Vegas & The Aftermath - Diary

[tikay]

Today's Poker Update.

Played the $250 this afternoon, Finalled (only 20 runners) busted short of the money.

Messed around on $3 $6 Omaha, won $700.

Went to Stanley Notts, waste of time, only 19 runners for a £50 Freeze at 8pm, they paid down to 9th, who woulda got £30! Somehow my heart was not in it, & I was back home by 9.30pm.

Played 7 hands, lost them all. Here are the interesting ones.

NONE.

Played the Second Chance $10k at 9.30pm, ran KK into AK (lost) & KK into AA (ditto).

Played Omaha $5 $10 & dropped $1,500.

Am $5 $10 Omaha-ing now, & have pulled back $700.

All in all, pretty zzzz-like really. Sorry, but we can't have whizz-bang-pop hands every day!

Up early in the morning, off to London to do the Show, & to see a man about a dog.

[totalise]

pretty soon this is gonna be my favorite thread, please keep it up tony, its great reading.

[tikay]

pretty soon this is gonna be my favorite thread, please keep it up tony, its great reading.

Thank you, I intend to try. I planned to Post a story today about an awful dilemma I've found myself in, a poker one, too, but it'll have to wait until tomorrow, I've had some urgent business to sort out. I'm very tired, & this Omaha game has got well lively. It's a really awkward situation, as you'll see, & I fancy there'll be some hoohah about it.

[snoopy1239]

Today's Poker Update.

Played the $250 this afternoon, Finalled (only 20 runners) busted short of the money.

Messed around on $3 $6 Omaha, won $700.

Went to Stanley Notts, waste of time, only 19 runners for a £50 Freeze at 8pm, they paid down to 9th, who woulda got £30! Somehow my heart was not in it, & I was back home by 9.30pm.

Played 7 hands, lost them all. Here are the interesting ones.

NONE.

Played the Second Chance $10k at 9.30pm, ran KK into AK (lost) & KK into AA (ditto).

Played Omaha $5 $10 & dropped $1,500.

Am $5 $10 Omaha-ing now, & have pulled back $700.

All in all, pretty zzzz-like really. Sorry, but we can't have whizz-bang-pop hands every day!

Up early in the morning, off to London to do the Show, & to see a man about a dog.

What did you make of Stanley Notts, tikay? I've received mixed reviews when I last went up to the Gala.

[tikay]

Today's Poker Update.

Played the $250 this afternoon, Finalled (only 20 runners) busted short of the money.

Messed around on $3 $6 Omaha, won $700.

Went to Stanley Notts, waste of time, only 19 runners for a £50 Freeze at 8pm, they paid down to 9th, who woulda got £30! Somehow my heart was not in it, & I was back home by 9.30pm.

Played 7 hands, lost them all. Here are the interesting ones.

NONE.

Played the Second Chance $10k at 9.30pm, ran KK into AK (lost) & KK into AA (ditto).

Played Omaha $5 $10 & dropped $1,500.

Am $5 $10 Omaha-ing now, & have pulled back $700.

All in all, pretty zzzz-like really. Sorry, but we can't have whizz-bang-pop hands every day!

Up early in the morning, off to London to do the Show, & to see a man about a dog.

What did you make of Stanley Notts, tikay? I've received mixed reviews when I last went up to the Gala.

I've played there 2 or 3 times snoops, chopped one with Karabiner (a generous chop by him), & enjoyed most of the comps & company there.

It's very "modern", & they do a smashing meal in the Restaurant. Parking is a nightmare, there is a Car Park (Market Street) but it's just evil. Stanleys pay for it if you get your ticket validated - nice touch.

The Cardroom is in the lower Basement, down a flight of stairs, & then down an escalator. In fact, the whole Gaming Area is subterranean.

The Cardroom is sort of roped off from the Gaming Area. Tables are nice, chairs OK, & there is plenty of room between the tables, a big plus for me.The chips are nice rifflers, but they have a 25 denom chip AND a 50 denom chip, which confuses me. I'm old, see?

There is NOT a smoking area, or "pen".

Registration closes 15 minutes BEFORE the advertised start time, a GOOD THING, and they are very strict about it, quite right too. The Comps usually start within 15 minutes of the advertised, less usually, pretty good by UK standards.

Jim (ex Gala Notts) is the Cardroom Supervisor I think - he's a good man.

The range of Comps is quite good, though not many are to my taste, but that means nothing, they are OK, really.

Not many runners in any Comp I've thus far attended. Tonight was very depressing, 19 runners for a £50 Freeze is not a lot of use to anyone. They need - imo - to promote their Tourneys better. I note Lordand Master, who's gone to LCI Notts (soon to open) has already started spamming his place, that's the way to do it.

The Reception Staff don't smile or say "hi" at all, which is a real shame. A smile & a "hi" goes a long way.

I've been in far worse Cardrooms, overall, & I wish them well. 6/10, & I mark tough.

[snoopy1239]

Today's Poker Update.

Played the $250 this afternoon, Finalled (only 20 runners) busted short of the money.

Messed around on $3 $6 Omaha, won $700.

Went to Stanley Notts, waste of time, only 19 runners for a £50 Freeze at 8pm, they paid down to 9th, who woulda got £30! Somehow my heart was not in it, & I was back home by 9.30pm.

Played 7 hands, lost them all. Here are the interesting ones.

NONE.

Played the Second Chance $10k at 9.30pm, ran KK into AK (lost) & KK into AA (ditto).

Played Omaha $5 $10 & dropped $1,500.

Am $5 $10 Omaha-ing now, & have pulled back $700.

All in all, pretty zzzz-like really. Sorry, but we can't have whizz-bang-pop hands every day!

Up early in the morning, off to London to do the Show, & to see a man about a dog.

What did you make of Stanley Notts, tikay? I've received mixed reviews when I last went up to the Gala.

I've played there 2 or 3 times snoops, chopped one with Karabiner (a generous chop by him), & enjoyed most of the comps & company there.

It's very "modern", & they do a smashing meal in the Restaurant. Parking is a nightmare, there is a Car Park (Market Street) but it's just evil. Stanleys pay for it if you get your ticket validated - nice touch.

The Cardroom is in the lower Basement, down a flight of stairs, & then down an escalator. In fact, the whole Gaming Area is subterranean.

The Cardroom is sort of roped off from the Gaming Area. Tables are nice, chairs OK, & there is plenty of room between the tables, a big plus for me.The chips are nice rifflers, but they have a 25 denom chip AND a 50 denom chip, which confuses me. I'm old, see?

There is NOT a smoking area, or "pen".

Registration closes 15 minutes BEFORE the advertised start time, a GOOD THING, and they are very strict about it, quite right too. The Comps usually start within 15 minutes of the advertised, less usually, pretty good by UK standards.

Jim (ex Gala Notts) is the Cardroom Supervisor I think - he's a good man.

The range of Comps is quite good, though not many are to my taste, but that means nothing, they are OK, really.

Not many runners in any Comp I've thus far attended. Tonight was very depressing, 19 runners for a £50 Freeze is not a lot of use to anyone. They need - imo - to promote their Tourneys better. I note Lordand Master, who's gone to LCI Notts (soon to open) has already started spamming his place, that's the way to do it.

The Reception Staff don't smile or say "hi" at all, which is a real shame. A smile & a "hi" goes a long way.

I've been in far worse Cardrooms, overall, & I wish them well. 6/10, & I mark tough.

Yes, I remember Jim, Scottish chap? He was a nice enough lad.

What worries me is the lack of numbers. Perhaps them not over pushing their cardroom is intentional, perhaps a way of showing that there is not enough market for DTD to open. If the cardroom at a newly opened casino such as Stanleys Notts was heaving with, say 80 runners a night, then it's thumbs up for DTD, surely. Or is that a little too imaginative?

[tikay]

Today's Poker Update.

Played the $250 this afternoon, Finalled (only 20 runners) busted short of the money.

Messed around on $3 $6 Omaha, won $700.

Went to Stanley Notts, waste of time, only 19 runners for a £50 Freeze at 8pm, they paid down to 9th, who woulda got £30! Somehow my heart was not in it, & I was back home by 9.30pm.

Played 7 hands, lost them all. Here are the interesting ones.

NONE.

Played the Second Chance $10k at 9.30pm, ran KK into AK (lost) & KK into AA (ditto).

Played Omaha $5 $10 & dropped $1,500.

Am $5 $10 Omaha-ing now, & have pulled back $700.

All in all, pretty zzzz-like really. Sorry, but we can't have whizz-bang-pop hands every day!

Up early in the morning, off to London to do the Show, & to see a man about a dog.

What did you make of Stanley Notts, tikay? I've received mixed reviews when I last went up to the Gala.

I've played there 2 or 3 times snoops, chopped one with Karabiner (a generous chop by him), & enjoyed most of the comps & company there.

It's very "modern", & they do a smashing meal in the Restaurant. Parking is a nightmare, there is a Car Park (Market Street) but it's just evil. Stanleys pay for it if you get your ticket validated - nice touch.

The Cardroom is in the lower Basement, down a flight of stairs, & then down an escalator. In fact, the whole Gaming Area is subterranean.

The Cardroom is sort of roped off from the Gaming Area. Tables are nice, chairs OK, & there is plenty of room between the tables, a big plus for me.The chips are nice rifflers, but they have a 25 denom chip AND a 50 denom chip, which confuses me. I'm old, see?

There is NOT a smoking area, or "pen".

Registration closes 15 minutes BEFORE the advertised start time, a GOOD THING, and they are very strict about it, quite right too. The Comps usually start within 15 minutes of the advertised, less usually, pretty good by UK standards.

Jim (ex Gala Notts) is the Cardroom Supervisor I think - he's a good man.

The range of Comps is quite good, though not many are to my taste, but that means nothing, they are OK, really.

Not many runners in any Comp I've thus far attended. Tonight was very depressing, 19 runners for a £50 Freeze is not a lot of use to anyone. They need - imo - to promote their Tourneys better. I note Lordand Master, who's gone to LCI Notts (soon to open) has already started spamming his place, that's the way to do it.

The Reception Staff don't smile or say "hi" at all, which is a real shame. A smile & a "hi" goes a long way.

I've been in far worse Cardrooms, overall, & I wish them well. 6/10, & I mark tough.

Yes, I remember Jim, Scottish chap? He was a nice enough lad.

What worries me is the lack of numbers. Perhaps them not over pushing their cardroom is intentional, perhaps a way of showing that there is not enough market for DTD to open. If the cardroom at a newly opened casino such as Stanleys Notts was heaving with, say 80 runners a night, then it's thumbs up for DTD, surely. Or is that a little too imaginative?

Too imaginative!

It just takes time to build a clientele.

[tikay]

Here's a real dilemma for you. Pardon me for setting it out with care, I don't want it to be misinterpeted.

I had an e-Mail yesterday from a PR Company. I know they are a PR Company, as the e-Mail had a strapline which read "Many Minds, Singular Results"......PR-ing has it's own language, & speak-mode, eh?

Anyway, to my surprise, they have offered me a free seat (value £500 + Reg Fee), for the Leeds GBPT. (Whoa! Slow down, you are getting ahead of me here.....)

They also suggested that I'd be expected to write a review of the Event. Pending how I decide to proceed with this, I decided to accept the Invitation for the moment, but said ""I am, of course, assuming that any Review I wrote could be "frank & honest". I could not accept if it were to be on any other basis".

They agreed, & hey presto, job done.

But is it?

Well, there are two problems here. I write for money (sometimes) but I don't write to order. In effect, I'm being paid £550 to write an article. No prob then. If I play, I'll write the article, & I shall naturally reveal that I was in for free. These things are important.

But there's a bigger issue, which does not sit terribly comfy with me. The Event, I gather, has been sold out for a while, & folks are being turned away. Unless they are called tikay, (or whoever), & have media access......

I know that at the Notts leg, several spots were saved for so-called "celebs". A guy from "The Bill" played there, wow. The same logic was applied at Bournemouth, several "celebs" were comped in.

I'm not the first blonde to be given a GBPT Seat, or the 2nd come to think of it, but the others did not have the "write an article" (presumably on blonde) caveat attached, so this is different.

I'd like to add that I have been aware for a goodly while that this Invite may come my way. A guy called Mark Patrick - a lovely man, straight as a die & genuine - suggested as such to me when I bumped into him at Loose Cannon recently. Mark used to work for Coral, & indeed Gala, & he's a freelance Consultant to Gala thse days. A really nice guy, & his motives are genuine.

I've just not made my mind up yet on how to handle this.

As chance would have it, Poker Week are covering the Event ((NO!, No, no connection, that was sorted out 2 months ago) so I shall be needed up there anyway on the Sunday & Monday. I had been planning (still am?) to play the Sheffield Main Event, (to defend my title, chirp chirp), a Friday Saturday affair, that week.

Decisions, decisions.

[AndrewT]

If you turn down the seat, it won't get put up for a random punter to buy their way in - it'll be offered to someone else by the PR company. Someone who may be more morally flexible than you, and write one of the many 'prarticles' that litter poker news websites.

Take the seat, write the article, get it won.

[technolog]

If you turn down the seat, it won't get put up for a random punter to buy their way in - it'll be offered to someone else by the PR company. Someone who may be more morally flexible than you, and write one of the many 'prarticles' that litter poker news websites.

Take the seat, write the article, get it won.

 

[tikay]

If you turn down the seat, it won't get put up for a random punter to buy their way in - it'll be offered to someone else by the PR company. Someone who may be more morally flexible than you, and write one of the many 'prarticles' that litter poker news websites.

Take the seat, write the article, get it won.

"prarticles" - I like that. And it explains all the gushing eulogies I've seen about Events.

How much you bet me I could weave some reference to Trains in to the prarticle?

[KingPoker]

I dont think its the outcome of the toruney report thats the problem, i think its the question of does tikay want to be known as one of those players who wangles a seat in a tournament even though its been officially sold out for quite some time.....? (i maybe/probably am wrong)

I think you have a genuine reason to play in it and should do it but it really is wrong that these companies can somehow secure seats for such "stars" of the bill and the likes. uch!

[tikay]

It's a pet hate of mine - when I see what Andrew has described as "prarticles" & the Author fails to reveal their "self-interest". We get it on blonde Forum a lot, too, & I saw an example yesterday, someone was giving someone else a hard time, but forgot to mention that he was a rival Operator......

[boldie]

if you state you got in for free and give an honest write up (as opposed to a gushing tale about what actually is a shitty event which I have seen some people do in the past..though not on blonde) why would you not take the seat?

[marcro]

Take the seat and write one of your usual WYSIWYG reports.  I look forward to reading it.