The first time I met Dave was through a mutual work colleague of ours about five years ago. When this friend showed me the email he'd gotten from Dave I was like "Oh my days it's him off the TV!" I was already poker obsessed by this stage and we HAD to get a game out of him! It'd be like meeting a member of the national football team if you liked footy.
Dave was kind enough (after about 70 emails pestering him) to invite us to his abode in Birmingham for a cosy little house game. It was £50, maximum one rebuy, way above what we were used to but we had to make it interesting for him right?
Dave was soon busted by a flush vs flush hand and five minutes, half a beer and 4 hands later he was out! I didnt even get to play a hand with him! However we had a great time up there and have been back a few times since when the opportunity has arisen.
The first time I met Rhowena was at one of Dave's home games. She was learning the game at the time but had already picked up Dave's ability to raise. A lot. Four handed she kept reraising me, with the goods most probably, but it was annoying all the same. Within ten minutes she had me calling off all my chips with A10 vs her huge AK. These members of team blonde can play you know!
The first time I met Tony "tikay" Kendall was about 5 years ago in Nottingham Gala. Before the blonde hair and outrageous play Tony was very sharp. Dressed in a shirt, sleeveless V-neck jumper and smart trousers he was every bit the business man. He played a tight game, if he raised you were better off out of it. He was a likeable guy from the off and on my first night there I was sat at a table end with him and an Asian gentleman called Ray.
We got talking, shared cigarettes (back when I did smoke) and Tony told me how well I'd played when our table broke. Now although it was a very polite thing to do I was a little abashed. He'd obviously seen me as a complete novice and his comment was made to encourage such a player. "Right" I thought, "I'll show him!"
A few hours later I make the final second in chips and in seat two. Tony is third and in seat ten. The chip leader is between us in seat one. The blinds have almost gone around once, we'd only lost one player, when I look down under the gun at pocket queens. Right, I thought, I'm having your small blind.
I pop it up to 3.5k and it's folded around to Tony who decides to make it "pot". Another 3k to match my bet with 8 more! Beautiful I thought - this is all going in. The chip leader between us goes all-in and now I'm in a right pickle! It's only my first final. "Sod it" I thought and lumped it in. Tony passes his T-T and the BB takes me out with A-A. Disaster. I'll get him one day.
The first time I met Adam "snoopy" Goulding was also in Notts Gala about 5 years ago. In the 15-20 minute wait for the game to start, Adam was sat at a table in the cardroom telling one of the regulars how he was trying to get involved in the Laddies cruise. He'd spent the last week or so non-stop playing raked hands in order to qualify. He'd tried so hard and gotten a few thousand raked hands but was still several kabillion short of qualifying for the cruise. He was well miffed!
Well I found it hilarious. My flatmate who had only ever met Adam that once, found it so funny that he even remembered who he was before the blonde bash when I tried to explain who "snoopy" was.
That night I met Adam he was on my table. I was the BB with A9 in an unraised pot of 899 vs three others incuding Adam. He'd only limped wih 89 of diamonds hadn't he? Busting all 3 of us he went on to make the final and if I'm not mistaken I think he won it outright. See the pattern yet? I dont seem to be able to beat these team blonde members.
The first time I met Jen was last year at Luton in the £200er for the UK Open. She was sat immediately to my left and after tikay introduced us my initial thought was "she's a bit quiet".
Maybe she doesn't talk much at the table but man can she play. To my right I had Mr. Rubdown, shouting "welcome to England" to everyone he outdrew and to my left I had Jen. I hope I can be forgiven for thinking blind vs blind against Jen would be better to aim at than with this guy to my right. Let's just say after 2 attempts at that I was delighted to be moving tables. Jen went on to win the comp. Man I hate playing members of team blonde.
I knew Jo by reputation from friends who play at the gutshot and I was keen to mix it up with her. So there we are 2 hours in and I know that with the blinds increasing that my blind will be the juicy apple the whole table wants soon enough. All I had to do was wait.
The BB hits me and I look down the table to Jo who barely looks at her cards before raising. I knew it
was a steal. I look down to see A10. No doubt it's a steal in my mind, if it gets to me without a caller
I'm going all in. It DOES get to me without a caller, so naturally I just call like an idiot.
The flop comes rags and I check it to her like a complete moron. She goes all in and I fold as she
shows me 6-9 off. Good play moron. LOL! 45 minutes later she's reraised At-It and I'm so short I'm making Sammy Davis Jr. look good. I look down to see A-2. Time to gamble? Hopefully I'll have a live ace and if not I hope to hit my 2! Considering the odds I was getting I was happy enough facing any two cards except aces. No points for guessing what she had then.
So in short my experiences with team blonde at the table have been a learning experience to say the least! However working with them has been a pleasure.
I just hope you guys out there who get to sit opposite Dave and Tony on blondepokerleague or at a blonde bash realise just how lucky you are. You didn't have to send 70 odd emails begging for a game!
I'm feeling a bit like Daniel Craig at the mo. Been a Bond fan his whole life and now he is Bond. Well I've been a blondie fan my whole poker life and now I feel like a fan who just became a part of it. I hope to meet many more of you soon enough, hopefully with better results!
Dave was kind enough (after about 70 emails pestering him) to invite us to his abode in Birmingham for a cosy little house game. It was £50, maximum one rebuy, way above what we were used to but we had to make it interesting for him right?
Dave was soon busted by a flush vs flush hand and five minutes, half a beer and 4 hands later he was out! I didnt even get to play a hand with him! However we had a great time up there and have been back a few times since when the opportunity has arisen.
The first time I met Rhowena was at one of Dave's home games. She was learning the game at the time but had already picked up Dave's ability to raise. A lot. Four handed she kept reraising me, with the goods most probably, but it was annoying all the same. Within ten minutes she had me calling off all my chips with A10 vs her huge AK. These members of team blonde can play you know!The first time I met Tony "tikay" Kendall was about 5 years ago in Nottingham Gala. Before the blonde hair and outrageous play Tony was very sharp. Dressed in a shirt, sleeveless V-neck jumper and smart trousers he was every bit the business man. He played a tight game, if he raised you were better off out of it. He was a likeable guy from the off and on my first night there I was sat at a table end with him and an Asian gentleman called Ray.
We got talking, shared cigarettes (back when I did smoke) and Tony told me how well I'd played when our table broke. Now although it was a very polite thing to do I was a little abashed. He'd obviously seen me as a complete novice and his comment was made to encourage such a player. "Right" I thought, "I'll show him!"
A few hours later I make the final second in chips and in seat two. Tony is third and in seat ten. The chip leader is between us in seat one. The blinds have almost gone around once, we'd only lost one player, when I look down under the gun at pocket queens. Right, I thought, I'm having your small blind.
I pop it up to 3.5k and it's folded around to Tony who decides to make it "pot". Another 3k to match my bet with 8 more! Beautiful I thought - this is all going in. The chip leader between us goes all-in and now I'm in a right pickle! It's only my first final. "Sod it" I thought and lumped it in. Tony passes his T-T and the BB takes me out with A-A. Disaster. I'll get him one day.
The first time I met Adam "snoopy" Goulding was also in Notts Gala about 5 years ago. In the 15-20 minute wait for the game to start, Adam was sat at a table in the cardroom telling one of the regulars how he was trying to get involved in the Laddies cruise. He'd spent the last week or so non-stop playing raked hands in order to qualify. He'd tried so hard and gotten a few thousand raked hands but was still several kabillion short of qualifying for the cruise. He was well miffed!
Well I found it hilarious. My flatmate who had only ever met Adam that once, found it so funny that he even remembered who he was before the blonde bash when I tried to explain who "snoopy" was.
That night I met Adam he was on my table. I was the BB with A9 in an unraised pot of 899 vs three others incuding Adam. He'd only limped wih 89 of diamonds hadn't he? Busting all 3 of us he went on to make the final and if I'm not mistaken I think he won it outright. See the pattern yet? I dont seem to be able to beat these team blonde members.
The first time I met Jen was last year at Luton in the £200er for the UK Open. She was sat immediately to my left and after tikay introduced us my initial thought was "she's a bit quiet". Maybe she doesn't talk much at the table but man can she play. To my right I had Mr. Rubdown, shouting "welcome to England" to everyone he outdrew and to my left I had Jen. I hope I can be forgiven for thinking blind vs blind against Jen would be better to aim at than with this guy to my right. Let's just say after 2 attempts at that I was delighted to be moving tables. Jen went on to win the comp. Man I hate playing members of team blonde.
The first time I met Jo was at the first blonde bash. I was still feeling ill from flu (and the night before) and I hadn't hardly spoken let alone played any cards. I'm pretty sure I'd created a rock tight image albeit unintentionally.
I knew Jo by reputation from friends who play at the gutshot and I was keen to mix it up with her. So there we are 2 hours in and I know that with the blinds increasing that my blind will be the juicy apple the whole table wants soon enough. All I had to do was wait.
The BB hits me and I look down the table to Jo who barely looks at her cards before raising. I knew it
was a steal. I look down to see A10. No doubt it's a steal in my mind, if it gets to me without a caller
I'm going all in. It DOES get to me without a caller, so naturally I just call like an idiot.
The flop comes rags and I check it to her like a complete moron. She goes all in and I fold as she
shows me 6-9 off. Good play moron. LOL! 45 minutes later she's reraised At-It and I'm so short I'm making Sammy Davis Jr. look good. I look down to see A-2. Time to gamble? Hopefully I'll have a live ace and if not I hope to hit my 2! Considering the odds I was getting I was happy enough facing any two cards except aces. No points for guessing what she had then.
So in short my experiences with team blonde at the table have been a learning experience to say the least! However working with them has been a pleasure.
I just hope you guys out there who get to sit opposite Dave and Tony on blondepokerleague or at a blonde bash realise just how lucky you are. You didn't have to send 70 odd emails begging for a game!
I'm feeling a bit like Daniel Craig at the mo. Been a Bond fan his whole life and now he is Bond. Well I've been a blondie fan my whole poker life and now I feel like a fan who just became a part of it. I hope to meet many more of you soon enough, hopefully with better results!