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[I see you're playing at MGM for the next few days.]

I enjoy your waffles - well most of them - and am looking forward to the autobiography.

I see you're playing at MGM for the next few days. I never really enjoyed playing there for reasons that I can't quite recall - something irked me.

Certainly remember that roaring lion though, and you could get excellent salt beef sandwiches at the deli.

Looking forward to a ripping squeeze in the morning.

Hi Ralph,

MGM is easily my least favourite cardroom in Vegas. 

The O8 games are outside the cardroom proper in amongst the slots binging and bonging, loud music, amongst the cigarette smokers, & and very poor lighting. They run the Tournaments in a very sloppy manner too.

I'm sure I'll be fine with all that if I can manage a result though.

 

I enjoy your waffles - well most of them - and am looking forward to the autobiography.

I see you're playing at MGM for the next few days. I never really enjoyed playing there for reasons that I can't quite recall - something irked me.

Certainly remember that roaring lion though, and you could get excellent salt beef sandwiches at the deli.

Looking forward to a ripping squeeze in the morning.

Think yourselves lucky that when I'm at home I golf 5 days & week & poker 5 nights a week, otherwise you'd get this dirge every day.

["A Very Stable Genius",]

Well I finished that Trump book, "A Very Stable Genius", which was about his first Administration 2016-20. It's barely believable, the amount of grift, corruption & immaturity, & his love of insulting everyone, be it individuals or countries, & politically weaponizing all the Government Agencies & judiciary.

Which just leaves the mystery of how he got re-elected in 2024. I mean, how could that possibly happen?

[A what?]

Moved tables yesterday & before I could sit down, fella says "hello Tony, you Ok?".

Nice guy but no idea who he is.

You a blonde?

A what?

APAT was it?

Don't play APAT.

Must be Sky Poker or Sky Poker TV then?

Nah.

Err, remind me.

You busted me at Golden Nugget a few years back & went on to make the FT.

Ahh, gotcha.


Got back to my room & looked up my Hendon, last time I made a Golden Nugget FT was 2017. How do folks remember stuff like that?

I was at DTD recently & a fella said "remember me?".

Err, go on.

"I bust you, I had 9-9 & you had A-K".

When was that?

"The opening night of DTD".

I've always loved reading a newspaper, though it has to be my own unopened copy, there's something about the crisp pages of an unopened newspaper.

First paper I read was the Daily Herald, which morphed into The Sun in the early sixties. From there I worked my way up to The Times & FT. I abandoned The Times after it went Tabloid & the actual "news" content became about 3 pages, the rest being fill. The FT was a great read but after I went busto the first time in the late 80's & had to sell all my shares there seemed no point.

In the USA though, they have three magnificent daily newspapers in the Washington Post, New York Times & Wall Street Journal, & when I'm in the States I make a point of buying them every day. I'm a speed reader but even so there's an hour of good solid reading in each of them.

I became so addicted to them after a recent trip to the States that I went to my local newsagent (which is a misnomer these days, there's no such thing really) to get them delivered, but they said "deliver newspapers, what?". No paper boys? Jeez. We ALL had paper round as kids, didn't we? I had 3 actually, & they each paid 2/6 a week though I had to pay that to my parents for "board & lodge".

Circulation of print Dailies has of course declined by about 80% in the last 40 years, most of them don't even publish circulation numbers any more for fear of scaring away advertisers.

I suppose I could subscribe to Digital version of those USA 'papers for around $2 per week, but reading news Online is not the same. (Similar to Kindles & proper books). Especially on Sky News. Click the article "7 million killed in Tsunami" or whatever & before you can read the article we have to watch a 30 second advert for Tesco or Incontinence Pants.

Anyway, whilst here I'm reading some quality Newspapers whilst I still have the chance. Proper news, in-depth articles, & a good hour to get through. News Heaven.

If you are curious why I'm waffling, today's poker is not until 6pm (currently 09.45) so a quiet day in prospect, & I thought I'd give boo something to meh about.

I almost literally bumped into Kristen Bicknell/Foxon at WSOP a few days ago.

A selfie request was requested - I declined obv - but I must say, she's presents wonderfully, real old-fashioned in many ways. No sloppy poker wear for her, she was dressed to the nines, just the right amount of make up, high heel shoes (she's very short) perfect posture & a ready smile.

I decided to google her age & was shocked to learn she is 39. Wow.

Pretty handy at poker too, think she just won her 5th (?) bracelet, & unbelievably, it was her THIRD 7 figure cash this year alone. Total Hendons are now a smidge shy of $19,000,000.

I really have no idea how folks like her & Pads just keep churning out these scores.

[Basically they feel Vegas is now a rip off]

Overall, I'm delighted. The cards were kind (until they were not....) and I played far more aggressively than I usually do.

A tremendous 3 hours of poker, maybe the most enjoyable I can recall.

Wow thanks for the detail Tony , congratulations.
Awesome read and you had a real shot at final tabling or better with just a little more luck but glad you’re happy with the ride
Hopefully our paths will cross again as I’m out an extended extra week, maybe at the mgm but choices of big plo8 are somewhat limited

Good to hear you've extended, Rob, & I hope a few more deep runs come your way.

Did you see the result of our WSOP Big O? The guy that ran 2nd has exactly 4 Hendons over an 11 year period. The biggest of the first 3 was $4,268, then he earned $258,690 for 2nd yesterday. You never know in poker, do you?

I didn’t see no. But it’s more common than you think for a random to have a good run in any tournament.
On the hotel note , they cocked my reservation when they combined them and had me checking out tomorrow instead of next Wednesday
Guy on desk was brash like it was my fault (and this was in diamond check in), no apology - “you’ll have to come back when she’s working tomorrow”
Ok tomorrow morning I ask ?
“No sir shes in from 4pm”
Me - that’s not much use if I’m checking out tomorrow , is there anyone else that can sort this ?
“Yes come back at 11am and someone should be able to help” - 10:20am

So a 4th visit to the desk an hour later and it’s the same guy but he’s sorted it and was all nice and professional that time - got me grumpy for an hour lol , but finally sorted , rant over .

Utterly ridiculous. And perhaps helps explain the drop in visitors to Las Vegas as shown by Harry Reid passenger numbers from January to April this year.

Wow that’s some wild stats there.  I’ve deffo noticed less euros this trip at my tables (though Mad Turk did try to sit on my big O ticket without a seat card yesterday) but the real big one is the lack of Canadians unsurprisingly.
Overall it’s difficult to gage it generally outside of poker as to me it always seems busy in the casinos

Yes, I agree, all the Casinos do seem busy.

Perhaps the explanation is that US visitors to Vegas are up, while foreign visitors - Canadians especially - are down, understandably so, as you noted.

Citizens from multiple countries are of course now blanket-banned from travelling to the USA. This is making a mess of the World Cup too, with the Iran Team having to fly in & out on the days of their games.

I read an article saying Americans are boycotting Vegas because of the extortionate prices being charged

Basically they feel Vegas is now a rip off

In many ways they are right.

"Resort Fees" - just additional room rates in another name - often as much as $50 or more per night, $20 & even $25 a day to park your car in every Strip Hotel, even as a Guest in some properties, & I paid $7.85 for a small glass of Sprite yesterday.

And there's this thing which has quietly crept up on us - tipping in Coffee Shops & even regular shops. Put your card in the machine & it won't take payment until you've selected a tip amount, you physically have to push a Red X button to avoid tipping.

Why would anyone tip in a Starbucks or Hotel Gift Shop? What "special service" deserving of personal reward are they offering?

Back in the day we tipped Barbers & Taxi Drivers, & that was it. Oh, & the paper boy at Christmas.

3/8 in WSOP $1500 limit

133k ftw


gl tmrw night

He really is ridiculously good.

It'll be his 5th cash of this Series, in 5 different disciplines - Limit NLH, 7 Card Stud, PLO, 2-7 Lowball & Omaha Mix.

Prior to this, in April he cashed twice for 5 figures each time at WSOP-E in NLH & PLO.

All that is after starting 2026 with FIVE NLH cashes in the Poker Go Tour, two of which were 1st for $315,000 & 2nd for $166,950.

Blokes a freak.