Vegas & The Aftermath - Diary

[tikay]

^^^^^

I'm not sure why you thought I'd be interested, but you were correct.

It was fabulous TV, I found it all a bit moving, & it made me compare the lives of some of those lovely old boys & comparing it to, say, being involved with poker & forums, & all the negativity & mocking we see. Right now, I think I'd swap with many of them.

There was a scene where 3 old boys were sitting in their garden for 3 or 4 hours, scanning the sky, looking for their beloved pigeon to return home from wherever it had been released.

"When my pigeon re-appears, it's the most exciting thing in my whole life" said one. We can mock, of course, if that's what floats or boat, but they were as happy as anyone could be. Which is not a bad way to be in life.

One really old boy was on his deathbed, just hours from his final breath, & he asked his family to bring him his fave pigeon. They gave it to him, & he was stroking & cuddling it, with tears in his eyes. If he died moments later, he died happily.

Another said to the TV crew - would you like to see my (pigeon) loft? Yes please say the TV bods.

So he takes them to this rickety old wooden shed with corrugated asbestos roof, & bird shit all over the shop. And the old boy puffed his chest out, proud as Punch, & said "there, what do you think of that?"

Loved it.

Another well known pigeon fancier (is that the right term?) is Dave Allen owner of Napoleon Casino's, ex-Sheff Wed owner now owns Chesterfield FC.

I believe when he couldn't get a publisher to print his pigeon magazine, he had it printed independently covering the costs personally.

Here's his DVD for sale....

http://www.pigeons.co.uk/pigeon-videos-all-titles-a-z/DVD008.html

I believe he's a pretty serious player in that scene.

Good grief, I never knew that. Very wealthy man by all accounts.

Your post reminded me of the tingle I used to get in my nethers when I first started playing live poker. Drive up to Sheffield, past that old Fire Station, & then, suddenly, there was that huge car park in front of Naps & those neon lights blazing. 

Tremendous memories.

We usually had a meal first in that posh restaurant, and then shoehorned ourselves around 12 seater tables, 1 ashtray per player, & dear old George Geary (RIP) with a giant fan on the table and a monster cigar in his mouth.   

The chips were always stuck together - never been cleaned, ever - & included a 200 denom Tournament Chip, something I've never seen anywhere since. Quite why they existed I have no idea.

 

Click to see full-size image.

[tikay]

Saw this tremendous photo today - thought you'd all be very appreciative if I shared it.


Not photo-shopped either, it's at Leipzig/Halle Airport in Germany.


Hard to know how the other diaries can compete with that, eh?

Click to see full-size image.

[DaveShoelace]

We usually had a meal first in that posh restaurant, and then shoehorned ourselves around 12 seater tables, 1 ashtray per player, & dear old George Geary (RIP) with a giant fan on the table and a monster cigar in his mouth.   

The chips were always stuck together - never been cleaned, ever - & included a 200 denom Tournament Chip, something I've never seen anywhere since. Quite why they existed I have no idea.

 

Click to see full-size image.

I really think both Naps in Sheffield were the worst card rooms in the UK for stuff like that, but have to say the Genting club we now have here is really good, they clearly have learned a lot from DTD

[tikay]

We usually had a meal first in that posh restaurant, and then shoehorned ourselves around 12 seater tables, 1 ashtray per player, & dear old George Geary (RIP) with a giant fan on the table and a monster cigar in his mouth.   

The chips were always stuck together - never been cleaned, ever - & included a 200 denom Tournament Chip, something I've never seen anywhere since. Quite why they existed I have no idea.

 

Click to see full-size image.

I really think both Naps in Sheffield were the worst card rooms in the UK for stuff like that, but have to say the Genting club we now have here is really good, they clearly have learned a lot from DTD

Yes, it was a bit scruffy to say the least.

Compared to most UK branded Casino/Cardrooms, it was like Fremont St Downtown in Las Vegas compared to the Strip.

I loved playing there though, great bunch of characters.

[tikay]

Barry - you never mentioned the fabulous photo of that A380 I just posted.

Sometimes, I don't know why I bother. You don't get that on Red's How To Make A Cup Of Tea Diary.

[hhyftrftdr]

Surprised Leipzig has an airport big enough to handle an A380 jumbo.

Where on earth is it flying off to? Surely Lufthansa don't have a hub in Leipzig? So is it flying to Munich/Frankfurt/Berlin first to then head off to San Francisco/Cape Town/Bangkok?

So many questions.

[4KSuited]

Surprised Leipzig has an airport big enough to handle an A380 jumbo.

Where on earth is it flying off to? Surely Lufthansa don't have a hub in Leipzig? So is it flying to Munich/Frankfurt/Berlin first to then head off to San Francisco/Cape Town/Bangkok?

So many questions.

Apparently they do the training flights from Leipzig

[RickBFA]

We usually had a meal first in that posh restaurant, and then shoehorned ourselves around 12 seater tables, 1 ashtray per player, & dear old George Geary (RIP) with a giant fan on the table and a monster cigar in his mouth.   

The chips were always stuck together - never been cleaned, ever - & included a 200 denom Tournament Chip, something I've never seen anywhere since. Quite why they existed I have no idea.

 

Click to see full-size image.

I really think both Naps in Sheffield were the worst card rooms in the UK for stuff like that, but have to say the Genting club we now have here is really good, they clearly have learned a lot from DTD

Yes, it was a bit scruffy to say the least.

Compared to most UK branded Casino/Cardrooms, it was like Fremont St Downtown in Las Vegas compared to the Strip.

I loved playing there though, great bunch of characters.

I just caught the back end of that time, remember playing some Festival  tournament with you and Julian Thew at the table. He might have be a William Hill sponsored player then.

I was playing the Genting £8,000 guaranteed tourney last night and on two tables were 7-8 of the old players from then. Players like Kassim (Kaz), Bruno (always wore a smart suit), Gelou, Dave Wall, Sue and a couple of others.

Like you say, some great characters.

[tikay]

Surprised Leipzig has an airport big enough to handle an A380 jumbo.

Where on earth is it flying off to? Surely Lufthansa don't have a hub in Leipzig? So is it flying to Munich/Frankfurt/Berlin first to then head off to San Francisco/Cape Town/Bangkok?

So many questions.

Oh, please. It's not an "A380 Jumbo", it's an Airbus. "Jumbo" is generally reserved for Boeing's 747.

Why is an A380 at that Airport? Extensive research (i.e,. 4Ksuited) suggests Lufthansa use it for training flights.

Quite a lot of big stuff flies out of there too - here's a Jumbo Freighter. (Note, Jumbo, not A380).   


If I were driving along that road & saw a Jumbo or A380 trundling across that bridge, I'm pretty sure I'd wet myself with excitement.

Click to see full-size image.

[tikay]

We usually had a meal first in that posh restaurant, and then shoehorned ourselves around 12 seater tables, 1 ashtray per player, & dear old George Geary (RIP) with a giant fan on the table and a monster cigar in his mouth.  

The chips were always stuck together - never been cleaned, ever - & included a 200 denom Tournament Chip, something I've never seen anywhere since. Quite why they existed I have no idea.

 

Click to see full-size image.

I really think both Naps in Sheffield were the worst card rooms in the UK for stuff like that, but have to say the Genting club we now have here is really good, they clearly have learned a lot from DTD

Yes, it was a bit scruffy to say the least.

Compared to most UK branded Casino/Cardrooms, it was like Fremont St Downtown in Las Vegas compared to the Strip.

I loved playing there though, great bunch of characters.

I just caught the back end of that time, remember playing some Festival  tournament with you and Julian Thew at the table. He might have be a William Hill sponsored player then.

I was playing the Genting £8,000 guaranteed tourney last night and on two tables were 7-8 of the old players from then. Players like Kassim (Kaz), Bruno (always wore a smart suit), Gelou, Dave Wall, Sue and a couple of others.

Like you say, some great characters.

I'm guessing that would have been around 2005/6.

Can't begin to tell you what fun we had at Owlerton in those days, it was great craic.

There used to be a gigantic doorman bloke, must have been 30 stone or more. Proper Yorkshire bloke - had trouble speaking Queen's English - but I'd not want to get into a scrap with him.

When there was as Festival at Naps Owlerton, capacity was limited and it always sold out several days in advance.  

The only way to guarantee a seat was to pop up a few days in advance & buy-in.  There was a dodge, too, as we could buy-in for other folks, so if it was a Friday, I'd go up on the Tuesday and buy in for myself, Thewy, Tom, Jamie Moult, Belly, Camel & a few others.

Then one local kid - small, very slight of build Asian lad, cant quite recall his name - started buying 10 or 20 seats in advance, then adding a 20% or 25% mark up to resell them. Folks would pay it, too, as everyone wanted a seat. So they stopped it.  

Course, there was no "late entries" or re-entries in those days. Every seat in every Festival event was always sold out.

[tikay]

There was a lad who played the Midlands circuit, went by the nick of "Jazz" or "Jaz".

Thick-set Asian guy, handy player, bit sharp.

Anyone remember him or know what became of him?

Pretty sure Tom & Ralph will have known him.

[Karabiner]

There was a lad who played the Midlands circuit, went by the nick of "Jazz" or "Jaz".

Thick-set Asian guy, handy player, bit sharp.

Anyone remember him or know what became of him?

Pretty sure Tom & Ralph will have known him.

Jaz from Derby is still around and often used to pop into DTD late evening to play cash, still does afaik.

Decent bloke Jaz.

[tikay]

Back in the day, of course, almost anyone could get a deal with a poker room.

[Longines]

Had a very enjoyable weekend at the APAT team competition. Managed to put faces to aliases for a couple more blondes (hello KarmaDope and engy), got to play a live PLO8 comp as well as a fun locals DC cash game. I was far too nitty for their liking but the ribbing was mostly good humoured. Between one of the best rage tilt sessions I've seen and the genuinely funny table talk it was great entertainment. Still not got a clue what the rules of Maltese Cross or Matrix are but had a blast and loved Paduecey but getting dealt high cards all the time in that was frustrating. Tried to offset part of my nitness by joining in the session-ending final two six-way £75 flips. Seven cards each face down, one card turnover. A pony from each player for the winning Padooki hand, a pony each for the winning Matrix hand and I guess something else for the final pony. Think I made a small profit on the first flip, nothing on the second.

Loved it, would play more often if it wasn't so far away. Had to play holdem cash on Saturday night as nothing else was running. Must be a local thing but a 1/1 game with nine grand on the table was a little different. I guess there is some reason they don't call it 2/5 as that's effectively how it played.

The casino had a huge 15' foot square screen showing the Superbowl and there was the usual casino crowd and APAT stragglers in the bar watching.

As well as 12 middle-aged guys - who I assumed were friends - all wearing authentic NFL tops and matching caps. Don't know why but it looked so out of place in freezing Blackpool in February.

It got me wondering if somewhere in hicksville, North Dakota or similar a bunch of Americans meet up in a bar at three in the morning wearing crisp whites and floppy hats to watch an Ashes test match.

[tikay]

Had a very enjoyable weekend at the APAT team competition. Managed to put faces to aliases for a couple more blondes (hello KarmaDope and engy), got to play a live PLO8 comp as well as a fun locals DC cash game. I was far too nitty for their liking but the ribbing was mostly good humoured. Between one of the best rage tilt sessions I've seen and the genuinely funny table talk it was great entertainment. Still not got a clue what the rules of Maltese Cross or Matrix are but had a blast and loved Paduecey but getting dealt high cards all the time in that was frustrating. Tried to offset part of my nitness by joining in the session-ending final two six-way £75 flips. Seven cards each face down, one card turnover. A pony from each player for the winning Padooki hand, a pony each for the winning Matrix hand and I guess something else for the final pony. Think I made a small profit on the first flip, nothing on the second.

Loved it, would play more often if it wasn't so far away. Had to play holdem cash on Saturday night as nothing else was running. Must be a local thing but a 1/1 game with nine grand on the table was a little different. I guess there is some reason they don't call it 2/5 as that's effectively how it played.

The casino had a huge 15' foot square screen showing the Superbowl and there was the usual casino crowd and APAT stragglers in the bar watching.

As well as 12 middle-aged guys - who I assumed were friends - all wearing authentic NFL tops and matching caps. Don't know why but it looked so out of place in freezing Blackpool in February.

It got me wondering if somewhere in hicksville, North Dakota or similar a bunch of Americans meet up in a bar at three in the morning wearing crisp whites and floppy hats to watch an Ashes test match.

Great stuff, APAT is the best.

One of the lads Next Door came 2nd in the Main Event, goes by the alias of wynne1938, though I don't know his real name.

Personally, I've never enjoyed Team Comps in poker, but it's a regular thing at APAT & the punters love it. Emotions can get a bit high,  but they seem to love it.