I am just about to leave for the airport with Maya and Mila and go to Finland for the first time in a few years. It has been a fun time back in Las Vegas, although I could easily forget this last week, but thats a whole 'nother story.
I have been playing a lot of poker this week as well. I played in Bobby's Room with Tom Dwan, David B, Bobby Baldwin, Sammy F and a few others a few times in the past few days. We were playing mostly NL and PLO with no cap and of course props and Chinese every once in a while. The games on Full Tilt are going strong as well. I have been battling in Omaha 8 and HORSE with Lolina especially the past few days.
Here is a recap of some bets I made the past few weeks.
Brandon Adams and I played our 18 hole stroke play golf match at TPC Summerlin and I played very well and won by a few shots. Easy $100,000!! We decided instead of playing a tennis match, we would play a $100,000 NL HU Freezeout on Full Tilt. I decided this was the best strategy for me, because I had so many big golf bets coming up, it was not worth the risk of getting injured. Only a few hands into the match and we both flopped trips and he turned a full house and he won back his $100,000. Easy come easy go.
My good friend Mikko finally made it to town for our highly anticipated golf adventure. The first two days were a 36 hole 2 man team total stroke play. My partner Nick and I were up 15 shots after day 1 and they conceded after 9 holes on day 2. That was $200,000 in our pockets. The next day we decided to play 36 holes, 18 hole scramble match and 18 hole best ball. We won the scramble, I was a putting machine and we won another $50,000. The best ball did not go as planned, we might have been a little cocky going into the match, and quickly found ourselves down a few shots. Jani who was quite stuck going into the match wanted to play my partner Nick in a separate match of total score, and he wanted us to lay hm 8-1. I let him bet $20,000 and looking back, it only gave Jani more reason to focus and play his best. Nick birdied 3 of the last 6 holes and made an amazing up and down on 18 to win by 1 shot and save me $160,000.
We lost $50,000 in the best ball match, but felt like a winner when Nick made his last putt. I was so concerned following their match I forgot to focus on my own game. Anyway, it was a fun, adventurous, and quite profitable 3 days with these guys. But better then winning the money, was the look on poor Mikkos face at the end of the scramble match, he came to Vegas 110% certain he was going to win all the money and go back a rich man. He looked like a kid who found coal in his stockings on Christmas.
Full of confidence after this little match, it was time for bigger and better golf games. No one better to play then Daniel and the misfits, as he likes to call them. Daniel and his little group fly around TPC every afternoon and you cannot miss them. They are usually teeing it up from the ladies tees with no shame, because I have never seen any ladies playing in their group. My coach Jimmy joined our team and we played a scramble against Daniels team. We won the first day and then got crushed the 2nd and 3rd day. We are all very good putters, but the 2nd day it was like there was a lid on top of the hole, we were hitting great shots close to the hole, but could never convert. Meanwhile Daniels team would be across the green 30-50 feet away, and sink the putt every time. Naturally this was as frustrating as it gets, but they won fair and square and I paid Daniel his money.
So when it was all said and done, Daniel is currently 83rd on the PGA money list for 2008, right behind Freddy Couples.
I am excited about this vacation and seeing my family in Finland. I will be checking Full Tilt and playing if the games are good. I also want to thank all the nice railbirds who say hi to me when I am playing online, I wish I had enough time to write back to everyone, but I always appreciate the kind words.
On a final note, the 2025 Wimbledon Champion Mila Antonius has taken her first few steps, and has started walking all on her own. It was a very exciting time for Maya and I, and its hard to believe how fast she is growing.
Good luck at the tables
-Patrik-
