Las Vegas 2010

The party started early for me, as the night before I leave for Gatwick Airport I play an online satellite. It’s for a $6,000 side event package on Red Hot Poker, and low and behold I end up winning it. What a start, as less than four hours later I am on my way to the airport to start my Las Vegas adventure 2010. I’ve started to call my World Series of Poker an adventure as despite having all the best laid plans and intentions no one year is ever the same.

My father used to say to me, “Son” (because he could never remember my name?) “There is no taste in nothing.” but I believe getting something for nothing tastes a whole lot sweeter. I discovered by chance you can get from downtown Vegas to the Rio on free buses — I felt I’d already won. The only setback being it takes 2 hours 51 mins, approximately. Travelling on bus one from the California to Sam’s Town, bus two back up to Harrah’s, finally changing to bus three onto the Rio, admittedly, not ideal if you are playing in a three day event, but you never know in this town when you will need that kind of information.

My trip started with a real bang when I changed €180 at the cashiers’ cage in the Golden Nugget to receive $2,200, nice return rate. After realising the error when I had got back to my room I returned the money and was rewarded with three free nights from the manager telling me, “Honesty was the best policy.” Wow, it seems Vegas cannot wait to throw money my way. Off I go to the Rio, via the free bus route, to register for my first WSOP event this year, when my good friend Padraig Parkinson kidnapped me. He took me to McFadden’s bar and I must drink 10 pints of pale ale to ensure my release. I willingly oblige, I’m not sure any ransom would’ve been paid. Drinking beer and laughing with friends is a great remedy after a 10-hour flight — what a way to crack the jet lag.

Not being one to tell bad beat stories I’ll not start now, but information is a good thing and so is hope and those are about all I had left after staying downtown, so I decided to change venues. Switching instead to stay just off the strip at The Tuscany Suites, this hotel and casino is the best value I have found in 22 years of coming to Vegas. Each suite has a kitchenette with, more importantly, a kettle. Someone has realised the importance of a cup of tea in the morning to us Brits. It still pays to take your own teabags though!

The rooms are well sized, well priced and only a five-minute walk from Bellagio. After two events with no cashes I decide to play cash there until my next event. Clocking in at 11 a.m, I play $2/$5 no-limit hold’em for four hours each day and walk back. No taxis even if I won.

Instead I’ve left a few quid behind the sports book bar there. Mention my name to a barman called Gibb and you might get a Mad Marty story as I told him one virtually every day. His favourite is the Guinness Book of Records tale and if you enjoy it there he might even comp you a drink.

Watching all the England games there, and with Gerrard scoring in the opener after just four minutes, it looked like we could do it. I got that one wrong. We could’ve been in a bar back home, there were scores of English fans watching. Unfortunately my WSOP was as successful as the England football team.

Having to travel home early and missing the main event could seem disappointing; however my reason was to fly straight to Monte Carlo to work on a Mediterranean cruise. Not a bad ending after all.

Mad Marty Wilson is a professional gambler and poker consultant for Matchroom Sport.