Vegas & The Aftermath - Diary

[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?

I lol'd at the bit in bold above - thanks for that!

Great news about the numbers Tony and yes RF is some sharp cookie, but so too is RM and credit where credit is due.  Occasional minor glitches aside, it's great that the platform is coping with the increased numbers, that was always the sting in our tail.

All is very well with me thanks.  I'm extremely happy, albeit poor!

Gabi's leaving was a bit of a shocker.  In the few times I met him it was clear he was extremely smart and well on top of the detail.  I would guess that his leaving was more to do with potential future court appointments, than performance.  It's not as if 'Stars have had a lean last two years... 

Yes - RM is top notch, a very understated guy. Celebrated his 38th birthday last week, I had him as much younger. Sky Poker had it's 5th birthday on Wednesday, too. The platform stability was a problem, but it's sound now, the Download helped no end. Oddly, despite the DC being there over a year, only just over half the players play on it. Recreational players seem entirely happy with the browser version, no matter how hard we try to push them to the DC.

Uniques & margin were a new record last week, again, but did you see Pokerstars numbers last week, coinciding with their 75 billionth hand or whatever it was? Up 18%! For a site that size, an 18% w-o-w increase is staggering. Apparently, the moment ther celebratory hand was dealt, 30,000 players logged off! I think last week was the first week since Black Friday when online poker traffic actually showed a m-o-m (seasonally adjusted) increase. The networks are mostly dead in the water, though, plummeting weekly, though i-Poker recorded a 2% increase I gather.

Gabi? Well that was my initial thought, the upcoming 'Stars court cases & whatever will follow that - which will be heavy, very heavy, imo - was, I assumed, the reason, but very well-placed sources, inside 'Stars, tell me otherwise, see.....

http://blondepoker.com/forum/index.php?topic=25486.msg1501912#msg1501912

Be good to catch up soon.

[tikay]

What tourneys are you playing this weekend Tony?

6-max deepstack @ DTD, Phil, 2pm, £250.

Ideal for me, in 6-Max you can't hide, it's non-stop aggro.

You tempted?

PS - Just had a text from Vinnidonk, he is trying to tempt me to come up to Luton tonight, too. Good luck him. Take 7/4, anyone?

Can I take a bit of you in that 6 max?

That's very kind of you, Phil, but I'm not running/playing so good at the mo, I've not cashed in my last 20 odd Tourneys, it'd be more time-efficient to set light to your money. I'm very flattered by your interest, though, thank you, please don't think otherwise.

[bobby1]

What tourneys are you playing this weekend Tony?

6-max deepstack @ DTD, Phil, 2pm, £250.

Ideal for me, in 6-Max you can't hide, it's non-stop aggro.

You tempted?

PS - Just had a text from Vinnidonk, he is trying to tempt me to come up to Luton tonight, too. Good luck him. Take 7/4, anyone?

Can I take a bit of you in that 6 max?

That's very kind of you, Phil, but I'm not running/playing so good at the mo, I've not cashed in my last 20 odd Tourneys, it'd be more time-efficient to set light to your money. I'm very flattered by your interest, though, thank you, please don't think otherwise.

Np mate. I was going to use up that fifty but will send you the bank details later. I keep forgetting.

[tikay]

What tourneys are you playing this weekend Tony?

6-max deepstack @ DTD, Phil, 2pm, £250.

Ideal for me, in 6-Max you can't hide, it's non-stop aggro.

You tempted?

PS - Just had a text from Vinnidonk, he is trying to tempt me to come up to Luton tonight, too. Good luck him. Take 7/4, anyone?

Can I take a bit of you in that 6 max?

That's very kind of you, Phil, but I'm not running/playing so good at the mo, I've not cashed in my last 20 odd Tourneys, it'd be more time-efficient to set light to your money. I'm very flattered by your interest, though, thank you, please don't think otherwise.

Np mate. I was going to use up that fifty but will send you the bank details later. I keep forgetting.

That'd make much more sense, Phil, if I send you the £50 I owe you. I really am running or playing bad right now, (though still loving it), can't even sniff a cash. Cue I win the lot tomorrow, & then feel bad as I never sold you some action.....

I should add that I have to rebuff so many people who are desperate to buy my action - Shallow, Dempsey, Cody, Keys, LilDave, they beg me daily, beg me. They can bugger off, I wanna keep all my profiits.

[bobby1]

What tourneys are you playing this weekend Tony?

6-max deepstack @ DTD, Phil, 2pm, £250.

Ideal for me, in 6-Max you can't hide, it's non-stop aggro.

You tempted?

PS - Just had a text from Vinnidonk, he is trying to tempt me to come up to Luton tonight, too. Good luck him. Take 7/4, anyone?

Can I take a bit of you in that 6 max?

That's very kind of you, Phil, but I'm not running/playing so good at the mo, I've not cashed in my last 20 odd Tourneys, it'd be more time-efficient to set light to your money. I'm very flattered by your interest, though, thank you, please don't think otherwise.

Np mate. I was going to use up that fifty but will send you the bank details later. I keep forgetting.

That'd make much more sense, Phil, if I send you the £50 I owe you. I really am running or playing bad right now, (though still loving it), can't even sniff a cash. Cue I win the lot tomorrow, & then feel bad as I never sold you some action.....

I should add that I have to rebuff so many people who are desperate to buy my action - Shallow, Dempsey, Cody, Keys, LilDave, they beg me daily, beg me. They can bugger off, I wanna keep all my profiits.

Its prolly coz you are young, dress well and talk the lingo mate. Obv makes you proper LAG, if you wear shades it makes you super LAG. but if you take them off halfway round then you are obv only LAG again.

Start talking French tho and you  will be rubbish again.

[rex008]

I had a tour round the RR Derby factory quite a while ago (must be 15-20 years). The most impressive part of it was the automated warehouse. A vast space, must have been 60' tall, with all the picking done by robots, which then loaded automated carts to send them where they needed to go in the factory. Amazing to watch.

The materials technology that goes into creating turbine blades is incredible as well.

Was that visit to their Victory Road, Sinfin, site?

I read this of RR turbine blade technology yesterday......if true, it's astonishing.

"RR have perfected a high-pressure turbine blade that operates at temperatures about half those of the Sun, while sitting in a disc that rotates @ 13,000 rpm, travelling 10 million miles before needing replacing".

Blimey. Now you've got me. It was a long time ago. It was a big building in/near Derby. They made jet engines in it. They were big. I was young (18ish IIRC).

Turbine blades are amazing things. Call a little bullshit on the sun temp thing - turbine blades see about 1400C. The colour temperature of the surface of the sun is around 5500C. Even converting to Kelvin (of course), its less than 1/3 the temp. But still. When you think of the centripetal force exerted near the end of the blade of a large object rotating at that speed, which has got to maintain a precise shape, under that force and that temperature, it's incredible what's achievable.

[tikay]

What tourneys are you playing this weekend Tony?

6-max deepstack @ DTD, Phil, 2pm, £250.

Ideal for me, in 6-Max you can't hide, it's non-stop aggro.

You tempted?

PS - Just had a text from Vinnidonk, he is trying to tempt me to come up to Luton tonight, too. Good luck him. Take 7/4, anyone?

Can I take a bit of you in that 6 max?

That's very kind of you, Phil, but I'm not running/playing so good at the mo, I've not cashed in my last 20 odd Tourneys, it'd be more time-efficient to set light to your money. I'm very flattered by your interest, though, thank you, please don't think otherwise.

Np mate. I was going to use up that fifty but will send you the bank details later. I keep forgetting.

That'd make much more sense, Phil, if I send you the £50 I owe you. I really am running or playing bad right now, (though still loving it), can't even sniff a cash. Cue I win the lot tomorrow, & then feel bad as I never sold you some action.....

I should add that I have to rebuff so many people who are desperate to buy my action - Shallow, Dempsey, Cody, Keys, LilDave, they beg me daily, beg me. They can bugger off, I wanna keep all my profiits.

Its prolly coz you are young, dress well and talk the lingo mate. Obv makes you proper LAG, if you wear shades it makes you super LAG. but if you take them off halfway round then you are obv only LAG again.

Start talking French tho and you  will be rubbish again.

Lol, the current stereotyping fad means, pretty much, that everyone who is not the author is shite. The author, of course, is the greatest. I always look to see how close together players eyebrows are - if they meet in the middle, they are tez.  Brown shoes is another giveaway.

So, tonight, bloody Vinni is nagging me to go to Luton, but I told him straight, no chance. He's useless at poker, too - all Scots are. Apparently. And Irish. Welsh. Everyone but the English.

I was in France a few years back, talking to Anthony Dellouche, & HE told me that the French all think the English are shite at poker. What an idiot, what a ridic thing to say.

[mondatoo]

Didn't want to derail the Stars UKIPT thread so thought I'd ask you here instead, what do you think of Newcastle Aspers ? I'm guessing your lot must like it as you keep going back with Sky.

I've always been less than impressed with it to put it politely. Thought last years UKIPT was below the standard that Stars would expect, standard of dealers wasnt great at all, people inc myself being sent to the complete wrong places when tables where moved, not having a clock nearby, not knowing how many could enter until about two days before, all just very amatuerish. Also one of the managers who is still there is a complete knob, told the story before but basically he couldn't have been more out of order to a player who was clearly in a new environment, yeah people can have bad days but not to the extent where they'd be that rude, that would have to be part of your make up and I very rarely go and I seen this sort of behaviour so it makes me wonder how often it is like that, not that that's what puts me off going, I don't go because it's not worth playing anything. I believe there is a new guy in there now, well by new I mean like 2 years, who runs things but he's not getting any support so his hands are tied anyway, seems such a waste as I'm sure good fields in £300-1k would be possible, just need to take a chance with a gte once and I'm sure with the right advertising it would pay off.

[TightEnd]

The manager you refer to left in "difficult" circumstances after the UKIPT. Craig, who now runs the room, could not have done more for us in the recent event there I ran

I can't speak for the UKIPT or big buy in events but for the recreational tours I do, Aspers Newcastle have alays done a good job and is popular with the players. Location and atmosphere is an important part of that.

[tikay]

The manager you refer to left in "difficult" circumstances after the UKIPT. Craig, who now runs the room, could not have done more for us in the recent event there I ran

I can't speak for the UKIPT or big buy in events but for the recreational tours I do, Aspers Newcastle have alays done a good job and is popular with the players. Location and atmosphere is an important part of that.

Adding to that, we want to go to the North East, preferably Newcastle, (so we get to see Raymondo, of course), & the Newcastle Grosvenor is not really suitable on several criteria.

Aspers Newcy were spot on this year, as much as they could be. Aspers Swansea, not so, can't see us ever going there again.

[mondatoo]

Ermm, I could be wrong but I'm pretty sure Craig is the person I'm on about who is a knob, medium height, quite slim, well groomed.

[tikay]

Ermm, I could be wrong but I'm pretty sure Craig is the person I'm on about who is a knob, medium height, quite slim, well groomed.

No, I believe you are confusing him with me.

[SuuPRlim]

David! Please, this is not Cos's thread, we don't do soft porn here. Next we know, Girgy will be here.

lots of talk about old people stuff. Thought you were losing your younger audience a bit so thought I'd step in and keep the kids happy.

You're Welcome

Did you win that $1k Omaha Tourney in Venice? No excuses now David, the rest of the Final Table were all Italians, & we know that all Italians (& Frenchies & Spaniards) are tez at Poker. Tell me you won, right?

You forgot over 40!!

Nah, never forgot - I thought everyone knew that over 40's were all hopeless?

DTD tomorrow, Mr A-K?

Not tomorrow unfortunately as although I have the day off Mrs AK has some obscure plans that do not involve poker or sat infront of the goggle box watching sport  but next weekend I have been given a pass out to Nottingham for the £150 deepie!!
Ps over 40's maybe but once you hit 70 like your goodself you can still mix it with the Kidzz!

oh Teacake! I ever said they were hopeless, nor implied it, what I said was they, as a generic race of poker player, tend to like to get all of there chips in more frequently than others, with what statisically can only be on average a weaker holding, so should spots arise where you can see a flop with 3 or 4 of them and you have a nice hand you'd be well advised to take it. If they happen also to be in there 40's then they wil lhave the generic over 40 habbit of assuming everyone under 24 is bluffing every single hand. combine these two things together when I can see a flop for 1600 into a 8,000 chips pot with my J988 double suited with myself and 3 other players all of whom fit into this stereo-type I've gotta feel like I could well make some good money should I flop something good!

This doesn't make them hopeless, it's just a small weaker point of the way a lot of recreational Italian players I was looking to take advantage of if I could

As for the tournament I did not win lol

But then when you, as a 22yr old English Kid make a final 7 (6paid) with 6 Local Italians who all know each other I become a reasonably big favorite to finish 7th, which is in fact, exactly what happened. I was not deemed worthy of a cash money award.

[TightEnd]

Ermm, I could be wrong but I'm pretty sure Craig is the person I'm on about who is a knob, medium height, quite slim, well groomed.

Never had a problem with him. Another TD there was a little brusque, for sure

[mondatoo]

Ermm, I could be wrong but I'm pretty sure Craig is the person I'm on about who is a knob, medium height, quite slim, well groomed.

No, I believe you are confusing him with me.

Haha, I said well groomed, dying your hair blonde to hide the greys doesn't count as well groomed. I very rarely call people, everyone can make mistakes etc and who am I too judge, think that's pretty evident from my posts on here (apart from posh ppl, ldo). But he really pissed me off, I went to find the story about it as it was ages ago now but it was in the live poker section which is now gone lol.