The last prepping event in my agenda ended tonight. I finish 500th out of 2700 participants. I notice that the KK hand still not my friend. For the 3rd time, I awaited an ace ... and in the end, 3rd exit on that hand, at Event 39 ($1500 buy-in). If I calculate a 33% probability for kings, 3 times would add up to 100%. That ace should have landed tonight, but simple maths are not always the key to victory.

I admit that the poker I played today did not deserve better then a 6 out of 10.

I've played a lot, I started off at three times the average stack (15,000) I then saved a big pot by intimidating a medium one, flop 567, I go all in with A7, I was expecting him to turn up with a AJ or KQ yet he folds with a 56 and tells me "you nice suite". I thought to myself that I was out of the rough at that point in time. "Ok, now lets stay calm and no more taking risks until the "money"", since throwing away two pairs on this flop would be a first in my WSOP career.

So I played it nice and smooth, journalists would come and start checking out my stack value.

Then came (though I really regretted not sticking to my initia game plan) an agressive UTG opening at 800, I have A9 (diamonds, my favorites), I tell myself "as agressive as he is, he's far ahead of me with UTG AK AH or KK QQ", I still go in thinking a color would get the 7500 pot, half of mine and with a "caution" stuck in my mind in case this does not go according to plan...

And, as I half expected, AA2 are layed down, I see three aces, surely there isn't a forth sitting around. He opens agressivly at 1500, I picture him with a KK seen as I didn't either have an ace ... so I call it.

AA26 ... 3000, as he insists pushing further in the game, still seeing him with a KK or QQ, I call it again. He moves all in. Too late for me, i'm too deep into this game, as I had been playing it from the word go. I follow it in, and as unexpected as it was, he turns up an AJ and I lose half my stack to it. Too much confidence, too trusting of my analysis when he called the all in.

Obviously, after such a game, I lost all my serenity that a true champion would have no doubt been able to bounce back to after such a hit, three flops, three losses. Unfortunate, the 90 minute break for dinner were coming up, that would have been perfect to get my mind back in gear.

The news was therefore "Elky, Scotty Nguyen, Joseph Achem and Pierre Neuville get an early dinner break"

Strangely enough, all 4 of us were eliminated at the same moment, before dinner. Thruth is, besides Elky who shook my hand in a very friendly manner with a head shake (as I reminded him of the KK stunt in the Bahamas that brought him closer to victory) no one really takes notice of the 4th place getting knocked out.

In any case, very happy to have been a front runner in these preperation stages where we still do get to go head on with the top thousand players in the world. I've learned a great deal, I take note of a great deal of my learning experiences and will go over them again and again until monday.

Monday, first of 3 of the world championships for which i've come: the seniors that have played poker all their lives. Then the 6 handed, very popular amongst the you agressive pros... and to top it off, the main event on the 5th of july. I at least know this: i'll get a pair that day, table 7 seat 7.

See you all very soon, a big thank you for all your mails, so encouraging for me !