Brag - played some live poker with Lee Jones tonight

[[Phill]]

No cliff notes - the title is the cliff notes.

So me and my friend Mike roll into our local casino in Manchester, UK, to try and rape the local economy best we can in the PL holdem cash game.

I got a seat at the main, and Mike got to start on the feeder table. I noticed a loudish American fellow with a cap on it - it was pretty unusual, despite being a pretty touristy city, foreign players was rare.

I admit it, i didnt recognise him at first in his 'ball cap. Im not being funny, but in real life he didnt look like he does on the stars site.

So we start KOing some shortstackers who were killing time before the rebuy tourney started and we overheard him tell a guy he was Lee Jones as they started talking about the EPT. Again, i didnt believe him at first, but then it was like "whoa, it really is The Man himself".

Eventually he is seated at our table - to my right. Position [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

We played for about 4.5 hours, he was a really solid player - made no errors and when i left he was up a solid clip. I was down £350ish, it happens.

We talked about a tonne of things poker - from how he got headhunted to work at stars, to his current role in the EPT, to the WSOP and the UIGEA. Was a really friendly and cool guy, as youd expect. We also got in a few jokes about how rigged onlike poker is and when someone sucked out in a monster pot on the river a Riverstars reference was made - was a solid friendly game.

He also finally drilled into my mate that you should protect your hand and not show cards unnecessarily [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

He also stacked me. In a limped pot, the flop was 3 rags, all diamonds. I call behind his bet with AdJh. The turn brought another rag and i shoved over his turn bet - he tanked it for what felt like 5 minutes (was one at most) before calling and showing TdTc - i miss all my outs cos i suck at running good and he tell me how hard his call was, and how he almost passed.

Tbh, i didnt mind losing the buy in, he made a top call and as it happened was one of perhaps 3 others on that table who could lay down that hand there. I also reckon the Td helped his call a lot too should i be holding two pair etc.

Dont comment on the hand. I dont care what you think and i havent given nearly enough info for you to judge.

Brag - met Lee Jones, shook his hand and got paid £1 for listening to him bitch about the shoddy dealers [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]
Beat - lost back the £1, with another £150 of my own cash trying out something 'non-standard'
Variance - I didnt recognise one of the most famous people in online poker. Also he is one of those guys you dont mind losing against. Was a top bloke. Would recommend going up and shaking his hand should you get the chance