Grosvenor operate a 3 strike policy on Self Exclusions and thus I don’t see that you’d have any chance of reinstatement. Taking into consideration the regulatory framework now in place - it’s unlikely that your commercial worth will be greater than the potential fines should issues arise.

Regarding proof of earnings - if you can prove it, you are fine. It’s not enough to say that you’re a professional gambler though; you have to have evidence of where the funds originate from. It is about money laundering and terrorist financing - and so the challenge for someone that derives earnings through gaming tends to be in evidencing their original investment. Trying to distinguish whether your constant use of cash is from a secret stash at home, built up through your professional gambling, or from the sale of drugs is quite a difficult one to distinguish. Once again - commercial worth is weighted against a potential fine.

Don't think I ever did upload that video.

I'll check to see if it's sitting in my iTunes account.

Did have a video from that GUKPT though - but it was just a drunk Antony the dealer and I encounter with a seagull at our hotel window.

Looking grim for HC. Similar tones to watching Brexit for me.

Trump has swung in to the lead with the bookies, though Clinton looks to have recovered somewhat. Can we call it at all yet?

Is theft morally acceptable? No, it isn't.

Is it morally acceptable to run a business that effectively gives people credit to fund something that could be a problem or an addiction? No, it isn't.

Because you are all poker players, it possibly doesn't register as unusual because staking is normal and accepted as a practice. It's illegal to give credit for gaming for an operator. I don't really think this is that different.

If you're going to take the moral high ground about ethical behaviour, the first port of call is surely that we don't put ourselves in a position where we potentially exacerbate the underlying problems/demons that other people have.

Again - I accept that theft is wrong. But desperate people will behave desperately.

I thought about this at length, but I have a few theories. It's possibly an amalgamation of them all.

1) inconsistency of rules across operators.
2) lack of consistency within a given venue causing confusion and lack of understanding. It's not really a fault of players if they keep getting different rulings and as such get confused.
3) poker players are never wrong.

Hi,

Yes. It wasn't aimed at the Blonde hierarchy.

I understand the nature of your sponsorship arrangement.

I'm engaged now to a particularly lovely British born Singaporean lass who is in charge of my wardrobe. So regrettably, my suits are a touch more size appropriate these days.

Hi.

I refer to necromancy in the sense of a darker aspect of resurrection.

I don't actually work at Luton any more. I left a year ago to become a Casino Manager within London.

I've come back just recently to cover in the absence of a Supervisor to try and provide some insight going forwards post Raj having left.

She's now working freelance. Predominantly GUKPT and EPT stuff.

The new poker room is at the far end of the venue in a purpose built £1.6million room. It's lovely - and it will no longer be plagued with the music problems of old.

I will keep half an eye on the thread, but I don't want to ruffle any feathers over the matter. Far too opinionated to let people snipe away without some balance offered, however.

Hope everyone is well. Possibly see some of you next week.

George

I suppose that I shouldn't be surprised that as a result of necromancy, it has only taken a few days for someone to have a pop.

A player can assume any position - small blind, big blind or button. The only position you cannot assume is between the small blind and the button.

Pretty standard, too. But you know, it's "Luton and they make it up."

Hi,

Firstly can I take the opportunity to apologise profusely for my interjection upon your blog - but I can't help but feel that it provides the perfect sample size coupled with a multiplicity of varying characters that I am sure to derive some benefit from asking a few questions of you and your intrepid following.

As I am sure most of you are all aware, it is with great regret and sadness that Raj has departed the shores of Grosvenor Luton to move on to bigger and better things. That being the case, the boss of my bosses boss has sent me from the dizzying heights of the capital back to my most beloved of venues (and my hometown) - Luton.

There are a few issues that are foremost evident to me and in short order I'll provide a list of these. I am curious, and I hope with your help, that I could brainstorm for a greater understanding of perceived problems, shortcomings etc at the Grosvenor. I'm given to understand that Genting has created a more stalwart following in the last year than was the case when I worked in Luton, and as I have been tasked with trying to restore some glory and prestige unto the Grosvenor once more, I'll be needing some insight and feedback - to which I am hoping you'll all oblige me (in a constructive manner, I hope!)

It's Understaffed, undergoing a refurbishment and so disruption internally and to parking, there's a distinct lack of 'experience' within the team. The tournament numbers appear to be declining - certainly against the figures I analysed compared to 2013 and 2014. That said, the cash game league has certainly worked and the cash games have grown year on year. So, tell me, in your own opinions - what's going wrong?

That boat has sailed. Prior to EA clamping down, you could pay £20 (as an example) and offer a craptastic player to the market and these gold farmers as such would pay the outrageous fee. Thus, you've bought the gold.

They placed, as mentioned, restrictions on the amount a player can be sold for based on their ratings, so it's not really worth it.

You can buy him legitimate gold/points through the play station or Xbox store though!

It's not Targaryen. It's Valyrian steel. The homeland of the Dragons.

I also think Jon is Daenerys's brother.

And yes, the resurrected dead are one thing. The actual race of ice creature things are a bit different. The ice version of dragons, I guess?

I doubt its a £££ issue, but TVs are really cheap conpared to a few years back.

This is my favourite part of the election! I've got minuscule amounts of money on Conservatives at 300+ and I am looking good, at present.

More interesting to me, did anyone foresee Lib Dems crumbling so dramatically? Didn't see this coming at all. Their failing could be important when it comes to coalition talks, although the Tories might have just managed to sweep up enough contested constituencies that it isn't as significant as it might have been.