GACKT OFFICIAL BLOG: Finally participating in the World Series of Poker!!!!

GACKT Official Blog update. Translation below:

Now, Vegas is hot.

Professional poker players from around the world
and poker lovers are gathered here together in such crowds that I could die.
With the total number of entries in for all the different tournaments comes up to 110,000 people,
and the total prize money climbing up to 25 billion yen, it’s pretty insane.

That’s the reason why people from all over the world are gathered here…

To take part in this World Series for the first time,
I came to Vegas but it seems like I’m getting sick from the sheer number of people.

I was in the gym since morning,
and first did my training.
After pushing my body to the limit, I went for poker.
Whatever it is, it starts from here.

Different tournaments are being held in different areas but
anyway, we decided to try joining
the High Roller Tournament in a casino called Aria today.

I wonder how far can the results of my practice thus far can bring me…
I decided to try this tournament, with a prize money of around 50 million yen as the first one and
apparently, it looks like I’ve grown a little myself.
I wasn’t very conscious of it but
I’ve become able to read my opponents’ hands quite well.

Despite having ups and downs, I was able to steadily kick the other players off and win more and more.
And after 7 hours, I was able to remain in the final table.

I was able to catch the flow and jumped up to become the chip leader with victory before my eyes but
ferocious waves of bad beats (unluckily, the opponent somehow draws a card that turns the tables) came one after another
and I lost my position as chip leader.

Just like that, in one shot, the game starts to flow his way
and in the end, I finished in 4th place.

It seems that this was unprecedented as it was the first time that a Japanese has made it to the final table.

『Are you a poker professional?』

I kept getting asked, but

『No, I’m just a musician…』

was what I answered in replied.
As usual, when the players asked for my name,
they would search for GACKT’s performances on YouTube
and when they watch the videos, they will exclaim.

『What on earth is this staging!!!
I’ve never seen anything like it!!!!』

Well of course.
I’ve been doing what no one else has ever done throughout these 20 years.
Of course you’d be surprised…

That was what I thought but

『If you don’t focus on the game you’ll lose, y’know?』

I’d say something along those lines to them,
and I’ll get along rather well with the professionals at the table.

There were quite a number of company executives who also took part in this tournament, which created an atmosphere that was different then the usual,
and with everyone dressed smartly in suits, there were many stylish players.
Moreover, most of the players were muscular and buff,
to the extent that I could hardly believe my ears, and wondered if they were really poker professionals.

In the end,
even though I thought that it was alright to have had victory slip through my hands since
I was able to become friends with a lot of poker professionals and businessmen anyway…
I decided to take a photo at the end to express my chagrin.