Cambodia WPT Report

I have dreaded to write this post mortem because it has been an ugly trip. I was feeling really upbeat about the trip at first, and had a good feeling about it all along, first cash game session I turned quads and got paid on the river but it all went downhill from there.

I was expecting a much deeper run

Returning to Phnom Penh is always bitter sweet for me. I have a lot of memories of the place, good and bad. It was a key place for my poker career and wherever I go I seem to have some reminders of what happened there. One day I might sit down and write my entire experience down but it makes for a nice movie script actually. 

On the bright side I made some nice new memories this trip. Having dinner with the boys after our Andrew Neeme meet up game. The meet up game itself was quite memorable as well. We played the stand up game and I won the first hand against Andrew. It was also featured on Andrew's YouTube vlog. Took pictures with him and Vince Van Patten and they with Mr. Gorilla too. Called Vince as Lon because some genius pointed at him and said that's Lon McEachern (the WSOP commentator) I guess I was too tired and drunk to realize that mistake until I look back at the photo and thought to myself, why would a WSOP commentator show up at a WPT event and then it hit me. I hope he didn't take offense. 

Andrew Neeme

Vince Van Patten

I made day 2 of the main running super hot early in day 1. By level 3 I had 8x starting stack. It fizzled out in the middle losing AA to 22 and QQ to 77 in pretty significant pots before clawing back with a decent stack for day 2. Manage to outlast 1000+ players only to finish with a modest cash. Another few pay jumps would have made the trip a nice one but couldn't win a couple of key flips at the end. 

But my usual bread and butter cash games got my butt kicked real well. One, two, three, four, five outers hit for my opponents, but me missing fifteen, sixteen, seventeen outer draws. The downswing started a week before WPT and is still going as of yesterday. This is not my worst downswing but every beat I take feels like a kick in the stomach. This year I have been a committing to becoming a better player, better person, better friend, better son, better partner. I have cut out all degen stuff in my life, committed to be an honest person with friends and business partners, recommitted myself to be loyal to my partner which is always a challenge as there are so many temptations especially when we travel, focused on improving my skills and I feel that I am playing the best poker in my entire career, helping people whenever I can both in giving but also teaching, sharing, encouraging, caring without expecting anything back. But to lose session after session, and the way I lost, lately has me feeling dejected and depressed. I cut my trip short yesterday because I couldn't take another losing session.

This blog is to document my poker journey and it wouldn't be fair to just report the rosy results and hide the ugly ones. Including cost and losses the WPT was a -9k trip. Including my entire downswing since early August its probably like -12k USD. I can take that hit but emotionally it has been draining because I felt it was my time to shine. The amount of effort I've put into bettering myself, I expected to be rewarded. 

Before losing JJ vs 99 all in pre flop (hit his one outer 9) but I had 17 outs but missed

But it is not all doom and gloom. Every time I see the people I love, I feel blessed again. I have a wonderful partner that I would never have dreamed of. She is loving, supportive, in short just the perfect woman for me. Regardless of how I do financially, I am so blessed in other aspects of my life. Money isn't everything and money isn't anything if I'm not happy, and I AM happy. I just wish I was rich too 😆

Introducing Mr. "One Time" Gorilla

I have maintained a blog and an Instagram account for a while now. Having travelled to play poker in 19 countries and 96 poker rooms (and counting) I like to share my photos of different places and games. But one time someone stole my photo and used it as their own. So since then I tried to put my "signature" on my photos by placing my "card protector toy". My fantasy is that I will travel the world to play poker and out of the blue someone on the table will recognize my toy and call me by my nickname. LOL You can follow my Instagram HERE

Recently there has been a lot of comments and reactions towards Mr. Gorilla and I felt that I have the need to clarify some things. Contrary to popular belief, the toy is not "blessed", nor has any super powers. I do not pray to the toy nor have it prayed for. It is not a "lucky charm", but it's just for people to recognize my photos are original. 

No they are not friends

Years ago I had another toy "Mr. Samurai". I bought him in Tokyo and the reason I liked it was it reminds me to have a Samurai mentality. Never give up, fight with honor, fight with integrity. I don't know if it was offensive to Japanese players but I meant none of it. But that toy was wobbly and a couple of the legs on the horse broke and I had to glue them back on. Later it just breaks too easily especially if I carry it in my hoodie pocket. Mr. Samurai officially retired on 22nd Oct 2019. So I found "Mr. Gorilla" in Taipei. 

Mr. Gorilla in Rozvadov

I think the stance Mr. Gorilla has makes people feel that it's a "blessed" figure. I had players actually do the 🙏 to it, some players instantly ask me to pick it up if it's fallen, (as if the gods would be angered if I don't), some call it my lucky charm or associate my wins to it. At first I follow along jokingly but I since think I need to clarify what it means to me. 

Mr. Samurai in Barcelona

Mr. Samurai reminds me to be strong and win with honor. Mr. Gorilla with it's praying stance reminds me to pray and thank God for everything I have. Some of you may have read my article about being a Christian poker player, I want to give glory to God even in this somewhat "dodgy" career choice. It reminds me I am not doing this alone and I am not doing this for myself only. Be thankful, be humble, be hopeful and have faith. 

I call Mr. Gorilla my "one time, every time". But the fact it, win or lose, I am thankful, blessed, joyful and at peace, all the time.