World Series of Poker Diary Extracts

July 2

I'm still jet-lagged, even though I've been in Vegas a couple of days. I walk around the Rio in a bit of a daze and bump into Jesse May and Padraig Parkinson. News filters through that Marty Smyth is at the final table of the $10,000 pot-limit Omaha tournament, so I enter the ESPN televised area to see a sizeable Irish contingent cheering Marty on. I was planning on heading to bed, but Marty was looking like he was going to go deep, so I stuck around. As the hours passed, it became more and more clear that Marty really had a chance of picking up a bracelet. So much for my chances of an early night - as I had seen what these Irish boys were capable of at the Poker Nations Cup. When it got to heads up, I was speaking to World Series of Poker Media Director Nolan Dalla, telling him all I know about the Irish Open, PartyPoker.com World Open, and Poker Million. Marty won! The American media wrote, "It has the atmosphere of a World Cup soccer match" at the ESPN final table. I stayed up for a few more hours - as all the great and good of Irish poker were there. It didn't exactly help the body clock, but it had to be done!

July 3

Lunch with Mike Sexton. We recently have reconfirmed sponsorship for the 2009 Irish Poker Championship in Galway, so we are talking about his trip there. A few other Americans such as Kenna James and Robert Williamson III are also keen to come over. The appeal of Galway is considerable - such good craic with a warm and lively atmosphere. While talking to Mike, we again discuss what I find is one of the strangest things that happened to me in Vegas. Two years ago, I was having dinner with Mike at Bellagio, by the fountains. It was a fantastic meal, but I had to step away for a smoke. At the bar, I asked a guy for a light and got to chatting. I told him what I was doing out there, that I didn't know much about Vegas, and that I was excited about the main event. He said he'd lived in Vegas all his life and that he was playing in the main event the next day. I said I would look out for him and perhaps say hi, as he gave me his table number. I told him it was nice to meet him, and he said his name was Bobby.

I then went back to sit down with Mike and the rest of the party. The bill came and I was about to flash the plastic, when the waiter said, "Mr. Baldwin has taken care of this for you, sir." It turned out I was speaking to poker's biggest friend in Vegas, Bobby Baldwin, a WSOP main-event winner and one of the main men at MGM Mirage, and I didn't even have a clue about it. I count myself as slightly more aware these days!

July 12

The main event is whittling down and we have two runners left. They are Ireland's James McManus and Stephen Kenna. James is well-known to me, as I had spoken to him sometime back about a remarkable month he had on PartyPoker.com. In just one month, he bagged the bad-beat jackpot and a sports car. Now he is amongst the leaders of the main event; I am fancying he could run very deep.

Stephen is a good guy and took up online poker after a bad accident injured his back. By strange fate, both of our players are seated next to each other at the same table. With the problems with his back, Stephen keeps getting up and moving around to keep himself flexible. He is also the first Irishman I have met who does not drink! Unfortunately, Stephen busts out just before play ends, but he did brilliantly, considering he was so short-stacked all day. At the same time, the room is abuzz after Mark Vos' A-K was busted by A-A in the last hand of the day. James took a big hit just before the last cards of the day were dealt, but is still in with a fighting chance.

July 13

James is at the feature table and a certain "Poker Brat" is there, too. I was out in the back yesterday and saw Mr. Hellmuth during a break in play. He was pacing up and down in the car park in searing heat with his iPod firmly in his ears. I've never been able to get the fact that he says hip-hop music chills him out; it is hardly classic FM, is it? Unfortunately, James doesn't last long but finishes 71st, cashing for $96,500. I am impressed to see that TV presenter Kara Scott is still alive, while the room is going off about Tiffany Michelle's progress.

July 14

My WSOP is pretty much over now. I had great fun last night. I went to a bar in the New York, New York, where two pianists go
head-to-head playing songs in a raucous bar. The reaction to country music, either with passion or great help, cannot help but make me smile. It's time to go back to reality. I'm going to put some hip-hop on my iPod to chill me out; after all, Mr. Hellmuth does swear by it! ♠