Why Team PokerStars Pro Vicky Coren Mitchell's Second European Poker Tour Win is Monumental for Poker World

Less than an hour ago I watched Victoria Coren Mitchell, who was the first woman to ever win an European Poker Tour when she took down the London stop back in Season 3, win the EPT Sanremo Main Event for €476,100. I’ve covered hundreds of tournaments, and never have I felt compelled to write about it immediately after. This one was different. This one was history.

The atmosphere here in the Casino is absolutely electric. This was not just a big win for Coren, but for poker as a whole. In ten seasons dating back to dating back to 2004 there has never been a player to win two EPT Main Event titles. That meant there were 97 different winners heading into Sanremo. Next week’s Grand Final would have been 99, and then the Season 11 opener in Barcelona would have marked 100. PokerStars no doubt had big plans for that stop (“100 winners in 100 stops”), and while those plans getting disrupted may disappoint their marketing department, they got a massive PR boost this night. Not only will they benefit, but the entire poker world will too.

Imagine if you will that Mats Gavatin, Christophe Benzimra, or Vadzim Kursevich had become the first two-time champion? It’d have been cool, but would you have really cared? I know I wouldn’t have. Instead, it was a member of the Team PokerStars Pro family. Not only that, it was a woman, who happened to overcome being the short stack at the start of the final table. Furthermore, it was a short-stacked woman famous in the United Kingdom for being a writer and presenter (according to Wikipedia she writes weekly columns for The Observer and The Guardian and hosts the BBC Four television quiz show Only Connect) who happens to be married to famous actor and comedian David Mitchell. To top it all off, she has 233K Twitter followers.

I'm not going to say that her win is going to inspire a Moneymaker-like boom, because it's not, but in a time when poker headlines have been dominated by cheating scandals, indictments, and other mudslinging antics, it's nice to see a positive story of this magnitude.

Twitter was going wild when she won. Tomorrow the newspapers in the UK will run with the story. Believe me when I say this win will be celebrated and remembered throughout Europe, and it will help bring new players into the game. This may not be a big story for those in United States, but poker isn’t restricted to one area of the world. I could write a little more on what's transpired tonight, but there's some celebrating to do with everyone in Sanremo!

Side note, I actually interviewed Coren on Day 1 of the tournament, which you can listen to here:

Congratulations to Victoria Coren Mitchell! It was a job well done, and I am honored to have been there. I can’t think of anyone who will do the honor more justice than you.

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Segways, Hitler’s Perch, and Austrian Rum in Vienna

When I saw that the European Poker Tour (EPT) was returning to Vienna, Austria for just the third time in its history, I immediately sent an email to my boss saying, “I’d very much like to work that event.” Luckily, I got the call and flew across the pond (a direct flight from Chicago if you can believe it) for ten days of fun… and work.

I won’t tell you much about the poker other than to say I played a €120 buy-in "Deuces Wild" event, which you can read about by clicking here. Likewise, I watched Fabrice Soulier win the EPT10 Vienna High Roller for €392,900, and Oleksii Khoroshenin take down the Main Event for €578,392. I thought the latter victory was especially impressive considering he was the Day 1a chip leader and managed to take it all down – a rare feat indeed. Congrats to him on becoming the first-ever Ukrainian EPT winner.

My first wiener Schnitzel.

Anyway, I had some fun outside of the long workdays. Even before heading to Vienna I made a list of things I wanted to try. Foremost among them was wiener schnitzel, which is one of Austria’s specialties. I was expecting some sort of sausage, but it actually turned out to be a patty of sorts. I ate it on a few occasions, and each times is was delicious.

Two other Austrian specialties I wanted to try was Almdudler and Stroh. The former is an Austrian soda (basically a sparkling apple juice) and the other is Austrian rum. Now anyone who knows me knows I love rum and whiskey. When I think of rum, I think of Caribbean islands and tropical locales; as such, I was extremely intrigued by a rum from a landlocked country in Europe.

I immediately located both at a nearby grocery store and set about tasting them. The Almdudler was great, but I wasn’t a fan of the Austrian rum – at least not at first. It’s not like a smooth like a white rum or Captain Morgan, but rather strong with a brutish, gasoline-type tang. However, I’m not one to back down from a drink, and soon I developed a taste for it, especially when mixed with the Almdudler. Anyway, I loaded up and brought four bottles back home.

Changing gears, the poker tournament was held inside Hofburg Palace, which is without a doubt the most spectacular venue I’ve ever been for poker. With 30,000+ rooms, the palace is apparently the largest in the world. One fact I found particularly eerie was that the massive balcony out front was where Adolf Hitler gave his speech to hundreds of thousands of spectators after the takeover of Austria prior to World War II. As a history major, being that close to such an infamous moment proved both fascinating and unnerving. You can watch video of Hitler’s speech from the balcony on YouTube.

On a brighter note, my favorite part of the trip was taking a Segway tour of the city, a special offering from the EPT in celebration of its tenth anniversary. It require me to get up extra early, but it was worth it. So much so that I actually went on it twice!

The first time was with the video crew (they put together a great video that you can watch below), and I returned so happy and excited that the blogging crew – Frank, Danny, William, Neil, and Marc -- wanted to do it the next day. It was really a unique experience, and I enjoyed it so much that if I’m ever looking to tour a city, I’m going to see if doing it by Segway is an option.

Oh, I also watched the HBO show True Detective while I was in Vienna. It’s just eight episodes long, but it was pretty damned good. Woody Harrelson and Matthew McConaughey were amazing. I highly recommend you check it out if you like a good thriller/mystery.

Next up is an event in Western New York (I’m really looking forward to seeing Niagara Falls for the first time), followed by a trip back to Europe for three weeks at the EPT Sanremo in Italy and the Grand Final in Monte Carlo. Rest assured I’ll be doing a post or two relating to those travels.

*To see more photos from my trip, visit my Facebook page.

Feel free to follow me on Twitter @ChadAHolloway for more poker articles, stories and musings from the tournament trail.

April 19 is National Poker Day. What Will You Be Doing?

On April 19, James Franco will be celebrating hi 36th birthday. You know what I’ll be doing? I’ll be celebrating National Poker Day. That’s right, beginning this year there is a day dedicated to the game we all know and love.

Thanks to a grassroots effort by Blue Shark Optics, spearheaded by owner Kerry Karoutsos and his Team BSO (Full disclosure: I am a member), Poker Day USA has been gaining momentum in 2014. There’s even a petition on WhiteHouse.gov seeking the US government and President Obama to recognize the 19th of April as an official day for poker.

According to the Poker Day USA website:

There are all sorts of "National Days". Some "official", others not. Some recognized by the government some not. And yet, despite numbering over 60 million, poker players are pretty much ignored. Most love the game. Some support their families by playing the game. For the vast majority, poker is entertainment with benefits. A game of skill, strategy, and mathematical probabilities, poker is the All-American game. It is not recognized as such, and its players are not given their day in the sun.

Ever since I was a little boy I've loved celebrating America!

So, we have established a National Poker Day. And we will celebrate it on April 19th. Every year. And we will make the effort to spread the word. To casinos, poker rooms, home games. A grass roots movement. If we celebrate it, who knows, the government may accept and recognize. Maybe a long time from now, but after all, we are 60 million strong … If we accept it, and embrace it, April 19 will be our day. Your day. And you can say: "I was a part of this!”

On April 19, I will be at the Italian Riviera for the European Poker Tour Sanremo. Even though I won’t be in the States, rest assured I’ll be celebrating. I probably won’t get the chance to play (unless I’m lucky and it’s the day we play the media event) as I’ll be working, but I’m going to take the opportunity to reflect on all that poker has given me.

I hope that you’re able to do something that Saturday. Visit your local card room, organize a home game, or just give an appreciative tweet.

Feel free to follow me on Twitter @ChadAHolloway for more poker articles, stories and musings from the tournament trail.

Aussie Millions, Visiting the Zoo & Upcoming Plans

It’s been awhile since I’ve written a blog. I probably should have penned a couple considering some interesting things have happened, but alas time always seems to escape me. Speaking of which, that plays into a piece I wrote for learn.pokernews in which I lay out some goals and lifestyle changes as far as poker is concerned. You can check that piece out by clicking here.

So, what have I been up to since my last post? I wasn’t assigned to work the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure, so I spent a good deal of January in chilly Wisconsin. However, at the end of the month I had the opportunity to go to the Aussie Millions for the third year in a row. This is one of my favorite destinations, so I’m grateful to have the chance to cover such a prestigious event.

As far as poker is concerned, the highlight was no doubt the craziness of player firing multiple bullets in both the $100,000 and $250,000 Challenges. While it was mind boggling, it was also cause for concern. I think Dan Shak said it best when he voiced his opinion in an interview with Frank Op de Woerd, which you can listed to here.

I couldn't have chosen a better shirt for a visit to the zoo.

Additionally, it was pretty cool to watch Phil Ivey win the $250,000 Challenge for the second time in three years. The AU$4,000,000 he won for that was the largest score of his career, so it was neat to be there for that.

I’d also be remiss if I didn’t mention three of my favorite things while in Australia. The first are Tim Tams. These little chocolate-covered biscuit things are kind of like a Kit Kat, but in my opinion so much better (especially the white chocolate ones). Seriously, if you ever have the chance, eat some Tim Tams, and do it like Kristy Arnett demonstrates in this video.

The other two things that I love is the food court in the Crown complex, or more specifically the Indian and Think Asia places that are right next to each other. I absolutely love the tandoori chicken and saffron rice at the former and friend rice, breaded chicken, and lemongrass chicken at the latter. I’m not exaggerating when I say I alternated eating those two meals for all three meals everyday I was there. Just thinking about it now makes my mouth water. Sorry, I just love it so much I had to write about it.

After the Aussie Millions finished, I stayed an extra two days in Melbourne. My friend, Josh Bell, was kind enough to keep me entertained. On Tuesday, we went to the Melbourne Zoo, which was relaxing. Interesting story, in 1989 32-year-old Mr. Ellie Quo snuck in late at night to test his kung fu skills against the lions. He was killed. Ill advised for sure, and you can’t help but chuckle at the stupidity.

Anyway, after the zoo we went to see the new Robocop, which was alright, and then ended up going to a rooftop cinema that night to watch some indie flick. It was a unique experience and I spent more time checking out the view of Melbourne than watching the movie. We also downed some sangria, which helped take the edge off after working a long tournament series.

Go Geelong Cats!

On Wednesday we got up fairly early and drove down the Great Ocean Road to Bells Beach, which you may recognize from the movie Point Break. It’s apparently a surfer’s paradise, but on this day there were on five of us on the beach. We didn’t swim, but hung out on the beach for a few hours before heading to Geelong to check out my first Australian Football (AFL) game. I became an honorary Geelong Cats fan for the day, and despite not knowing what the hell was going on at the start, I soon caught on and had a great time. Definitely a game I could get into.

We ducked out of the game a little early to hit up the Victoria Night Market, where I had the opportunity to have a kangaroo burger. It was tender and sweet in case you’re wondering. After that it was back to the apartment to pack for my return to the states.

Since being back I’ve been focused on getting some things done while cranking out articles from home. I’ve had the chance to play a couple tournaments, but didn’t do much in either of them. I’ll be playing a little between now and the WSOP, which you can read about in that learn.pokernews.com piece.

Other than that, I’m slated to work the Hollywood Poker Open (HPO) in Grantville, PA this weekend. It’ll be a smaller event, but I’ve never been to Pennsylvania so I’ll make the most of it. Around the 21st or so, I’ll be heading to Vienna, Austria for the European Poker Tour. I’m very excited about that stop as it’s the first time the tour has been there since Season 7. I’ll then come home for a couple week before heading back over to Europe for back-to-back gigs at the EPT Sanremo and EPT Grand Final in Monte Carlo.

After that it’ll damn near be time for the WSOP. I’ll definitely have a few blogs between now and then, so be sure to check back periodically.

Feel free to follow me on Twitter @ChadAHolloway for more poker articles, stories and musings from the tournament trail.

Reflecting Back on 2013 -- A Truly Amazing Year

The New Year is here, and to be honest I’m sad to see the clock expire on 2013. I can’t recall a better year for me both personally and professionally, and as 2014 approaches I thought it’d be a good time to reflect on the past twelve months. Here are the top five reasons 2013 will go down as one of the best years of my life.

5.) I Turned 30

Technically this happened in 2012 (I turned 31 a few weeks ago). That said, I spent the vast majority of 2013 as a 30 year old. I was actually in Prague, Czech Republic when the clock turned over on three decades, and while it didn’t seem like a big moment at the time, reflecting upon it has made me realize that I’m at an age where I can’t afford to screw around. There was plenty of time to do that in my 20s, and believe me I did; however, college is done and it’s time to build a career (I should worked at this much earlier).

I already feel like I’m behind, and that feeling combined with the realization that I’m now in my 30s has lit a fire under my ass. I don’t want to wonder where I’m going; I want to enjoy the journey on my way there. I want to harness my ambition to get things done and make positive steps to craft a fulfilling life. It shouldn’t have taken me so long, but now that I’m 30 (ok, 31 technically) I feel I’m headed in that direction.

4.) Coming Into My Own as a Poker Player

Myself and the legendary Bob Hooks.

I don’t play nearly as much poker as I used to, not ever close. There was a time I was grinding tournaments and cash games 60 hours a week, but now with a full-time job I’m lucky if I can squeeze in a sessions or two a week. Had you told me at the beginning of the year I’d have over $100k in tournament winnings, I’d have thought you were nuts (unless of course you were offering to stake me). Somehow I managed to end the year with $102,171 in tournament winnings. Toss in some small-untracked tournament scores and so-so cash game results, and it was a good year financially.

Granted, most of it came from a single score (which you’ll read about below), but I can’t complain. Of course I didn’t pocket all of that due to some staking and swaps, but now I’ve got a little nest egg to sit on. I attribute the success to strengthening my mental game and trying to develop a more positive attitude. Hopefully I'll be able to work on both of these in the New Year while working on the fundamentals. My game can always improve, and it took me awhile to realize that.

3.) The People and the Places

In 2013 I visited the Bahamas; Choctaw, Oklahoma; Australia; Foxwoods Resort in Connecticut; Council Bluffs, Iowa; New Orleans; Las Vegas; Idaho; Galway, Ireland; Miami, Florida; Barcelona, Spain; London, England; Macau, China; and Prague Czech, Republic. One of the reasons I love what I do so much is being able to travel, and while it’s often filled with long days, I enjoy every minute of it. Plus I earned enough miles to make Platinum on United, and in “Sky World” that’s a worthwhile accomplishment.

I also got to interview some pretty cool people in 2013. It started in January when I spoke to Last Comic Standing’s Gerry Dee at the PCA, but in April I did one of my favorite interviews ever – Brian Baumgartner (AKA Kevin Malone from NBC’s The Office). I’m a HUGE Office fan, so to have the chance to interview one of the funniest characters was a dream come true.

How did I do it? Well in Season 2 Kevin mentions that he won a bracelet at the 2002 WSOP. That one sentence was enough for me to connect it to poker and do a piece for PokerNews. A stretch sure, but well worth it. Actually, that makes it sound really simple. Tracking down his agent and convincing them to do it was pretty tough. Unfortunately I didn’t actually get to meet Brian, but I spoke to him for over 20 minutes on the phone while he was driving from L.A. to Vegas.

Now if it’s one thing I love more than The Office, it’s Survivor. I’ve been a diehard fan for over a decade, and every once in a while that world intersects with poker. Last year I had the chance to meet and interview Amanda Kimmel, and this year it was former winners “Boston” Rob Mariano and Ethan Zohn. I don’t play fan boy often, but I do when it comes to Survivor.

Finally, I’ll forever be grateful to have had the opportunity to sit and talk with Bob Hooks, a forgotten Texas road gambler who deserves his place in poker history. The stories he told were nothing short of incredible, and I listened attentively for hours as he talked about the game back in the day. I was humbled by the experience and was thankful to tell his story, which you can read by clicking here.

2.) The Trip of a Lifetime with My Father

My dad and I.

My dad has always wanted to go whitewater rafting, and now that he’s on the backend of his 60s, I said that if we were going to do it 2013 was going to be the year. Prior to the WSOP we made it happen by taking a trip to the Snake River in Idaho. We spent two days going down the river, and it was an incredible experience. It meant a lot to my pops, and I’ll forever cherish the time we had together on the water disconnected from the rest of the world. Moments like those are too few and far between.

Prior to the whitewater rafting trip, we spent a few days in Sun Valley, Idaho. It takes a few hours to drive to the middle of the state, but the beauty there is unrivaled. The reason for our journey was to visit Ketchum, which is where Ernest Hemingway (a literary hero of mine) spent the latter years of his life before ultimately committing suicide.

I immersed myself in all things Hemingway while there including visiting the hotel room where he finish For Whom the Bell Tolls, the house where he ended it all, and his final resting place.

1.) I Won a World Series of Poker Bracelet

I wasn’t even going to play Event #1 $500 Casino Employees, but when Caesars said we PokerNews reporters were eligible due to our contractor status with them, I decided to enter. We only stated with 3,000 in chips, and within 20 minutes I was down to 1,000. A fortunate hand gave me a double, and over the next two days I survived an 898-player field to win my first WSOP bracelet and $84,915 in prize money.

I can honestly say I’ve never been happier than I was in the early morning hours of May 31. Winning a bracelet is the goal/dream of every poker player (nearly 80,000 came to Vegas to compete for one), and I was fortunate enough to be one of 62 to walk away with gold. I’ve always thought I had the skills to win a bracelet, but I didn't think it'd come for years down the road when I had the financial security to play 10-20 events a year.

For me that bracelet wasn’t just a win, it was validation for the journey I’ve taken, who I’ve become, and what it is I do. I wish my family could have been there, but sharing that special moment with my friends and colleagues is something I’ll always hold near and dear to my heart. I’ve never had so much love and support, and truth be told I don’t think I couldn’t have done it without them. They helped me stay focused and hungry. I didn’t want to see the disappointment of my peers, and fortunately I didn’t have to.

Winning the bracelet also changed my outlook on the game (it’s hard to get angry and tilted when you’ve won gold), and it even led to me playing in my first WSOP Main Event, which was something that had been on my bucket list for a long time. Hopefully neither that bracelet nor Main Event will be my last.

What’s Next…

I’ll remember 2013 fondly, and I can only hope the years to come treat me just as kind. For 2014, I’d like to see a number of things come to fruition. Here are a few or my goals without explanation:

• Reclaim my health


• Write a comic book


• Write a book


• Visit either Africa or Antarctica (the only two continents I haven’t been to)


• Continue to succeed in poker, which will include the following: playing my first World Poker Tour event; profiting in cash games; and establishing an online poker account.

Anyway, I've got to go. Bye.

Feel free to follow me on Twitter @ChadAHolloway for more poker articles, stories and musings from the tournament trail.

Join Me for the Blue Shark Brigade vs. The World

On Sunday, December 8 at 4 p.m. EST, Blue Shark Optics will be hosting their inaugural “Blue Shark Brigade vs. The World” Online Charity Event. While free to enter and play, the tournament, which will be played on Hog Wild Poker, is designed to raise awareness and contributions for seven different charities:

• Weston Keeton


• International Testicular Cancer Foundation


• Boomer Esiason Foundation Fighting Cystic Fibrosis


• Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund


• Lupus Foundation of America


• Feel Your Boobies Foundation


• Henry’s Place

Signing up is easy and only takes a few minutes (I literally just signed up as “DISCO_CHAD”). Of course supporting a good cause should be reward enough, but you’ll be glad to hear that you can win some great prizes and play with some notable players. Don’t believe me? Well not only will I be playing, but Chris Moneymaker, Greg Raymer, Hoyt Corkins and Jonathan Little are all slated to play. If you’re fortunate enough to make the final table, you can look forward to some great prizes. Here’s a look at some of the companies to donate prizes:

• PPC Poker Tour


• Ante Up Magazine


• On Tilt Radio


• Benton Blount


• Go Deep Gear


• High Roller Clothing


• Lucky Leahy’s Custom Poker Tables

The tournament, which will be covered live on On Tilt Radio, will also feature a bounty on Greg “FossilMan” Raymer, who is putting an autographed genuine fossil on his head!

Again, this is absolutely free (it’s open to players in the United States and across the world). Just sign up and join the fun. However, while there is no obligation to contribute to these charities, I hope that the holiday spirit will grab you and you’’ donate a few dollars to help them with their efforts. Blue Shark Optics will not accept any contributions, and all contributions are to be made directly to the charity organizations participating.

I’ll see you on the virtual felt on December 8!

For more information, check out the Blue Shark Optics website.

Oh, and in case you've never seen my Blue Shark Optics video, check it out:

Feel free to follow me on Twitter @ChadAHolloway for more poker articles, stories and musings from the tournament trail.

Checking Macau Off the Poker Bucket List

I have a bucket list of places I’d like to visit for poker, and up until a couple weeks ago, Macau was at the top of the list. Working in the poker industry I’ve heard dozens of stories regarding the island gaming capital located a short 50-minute ferry ride from Hong Kong. They said it was the most rapidly expanding gaming market. They said Macau casinos dwarfed their Vegas counterparts. They said Macau was the home of the world’s highest poker cash games. They were right.

I had the opportunity to cross Macau off my bucket list when I was assigned to cover the 2013 Asia Championship of Poker for PokerNews. Since we were contracted to work – Tim Duckworth, Sarah Grant, Alex Wilson, Heath Chick and myself -- we weren’t allowed to play on property, and that was just fine by me as I was more focused on taking in a new culture in between trips. After all, this was my first trip to Asia.

The journey there was long (16 hours alone from Chicago to Hong Kong), but I’ve become so accustomed to flying that I was able to weather it with ease (I watched plenty of movies including The Way, Way Back, which was fantastic). Once I landed I had to grab a ferry, which was actually a turbo jet. Imagine a giant jet ski that held 100 people or so. Those things can fly. Fortunately they have a terminal right there at the airport, so getting to the island and catching a cab to the Hard Rock Hotel at the City of Dreams went as smooth as can be (that wouldn’t be the case on the return journey).

The City of Dreams is a complex of casinos that include the Hard Rock and the Crown Casino. Just across the street from both is the Venetian, which is identical to the one in Las Vegas except about three times the size. Seriously, the thing is massive and by far the biggest casino I’ve even seen. Speaking of Macau casinos, the first thing that struck me was that the casino floor practically contained more table games than slot machines. Chinese players certainly love their baccarat.

The week was mainly comprised of live reporting the HKD$100,000 Main Event and HKD$250,000 High Roller, but I don’t want to bore you with poker details. Instead, I want to document some of my memorable experiences and observations. Here they are in no particular order:

The Red Market

• Wilson and I woke up early one day and took a cab in the non-tourist part of Macau. More specifically, we went to the Red Market. The place was wild. Imagine a flea market that sells animal products, fruits and vegetables. We first walked into what I guess could be called the seafood section, because there you could buy fish spread out on ice, crabs in boxes, and bags of frogs – and all of those animals were alive. Upstairs was the meat section, and it wasn’t for the faint of heart. Raw innards and limbs hung from hooks, and it was akin to being in a slaughter house; in fact, there were cages of live chickens they’d slaughter for paying customers.


• There was a pig face on one table, and when I mentioned it to Wilson, the woman at that stall overheard, picked up the pig’s face, and began waving it at us. It felt like something out of a horror movie.


• Sarah dressed up for Halloween, which isn’t really a thing over there. Casino security didn’t take too kindly to her getup and she was promptly kicked out of the casino. Leave it to Sarah.


• Duckworth, Chick and I played pool at the Hard Rock Café. I managed to beat Ducky without even sinking a ball (he scratched the eight) and followed that up by beating Chick. Nothing too great, I just wanted it on record.
  
  
  

  Sarah Grant all dolled up for Halloween.



• The PokerStars Party at the event was crazy fun, and they scheduled it so everyone (media included) could attend. Now I’m a big whiskey fan, and they happened to have Johnnie Walker Black at the open bar. This brand in China seemed strange to me, but I wasn’t about to question it. Ironically, I read a great article a couple days later that explained Johnnie Walker and its foreign policy. Anyway, I got good and drunk and was about to accompany tournament director Danny McDonagh (who has the ability to party all night and walk in the next day – oftentimes with little or no sleep – like nothing happened the night before) and his posse to some club. Fortunately I managed to restrain myself and passed out instead. Probably a good idea as I’ve been told it’s sometimes difficult to distinguish between a real woman and what they call “lady boys.”


• I paid a special visit to the Poker King Club at the StarWorld Casino, which is home to the legendary high-stakes cash games. The poker room wasn’t overly impressive and the games weren’t going, but it was still cool to be on such sacred ground. I even bought the Poker King Club’s trademark red jumper, so I look forward to sporting that in the future.

Oh, I almost forgot to tell you about my return journey. I had to be up at 6 a.m. to catch the ferry back from Macau to the Hong Kong airport. I arrived at the ferry terminal early, but apparently not early enough. The line was huge, and after waiting for about 45 minutes, I was two people from the counter when they announced that the 7:30 a.m. ferry was closed. Since the next ferry didn’t leave until 9:30 and my flight left at 11:00, I had to call an audible.

I hopped a different ferry into Hong Kong city, and then had to grab a cab from there to the airport. I wasn’t sure how far it was nor how much it’d cost, but I was hoping it be under HKD$150 because that was all the cash I had on me. If not, I planned to use my credit card. Well, it ended up being quite the trek and the fare was HKD$300—and the cab didn’t take credit cards! The driver was patient yet clearly annoyed. I told him I’d go into the airport and hit an ATM. He had no choice but to wait with my bags as I scurried about the airport. Of course the ATM wouldn’t work, so I had to negotiate with one of the money exchange companies. Easier said then done with the language barrier and all. Eventually I got it sorted out, the cabbie got paid, and I made my flight. It was just a little more stressful than I expected.

Macau was more work than play, but I still had a great time.

Feel free to follow me on Twitter @ChadAHolloway for more poker articles, stories and musings from the tournament trail.