Also very briefly shared a table with perhaps the most irritating little man in poker, JJ, aka JJ Hazan, he of Dragons Den.

Briefly? Well, as in 1 hand, which fell between his 6th & 7th bullet I think.  

If you look carefully you can see a Trophy next to him, which he presumably won somewhere. He was using it as a card-marker. Never one to GIQ, was he?

He got that in a chop!

No!?

At Birmingham he arrived late, & he literally went to every table, brandishing his Trophy, & telling everyone how he won it. Then went round again & told everyone he would use it as a card-marker.

As it happens, the event was part of something called "PLO Masters" which, loosely speaking, he "organises". In truth I fancy Party organised it, he just added the Title.


Here, take a look...



 https://www.plomasters.com/

He comes to Malta a few times a year where he is equally as popular.

He comes along with a few hundred others from Europe for The Festival Series. You should give it a go, it's held in several locations throughout Europe, so you don't even have to see me! Loads of different mixed games along with some Holdem stuff too.

Thanks Vinni.

Ill keep an eye on the schedules. The bulk of the MTT action in Fessies is usually NLH, & I'm not remotely good enough to invest in the cost of travel & hotels etc to play NLH, but if it includes a decent amount of the sort of Mixed stuff I can handle, then yes, I'd maybe come along.

That aside, how's life for you & the fam? What you up to?

No!?

At Birmingham he arrived late, & he literally went to every table, brandishing his Trophy, & telling everyone how he won it. Then went round again & told everyone he would use it as a card-marker.

As it happens, the event was part of something called "PLO Masters" which, loosely speaking, he "organises". In truth I fancy Party organised it, he just added the Title.


Here, take a look...


 https://www.plomasters.com/

Incred


Better Understanding in Only Two Hours

A small trial session was held in Tallin and one participant, Olivia Lindquist, finished an impressive 4/197 in her very first PLO Tournament, which was fabulous. She stated ‘The session gave me a much better understanding of Omaha and developed me as a player in only 2 hours! I didn’t know how much you can actually learn in such a short time, I really didn’t! I learned how I should play in different situations and applied that learning in my first ever PLO Tournament that very night.’

JJ would also encourage anyone interested in Omaha to play the Half n Half event at 5 pm on 13/10/22. This will be a level of each game (NLHE/PLO) and is only €125 to enter. The only way to learn, apart from the PLO Masterclasses (!), is to play and give it a go.

The cost will be only €50 per session and is payable in cash to JJ, prior to the session. The places are strictly limited to 6 and will be on a first come, first served basis. Please email info@thefestivalcom.wpengine.com to book your place. Alternatively, you can send us a pm on https://www.facebook.com/ThefestivalOG As an introductory bonus, The Festival is also offering ALL participants their Tournament Fee back for the PLO Tournament of that day. So, if you attend the class on 11th October and then play the PLO Masters at 5 pm, JJ will give you back the €25 Fee (on production of proof!), which is 50% of the cost of the Class. We are just so nice!

OMG.

Seriously?

I don't really know what to say to that.....

Goodness me.

Two absolutely stunning posts there Mr L.

Amazing stuff, & long may it last. 

Also very briefly shared a table with perhaps the most irritating little man in poker, JJ, aka JJ Hazan, he of Dragons Den.

Briefly? Well, as in 1 hand, which fell between his 6th & 7th bullet I think. 

If you look carefully you can see a Trophy next to him, which he presumably won somewhere. He was using it as a card-marker. Never one to GIQ, was he?

He got that in a chop!

No!?

At Birmingham he arrived late, & he literally went to every table, brandishing his Trophy, & telling everyone how he won it. Then went round again & told everyone he would use it as a card-marker.

As it happens, the event was part of something called "PLO Masters" which, loosely speaking, he "organises". In truth I fancy Party organised it, he just added the Title.


Here, take a look...



 https://www.plomasters.com/

And a quick "hi" to blonde "strat33", who has been here forever but is mainly a lurker. He was also on my table, & we got chatting & he's a lovely Gentleman, he really is.

Also very briefly shared a table with perhaps the most irritating little man in poker, JJ, aka JJ Hazan, he of Dragons Den.

Briefly? Well, as in 1 hand, which fell between his 6th & 7th bullet I think. 

If you look carefully you can see a Trophy next to him, which he presumably won somewhere. He was using it as a card-marker. Never one to GIQ, was he?

Bumped into this young lady last night too.

First knew her 20 years ago, when she was a Dealer at Luton. She's a big noise at Party Poker now. I'm so proud of & delighted for her. Girl did good, married now & everything. Her hubbie who was also there seems a great guy too. Very very happy for them.

We chatted for a good while, & mostly just abused Fat Vinni.  

On the subject of getting folks mixed up & forgetting names, I went to Resorts World Birmingham last night to play some Big O, which I found out about thanks to that google Calendar Longines gave me a few weeks back.

There was an "unfortunate incident" though.

Saw a chap I've not seen for years, but it was one of those "I know him SO well but can't recall his name" things.

He ended up at my table, & we exchanged greetings, somewhat apprehensively, but I was still struggling to "place" him.  Eventually deduced it was Neil Blatchley.

Soon as I said that he stood bolt upright & said "WHAT?!".

Which was when the penny dropped. It was not Blatch (obv), it was Barry Carter. In my defence, they do look alike.

Anyway, he forgave me, & took a photo to send to his Mum, who replied by saying I look well. And yes, that's true too.

Great to hear you are enjoying retirement Tikay. 👋

Good grief, lovely to hear from you.

You still travelling the world, wating sport of every kind?

Unless I've got mixed up (an odds-on shot tbf) the last time we met was at a ball game (baseball) at Cashman Field (RIP) in Vegas.

I posted this elsewhere but it got absolutely zero appreciation.

Perhaps it might get at least a small nod of approval here.


https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/46643/the-spell-of-the-yukon

Shite.

Talking of folks ageing so quickly, many of you will know "Bash", (Basha Mahmood) from back in the day at Gala & now DTD.

We were seated adjacent a few nights ago & were chatting, & he proudly showed me photos of his kids who have all done well in life, one is a pharmacist, another at Uni, & he has a beautiful grand-daughter who he dotes on. I asked him his age & was shocked to learn he's 62. Wow. 

Even Thewy is well into his 50's.

Update please Mr Anthony

Last night of a truly wonderful holiday tonight, best of my life, flying home tomorrow, so will Update you once I'm home, probably over the weekend or early next week.

What about you Mr P?

Over the summer we went to a place which I thought you'd love.  Will be intrigued to know if it was a same place as I think you went to the USA again, and you are a big fan of Scotland/Norway. 

It was Alaska and Vancouver Island.  The West Coast of Vancouver Island is just like stunning view after stunning view. Rains a bit, but people are down to earth and food simple but somehow really good. Think you'd love it if you didn't go there. Alaska similar really.  Alaska is much more like Vancouver Island than Vancouver Island is like Vancouver.  FWIW I know a few poker players go to Vancouver for WCOOP and really think they should just go that little bit further.

Thanks David.

Sounds right up our street.

We'd probably use Amtrak up to Vancouver & then work from there. We've done most of the West Coast Amtrak from San Diego right up as far as Seattle, & it's a terrific journey, especially through Oregon, so that little bit extra up to Vancouver would be fun.

Presumably you took the family, did they enjoy it?

You still playing poker? With Sky, or elsewhere? Not sure how much fun Sky is now it's joined I-Poker. There's a Sky Poker Discord Channel which I occasionally peruse, but I've moved on & to be honest, I'm not sure I'd enjoy still being part of it, I have a different agenda these days. I wish them all well though & I miss a few of the crew. I don't miss the Moaning Minnies though.

Sorry about the delay.  Am busy at times.

I think you told me you were going to Hawaii when we were in Vegas, so my guesses were probably worse than you thought. 

On Vancouver Island, you can get a ferry from Seattle, so don't even need to go to Vancouver proper. Got quite excited about it.  Can even go up to the Yukon, which is even more wild and remote.  You can have a road trip through Alaska to the Yukon too, but guess there must be some car switching going on, as you are in 2 different countries. There is pretty much one road up via Vancouver and one up via the Rockies, so don't really need a satnav.  Drive 1000kms, get to Yellowknife, turn left, take the other road back kind of thing. Genuinely want to do this now.

You got no mobile signal out of towns, so very much like it used to be.  Would be strange to breakdown with no phones etc.  Guess people just stop and help you out still.  Can't imagine many of them driving past, maybe I am too optimistic?

We genuinely just came across a bear wondering done the road at one point.  You can even catch sight of dolphins and whales from the Ferry, but we were out of luck. kids loved it really.  Vancouver Island just had the very best zipline through a canyon. The eldest is very much like me and loves adventure, so we did a bit of kayaking too. I can't see the youngest ever taking up ice hockey (she just needs somewhere to perch and watch her phone and she is happy).  If we'd stay longer, we'd have fit more in.

Don't really play poker much at all now.  Friday is ice hockey practice, weekend she has games, so I fit it around that.  Am lucky to get one night a week these days, but still play the Sky ipoker games if I can whilst they are still running.  Am thinking of trying to play some WSOP circuit events at DTD.  They are only doing Omaha and not hi lo though.  Might see you there?

Btw I know you always talk about my kids like they are about 5.  Eldest had an entrance exam to Cambridge on Thursday. Apparently it is one of those places that is kind of a big deal.  Very proud obv; even if she doesn't get in. 

Hi David.

Alaska sounds right up my street. I did some googling & the place is HUGE. So many things still on the Bucket List but I'll definitely add that.

Yeah, may see you at DTD during the WSOP thing, though none of the MTT's particularly appeal to me, but might just play the Mini Min or whatever.

I DO still think of your kids as 5 year olds. Same with everyone, I can't grasp how quickly we all age. How can I be best part of 80? WTF? Pleased but not surprised they are doing well with education, but no surprise given their genes.

Whatever. When is the book coming out?

So glad you seem to be enjoying your Great Retirement Adventure. When is the Honeymoon trip report coming  

Hopefully, I will catch up with you at DTD soon.

Hi Alan,

Hope you are keeping well. How's your lad?

When is the book coming out? Ha. A sort of "private" version, 100 copies or whatever, just for friends & acquaintances might just happen. A good pal is going to help me with editing it etc, so you never know. It seems a bit pretentious, writing an autobio, but some truly extraordinary things have happened to me, they really have. "WAL" in every sense. I might have to have it published posthumously though, there's a difficult blend between honesty & upsetting some folks, but it won't matter (to me) if I've moved on. 

Maybe see you at DTD soon. I see Direwolf ""Guy" there frequently.

And I bumped into this young lady at Resorts World Birmingham last night....

The "new" Venetian cardroom is UP one level, Level 1, alongside the "Old Shoppes" area. I did love the old Ground Floor area in front of the Sports Bar screens, but I have to say the new Room is just splendid, & is in the convo for the best cardroom I've ever been in. However, the tables are grouped quite close together, so not good for manoeuvring a wheelchair around.

I would say Iron's best bet if he wants to play a WSOP event or two is to stay at Horseshoe (previously known as Bally's) or Paris, so he is based "on site". Quite a surprisingly high % of players use wheelchairs or Mobility Scooters, so I assume there is good accessibility.

Lots of space around the tables at Wynn, but (imo) not a great selection of reasonably-priced Tournies. 

Palazzo? I've stayed there many times (thank you Sky) & my room/suite has always been split level, with 2 stairs taking you down to the window frontage, but they must have accessible rooms. Terribly expensive though.

Really, Horseshoe/Paris seems the sensible option imo.

Wow, Uncle Ralph is on fire.

Looking forward to Monday muchly.