estrellas main

[pokerfan]

Stars sn pls, can send in € if you have it.

[DMorgan]

Oh well fu martins

[jackinbeat]

What's all this talk of pickpockets in Barcelona, I've lived here nearly 2 years, and not experienced anything like that. Infact compare it to London and it's liek a tranquil little village. Then again, make yourself a target anywhere in the world and you're going to get trouble.

Seriously, it's a massive tourist place, and surprisingly there is very little crime, BBC miss reality again.

[DMorgan]

I really don't get the whole Barca pickpickets thing either...lived there for 6 months and never had any problems & nor did anyone that I know there which includes poker players, tourists and permanent residents (weighted in that order).

Every Brit that I know that has been robbed in Barca did something to expose themselves.

Clearly these thieves are scum but they aren't silly. The Spanish are very proud people - the rank and file population in Barca HATE these people as to the police in my experience. They don't have the ability to just indiscriminately rob anyone they choose and operate with impunity. You need to give them an opening. Don't wear shorts with baggy, wide open pockets. Don't walk around on your own at night. Don't look up at the multi-coloured boomerang things that they shoot into the air along La Rambla and ffs don't fall asleep or go in the sea leaving a bag with all of your money and documents on a towel on the beach.

The main casino in Barca does have a bad reputation for players being followed/robbed and that rep isn't unwarranted but they do ramp up security around these events. Always enter/exit the casino through the street entrance, not the shopping centre side. Then you are only 20 feet from the taxi rank and during their bigger poker events they have uniformed security guards (not bouncers) around that entrance.

The managers of the casino are well aware of players concerns and they don't try to fob people off on the subject. If you had a ton of cash on you I'm sure they'd have no problem at all escorting you to a taxi if anyone asked for it. Remember that Pokerstars are running the show and especially since the Berlin robbery, security has been very tight at these sort of events.

So yeah, keep your head up and you'll be fine. glgl.

[tikay]

I was talking specifically of the area around Casino Barcelona, and mugging. Be absolutely assured, it is not bad reporting by the BBC or anyone else, it is fact.

[AndrewT]

I've never seen a pickpocketing in all my years in London yet saw one in Barca on the train from the airport. #samplesizeaments

[tikay]

Apologies to Alex for the thread derail.

[Marky147]

Apologies to Alex for the thread derail.

He'll be after all the pickpocketing tips he can get once he's had a few spins on the old single zero

[AlexMartin]

thinking of setting up a pickpocketing firm thb, trying to think of a blonde fagin.

[AlexMartin]

Stars sn pls, can send in € if you have it.

pokerfan 5%
doobs 10%
pleno 5%


stars sn strongbad996 (im proud of that opr btw).

[jackinbeat]

I really don't get the whole Barca pickpickets thing either...lived there for 6 months and never had any problems & nor did anyone that I know there which includes poker players, tourists and permanent residents (weighted in that order).

Every Brit that I know that has been robbed in Barca did something to expose themselves.

Clearly these thieves are scum but they aren't silly. The Spanish are very proud people - the rank and file population in Barca HATE these people as to the police in my experience. They don't have the ability to just indiscriminately rob anyone they choose and operate with impunity. You need to give them an opening. Don't wear shorts with baggy, wide open pockets. Don't walk around on your own at night. Don't look up at the multi-coloured boomerang things that they shoot into the air along La Rambla and ffs don't fall asleep or go in the sea leaving a bag with all of your money and documents on a towel on the beach.

The main casino in Barca does have a bad reputation for players being followed/robbed and that rep isn't unwarranted but they do ramp up security around these events. Always enter/exit the casino through the street entrance, not the shopping centre side. Then you are only 20 feet from the taxi rank and during their bigger poker events they have uniformed security guards (not bouncers) around that entrance.

The managers of the casino are well aware of players concerns and they don't try to fob people off on the subject. If you had a ton of cash on you I'm sure they'd have no problem at all escorting you to a taxi if anyone asked for it. Remember that Pokerstars are running the show and especially since the Berlin robbery, security has been very tight at these sort of events.

So yeah, keep your head up and you'll be fine. glgl.

Wise words, and apologies for taking it off topic. Might have a % when you get here!

[Longy]

Alex you are really letting yourself down here. Put some links up to the truly awesome tournament reports of the past, giving the stakers and your adoring public a taste of what it is like to play a poker tournament being Alex Martin.

[AlexMartin]

lol, ill give it a whirl. kinda worried about buying in near the start so sent stars an email.

Hi, I was hoping to play in the estrellas poker tournament in barcelona in august. I would like to buyin online owing to the crime and limited capacity of the venue, purely to ensure i dont missout. I do not have the "platinum star" that is needed. I have lost quite a lot of money on pokerstars as i play for fun in tournaments; would it be possible if i could buyin directly on your software?

thanks, alex

[smashedagain]

lol, ill give it a whirl. kinda worried about buying in near the start so sent stars an email.

Hi, I was hoping to play in the estrellas poker tournament in barcelona in august. I would like to buyin online owing to the crime and limited capacity of the venue, purely to ensure i dont missout. I do not have the "platinum star" that is needed. I have lost quite a lot of money on pokerstars as i play for fun in tournaments; would it be possible if i could buyin directly on your software?

thanks, alex

Lol

[Dry em]

I got 2 young guys trying to do me outside the casino whilst walking across the road to the taxi rank and I was doing my best to be vigilant and did nothing to attract attention (other than being 7 ft tall)

They started trying to show me some "football" move which involved wrapping his leg around mind and putting his hand in my pocket to see what he could get. All kind of happened quicker than I could realise what was going on. Luckily I wasn't carrying anything anyway (confirmed busto)

Have to say put me off going back there