Vegas & The Aftermath - Diary

[77dave]

Max Mosely given a vote of confidence and will be staying in office for the rest of his term which ends in Oct 09

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,12433_3644121,00.html

[celtic]

where is tikay?

[TightEnd]

where is tikay?

on a well deserved holiday in Yorkshire

skylive brighton saturday

dtd sunday I believe

[Indestructable]

Let me guess?

http://www.nrm.org.uk/home/home.asp

 

[celtic]

where is tikay?

on a well deserved holiday in Yorkshire

skylive brighton saturday

DTD sunday I believe

ahh i remember now. fair enough. Enjoy.

[tikay]

where is tikay?

on a well deserved holiday in Yorkshire

skylive brighton saturday

DTD sunday I believe

Correct.

But I'm back, so it's get up to date time. It will include Holiday 'Photos, but I'll give fair warning of their imminence......


Can't believe I've been Offline for almost a week. So much to catch up on.

[tikay]

To get started, here's one for the word-ists to ponder on.

Visiting a beautifully preserved, (rather than restored), 1950's style Railway Station up on the North Yorkshire Moors, this sign was displayed in the Ticket Hall.

"Shewn" is, I guess, from the verb "shew", but I don't ever recall it in current usage. Does anyone know if the word remains in everyday use, & can it still be legitimately used? (Examples to be shewn, please).

[tikay]

So, back to chronological entries.

After doing two Shows on Thursday night (last week) I drove up to Luton, got there 1am, & was up at 6am on Friday to get a train back down to London so I could visit the American Embassy in Grosvenor Square & be interviewed for my I-Visa. The weird itinerary was because I was informed by the American Embassy that I would not be permitted to carry a Mobile 'Phone, Lappie, Car Key Fob, nothing, so I needed somewhere to leave them all. All very awkward.

I polled up at the Embassy at 07.50 for my 08.30 appointment, & joined the back of a 100 yard long queue.....Patience is not my forte, so standing still in a queue for over 2 hours was a bad start. Then I got called up to Checkpoint One, papers shewn (!) & checked, permission given to proceed to Checkpoint Two. All present & Correct, & that entitled me to enter a portakabin where I was all but strip-searched. The Americans are not just paranoid, but also not terribly bright.

I eventually was given access to the very fine building at 10.45 am, & then it was rinse repeat twice more before my first interview proper. Here they checked my papers (for the 5th time) & took my fingerprints (both hands) & thumb prints.

That entitled me to get in a queue for the Interview "proper", & eventually, I went up to Booth 24 & there sat a woman who sounded exactly like Laxie. Here I got a lucky break, as she turned out to be a Sky Poker viewer (yup, some chance that), & she recognized me, bla bla bla. But I had to have my fingerprints taken again, to ensure I was the same person who'd had them done 10 minutes earlier. I don't think she knew who I was at all, pfft.

I got the nod frrom her, & then proceeded to Queue 17 where they arranged to Courier my Passport & Visa back to my home. (Only £34.....).

(They rung me yesterday to inform me it would be delivered on Monday, & I'd need to show my Passport as proof of Identity. The Passport they are delivering to me. Told you them Americans ain't too bright....).

Anyway, the American Embassy is not a building I'd ever much liked, but on closer inspection, it's actually rather well-designed for a PC Framed affair, quite classy. Except, of course, for the row upon row of security fencing & bollards outsde it. I'm not sure how they'd prevent a 9/11 style-atrocity, or a determined terrorist.

From there, I took a Midland Mainline Chuffer up to Luton, job done. Played the Comp, (chopped) & it was 0600 Saturday before I got to bed in Luton. A satisfactory day when all was said & done, but my legs were killing me.

[The_duke]

"Shewn" is, I guess, from the verb "shew", but I don't ever recall it in current usage. Does anyone know if the word remains in everyday use, & can it still be legitimately used? (Examples to be shewn, please).

If the verb "shew" is a legitimate variation of "show" -- then the Past Participle must be "shewn" -- so it's valid IMO and can of course be used whenever and wherever you want (The old words are much better I think) ......

When he was drunk and got loud he was shewn the door
When Red raised with QQ and then called the re-raise he was shewn the nuts
When I was shewn his warrant card I crapped myself ---- etc etc etc


Oh and welcome back .....

[tikay]

Stood in one of the 73 queues at the American Embassy, I chanced to strike up convo with two smartly-suited young men. "What you do?" they casually asked, ("TV Presenter" I smirkily lied) & I replied in kind.

"We are Professional Boxers, here to get a Visa, Gary (nodding to the handsome one) is fighting in Atlantic City next week for a World Championship, he's from Cmwbran, & I'm on the undercard, I'm a pro boxer, too, from Dagenham".

"Yeah right" I'm thinking.

"wow" I said.

"Whatsyername?" I ventured. "Gary Lockett" says he.

He was decent looking, unmarked, no cauliflower ears, & bright as a button. But never a boxer in a month of Sundays, I'd sussed that.

Then, in today's Times, there was a picture of him - & it was all true!

He fights Kelly Pavlik tomorrow for the WBC & WBO World Title Belts, & already holds the less highly regarded WBU World Title.

He's a serious underdog, but I hope he wins. I sussed him as a Boxer the instant I set eyes on him.

[tikay]

So, after a 24 hour stint on the Friday, following 4 hours kip on Thursday night, I was due to pick up Tom (Red) in Leicester at 10.30am Saturday, & Maria in Nottingham 45 mins later, for the trip to Blackpool.

I woke up at 10.30am. In Luton, bugger.

Rung both of them, sorry sorry sorry, re-arranged the rendezvous points & times, & set off up the M1 to pick them up. We reached Blackpool with half an hour to spare after a great run up the A50 & M6.

Maria was in great form, looking better (healthier) than I can ever recall, & mentally really bright & cheery. It transpired that she's been on a bit of a health-kick, eating better, sleeping "normal" times, & generally re-arranging her lifestyle. Sporting a trendy pair of black bell-bottomed strides, & a black top, I've never seen her look better. (Though the gear got ruined by an exploding yoghourt, which made the strides look well sussy). She was in combative form, too, debating Christianity, Christenings (waste of time or not), daft films, & Heaven knows what else. Going to Tourneys with close friends is the nuts, & the journey flew by, & Maria only shut up when Tom & I debated birds, gateposts & tractor bodies.

But Maria & Tom both fell off the wagon food-wise once we reached Blackpool. The pair of them managed FIVE meals whilst we were there, plus Ice-Cream on the beach.

[tikay]

The Comp at Blackpool was sparsely attended - barely 40 as I recall - & Tom had a torrid time, losing hand after hand early doors, everything went tits up for him. Then he had to Pass QQ to Aces, before eventually finding Kings which got busto'd by Jacks.

Maria did better, but she thought a geezer was trying to bully her, & shoved with Nines to his Monster over-Raise, & he had Kings, so that was her done.

I pretty much kept my head down, & Finalled without too much drama. I chopped with 4 others, (2 x £1,400, & 3 or 4 (including me) for £1,100, well happy.

I got extremely lucky in the Final, when, with Blinds 2k-4k, & a stack of 42k, I found Queens. MateyBoy made it 12k to go in early pos, & I did the only thing I knew in that spot, given my stack - shoved. I rivered the Queen, & MateyBoy went off on one. "What did you think I had?" said he. Err..... The first Raise is usually almost impossible to read, but with my stack, it made no difference, the chips were going in. Folks do say the strangest things.

Then there was a Blinds battle - not involving me - when the SB shoved with K-T, & the BB said "if I have any Ace or Paint, I'm calling". He called (for his Tourney) with A-8, K-T shove-man turned the straight, & A-8 man threw a strop. "How could you shove with K-T?"......And I'm thinking, sheesh, what's the big deal, there's nowt wrong shoving with that, & though it's harder to call with A-8, it was a fair enough play by both (though I'd not make that Call in his spot) & it's just the luck element of poker doing it's thing.

That apart, it was a a nice atmo at the Final, & the "winner" made an extraordinary comeback from 2 Big Blinds to Chip Daddy in less than an Orbit. Well done him.

I shared a Semi-Final Table with M3Boy for a while, he to my immediate right, & he had a bit of a cooler exit hand, two pairs versus the nut straight. I was lucky to dodge the bullet in this hand, too, as I'd have hit a worse 2 pair, but the winners sussy pre-flop limp scared the shit out of me & I wimpishly Passed at the first sign of action.

Very nice comp, though the number of runners was a big disappointment.

Zafar Aslm - the kid Bro of Ash Hussain & Zippy, impressed mightily - he has great game, & will go on to better things imo. He is as lairy as they come, but can Pass monsters, his antannae are razor-sharp. Nice lad, too.
 

[tikay]

Here's a rather unflattering pic of the G-Blackpool Cardroom. It's stunningly good, as good as Luton, but they seem to have lost the numbers. Blackpool & Walsall both used to attract huge fields, (Luton ditto, I guess) but something went wrong somewhere, a great shame. I hope they recover their former status, I really do.

I saw Mann Ip there, by the way, not seen him for ages, who used to play the Circuit regularly, but he seems very happy playing the local £25-ers now, & good luck to him - he's playing with a smile, which is always good to see.

Mick Fletcher played the £200, & ended up to my immediate left. He knows I'm weak, & he bossed me about shocking at a £500 or £1,000 Final in Bolton a while back, so I decided to send him a message, & Raised his Blind with spanners. He shoved all-in. Message received & returned......

Then a weird hand went off, & Fletch made a delicious squeeze play. I Limped on the Button with 3-5 or somesuch, planning to see what developed. Fletch made up, & BB now Raised it up. I insta-called, showing great aplomb & confidence. "CALL". Fletch now shoved all-in, & BB Man followed - all-in - too. I Passed with great aplomb & confidence. BB man had Aces, Fletch's A-5 was out with the washing, & he was history. Great play though, just awful timing. He has extraordinary game, & I nap him to take down a GUKPT in due course.

By the way, in answer to several PM'd questions - I seek & obtain permission from Management & players to take pics in Cardrooms. Though in answer to Craig, getting a pic of Hinge & Bracket may prove problematical to get the aforesaid permissions.

[tikay]

I finished the Blackpool Comp at about 4am, & Chili, RichEO & Red were playing a fun cash-game. Fun for all sorts of reasons. I was too tired by far to join, but sat & Railed for a while.

Howard Plant was in great form - he's deceptively bright, & sharp, & when he & Red share a Table, anything can happen.

Simon Rimmer was there, too, as was a complete oddball, who went through 5 full pull-ups in half an hour. He was holdng his cards up such that half the players could see them, despite being repeatedly warned. So half the Table were at a huge advantage, & the "blind" half were, so to speak, in the dark. All very odd.

A young lady of the night came & sat at the table, just to rail & Chat, & maybe do some advertising, I dunno. She was no more than 18 or 19, quite pretty, with one of those push-up structured Bras & a micro-skirt. She was someone's little kid, & while one could not help but look & wonder, the thought that grown men pay for her to do whatever, is just appalling.

Anyway, she starts regaling us with tales, & I'm still not sure if she was a stripper or a call-girl, I think - hope - the former.

She told us that Preston was much more classy than Blackpool (there's a thing), as "they let us keep our knickers on there, they got class in Preston". Hmm.....

EvilPie & a car-load of Notts Lads missed the Comp, as they were badly delayed on the M62, but Duke, RichEO & Dan all made it in time - only to find themselves all sat next to each other in the Comp.

We eventually set off for the 3 hour trek home (via Red & Maria's drop-off points) at about 5.30am, & I asked Red to drive, as I was wrecked, & him & Maria were blathering away like old women, but they made too much noise, & I never slept a wink.

We arrived at Red's place as the dawn chorus was in full-flow & it's on my tick-list to see a spring dawn at Tom's place, but fatigue had beaten me, & we never hung around, I dropped Maria off at East Mids Services, & was home just after 8am.

A really lovely day, with 2 special buds, & a little Tourney Cash. Can't beat it.

[tikay]

On Sunday, as I had to be at Luton for the Golf Day on Monday morning, it meant I had to miss the very last DTD Sunday-Night £100 Freezeout. That was - for my game & skllset - the best weekly £100 Comp in the UK, & only 9 minutes from my door. I'm gonna miss that Comp muchly, & sadly, as much as I want to support DTD, I gave up £100 Rebuys many moons ago, never to return. I hope it's a winner for DTD, but I'm afraid it's not my thing at all. I have to budget £300 to £500 to play it, & that's way too dear for a 24 minute clock imo. The decision completely wrong-footed me, I never saw it coming, I never imagined in a thousand years they'd ever do such a thing at DTD of all places, the new home of "proper poker", but hey-ho, if it boosts the footfall - & I sincerely hope it does - then it's done what they intended.

So, Sunday nights are now a 2 hour trek down the M1, though I did so last Sunday with the Monday Golf-Day in mind.

I was trying to Cash in the Tourney to make it four 4-figure Cashes (well, chops....) from 5 Tourneys, but I missed out, & I can't even remember how or when I exited. Probably a daft play by me, getting a bit too confident for my game.

Ah well, the Golf Day was in prospect. And I overlaid - again.