I have been entertained at the tables lately by people randomly writing stuff in the chat about me. Here is a poem that a guy recently dedicated to me.

RAIDERDUCK HAD NINE LIVES
RAIDERDUCK HAS POCKET NINES
THE WAY HE PLAYS THEM
HE WINS EVERYTIME
HE SIKES YOU OUT
RAIDERDUCK IS THE BEST
NORTH TO THE SOUTH
EVERYTIME RAIDERDUCK SHOWS UP
YOU KNOW HE BLOWS UP
HE’LL NEVER MISS
RAIDERDUCK WILL HAVE ALL YOUR CHIPS

marvellous effort that. Here is another guys freestyle rap effort. Kinda long, but worth it. Well done to SHUT_UP_DAS for his time and thanks for entertaining the table.

SHUT_UP_DAS: actually im a musical artist
ACENUTS: omg lol
CERTIFIEDPRO: ahahahaha
SHUT_UP_DAS: i conduct beats and make songs
SHUT_UP_DAS: wanna hear one ?
BLUFFTACULAR: LOL
RAIDERDUCK: ok
SHUT_UP_DAS: but yo check it
SHUT_UP_DAS: this is the ugly truth yall
SHUT_UP_DAS: yo yo i hate those ***** monkeys and the features
SHUT_UP_DAS: that they share with simian
SHUT_UP_DAS: disgusting junkies welfare recipiants
SHUT_UP_DAS: they livin off of someones $money who pays tax and hasa life
SHT_UP_DAS: while these fat *****es stomachs stay fat with parasites
SHUT_UP_DAS: and they have to have a pipe
SHUT_UP_DAS: to relax on average nights
BLUFFTACULAR: classic average nights
SHUT_UP_DAS: sp there bastars bratty tykes all act like savage types
SHUT_UP_DAS: its the legacy of black and spanish guys
SHUT_UP_DAS: beg when tea and genoas complacency of dads who have no wive
SHUT_UP_DAS: police should beat there ***** nskulls in with magnum, light
SHUT_UP_DAS: illigiamate illiterate blacks should have no rights
SHUT_UP_DAS: cuz they went from havin lives to havin life no i pay to fe
SHUT_UP_DAS: and give them TV with satalite ?
SHUT_UP_DAS: thiose steven stealin dirty ***** heathins dealin dope
SHUT_UP_DAS: need to steal a boat
SHUT_UP_DAS: sail they monkey asses back to africa
SHUT_UP_DAS: and seal the coast
SHUT_UP_DAS: with giant gates made of steel and bolts
SHUT_UP_DAS: so we can try and save a decent white god fearing folks
SHUT_UP_DAS: ” cuz i got strangers movin in on my own backyard
SHUT_UP_DAS: home town battlefield times is hard
SHUT_UP_DAS: crime is risin
SHUT_UP_DAS: on my horizon
SHUT_UP_DAS: and its gettin mighty hard for folds to find a job
SHUT_UP_DAS: alot of folks say that the time is changin
SHUT_UP_DAS: but the more things change the more it stays the same
SHUT_UP_DAS: i dotn know where im gonna go
SHUT_UP_DAS: i dont know….
SHUT_UP_DAS: dont hand me your ethics
SHUT_UP_DAS: just credit this is rude hard speech
RAIDERDUCK: get a RAIDERDUCK lyric in there
SHUT_UP_DAS: cuz im not anti semitic jews are cheap !
SHUT_UP_DAS: with every breath there breathin threw large beaks
SHUT_UP_DAS: there tellin more fibs
SHUT_UP_DAS: and squeezin 4 kids
SHUT_UP_DAS: into 2 car seats
SHUT_UP_DAS: what a waste of white skin heartbeats and faces like men
SHUT_UP_DAS: black lovers who treat the beast as if the a[e was like them
SHUT_UP_DAS: they killed to save your christ then denied that he was gods
SHUT_UP_DAS: first thing in the mornin wakin up
SHUT_UP_DAS: on my mind is always raider duck
SHUT_UP_DAS: my girl right beside me wanted to fck
SHUT_UP_DAS: but on my mind is just raider duck
RAIDERDUCK: ty
SHUT_UP_DAS: i got pocket aces and accidently muck
SHUT_UP_DAS: cuiz i was too busy thinkin of raider duck
SHUT_UP_DAS: so i was thionking whats an easy way to make a buck
SHUT_UP_DAS: figured i just go on UB and find RAIDERDUCK
SHUT_UP_DAS: say whats up
SHUT_UP_DAS: ask for 10 bucks
SHUT_UP_DAS: and when he turns me down just frown and say fck !
SHUT_UP_DAS: i know im better than anyone at the tablr
SHUT_UP_DAS: but i got no bank therfore i aint able
SHUT_UP_DAS: to stack all you and buy my kids toys plus RAIDERDUCK shirts
SHUT_UP_DAS: for me and the boys
SHUT_UP_DAS: so i just came herew to say one thing, send me 25 bucks and
SHUT_UP_DAS: ill continue to sing ! lol
SHUT_UP_DAS: and im not racist btw the song sdisses white folks next
SHUT_UP_DAS: thats wghy its called the ugly truth
SHUT_UP_DAS: see ??!?>
SHUT_UP_DAS: now i have carpal tunnel
RAIDERDUCK: v good
SHUT_UP_DAS: give me a shot at poker
SHUT_UP_DAS: if you had one shot
RAIDERDUCK: i mite put that on my blog
RAIDERDUCK: your talent is unmeasurable
SHUT_UP_DAS: tyty
RAIDERDUCK: use ur rap skills to get a gf with a big booty
SHUT_UP_DAS: ill write you 40 songs just send me some $ im bored ! lol
SHUT_UP_DAS: and poor
SHUT_UP_DAS: and also
SHUT_UP_DAS: hungry
SHUT_UP_DAS: lol
RAIDERDUCK: well my session is coming to an end
SHUT_UP_DAS: am i leaving empty handed
SHUT_UP_DAS: after that exausting performance lol
SHUT_UP_DAS: i bid you a do gentlemen
SHUT_UP_DAS: raider ?
SHUT_UP_DAS: can anyone here help me get started maybe ??
SHUT_UP_DAS: i cant depot cuz i live in the pacific ocean
SHUT_UP_DAS: u wont miss 5 bb’s but ittl sure help me !
RAIDERDUCK: ??
SHUT_UP_DAS: sorry for buggin yallz if i dide
SHUT_UP_DAS: oh
SHUT_UP_DAS: RAIDERDUCK
SHUT_UP_DAS: can
SHUT_UP_DAS: you
SHUT_UP_DAS: splash ?
SHUT_UP_DAS: tonight ?
SHUT_UP_DAS: nevermind c ya
RAIDERDUCK: later
SHUT_UP_DAS: painfull
SHUT_UP_DAS: i though you said for a shout out and a song about you ??
SHUT_UP_DAS: did you not ??
SHUT_UP_DAS: that was original fire str8 from the oven
SHUT_UP_DAS: for you mr duxk
SHUT_UP_DAS: am i wrong you did say that
SHUT_UP_DAS: didnt he guys ??
SHUT_UP_DAS: haha
SHUT_UP_DAS: can you please help me out ??
SHUT_UP_DAS: after al;l that im desperate pls
SHUT_UP_DAS: my gf actually left me

Yep, get free monies off me (kinda)

All you have to do is send me a pic to either my email (raiderduck@raiderduck.com), or PM on 2+2 (litemyfire)

My prices are as follows

$5 for some form of poster or something you make on the net dedicated to me

$10 for like someone (or their gf) holding a sign saying “I love raiderduck” or “we <3 raiderduck” or similar. Use your imagination.

Up to $20 for writing raiderduck/i love raiderduck on your or your gf’s body, or anything creative that I like. Must have some form of writing on skin though.

No photoshoppings plz, i want REAL effort put in ppl. Those prices are not set in stone, I will judge the photos and will give out up to $20 for anyone who puts in the effort. I have paid out 5 people so far for various types of pictures (beggars on AP).

If interested ship the pics. PM me on 2+2 or email me at raiderduck@raiderduck.com

Getting owned in the chat as usual…
91_TUCKER_91: play bad win big
91_TUCKER_91: 10.00 on the flop with 9 high and snap a full house lol
91_TUCKER_91: unreal
IRILLO: duck last night U were playing 9 screens ? 1 heads up?
IRILLO: corpororation?
RAIDERDUCK: 9?
RAIDERDUCK: shoulda seen me earlier today i was playing 18
IRILLO: NINE!
IRILLO: 12:30 ET!
IRILLO: working as a team? or for the house?
RAIDERDUCK: wat do u mean?
_MR SMOOTH_: he has a superuser account!
RAIDERDUCK: lolz
_MR SMOOTH_: obviously
RAIDERDUCK: its rigged
TAFFY_JONES: u should report him rillo
IRILLO: I wrote all the game ID#’s and times…
TAFFY_JONES: good man
_MR SMOOTH_: yep
_MR SMOOTH_: he will be banned asap
_MR SMOOTH_: send it in
TAFFY_JONES: he cant argue with the evidence
_MR SMOOTH_: overwhelming
RAIDERDUCK: loool
RAIDERDUCK: im gunna get pwned
TAFFY_JONES: airtight
IRILLO: not rigged, but team work that gives them obvious advantages
_MR SMOOTH_: wheres onlinebandit?
RAIDERDUCK: what do u mean teamwork? what team?
TAFFY_JONES: hes changed his name to IRILLO lol
_MR SMOOTH_: you are your 2 teamates\
_MR SMOOTH_: TEAM RAIDERDUCK!
IRILLO: taffy ur a decent guy & player,, could u play 9 screens?
RAIDERDUCK: hehe
_MR SMOOTH_: NO WAY
RAIDERDUCK: irillo..im playing 9 now
_MR SMOOTH_: its impossible
_MR SMOOTH_: unless you have a team
RAIDERDUCK: i am a witch obv
TAFFY_JONES: i am playing 9 right now
_MR SMOOTH_: i am playing ten
_MR SMOOTH_: but i’m a deity!
NEEKTOO: im playing one
IRILLO: 1 heads up against ellis_island and all recorded
RAIDERDUCK: can u cc the email to me u send to support?
_MR SMOOTH_: send it in!
RAIDERDUCK: its raiderduck@raiderduck
TAFFY_JONES: good work rillo.u have him
IRILLO: ultimate points must be huge
_MR SMOOTH_: send it in
RAIDERDUCK: dot com
91_TUCKER_91: get him
91_TUCKER_91: send it!
_MR SMOOTH_: ship it!
91_TUCKER_91: lol
RAIDERDUCK: haha u guys always pwn me in the chat
_MR SMOOTH_: before its too late!
TAFFY_JONES: your number is up Duck!!
_MR SMOOTH_: GG DUCK
91_TUCKER_91: lol gl…maybe fall asleep now
TAFFY_JONES: u’ve been found out
91_TUCKER_91: to tired

RAIDERDUCK: this is rogged
RAIDERDUCK: well i guess it was a matter of time before they found me
TAFFY_JONES: hey rillo
TAFFY_JONES: u might get a reward
RAIDERDUCK: irillo…cc me the email plz?
IRILLO: I’M NOT A SNITCH, BUT WOULD LIKE A LEVEL PLAYING FIELD..
_MR SMOOTH_: do you still use your nionio account duck?
RAIDERDUCK: haha na just potripper obv
TAFFY_JONES: lol

FINALLY.  Andy (Eurekakid) EXPOSED in this exclusive celeb interview…

This is part 1, where he has revealed personal info about his poker playing and lifestyle as a pro.

What is your poker story and what led you to full-ring over other variations of the game?
I got a free $10 at Absolute Poker through my friend Hui back in late 2004, was very skeptical before playing, even with free money. Promptly busted that of course; didn’t think much of it. Not long after that World Poker Tour came on TV and I got really into that. I started reading more and learning about poker. During that time played a ton of free money sit and go’s at Absolute Poker. I was doing pretty well in them, so obviously deposited some money and started playing micro stakes SNGs, made a little bit and cashed out because holidays were over.

Not long after that I got another free $20 at Bodog (thanks again Hui). Took it straight to $10nl full-ring and ran hot to begin with. Played there for months and months, slowly learned some things, read some books etc etc. Then for the next like 3 years I was very slowly working my way up the limits, also played a whole lot of sit and go’s, bonus whored my way around all the networks etc.

In late 2007, got really into 2+2 and improving my game and learned to mega-table. From that point on I’ve never really looked back.

Full-ring was just what I had always played; I just stuck with what I knew I guess. It wasn’t really a conscious decision at any point in time. Reading poker books when you are first starting that teach a kind of tight approach I guess lends itself to finding your way to full-ring.

Have you, or do you plan to play any other forms of poker than NL Holdem?
I’ve had brief periods of flirtation with Omaha/8, limit and pot limit cash games and pot limit sit and go’s. Other than that, I haven’t really many hours playing other games.
I still feel like I have a lot more to learn about no limit hold ‘em, and would be more likely to head down the path of more 6-max and heads-up type play than to learn a completely different game. It’s just such a huge sacrifice to take yourself out of your normal game and try and learn something that is very different.
How many hands do you think you have played lifetime? Give us a breakdown of the limits and how successful (by your standards) you think you have been at each.
I have absolutely no idea, other than to say millions of hands. I spent a lot of time early when I was playing non-thinking, bonus whore type poker at the micro limits, but I was never playing a lot of tables so my hand volume probably wasn’t as great as when I moved up to small limits. I just didn’t care to improve my game at that time, so I would say that period wasn’t a success and I regret that I didn’t use that time more efficiently.
Since then though, I would say my transition through the small limits up to mid-stakes has been very conservative by most people’s standards, but a success for me.

When you get up in the morning, what makes you want to play poker?
This is a pretty deep question and something I think about a lot. Deep down I think I have a passion for the game and solving the problems within it, but there are certainly times when I question whether I want to dedicate so much time to it in the future. So sometimes it can feel kind of like a means to an end and a grind trying to achieve whatever goals I’ve set out for myself, but other times I am purely driven by the thrill of playing.

What are your poker goals for 2009?
I blogged them at the start of the year, but I won’t repeat them because I’m failing miserably at a few of them. I’m not really too fussed with a lot of them, the most important thing is that I’m still enjoying playing poker and that playing a lot hasn’t gotten old. I’m no longer playing much on PokerStars so all my VPP related goals are obviously irrelevant. My aspirations of getting into PLO and playing tourneys have been put on hold also. Playing more 6-max and on non-US sites has been successful to an extent. Later in the year I’m looking forward to APPT Sydney and meeting a bunch of 2+2ers/friends I’ve made online there.

What is behind your screen name?
The Eureka Stockade is was a rebellion that took place in my home State (Victoria, Australia). Basically it was an uprising by gold miners against the government forcing them to have licences back in the gold rush. The Eureka flag (pictured in the header of my blog) bears the Southern Cross, a prominent set of stars visible in the Southern Hemisphere sky. Individual liberty and freedom is an interest of mine, so I’m sure that had something to do with my choice of name, as well as a sense of national pride I guess.

Are you climbing stakes these days?
I’m very conservative with my shot taking for the most part, but being a full-ring specialist I mean there isn’t really much to move up to. I really don’t see the point in playing much beyond the stakes I play unless I find tables with a few weak players and not many short stackers (they are few and far between these days).

How much time do you put into poker outside of playing, and what do you do?
It varies, but probably more than most that play the kind of hand volume I do, I would say. Sometimes it’s hard to give up playing time to study, but not being locked into a SNE chase or similar helps I guess. I try and do a hand review at least a few times a week, watch a bunch of videos as they are released and do a fair bit of chatting/discussion with other players about hands.

What are the major poker epiphanies you’ve had to get you to the point of solid, winning poker?
There are so many things that I’ve learned along the way and continue to learn and I have massive breakthroughs all the time. The funny thing about solid poker is that a lot of people are not actually setting out to play in a boring solid style. They want to play loose, they want to make fancy plays, they want to 3-bet a lot, whatever. I’ve slowly loosened up my game over time, but I think I’ve always set out to play pretty straight forward and go from there. Obviously, you can’t be completely ABC, but you really don’t need to mix things up as much as a lot of players do in order to beat micro/small stakes games.

I guess there is just lots of small things you come to realise over time, how important position is, people aren’t bluffing you as much as you think, table selection is really important, bankroll management is key, studying and improving all the time to stay ahead of the curve is crucial and a lot of other stuff.

It’s actually pretty funny to look back and think about my time at lower limits and my view of the regulars when I first started in those games. It’s pretty bizarre to think about how I used to sort of aspire to be as good as them and fear them a little. I think there is a lesson in that. When you think about your current limit, there is sure to be a player that gets the best of you or whatever and it’s really crucial to recognise the fact that, I constantly re-enforce to myself, ‘they are just a dude with a range’. With hard work, practice, patience and discipline you can beat just about anyone or at least not have them smack you around. I’m sure there a lot of people reading this who have had that feeling of intimidation, I’ve struggled with it in the past and still encounter it all the time.

How do you consider your game? Sum up your style of play. Are you a nit, a LAG/TAG. Why are you the player you are?
I would say that my full-ring game has linearly progressed from me being one of the biggest nits in the game to one of the looser TAG regulars at my stake these days. I guess my style of play is just a product of how I was introduced to the game. My basic goal in the beginning was not to lose much/win marginally and make money grinding bonuses and the best way to do that was playing really tight. When you aren’t very skilled post-flop, you instinctively tend to stay out of trouble by not playing many marginal hands and that’s what I did for a long time. When I actually started thinking, learning and improving the loosening up came naturally.

What do your friends and family think of your poker playing?
I imagine my parents were quietly worried initially, but I don’t think it took them long to realise I wasn’t maxing out credit cards to indulge in poker. I think they always knew I was very frugal when it came to money and that I had a good head on my shoulders, so they had no reason to be worried. I kept good grades up at University as well, so I’ve never really given them too much reason to think twice about it. My wonderful girlfriend has always been fine with it, apart from missing me when I’ve gone on poker trips. We were together before I got into poker, so it could have been an issue, but never has been.

As for my extended family I’m not sure how much of it they understand other than that I don’t have a gambling problem, I’ve been to Vegas/Macau a few times and I have a blog. Poker is just one of my many interests; I don’t really see that it should be define me in any way to anyone really. Same with my high school and Uni friends as well I guess. It’s not something I’ve really discussed with a lot of people. I don’t really care how I’m viewed and what people think of me in terms of my choice of hobbies.
These days a lot of my closest friends have either come from poker circles or gotten into the game themselves anyway. I’m happy that I can share experiences and relate to them well I suppose.

What kind of reactions do you get from people outside of poker when you tell them that you play? What are some of the funniest, ill-conceived, tilt inducing and fishiest responses that you get?
There are only two instances I’ve come across where someone has reacted like I have some sort of problem. No real surprises, they have both come from religious types. I guess the notable one was when someone asked my mum if I’m “still addicted to poker”. As we all know, there is absolutely no way to be passionate about playing cards for money unless you are 100% addicted to it and in need of a soul cleanse.
Most people I ever talk to about it are pretty open to it, they’ve seen it on TV or they play sometimes themselves. I get all the usual things like their poker/bad beat stories, tales of other people they know that play and the fishy stuff like can I double their $300 for them.

You have a strategy group known as ‘Life Fish’. Who is in it and what is it about?
It’s basically a private strategy discussion forum, mostly for full-ring. I asked a few regulars from the spectrum of poker sites to join. Some agreed to join and never got involved much, so they were culled. We are left with about 10 members now and at the moment there are about 4 or 5 of us who take it seriously. We might look to get more members in the future. Essentially, it is just a far better alternative for discussion of hands as opposed to a public forum.

What are the best and worst parts of being a poker player?
Winning and losing, of course (not really). The only bad part about poker I can come up with is how sedentary an activity it is. I could make a long list of things that are great about it. I really love that there is always something new to learn, there are always games going, there are always people that think they know more than they actually do, there are lots of cool/interesting people I’ve met playing (and now call my friends) and I guess one of the most satisfying things is that I’ve actually become a decent at it.

If you are having a really bad run, or a really good run, does this affect your day to day life outside poker?
Not really. I can’t really think of a time where I’ve lost any sleep over poker (which is more than can be said for the trials and tribulations of other passions of mine, such as my sports teams). Sure, if I’m going through a rough patch I might get a tad grumpy now and then, but nothing major.

Who’s your favourite famous pro?
I’m not really massive on following the tournament scene, TV poker or railing nose bleeds online. I’ll watch High Stakes Poker and occasionally some high stakes videos, but that’s about it. My favourite TV tournament pro would be Allen Cunningham. As someone who really quietly spoken myself, I can relate to the way he carries himself and he just comes off as a really humble nice guy. He seems to be pretty sick good a poker too.

In terms of an online cash hero, it has to be BalugaWhale. I’ve learned a lot from every single thing he’s written or recorded. He might not be one of the biggest names in high stakes, but he has a way of breaking down the game that really works for me.

————————————————————

Part 2…coming soon

here it is.

What’s the difference between people who pray at the poker table and people who pray in church??

People who pray at the poker table really mean it.

Great on so many levels!

Me gracefully diving into the langham hotel pool

“Rohan is a total sleaze who sleeps with anything that moves and is a gambling addict”

Well…….

***** Hand History for Game 1351354175 ***** (Absolute)
$1000.00 USD NL Texas Hold’em - Saturday, April 04, 03:50:27 ET 2009
Table FRANKLIN ST (Real Money)
Seat 4 is the button
Seat 4: RAVROB ( $523.73 USD )
Seat 6: RAIDERDUCK ( $1369.27 USD )
RAVROB posts small blind [$5.00 USD].
RAIDERDUCK posts big blind [$10.00 USD].
** Dealing down cards **
Dealt to RAIDERDUCK [  9d 9h ]
RAVROB raises [$55.00 USD]
RAIDERDUCK raises [$170.00 USD]
RAVROB calls [$120.00 USD]
** Dealing Flop ** [ 3s, Ks, 9s ]
RAIDERDUCK bets [$130.00 USD]
RAVROB raises [$343.73 USD]
RAIDERDUCK calls [$213.73 USD]
** Dealing Turn ** [ Td ]
** Dealing River ** [ Kh ]
RAVROB shows [Th, As ]
RAIDERDUCK shows [9d, 9h ]
RAIDERDUCK wins $1046.71 USD from main pot

***** Hand History for Game 1351341619 ***** (Absolute)
$1000.00 USD NL Texas Hold’em - Saturday, April 04, 03:36:28 ET 2009
Table FRANKLIN ST (Real Money)
Seat 4 is the button
Seat 4: RAVROB ( $1100.12 USD )
Seat 6: RAIDERDUCK ( $810.88 USD )
RAVROB posts small blind [$5.00 USD].
RAIDERDUCK posts big blind [$10.00 USD].
** Dealing down cards **
Dealt to RAIDERDUCK [  Qd Qh ]
RAVROB calls [$5.00 USD]
RAIDERDUCK raises [$30.00 USD]
RAVROB raises [$330.00 USD]
RAIDERDUCK raises [$770.88 USD]
RAVROB calls [$470.88 USD]
** Dealing Flop ** [ 4c, 3s, 4s ]
** Dealing Turn ** [ 5c ]
** Dealing River ** [ 7d ]
RAVROB shows [Ac, Jd ]
RAIDERDUCK shows [Qd, Qh ]
RAIDERDUCK wins $1621.01 USD from main pot

Woke up early listening to the calming sounds of pokerstars beeps and andy playing a session. Think I eventually got up about 11-12. We got on the train and went to Hong Kong island to check out the peak, which is a massive lookout over Hong Kong/Mongkok. There is a tram thing that goes up a steep hill which took about 20 minutes. It was a good experience. We got some photos of the smog. On the way down we ran into a group of 7th day eventists/mormons from the USA which was cool. It was funny listening to them refer to each other as “sister” and “elder”. I might become one.
After we got back we went to the temple street markets again and bought some watches. They are not bad l0oking, just need to adjust the size of them slightly. We also had dinner in an outdoor restaurant where I ordered some sea snails. They werent too bad, kinda like an oyster except stronger.

When we got back we had a look for the $6,000-ish I had earlier misplaced in the room. Well not misplaced, but left in my laptop bag earlier that day like the life fish that I am. We had no luck finding it so I reported it to the lobby security staff, and then to the police station at around 1am. The police/hotel staff reviewed the security tape and saw that the housemaid had made up our room as we were gone, so its pretty obvious where the money went. It was our word against theirs with no proof so theres not alot I could do. Ended up wasting like 3 hours at the police station until 4am getting a report translated. They wanted to come back up to the room but I couldnt see the point, so I let it go.

Money is the root of all evil anyway rite??

I had played a 3500 hand session until 3am the night before, so once again it was hard to get out of bed in time for breakfast. All I could manage was 2 bowls of cereal and some yoghurt, which I was severely regretting after we left our room and got onto the 1 hr ferry ride back to Hong Kong. It was a million times rougher than when we came out the other side and I was feeling really ordinary. I almost had to reach for a sick bag but kept it down. I kept myself busy taking awesome photos with Andys camera while he blogged. Once we got through customs we had another excellent feed at a place in the ferry terminal, which I badly needed. I got thai noodle soup with sausages or something like that. We got a taxi to the Langham hotel, which was great. Mongkok is the suburb we are in and it is apparently the most densely populated place on earth with 131,000 people per square kilometre. The streets were obviously packed, with lots of shops crammed next to each other selling everything you could imagine (we saw a shop that seemed to only be selling ladders?).

Once we got into our room we tested out the internet connection then went to the 41st floor which contained the health centre. It was very impressive. We firstly did a gym session while looking out over the city, and got some great photos. After that we headed to another part of the floor and went in the heated pool. Andy and I had contests over who could swim under water the longest. After the pool we headed into the locker rooms which are awesome in themselves. There is a guy who works full time in there, just doing stuff like replacing towels and drying the floor after people get out of the shower. It contains lockers, showers, changing areas, a part with mirrors which has sinks and hair dryers and shaving gear, a 40 degree spa, a sauna and a steam room. Also you can just put on a robe and walk around which is cool.

I didnt know there was a difference between a sauna and a steam room. I thought a sauna was sposed to be steamy. Anyway we gave it a go and lasted about 2 minutes. It was just a really unpleasant heat, not good at all. We hit the steam room after that which was slightly more bearable. At least its kinda a nice heat. We stayed in there about 5 minutes.

We headed back to our room for an online session and got room service, and around 8pm we went to the markets, firstly the “temple street markets” and then the “ladies markets”. Which are supposed to be the best and busiest markets in Hong Kong. It really reminded me of the Bangkok markets, selling the same kind of stuff anyway. One massive difference between them is that they do not seem to hassle you to buy stuff here like they do in thailand. The shop owners pretty much just stand around and let you look at stuff. There is still the somewhat painful negotiating though. I bought a poker belt and some bracelets, and Andy got a hoodie, underwear and a couple of T shirts. No doubt we will be heading back over the next couple of days to get more stuff. We bought some cokes and stuff from the 7/11 and then came back home, where I played another session and Andy went to bed.

I got up kinda late and was feeling a bit under the weather from our big night at the wynn. We went to the pool/spa again and got photos of ourselves frollicking. We played online for a little bit and then started our last live session at Grand Lisboa about 4pm. We saw a couple of the regs, and ran into James again. We played until about 8pm and then headed out across the road to a small place for dinner. It was one of the best meals since we had been here. I ordered the same stuff as I did the first night (chicken noodle or something) and it was really good. It was right next to a TAB-equivalent where there were people shouting at the dog racing., it was a good atmosphere and only about 10 bucks AUD each. I have much preferred the small street places to eat over the expensive and often crap casino restaurants. It also seems like every time we eat in a casino restaurant they sit us in the back? Andy reckons its because they are racist. My theory is that we are TOO good looking, and they do not want us distracting the other customers…yep.