Vegas & The Aftermath - Diary

[tikay]

Apart from me

....and me, lol.

I had a ticket & had planned to be there Tuesday, but then I heard by the back door that all the Sky Poker suits were going that day, so I thought I had better swerve it, in case they thought I was shirt-tailing.

Back in the day when Des Duffy was the Sky Poker Top Cheese he always invited me along, & I loved it, as I knew most of the people there, & it was a great chance to network & natter.

It sucks being old in a young man's world. We think we have more experience, & know more, than the young guns, but I guess thats the way of the world, & I suppose it always was.

Looking forward to the 6 Nations Alun? Here's a Welsh wooden spoon, just in case you need one.

Not quite sure what to make of you giving me a (virtual) love spoon. That's sort of like a very old fashioned sexting.

Absolutely can't wait. Am going to the game tomorrow with my Dad. I have no voice due to an extended pain in the arse illness so singing and shouting might be difficult. Should be 80,000 other welshers to help me out.

I tried to resist the obvious "so the Welsh talk through their arse", but I failed.

"welshers"? Please. Welshers, shurely?

Seriously, enjoy the game. I was reading about the atmo at that game, & how it fires up the players. Must be quite something. I positively adore the way RU crowds behave & conduct themselves, so very different to Football. RU must attract a very different customer base.

[tikay]

Did you get to that ICE thing? I went yesterday. My impressions was that it was, as Camel would say, a bit of a 'circlewank'. I can't see how any actual business gets done at the stalls themselves.

A ton of business gets done. It's more the uni club at the end of the night theory. Basically you know that everyone is going to be in the same place at the same time so you're definitely going to find somebody. Lots of meeting get arranged beforehand etc.

It's pretty much the only global event for the sector that you know everyone will be at.

Oh completely agree, I meant literally at the stalls themselves. My guess, zero business.

Agree, but although I loathe the term, "networking" is usually worth the effort. Online interaction is the thing these days, but when we meet in real life, it counts for so much more, by a factor of quite a lot. Plus a bit.

[DaveShoelace]

Did you get to that ICE thing? I went yesterday. My impressions was that it was, as Camel would say, a bit of a 'circlewank'. I can't see how any actual business gets done at the stalls themselves.

A ton of business gets done. It's more the uni club at the end of the night theory. Basically you know that everyone is going to be in the same place at the same time so you're definitely going to find somebody. Lots of meeting get arranged beforehand etc.

It's pretty much the only global event for the sector that you know everyone will be at.

Oh completely agree, I meant literally at the stalls themselves. My guess, zero business.

Agree, but although I loathe the term, "networking" is usually worth the effort. Online interaction is the thing these days, but when we meet in real life, it counts for so much more, by a factor of quite a lot. Plus a bit.

Completely agree. I met a bunch of folks this week who robotically shoved a business card in my hand, gave me some prerehearsed schitck about changing the poker industry, then sodded off as soon as they saw someone more important than me (Some made a beeline for the bloke cleaning the bogs obviously).

However, one of the main reasons I went was to meet my friend Steven McLoughlin in real life. He is the main man at PokerTracker and we have been friendly for years and we finally got to have a drink together and talk shit. Always nice when an online friendship can seamlessly carry on in real life.

Was hoping to do the same with Alun, but I think living in London has made him soft and he didn't come because of man flu.

Also had a nice coffee and a chat with your mate Mr Milner. He is always good for a gossip.

[AlunB]

Did you get to that ICE thing? I went yesterday. My impressions was that it was, as Camel would say, a bit of a 'circlewank'. I can't see how any actual business gets done at the stalls themselves.

A ton of business gets done. It's more the uni club at the end of the night theory. Basically you know that everyone is going to be in the same place at the same time so you're definitely going to find somebody. Lots of meeting get arranged beforehand etc.

It's pretty much the only global event for the sector that you know everyone will be at.

Oh completely agree, I meant literally at the stalls themselves. My guess, zero business.

Agree, but although I loathe the term, "networking" is usually worth the effort. Online interaction is the thing these days, but when we meet in real life, it counts for so much more, by a factor of quite a lot. Plus a bit.

Completely agree. I met a bunch of folks this week who robotically shoved a business card in my hand, gave me some prerehearsed schitck about changing the poker industry, then sodded off as soon as they saw someone more important than me (Some made a beeline for the bloke cleaning the bogs obviously).

However, one of the main reasons I went was to meet my friend Steven McLoughlin in real life. He is the main man at PokerTracker and we have been friendly for years and we finally got to have a drink together and talk shit. Always nice when an online friendship can seamlessly carry on in real life.

Was hoping to do the same with Alun, but I think living in London has made him soft and he didn't come because of man flu.

Also had a nice coffee and a chat with your mate Mr Milner. He is always good for a gossip.

Haha! Yeah you're not wrong. Although I don't live in that London any more. I'm almost a northerner now (Cheshire). I have been rough though. As poorly as I can remember for a long time. Was a shame to miss a lot of people though. Yourself and Mr Milner in particular.

Based on my conversations with suppliers you would be surprised how much walk up business there is. But most gets done in the meeting rooms behind with prearranged meetings. Think of the stalls more as advertising. It's not that they attract business themselves, but it's part of the image they want to project to prospective customers.

Look how good we are. Look how serious a business we are. Now step inside and let's talk. A lot of these companies will be doing one big deal a year so it's part of the process. The smaller ones I think are often just there to get as many leads as possible.

[AlunB]

Apart from me

....and me, lol.

I had a ticket & had planned to be there Tuesday, but then I heard by the back door that all the Sky Poker suits were going that day, so I thought I had better swerve it, in case they thought I was shirt-tailing.

Back in the day when Des Duffy was the Sky Poker Top Cheese he always invited me along, & I loved it, as I knew most of the people there, & it was a great chance to network & natter.

It sucks being old in a young man's world. We think we have more experience, & know more, than the young guns, but I guess thats the way of the world, & I suppose it always was.

Looking forward to the 6 Nations Alun? Here's a Welsh wooden spoon, just in case you need one.

Not quite sure what to make of you giving me a (virtual) love spoon. That's sort of like a very old fashioned sexting.

Absolutely can't wait. Am going to the game tomorrow with my Dad. I have no voice due to an extended pain in the arse illness so singing and shouting might be difficult. Should be 80,000 other welshers to help me out.

I tried to resist the obvious "so the Welsh talk through their arse", but I failed.

"welshers"? Please. Welshers, shurely?

Seriously, enjoy the game. I was reading about the atmo at that game, & how it fires up the players. Must be quite something. I positively adore the way RU crowds behave & conduct themselves, so very different to Football. RU must attract a very different customer base.

It's always a fantastic atmosphere. Passionate and fervent but rarely if ever violent or nasty. You get some idiots in Cardiff who are very anti-English and can take the "banter" too far, but they are thankfully in the minority. Two years ago was probably one of the most amazing sporting events I've been to. The national anthem at the start was spine tingling stuff https://t.co/AzWmGCDcQj

[DaveShoelace]

Did you get to that ICE thing? I went yesterday. My impressions was that it was, as Camel would say, a bit of a 'circlewank'. I can't see how any actual business gets done at the stalls themselves.

A ton of business gets done. It's more the uni club at the end of the night theory. Basically you know that everyone is going to be in the same place at the same time so you're definitely going to find somebody. Lots of meeting get arranged beforehand etc.

It's pretty much the only global event for the sector that you know everyone will be at.

Oh completely agree, I meant literally at the stalls themselves. My guess, zero business.

Agree, but although I loathe the term, "networking" is usually worth the effort. Online interaction is the thing these days, but when we meet in real life, it counts for so much more, by a factor of quite a lot. Plus a bit.

Completely agree. I met a bunch of folks this week who robotically shoved a business card in my hand, gave me some prerehearsed schitck about changing the poker industry, then sodded off as soon as they saw someone more important than me (Some made a beeline for the bloke cleaning the bogs obviously).

However, one of the main reasons I went was to meet my friend Steven McLoughlin in real life. He is the main man at PokerTracker and we have been friendly for years and we finally got to have a drink together and talk shit. Always nice when an online friendship can seamlessly carry on in real life.

Was hoping to do the same with Alun, but I think living in London has made him soft and he didn't come because of man flu.

Also had a nice coffee and a chat with your mate Mr Milner. He is always good for a gossip.

Haha! Yeah you're not wrong. Although I don't live in that London any more. I'm almost a northerner now (Cheshire). I have been rough though. As poorly as I can remember for a long time. Was a shame to miss a lot of people though. Yourself and Mr Milner in particular.

Based on my conversations with suppliers you would be surprised how much walk up business there is. But most gets done in the meeting rooms behind with prearranged meetings. Think of the stalls more as advertising. It's not that they attract business themselves, but it's part of the image they want to project to prospective customers.

Look how good we are. Look how serious a business we are. Now step inside and let's talk. A lot of these companies will be doing one big deal a year so it's part of the process. The smaller ones I think are often just there to get as many leads as possible.

Ooh get you Cheshire. It's really nice there actually, all tudor-y n that

[tikay]

Did you get to that ICE thing? I went yesterday. My impressions was that it was, as Camel would say, a bit of a 'circlewank'. I can't see how any actual business gets done at the stalls themselves.

Enjoyed it enough, bumped into Channing/Beevers/Jesse/Your Boss Rich/Lush the Gush etc, more of a jolly than work.

Funnily enough, I have been before.....20 years ago. My families business was juke boxes/video games/fruit machines (they took them to pubs) and I went there as a kid when it was at Earls Court to play on all the video games. I was telling Rich Milner this exact anecdote and just as I am, I bump into my cousins from Sheffield. I should have bet some money on it.

That reminded me - I heard he has just announced his retirement.

Good egg, him, whoever employed him always got great value.

Does he have any plans to work elsewhere, that you are aware of? I'll quite miss the lanky old bugger.

[DaveShoelace]

Did you get to that ICE thing? I went yesterday. My impressions was that it was, as Camel would say, a bit of a 'circlewank'. I can't see how any actual business gets done at the stalls themselves.

Enjoyed it enough, bumped into Channing/Beevers/Jesse/Your Boss Rich/Lush the Gush etc, more of a jolly than work.

Funnily enough, I have been before.....20 years ago. My families business was juke boxes/video games/fruit machines (they took them to pubs) and I went there as a kid when it was at Earls Court to play on all the video games. I was telling Rich Milner this exact anecdote and just as I am, I bump into my cousins from Sheffield. I should have bet some money on it.

That reminded me - I heard he has just announced his retirement.

Good egg, him, whoever employed him always got great value.

Does he have any plans to work elsewhere, that you are aware of? I'll quite miss the lanky old bugger.

Well, his main thing is going to be working for Tony G in politics. Funny old thing poker, that it should open a door like that.

However, he is still keen on doing some freelancing gigs within the gaming industry on the side, hence seeing him there this week.

Top bloke Warren, whenever I'm at a boring event and he is there I make a beeline for him. It seems his job was to have a good laugh at poker events from what I could tell, so he is always fun to be around.

[tikay]

Have a guess before you read the article.


http://www.marketwatch.com/story/10-countries-where-people-smoke-the-most-2014-07-22?dist=countdown

It also has the snippet as a btw  "Tobacco company Reynolds American Inc was hit with $23.6 billion in damages Friday after a Florida jury decided that the company acted negligently in marketing its tobacco products.  The company had been sued by a widow who claimed the company failed to inform her husband about the cancer-causing nature of tobacco."

My "pre-look" guesses?

Russia

An African Country.

PS - Great Britain will not feature in the Top 10.

[tikay]

Have a guess before you read the article.


http://www.marketwatch.com/story/10-countries-where-people-smoke-the-most-2014-07-22?dist=countdown

It also has the snippet as a btw  "Tobacco company Reynolds American Inc was hit with $23.6 billion in damages Friday after a Florida jury decided that the company acted negligently in marketing its tobacco products.  The company had been sued by a widow who claimed the company failed to inform her husband about the cancer-causing nature of tobacco."

My "pre-look" guesses?

Russia

An African Country.

PS - Great Britain will not feature in the Top 10.

Well I was close. Russia was 4th, & Ukraine (dubiously Russia) was 6th.

No African countries figures, so I got that wrong.

Great Britain did not figure, so I got that right.

The fine for Reynolds? I'm guessing they'll contest that.

[tikay]

Did you get to that ICE thing? I went yesterday. My impressions was that it was, as Camel would say, a bit of a 'circlewank'. I can't see how any actual business gets done at the stalls themselves.

Enjoyed it enough, bumped into Channing/Beevers/Jesse/Your Boss Rich/Lush the Gush etc, more of a jolly than work.

Funnily enough, I have been before.....20 years ago. My families business was juke boxes/video games/fruit machines (they took them to pubs) and I went there as a kid when it was at Earls Court to play on all the video games. I was telling Rich Milner this exact anecdote and just as I am, I bump into my cousins from Sheffield. I should have bet some money on it.

That reminded me - I heard he has just announced his retirement.

Good egg, him, whoever employed him always got great value.

Does he have any plans to work elsewhere, that you are aware of? I'll quite miss the lanky old bugger.

Well, his main thing is going to be working for Tony G in politics. Funny old thing poker, that it should open a door like that.

However, he is still keen on doing some freelancing gigs within the gaming industry on the side, hence seeing him there this week.

Top bloke Warren, whenever I'm at a boring event and he is there I make a beeline for him. It seems his job was to have a good laugh at poker events from what I could tell, so he is always fun to be around.

Well well well, whoever would have thought?

Hard to have ever imagined Tony G would go that route. Guess he'd be a sort of Latvian Boris Johnson.

He'd better watch his mouth though, in Politics, you can't go round telling people to get on yer bike, now can you?

Click to see full-size image.

[tikay]

Potential Vegas Staking 2015

These are non-binding by the buyers - they can withdraw later if they wish, if & when the package comes together.

Much appreciated Gents, thank you.

redsimon - 1%

NAKOR - 1%

Sharplea - 1%

Mohican - 1%

Knottikay - 1%

BOOKED

[booder]

In obv

[Woodsey]

probs up your street

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-31109732

[doubleup]

Have a guess before you read the article.


http://www.marketwatch.com/story/10-countries-where-people-smoke-the-most-2014-07-22?dist=countdown

It also has the snippet as a btw  "Tobacco company Reynolds American Inc was hit with $23.6 billion in damages Friday after a Florida jury decided that the company acted negligently in marketing its tobacco products.  The company had been sued by a widow who claimed the company failed to inform her husband about the cancer-causing nature of tobacco."

My "pre-look" guesses?

Russia

An African Country.

PS - Great Britain will not feature in the Top 10.

Well I was close. Russia was 4th, & Ukraine (dubiously Russia) was 6th.

No African countries figures, so I got that wrong.

Great Britain did not figure, so I got that right.

The fine for Reynolds? I'm guessing they'll contest that.

I was surprised by the proximity of the countries.  Barring Greece, all former iron curtain states. 

AFAIK the standard procedure for USA lawsuits is the jury awards an absurd amount of punitive damages, all the legal bods go "lol", move the case to a higher court for sense to prevail and the lawyers get rich.