Nine Lives

Marty wrote recently about all the percentages he was going to win off people on the course but he got off to a bad start losing 3% to me. At one stage in the round I was taking a bend fairly fast and Tommy was flung off the cart. Had to be seen to be believed but how Tom escaped serious injury god will only know.

I'd regged for Friday's $1,500 and headed for Paul Lucy's party at the high-roller villa in the Mirage. I've honestly never seen such opulence, the pad was truly amazing. Everyone showed and it was right craic. Although, going there I was hopeful of someone better to share the huge hot tub with rather then Paul Carr and Derek Murray. Fair-play to Paul for going to the effort of putting this on, it really was a great night.

I didn't hang the dog and was fresh enough getting ready to hit the Rio this morning, when I got a phone call from Tommy. He was in hospital and needed me to go and get him out, as they wouldn't release him of his own accord. When I got there it was worrying as he was out cold with an impressive array of tubes and monitors sticking out of him, thankfully he was fine though. Seemingly the taxi he was heading home in was involved in a three car smash.

By the time I got through this I'd missed the first two levels of the $1,500 when they take the chips out of play. I'm heading in later to get a refund and to reg for tomorrow's $1k.

As myself Tommy, Derek and Jude were driving to the Rio for yesterday's $1,000 buy-in 3k, the discussion was how many of us would make level seven through the dinner break. The general consensus was that if one of us made it, then that would equal par.

As it happened three of us did but only Jude lasted the extra couple of levels to the end of play.

It was nice to get some kind of a run on my first event. At a couple of stages I got relatively decent stacks together. In level 5 I had 12k before a few setbacks and hit dinner with 6k.

I played well in level seven and got it up to 13k, but level eight went bad and I ended up shoving 78 clubs on the button into AJ. I played well over the day but did get a little frustrated towards the end when things went against me, it does take a little time to get accustomed to and not let the yanks annoy.

I was on Jude's table and he finished with 30k, which is nicely above average. We more or less just stayed out of each other's way, but he is a very impressive player.