Snattys unfeasibly long and banal Vegas posts

[Karabiner]

I do hope that "The Beast" is sporting your personal FFS SNAT coat of arms.

[Snatiramas]

did you manage to sort out the currency swap as I suggested Phil?

I looked into it as it was a sound idea. HSBC could set me up a dollar account as well. Once I realised that I could convert the currency without a cost I decided to move quickly and just do it one quick manoeuvre

[Snatiramas]

I do hope that "The Beast" is sporting your personal FFS SNAT coat of arms.

Unfortunately not allowed to as the car is older than plate..........shame really they are perfect for each other

[Snatiramas]

Two separate pieces of information came to together this week leaving me very thoughtful. The first was from a Rabbi who said the classic line “the only people who are not jealous of success are the parents and the teacher”.

The second was on here on blonde with the discussion on Dan Brown’s ability as a writer. Funny how two such disparate topics should find their way into my subconscious and lead me to think about poker.

The first comment of course I know to be true. I mean I had not really tried to qualify for Vegas that seriously, until I started reading Chompy’s thread, which apparently turned into a blog. There he was talking about venues and places I had not seen for three years, waltzing around the poker players Mecca and telling us all about it. It just didn’t seem fair. So with jealousy as a motivator, after all I am not his father and I doubt I have taught him much about the game, I decided to get serious at exactly the same time as fate decided to help me get there.

The second piece of information struck a chord because part of a person’s growing up is to test, challenge and question one’s ability. I know loads of people who test and challenge but I seem to spend loads of time in the questioning sector. Let me enlighten you a little.

On August 11th 2005 I won £12,000 playing in the £500 double chance in Luton. I had won a total of four satellite seats for this event. It had been a superb event. I watched Jacarama get aces five times in the first two levels. He didn’t lose a single chip with them but still managed to move tables with only 1000 chips left. Note to Sicillian: see you are not the first to be able to butcher a stack.

I digress, at this time I was even more one dimensional in my play than I am now. I ground my way to a six way deal. As I got up from the table all flushed with success I heard a young man, who shall remain nameless only because I can’t remember his name, remark “that guy must be the luckiest player on the planet”. He was of course looking at me. It affected me badly. There I was with all this money and I was now questioning my own ability to play the game. Why should it matter what other people think. Yet for a proportion of the population it does. For some it matters what people think of them. For others it matters that people hear what they think. For a lot of us it is both things intertwined.

When I read a book, I don’t care about the English or the grammar or whether it is believable or not. I just immerse myself in the characters and let it all wash over me. A period of total escapism. I like Dan’s books. They are an easy read. I know, I have them all. As I do with Michael Connelly, Lee Child, Dick Francis, Bernard Cornwell, Freddie Forsyth and, John Le Carre. I love the works of Douglas Adams and the thought that went into Hitchikers.

So where is all this heading? I shall tell you. In the past when I have qualified for an event my play at Luton has deteriorated to such a degree that I have ended up questioning whether I should play the event or not. Strangely when I play the actual event, my game is where I want it to be. I have been tremendously unlucky with outdraws at large events at the exact moment when I needed the maths to hold up. This week saw me in Luton on Wednesday. My head was just not in the game, I was not in the moment at all. I was somewhere two weeks away on a plane leading to a pokerfest. I busted out before the first break and decided no more poker until Vegas. There is no need. Instead I shall read a good book.

On the subject of books today’s quote comes from Matt Matros and “The making of a poker player”. Unbelievably I walked into the office picked up the book opened it up randomly and saw these words

“The whole reason we think about poker outside of the table is to implement our ideas at the table. I’m not saying you never make plays based on on-the-spot analysis; I’m just saying you have to implement your away-from-table analysis in order for it to be relevant. I don’t mind making a bad play, but i do mind when i don’t play my best”.

So Zen is totally in the moment and Matt is deciding strategies for before the moment and Snat is going off to peel the spuds for supper. More on Monday as I have the kids to myself all weekend as Mrs. Snat is off to South Africa on business and is not going to see any sort of lions at all.......life is weird.

[boldie]

If only you were to write a book Snatty, I'd happily read it.

And thank you for saving me from Dan Brown like drivel

[Chompy]

I mean I had not really tried to qualify for Vegas that seriously, until I started reading Chompy’s thread, which apparently turned into a blog. There he was talking about venues and places I had not seen for three years, waltzing around the poker players Mecca and telling us all about it. It just didn’t seem fair. So with jealousy as a motivator, after all I am not his father and I doubt I have taught him much about the game, I decided to get serious at exactly the same time as fate decided to help me get there.

A free 10% in the main event as repayment for my motivational skills will suffice. Thank you.

[relaedgc]

I also liked "The Da Vinci Code". I was quite readily immersed into the story line and I enjoyed it.

Of course, you often hear the criticisms levelled at the huge success of Harry Potter. Quite frankly, I think JK Rowling performed a service to the entire world with those books. In an age where most children are incredibly reluctant to tear themselves away from a gaming console, she managed to entice children into reading a book once again. That's a remarkable achievement for which, at least in my own opinion, is something to be truly thankful for. 

[Snatiramas]

I also liked "The Da Vinci Code". I was quite readily immersed into the story line and I enjoyed it.

Of course, you often hear the criticisms levelled at the huge success of Harry Potter. Quite frankly, I think JK Rowling performed a service to the entire world with those books. In an age where most children are incredibly reluctant to tear themselves away from a gaming console, she managed to entice children into reading a book once again. That's a remarkable achievement for which, at least in my own opinion, is something to be truly thankful for. 

 

and many parents too

[Snatiramas]

I mean I had not really tried to qualify for Vegas that seriously, until I started reading Chompy’s thread, which apparently turned into a blog. There he was talking about venues and places I had not seen for three years, waltzing around the poker players Mecca and telling us all about it. It just didn’t seem fair. So with jealousy as a motivator, after all I am not his father and I doubt I have taught him much about the game, I decided to get serious at exactly the same time as fate decided to help me get there.

A free 10% in the main event as repayment for my motivational skills will suffice. Thank you.

As they say where I come from

"Your reward will be in heaven"

[Rod Paradise]

I also liked "The Da Vinci Code". I was quite readily immersed into the story line and I enjoyed it.

Of course, you often hear the criticisms levelled at the huge success of Harry Potter. Quite frankly, I think JK Rowling performed a service to the entire world with those books. In an age where most children are incredibly reluctant to tear themselves away from a gaming console, she managed to entice children into reading a book once again. That's a remarkable achievement for which, at least in my own opinion, is something to be truly thankful for. 

I agree with you on the da Vinci Code, up until the ending - that's Brown's biggest failing IMO and lets him down badly.

The Harry Potter books are great, but I'll always look down on the adults who buy the ones with a more subdued cover to save them the embarrassment of being seen reading a children's book.

[relaedgc]

In fairness, I think the adult covers look far nicer on the bookshelf. However, mine are a mixture. Mostly because I had to grab whichever I could before they sold out.

[boldie]

I also liked "The Da Vinci Code". I was quite readily immersed into the story line and I enjoyed it.

Of course, you often hear the criticisms levelled at the huge success of Harry Potter. Quite frankly, I think JK Rowling performed a service to the entire world with those books. In an age where most children are incredibly reluctant to tear themselves away from a gaming console, she managed to entice children into reading a book once again. That's a remarkable achievement for which, at least in my own opinion, is something to be truly thankful for. 

The general idea of the Da Vinci Code was brilliant..but I hated reading every single page of it.

The Potter books are well written, although not something I would choose to read TBH (I have read them all as MrsB made me and I run out of books faster than I can buy them or lend them from the library). JK Rowling is simply on another level from Dan Brown.

[Snatiramas]

I also liked "The Da Vinci Code". I was quite readily immersed into the story line and I enjoyed it.

Of course, you often hear the criticisms levelled at the huge success of Harry Potter. Quite frankly, I think JK Rowling performed a service to the entire world with those books. In an age where most children are incredibly reluctant to tear themselves away from a gaming console, she managed to entice children into reading a book once again. That's a remarkable achievement for which, at least in my own opinion, is something to be truly thankful for. 

The general idea of the Da Vinci Code was brilliant..but I hated reading every single page of it.

The Potter books are well written, although not something I would choose to read TBH (I have read them all as MrsB made me and I run out of books faster than I can buy them or lend them from the library). JK Rowling is simply on another level from Dan Brown.

so the question then has to be.....what do you read me old dutch mate.....might turn up something new

[cambo]

james patterson books ftw, fast paced easy reading

[boldie]

I also liked "The Da Vinci Code". I was quite readily immersed into the story line and I enjoyed it.

Of course, you often hear the criticisms levelled at the huge success of Harry Potter. Quite frankly, I think JK Rowling performed a service to the entire world with those books. In an age where most children are incredibly reluctant to tear themselves away from a gaming console, she managed to entice children into reading a book once again. That's a remarkable achievement for which, at least in my own opinion, is something to be truly thankful for.  

The general idea of the Da Vinci Code was brilliant..but I hated reading every single page of it.

The Potter books are well written, although not something I would choose to read TBH (I have read them all as MrsB made me and I run out of books faster than I can buy them or lend them from the library). JK Rowling is simply on another level from Dan Brown.

so the question then has to be.....what do you read me old dutch mate.....might turn up something new

In the "dross" section I have;

Robert Ludlum; Bourne trilogy and all that. Great fun, not too stupid but not literary genius obv.
John Grisham; I read "The Broker" the other day..again it's a bit of dross but you can read it in a few days.

Great books;

Jian by Eric Van Lustbader. Top class this, fast paced, well written and exciting.

Inside, Outside by Herman Wouk. A tremendously funny "autobiography" by a fictional Jewish Character.
Mila 18  by Leon Uris. Top class account of life in the Jewish ghetto in Warsaw during the war (fictional account of real events), really, really good. After 1984 my favourite book.

Quentin Jardine's Skinner series are great detective novels.
Graham Hurley also for detectives.

Duncan Falconer's "The Hijack" makes me want to read more of his stuff.

Patrick Robinson's books set on Nuclear subs are good fun. (and very well written)

Dean Koontz will be well known to those who read dross, as will the Jack Ryan series by Tom Clancy.


That sort of stuff, mainly mind-numbing reads before going to sleep and there is the occasional pearl. (as you can maybe tell) I tend to buy most of my books in the cheap bookshops..3 for a tenner type stuff..as I go through 3 or 4 a week and can't really spend £40 a week on books  

If anyone has any recommendations I'm definitely listening as I only have one week's worth of reading material left ATM (picked up 3 books from the library today but it's a small town where I stay so not a big library )