Prose from a Poshboy

[George2Loose]

Stay in the EU or leave?

Toughest player you've ever faced (still Ivan Luca?)

Player you think is most over rated having played them?

One thing about poker u would change? (Apart from the ambuiguity around single chip betting?)

Biggest degen u know?

[cambridgealex]

Stay in the EU or leave?

Toughest player you've ever faced (still Ivan Luca?)

Player you think is most over rated having played them?

One thing about poker u would change? (Apart from the ambuiguity around single chip betting?)

Biggest degen u know?

Stay in EU. Wouldn't want to get into a debate about it though.

Toughest player doesn't = the best player, almost never is, but yeh never felt so under it as vs him.

Don't wanna answer 3rd Q.

I'd like cardrooms to ban more regulars that are bad for the game. Shotclocks for pros not recs.

Fred is the biggest degen I'm close to. Not happy with this answer though. Will come back to this if I think of a better one.

[FredW]

Stay in the EU or leave?

Toughest player you've ever faced (still Ivan Luca?)

Player you think is most over rated having played them?

One thing about poker u would change? (Apart from the ambuiguity around single chip betting?)

Biggest degen u know?

Stay in EU. Wouldn't want to get into a debate about it though.

Toughest player doesn't = the best player, almost never is, but yeh never felt so under it as vs him.

Don't wanna answer 3rd Q.

I'd like cardrooms to ban more regulars that are bad for the game. Shotclocks for pros not recs.

Fred is the biggest degen I'm close to. Not happy with this answer though. Will come back to this if I think of a better one.

Don't think I've ever received a positive mention in this diary!

[tikay]

How much do you think you will weigh when you are 40 compared to currently?

Ha good question. Most of the last 10 years I've been around 11 stone, few pounds either side. Then I weighed myself a couple weeks ago and I was 12 stone 8! I couldn't believe it.

I don't exercise or eat well, but it's never been an issue until now lol. And being engaged and with a poker players lifestyle, I can only see it getting worse lol.

I'll go for 16 stone by 40

BOOM

Alex is heavier than me. We are roughly the same height, too.

That makes me so happy.

PS - Hope you soon feel better, & have a good trip. Time we had a good Alex sweat.

[david3103]

Stay in the EU or leave?

Toughest player you've ever faced (still Ivan Luca?)

Player you think is most over rated having played them?

One thing about poker u would change? (Apart from the ambuiguity around single chip betting?)

Biggest degen u know?

Stay in EU. Wouldn't want to get into a debate about it though.

Toughest player doesn't = the best player, almost never is, but yeh never felt so under it as vs him.

Don't wanna answer 3rd Q.

I'd like cardrooms to ban more regulars that are bad for the game. Shotclocks for pros not recs.

Fred is the biggest degen I'm close to. Not happy with this answer though. Will come back to this if I think of a better one.

Could you expand on this please? What do you see as bad for the game in this context? I think there's a whole new thread buried here.

Rest, paracetamol, fluids and vitamin C today and go get 'em this weekend.

[cambridgealex]

Powering through with the FPS 2.2k hiroller.

And what a beautiful day it is. Not a cloud in sight. Except that one.

Click to see full-size image.

Such a shame that when the poker starts they close the roof and the curtains!

[pleno1]

Jealous

[edgascoigne]

Got 90 minutes to kill before the game starts so happy to do a Q&A if anyone has any questions for me

How much longer do you see poker as being your main 'occupation'? Until I moved to London, I could never have given this answer, but now I think forever. Obviously who knows etc, anything can happen with this industry, but I'm more confident than ever that I will be able to make good money every year from this game for the foreseeable future.

Aspirations post poker? All family based. I.e. Have one

What is the best thing/experience/skill/learning that poker has 'given' you? Ability to get on with people from all walks of life. Confidence, independence, freedom. Reading people IRL.

What is your greatest regret about taking the route that you have? Hard question, not sure if I'm answering this the way you meant it. But things that poker doesn't allow me to do that I would like to do is mainly revolves around the unsociable hours and lack of contact with real world. Means most of my friends are poker players and I find it hard to get excited about other peoples jobs / interests. And inability to get a mortgage!

Nothing like getting a bit serious!!

Oh, and would you rather fight twelve duck-sized horses or one horse-sized duck. Duck sized horses - easy - just stamp on them, kick them away etc. Wouldn't know wtf to do with a huge duck

Nice responses, thanks.

The skills/learning that poker has given are especially interesting. I have often thought that if one is of an inquisitive nature, asks questions and (crucially) listens to answers then the life of a live pro could teach a lot that most jobs don't.

The real world is still there if you want to interact with it, Al. I'm sure poker can be all-encompassing but I would guard against it becoming your livelihood and social context if at all possible. When I worked in my old role I found myself in a place where it was all I did for both work and leisure. I think after a time that risks dulling the enjoyment/fulfillment of either.

[cambridgealex]

Stay in the EU or leave?

Toughest player you've ever faced (still Ivan Luca?)

Player you think is most over rated having played them?

One thing about poker u would change? (Apart from the ambuiguity around single chip betting?)

Biggest degen u know?

Stay in EU. Wouldn't want to get into a debate about it though.

Toughest player doesn't = the best player, almost never is, but yeh never felt so under it as vs him.

Don't wanna answer 3rd Q.

I'd like cardrooms to ban more regulars that are bad for the game. Shotclocks for pros not recs.

Fred is the biggest degen I'm close to. Not happy with this answer though. Will come back to this if I think of a better one.

Could you expand on this please? What do you see as bad for the game in this context? I think there's a whole new thread buried here.

Rest, paracetamol, fluids and vitamin C today and go get 'em this weekend.

So I believe any pro or regular player who relies on the game for their living has certain responsibilities. They should be creating or contributing to an atmosphere that is attractive for recreational players. Or at least not worsening that atmosphere.

A short list of things that detract from this imo:

-Wearing headphones, being on tablets etc. Just looks and is unfriendly and unsociable. Gives off the impression that you are there for work, you don't want to contribute to the table banter, you just wanna sit there quietly making your money.

-Moving seats - this creates a predatory environment. Recreational players understand what you are doing and it makes them feel like a mark. You're also gaining edges over the other pros by doing this and the more people that do it, the worse it becomes and you end up in a farcical game of musical chairs, dancing around the recreational player and its frankly embarrassing. This isn't an issue in DTD at all, but in London it's dog eat dog and it's horrible.

-Not straddling when everyone else is / a recreational player asks you to - players that do this are just highlighting to the recreational player that they are there to make money, that they are super concerned about their bottom line - yet they are happy for everyone else to do it. It gives them the idea that this person doesn't want to give them any action, they aren't going to give them a chance to get their money back etc and just spoils the atmosphere/flow of a good game. Again, the pros resent it to because you are gaining a minute edge by being the only one not straddling.

-Not showing cards if a recreational player asks. This is a minor one but I think again it gives off a bad impression - that you are there to make the maximum £ you can and you don't want to give anything away. I think it's just nice to show the odd value hand to a recreational player to let them know they made a good fold, or that they're not being run over. Shows a human side to you and really gives nothing away yet might make them think of you as a nice guy.

-Obvious things like berating people and being rude/sullen / hit and running by tbh that's not really an issue anywhere I play thank God.

I'm sure there are plenty more but this is what springs to mind.

An unnamed casino barred 40 or so players who contravened these kind of things last year and it's games have improved remarkably. It's just win win win for all three parties (the casino/pros/recs). The problem is that people think it's in their immediate short term financial best interest to deviate from the "GTO code of conduct" and people are short sighted, greedy so stuff like this goes on still. It's tough on the pros that see things the right way and don't do any of this stuff, because not only are they losing out in the short term when x pro seat hops to their right and the recreational players left, but also in the long term as recs get put off by it and games worsen.

NB: in case people skim read and missed the first paragraph. This stuff only applies to pros. Pros have the responsibility, no-one else imo.

[rfgqqabc]

Great answers Alex. I keep trying to emulate these trips but it never seems to work out. I'm only pencilling in Barcelona this year. I was curious to see the long term potential you think poker has. I just feel like if I'm in the position to give up poker having worked hard in my 20s then to have a family with a lot more free time/social able hours (this does presume I'd get a job I guess)

If Stars offered you a fairly low paying contract would you take it? What about Party or 888? Have any sites ever spoken to you? I guess it's not really been a thing for years.

[booder]

Terrific post Alex

[tikay]

What a great post that is. There goes a Pro who understands how the recreationals feel & think.

[cambridgealex]

Another one is excessive tanking- this bores the recreational players who generally like a fast game, get restless and frustrated if a hand is taking ages. I try and play super fast when I'm aware that there is a player in the game who's getting restless.

[EvilPie]

Stay in the EU or leave?

Toughest player you've ever faced (still Ivan Luca?)

Player you think is most over rated having played them?

One thing about poker u would change? (Apart from the ambuiguity around single chip betting?)

Biggest degen u know?

Stay in EU. Wouldn't want to get into a debate about it though.

Toughest player doesn't = the best player, almost never is, but yeh never felt so under it as vs him.

Don't wanna answer 3rd Q.

I'd like cardrooms to ban more regulars that are bad for the game. Shotclocks for pros not recs.

Fred is the biggest degen I'm close to. Not happy with this answer though. Will come back to this if I think of a better one.

Don't think I've ever received a positive mention in this diary!

I thought it was complimentary. Not everyone finds being a degen a bad thing you know 

[EvilPie]

Stay in the EU or leave?

Toughest player you've ever faced (still Ivan Luca?)

Player you think is most over rated having played them?

One thing about poker u would change? (Apart from the ambuiguity around single chip betting?)

Biggest degen u know?

Stay in EU. Wouldn't want to get into a debate about it though.

Toughest player doesn't = the best player, almost never is, but yeh never felt so under it as vs him.

Don't wanna answer 3rd Q.

I'd like cardrooms to ban more regulars that are bad for the game. Shotclocks for pros not recs.

Fred is the biggest degen I'm close to. Not happy with this answer though. Will come back to this if I think of a better one.

Don't worry mate. Keith hardly ever reads Blonde these days anyway.