I prefer to keep the blog poker related but this kind of transcends it all. My dad died yesterday, Tuesday, aged 69.
He hadn't been ill, which makes it harder to take. Basically he'd had 3 failed operations on a hernia over the past 5 years, and it kept coming back until it was a ridiculous size, pushing right out through his stomach. The doctors wouldn't try again as they said it was too dangerous. Unfortunately, on Saturday night he was rushed into hospital in agony, apparantly the hernia had strangulated the bowel - they tried to get rid of the poison in his body with tubes everywhere but eventually said they had to operate or he would die.
He was in surgery on Monday for a solid 9 hours.
As far as we knew the surgery had gone well and we all relaxed.
When he came out they deliberately kept him asleep to help his body recover but on Tuesday morning he started to detoriate and they rang us to come over.
They took him back to theatre and found his bowel had died, which meant he was slowly dying and they couldn't do anything to save him.
They explained to us what was going to happen once they reduced all the meds and machines that were keeping him alive and we sat with him until he passed away. I have never watched anyone die before, and to watch your own father die like this is pretty fucking heartbreaking. I'm crying as I write this, what's breaking my heart is he so wasn't ready to die. He had loads in his life and he really used to enjoy himself so to see that ended as it was is hard.
The doctors said he would be able to hear us on some level although fully sedated so we had to try and keep it strong. at the last minute we decided to get my 13 year old daughter from school as they were very close - he worshipped the ground she walked on but I wasn't sure if it was appropriate for her to say goodbye like this. My mum told dad I was going to get Tamsin, and I shot to the school which is literally 5 minutes away, picked her up and briefly filled her in - her instant reaction was to get her back to him to say goodbye before he died.
We ran back to the ICU, all dad's signs were still the same, Tamsin gave him a kiss and held his hand and told him she loved him, and whether coincidence, or whether he had waited for her, he then passed away.
I have to organise stuff now for my mum, while running two pubs and managing my own grief, so i don't see this being a good few weeks. RIP Tony Cove I love you xxx
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Sunday, June 27, 2010
King of Grim Neil Blatchly
Anyone who has the remotest interest in poker, and many who don't have all now read about the Neil Blatchly scam. Much as I enjoy Blonde poker forum myself you do need a special needs deciphering degree to try and understand what the various phrases mean on there - every post from a regular has lots of [ ] and [X] plus abbreviatons FTW FML DUCY, words that they make their own - grim being a good example - so it's often hard work to try and figure out what someone is actually saying.
Anyway the only good thing that came out of the Blatchgate scandal was the regular posters were all so stunned at the severity of the scam that they started to post in English rather than Blondish so by page 84 it was all a bit more understandable. I think there were so many new members who didn't understand they had to talk in code to fit in with the clique that they kindof broke down the barriers by sheer volume of new posts alone.
Feel sorry for certain mates of Neil in particular Cos and George2Loose, who are both completely blameless in this and have not only been personally scammed but have also had all of their trust and friendship thrown back in their faces.
However, I think people would do well to think about who else Neil was friendly with when looking for a conspirator, other than looking at just poker buddies. Maybe a poker friend with whom he shared other hobbies, I dunno, like golf maybe? mmm.. ;)
Neil only got away with this because Blonde forum members allowed him to manipulate them all into putting him up on a pedestal of his own building: he was just too clever for them to see he provided the steps for him to climb up there. A very clever man - no one involved in this should blame themselves or kick themselves for being gullible - they weren't. Con men like this work very very hard to create an image for people to believe in. More will come out in the future - I woudl imagine we'll find that Neil has done this kind of scam before, more than once.
Don't imagine we'll be seeing him in DTD in the near future, but then again, someone as arrogant as him may really think he can convince people he was just a fool rather than a fraud.
Anyway the only good thing that came out of the Blatchgate scandal was the regular posters were all so stunned at the severity of the scam that they started to post in English rather than Blondish so by page 84 it was all a bit more understandable. I think there were so many new members who didn't understand they had to talk in code to fit in with the clique that they kindof broke down the barriers by sheer volume of new posts alone.
Feel sorry for certain mates of Neil in particular Cos and George2Loose, who are both completely blameless in this and have not only been personally scammed but have also had all of their trust and friendship thrown back in their faces.
However, I think people would do well to think about who else Neil was friendly with when looking for a conspirator, other than looking at just poker buddies. Maybe a poker friend with whom he shared other hobbies, I dunno, like golf maybe? mmm.. ;)
Neil only got away with this because Blonde forum members allowed him to manipulate them all into putting him up on a pedestal of his own building: he was just too clever for them to see he provided the steps for him to climb up there. A very clever man - no one involved in this should blame themselves or kick themselves for being gullible - they weren't. Con men like this work very very hard to create an image for people to believe in. More will come out in the future - I woudl imagine we'll find that Neil has done this kind of scam before, more than once.
Don't imagine we'll be seeing him in DTD in the near future, but then again, someone as arrogant as him may really think he can convince people he was just a fool rather than a fraud.
Friday, June 25, 2010
£1k up from Blackpool G cash game
Managed to sneak away from the pub for the night to play the Blackpool G £50 FO, played relatively well until making a monstrous move that was played to perfection. My one schoolgirl error was thinking a guy who didn't have a fold in him could find a fold here. He couldn't, and even came out with the immortal line of I know you're ahead. sigh gg.
Onto the cash table about 11.30pm, full table and pretty constant all night with only the occasional new face but always in the same two seats. Ash Hussien & Gareth "Nugget" Jones were there, Gareth being only the 2nd tightest player on the table for once, as Blackpool Ted (Gnashers) was doing his impression of Mt Rushmore, only not quite as good looking. The only time he lost all night was when he dropped a £1 chip under the table.
I started with the customary drop of a couple of hundred, in my usual manner of trying to outplay people I don't have the first clue about. Slowed down and started to watch a bit and once I felt comfy started standard raising of mediocre hands. Mediocre is actually bigging the hands up a bit if I'm honest.
Raised with 49s UTG (no idea why other than I was holding a strong table image so knew Icould C bet and probably get all callers to fold on most flops.) Flop came 9 4 9. which was nice. I bet straight out half pot and got one caller, a scouser called Billy who is a really nice kid and a decentish player. Now I know he's capable of floating me on the flop and raising on the river - he knows I would have to fold an overpair here if he represents the 9 well enough. I didn't know if he was going to bluff or of he actually had the 9 so decided to let him take the pace on the turn (6) so checked. Billy thought and then bet around half the pot. I reluctantly called, while giving him a load of tosh about "I don't know if I'm good enough to fold this hand" etc. The river was a 2 so I'm only beat by 69 (insert double entendre HERE) so I figure I'm good with my full house. I sat on then bet £25, saying "That's stopped you hasn't it? You thought I'd check agan and you can bet so I have to fold, but what you gonna do now, my bet has stopped your action etc" Billy smiled a little and slowly said raise, which he did, up to £70. Cue best gutted face from me. "thought" about it for a while then said "nice try - try this one for size - I'm allin." His turn to look suprised.
Now I know he obviously has a 9 now and as he hasn't insta called I also know he hasn't filled up (rocket science was my best subject at school) so I go to town on the talk. Laughing my head off I'm telling him he didn't expect that did he, he thought he could raise me and I'd go away, well nice try Billy but I've played you before, you haven't got a 9 and even if you have I know you're a good enough player that you know you can't call that unless you have a full house, which you don't right? So you have got to fold ha ha and so on" Kept telling him what a good player he was and how he knew he couldn't call it with just a bare 9 until he asked the dealer how much it was.. it was £275 more. He looked like he was going to fold, so I started telling him to save his money,how he knew I liked him and didn't want his dough, if he wasn't full he was behind so why not save your cash and pass... Did the trick - he called and I flipped the mighty 49 (he had K9)... bless him :D
Pulled a straight flush as well after raising with 4s6c, flop was 457 all clubs. turn was the 8 clubs, Hungarian guy called my bets on flop and turn then raised river, to which I more or less min raised as I figured that wa sthe most I would get. He hummed for a bit (better than Hungary's Eurovision entry this year) and called, before I even flipped it over Ash Hussein was saying straight flush - am I that obvious?!
Left about 4.30am with a nice wad of £50s and loads of curly £20s (the cokeheads are ruining our banknotes) and drove home feeling quite happy. Good mood slightly dimmed by the other half pissed out of his skull and snoring for Britain, rendering even 2 hours sleep impossible.
Onto the cash table about 11.30pm, full table and pretty constant all night with only the occasional new face but always in the same two seats. Ash Hussien & Gareth "Nugget" Jones were there, Gareth being only the 2nd tightest player on the table for once, as Blackpool Ted (Gnashers) was doing his impression of Mt Rushmore, only not quite as good looking. The only time he lost all night was when he dropped a £1 chip under the table.
I started with the customary drop of a couple of hundred, in my usual manner of trying to outplay people I don't have the first clue about. Slowed down and started to watch a bit and once I felt comfy started standard raising of mediocre hands. Mediocre is actually bigging the hands up a bit if I'm honest.
Raised with 49s UTG (no idea why other than I was holding a strong table image so knew Icould C bet and probably get all callers to fold on most flops.) Flop came 9 4 9. which was nice. I bet straight out half pot and got one caller, a scouser called Billy who is a really nice kid and a decentish player. Now I know he's capable of floating me on the flop and raising on the river - he knows I would have to fold an overpair here if he represents the 9 well enough. I didn't know if he was going to bluff or of he actually had the 9 so decided to let him take the pace on the turn (6) so checked. Billy thought and then bet around half the pot. I reluctantly called, while giving him a load of tosh about "I don't know if I'm good enough to fold this hand" etc. The river was a 2 so I'm only beat by 69 (insert double entendre HERE) so I figure I'm good with my full house. I sat on then bet £25, saying "That's stopped you hasn't it? You thought I'd check agan and you can bet so I have to fold, but what you gonna do now, my bet has stopped your action etc" Billy smiled a little and slowly said raise, which he did, up to £70. Cue best gutted face from me. "thought" about it for a while then said "nice try - try this one for size - I'm allin." His turn to look suprised.
Now I know he obviously has a 9 now and as he hasn't insta called I also know he hasn't filled up (rocket science was my best subject at school) so I go to town on the talk. Laughing my head off I'm telling him he didn't expect that did he, he thought he could raise me and I'd go away, well nice try Billy but I've played you before, you haven't got a 9 and even if you have I know you're a good enough player that you know you can't call that unless you have a full house, which you don't right? So you have got to fold ha ha and so on" Kept telling him what a good player he was and how he knew he couldn't call it with just a bare 9 until he asked the dealer how much it was.. it was £275 more. He looked like he was going to fold, so I started telling him to save his money,how he knew I liked him and didn't want his dough, if he wasn't full he was behind so why not save your cash and pass... Did the trick - he called and I flipped the mighty 49 (he had K9)... bless him :D
Pulled a straight flush as well after raising with 4s6c, flop was 457 all clubs. turn was the 8 clubs, Hungarian guy called my bets on flop and turn then raised river, to which I more or less min raised as I figured that wa sthe most I would get. He hummed for a bit (better than Hungary's Eurovision entry this year) and called, before I even flipped it over Ash Hussein was saying straight flush - am I that obvious?!
Left about 4.30am with a nice wad of £50s and loads of curly £20s (the cokeheads are ruining our banknotes) and drove home feeling quite happy. Good mood slightly dimmed by the other half pissed out of his skull and snoring for Britain, rendering even 2 hours sleep impossible.
Thursday, June 24, 2010
ooh hello there
Once again - testing to see if this works. My blog is behaving just like me - very badly! Allowing access when it feels like it and refusing all other attempts - again, just like me.
Any PC whizzes email me on 2009cal@live.co.uk to tell me how to transfer all this blog to a new one - I don't want to start again!
I enjoyed reading the last post's comments, nice posts about my dick - how do these people know these things? I've gotta stop wearing these short skirts - the hairy ball sac hanging beneath the hemline is SUCH a give away. sigh.
Poker? PLayed a little, won a little, lost.... a little more :)
No doubt anyone familiar with me now knows I came third in the Women's World Open a couple of months ago - cue loads of new facebook buddies I've never met and have no mutual friends in common with. Not sure what they want from me - maybe they've heard about the penis thing and feel Thailand is just to far to go when you can get a homegrown one right here in the North.
Gearing up for a trip to Liverpool hopefully for the festival at the beginning of the month. I'll see if this allows me to post and more importantly, access it afterwards, then hopefully get back into blogging.
Any PC whizzes email me on 2009cal@live.co.uk to tell me how to transfer all this blog to a new one - I don't want to start again!
I enjoyed reading the last post's comments, nice posts about my dick - how do these people know these things? I've gotta stop wearing these short skirts - the hairy ball sac hanging beneath the hemline is SUCH a give away. sigh.
Poker? PLayed a little, won a little, lost.... a little more :)
No doubt anyone familiar with me now knows I came third in the Women's World Open a couple of months ago - cue loads of new facebook buddies I've never met and have no mutual friends in common with. Not sure what they want from me - maybe they've heard about the penis thing and feel Thailand is just to far to go when you can get a homegrown one right here in the North.
Gearing up for a trip to Liverpool hopefully for the festival at the beginning of the month. I'll see if this allows me to post and more importantly, access it afterwards, then hopefully get back into blogging.
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