Vegas & The Aftermath - Diary

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Update please Mr Anthony

Last night of a truly wonderful holiday tonight, best of my life, flying home tomorrow, so will Update you once I'm home, probably over the weekend or early next week.

What about you Mr P?

Over the summer we went to a place which I thought you'd love.  Will be intrigued to know if it was a same place as I think you went to the USA again, and you are a big fan of Scotland/Norway. 

It was Alaska and Vancouver Island.  The West Coast of Vancouver Island is just like stunning view after stunning view. Rains a bit, but people are down to earth and food simple but somehow really good. Think you'd love it if you didn't go there. Alaska similar really.  Alaska is much more like Vancouver Island than Vancouver Island is like Vancouver.  FWIW I know a few poker players go to Vancouver for WCOOP and really think they should just go that little bit further.

Thanks David.

Sounds right up our street.

We'd probably use Amtrak up to Vancouver & then work from there. We've done most of the West Coast Amtrak from San Diego right up as far as Seattle, & it's a terrific journey, especially through Oregon, so that little bit extra up to Vancouver would be fun.

Presumably you took the family, did they enjoy it?

You still playing poker? With Sky, or elsewhere? Not sure how much fun Sky is now it's joined I-Poker. There's a Sky Poker Discord Channel which I occasionally peruse, but I've moved on & to be honest, I'm not sure I'd enjoy still being part of it, I have a different agenda these days. I wish them all well though & I miss a few of the crew. I don't miss the Moaning Minnies though.

Sorry about the delay.  Am busy at times.

I think you told me you were going to Hawaii when we were in Vegas, so my guesses were probably worse than you thought. 

On Vancouver Island, you can get a ferry from Seattle, so don't even need to go to Vancouver proper. Got quite excited about it.  Can even go up to the Yukon, which is even more wild and remote.  You can have a road trip through Alaska to the Yukon too, but guess there must be some car switching going on, as you are in 2 different countries. There is pretty much one road up via Vancouver and one up via the Rockies, so don't really need a satnav.  Drive 1000kms, get to Yellowknife, turn left, take the other road back kind of thing. Genuinely want to do this now.

You got no mobile signal out of towns, so very much like it used to be.  Would be strange to breakdown with no phones etc.  Guess people just stop and help you out still.  Can't imagine many of them driving past, maybe I am too optimistic?

We genuinely just came across a bear wondering done the road at one point.  You can even catch sight of dolphins and whales from the Ferry, but we were out of luck. kids loved it really.  Vancouver Island just had the very best zipline through a canyon. The eldest is very much like me and loves adventure, so we did a bit of kayaking too. I can't see the youngest ever taking up ice hockey (she just needs somewhere to perch and watch her phone and she is happy).  If we'd stay longer, we'd have fit more in.

Don't really play poker much at all now.  Friday is ice hockey practice, weekend she has games, so I fit it around that.  Am lucky to get one night a week these days, but still play the Sky ipoker games if I can whilst they are still running.  Am thinking of trying to play some WSOP circuit events at DTD.  They are only doing Omaha and not hi lo though.  Might see you there?

Btw I know you always talk about my kids like they are about 5.  Eldest had an entrance exam to Cambridge on Thursday. Apparently it is one of those places that is kind of a big deal.  Very proud obv; even if she doesn't get in. 

Hi David.

Alaska sounds right up my street. I did some googling & the place is HUGE. So many things still on the Bucket List but I'll definitely add that.

Yeah, may see you at DTD during the WSOP thing, though none of the MTT's particularly appeal to me, but might just play the Mini Min or whatever.

I DO still think of your kids as 5 year olds. Same with everyone, I can't grasp how quickly we all age. How can I be best part of 80? WTF? Pleased but not surprised they are doing well with education, but no surprise given their genes.

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Talking of folks ageing so quickly, many of you will know "Bash", (Basha Mahmood) from back in the day at Gala & now DTD.

We were seated adjacent a few nights ago & were chatting, & he proudly showed me photos of his kids who have all done well in life, one is a pharmacist, another at Uni, & he has a beautiful grand-daughter who he dotes on. I asked him his age & was shocked to learn he's 62. Wow. 

Even Thewy is well into his 50's.

[tikay]

I posted this elsewhere but it got absolutely zero appreciation.

Perhaps it might get at least a small nod of approval here.


https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/46643/the-spell-of-the-yukon

Shite.

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Great to hear you are enjoying retirement Tikay. 👋

Good grief, lovely to hear from you.

You still travelling the world, wating sport of every kind?

Unless I've got mixed up (an odds-on shot tbf) the last time we met was at a ball game (baseball) at Cashman Field (RIP) in Vegas.

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On the subject of getting folks mixed up & forgetting names, I went to Resorts World Birmingham last night to play some Big O, which I found out about thanks to that google Calendar Longines gave me a few weeks back.

There was an "unfortunate incident" though.

Saw a chap I've not seen for years, but it was one of those "I know him SO well but can't recall his name" things.

He ended up at my table, & we exchanged greetings, somewhat apprehensively, but I was still struggling to "place" him.  Eventually deduced it was Neil Blatchley.

Soon as I said that he stood bolt upright & said "WHAT?!".

Which was when the penny dropped. It was not Blatch (obv), it was Barry Carter. In my defence, they do look alike.

Anyway, he forgave me, & took a photo to send to his Mum, who replied by saying I look well. And yes, that's true too.

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Bumped into this young lady last night too.

First knew her 20 years ago, when she was a Dealer at Luton. She's a big noise at Party Poker now. I'm so proud of & delighted for her. Girl did good, married now & everything. Her hubbie who was also there seems a great guy too. Very very happy for them.

We chatted for a good while, & mostly just abused Fat Vinni.  

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Also very briefly shared a table with perhaps the most irritating little man in poker, JJ, aka JJ Hazan, he of Dragons Den.

Briefly? Well, as in 1 hand, which fell between his 6th & 7th bullet I think. 

If you look carefully you can see a Trophy next to him, which he presumably won somewhere. He was using it as a card-marker. Never one to GIQ, was he?

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And a quick "hi" to blonde "strat33", who has been here forever but is mainly a lurker. He was also on my table, & we got chatting & he's a lovely Gentleman, he really is.