Lay, Back and count your money!!!

I had been looking forward to last Thursday for a while as I tend to with any day off work that involves drinking and gambling with the boys. As it turned out, due to lack of interest, Royal Ascot at the dogs was downgraded to just 4 of us meeting in the bottom bar at the dogs. So instead of meeting for a buffet breakfast at 10.30am, I actually put a few hours in at work in the morning then jumped in a cab with Shawbags to meet the S&N boys at the dogs at 12ish.

As usual I didn't back one winner at the dogs but then again I never do! I had a few beers though and Shawbags managed to pull a bit. We did notice however by having betfair on the phone, that the odds the bookies on the track were writing up were complete bollox, but this did enable us to discount at least two dogs out of most races giving us a slight advantage.

With there being no 3-course meal laid on at the dogs we jumped in a cab and headed to the Milestone at Shalesmoor to watch Ascot, drink more beer and have a bite to eat. It's a really nice place with a hot barmaid,a Michelin star restaurant upstairs and STRAWBERRY BEER, that's right STRAWBERRY BEER! There's no bookies close by so we were all on the mobiles using the account betting and even though I didn't actually back a winner all day I managed to turn a £60 profit with 3 places on outsiders.

The crew disbanded about 6pm and I decided it might be a good idea to walk to the casino for the evening poker comp. which starts at 9pm. It's always a lot further than you think and when it starts to piss it down and I have to run it, I arrive wet through and with blisters on my feet due to running in silly shoes. I was totally fucked when I got there so the first drink was a mineral water but of course shortly followed up with a large G&T.

I played a bit of BJ while waiting for a cash table to get going and won £10. When the cash table starts the local knob is putting in blind bets b4 every hand starting and £3 then rising to £10 the more he misses. He was raising with any 2 and hitting inside str8's and runner runner miracles and after an hour of not even getting a playable hand to even call they call the last 3 hands cos they need to sort out the card room ready for the comp. On the 3rd of the last 3 I finally pick up a hand KK and when the knob has gone £10 blind and 2 call I push for £27 and get 2 callers and they stand up and I triple up.

While waiting for the comp to start and with a pot of chips from the last hand on the cash table I head for the roulette. I place a quid on each of my usual numbers and the first spin hits 5 right on the nose, the second spin hits 23 and when the 3rd spin misses me I leave and change 4 ponies back into cash. Still waiting for the comp. to start I sit at the 3-card poker and proceed to win 5 hands in a row netting another £50 notes, which puts me level for the day even with the comp still to play and having paid the £110 bar bill at the Milestone.

It's 1.30am and there's 13 left in the comp. with blinds at 1k/2k and me sat with 18k. I raise in early with KQ off to 6k the table folds to the BB who pushes and has me covered. Looking at my watch I decide it's past my bedtime and time to do or die. I read him for a mid pair anyway so it's fold and be left with a very short 12k or win a race for 40k and I decide the latter is the better option. When he flips his cards it's JJ and not much different from what I thought but as usual I don't win the race and get a cab home.

Once again though, even though it was a poor turn out, a very enjoyable day was had and thanks goes to those who did turn up for making it so.

As for the euros I'm still alive in the predicta comp. I'm running and may even make the money. On an individual note I won a bit on the Ruskies beating the dutch although it would have been much more had they done it in the 90. Further to that I have backed the Ruskies to lift the trophy as they performance against the Van Bastards team was the best so far in the comp. for me. I can't see the Turks beating the Germans unless money has changed hands and I'm doubting it's gonna be worth a bet unless you are gonna put your house on it! I will however be backing the Ruskies to beat Spain of course!!!

Ooh just one more thing, Betfair have invited me to Bramall Lane to take part in their 'Betfair Education' Seminar on 30th June, where they teach you how to trade effectively using dummy accounts and funds - Should be Fun! (with free nibbles - hmmm nice!!!)

Poker sucks by the way but I'm off to DTD on Thursday to try again, so If anyone is going I will see you there!

The Wheels Have Fallen Off!!!

All I can say is that I hope that the Italians bite the Dutch in the arse and knock them out in the semi's, it will serve them right! Van Bastard and his team are obviously in bed with the bookie's and no doubt the Romanian's have made more money in betting on that match last night than they do in two years back home; so forgive me for screaming ITS BENT!!!!

My book last night on Romania was huge (for me that is) and virtually all my bets singles, doubles, trebles and accumulators involved the Romanian's beating the Dutch. So the wheels have well and truly COME OFF!!!

Online poker sucks big time also and after progressing quite far in a massive tournament field last nite, when looking healthy, some Muppet re raises me all in pre when I'm holding the Kowboys and of course his AQ off suit is a monster when the first card on the flop is the bullet - right through my fuckin skull!!!

No doubt I will do my nut at Ascot tomorrow also, so will have the razor blades sharpened in anticipation!!!

It's a good job it's only money - ffs!!!

I'm Actually quite enjoying it - How Bizzare!!!

I am of course speaking of Euro 2008. It has been made more watchable due to the fact that I have peddled my usual predicta competition around Friends & Family and various local firms. We managed a reasonable 57 entries @ £2.50, so with 4 places paid first prize comes in at a respectable £70 for your nominal entry fee (Better than a kick in the cock!). More Importantly though it actually gets you watching the games and bothered about the results!

As usual I am doing totally fuck all, but I'm sure if I ever won it people would scream fixed! Although on a personal note I had a nice double yesterday on the Croat's to beat the Gerry's and the Cellar Dwellers to draw with the Pole's. I was down at DTD playing the £50+5 f/o but was watching it on the big screens, which aren't actually that big but my eyes are failing me. So when there's a penalty shout in the 92nd minute with the Pole's winning 1-0 and the guy in the seat next to me says it's to Poland, I resign myself to another loss, especially when it hits the back of the net with ease. But wait, what's this, even my eyes aren't that bad that I can't see the scoreboard looks like 1-1 not 2-0 'GET IN' I shout and when the final whistle goes shortly after, I've actually won!!!

Unbelievably, the croat's were 5/1 (how can you not take that bet?) and the draw was 9/4 on the pole's so combined in the double I got 19.5/1 - BUZZIN!!!

Back to the DTD live event. I bubbled 15th of 101, when short stacked under the gun with 10k and the blinds at 800/1600, 8 players at the table with a 200 running ante, I looked down to see 77 and obviously pushed (what else are u gonna do?) One call next door but one then a shorter stack allin and I wasn't feeling confident going to the flop 3-way, hoping they both had big aces. Facing 88 (doh!) and AQ I needed a miracle and of course it didn't come as it never does for me. Everytime I have been to DTD I've made the last 2 tables but just can't get to the final table, I'm sure when I do I will win it from there.

Played a bit of cash on Bet365 but had to reload when 55 hit a runner runner flush to beat my AA after I called his $80 allin bet on the flop with a pot of $20 on a flop of 466. I am really getting pissed off with the online, it's such bingo! However, it seems it's like the ex-girlfriend that you really don't like anymore and all the reasons for ditching her are still valid, but when you see her out and you've had some stella you just seem to end up in bed with it again!!!!

Royal Ascot next week and I'm looking forward to that one. They are doing another special day down at Owlerton Dog Track on the Thursday dubbed 'Royal Ascot at the Dogs' and one the guys has sorted us a table out, so reluctantly I will have to go (Tee Hee!) It makes for a great day if you can't get to Ascot @ £20/£25 per head you get a buffet style breakfast at 10.30am followed by dog racing then a 3-Course meal and Ascot on the big screens in the bar. Followed by a buffet for tea in the casino next door from 5.30ish and if you want you can stay and play the £10 rebuy NL Holdem which starts at 9pm - assuming you can still stand at that point after all the Guiness!!!

Can't wait......Come on Romania tonight stuff them Pizza boys!!!

Forgive me Father for I have Sinned....

.........It's been 20ish days since my last confession!

Reading Game's top 100 songs I'm tempted to think he rushed his list a bit, seeing as there is no appearence for 'The Whole of the Moon' from the Waterboys. I can totally agree with 'November Rain' but also see no sign of 'Invisible Touch' - Genesis and surely 'Borderline' is the best Madge track; although I guess music is like art - a very personal thing!

Still a very odd compilation though and I am convinved to this day that Rhianna and her fuckin umbrella was responsible for the floods of July last year, as it only stopped raining when she was removed from the number one spot!!!

Although the floods were bad for a lot of people in our area last year, in my line of work they wer fantastic and saw a 65% increase in turnover in July 2007 and I am doing the rain-dance on a daily basis, praying for more of the same this year so I can once again buy a Porsche after the missus made me sell the last one, because it wasn't practical - Doh!!!

Nice to see a post from Gids again. I just downloaded 365 again as I have decided once again that Laddies hates me! It's all changed though and is no longer using the microblaming s/ware but is on the same network as Betfred which I have also just got fed up with beacuse it's more like Foxy Bingo! Last year before I went on hols I was returning a tidy little profit of £600 a month on Betfred simply playing low level mtt's, but since returning for hols in October I have had no significant win since; and as an mtt player of my ability (toot toot) I find that hard to believe. The main problem is the amount of players and their bingo skills, if I could get to a final table I'm sure I could win it, as I usually do, but there's too much shit to wade through to get there. So 365 is out of the window, cos' it's the same s/ware and network.

Anyway, I'd had an email from 'Ace's Trumper' about how I'd apparently got some MPP's at DTD which were worth some real Grot's to spend in the club. Now, as a frequent frequenter of that luxurious joint I thought I would give DTD online another whirl and see about increasing those points, so I deposited £100 and after a couple of sessions of on cash I was up about £36 and tried my hand at the Sunday nite £5k gtd $25+2, which I duly won for $1500. I had some bits of fortune on the way but to be honest I was outstanding (TooT TooT! - LOL!) and when I reached the final table it was never really in doubt. I withdrew half of it to keep the missus happy and proceeded to win a bit on cash sitting with £40 the other day on a £0.50/1 and leaving with £186, but the last few days the luck seems to have turned.

I had an email from Sheffield Dogs the other day as we booked our works xmas do there last year and have done again this year as everyone thoroughly enjoyed it, they have just relaid the track and refurbed the Sportsman's Tavern and the boxes at a cost of £125k and were inviting me down with upto 4 friends (Free entry, Race Card and Free Pint), so how could I refuse? One of the mates and me went down on Saturday night, although we didn't get there for the 1st race due to my 7yr old locking the car keys in the car when we went to Blockbuster's just before I was due to go out.

I'd only sent him to fetch the DVD we were returning from the car and he'd decided it might be a good idea to put the keys in the ignition and try and start it. Luckily it has a safety feature and wont start unless the clutch is depressed, unfortunatley it also has a feature where you have to press a button to release the keys from the ignition. When I stick my head out of Blockbuster's door wondering why it's taking him so long, he shouts ' I cant get the keys out' ,I'm thinking what's he on about. He runs over with the DVD shutting the car door but must have locked the doors with the key fob while trying to get the keys out, so when we return to the car we can't get in- marvellous!!! I had to call out Green Flag, who after eventually getting there took minutes to break - Scary!!!

Back to the Dogs, I had a mare! not one winning bet all nite. Even when two dropped out of one race with one in season and the other lame and my allways forecast was still on and I thought my luck was in; the only dog I hadn't backed romped it - UNBELIEVABLE!!! I had money in my pocket to spend though and I spent it, got suitably drunk and put the world to rights and managed two hot roast pork baps with everything on aswell.

Luckily my mate managed to bundle me in a taxi as I was heading for the bright lights of the casino next door, so the night didn't cost me too much.

I'm off to DTD on Thursday and thoroughly looking foward to it, I've not been for a while since having the new rugrat. With any luck I'll be meeting up with Richard(RickyZ) Robinson, who I've not seen for what must be years!!! I also think that Ron (RocketRon) Barnes and his lovely wife will be there and my mate Keith (Wats) Watson is also going so it should be a good nite win or lose; although it's about time I won one at DTD, I've had some awful luck there so far always being there or thereabouts.

So if anyone wants to join us, feel free - It's about time some of us met up (Gids, Game etc.!!!)