Poker Media Mid Life Crisis

[Mohican]

What do you have planned that would come across as 'mid-life crisis'?? Already had a motorbike so tattoo's were first.Now I want to be able to do freefall parachuting solo.

[DaveShoelace]

Yeah dont have kids they spoil most of the fun!


I remember when u posted about your Dad, very moving.

Thank you. It was definitely the biggest moment of my life. All of a sudden I was the man of the family, turned me into a grown up overnight. The whole thing turned me into a workaholic too. Even though I have supported myself since I was 18 I always knew my Dad had my back. Then I suddenly had my mum, sister and future wife to worry about instead, as well as having no safety net of my own. My solution to that was to work really hard, I used to be a bit of a slacker but now I have a super strong work ethic, because I feel a need to support everyone. I deffo work too much, and certainly need to learn to relax better.

It's  certainly made me a stronger person. Dad was genuinely the nicest bloke I knew, and I try and emulate way he lived his life every day which can only be a good thing.

[DaveShoelace]

What do you have planned that would come across as 'mid-life crisis'?? Already had a motorbike so tattoo's were first.Now I want to be able to do freefall parachuting solo.

No idea, that's actually my problem, I'm not sure what fun thing I want to do next.

Deffo not motorbikes though, they scare the bejesus out of me.

[Mohican]

What do you have planned that would come across as 'mid-life crisis'?? Already had a motorbike so tattoo's were first.Now I want to be able to do freefall parachuting solo.

No idea, that's actually my problem, I'm not sure what fun thing I want to do next.

Deffo not motorbikes though, they scare the bejesus out of me.

Whatever you do, it'll be expensive. I've got close to 3k of ink so far and my freefall ambitions are gonna set me back circa 2k. I've got 2 kids and I was 32 when i had the first, they aint cheap either!!!!!

[Tal]

Your ≤5th favourite Blonde poster is subscribed.

A compelling read as ever, Mr C. Suppose I'd better ask some probing questions.


1. Nut seat on a train: forward/backward? 2seater or 4/table seat? Window or aisle?


2. Favourite Playbus stop?


3. Any books or plays at school everyone moaned about having to read and you played along but actually secretly enjoyed?



4. Guilty pleasure song (any from your top five)



5. If you could have been the reporter for any poker hand in history - or fictional in the future - which would it be?

[DaveShoelace]

1. Nut seat on a train: forward/backward? 2seater or 4/table seat? Window or aisle?

Has to be 2 seater table, facing forward, first class. The Sheffield to London train is only an extra £4-£6 in First if you book early and I LOVE it. You get free tea, biscuits and wifi, I'd probably spend £6 on that anyway on a train.

2. Favourite Playbus stop?

No idea

3. Any books or plays at school everyone moaned about having to read and you played along but actually secretly enjoyed?

A Kestrel for a Knave, better known in its movie form as Kes.

4. Guilty pleasure song (any from your top five)

Gotta say in recent years I have really started to enjoy Queen and Michael Jackson. I've always been into quite alternative music so the fact that Wanna Be Startin Something by MJ is played by me once a day is a guilty pleasure.

Also really like Rhianna.

5. If you could have been the reporter for any poker hand in history - or fictional in the future - which would it be?

I actually wrote about this last week. Hellmuth runs it 4 times is my all time favourite

[TightEnd]

Your top three UK poker unsung heroes? :-)

and how they should move from unsung to sung please, because heck if I know lol

[DaveShoelace]

1. Most fun sober?

Marty Wilson

2. Most fun drunk?

Robert Williamson III and Marty Wilson again - had a lock in with both of them, Dusty Schmidt and Jared Tendler and it was one of the most fun nights I've ever had.

3. Nicest guy in poker?

Thewy obv but Theo Jorgensen is a tremendously nice guy.

4. Nastiest?

Not nasty as such, but the Devilfish is exactly how you expect him to be.

5. Biggest degen player?

Interviewed Dave Penly once so I guess him

6. Most intelligent?

Jay Rosenkrantz, aka Krantz from DeucesCracked.

7. Most, how the fook are u ever a poker pro? Do u actually know what...

Andrew Feldman.

[DaveShoelace]

Your top three UK poker unsung heroes? :-)

and how they should move from unsung to sung please, because heck if I know lol

1. Rich 'Tighty' Prew. Unsung, because I honestly think you have been a lynchpin in some many UK poker stories - Blondepoker, APAT, Sky Poker Tour, the ISPT. You work your bollocks off, you post twice as many updates as bloggers half your age, and I dont think you get enough credit for it.

The other two, not sure. Des Duffy is a name that popped out to me, that's another guy who has done loads for poker in the UK who maybe doesn't get bigged up enough. If it's UK&Ireland poker then I'd say Mike 'luckyblind' Lacey, though he is doing other stuff outside of poker these days.

Then you have the guys who are 'sung' heroes  of UK poker who get plenty of plaudits like Tikay, Joe Beevers and Channing.

[Tal]

Michael Jackson is not a guilty pleasure (write your own jokes in your own time, thank you). One of the great musicians of all time. Cop out, that one.

Rhianna would fall under that category tho. Bilge.

I remember Zane Lowe being asked about his guilty pleasure song and producing an astonishing answer:



Now THAT is a guilty pleasure.

[DaveShoelace]

1. Most fun sober?

Marty Wilson

2. Most fun drunk?

Robert Williamson III and Marty Wilson again - had a lock in with both of them, Dusty Schmidt and Jared Tendler and it was one of the most fun nights I've ever had.

3. Nicest guy in poker?

Thewy obv but Theo Jorgensen is a tremendously nice guy.

4. Nastiest?

Not nasty as such, but the Devilfish is exactly how you expect him to be.

5. Biggest degen player?

Interviewed Dave Penly once so I guess him

6. Most intelligent?

Jay Rosenkrantz, aka Krantz from DeucesCracked.

7. Most, how the fook are u ever a poker pro? Do u actually know what...

Andrew Feldman.

Story behind lock in please!

It was London for the filming of the PartyPoker Big Game. I was there with Jared and Dusty in the hotel bar watching golf (Jared and dusty were both former golf pros) and I spot Marty and his missus Katherine. I turn to Jared and Dusty and say 'you can never undo what is about to happen to you' and introduced them to Marty.

Marty told Katherine he would be five minutes and she went upstairs. That was about 8pm. 5am the next morning we are still there. I'm not sure how or when RWIII got involved but he can really put it away.

Not sure how this happens either but the hotel barman, an Egyptian chap, closed the bar and carried on drinking with us too as well as a couple of squaddies who wanted to join in. Pretty much the entire night was Marty telling his stories.

I've had many a night out with Marty, he always has me in stitches. The wife thinks he is brilliant too. He isn't everyone's cup of tea but I have a soft spot for silly sods.

[VBlue]

1) How did your career start and progress in the world of poker journalism?
2) What did you do beforehand?
3) The defining moment in your career so far?
4) Your advice to someone else starting out on this road?
 

[DaveShoelace]

1) How did your career start and progress in the world of poker journalism?

I was just mad keen on the game and I got really lucky, I wrote a few things for PocketFives as a forumite and WPT magazine contacted me to ask if they could use what I wrote in a paid article. I didn't even really know that poker magazines existed at the time but I grabbed the opportunity with both hands and just wrote and wrote and wrote, and sent them more and more stuff.

2) What did you do beforehand?

I worked as a team leader at Norwich Union. It was a temp job that lasted six years and probably would have lasted even longer if I hadn't got lucky. Funnily enough my wife just started working there and her nickname is 'Barry Carter's Wife'. 

3) The defining moment in your career so far?

Just everything around The Mental game of Poker 1. I loved writing it, loved working with Jared, loved promoting it, loved the response and loved the money.

4) Your advice to someone else starting out on this road?

Don't wait to be asked. Create your own blog and start writing. Tell people how you can help them instead of hoping to get a break. I know I got very lucky to get started but everything from that point on it was initiative and I really can't be arsed with people who sit around hoping to find work (of which there are many).

I get asked the last question a lot, so much so I created a blog where I answer the stuff I get asked the most.
 

[DaveShoelace]

So today I couldn't get my contact lenses in for love nor money, eventually decided to wear my glasses.

Just realised that I had actually put another pair in an hour before I tried, which was probably why it was a struggle.

[VBlue]

Thanks Barry.  Really interesting answers.

I do plan to get around to following your site more.