blonde poker forum

Hi Guys,

Long time Lurker, First Time Thread starter

Now i have no idea if I'm alone in this predicament or it effects other people but i find Tournament Breaks a lonely place. The main cause of this is that i enter Poker Tournaments on my own and not with an entourage or even 1 "Poker Friend". Now this isn't to say that i don't have friends that do play Poker i have several, its just they don't play as high as me when it comes to Tournaments. This isn't just due to any ability difference but Poker isn't something they would look to spend a lot of money on and are highly successfully in their careers and spend time on this.

Now I'm not a recluse when it comes to Social Interactions in fact I'm a twenty something Male with a Young Family and enjoys the Banter off and on the table. Now the problem lies is when i go on break.. What do i do with myself?? I'm not completely comfortable just approaching someone and starting a conversation and i don't smoke so cant go in the Smoking Area and listen to everyones Bad Beats (probably a good thing) so all i do is wait and wait... and wait some more until that slowly ticking tournament break clock reaches 0 so i can resume the thing i love.

Now I'm entering the £300 Deepstack this weekend at the Mecca of all Poker places (DTD) and wish to have suggestions to what to do to waste my time during the Tournament Break. All "Creative" suggestions welcome

Flame Away :)

Mine's a tea, no sugars. That'll take you 3-5 of the 20 minutes

I'm the fella next to Nicola on the front desk behind the laptop

Come and introduce yourself, tellme some hands. That's the next 15 minutes taken care of

Roulette ldo

ring the wife or a mate and make them feel special by starting the conversation with "on a break, i've got ten minutes"

Hi Richard,

I'm very much aware of who you are, I've been a "regular" at DTD since it opened and have been involved in some of your Live Tournament Reports and i thank you for your open invitation.

In regards to telling you about hands, its something i feel people get bored off quite quickly and don't wish to waste your time when you're a busy man.

But if making a cup of tea moves me away from the ramps staring at the screens then I'm your man :)

This is an avenue I've definitely exhausted

i hate breaks too. think they should ban them!

Go and have a drink at the bar or a really good poo  ;bumwiggle;

Toilets are usually at their worst on Breaks, plus last time i was there i had to hold the door shut with my feet whilst dropping the kids off at the pool as the locks wouldn't work. 1st World Problems

Smoking isn't compulsory in the Smoking Area, come out and listen to the stories and the in-depth analysis.

Set yourself a task. Try and go from one end of DTD to the other without someone trying to tell you a bad-beat story.  If you can get to the bar and then back to the cash-game desk without having to listen to one then you win.  Not sure what the prize is though...

Get yourself a vue monthly pass, spend the breaks catching 15-20 mins worth of film.

On dinner break you'll even get a full hour in, if you last til sunday you may even see a whole film!

Genius

go for a jog around the carpark

if you know who i am come say hello

we've got a fella itt don't know who he is!

Dtd has to be one of the best place for just talking to randoms. I love the atmosphere and craic. I actually prefer talking to strangers than mates on the breaks. Mates just want to talk about the last two hours of the same comp you've been playing.

I'd much rather hear about shark attacks, how busy the pizza shop is, how bad the golf is going, a joke or two, etc etc

I actually find dtd the friendliest and most comfortable place in the breaks when yr on ur own. I've played elsewhere that's 10 times more cliquey. Deepstacks like this attract people from everywhere (many first timers) so its a good chancevto break the ice get talking to people from all corners of the uk and they are usually up for a laugh.

I totally agree that DTD is the nuts when it comes to the atmosphere, I've certainly played in more hostile environments. I'll just have to TID and new poker friends will flock lol!

i actually nip over ( drive takes 30 seconds ) to the bowling alley..its not busy like the heaving bustle of DTD..you can get to the bar and u have enough time for a coffee/snack and a little chill time and the bogs are empty :)

Breaks are too much at DTD, imo.

However is does not bother me having nobody to talk to in the break although I usually have someone to talk about. The reason I am not fussed about talking to anyone is the fact it is hand history after hand history, you have to explain them really slow to me for me to understand wtf has happened in that hand anyway!

Always BJ and roulette too or a long crap in the DTD toilets.

Most of the time I stand listening to people tell me the story of a bloke who has a chippy who had the aces against the guy from Scunny who likes to be gagged. Ask someone to tell you that story, will take a break or two up :) :)

Post a picture of yourself then people will no doubt approach you. I used to go outside and have a smoke in my car just kicking back and listening to the radio, but after I started posting on blonde there seemed to be someone in every tournament who I semi knew/wanted to talk to. Not sure if they wanted to talk me, but they never had a choice..

So my advice is post more and let people know who you are. Although I do miss my cold Mcdonalds in the car. nom nom nom.

are you charging for BJ's :)

hope he fkin gets the aces on you again!!!!!!

he did not have Aces and its all put to bed now :)

It is kind of awkward I appreciate your concerns. To be honest you're right, if a random person came up to me in a tournament break and started talking about poker hands, I'd feel pretty robbed of my 15 minutes of peace, and be looking for the quickest excuse to get away. Even when my friends talk about hands on the break I hate it, I want a BREAK! But any other conversation topic is most welcome - come and say Hi, it's always nice to meet new people.

I play tournaments in all sorts of weird and wacky places e.g. Colombia, and over there I was obv alone most of the time, I just find a quiet spot to sit down and compose myself, usually browsing blonde or facebook. You could just go to your car and listen to some music.

Or get chatting to someone at your table during the tournament and then spend the break with them telling them a few of your hands or discussing the people on your table.

Don't use it to play blackjack or roulette though haha!

lol@ this btw

Sit near the serving hatch and chat with / perv at the vallets.

Much more rewarding than listning to / chatting with moany boring, sweaty, hairy, nippy poker players.

can relate to this a bit as i don't play comps as regular so not a familiar face anymore.
at DTD i tend to watch a bit of TV if decent sport is on or spend 10 minutes in my car listening to music/eating a banana/browsing internet. Obviously wait for bogs to clear a bit if I need to go unless my table is right next to the door.

At other places i tend to just wander around and find a quiet place to sit to browse internet etc.

Tournaments have breaks?

Lol this is the best answer

No, you're still winning :D

Posting a photo of myself and putting myself "out there" is certainly an option although the embarrassment of doing this and still have no one say hi greatly out weighs the positives lol! I realise this all sounds very negative and the poker community as a whole is very welcoming and friendly. I may post on the live update thread during the deep stack to help me get through the breaks leaving clues as to who I am lol! Describing the table in a creative way (hopefully I don't offend anyone lol) I'm sure you would know which table I was on straight away however if I was drawn on smashed again or Chinese frankies table. "some guy wants to Hendon Mob me" "he keeps saying isit, not sure what it is???"

good idea. you playing this weekend?

Playing Saturday and if the poker gods allow Sunday. Cash games will also be played if I bust.

See you there, and good luck.

Interesting topic. Makes me feel like sliiiiiightly less of a loner for doing the same thing. I do find after I've been sitting down for 2 hours with a terrible posture that it's good to go for a walk and get some fresh air. Nipping to the bowling alley as mentioned sounds like a good shout when at DTD to kill two birds with one stone. I get similar problems at other bigger tournaments too and I guess I'm a bit shy because I would feel weird introducing myself to someone who's name I know from lurking blonde or pokernews or where ever and them just thinking "who is this guy?" or things like this. I try to avoid potentially awkward situations, often leading to much more awkwardness. GL (socialising and playing)

If anyone wants to introduce themselves to someone from blonde they shouldn't feel awkard or shy - most blondes will be quite friendly if someone comes up to them and introduces themselves.  We've all been in the same situation of not knowing anyone else at a casino.

I'll talk to anyone :D

even spoke to me once  ;)

Any time Graham :)  But I'll even speak to people like Herbie as well... ;)

Kinboshi and I haven't even properly introduced ourselves yet when I was leaving on Friday I felt the urge to go and poke him and say bye

[X] true story
[  ] wasn't awkward at all

In all honesty I am actually looking forward to the day I may get the chance to say hi to the Herbinator

Was good to sort of meet you at the weekend :D

You around this weekend, can say hello properly and the first drink's on me.

So This!! We should meet up and discuss awkward social situations

yeah only if I don't see you coming and manage to catch me unaware :)

Looking forward to seeing you soon as well  Taximan

i have actully tried this one 3 times all failed missrably lol 

as a smoker i somtimes do a lapof car park weater permiting but i also talk with many others who dont smoke just getting some fresh ((smoky)) air

garry

Likewise

Playing Saturday.... You?

Breaks are obv needed but I get frustrated sometimes at the length of them.

Sometimes just a enough time to have wee and maybe buy a drink/order some food would be spot on. This is not a complaint towards dtd tho I'm just always itching to play again I'm even worse at home games as people seem to take forever to sit back down

Me too. See you then :cheers:

I am playing Saturday and hope to make it to the first break

you won a seat tonight mate.
Thin.... In for Satyrday

Not playing at dtd soon but will be at the vic soon so if anyone see a tall blonde guy outside in a corner somewhere there's a chance it's me so say hi!

Yeah breaks are shit. It's pretty funny actually. I think in mutual realisation and appreciation that breaks are annoying and people don't really need them, you'll find me huddled with Deadman, Goulder, Mitch etc. We'll share stories of the hands we've all seen/played during the preceding levels, and I 100% guarantee, no one person has ever listened to hand that someone else has been talking about. There are polite nods and smiles, as we all talk into the same air that no-one is listening to, whilst throwing glancing looks towards the tournament clock in the hope that it will approach the 3 minute deadline faster..... aaahhh the 3 minute deadline, that eagerly awaited announcement that we can end our charade and return to our seats at the earliest possible opportunity.

I've frequently occasionally countered this by just going to Subway.

Lol'd. I stole the cards you were playing Chinese with in January. I like breaks, I generally scout out someone who I either don't know well or someone who is actually interested in strategy. I do think its generally accepted by poker players to zone out sometimes in these spots and just nod/shake hopefully appropriately.

You see this is the pro/am differential.

In the group I go with, we interrupt the story on about the turn with "and what did you have again?"

Always good to learn it's about having the stones to continue the bluff.

Thanks.

Haha typically me also.
I often enjoy walking backwards and forwards across the casino, presuming it's big enough to not look like I'm doing some sort of march

Im playing tomorrow, try and get some OFC going in the breaks? i got a deck of party poker shit cards i can bring. anyone playing tomorrow?

It might be different with me being a girl and all but when ive been up to dtd to play a comp ive posted on the update where im sitting and that if anyone wants to cone say hi they are more than welcome.

Its always nice to put faces to names and four people came up and said hi last tine i done this. In the break they came and chatted to me :)

Your a girl

you're*

Gramma-sickness ITT

I'm sorry, i had to.

Teamonkey, not sure how new you are to blonde, but you'll always be safe being a pedant in my company

hmmmmm

Mwahahahaha

Anyone who suffers from "the loneliness of the tournament break" who's playing the Grand Prix is more than welcome to tap on my shoulder and say hello.

Photo here
http://pokerdb.thehendonmob.com/player.php?a=r&n=49583

Hair's grown since that (as has waistline :-( )

Hi pathfinder,

a great post/thread and i can relate to this as im sure many others can.
im on my break so browsing through threads and saw this.
when i first started playing at weekends id travel to club alone, some of my friends didnt play poker and close friend who does works, plus my bro plays football so he cant usually.
i think how you are on the table reflects how you are on the breaks, some players ive got no intention of spending any break time with lol
ive made loads of friends over the last 2years at DTD and some of the nicest people ive met in life from poker.
i got room for loads of more tourney friends,
names -ross patman
online name is yeahman1234

but please limit the bad beat stories...yawn lol.
my next break sessions will hopefully be this weekend at the 300 if i can get a seat :))

The words "leaf" and "book" spring to mind  ;)

haha sorry guys, i know my posts(most of them have been me moaning) have been negative, just wanted to make sure i wasnt the only one running awful with satelites as alot of my friends get seats and when i ask how, most reply 'get lucky' lol

but in person i dont like to talk about my bad beats even if someone asks how i went out, i just reply 'pretty sick! im going on the roulette or getting food' id rather talk about players on tables or other general discussions so if people thing im a old moaning git in person please dont think i am :)

someone did say on a table at dtd last week, omg ur yeahman after i was talking to chinese franky and i said yeah, he then said ' i thought you'd be alot older giving all your blonde moaning posts' lol :) so i'll try my best to change my forum ways ;)

I was only kidding mate, we've all done it!!!

Hi Ross,

Thank you for the feedback, it was a bit of selfish thread when I started it as I wanted something to do during the break, but I pretty much bottled it in terms of approaching anyone lol! It's refreshing to hear that im not the only one in the same boat as when you look across the room during the break it can certainly feel like it lol! I wouldn't dwell on your lack of satalite success in the long term it will even out.

I was looking for a thread like this. I hardly ever play live and I don't really have many IRL friends who play poker. Think I'm gonna head down to the Broadway in Birmingham tonight to play the £40 deepstack and I'm a bit anxious about the breaks. I always feel like I'm just lurking and I normally just end up buying an extortionately priced drink just to do something.

Also, any comments on the Broadway itself? I have only been once before and I had a pretty naff experience. My tournament table was full of idiots, one guy threatened to 'chin' me after doubling me up and another gave me a really antagonistic lecture on why my pre-flop call with 87s was 'shit'. I guess I just got unlucky that night?

It will be very different tonight. Over half the field will be Sky Poker Tour players and you are guaranteed a good craic and banter

Introduce yourself to tikay, and he'll introduce you round some of the blondes there. job done.

Yup, what Tighty said. Come see me & I'll get you sorted. I should be there just after 8pm.

As to the Broadway "full of idiots", I do know that Tal plays there frequently.

There's a Sky Poker tour going on?

Tomorrow, yes, tonight is just a sort of social evening/sidey, & as most of our players travel some distance to get to SPT's, they make a weekend of it.

Cool. I'm the shy guy who looks a bit like Stu Ungar with facial hair.

Excellent.

I'm more of an Al Pacino lookalike.

If you ever see me i look likea young Newman












Nannette unfortunately

Ahhh so we have already met. Saves me an introduction.

Thank you for pretending these were all different people ;)

Also, when playing 87 Pre-flop, don't just call.

#WhatWouldPeteLintonDo?

You there tonight Simon?

Afraid not. Quiet night in for me. Will be there tomorrow night for the 9pm comp, though, so will see you and however many other blondes there.