steady run back and forward to the bar, making sure we were all lubricated until we eventually decided to go up and sit in the main bar in the Rio. Somewhere between the card room and the bar I had enough, realising it was time to head to bed. I left the Rio and got a second wind on the way across the road to the Gold Coast, still mad for action I decided to jump into the cash game that was going on there. After numerous Bourbon and cokes and probably as many trips to the ATM, I got the feeling it wasn't going to be my night and went up to bed.

I woke up the next day and had a look at the ATM receipts in my pocket and it dawned on me that I had done the entire gambling budget on my first night! Needless to say I wasn't a happy camper, thinking I wasn't going to get to play anymore while I was at the WSOP.

The next day I went back to the Rio to wander around the poker room and found that Julian had made the final table of the $5k PLO, so I spent a good part of the day railing him with a few of the other lads until he was knocked out in 6th. We all headed to the bar again.

On the way back to the bar Marty offered to stake me in the $1k event the following day. I was over the moon with my chance to play in my first ever WSOP event and jumped at the chance. The deal was 15% each for Marty, Paul, Gerry and Lisa 5% for Dave Curtis and the rest was mine. This really was an unexpected bonus for me as I had done the loot the first night, and had little chance having a crack at a bracelet event. We were having a few pints at bar and as I looked at my company I realised I was drinking with people who had massive WSOP results behind them. Marty Smyth had won a bracelet, Julian and Scott were second and 4th respectively in 2002 Padraig was 3rd in 1999 and Jon Kalmar was 5th in 2007. I went to bed that night thinking what a story this will be when I win the bracelet!

The event started at twelve the next day. I woke at ten, had a healthy breakfast of Spam and eggs in TGI Fridays which set me up for the day. I wandered over to the Rio and was sitting at the table ready for the cards to be dealt at 11:55. It really was exciting sitting down to your first WSOP event, I couldn't wait for the cards to be dealt and it was the longest five minutes of my life.

Everyone joined the table the TD announced "Shuffle Up and deal" and we were off! I was in seat 2, so was first BB and with a head filled plans of where I was going to display the bling. I was going to win and I couldn't wait for my action. You can imagine my thoughts when it's my turn to act and I look down to see for my first ever hand in my first ever WSOP event I have been dealt 2 red aces!

The action went like this. The blinds started off at 25/25 UTG raised to 75 and it was folded around to the SB who called. I re-raised to 200 and both players called. The flop came down Js 7h 3h I bet out 300 UTG, re-raises to 850 the small blind folded and after a slight dwell up I made the call. The turn came 9h and I thought for a second and went all in. Now at the time it seemed like a good move to me but my head was in a mess thinking these F****** Aces are going to get me knocked out in the first hand! I was sweating and squirming (as I am a massive tellbox) for the 5 minutes it took for the guy to eventually fold. I got the hand through and was on my way to my first bracelet or so I thought*. By the end of the first level I had 7k I had no more hands of note and eventually busted on Level 6 running jacks into queens after getting fairly low stacked.

Part 2 will come tomorrow where I meet Bommer Nolan and my luck begins to change!

* Id really appreciate feedback on how I played this hand from anyone who had managed to read this gibberish!