GUKPT Cardiff (Part 1)

I'm here in Dublin airport waiting on my flight to Cardiff for the GUKPT. I'm looking forward to this event now that I've played a few live tournaments, and I feel more confident playing this one. The nerves have taken a back seat and I hope to be able to play a style which suits me, so things will get crazy at the table. I hope to get to the final table with a mountain of chips or nothing at all. I feel that during the last few GUKPT’s I've played, I was too tight in the early stages and found myself under pressure late in the day when the blinds increased. So this time I hope to be firing from the off, and not waiting for hands that might never come.

A tough few days

I’ve been a smoker since I was 15. I'm now 36 and have been off the cigarettes for four days. I'm getting a little help from my nicorette inhaler, but finding it so stressful on the mind, just constantly craving and thinking about a smoke. Anyway I am determined to get through this and not let it get the better of me, so if my aces get cracked by 89 at the final table bubble, well that might break me but we’ll see.

Nothing much more happening this week. I'm writing this up on my new Sony laptop from the PKR Shop. It's smart, lightweight and the prefect travel companion. I've never been to Cardiff before, and I’m sure it will be nice. I'm looking forward to having a few pints in and about the town as I’m staying till Sunday night, so if I exit the tournament early that will be on my list of things to do. I'm hoping to get over to London soon enough for an Arsenal game, as I've not yet been to the Emirates Stadium. I'll try to squeeze in a weekend to do that, but of late every weekend has been taken up with one thing or another. But who’s complaining - that’s the life of a poker player and I enjoy every minute of it!

Later that day...

I've arrived in Cardiff, staying at the Travel Lodge next to the casino. Just been down there met up with Simon (tigerwing) and Craig (kickofff). Both were playing in the side event so I didn’t get a chance to chat with them. Anyway, I'm going to catch forty winks and get an early night.

Til later, all the best!

Ray "callmebabe" O'Mahoney

Read Part 2