Vegas & The Aftermath - Diary

[bagel]

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[4KSuited]

Golf:
Probably like most, I started with pitch & putt as a kid, then graduated to full courses when in my teens. Was always too inconsistent and didn’t get enough lessons… Anyway, a move to the countryside enhanced my choice of venue, and provided that amazing release from the daily work-grind etc.
Then the second daughter came along and the clubs got parked in the garage where the absent car left lots of room. I’ve actually just given them a clean and I’m planning a visit to a nearby driving range.

Clapton:
Isn’t his absence from Glasto something to do with his widely advertised political views. Yes he was in the midst of one of his addictions, but still not much of an excuse for his “send them back to where they came from “ (words to that effect) rant at a gig in Birmingham, I think it was. No doubt someone here will fill in the details.

Vegas:
I finally pulled the trigger on a bucket list entry, and played the ME this year. Achieved my first few goals and made it to day 2 with a playable stack. But sat for nearly 5 hours waiting for a hand in the right spot. Meanwhile the big stack to my left was getting hit by the deck. Frustrating to say the least. My exit hand was A6o - folds to me in the SB and I jam. He looks at the first card; “It’s the Ace of spades” he says, “it’ll need to be a 9 or better for the call”. It was a king.
Vegas is just so crazily expensive now, with most places using every trick to separate you from more of your money. It’s going to be offpeak trips from now on. The next on is March 2026.

[tikay]

Golf:
Probably like most, I started with pitch & putt as a kid, then graduated to full courses when in my teens. Was always too inconsistent and didn’t get enough lessons… Anyway, a move to the countryside enhanced my choice of venue, and provided that amazing release from the daily work-grind etc.
Then the second daughter came along and the clubs got parked in the garage where the absent car left lots of room. I’ve actually just given them a clean and I’m planning a visit to a nearby driving range.

Clapton:
Isn’t his absence from Glasto something to do with his widely advertised political views. Yes he was in the midst of one of his addictions, but still not much of an excuse for his “send them back to where they came from “ (words to that effect) rant at a gig in Birmingham, I think it was. No doubt someone here will fill in the details.

Vegas:
I finally pulled the trigger on a bucket list entry, and played the ME this year. Achieved my first few goals and made it to day 2 with a playable stack. But sat for nearly 5 hours waiting for a hand in the right spot. Meanwhile the big stack to my left was getting hit by the deck. Frustrating to say the least. My exit hand was A6o - folds to me in the SB and I jam. He looks at the first card; “It’s the Ace of spades” he says, “it’ll need to be a 9 or better for the call”. It was a king.
Vegas is just so crazily expensive now, with most places using every trick to separate you from more of your money. It’s going to be offpeak trips from now on. The next on is March 2026.

Great post, thank you, & good to hear from you. I seem to remember buying some $$$$'s from you in Vegas many years ago. Hope I paid you...




GOLF


Great news, & good luck. I'm about to start a new, separate "Golf" Thread, for all the blonde golfers, so hold your reply momentarily please, but where do you plan to play? Let us know how it goes please.


CLAPTON

Good question, & one that, perhaps, Elliott might be better placed to answer. I absolutely abhor all forms of racism & in Clapton's case this has conflicted me considerably. His comments that night were truly horrendous - as bad as they get - but that was 50 years ago, & was the only report I've ever seen of him being racist. And it is acknowledged that he was blind drunk that night. FWIW, Nathan East - a "POC" or "black man" as I prefer to say - has been in his band for the last 11 years & the two of them seem very close, & Clapton is a Blues man, his heroes being all the predominantly black blues musicians.

A very awkward one for me, & perhaps you are right & it explains his Glasto absence.


VEGAS


Great stuff, did you enjoy the ME experience? I considered playing it myself this year, but the dates were not great for me - I went out in mid May, so I'd have to have been there 6 or 7 weeks, plus I'm a bit shite at NLH. In truth, I played 28 of my 30 MTT's in Omaha variants, that's what I enjoy, & that's the game I have a bit more chance in, & I could not have had more fun than I did, so I think it was the right call.  

That guy getting hit by the deck? It seems to be a feature of poker, there's always one player who seems to find hand after hand, whilst we sit there completely dry. But I guess sometimes we are that man.

[tikay]

I've really loved all the Diary interaction on Golf, anyone who tries to keep a Diary like this always wants interaction.

But I think it just makes sense to have a dedicated Golf Thread, as many - most - don't read this Diary, so it may get more traction as a standalone thread.


It's up now, here...



http://blondepoker.com/forum/index.php?topic=69001.new#new



I really hope we can get that thread going. Over to you.

[tikay]

Latest Member: Enut


Just noticed that, "Enut" (Paul) has joined us.

He was a regular on the Forum Next Door & a good friend. Came to the Brighton SPT's most years, & won a Vegas trip with us one year.

Owns a nice pile down in Sussex, seems to have almost a zoo living there with him. Big tennis fan - still plays I believe - & is a Financial Advisor or somesuch in real life.

His pride & joy used to be a super cool Lotus, but I'm pretty sure he upgraded to a beautiful Ferrari recently which is his pride & joy. He's not a boy-racer, just a car enthusiast.

Good to see you here Paul.

[Enut]

Latest Member: Enut


Just noticed that, "Enut" (Paul) has joined us.

He was a regular on the Forum Next Door & a good friend. Came to the Brighton SPT's most years, & won a Vegas trip with us one year.

Owns a nice pile down in Sussex, seems to have almost a zoo living there with him. Big tennis fan - still plays I believe - & is a Financial Advisor or somesuch in real life.

His pride & joy used to be a super cool Lotus, but I'm pretty sure he upgraded to a beautiful Ferrari recently which is his pride & joy. He's not a boy-racer, just a car enthusiast.

Good to see you here Paul.

Morning Tikay, thanks for the mention.

A couple of corrections......

1. I've never been to any SPT's even in Brighton which is just along the coast, sadly I've always been too busy with 'life' things, although you are correct I did fluke a trip to Vegas a few years ago, which is where we met IRL after many enjoyable battles on the virtual PLO8 tables (good times).

2. Currently have 3 horses, 2 dogs, 4 cats, 4 chickens, too many fish to count, about 10 ducks and moorhens (number varies) and the recent addition of 7 ducklings is very welcome as the first two lots that hatched had the worlds worst duck mothers and all got taken either by Mr Heron, Mr Herring Gull or, sadly, one of our cats. 

3. Still playing tennis, club finals today and I'm playing in the men's doubles final, which isn't bad for someone approaching 60. We're against two of the young club coaches so it'll be tough.

4. Still an IFA, although trying to retire at the end of the year, at which point I may even try golf again. I hit a few at 'Top Golf' in Vegas, which was the first time I'd hit a golf ball in 20 years, some even came off the middle!
 
5. Pride and joy is still the Lotus for me, no Ferrari, although the Lotus does look like a Ferrari and is red, so easily fools non car people. Not looking at changing it, I think it's one of the best looking cars ever made and looks like it's going to be the last of a dying breed.

Anyway.....I have enjoyed reading your Vegas diary, although I've only read from the recent Vegas trip (as you linked in the Discord group), the other 3000+ pages (!) will have to wait until I have a bit more time. I'm so pleased you're having a great retirement journey, it's thoroughly deserved.

I noticed Essexphil has joined and posted a few times too, wouldn't is be great if most of the old posters come over and join here, it would help continue some of the banter that's sadly lacking now that table chat is a thing of the past.

Off out now, where are those tennis rackets? Wish me luck.

Cheers

Paul
 

[Kev B]

Was thinking this morning about asking for a designated golf thread, great minds etc.

I played as good as I do on Weds and on Thursday played 10 shots worse with the same ball. Bloody game. Teeing off again on Weds. 😁

[Elliot]

CLAPTON

Good question, & one that, perhaps, Elliott might be better placed to answer. I absolutely abhor all forms of racism & in Clapton's case this has conflicted me considerably. His comments that night were truly horrendous - as bad as they get - but that was 50 years ago, & was the only report I've ever seen of him being racist. And it is acknowledged that he was blind drunk that night. FWIW, Nathan East - a "POC" or "black man" as I prefer to say - has been in his band for the last 11 years & the two of them seem very close, & Clapton is a Blues man, his heroes being all the predominantly black blues musicians.

A very awkward one for me, & perhaps you are right & it explains his Glasto absence.

It was, as you say, as bad as it gets, although the 70s was a very different time to now (a lot of that language was even used in comedy TV shows without batting an eyelid).  I honestly don't believe he is racist in any way.   There are no excuses for that moment during the Birmingham gig, though being super drunk (as he was all year and some) as well as his missus being assaulted that night, have been used. It was a very, very angry low point and I think it's best left where it is.    
Before that moment he had worshiped many musicians like Big Bill Broonzy, Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters, Freddie King.    He and Freddie actually played together that tour (albeit before this night) and were friends. Eric and Muddy were incredibly close in the years that followed, Eric even describing him as like a father.  Eric and Jimi Hendrix were also as close buddies as it gets.   He worked with too many musicians to list.    He's helped so many get recognition they deserve, like Buddy Guy for example.   He was friends with BB King since the 60s, but in later years (80s onwards) were incredibly close.    BB went on (in 2007) to say (been around the world and..) "I've never met a better man, a more gracious man, than my friend Eric Clapton".    And Nathan and Eric have been as close as brothers for so long. Longer than 11 years actually! They started in the 80s.
That show on 5th Aug 1976 featured 2 minutes of awful in an otherwise amazing 60 year career which including doing so much to help many, many people. So no I don't believe there's an ounce of racism in him, it just doesn't make sense. And I can't see that being a blocker for appearing at Glastonbury.

[4KSuited]

“Great post, thank you, & good to hear from you. I seem to remember buying some $$$$'s from you in Vegas many years ago. Hope I paid you...“

Chompy told me I could trust you. Seriously though, I can’t remember exchanging currency, but I usually keep whatever I have left, since there’s always another trip on the horizon….

I enjoyed the ME experience, of course. Although I’d have enjoyed it a lot more if I hadn’t been effectively blinded out. I won just one pot on day 2; in the BB with AThh and called a shorty shove - he’d shown some pretty middling hands up until this point, so I felt comfortable with the call. He turned up with K8hh.

If you watched Mizrachi’s progress you’ll have seen another guy hit by the deck. He hardly lost an All In for the last 2/3 days. I can only dream of such good fortune with NLH.

I enjoy playing PLO & PLO HiLo online, and tend to play it more than NLH, but live I find better NLH games for my usual budget.

Golf: I’ll reply on the dedicated thread.

[EssexPhil]

Hi Paul (Enut). Welcome

I'm sure I'm not the only 1 who misses the old Sky forum.

The strange thing is that Sky Poker desperately needs the sort of publicity that the Forum could provide. Because, right now, it is dying on it's ar5e. On the bright side, I'm enjoying the overlay.

The Sky poster I miss the most is Haysie. Obviously, I would deny that in public

Hope the tennis went well.

Phil