Vegas & The Aftermath - Diary

[celtic]

A memory from 30th January 2012, SPT luton. Imaging getting your seat draw and sitting in amongst this little lot. Extra bonus point if you can work out who's bottom left of the pic?

Click to see full-size image.

Here's the reverse angle of the shot.Apparently you were really really short of commentators so roped Vinnie .in.
 

Click to see full-size image.

Haha that’s true. I somehow didn’t get signed up though. Done it for about an hour or so and then someone was ordered to take the mic from me

[Doobs]

Just found out that the Sky Poker forum and independent site are going.  I know you always say that you are pleased for survive the year still in employment, so suppose that I am going to outlast you in employment after all?

Always thought I'd spend my retirement messing about in small stakes on Sky, but can't see it happening now. I have had iPoker accounts in the past, but didn't like it. Suppose I might have to make a few trips to DTD instead, and challenge the new blood there (heard you are cleaning up).  Can't see me playing hold'em on line much going forward, maybe just reappear for big series?  So hard to make money when so many run solvers.

Also, think am likely going out to Vegas for the PLO8 this year.  The schedule is out on Monday.  Don't know how long that will last either.  are you planning a trip?  Maybe I need to take up golf?

Seems Miami John didn't make it, he was one of the good ones.

[Mohican]

Just found out that the Sky Poker forum and independent site are going.  I know you always say that you are pleased for survive the year still in employment, so suppose that I am going to outlast you in employment after all?

Always thought I'd spend my retirement messing about in small stakes on Sky, but can't see it happening now. I have had iPoker accounts in the past, but didn't like it. Suppose I might have to make a few trips to DTD instead, and challenge the new blood there (heard you are cleaning up).  Can't see me playing hold'em on line much going forward, maybe just reappear for big series?  So hard to make money when so many run solvers.

Also, think am likely going out to Vegas for the PLO8 this year.  The schedule is out on Monday.  Don't know how long that will last either.  are you planning a trip?  Maybe I need to take up golf?

Seems Miami John didn't make it, he was one of the good ones.

I'm wondering myself where to play my poker after this happens.

[Karabiner]

Looking forward to many pages of updates every morning.

Have a good one Tony 

[Supernova]

Have a fabulous time Tony x

[booder]

Looking forward to many pages of updates every morning.

Have a good one Tony 

This.  Enjoy mate x

[tikay]

NAME; Tony Kendall

OCCUPATION; Retired.*



* Actually, I don't officially retire until early next week, but to all intents & purposes, I already have.

On which note (more fascinating drivel follows).....

[tikay]

...if any of the regulars from Next Door happen to see this, I need a favour please. (MAXALLY/KNOTTIKAY, EssexPhil, Mohican, Dooobs, Supernova etc)

I retire when the Forum closes early next week & planned to be the last one there & be the one to turn off the lights so to speak.

In particular, my "Farewell Thread" with the rather haughty title of "Time to Move on to the Next Chapter" was wonderful beyond words, & I was immensely grateful & humbled by all the lovely comments from over 60 different players. So the plan included thanking everyone for such kind words.

But, as ever, a bloody great spanner has fallen in the works...

[tikay]

When I got home last night from what was essentially a 5 or 6 day trip away, I went to log on to Sky Poker to start my "thank you's" & continue with my usual duties until the curtain falls early next week, only to find that my account has been...... SUSPENDED.

FFS.

It's nothing to do with my retirement, & there's nothing to see here, so to speak, but the bottom line is, right now, I can't access the Sky Poker Forum even to read only. The Boss is trying to sort it, but it's quite complex, so I don't know if I'll get back on there before it closes.

So if any regulars from Next Door see this, please just put up a notelet saying that I've not jumped ship, I'm just having access problems & hope to be back on in a day or two.

Bit of a weird ending to my 18 very happy years there, but it is what it is.

Meanwhile, with no work duties elsewhere, I might just get my blonde Diary going again. I had to give priority to my work, but that is (almost) history now.

The problem of course is that unless they are your Dad or Grandad, there's no such thing as an interesting 77 year old & they are, with just a few exceptions, a bit boring. I don't mean to insult any 77 year olds, a few are exceptions to the rule, but I'm sure you get my point.

Anyway, that's where it's at.

[Kev B]

Enjoy your retirement Tikay.

[tikay]

I decided last Autumn is was time to retire when my Contract came up for renewal in January 2025, & attack my Bucket List, which is of some length & included 6 weeks in Vegas during the Series, (playing all the "affordable" Big O, PLO8 stuff around town etc), plus a big trip to Hawaii with Gill, a trip to New York in the Autumn, & maybe another Vegas trip later this year for a Venetian Fessie.

Then Sky made me aware the Forum would close in May 2025, so I quickly agreed to stay on to the end. Which looks like it's gone slightly tits up. It just meant shuffling the Bucket List a bit & pushing the Hawaii gig back a few months.

First though, before committing to 6 weeks poker in Vegas, I had to test myself. Could a 77 year old bloke still (still?) hack it?

So I started playing at DTD - mainly NLH, which is not my game, but that's all they offer for the most part.

The result has been 16 cashes, of which 12 from 42 attempts were NLH & 4 (from just 4 attempts surprisingly) were PLO or PLO variants. They can be seen here, after I resumed in Last October of last year.....




https://pokerdb.thehendonmob.com/player.php?a=r&n=3265



Not exactly crushing, or putting the fear of God into my table companions, but decent enough by my modest standards.

In particular, I have played just 4 PLO or PLO variant comps, & cashed in all 4. (Yes yes, I know, sample size, but I'm allowed to chirp);


£230 UKIPT PLO, 7th of 53, £1,020

£140 APAT ROE, 8th of 166, £300

£250 UK Open 4/5/6 PLO, 21st of 170, £490

£250 Hendon Mob Championship PLO @ DTD, 5th of 46, £1,265.



So that passed my "test" & today, I'm off to Vegas for a month. It should have been 6 weeks but one of Mr Trump's sudden declarations (Foreign Nationals have to report to some Federal Dept if staying more than 30 days) so I curtailed it  a little. Probably save me money.

PS - if all that  THM stuff sounds like I'm chirping, dead right I am. Can't help it.



Anyone remember Eric Dalby? He was still cashing regularly in all PLO variants when he was well into his 80's. Not the most cheerful of chaps in my recollection, but retained his ability until very late in life. No idea if he is still around, somehow I doubt it, he'd be well over 100 by now I reckon. Marky will remember him as he was a big noise on Ladbrokes & came on the Caribbean Cruise with us.

Anyway, if he could do it in his 80's, all is not lost yet for Yours Truly.

[tikay]

PS - thank you to Ralph, Shaz, Boo, Kev & Doobsy. And anyone I've forgotten.

[Ironside]

Enjoy your retirement Tikay, hopefully get to kill off the 1000s of items on your bucket list.

[tikay]

My very last SPT was last weekend, up in Glasgow, & naturally I wanted to do well.

I made Day 2, & (obv) ran pretty well but then, 2 or 3 off the money, I ran As-Qs into Aces, in a Button v my BB affair. Cooler or bad play? The general view was cooler, but with hindsight I'm convinced I did not have to go bust there. Anyway, I did, so that was that.

So then I had to spend Sunday evening doing the Live Update. Except my Lappie would not hook up to the Wifi, so I had to give best & go back to my Hotel. Which, in turn, unfortunately meant I missed Jen & Tal who popped back to see me, though I hope & imagine they did not come back just for me. I was feeling a little unwell too, more on which shortly. Perhaps.

[tikay]

I was due to get the 0730 Cross Country train home via Edinburgh on Monday morning, but then I discovered a faster Avanti WCML train which left 30 minutes later & arrived an hour sooner, so I stumped up the extra & booked that. Clever bloke me.

20 minutes out of Glasgow we stopped, apparently because a freight train in front of us had broken down. Long story short, my train then reversed all the way back to Glasgow, waited an hour, & then set off again. So I missed my connection at Crewe & got home 4 hours later than the original slow train. Marv.

As you probably know, you can claim for a refund, or partial refund, if your train is delayed. That's the theory, anyway. I've never known anything so convoluted or complicated. The whole idea is to make it so complicated that you just eventually give up. It's called "Claim Repay" or somesuch. Meh, makes me cross just thinking about it.

Anyway, I made a claim & they replied (generically), promising a reply within "20 working days". All very efficient, then.