People are stupid ..

I have spent the last 3 days playing golf, and this was gonna be a nice golf ramble, with assorted pics of courses where, labourers must have spent many laborious hours, cutting a railway track into a mountain.

The course now has a dis-used railway line, overlooking it .. and the labourers, must literally be turning in their grave ..

((Ok, I cant resist the pics, of both the railway line, and the buck on my local course, but that's the end of the digression)).

Have been reading a few fora, where people have been discussing how hard sports betting is, how thin edges are, and basically, ya da, ya da, woe is me.

Then, I come across this enterprising individual in the US, who installed self-deleting malware, on state lottery computers, so, it would pick certain combinations of numbers .. which, obviously, he had the winning tickets for.

http://calvinayre.com/2015/12/19/business/us-lottery-industry-under-fire-multi-state-jackpot-scam/

I admire the guys ingenuity .. sure, its illegal, but, really, when people are so stupid, as to not do due-diligence etc .. then, I can get past it. Lotteries are a tax on the poor anyway ..

This n that .. Golf stuff mostly

So, all year I have been banging on about my golf game.

It was a definite goal, to shoot a 90, on a proper course, and although I had sorta done it, never really convincingly, and never, with such flair.

I am bang in form. This isn't really a factor, but, maybe it helps u mentally, when sizing what shot to make/play .. (On a side note, its amazing how often when u tip something on twitter, if it wins, u hear nothing, but, if it loses, the world comes down on u) .. social media I guess.

Anyway, on my local 72 par course, I was level par after 9 holes, making 5 pars, 2 bogeys, and 2 birdies. One of the birdies, was on the stroke 2 hole - seriously hard, needing a 200 yard drive, followed by a 200 yard 3 Wood. I knocked the 3 wood to 8 feet, and made the putt.

This was real golf .. and maybe I tensed up, as the back 9 wasn't so good, finishing with a 84. Questions were asked again, and the handicap committee were not impressed, cutting me immediately to a 19.

The local T20 tournament in South Africa, has been ultra high variance .. your basic traders dream, with favs changing fairly often during the course of the game. I have tipped v well, and my confidence is sky high.

The semi is tomorrow in Durban .. the local side, with KP back, playing the Cobras. They played each other last week, and the Dolphins won .. but Levi got out cheaply .. as he often seems to do, when I watch him. I like the Dolphins to win the semi, but, Titans to win the final on Saturday.

S.Africa played poorly in India, and am not sure they are heading down the right road .. I think England are decent value, for the up-coming test series .. especially if Steyn isnt fit.

144th Open - St Andrews

Having almost got close to going to the Masters last yr (as a spectator/patron) .. my golf game isn't quite that good - I had the chance to wander round St Andrews, during the week when the open is being played.

Driving to the course, its v well signposted .. and u get funnelled to a park n ride, with buses operating v frequently, which drop u off outside the entrance.

As u can see .. entrance money is not cheap - even £25 for the practice days - and having reached the course at 5pm or so, just wanted to have a quick look round (the last bus going back, is at 7.30), so, really had little time.

The 3 ticket booths were not manned .. so, when going to the security area, when asked for my ticket, I clearly hadn't got one.

The security guy, said I couldn't come in !!

Ok, maybe he was doing his job, but, this cant be right. I wanted to pay - etc.

I asked he call his boss etc, and, v quickly, a compromise was established, where I would be escorted to the merchandising area, (free of charge), and then, my escort would lose me.

This was both good and bad. I couldn't fault the service, but, spent £700 on various shorts/caps etc .. I would have spent more, but the Ralph Lauren Golf jacket, all had v poor zips .. and for £160, it just was too much.

UPS are a sponsor - and have a concession outside the merchandise hall, where they will ship your goods. I had a 10kg box, which cost £15 .. hardly a bad deal .. and hope it gets home (overseas), ok.

On leaving the credit card killing zone, there is a Bobby Jones exhibit .. which I briefly looked around .. one of my favourite films, is The Legend of Bagger Vance - which I never knew, is played on a golf course, quite near the Masters - but, anyway - its about one of Bobby Jones' last rounds of gold, and its a v good film.

Anyway, after this, went out onto the course - free wifi - and was able to watch Tiger Woods, play 3 holes in a practice round, with Gary Woodland/Matt Kuchar and Jason Dufner .. which was all good.

The course is amazing .. I have to try come back, and play one day - even thou the bunkers, look a serious challenge.

I would have to rate the experience 10/10 ..

Radio Links

Sorry for the quiet spell ..

Been doing a lot of cricket, and playing golf .. hard life.

Have played 5 rounds with a 26 yr old, from Pretoria, who is trying to turn pro next yr, and we are having
fun .. He has a lot of time off .. from his job as a commercial pilot, which sees a downturn in work, this time of yr.

Played a lot of different courses, and managed to shoot 97, which put the magical 90, in range, but, reverted to mean, and shot 107 next outing .. so, althou am playing some good shots, there is no consistency.

Its coming, but, not sure, the 90, will be in danger any time soon.

Listening to the abject performance by England in Aus .. here are the radio links, for people outside the UK.

http://www.cricket.com.au/live/audio-stream

Swing in Progress ..

After the 2 disastrous rounds, shooting 114 and 116, I have made some radical changes.

Those games, made me depressed, and it was affecting my work life, so, had to do something.

I now have a longer back swing/follow-thru for my drives, coupled with a wider address. My irons, have a much narrower address, and less follow thru, but, it feels more controllable.

Am playing today and tomorrow, so, will post the results.


The poker has been going great. I came 5th in the Sunday $300 competition, and won the $100 last night.

This must be the 7 th or 8th time I have won in the last 3 mths, and people are starting to steer clear of me, (not raising my blinds), which, means I can steal even more !!

Its fun, when u get a decent stack, and can play with the table. I am developing some table talk .. there are 2 world-class talkers to learn from, in the usual games, and its a big help to your game.

Of the people I am now regularly final-tabling with, 4 have had scores of over $30k-$75k, and am looking forward to some WSOP events in November.

I have found a nice app, for calculating chip-chops at the end of tournaments .. Its called Poker Cruncher ICM, from the same stable as Poker Cruncher - an odds calculator, and its well worth the £2 or so.

I still dont do deals, until the last 3-4 people, but, it lets u realise, what your stack is worth, in relation to the final pay-outs.

Golf nightmares

Everything was going so well.

I have put the practise in, and was really looking forward to playing again at one of my favourite courses - Copperleaf, despite it recently being closed for Hollow Tine repairs .. Which adds extra sand to the greens.

Last time I played, I shot a v decent, 97, and was hopeful etc.

Didn't get much sleep, as had 7.00 am tee time, took a shedload on my 1st (the 10th), and never got going.

112 is Just embarrassing, and costly .. musta put 7 balls Out of bounds or in the water.

Playing again in Friday, but, not hopeful.



Deep sighs ..

Posted with Blogsy

Back to the Tables

Have been spending some time away, for many reasons, not least, summer is a good time to play golf.

I wont bore u with the trials and tribulations of my golf swing, but, one of the unchecked items on my 'bucket list' is to break 90, at a regular 72 handicap golf course, and realistically, I am a few years away.

There is hope, and I am working at it, but, its not in place yet ...

As a distraction to the golf, I am playing more poker, with mixed results.

My game has become less aggressive, which I don't really like, but, am valuing tournament life more, and waiting for later stages, before really, hitting the screws.

Still not seeing cards !! but, as ever, its not about the cards .. well it is sometimes ..


Regular Monday tourney, $80 freeze-out, has become less popular, and last nights event had maybe 35 runners.

Normal mix of regs and fish, thou, the fish are becoming better, and younger, graduating from the on line
economy.

Starting stack is a very restricting 5000, blinds 25/50, levels increase every 40 mins.

This tends to run v fast, till the last 2 tables, even final table, which can take ages.

Key hand, on my 1st table.

Stack - 6400 .. just above average, 31 players left.

In late position, I get 6♠, 8♠.

I call a min raise, of 125, so, with 4 players, there is 600 in the post.

Board comes down :   5♣, 7♥, A♠

Initial opener, bets, 225, and 3 callers, so, am priced in, even thou, its more chips than I want to use on a draw.

Turn is a meaningless, J♠, and the pot is 1600.

Initial raiser bets again, something like, 450. I know he has top pair, and if I hit my draw it will be good, and when the middle 2 players, fold, feel, I have to call, as I know I will get his chips, if I hit one of my 8 outs.

The river is a pretty looking 4♥, he checks, I bet 1500 into a pot of 2500, and he calls/mucks.

So, a good start.

The table then breaks, and I get moved next to my new nemesis, a v decent Indian player, who Carry's cards like he has them up his sleeve, and wont be put down, top 2.

I am concentrating my moves, in late position, and again in a 4 way pot, call an chunky pre-flop raise, with

6♦ , 9♦ 

Flop is, 6♠, 6♣, 10♦, which looks pretty good to me.

Its checked to me, and I bet, as people know, I am prone to do.

It eventually, gets all in, as he has the case 6♥, but his kicker is 5♥, and my 9 outkicks him, giving me 30k in chips, about 20% of those in play.

I get moved to the final table, and tangle almost immediately, with some of the smaller/weaker stakes.

Again in late position,  I get 4♣, 5♠.

Its cheap enough, so, I decide to raise. I get 3 callers.

Flop comes, a scary looking 10♠, 9♦, K♣

Everyone checks, I have uber-nothing, so, also check.

Turn comes, 4♠, and I decide to bet, and get one caller.

Obviously behind, probably tailed-off, the river, is 4♥, giving me trips, and clearly the best hand.

I bet 7000 chips, into a pot of 9000, and a pretty young women, who thinks I am bluffing, re-ships on me, for 15k more. I instanta call, show her the trips, the table gasps, and people really stay away from me, after that.

Top 4 places paid, and, at one stage, I had 45% of the chips in play, but, despite having 5 chances, to kill players off, the flips always went against me, and had to settle for an equal 1/3rd share, for about $400, at 2 a.m.

I would have played on, but had a golf game booked for 7am,  and I need my rest ...