Hi guys,

Just a quick post to let you know that Julian Thew starts a new column in Takesport magazine from tomorrow (Friday June 2).

Circulation has just gone up to 50,000, with copies distributed FREE on the London underground at the following stations: Liverpool St, London Bridge, Charing Cross, Waterloo, Fenchurch St, Temple, Kings Cross, Bank.

Copies are also in the SportsCafe in Haymarket, and the Sportscafe's in Bristol, Manchester, Birmingham and Liverpool.

The magazine can be read online, again for free, at www.takesport.com, or ordered via subscription (you pay for P&P only).

It is produced by the team which used to do Sport First / Poker First - sadly sans Tikay.

Sorry for the cheeky plug!

Hi guys,

I hope you remember fondly Poker First, the poker newspaper which I edited and was part of the Sport First paper last year.

Sadly it bit the dust after all too short a life, but the team behind it are now involved in producing Take Sport - a free (yes, FREE) weekly betting magazine, which is published every Friday. It is currently distributed in parts of London, and can be read inits entireity for free on www.takesport.com. You can also subscribe for the cost of postage.

Unfortunately Tikay isn't involved in this magazine as he was in Poker First, I'm currently taking on his mantra as the poker guru. If anyone has any feedback on the first issue (can be viewed for free on the website), or suggestions on what you want us to cover, please do let me know by responding on here or emailing me at luke.thornhill@pa-sport.com.

Go well

Cheers for the responses guys (though we haven't received any emails).

I think the paper in whole can work, but the publisher doesn't always see things the way we do.

I'll keep you all updated on when/where/how it'll be coming back. Gotta keep Tikay writing for us, keeps him off the streets!

The email address for the paper is ff@pa.press.net, any emails about the topic (or suggestions for improving what we have done) will be passed onto the guys who make the decisions which we follow.

Hi all,

Over the past few months I have been looking after Poker First, the poker pullout in the weekly Sport First newspaper. We have relied heavily on Tikay's contributions (and I hope ours have complimented his pieces!) and know quite a few regulars on here have taken out subscriptions.

Unfortunately SF will not be publishing this week (Fri 7) or the following week (Fri 14). This is the decision of the publisher, and we have no say in the matter. I'll let you all know if/when the paper will return.

We are obviously disappointed that the paper has been put on hold, all the feedback on the poker section at least was that we were getting it right. Apologies for anyone who is expecting a paper this week, or who may go looking for it - don't bother! Fingers crossed for its return, I've enjoyed finding out all about the nuances of the game.

Hi guys,

Glad to see such a positive response to the paper - it now takes up most of my time editing it so chuffed to see it is not being wasted.

Poker First is now pretty much established at 20 pages a week as a pullout in the re-named Sport First, the size is largely dependent on backing from advertisers and may rise or fall periodically to adjust. There are certainly plans to make it a standalone paper, which I think would be a first for the UK, though that decision is made by the publisher in London.

Any suggestions or feedback (positive or negative) is always welcome - you can email us at ff@pa.press.net.  The early issues were a bit raw, but I hope it's grown into a worthwhile read. And of course big thanks to Tikay, who has been amazing in providing copy and steering us in the right direction.