Jeff Kimber says...

Jaffacake's WSOP 2008 - Welcome to the Party!

Monday 7 Jul 2008

The Ladbrokes Poker WSOP experience began in earnest with the now traditional welcome party at the Rio’s Voodoo Lounge, the rooftop club that boasts the best view in Vegas, 51 floors above the city.

The free beers flowed, with the Brits and the Scandis going toe-to-toe in the battle to drink as much as possible before the tab ran out and a good night was had by all.

With nearly 7000 poker players trying to get in and out of the Rio’s vast Amazon Room over the four first days of the Main Event, the Ladbrokes Lounge is like a haven for a sanity, an American-free zone where we can all get together, catch up, chill out and prepare for the battles ahead.

With the majority of Laddies players taking part on days 1C and D however, there was time for a bit of fun in the lounge with some celebrity sports stars and friends of Ladbrokes, snooker legend Steve Davis putting on a pool masterclass before darts stars Colin Lloyd and John Part took on all comers on the Laddies darts board.

With the fun and games out of the way, it was time to get to business, and I was pretty chuffed to find my opening table boasting no star names, unlike last year when I had the dubious pleasure of sitting next to Allan Cunningham, and the table played out as I’d hoped.

The dire standard of play never ceases to amaze me, and if there’s a softer table than I had this side of a £5 rebuy I’d be surprised.

To illustrate the point, take this hand as an example. Seat one had shown some pretty awful hands down, raising and calling like he had a taxi waiting for him outside, but still he managed to get the better of his Swedish opponent in this hand.

With blinds at 100 200, three people limp and seat one checks his big blind. The flop comes 10-8-3 rainbow, and everyone checks to Scandi boy, who does as Scandi boys do, and bets 575 into the 800.

The big blind check raises to 1400, everyone else passes and the Swede smooth calls. An ace hits the turn, seat one bets 2700 and is again called. On the king river, seat one again bets out, this time 3700, and after a bit of thought, the Swede calls. You try naming the hands…seat one turns over 8-4 off suit for fourth pair with a 4 kicker, and the Swede mucks his hands.

Obviously I was rubbing my hands with glee at this poker, but with most of the table made up of calling stations, having a hand was essential, and having lost both 50-50s I got into pre-flop for about 30k, I had to make do with finishing day one with 43k, round about the average.

However, with most other Laddies players reporting similarly woeful play, and with lots of these players making it though, Wednesday, and day 2b, can’t come quick enough for me.

Jeff "Jaffacake" Kimber