Vegas & The Aftermath - Diary

[bobAlike]

After a great meal with friends, last night, we ended up in the Rainbow casino. This was the first time in close to 15 years. This was the place where I, and so many others, cut my teeth on holdem poker. This was a great place with all the old stalwarts of British poker plying their trade. In the 80's the £10 rebuys regularly made upwards of £4k.

As an aside there used to be an old Greek boy called Nikita who achieved 7 wins in 7 days one week. He was a larger than life character who played an absolutely great game.

Anyway to cut a long story short, it's changed, It's been totally remodelled baring no internal resemblance to the good old days. No poker tables, no cash games, no craps, only 4 roulette tables (used to be 12 in its heyday, fruit machines everywhere and NO atmosphere. Such a disappointment all that history and nothing to show for it apart from memories. I don't think I'll be visiting again in the next 15 years.

On the bright side I sat down and played 3 card poker and the very first hand hit a straight flush followed closely by 2 flushes and 3 straights and my initial stake turned into £300 in less than 20 min.

Good Lord, The Rainbow!

Back in the day, that was THE place to go for Live Poker.

I'm sure Karabiner has a hundred "Rainbow" stories, if we could but persuade him to tell a few.

Kim, who passed away a few days ago, was a regular there, too. Everyone was really, it was where it all happened then.

Taffy, from Derby, won the UK Open or somesuch there back in around 1990, or so he used to tell us all. Every night.

I have just randomly googled a Tourney at the Rainbow in 2000, this was the Top Ten.   

John Bostock

Allan McLean

Dave Colclough

Craig Grant

Garry Bush

Rumit Somaiya

K Vasiliou

Kevin O'Connell

Frankie Knight

Tony Girasoli

Blimey, some stories between that lot, the only one who does not ring any bells with me is John Bostock.

Tony Girasoli was quite a chap, he was the original Tony G, as I recall. Lived in Glasgow, I think, & was, by trade, a Librarian or Accountant. Possibly.

Garry Bush, was he known as the alien, due to his gaunt look? If so there was a TV documentary on some poker players, mainly from the Rainbow, the year escapes me but could have been late 90's and he was claiming to make £300k a year back then from cash games. Lucy Rokach may have been on it too.

Ha i remember that documentary, hilarious.

It was bad, I've been trying to find it all morning with no joy. Anything to get out of work.

[Karabiner]

That John Bostock had an incredible tournament record, he only used to play the bigger festivals and almost always won at least one of the events. Check out his herbertmob.

His son was one of Jon Shoreman's posse.

Taffy won "The Britsh Open" which was an annual £50 rebuy tourney with £10K gtd. IIRC
Taffy's close mate Charlie won it the following year too.

Got to dash out to get my hedge trimmed but will flesh out The Rainbow a bit later.

pokerdb.thehendonmob.com/event.php?a=r&n=19336

[MANTIS01]

My sis who lives in New Zealand sent me this today and I thought it was amazing.

Check it out

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xI6TRTBZUMM

[Mohican]

My sis who lives in New Zealand sent me this today and I thought it was amazing.

Check it out

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xI6TRTBZUMM

I've watched that video many times. Goose bumps on the back of my neck everytime.

[The Camel]

What's happening about you and Red Dog playing the WSOP main event this year?

Bump

[redsimon]

Ladbrokes buy Betdaq. As a Ladbrokes shreholder and Betdaq punter I don't know whether I should be happy or not.

Do you still have your Ladbrokes shares? Been on a upward curve last few months.

[tikay]

My sis who lives in New Zealand sent me this today and I thought it was amazing.

Check it out

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xI6TRTBZUMM

That really is a goose pimple moment.

Tremendous stuff, what a send off!

Thanks, love those sort of things.

[tikay]

Ladbrokes buy Betdaq. As a Ladbrokes shreholder and Betdaq punter I don't know whether I should be happy or not.

Do you still have your Ladbrokes shares? Been on a upward curve last few months.

Yup. Think I have had them for nearly 30 years now. It has been a really terrible investment over that time.

Part of the problem is that the City does not rate gaming earnings very highly. Ladbrokes tried to combat this by splitting off (reporting seperately) the Gaming Results in the Annual Accounts of their "High-Rollers", aka "Priority Clients".

Thinking back, Ladbrokes diversified all sorts of weird ways. They owned, if I recall correctly, Texas DIY, (now trading as "Homecare") which they sold to Sainsbury after losing a bunch of money, & then there was the Hilton Hotel episode.

They still own Crayford & Monmore dog tracks, though how that fits within the Company I don't know, it must use up Management resource which could be better employed elsewhere. They either need to own more dog tracks, or, preferably, none. Two is neither here nor there.

[tikay]

What's happening about you and Red Dog playing the WSOP main event this year?

Bump

I don't really know to be honest, Keith.

I was incredibly humbled by the whole thing, I find it a tad embarrassing to discuss really.

A good bit of water has flowed under the bridge since then, too, one way & another....

[tikay]

I would add that my NLH powers, such as they ever were, are fading rapidly now.

The kids are way too good for me these days.

[kinboshi]

What's happening about you and Red Dog playing the WSOP main event this year?

Bump

I don't really know to be honest, Keith.

I was incredibly humbled by the whole thing, I find it a tad embarrassing to discuss really.

A good bit of water has flowed under the bridge since then, too, one way & another....

Do it.  Would the most epicnessest rail thread ever!

[Tal]

What's happening about you and Red Dog playing the WSOP main event this year?

Bump

I don't really know to be honest, Keith.

I was incredibly humbled by the whole thing, I find it a tad embarrassing to discuss really.

A good bit of water has flowed under the bridge since then, too, one way & another....

Do it.  Would the most epicnessest rail thread ever!

Do we start a Funk For Tikay thread now?

Question for the floor: how many poker clinic tv shows does JerryYang present?

[Karabiner]

What's happening about you and Red Dog playing the WSOP main event this year?

Bump

I don't really know to be honest, Keith.

I was incredibly humbled by the whole thing, I find it a tad embarrassing to discuss really.

A good bit of water has flowed under the bridge since then, too, one way & another....

Do it.  Would the most epicnessest rail thread ever!

I'm pretty sure he would far rather play one or both of the $10KPLO/PLO8 tournies.

It would be equally epic and somewhat more equitable IMHO.

[pokerfan]

I can scarcely believe that Huddersfield has such wonderful buildings, I must have driven through Huddersfield a thousand times, but never once stopped to look around, it was always rush rush rush, hurry hurry hurry.

I did a lot of business in the North West, so heading north on the M1 from Derbyshire, I'd cut the corner to the newly-opened M62 by coming off at J38, & wibble-wobbling through the stunning countryside in Denby Dale (stopping off at the local sticky bun shop) & Flockton, which took me into Huddersfield, & from there up to the M62.

There was a most confusing sign as I exited Huddersfield, which always confused me, I took it literally, it simply said "Outlane".  It was only 30 years later that I realised it was a real place, a town, not a traffic lane sign.  

All of which is flimsy excuse to reveal some trivia that will have even Tighty jealous - Outlane had the UK's highest (as in, height above sea level) Trolleybus Terminal. Ha, the kids will be all over this Diary soon, this is quality stuff.

The top photo is in Outlane, the other two are in Huddersfield, the colour one, it seems, in George Square.  

Click to see full-size image.

Click to see full-size image.

Click to see full-size image.

Educating me here TK, I never knew that existed.
Tks.

[The Camel]

What's happening about you and Red Dog playing the WSOP main event this year?

Bump

I don't really know to be honest, Keith.

I was incredibly humbled by the whole thing, I find it a tad embarrassing to discuss really.

A good bit of water has flowed under the bridge since then, too, one way & another....

Do it.  Would the most epicnessest rail thread ever!

I'm pretty sure he would far rather play one or both of the $10KPLO/PLO8 tournies.

It would be equally epic and somewhat more equitable IMHO.

Meh.

There is nothing more exciting than playing the WSOP main event.

Plus much more ev.

win win win situation.