USOP Hanoi Report (Aug/Sept 2023)

I had a great feeling coming into this series. I studied hard, mentally prepared, my discipline and timing has improved a lot, feeling confident but not over confident, but boy it did not go well. I've had people say that I am a show off but I beg to differ. I share my losses just as much as my wins. What I am trying to do is just document my journey. My highs, my lows, my successes, my failures, earning money from poker businesses, getting ripped off or cheated.... just being transparent about the life in the poker industry. I apologize if I come across as showing off, which was never my intention. And if you read between the lines, I often give glory to God because it is not easy being a Christian poker player. 

Hanoi at night (traffic because of Pres. Joe Biden's visit)

This trip I prayed for 3 final tables and a trophy as well. I did come close with a 3rd place finish in the PLO tourney, and had 2 main event tickets from a single satellite. But instead took the 2nd biggest personal loss of my career in a tournament series just behind my WSOPE trip in Rozvadov. When it was down to 3 handed in the PLO, out of the 1.3m chips in play, me and my friend Kar Hou had 1.2m between us. Short stack was all in and I had AJ86 on JJ3 flop. It didn't hold and I went from big stack to out. Happy for Kar Hou who won it though.

My best day this series

Two main event tickets to soften the blow

This month is particularly tough on me as well as I rejected my new contract offer from MiMa which means I won't have the safety net of a fixed salary every month. But one thing that I have learned in my life, is to be thankful in whatever circumstances. Even with the loss of income and a big financial loss this trip, I am not deterred. I have so many good things in my life that I wouldn't want to change it one bit. Many of you have seen the beautiful yummy dinners I come home to, to a loving partner who is the light of my life. I have really good bonds and relationships with the people I love, my family, my friends, my business partners, and I choose to make friends rather than enemies wherever I go. In almost every room I go to, I can confidently say I am the happiest person in it. What more can I ask for?

Made with love

My extra curricular activity - spend time with my girlfriend

A job well done to the USOP team, especially my good friend Alex (CEO) for a record breaking series. How they handled themselves with some hiccups here and there just shows the amazing dedication to the industry. Thanks to those who bought my action even after a dry run quickly snapped up 47% of my action for the next series at Poker Dream Hoian. Thank you for keeping the faith and trusting me. I felt that I played well this series. 6 away from ITM in the Deepstack, Bottom two pairs couldn't hold for a massive pot in Main 1C. Min loss with QQ in the finale high roller.... Most of all, I felt I learned new things this series as well. 

On a side note I have been taking on real paying students in the last month. So far 8 people have part ways with their hard earned money to listen to me talk. I hope I have brought them value in helping them improve their game. I am not a top pro by any means, but if someone is interested in leveling up their poker skills to be able to hold their own on most tables, coaching is the quickest and most comprehensive way to get there. To be honest, I actually improve my game when I am teaching too, so a win-win situation. Still feel there's more to 2023 in store for me. Let's see if I can have better news in 2 weeks' time from Poker Dream Hoian. 

 

POKER GUIDE TO : Poker in Budapest, Hungary

I've always enjoyed my trips to Europe, and this trip I had the chance to explore more of Eastern Europe. At first the plan was to drive to Kosovo from Macedonia but I got lazy thinking about the drive, and more importantly there wasn't a poker game in Kosovo, so we took a weekend trip to Budapest.

Budapest is beautiful day or night

Budapest is a beautiful city, once under Austrian rule, it has similar architecture to Vienna. But Budapest is not shy about their buildings. They are huge, some high on a hill, intricate, majestic and impressive. I've always enjoyed exploring these cities both during the day and night as the same places can give you a different feel and scenery depending on the time of day. 

St. Stephen's Basillica

However my main reason of visiting was to play poker, and the only poker room I could find was Duna Poker. It is located at Duna Plaza, a typical shopping mall, accessible by going to the metro station Gyöngyösi utca. I forgot my passport during my first visit but it took only a 15 minute metro ride to get back to the downtown area. Once you've registered though you just need to bring your player id card with you for future visits.

Pretty big setup

The room was at the far end of the shopping mall with about 10-15 tables in their cash game area. They also have tournaments but I did not play in them. It seems like the games run from midday till late and although the stakes are lower, players often sit with very deep stacks. However one thing I noticed was that the rake was 7% and capped at a crazy 100bb. When I found that out I got out of there real fast. Would the cap ever be reached? Maybe, because some of us had 2000-3000bb stacks. However the game was hard to beat because of the rake. 

European city but lower prices

I would not recommend to visit Budapest for the poker. However the city itself is worth spending at least 3-4 days on. Just strolling around at night, or hopping on to a tram, it takes you back in time. Food was pretty good but prices are closer to Western European prices. Goulash was a bit overrated if you ask me, but we really enjoyed the typical local dishes like paprika chicken, duck confit and langos from Langosland. 

Overall we had a wonderful time and would revisit if we have the chance. Would love to visit nearby countries too that seem quite accessible via train or buses. Croatia is on my bucket list, would love to check out Romania and Slovenia at some point.