Vegas & The Aftermath - Diary

[tikay]

Sigh...

I can't see any of these.

Tom, have e-Mailed them to you as attachments, & NOT used tiny-pic.

Cheers Tony.

The one with the kid pulling the sled is my fave.

He is so Thewyesque!

Lets hope he has his mother's brains.

And his father's run good.

[tikay]

For non-football fans - & there may be one or two........at Anfield last night, in the Liverpool - Spurs encounter, the pitch was "invaded" by a cat. Several headlines out there already, including "they thnk it's all over....it is meow".

The FA are deleting the You Tube Videos of it, ("Copyright Infringement"!) but you may see it here before they do.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=keOEmSCiPI8

If not, here is the little chap, parading in front of the huge crowd. Poor thing must have been scared to death. For non-football fans, the cat is the tabby one, the one in yellow is the goalie chap.

[tikay]

As you know, I don't like to see aggro, or debates which descend into junior school "stfu" style & profanities, but a good debate between intelligent & articulate types is a thing of joy.

Take a look at this purler, on Alex's diary today, hugely entertaining, & a pleasure to read.

http://blondepoker.com/forum/index.php?topic=51305.6540

It includes, surely, the Post of the Year, by Mr Keys, discussing the integrity of Bank Transfers......

Yeah all bank account transfers are inherently wobbly and could end up anywhere. They should really stop using those catapults to fire the money across the oceans. Debit card payments are totally different of course, they never use one of those dangerously unsafe "reference numbers" to identify the money, it is delivered by hand using only a close personal friend of both parties with a pre arranged secret handshake unique to each payment. The courier then has their hand chopped off on delivery so they can never show anyone else the handshake.

Sheer genius. Write more, both Alex & James.

Good writing, is there anything more entertaining?

[tikay]

For no particular reason, here's Gwen. A girl with attitude, no doubt of that.

Click to see full-size image.

[redsimon]

Great pictures of the Thew clan.

I'm hoping tho' that the snow buggers off before I arrive back Friday!

[tikay]

Great pictures of the Thew clan.

I'm hoping tho' that the snow buggers off before I arrive back Friday!

Yes, the Thews seem very photogenic.

How is Vegas? Getting the lot?

What is the temperature?

Chompy is there, too, keep an eye on him, he's there to win me lots of lovely money, at least, that is what he promised me.

You must have been shocked to hear of the sudden death of Nigel Doughty, what terrible news.

PS - Safe journey home.

[redsimon]

Great pictures of the Thew clan.

I'm hoping tho' that the snow buggers off before I arrive back Friday!

Yes, the Thews seem very photogenic.

How is Vegas? Getting the lot? I wish!

What is the temperature? Was in 70's today 50s but no Snow

Chompy is there, too, keep an eye on him, he's there to win me lots of lovely money, at least, that is what he promised me. YBA

You must have been shocked to hear of the sudden death of Nigel Doughty, what terrible news.

PS - Safe journey home.

[tikay]

oops!

If we are going into unintentional slip ups...I think I have told this before but.

I was on the race desk on a Saturday afternoon at Hills when it was really busy, the boat race was due to go off at 15.00  and at about 5 minutes past I got a call from a girl on the phones saying a guy wants a bet on the boat race. I tell her its suspended coz it was starting at 3 and she tells me the guy is watching it on the telly and says its not off yet. I go to stick the BBC on to see what's going on and they are just weighing all the teams before they can begin.

I turned up the sound and found it was delayed because the weight of the team was different from when they had weighed them earlier. I told the girl it was ok to take the bet , that they would be off soon and it was delayed because they were just weighing their cox at the moment......

Nice story, Phil.

I'm sure you are aware that many LBO's these days are now "single-manned" in the evenings, not sure I like that, from a staffing perspective. A regular reader of this Diary, from a less than salubrious part of the UK, tells me his wife is an LBO manager - for Ladbrokes, I think - & her Shop is now single-manned in the evenings. I think that's a step too far.

Sadly or otherwise, presumably all High St LBO's will close within the next 5 to 10 years? I was around at the birth of that business - in fact I spent years trying to buy one - & I'll still be around, with a dash of luck, when the business dies. Things happen so fast now.

[tikay]

There's nothing like a bit of snow in February....how are the numbers?

Lol, Des, you know!

Never seen such numbers, eye-popping. If I were a poker player, I guess I'd print off the daily graphs & stats & rub them on my titties.

The snow at the weekend, as you would know, is always a boost for Online poker, but the numbers started climbing rapidly in the Autumn, & are still growing, week on week, & last week they burst the previous uniques record by over 6%, & there are some 5,000 players on site most evenings now, & all the various KPI's are heading into uncharted territory. Same across the whole business, RF is some sharp dude, imo.

When the numbers come in each morning, 9am on the dot, it's almost the highlihght of the day, I just spend 20 minutes cooing.

Sod's Law struck this evening, though, when a bit of a glitch resulted in, seemingly, over 10,000 people reported as being on the site, obviously a false situation, & I've had a bit of an evening, with over 100 PM's & questions along the "what's going off, SORT IT SKY" theme. It's sorted now, everything back to normal, (5,600 online), but there was a bit of noise for 20 minutes or so, groan. Luckily, with a Forum, there was no shortage of players telling us what we needed to do to sort it, & what the problem was......

Hope all is well with you & yours.

The Gabriel Campos departure from 'Stars was a bit of a surprise, yes?

[bobby1]

oops!

If we are going into unintentional slip ups...I think I have told this before but.

I was on the race desk on a Saturday afternoon at Hills when it was really busy, the boat race was due to go off at 15.00  and at about 5 minutes past I got a call from a girl on the phones saying a guy wants a bet on the boat race. I tell her its suspended coz it was starting at 3 and she tells me the guy is watching it on the telly and says its not off yet. I go to stick the BBC on to see what's going on and they are just weighing all the teams before they can begin.

I turned up the sound and found it was delayed because the weight of the team was different from when they had weighed them earlier. I told the girl it was ok to take the bet , that they would be off soon and it was delayed because they were just weighing their cox at the moment......

Nice story, Phil.

I'm sure you are aware that many LBO's these days are now "single-manned" in the evenings, not sure I like that, from a staffing perspective. A regular reader of this Diary, from a less than salubrious part of the UK, tells me his wife is an LBO manager - for Ladbrokes, I think - & her Shop is now single-manned in the evenings. I think that's a step too far.

Sadly or otherwise, presumably all High St LBO's will close within the next 5 to 10 years? I was around at the birth of that business - in fact I spent years trying to buy one - & I'll still be around, with a dash of luck, when the business dies. Things happen so fast now.

Well, back to Hills, they spent a good few years moving a lot of management staff from the shop area to the sportsbook/head office type jobs. The also paid a ridic amount for a load of Stanley shops which meant when most forward thinking firms were concentrating on creating customers overseas, Hills were surrounding themselves with more shops and a lot of higher management that were very shop minded.

So they were left with 2,000 shops, some of which they have sold off because they didn't hit the mark. Their online division was badly behind their competitors and eventually they bought in software to improve their in running portfolio, just to be hanging on to the coat tails of the firms that had done this when they were still stocking up on betting shops.

I think the penny has finally dropped that the have bought far too many shops when the client base isn't replenishing at the rate it will decrease. As you say ,in ten years time most betting shops will be like Sportsbooks in Vegas, a load of sports betting markets, with a corner left for a few racing pages, surrounded by slots and roulette.With most of the wagering done on line and they will still probably be playing catch up then too.

Their one saving grace could be this US development they have, but I guess that is running well behind schedule with the uncertainty surrounding legislation out there. The only way around transferring data and info that doesn't contravene the wire act is to have a base out there. I think they are in the process of getting a host of senior management vetted by the authorities as I think each person has to have the ok before they can get a licence to work there. Last I heard they were running at around 12-18 months waiting time.

[tikay]

oops!

If we are going into unintentional slip ups...I think I have told this before but.

I was on the race desk on a Saturday afternoon at Hills when it was really busy, the boat race was due to go off at 15.00  and at about 5 minutes past I got a call from a girl on the phones saying a guy wants a bet on the boat race. I tell her its suspended coz it was starting at 3 and she tells me the guy is watching it on the telly and says its not off yet. I go to stick the BBC on to see what's going on and they are just weighing all the teams before they can begin.

I turned up the sound and found it was delayed because the weight of the team was different from when they had weighed them earlier. I told the girl it was ok to take the bet , that they would be off soon and it was delayed because they were just weighing their cox at the moment......

Nice story, Phil.

I'm sure you are aware that many LBO's these days are now "single-manned" in the evenings, not sure I like that, from a staffing perspective. A regular reader of this Diary, from a less than salubrious part of the UK, tells me his wife is an LBO manager - for Ladbrokes, I think - & her Shop is now single-manned in the evenings. I think that's a step too far.

Sadly or otherwise, presumably all High St LBO's will close within the next 5 to 10 years? I was around at the birth of that business - in fact I spent years trying to buy one - & I'll still be around, with a dash of luck, when the business dies. Things happen so fast now.

Well, back to Hills, they spent a good few years moving a lot of management staff from the shop area to the sportsbook/head office type jobs. The also paid a ridic amount for a load of Stanley shops which meant when most forward thinking firms were concentrating on creating customers overseas, Hills were surrounding themselves with more shops and a lot of higher management that were very shop minded.

So they were left with 2,000 shops, some of which they have sold off because they didn't hit the mark. Their online division was badly behind their competitors and eventually they bought in software tio improve their in running portfolio, just to be hanging on to the coat tails of the firms that had done this when they were still stocking up on betting shops.

I think the penny has finally dropped that the have bought far too many shops when the client base isn't replenishing at the rate it will decrease. As you say ,in ten years time most betting shops will be like Sportsbooks in Vegas, a load of sports betting markets, with a corner left for a few racing pages, surrounded by slots and roulette.With most of the wagering done online and they will still probably be playing catch up then too.

Their one saving grace could be this US development they have, but I guess that is running well behind schedule with the uncertainty surrounding legislation out there. The only way around transferring data and info that doesnt contravene the wire act is to have a base out there. I think they are in the process of getting a host of senior management vetted by the authorities as I think each person has to have the ok before they can get a licence to work there. Last I heard they were running at around 12-18 months waiting time.

When you compare the costs of a High St B & M LBO with the Online operation, it must be a bit of a reality check. I really cannot see how the LBO's can survive. Shame, really.

The Vegas-style "Sports Betting Halls" are an eye-opener, do you think they can transfer across here, & if so, in what sort of locations? We just don't have B & M Casinos big enough, the G-Luton would fit inside the Caesars Sports Betting Hall with a bit to spare.

[EvilPie]

Tikay, how many scarves do you own?

No idea, Dawn.

In my new posh house residence, I have a dishwasher, washing machine, tumble dryer, 4 TV's, & a whole scarf section in the wardrobe.

Posh, or what?

4 TVs!!! Why on earth do you need 4 TVs?

I assume you live on your own the same as myself? Admittedly I have 5 but I only ever watch 1. The others are just for show in case I ever have a visitor.

You don't seem the showy type so I assume you actually need them?

[Claw75]

the 4 TVs must be to show off at the presumably imminent housewarming party.

[pleno1]

has there been much exposure of derp derp on sky tv?

[Laxie]

Maybe not right time or place, but I'm a Yank and we're good at that.  Saw this and insta thought of you...