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Firstly, thanks very much for the lovely comments following last week’s Mother’s Day blog. They’re testament to the great people who are involved in the forum. I am not sure I can ever top that… maybe I should quit while I am ahead – ha ha!
Last week’s balance £449.87
Things started well when I won 8 out of 10 TDYMs on Monday and there were no bad runs following that so after 50 £11 TDYMs, 4 Timed Tournies and the Mission Las Vegas Freeroll it is £532.22 – a good week!
On Wednesday lunchtime as the TDYMs were quiet I played a Timed Tournie in which I came 5th for £13.50 profit. It seemed pretty easy to cash (I thought!) so I played 3 more but got knocked out of each. They have interesting dynamics with the number of chips rather than finishing position determining the size of your prize. I guess they are closer to a cash game.
Also won £6.25 in the Mission Las Vegas freeroll.
During the week my account reached a new “high watermark” since April 2015 of £549. £9 more than the previous “record” that I hit in early February. I like to hit new highs as it means long term I am not heading in the wrong direction. It gives reassurance and encourages me to stick to my game during downswings. I wouldn’t have reached that level without making at least £5 a week in rake back but I guess it all counts.
Away from poker, I am still breaking new ground with my car. Mum has been under the weather with an eye infection so on Tuesday I went to my first football match on my own. With Chester been such a small club I know many of the staff and stewards there so I wasn’t completely going into the unknown. I also let them know my plans in advance.
Some of my cousins used to step in if my mum couldn’t attend a match but they were all busy on Tuesday so I would have missed the game if I hadn’t learnt to drive. That made me really pleased and delighted to be there even though, despite playing well against a strong Barrow team, Chester lost.
Then on Thursday I drove to Colwyn Bay and sat in my van on the prom in the pouring rain. Doesn’t sound very exciting but it was another milestone for me as it was the furthest I had driven. There was quite a spectacular rainbow over the wind farm out in the bay!
I also went much further down the A55 before my arm that controls the steering tiller began to get numb so I’m getting stronger. My shoulder was aching the next day but I want to put in a long drive at least once a week to build myself up. Soon I’ll be going all over the country!
On Friday I went to the Blue Planet Aquarium in Ellesmere Port with my mate, Steve. It has been open almost 20 years but I had never been before even though it is not too far from where I live. Many people said it is over priced for what’s there (especially compared to nearby Chester Zoo) but, I think because I went with low expectations, I really enjoyed it. Watching the fish was very relaxing and being in the tunnel under the main tank with sharks inches away from my head was cool. Especially being able to see them close up in so much detail.
Last week’s balance £532.22
This week’s games
50 £11 TDYMs
3 Timed Tournies (2 x £11, 1 x £3.30)
Mission Las Vegas Freeroll
Grand National Freeroll
Current Balance = £462.32
Not a good week but within the variance range for the volumes I play.
Struggled to make much head way in the Mission Las Vegas freeroll and exited 99th, 20+ places from a cash after trip 2s were covered by trip 10s when I went All In post flop.
No joy in the Grand National Freeroll either but dubious play by me on that occasion. Called an All In with AK against an opponent with a slightly smaller chip stack. They had pocket 8s and I didn’t hit. Half the field remained although I was miles behind the leader. But maybe it was worth the gamble to move up the leaderboard rather than be a nit for an hour just to min cash.
I do enjoy a freeroll with a big prize however…
I got knocked out of the 3 Timed Tournies but I am going to persevere with a few a week just to see if I can get the hang of them. I am not sure whether I have been unlucky or if I need to be more patient. I am writing notes on each game I play to see if I can spot any trends.
Away from poker it has been a contrasting week football wise.
At Chester FC I contribute a fiver a month to the Squad Builder fund in which fans pay directly into the playing budget. Nice to feel as though you can make a difference however small. The total income from the scheme is enough to fund one extra player per season.
On Tuesday, all contributors were invited to the ground to meet the players at the end of their training session and to have a Q&A with the Manager and CEO. We were there for 2 hours and had some fascinating insights behind the scenes. At one point, the Manager was at the white board explaining team formations – it was like Monday Night Football but without the fancy graphics – just magnetic counters!
Then on Wednesday I went to watch Liverpool at Anfield for the first time since 2010 when Gillett and Hicks brought in Roy Hodgson to play mind-numbing budget football after they got out of their depth financially.
My cousin Ade who used to take me to see Liverpool had a big birthday last month. I asked him if he wanted a rare and expensive bottle of whisky as a present but he said he’d prefer it if we went to Anfield. I asked my mother if she’d like to come too – she regularly comes to Chester but had never been to Liverpool.
When we phoned to book tickets they said all the wheelchair bays were sold out until the end of the season but there were spaces if we took a hospitality package. So, for the price of a weekend away in Europe, we saw the Bournemouth game. This is progress, however, as before the new stand was built last summer the hospitality areas were inaccessible to wheelchair users.
The redeveloped section is very impressive. It was like going to a completely new ground. There is a totally different culture too – staff everywhere with big, friendly smiles offering to help. They were in addition to the usual “sit down & shut up” match stewards!
Outside the ground there were more food outlets than previously and live music. It was so good that there didn’t seem that much of a bonus to being in hospitality where the same fast food was being served as a two piece band sang in the corner. There were higher levels of hospitality available with a proper sit down 3 course meal and I think that’s what I was expecting deep-down even though I knew from the website’s blurb that we were going to be in a “sports bar”.
There were some advantages. We were under cover in the warm, the prettiest staff had been allocated to the hospitality area and we were briefly in the presence of Phil Babb…. Hmmmmm… I was once asked to name my worst Liverpool XI and said Phil Babb eleven times!
It was certainly a World away from Chester FC, and indeed, a huge change from what going to Anfield used to be like.
It was a great experience and I had a brilliant view of the game from a platform what was on the same level as the TV cameras. Usually the wheelchairs are located pitchside where your view is obscured by stewards, photographers, managers and subs warming up.
The score wasn’t so good. After Coutinho went off because he felt unwell, Liverpool lost their offensive momentum and conceded a late equaliser.
It is not something I could afford every week and, to be honest, I think the novelty would soon wane causing it to become “routine”.
…and so it was back to Chester FC on Saturday afternoon. In comparison to what I saw at Anfield the ball was given away far more often but there were 3 fantastic shots – two of which hit the post but the other smashed into the back of the net adding to the goal scored in an incisive break away move early in the game. Unfortunately, these chances were all for York City enabling the side which is struggling to get out of the relegation zone to take an important 3 points from their 2 nil victory. Chester were very poor and created few chances, I can only remember one shot on target.
Perhaps I need to contribute more than a fiver a month to Squad Builder!
Saturday felt like “proper” football rather than a corporate event and, back on Tuesday, it meant alot to be personally greeted so warmly by our Manager, Jon McCarthy, when I arrived for the Q&A session. We have met a few times in the past.
More than anything it was great to be able to enjoy two contrasting sides to the beautiful game in the same week.
I have the same problem with my mum. We are exposed to all the elements at the front of the stand. Before I passed my driving test and could go on my own, I missed a fair few games because it was just too cold for her... even though I am now more independent, if it's chucking it down with rain the motors on my powered wheelchair stop working and I am immobile. That happened once a few years ago when there was a heavy shower near the end of a game. The chair had to be put out of gear and pushed to the car. It took days for them to dry out!
With the small nature of Chester FC the disabled supporters are able to liaise with the board over improving facilities - the directors are our fellows fans who we know from the stands. In some cases, they are even our relatives!
What we have found is that converting the existing stand to accommodate a raised platform costs the equivalent of building an entirely new structure and so they have decided to work towards that - which of course takes time... alot of time. But in the great scheme of football £250k is peanuts, certainly at the higher levels.
The most frustrating thing is grounds such as Stoke. I went to an away game there with Liverpool about 10 years ago. The wheelchairs were up on a platform and the whole pitch was visible when I first took my position but then all the other fans came in and stood in front of me - away supporters never sit down - and I couldn't see a thing!
At least at Liverpool they had taken that into account and I could see over everyone even when things got exciting and they stood up.
Last week’s balance £462.32
This week’s games
48 £11 TDYMs
3 Timed Tournies (2 x £11, 1 x £3.30)
Current Balance = £319.68
Deary me, 2 weeks ago I was crowing about hitting a new high watermark but this week I have hit a new low since moving up to £11 TDYMs. Post reg I was down to £270 this evening. When I hit the high-point I thought I must be doing something right so now I have reach a new low… I must be doing something wrong!
Certainly, my experimentations with the Timed Tournies hasn’t helped although I finally cashed in one this week for the princely sum of £2.13! But the amount I have lost on those doesn’t account for all of the downswing. I am hoping it’s just variance – I seem to have had a heck of a lot of “variance”, both good and bad, since beginning this blog!
Easter is a big weekend for motorsport. My Sky+ box has been, and probably will be for the rest of the week until I have seen it all, awash with F1, F2, Touring Cars, ELMS, WEC, Superbikes and, from my home circuit of Oulton Park, British GTs.
So far I have watched the F1 and F2 from Bahrain. All good stuff. Am pleased that there is far more overtaking F1 than I feared even with the more advanced aero. Melbourne was abit dull but China and Bahrain have been entertaining… and the second F2 race was a belter.
I look forward to the British GT Championship coming to Oulton as it is one of my favourite categories and headed over for Friday’s test day. With fewer spectators it was easier to move around.
There was a diverse range of beautiful cars that made a fabulous noise. Some say it’s wrong that an equivalence formula is applied that adds weight and reduces power for those who are successful but it prevents any manufacturer spending a fortune to build an extreme racer that causes everyone else to give up and go home – killing the category.
It is quite hilarious to see the Bentley GT towering over all the low-slung supercars – the way Bentleys should – while still travelling at a heck of a rate of knots.
While wandering round the paddock, my path was temporarily blocked by a couple of McLaren 570S’s – being up close they were just draw droppingly beautiful.
But the best thing about GT racing is the noise. Usually, I prefer to watch motor racing at the corners to see the skill of the drivers but for these cars I went to Clay Hill where the engines were under full load on the run up from the Hislops/Knickerbrook complex.
What I loved was listening to the different character of all the noises – the Bentley was like a World War 2 bomber, the Ferrari had a hard, angry metallic edge as though it was screaming “Come on! Go faster…”, the McLarens were surprisingly quiet due to having turbos muffling the passage of spent gasses through the exhausts I suppose, the Aston Martins were merrily fruity but best of all was the ground-shaking Armageddon bass of the Mercedes-AMG. You could feel the shockwaves in your chest.
No better way to spend a Good Friday.
Last week’s balance £319.68
This week’s games
30 £11 TDYMs
Current Balance = £254.71
The bad run continues. As Jac35 says on his blog, the TDYMs seem to have got tougher – fewer recs with it being summer? Unless things turn around, I’ll have to drop down to £5 TDYMs. I find that tough to do, don’t like giving in and admitting defeat!
I have been too busy to play as much poker this week so I am not even going to get a “free” fiver from rakeback tomorrow. A trio of deadlines meant my big toes have been bashing out a total of 8,000 words.
This has been my biggest project http://brsccff1600.co.uk/files/National%20FF%20170409.pdf which involved speaking to all the Formula Ford 1600 drivers who recently raced at Brands Hatch. Well, when I say speaking… as my mouth doesn’t form the words in a fashion most people can understand, the communication takes place via email and Facebook PMs. Thank heavens for the internet.
Also, went to Anglesey yesterday to watch the motor racing there. My cousin Ade shot some video which illustrates just what a fabulous location it is in. I will post a link when I have edited it together.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GorSmz39uMA&t=5s
Two classes of car are featured in the clips. The ones that look like Bugsy Malone on acid are called Legends and the other is the Sports/Saloon Championship which is open to anything loosely based on a road car. It always reminds me of the Whacky Races.
It's hard to describe how beautiful a location the circuit is in. You have to see it.
and.... yes, I do love mucking around matching video to music. That song is a great one for car racing, Sky F1 often use it for their montages
8,000 words - with your toes. It beggars belief.
QF is the GOAT.
I am not aware of playing any differently, I just seem to be hitting the river cards that others were hitting last week.
Gotta love that v-word.
@Tikay... once I start writing about cars, I can't stop!
Last week’s balance £254.71
This week’s games
101 £11 TDYMs
1 £11 Timed Tournie – another loss but as only 7 out of 23 got to the end maybe I shouldn’t be so surprised to get knocked out of so many
Current Balance = £255.01
So, as I mentioned when I posted the video of Anglesey in the middle of the week, things started well and I got all the way up to £370+ but then early on Friday evening I had a really bad run - I did jinx myself replying to MP33! - after which I ended up back where I started!
With not having much in the way of writing commitments I was able to put in lots more volume than usual enabling me to get £12.75 in rakeback tomorrow… a number which always makes me think of the Mini 1275GT – the “hot” model used for racing with the square bonnet from the (original) Clubman.
Been quite an undramatic week… well aside from the poker up and downswings. Went out to lunch with my mate Steve who I met through work in 1990. I drove him to three country pubs but all had been closed down when we got there which is not a good sign for the rural economy. The fourth was open so we didn’t starve to death but it was a close run thing as there was a huge queue with people heading to Wales for the Bank Holiday. As we drove for an hour it was all good practice for me to be behind the tiller.
I went to the final game of the season at Chester. Another defeat… we finished two places about the relegation zone and, having been on such a bad run not having won at home for 8 games, it is a good job the season wasn’t a few weeks longer.
I have not had too lucky a weekend! ...but things could be worse
This week, after about 30 TDYMs, it is £297.76
My poker week ended last Wednesday afternoon when my pc died. Been shuttling back and forth to my mate's on The Wirral trying to get it fixed. Being a new driver, I found driving at motorway speeds daunting but at least having spent so much time on the M53 (The Wirral's motorway) I now feel more comfortable.
My friend thought it was just the power cable that had blown on my computer and he had a spare in the loft but he never had a monitor connected when he tested it. When I got home, although it powered up, the Windows unlock screen never appeared.
Been abit of saga. It may just have blown the graphics card in which case my mate can fit a replacement, if not a new pc will be required. He was meant to collect it on his way home from work on Friday but he forgot (rolls eyes to the heavens) and then we were both busy over the weekend. I dropped it off at his work this morning and... just as I typed "work" he pinged me... looks like he has got it going. It worked straight away too so perhaps my mum didn't put all the plugs in that were required.
I really hope he has got it going as I have had to use my 10 inch tablet which is great when I go out as I use it to type "chat" to be people via Notepad but using it for the internet drains the battery and I have had to use it sparingly especially as the Formula Ford 1600s were at Oulton Park on Saturday. I had lots of media work and didn't have any battery life spare to play poker with.
Not sure when I will be pokering again as I have a big report to write for the Formula Fords. I am bringing in some journalism students to give me a hand later in the season so should have more time in a month or two.
I just wanted to touch base with my poker friends in case they worried I had gone bustio!
Hopefully your computing problems will now be resolved
Yes, I heard about that car when I was at Oulton on Saturday. I should have asked for a drive! Although they have hand controls rather than foot controls.
There is an annual long distance Mazda MX5 race for injured ex-servicemen at Anglesey every Remembrance Sunday. Everyone pulls into the pits at quarter to 11 for a Remembrance Service then off they go racing again.
Motorsport has become an important activity in rehabilitating many injured soldiers. It gives them back a purpose in life and also provides an adrenalin rush without getting shot at! Some even do the Dakar Rally (which now held in South America as there were too many gunmen lurking in Africa) in an adapted Land Rover.
The computer was returned today. It's great to be back on a 24 inch monitor rather than the 10 inch tablet. It seems huge.
No time for poker at the moment though. Just dropped in to see how everyone is doing. Great to read Dohhhhhhh's latest post... and then you got me talking about motor racing!
Last week’s balance £297.76
This week’s games
11 £11 TDYMs
Current Balance = £339.06
Yes, I know I said I wouldn’t be playing poker for a month due to my writing commitments but the lure was too strong and I had 5 games on Friday night… and won them all. So, of course, I then had to play 5 – or 6 – more tonight to ensure I got my £2.30 Tournie Token but I only won 3 of the 6. Nice to be up on the week though.
Also, took a break from the writing on Wednesday to go to Delamere Forest as the weather was glorious, if a tad cool in the shade. I had a trundle around the mere. The colony of screaming seagulls on the islands in the middle was deafening. Not sure what they were doing there – it’s not on the coast and no one was eating chips. They may have been loud but they didn’t worry me as they were “mere gulls”… ho ho ho. I’ll get my coat.
I have been to the forest with my cousins but this was the first time I had been on my own. When I first got my outdoor wheelchair I wondered about going on the train as there is a station right in the middle of the forest but with my speech being not too clear I would have needed a note in my seat belt saying “I wanna go to Delamere” but how would I have got back home?
I suppose if I had planned ahead, I could have got my mum to ring the station and booked everything in advance but on Wednesday I made a spur of the moment decision to go… and got in my van and went. No need to rely on any third parties understanding my needs. I took myself down on the tail lift after I parked up and off I trundled.
I was back at Oulton Park on Saturday albeit on a busman’s holiday with no writing duties. It was a meeting run by the Aston Martin Owner’s Club so there were plenty of mouth-watering cars including one that I had never heard of – a Ginetta G10. I did some Googling when I got home. Only 2 or 3 were made and this is believed to be the only surviving example. It had actually won the only contemporary race it contested at Brands Hatch in 1965 before the company moved on to other projects.
That day it’s 4.7 litre Ford V8 engine was just too powerful for the E-type Jaguars it was competing against. History repeated itself at Oulton this weekend when the Ginetta growled its way to victory down the straights as the drivers of the E-types valiantly took the corners right on the limit trying to keep up. It was a fabulous sight to see the beautiful Jags being driven on the throttle. For those who are not petrol heads, that means the guys were deliberately skidding the rear wheels to turn the car through the corners rather than using the steering wheel.