by Simon Young

How can I write a blog entry knowing it will be critiqued by the two published authors that it features? After some thought, I deduce that every stroke of my virtual pen must surely be a thing of poetic beauty. Right, here goes...

David Flusfeder was dreaming all night of looking down at a big pair before starting his assualt on the WSOP today. He got his wish, but not in the cards sense, as sitting opposite him is a well-built, middle-aged lady with possibly the lowest-cut blouse in the history of women's wear. Okay, maybe Shakespeare would have put it better, and if he had done so, perhaps it would have been in a thus-far undiscovered sister title to King Lear... entitled King Leer.

David Flusfeder and Vicky Coren


But enough of my childish ramblings. David, whose third book, The Pagan House, is published in just a few weeks, is here representing PokerStars and more than holding his own in esteemed company as, just before dinner, fellow Brit writer and PokerStars player Vicky Coren sat down right next to him. The two have been getting on famously, with much to talk about between hands.

"He's been playing very well," Vicky tells me.

"Well it's been okay," David adds while surveying his 20,200 chips, "but I have not seen many hands. It was all a bit stale for an hour before dinner, so I'm hoping to build a bit now."

I popped back an hour later to find that he had indeed built, not by a bit, but by a lot. As they disappeared before an end-of-level break, he sat on more than 50,000.

This is David's second year playing the Main Event. Last year he made it half-way through Day 2 before tripping up, he admits, over his own feet. With Vicky, whose books include Love 16 and Once More with Feeling, to his left, he now has a friendly face but a tricky opponent to contend with. But he will not let that fluster him, as he's well-known for his poker game and his weekly column in a leading UK newspaper.

Vicky admits she is having something of a yo-yo day. "I was up to 30,000,then down to 11,000 and now I'm back up to 22,000 - just about where I started," she said.

Meanwhile, Team PokerStars' Tom McEvoy is having a decent run. He's up to 40,000 after doubling up in a dramatic set over set hand. Holding 9-9 he saw a flop of 9-7-6, with two diamonds. His opponent led out with 2,000, Tom re-popped to 8,000 and was then put all in. He called, of course, and his distraught opponent rather forlornly flipped over 7-7. Nothing changed on the turn or river and the 1983 WSOP champ is up and running.

Tom's PokerStars team-mate John Duthie is still in good shape - on 40,000 or so - and is now sat next to fellow Brit, successful pro Marc Goodwin.