Tags:
Blogs, Events/live poker, Team PKR
The hotels are nice (if you get a half decent one) similar to Las Vegas quality, perhaps without the great service throughout (but nowhere can top Las Vegas's customer service). In Asia, they don't have a very big drinking scene so there were very few bars outside the casinos that opened late, and those that did were of the gentleman's variety...
I just fancied going out to a nice bar somewhere, dancing the night away while getting some drinks down me, therefore we mainly frequented the MGM Grand's Lion Bar and the Whiskey bar in the Star World Casino (where the APT was held). Don't get me wrong, I had a great time out here. I think we had the best selection of qualifiers from PKR that we have ever had - they were all top guys and I thoroughly enjoyed their company throughout.
Dealer trouble
Obviously one of the main reasons I came here was for the APT Main Event, a $4,100 buy-in event, and as such I was disappointed. I had heard lots of great things about the APT - they've brought in one of the best tournament directors in the world to make sure things run as smoothly as possible, but despite having great management (and a great promotional team - the APT Girls) I think the only thing that really let the tournament down were the dealers. They were probably the worst dealers I have ever had deal to me, and I was told they were all local (probably straight from the casino pit, never having dealt a hold 'em hand in their life). Not only were they incredibly slow, but the amount of mistakes I saw them make that the players at the table had to correct was unreal! One dealer mucked my KK after I'd called two all-ins! Luckily the tournament director saw and jumped in to retrieve them from the muck extremely fast!
That said, I'll definitely return to Asia in the future, as hopefully the APT organisers will quickly make the necessary changes. On the whole, they offered good tournaments with varied structures for all bankrolls, which is fantastic.
Movie star?
What made my experience of Macau better was the filming of the film 'Poker King', referred to as the 'new Rounder'. In conjunction with PKR, I was asked to appear as one of the pro players in the film, which revolves around the poker scene and a tournament in which two big Asian actors face off against each other. I believe my part to be somewhat along the lines of 'token white guy!' :-)... It was fun filming, having numerous shots and takes based around the area where the APT Main Event was taking place. I am extending my stay and have to travel to Hong Kong in a few days time for more shooting with the cast, and have been measured for my own wardrobe fitting! I feel like a moviestar - it's great!
Back to the tables
In the APT Main event, I ran fairly below-average and card dead, only making chips by bullying and stealing as I normally do. I lost all the major pots and won the small ones. Ak vs KK vs QQ setup, JQ vs QT allin, every race ... the usual stuff. I don't think I flopped better than one pair the whole tornament. In the last stages I flopped an open ended straight flush draw and missed, and in other scenarios I just played fairly ABC and it did not work out for me. I semi-bluffed a few hands, each time being looked up by one-pair hands for big pots and I never caught up.
The final hand was versus the most aggressive player at the table. We had been at it all day long, 3-bet jamming and playing each other aggressively. I made a standard raise on the button vs a BB who was incredibly nitty (and incredibly annoying, calling for the losing hands to hit in all-in situations, terrible etiquette for which I had to call the floor manager over when it got out of hand!). Anyway, the aggro guy in the SB reshoved all-in and I had 57k back. I knew he didn't have a premium from the way we had played, and figured his range to be 66+, A9+ and KQ/KJ suited style hands. I called after thinking for some time, and he flipped AQ, which was right at the top of the range. He flopped two pair on the A Q X board, a king on the turn gave me some straight outs, but the river failed me sending me to the rail in 26th place.
Overall the tournament was superb; the players were definitely not great in general and the only thing letting the tournament down were the dealers! I would recommend the tournament for anyone who wants good fun as well as a decent sized buyin tournament to get the blood pumping!
I shall be blogging again after I've shot my scenes for 'Poker King,' to tell you all about of my new found Hollywood Stardom! :-)
GL at the tables everyone, and good luck to zlatan35, one of PKR's qualifiers and regular cash gamer, who is still in with a large stack! Bring it home Frenchy!!!
[As a result of James' well wishing, zlatan35 went on to win the APT Macau for $390,000 and change! James himself, too modest to say, cashed for $7K for his 26th place]
James 'james666' Sudworth