Vegas & The Aftermath - Diary

[Colchester Kev]

tikay !!  Have you been to Bristol ??

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/somerset/8115310.stm

[kinboshi]

tikay !!  Have you been to Bristol ??

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/somerset/8115310.stm

The reporter gets the thumbs up from me

[WarBwastard]

Ha, councillor Spud Murphy.  Brilliant!

[kinboshi]

Ha, councillor Spud Murphy.  Brilliant!

Wonder if his campaign strapline was built around "Spud-u-like"...

[77dave]

How about this for some amazing good news

http://www.sportinglife.com/golf/news/story_get.cgi?STORY_NAME=golf/09/06/25/GOLF_Ballesteros.html

[celtic]

Great news. He looks very well in that picture.

[MrDickie]

Easily the most predictable Press Release of the Decade follows. This WILL end in tears, without a shadow of doubt, & was always nailed on to be a scam. Kiss goodbye to your money, kidz.

Michael Jackson has rescheduled the first four shows of his sell-out This Is It tour at London's O2 Arena, causing chaos for fans.

^^^^^ This.

[celtic]

Lol.... nostratikayus.

[tikay]

tikay !!  Have you been to Bristol ??

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/somerset/8115310.stm

Not me Kev. I would not waste the paint, or effort.

Shite will always be shite, defaced or not.

[tikay]

How about this for some amazing good news

http://www.sportinglife.com/golf/news/story_get.cgi?STORY_NAME=golf/09/06/25/GOLF_Ballesteros.html

Simply wonderful!

How are things going Jim, we don't see much of you on here of late?

Hope all is well, & maybe see you during the next few weeks.

[tikay]

Lol.... nostratikayus.

Please don't compare me with Ex-Members Vinni.

BigMemberus is now FlaccidMemberus.

[tikay]

Rushing about, as busy as ever (happily busy), I've been trying to have a Diary session for weeks. So I've alotted from now until Midnight for a bit of a catch-up.

Going back to last weekend, my first weekend off all year, I went to Southend, for the Mint Casino's £500. I talk about poker, write about it, commentate on it, but rarely have time to play "proper" Tourneys, so I looked forward to it immensely.

First up, this is the Mint, which, like Blackpool-G, is built onto a blob of land literally over the sea. Very pleasing. I wonder why we (me?) find water so relaxing, so comforting, so nice to look at?

[tikay]

Southend is on the mouth of the Thames Estuary, almost a tidal flat.

The pictures were taken less than an hour apart - note how fast the tide comes in. But you could walk out a mile & not get your knees wet. Well, Silo could.

[tikay]

The Mint Southend Cardroom is run by Adam Lawler, aka blonde "lurkio".

It's run with military precision, effortlessly, DTD-stylee. Everything tickity boo, perfrect. Very rare to see.

Any abusive verbal aggro at the Table, bang, 1 round penalty, & he uses it as a weapon. Everyone gets a quiet word in their ear for first offence, next time, no messing, off you go. Great to see.

He gave us a little sermon pre-Comp, to explain the local House Rules - if only more did that. It's free, & takes about a minute.

Two Local Rules caused some eye-rolling amongst the few faces present, but I had no problem with them - it's the same for everyone.

1) If it goes "Check-Check" on the end, BOTH hands MUST be shown. It's a violation of Etiquette to try & muck your hand unseen, & is punishable via a Time-Penalty. Don't mess with lurkio.

2) If a Bet is Called on the End, BOTH players MUST show their hand. The geezer who'd been caught at it HAS TO SHOW, failing which, again, etiquette violation.

Good to see a TD imposing himself on the Tourney.

A splendid Buffet, too.

The whole thing really was well-organised, & the Staff were all smiley-wiley - not previously always the case there.

I wish them well in the future - their next Fessie is September, & if the dates fit, I'm gonna suggest In-Poker go down there & cover it.

I spent some time on Sunday at Southend Airport, too, & the Vulcan Bomber is still there. Some sight it is, too.

[tikay]

I had decided I would only play if 50 runners turned up, but by kick-off, the Total was only 34. Bugger that, I decided to make a stand, & not play.

My opening Table was mostly Locals, plus Tony Chapman - hitting cards, & playing well - & young Kier Ratcliff. Kier won the Empire £1,000 earlier this year, & followed up with taking down a side-event at the Irish Open. Luton's Gary Banks & DTD-serial finalist William Martin were also present & correct.

Kier got busy early - too busy. He's good, very good, but not as good as he thinks he is. He is good table company, actually, though overly full of himself, showing way too many bluffs, as kids do.

He eventually caught a half-decent hand, after showing x-teen bluffs, & massively over-Raised on the end, & a local made a Hero Call & busted the boys arse. He lasted 35 minutes in a 15,000 chip 45 minute clock jobbie. The Hero Caller said "he kept bluffing, so I assumed he did not have much".