Vegas & The Aftermath - Diary

[tikay]

if you were playing live and someone at the table knew you and was telling everyone else at the table what type of player you were the sort of moves you made so on would this bother you ?

hmmmm....my exit in the Sky Poker live tour the other week was down to someone calling me with a hand they said they wouldn't usually, only Tikay had told the table before the game started that I was 'at it' a lot

Claire! I said no such thing.

Did I?

All the time - you've done it to me loads on the open and live. You've obviously forgot that old adage "If you're not in the hand you should not say a word." 

Well done on your win tonight on Sky - a masterclass on laddering, they will probably do a whole programme on that alone!

I strenously admit it. Nobody ever believes me anyway!

Sky tonight - thank you. Technically, not a win......But it was a 12 minute blind Deep Stack, so I should do well in these. I'd play such Comps every night if I could, its amazing how the eary-paced runners* all blow up.

Just as well. I Played the PTP Bounty Hunter at 9.30, & was out by 9.35, when I ran J-J-J into A-T, & it Broadwayed. 111th of 114, sigh. Better is expected of the "Presenter".

* Sorry Alex, "spewy lags".

[tikay]

Tradition has it that I always stay in a B & B when playing Blackpool, there's some just across the road, so I can dump the car for a few days.

But Sky booked the whole Crew  - Compo, Jill, Claire & myself - into the "Big Blue", which is rather nice actually.

It's PR splurge describes it as "convenient for the Blackpool Pleasure Beach Roller-Coaster".

And it did what it said on the tin.

[tikay]

View from my "Big Blue" Hotel Bedroom window.

[The Camel]

The big blue is indeed an ok hotel.

But.

The room service pizza was the single most disgusting thing I've ever tasted.

I have stayed there three years, every year the internet didn't work in my room and "would be fixed next week".

The noise of the roller coaster wakes up the poor poker player at some unearthly hour.

I won't stay there again.

[tikay]

Yesterday - Sunday - was supposed to be a great day for me, Compo & I were filming some Stuff for Sky in Blackpool, & I was excited about it for weeks. It's the very thing I wanted to do.

And I completely missed the target. I was lethargic, did not sparkle, & could not think straight. On the Sky nightly Show, there's a limit to how creative an Analyst can be, how much "character" they can get across within a certain restricted windows of time. But yesterday, I had the chance to really be myself, & I had Compo alongside me - as good as it gets. And I just flopped. No creativity, no sharpness, no wit, no logical thought process, totally brain-dead.  And after we finished, and only then, I sudenly thought of all the things I should have said & done. Too damn late. My "wrap-up", a very important part, was absolute tosh. I could recite a perfect one now, easy peasy. I stopped myself midway through my first attempt, "CUT", & just said "sorry guys, this is total shite". And then did the same again.

I just got brain-fade. Fortunately, Compo carried me all day, such as he could, though his 37 takes in the Cardroom for one piece had the Tourney players in stitches.

Here's how bad I was. One of my jobs - "front-of-camera" apart, almost the only piece of creativity assigned to me - required me to devise a Quiz. You know the sort of thing. When did England win the World Cup? Was it a), 1906, b), 1866, or c), 1966.

So a poker version of that was needed, & Compo delegated that to me at 3pm. It was midnight before it was needed, & it still would not come to me.

We went outside for a "link" at Midnight, it was about -4c, & I spent 30 minutes struggling with it, while we all froze to the marrow. Eventually Compo says "try this", so we did.

"So here's this week's Quiz" I said, "bla de da de da, so was it.....

a) This

b) That

or c) The other."

And you know what? I nailed it. In 17 takes.

I awoke this morning pretty upset about it, & tried to work out why. And I've decided that driving up there after doing the Show on Saturday night - I finished the Show at Midnight, & drove straight up there, arriving at 4.20am, & was up for Brekkie with Compo at 10am - was the problem, or more specfically, tiredness/lack of sleep.

It really is extraordinary how tiredness affects us - it's worse than alcohol in some ways.

Anyways, I wrote to Mr Big Suit today & got in first - "sorry, I'll do better next time". If there is a next time.

And that's the beauty of the squad system that SkyPoker use for their front-of-camera squad - we all know, that if we don't perform, some other bugger is waiting to nip in & take our place. It's no different to the Squad System in football - it don't half keep you on your toes.

Anyway, I did PTP tonight, & I go down to London tomorrow on some private business, but that apart, I'm on holiday until Thursday. Can't wait to get back to work, actually.

Insecurity, greed, the obsession to get everything "just so", & ambition, make for an interesting psychological cocktail.

[tikay]

The big blue is indeed an ok hotel.

But.

The room service pizza was the single most disgusting thing I've ever tasted.

I have stayed there three years, every year the internet didn't work in my room and "would be fixed next week".

The noise of the roller coaster wakes up the poor poker player at some unearthly hour.

I won't stay there again.

Compo described it almost word-for-word identically.

[RED-DOG]

It really is extraordinary how tiredness affects us - it's worse than alcohol in some ways.

Sigh.....

[gatso]

The big blue is indeed an ok hotel.

But.

The room service pizza was the single most disgusting thing I've ever tasted.

I have stayed there three years, every year the internet didn't work in my room and "would be fixed next week".

The noise of the roller coaster wakes up the poor poker player at some unearthly hour.

I won't stay there again.

if you want a good hotel in blackpool then try the one most of us stayed in for the team challenge, I can't remember the name but I'm sure someone can. it's the other side of the casino from the big blue, about a 5-10 minute walk along the prom.

the rooms are good, it's cheaper than the big blue, the bar stays open even when they say it's shut, the free internet works everywhere and the pizza that they serve 24 hours is really quite good

[Dingdell]

It really is extraordinary how tiredness affects us - it's worse than alcohol in some ways.

Sigh.....

Don't worry Tom - he'll feel better when he's back at work - he's had at least an hour off and he's already bored of the break..... bigger sigh....

[tikay]

It really is extraordinary how tiredness affects us - it's worse than alcohol in some ways.

Sigh.....

Don't worry Tom - he'll feel better when he's back at work - he's had at least an hour off and he's already bored of the break..... bigger sigh....

See - someone understands.

[tikay]

It really is extraordinary how tiredness affects us - it's worse than alcohol in some ways.

Sigh.....

It's true I tell ya, I've started to get it sussed - lack of sleep makes us tired.

Thank the Lord I never discovered it sooner, I'd have missed so much of my life. And climbing into bed when shattered is one of those really great feelings, as with eating when really hungry - it becomes a pleasure

[Dingdell]

It really is extraordinary how tiredness affects us - it's worse than alcohol in some ways.

Sigh.....

It's true I tell ya, I've started to get it sussed - lack of sleep makes us tired.

Thank the Lord I never discovered it sooner, I'd have missed so much of my life. And climbing into bed when shattered is one of those really great feelings, as with eating when really hungry - it becomes a pleasure

Perhaps I'm blessed but I've always found climbing into bed a pleasure.   

[tikay]

It really is extraordinary how tiredness affects us - it's worse than alcohol in some ways.

Sigh.....

It's true I tell ya, I've started to get it sussed - lack of sleep makes us tired.

Thank the Lord I never discovered it sooner, I'd have missed so much of my life. And climbing into bed when shattered is one of those really great feelings, as with eating when really hungry - it becomes a pleasure

Perhaps I'm blessed but I've always found climbing into bed a pleasure.   

!

[tikay]

So we finished work at around 1am this morning, after a 15 hour stint - that'd be a few hours of work, & a dozen hours of hanging around, awaiting Interview opportunities, camera set-ups, "the light" da de da. The GUKPT Commentator is also the most wonderful sleeping pill, he has a Geordie "flat" monotone voice, never rising or falling a decibel, & it was hard not to nod off at times. "Pass, Pass, Pass, Pass, Pass, Pass. They all Passed". It's very probably much harder to do than it seems, I suppose. Each to their own, like. He's totally professional, smartly-attired, & very proud of his role, as he should be, but you know, you either "take to" some Commentators, or you don't. I should know, with my legions of fans, both of whom are wholly loyal. When Lord Raab commentates, he gets some "buzz" going, he really can rev up the Rail, it's a lovely thing to see, & listen to, because he adds a little colour & depth to the commentary. (Hark at the "expert" sermonsing, eh?).

Anyway, it's 1am, work is done & the gear is pcked up, so we gotta wander back to the Big Blue.

"2 seats in the Dealers Choice Cash Game" rings out from the PA. Compo's eyes light up - "come on Tone, let's have an hour".

"NO Dave, sod that. Not in a month of Sundays, I'm ****ed." Go play on your own, I'm off to bed."

[action man]

OI kendall, i added you on facebook about 8 days ago, still waiting on a reply