Vegas & The Aftermath - Diary

[tikay]

Have you ever heard of Fractals?  A pretty fascinating mathematical subject where the more you look into it the stranger and stranger it becomes.

A simple (in Fractal terms) example of a Fractal is the coastline of Great Britain.  How long is it?  Measure it on Google Maps and you'll get a certain length.  Measure it with a metre rule and you'll get a longer length.  Measure it with a 30cm ruler and you'll get a longer length again.  So the shorter the instrument you measure it with the longer it gets.  If you measure it with shorter and shorter (i.e. more precise) instruments the coastline of Great Britain seems infinate!  This is due to the coastline being not one dimensional like a line or two dimensional like a surface but somewhere inbetween.  I did say it was simple in Fractal terms.

It's explained better here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/How_Long_Is_the_Coast_of_Britain%3F_Statistical_Self-Similarity_and_Fractional_Dimension

This was just a lead up to being able to post some beautiful pictures, how and what produces these images is to my mind astounding.

I'll post a few pictures, a few links to some videos and then show what produces all of what you've just seen.


The first computer generated image of the Mandelbrot Set (I produced an identical image while working as a Mainframe Operator back in 1989).




The basic starting Mandelbrot Set




A zoomed section of the Mandelbrot Set




Zoomed 'Islands' found within the Mandelbrot Set called a Julia 'Island'




A couple of videos showing how as you zoom in further and further on the "coastline" of the Mandelbrot Set you see more and more detail that was previously hidden until you looked closer.






Now here is the amazing bit, everything you have just seen is generated by the formula  z = z² + c

Here is the man who coined the term Fractal and discovered the Mandelbrot Set

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benoit_Mandelbrot

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandelbrot_set

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fractal


Whenever I stumble across Fractals and the Mandelbrot Set I get hooked at looking at new images and watching videos for days.

Don't even get me started on Strange Attractors or the Golden Ratio.


One more video, the man himself Benoit Mandelbrot explaining Fractals (at 14 mins he discusses the Mandelbrot Set).

You completely lost me there Aaron. I did not even know what a "Fractal" was, I had never even heard of such a thing. I'm not sure if that is just me being ignorant, or because it is such a rare thing. I bet the likes of Tighty, Jen, James Keys, Doobs & Co all knew though.

Anyway, I had a good read, & I'm not sure I am any the wiser now......


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fractal


I went to google images, & this is what it showed me.




PS - What are you buying Leon for Xmas? Bet it's not an X--Box, or computer game.

[tikay]

Morning Tony,

I meant to post a few questions on here, but totally forgot and my internet is playing up!

I was just wondering on your possible work plans and possible retirement in the future? Also why you don't really talk much poker these days, example being in general & hardly ever in PHA, when it seems you are probably the most experienced on here?

Hope you don't mind me asking these questions.

Afternoon controversial Bloke.

I've been musing for days on the answer to those questions as to my work plans, & possible retrirement, & I think I need to muse a little longer. I think about it a great deal though. I'll set a target to reply before the weekend is out though. I'm really unsure what I will do in 2013, to be honest. But there is a long list of things I want to do, but just not enough time, & I mean that in every sense.

Post in PHA because I am, (to use your words) "most experienced"? There are many who have been in poker longer, & "most experienced", in any Event, does not necessarily equate to wisdom. I think, with Hold 'Em, others can Post much better stuff, & anyway, I believe that many of us out-think ourselves a bit these days & over-complicate a simple game. Probably not a popular view, that.

At the nosebleed stakes, yes, it is pretty complex, way above my head, but at micro stakes, say 25p-50 & down, Level 5 thinking does not work, trying to put a regular guy on a specific line of Level 5 thinking ain't ever gonna work, & all we do is out-think ourself. IMO, of course.

Omaha, mixed games, DC, now I would LOVE to discuss that, but barely 5% of the poker world are even mildly interested in that sort of stuff, so I'd be talking to a brick wall of indifference.

It is the psychology of poker that fixates me these days, why people behave & react the way they do when they win or lose. Amazing how many people or things are to blame when we lose a hand of poker, & you could not begin to imagine some of the stuff I get sent by people who are aggrieved because they lost a hand of poker.

I have run very well at DC recently, on top of which, I sat - twice - in THE most scary games ever (by my standards) quite recently. I would love to discuss the thinking behind these games, how I got myself in a peculiar spot, what happened, da de da, but I can't imagine anyone would be much interested really.

Was really good to meet you at DTD recently. It's is astonishing how different many folks are "in real-life" to their online personna. In that respect, you much remind me of MANTIS, as it happens.

It is almost like the world is divided into two parts - real-life, & Online. They are so different.

[77dave]

Are you expecting the world to end today? Will you be suprised if it does

[rfgqqabc]

Whilst I have little to no experience in a lot of dc games, I'd be very excited at the prospect of any discussion. Unfortunately dc games don't appear in the north east afaik so I can't play regularly but I'd certainly have a crack!

As an aside does dc run at dtd anymore?

[Tal]

Whilst I have little to no experience in a lot of dc games, I'd be very excited at the prospect of any discussion. Unfortunately dc games don't appear in the north east afaik so I can't play regularly but I'd certainly have a crack!

As an aside does dc run at dtd anymore?

I find non-holdem games more fun but I'm the first to admit I'm not very good at them. The live games are all too big for me so any discussions on PHA or generally would be welcome.

[redsimon]

Post more about mixed games, they're very much underdiscussed.

[david3103]

Whilst I have little to no experience in a lot of dc games, I'd be very excited at the prospect of any discussion. Unfortunately dc games don't appear in the north east afaik so I can't play regularly but I'd certainly have a crack!

As an aside does dc run at dtd anymore?

G Newcastle has a night of dc I believe. Think it's Monday, but no doubt a phone call would establish the reality.

[tikay]

Whilst I have little to no experience in a lot of dc games, I'd be very excited at the prospect of any discussion. Unfortunately dc games don't appear in the north east afaik so I can't play regularly but I'd certainly have a crack!

As an aside does dc run at dtd anymore?

Yes, it still runs when the bigger Tourneys are on.

Bit scary though. I sat in a £5 £5 a few weeks ago, I pulled up £1,000, & had the same behind. Good evening's fun should be in prospect.

To my right, Pete Linton plonked £5,000 on the Table, to HIS right Richard Berridge did the same, & Pete & Richard proceeded to get the bloody lot in first hand, for a £10k pot. Eek. They were both going for the Low, but somehow they BOTH hit a K flush in Super-Stud, but Pete's kicker was a spot better.

Some words are then exchanged, & Pete announces that EVERY TIME Richard Berridge pots it (which is almost every hand he plays), Pete will RE-POT it.  

If you wanted an exercise in pot control that night, or only entering pots where my holding was correct, you should have sat & watched me. Yikes. But at least I was in the nut seat.

I got a bit lucky, & my £1,000 was soon £2,500, which is a lot of cash to me, & I'm happy with my evening already.

Then we play a hand of 6 card High, & I'm dealt.....

 

I mean, what is a man supposed to do? I never considered the fold, obv, but I was not THAT keen to spunk off £2,500. Game too big for me, see?

Mr Berridge raised (Pete was temporarily absent), I re-potted, I KNOW Rich will call me or re-pot, but then JAKALLY moves all-in for £750 or somesuch. Well actually, I like that, because he has done the isolating for me. This is good, right? Then Richard says "well I KNOW Kendall has the Aces, & I KNOW JAKALLY has ACES or Kings, so my bag of bollocks is almost certainly live".......and HE calls too now.

You could have heard my arse squeaking from Trent Bridge.

Anyway, the whole point is that - for me - when the game gets that big, I really do play MUCH much better, not dribbly-calling with mediocres, just entering Pots where I am prepared to commit.

Not had as much fun at the table in ages, & I played pretty well, by my standards, too.

[bobAlike]

Whilst I have little to no experience in a lot of dc games, I'd be very excited at the prospect of any discussion. Unfortunately dc games don't appear in the north east afaik so I can't play regularly but I'd certainly have a crack!

As an aside does dc run at dtd anymore?

Yes, it still runs when the bigger Tourneys are on.

Bit scary though. I sat in a £5 £5 a few weeks ago, I pulled up £1,000, & had the same behind. Good evening's fun should be in prospect.

To my right, Pete Linton plonked £5,000 on the Table, to HIS right Richard Berridge did the same, & Pete & Richard proceeded to get the bloody lot in first hand, for a £10k pot. Eek. They were both going for the Low, but somehow they BOTH hit a K flush in Super-Stud, but Pete's kicker was a spot better.

Some words are then exchanged, & Pete announces that EVERY TIME Richard Berridge pots it (which is almost every hand he plays), Pete will RE-POT it. 

If you wanted an exercise in pot control that night, or only entering pots where my holding was correct, you should have sat & watched me. Yikes. But at least I was in the nut seat.

I got a bit lucky, & my £1,000 was soon £2,500, which is a lot of cash to me, & I'm happy with my evening already.

Then we play a hand of 6 card High, & I'm dealt.....

 

I mean, what is a man supposed to do? I never considered the fold, obv, but I was not THAT keen to spunk off £2,500. Game too big for me, see?

Mr Berridge raised (Pete was temporarily absent), I re-potted, I KNOW Rich will call me or re-pot, but then JAKALLY moves all-in for £750 or somesuch. Well actually, I like that, because he has done the isolating for me. This is good, right? Then Richard says "well I KNOW Kendall has the Aces, & I KNOW JAKALLY has ACES or Kings, so my bag of bollocks is almost certainly live".......and HE calls too now.

You could have heard my arse squeaking from Trent Bridge.

Anyway, the whole point is that - for me - when the game gets that big, I really do play MUCH much better, not dribbly-calling with mediocres, just entering Pots where I am prepared to commit.

Not had as much fun at the table in ages, & I played pretty well, by my standards, too.

But did you win that hand?

[TightEnd]

could you note get up a reasonable amount of time (ie not an immediate hit and run!) after being £2.5k to the good, or did the desire to be in a game for the long run outweigh the risk?

[77dave]

how would you compare the DC at DTD compared to Luton?

[tikay]

These photos were in the press today - absolutely lovely, I thought. Troops returning home from their Tour in Afghanistan. I believe they are soldiers from the Royal Scots Borderers, 1st Batallion the Royal Regiment of Scotland.

PS - What sort of aircraft would this be, anyone know?

Click to see full-size image.

Click to see full-size image.

Click to see full-size image.

[tikay]

could you note get up a reasonable amount of time (ie not an immediate hit and run!) after being £2.5k to the good, or did the desire to be in a game for the long run outweigh the risk?

I had only been there an hour, & I wanted an evening's fun. It had not been in the plan to get the lot in in a single hand though!

[bobAlike]

My money is on a Hercules Tikay.

[titaniumbean]

They all look so much younger than me.

fucking ridic.