blonde Poker 2011 Advent Calendar

[Eck]

Hairy Bawbag

[Rod]

Just over a year ago this gentleman started a diary on blonde

In it's first post was the following sentence

I'm not going to be using it as a place to be arguing or shitstirring (no, no srsly I won't) but I will be pretty honest about what I think about things, poker & non-.

This, for a moderator, was reason enough to turn the forum settings up to "Defcon3" (High risk of having days ruined by pointless flaming, arguments and trolling)

For this member, throughout 2010 had a Tighty Awkwardness quotient (trademark, 2009) of, at its peak, 84%. This is one of the top ten ever percentages recorded on this proprietary measure hitherto unrevealed to the outside world

I am pleased to report that this member's quotient is now down under 50% for the first time ever.

The diary is now the fourth most replied to, and viewed thread on blonde. A testament to the varied content within, the hard work by the writer in keeping it active and the popularity of the man himself

The diary?

http://blondepoker.com/forum/index.php?topic=50836.0

The writer? He's the one on the right by the way...Cos "GreekStein" Paparestis

Click to see full-size image.

 

I've enjoyed reading Cos' stuff this year. The deal with Encore, the prolonged stay in Thailand with Amatay, the battles with Pot Limit Omaha....

Cos still will call a spade a spade, but this is a more rounded individual, from an outside perspective seeming more at ease with himself. Not for Cos, so often, the wading into a thread with all guns blazing. I think he's a better poster for it.

As a result, I think his contribution to blonde in 2011 has been immense.

Automatic choice really. Excellent poster and very helpful

[mondatoo]

Nice speech Cos, I wonder how many people have came to blonde as losing/bad players and went on to make a living from poker partly due to blonde, there are certainly a huge load of people who've improved because of here.

[George2Loose]

Blonde just wouldn't be the same without Cos. Think that's the biggest compliment I can pay him.

[claypole]

Just feel I need to add a line before we move onto the next hero.  I met Cos in August year for the first, and only time. The guy I met was so different to the perception I had from posts on here; just as Vinny had told me, top bloke.  Although we have only had a beer once, we stay in touch on skype and along with Brummie, Lil Dave and Vinny has been incredibly supportive personally this year during some tough times (sorry Dave missed you nomination day as in Prague doing it Dave style). Thoroughly deserved - hopefully will make that trip to degen in Patong before March

[I KNOW IT]

I remember when Cos made a very derogatory comment on an update thread a couple of years ago and I never thought I could forgive him(not that it would concern him)  because the guy in question was (Frankie Knight) and is a diamond in every aspect of life.
Anyway in the last 12 months I have definitely changed my opinion of  the guy.
 
The thing that stood out for me was how upset he was when Blatch had conned his father and the main concern was getting his fathers money back regardless of his fathers wealth because deep down the money was probably immaterial but the principle of the matter meant everything.

I must admit Cos's diary is the first I read  and look forward to it every day, (sorry tikay), and if he and Amatay ever decide to make a stop off in Goa on their worldly travels ,I would personally make sure they have the best time possible.
You can speak to Paul Jackson for any reference on my side in keeping my word.

Well deserved inclusion in the calender and look forward to the next instalment of your diary

[tikay]

Absolutely delighted that Cos is in. Not gonna give him the "legend" label, that word has been cheapened by over-use, but "proper bloke, a man's man" will do for me.

We have had our differences in the past - it's inevitable, when he's a bit anti-authority, & I'm a Mod, but we are cool as a cool thing now, & I'm pleased to count him as a good friend these days.

His Diary - whilst not exactly ticking many boxes for me, as I'm not really into degen stuff, & I'd prefer to see some Saga Holiday japes, is still a compelling read, & I read every single Post on it. 168,000 Posts, 450 pages, & 6,700 Posts, all inside a year, (call it 20 Posts per day - which is amazing), that's quite something.

Works hard - real hard - at his Diary too. It's well presented, in plain English, nice & readable, with plenty of paras, & as many photos as almost any Diary. Photos make SUCH a lot of difference, as does good presentation. Which is why it gets so many hits, & views.

And, along with a bunch of others, he has helped turn the PHA inside out, from the "lol, gtfo you twat" sour stuff we used to have to what is now a place the newbies are no longer scared to Post on.

blonde needs more leaders, people who set the pace, start threads & Diaries, whatever, & work hard at keeping the place just so. Cos does all those.

He was amongst the first to support young Reece, too - very few of you - Maureen apart - know the efforts he went too to do his bit for Reece. For that alone, he gets immense respect.

As Cos said, in his "acceptance" speech, the mood & tone on blonde is as good as it has been for a goodly few years, & Cos has played a significant role in that.

He also fully supported our Sponsors whenever he can, & plays on the sponsor's sites as & when he is able. Its that sort of thing that keeps blonde afloat, & if we had more like him, we'd be financially secure. He & I came to a sort of Gentleman's agreement as to spamming Poker Encore, too, & he's never taken the piss with that, just kept the balance right.

It was not always peace & harmony, & boy, he & I, & he & Tighty, have had some well heavy run-ins (well, shout-ins, more like), & that makes our current mutual respect all the sweeter.

"Live", it's always been cool between he & I, or prettty much.

Long may it last - these days, he is a real asset to this place.

There's a lot more I want to say, some nice, some maybe not so, just honest stuff, which only he & I know about, but it's sort of personal, & I don't want to derail this splendid thread, so I'll stick it on my Diary tomorrow.

Well done Mr Pap.

I hereby promote you to Internet Sergeant.

[tikay]

I remember when Cos made a very derogatory comment on an update thread a couple of years ago and I never thought I could forgive him(not that it would concern him)  because the guy in question was (Frankie Knight) and is a diamond in every aspect of life. Anyway in the last 12 months I have definitely changed my opinion of  the guy.
 
The thing that stood out for me was how upset he was when Blatch had conned his father and the main concern was getting his fathers money back regardless of his fathers wealth because deep down the money was probably immaterial but the principle of the matter meant everything.

I must admit Cos's diary is the first I read  and look forward to it every day, (sorry tikay), and if he and Amatay ever decide to make a stop off in Goa on their worldly travels ,I would personally make sure they have the best time possible.
You can speak to Paul Jackson for any reference on my side in keeping my word.

Well deserved inclusion in the calender and look forward to the next instalment of your diary

I'd quite forgotten that. GTFO, Cos.

[AlexMartin]

Blonde just wouldn't be the same without Cos. Think that's the biggest compliment I can pay him.

+1, lot of hero's here.

[Woodsey]

Pretty much always the first thread I read on blonde if I don't have one running myself. Especially so now as my 2 main interests in life are traveling and poker, ticks all the boxes :-)

[GreekStein]

Woodsey - you read the diary cos your main life interest is asian poontang mate! (In before jokes of 'why is he reading your diary then?!')

Tikay and I know it - tyvm for awesome posts.

I know it - I do apologise for the post I made about frankie knight. I neither know this person nor remember the post! If you could pm me the link to it I'd be most grateful. Goa is definitely on my list of top places to visit so look forward to meeting you! Dinner on me! Will shoot you a pm soon

[Woodsey]

Woodsey - you read the diary cos your main life interest is asian poontang mate! (In before jokes of 'why is he reading your diary then?!')

Tikay and I know it - tyvm for awesome posts.

I know it - I do apologise for the post I made about frankie knight. I neither know this person nor remember the post! If you could pm me the link to it I'd be most grateful. Goa is definitely on my list of top places to visit so look forward to meeting you! Dinner on me! Will shoot you a pm soon

Lol I always read it before mate, but usually because u were kicking off with someone which was always good railing. It would be the poontang if you posted more of it.  

[Karabiner]

I remember when Cos made a very derogatory comment on an update thread a couple of years ago and I never thought I could forgive him(not that it would concern him)  because the guy in question was (Frankie Knight) and is a diamond in every aspect of life.
Anyway in the last 12 months I have definitely changed my opinion of  the guy.
 
The thing that stood out for me was how upset he was when Blatch had conned his father and the main concern was getting his fathers money back regardless of his fathers wealth because deep down the money was probably immaterial but the principle of the matter meant everything.

I must admit Cos's diary is the first I read  and look forward to it every day, (sorry tikay), and if he and Amatay ever decide to make a stop off in Goa on their worldly travels ,I would personally make sure they have the best time possible.
You can speak to Paul Jackson for any reference on my side in keeping my word.

Well deserved inclusion in the calender and look forward to the next instalment of your diary

What made you change your opinion about Frankie Knight?

[TightEnd]

Behind door number 14...



Let the fun and games begin

[pleno1]

tbf, although I agree completely with the MVP shouts and would probably have been my father Christmas, I think he is the opposite of what blonde is and how it acts.

Lol. Can someone translate this post for me, I have no idea what it means.

Happy days, I did not want to be the first to ask!

There's alot of little cliques everywhere on the forum, just like any forum. People who have became friends because of the forum or joined the forum because their friends are on it, natural.

For example, I saw The Nun had commented on the thread and knew straight away it would be Cos, Stu Hopkin or EvilPie. We have team Eureka who will comment on everything each other do and post religiously in Alex's diary. We have yourself who will comment every time Red Dog is mentioned in any single post. The list goes on... Within most of these cliques there is little things that everybody knows, I guarantee that 50% of the forum don't know what happened with Colcehster Kev even though 10% of the forum remain supportive in their signatures, I know that 90% of the forum won't know about that thing that happened with that guy last year that I can't talk about. There is other things that certain people know and others don't.

With Cos he doesn't have his "crew" or select individuals that he favours, he is on good terms and has the respect of people from all ages, backgrounds, sexes, religions, educations etc etc, he's very unique, very nice, lots of other verys but I wouldn't say he summed up what Blonde was, maybe what it should be or what we want it to be.

Probably still doesn't make sense.