So here’s why:

Firstly, a few days after I got back from ‘THE’ birthday celebration I did one of those little tests…you know the ones J…Anyway, yep me and Andy have another little bundle of joy arriving this year  – Another little Alek-Lorenzo would be perfect!! We’d always wanted Alek to have a little brother or sister around the same age as him – d’you know what? I actually think he knows what’s going on, he’s always kissing my belly and resting his head on it…He’s so cute!

(by the way, it’s another BOY! Any name suggestions would be grateful, anything to get Andy off of his favourite, he wants ‘PRINCE’! Yep PRINCE! PRINCE PYRAH!! He says it’ll open doors for him when he starts looking for a job!)

So what else…mmm let me see….oh yeah how could I forget!! AS IF I WOULD FORGET THIS! Andy proposed to me on 30^th December whilst we were in Sicily for my god daughters christening!

Andy doesn’t speak a word of Italian and on the last night about 8 of us went out for dinner, at the end of the dinner Andy asked me to translate 3 things to the rest of the table 1) A thank you for everyones hospitality etc 2) A thank you to my sister and her husband for asking him to be Godfather and 3) Whether I’d marry him! So basically I asked myself if I would marry him – Only Andy could do that!

I wasn’t expecting it at all, he’d always said that 2008 was ‘my year’ (cheeky bastard!) and he did it with a day to go…The ring is B-E-A-Utiful, amazing…it’s from the Queens own personal jeweller too just to make it a little more special J

So, that really brings you up to speed (as ol’ man Pyrah would say) with what’s been going on – Apart from that we’re moving to Richmond later this month and that we’re off to Mauritius tomorrow for a week!! Woop woop! It’s a ‘little’ present for Andy, it was his birthday earlier this week (31! He still only shaves once a month!) and back in the summer I decided I wanted to organise something special for him, at the time he was going through some really tough times at the office as he was involved in a massive court case (complicated story) so I sorted out a once in a lifetime experience at THE best hotel in the world as a birthday present for him…he’s had a tough year but as he keeps telling me ‘there’s light at the end of the tunnel’…

Right must go, gotta pack…mmmmmm what does a girl wear at a place like the ‘One & Only Le Saint Geran’ hotel….Somebody pinch me!

X

(I promise I’ll be back!)

A snippet from the article below:

…Bankaholic.com is a one-man WordPress blog run by 22-year-old Johns Wu, who just got the deal of a lifetime when he sold it to BankRate for $15 million, proving that blogging dreams really can come true…

The rest of the article can be viewed at http://www.webpronews.com/topnews/2008/10/07/size-doesnt-always-matter-authority-does

Courtesy of www.webpronews.com – Author Chris Crum.

Anyway, this got me wondering…Can you imagine how the conversation went between John and BankRate when they showed some interest in buying his blog? Here’s my version of how the deal was brokered…

<<Ring ring, ring ring>> goes Wu’s top of the range Samsung mobile…

JW: Hello?

BR: Is this Bankaholic.com?

JW: Yeah…

BR: I’m calling from BankRate blah blah blah and we’d like to buy your blog…

JW: Oh yeah,…Really, it’s not for sale…and I’m busy, I’m in the middle of Resident Evil on my Wii…

BR: But you haven’t heard our offer…

JW: Yeah I know…but I’ve just got to level 14 and I’ve never made it this far…

BR: we’d like to offer you at least 10 for it…

<<PAUSE>>

JW: 10? (Cheeky bastards it cost me at least 15 thousand to build)…Are you taking the piss? It’s worth at least 20…

BR: You drive hard bargain sir but our absolute maximum is $12 million, we just don’t value it at $20 million…

JW: Excuse me? $12 million? Is this a wind up?…

BR: Ok ok sir, $15 million is our last offer, we just can’t go any further…

<<PAUSE>>

<<PAUSE>>

JW: Let me have a think ok yes!

Anyway, I take my hat off to the guy for building something so quickly (actually, I’ll take a lot more off if John Wu wants J !) – So any offers for Albacasucci.com?

xxx

·         $100 Instant Cash Bonus – unlike most new deposit bonuses you do not have to earn this to receive it, therefore it can’t expire. Your 1^st deposit will receive a 50% bonus. Maximum bonus is $100 ($200 deposit required) or you can get a $10 bonus with a $20 deposit…..or $25 bonus with a $50 deposit and so on…

·         $100,000 Poker League – Cash prizes every month for top MTT performers;

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·         Poker Points – Save for entry to live events or online freerolls and satellites;

·         Over 250 Free to enter tournament monthly – Prizes includes cash, Live Events, and monthly $5,000 freeroll.

Also, on the 22^nd October 2008 I have my very own free to enter tournament being held at Poker Trillion – Again, if you download via my smiley face, go to ‘Tournaments’, then ‘Private’ you’ll see it there…The password to enter is….wait for it….34dd

Lol xxx

(If you’re ever at the tables at Poker Trillion then look out for me, my screen name is ‘Nanow’….Say hello)

I’ve been replaying my exit hand over and over in my head since about 5.30pm on Saturday (immediately after I got knocked out first!), and no doubt I’ll continue to beat myself up about it until the next time I play…

But here it is for you guys…

Me: 3h 8c

Eliza: 7d 8d

I ‘think’ it was my big blind and Eliza calls from 2^nd position, everyone folds and I ‘check’ (perhaps I should have raised?);

The flop comes 3,7,7

I bet about half the pot with my pair of 3’s and Eliza calls with her trips;

The turn comes a 3!

I bet again and Eliza calls;

The river comes a Queen;

I bet again and Eliza moves all-in…and after a little bit of time I call…..and there you have it, I’m knocked out in 6^th place! 33377 against 77733…

So, I think I could have folded, Andy says I couldn’t and the other players in the ‘green room’ said it was difficult to fold…What do you guys think, HELP needed please!

Anyway, my heat turned out to be a bit of a heat of death according to Andy, apart from last year’s winner Beverley Pace and regular player Deborah Rogers playing, the 3 ‘unknowns’ we were told I was playing against turned out to be Eliza Burnett (Poker Europa magazine editor), India Storrar (regular on Full Tilt and Nik Persuad’s girlfriend! – Nik is number 2 in Europe at the momenty!) and Debi Clark (regular TV tournament player)…The last one was slightly awkward for Andy…Debi is the other half of Bob ‘the butcher’ Clarke who was an old business partner of Andy’s…Let’s just say their split wasn’t exactly amicable which I’m sure made for some interesting action in the green room! But anyway, Debi was really funny at the table nonetheless.

But I s’pose if I want to improve as a player then I’ve gotta play against good players, bring on the Devilfish in Ireland in January!

Lastly though, Eliza did take me and Andy out for dinner along with her boyfriend Az after in South Kensington – It was the least she could do for knocking me out! J Only joking, it was a great end to a nice day – thanks guys.

xxx

HIS STRATEGY??!!

The messages are up again around the flat…”Raise this, fold that” in the bathroom…”Bet this, check that” in the kitchen…”Play this hand, check-raise when this happens” in the Ironing bag! IN THE IRONING BAG! (Only the nanny gets to see that darling, she does your ironing not me…hahaha!!)

Anyway, this Saturday (tomorrow) I’m going to the 3 Mills Studio in East London to play in a $3000 televised tournament called the ‘PartyPoker.com Womens World Open II’. In my heat I’ve been drawn against last years winner Beverley Pace (GREAT! Thats all I need!) as well as Deborah Rogers (who Andy tells me goes to the Sportsman every now and then) so I’m sure she’ll be shocked to see me sitting next to her…and 3 ‘unknown’ players.

To say I’m a little nervous is a huge understatement but I can’t help but think why I’m nervous…1) I’ve played on TV before & 2) It’s not my bloody money I’m playing with!! J

I shouldn’t really have said number two but hey, there’s not really any pressure on ME, the pressure’s on Andy…He’d better have taught me well because after all…as they say…50% of fuck all is well…fuck all!!

But anyway, I’m sure I’ll enjoy myself…You’ll know if I do well or not but the length of time it takes me to tell you all how I got on…one way or another though you’ll find out, Matchroom Sport the organisers have sold it to Channel Five here in the UK and no doubt to about another 300 countries!

Wish me luck…

xxx

Alright alright it’s a few days late but I forgive Padraig so you should too! J

A few weeks back I sent a few ‘different’ questions to, Card Player Europe magazine columnist, TV poker commentator, and Irish poker professional Padraig Parkinson. I wasn’t expecting standard answers and he didn’t disappoint!    

AC: If you relate your poker skills to a professional footballer, which position would you play & why?

PP: Kit man, the way I’m playing at the moment.

AC: If you relate your poker skills to a modern day professional footballers wage packet, how much would you command each week?

PP: I didn’t realise there were any professional footballers who were earning a negative amount.

AC: If you were a lead singer of a well known rock/pop/rap group which group would you be fronting and why?

PP: Abba, we’ve both been without a hit for about the same time.

AC: How much would it take for you to pose nude in a top selling gay magazine?

PP: It depends on how accurate the claims in those adverts for penis enlargement are.

AC: You’ve just won the Irish Open 2009, you then decide to embark on a ‘staking’ frenzy like Neil Channing at the 2008 WSOP and buy more players in than Poker Stars – The following players come up to you and ask to be backed into the 2009 WSOP main event – What are your individual responses to the following players:

Devilfish: Yes, but only if he’s been to bed the night before – His own bed! He’s not getting any younger.

Neil Channing: No way. Good player but I’ve seen the lack of respect he has for his own money. Hard to imagine he’d treat mine any different.

Gus Hansen: Yes if he was skint. So probably yes.

Marc Goodwin: Lol

Roy Brindley: Lol

Jerry Wang: No way. Jesus isn’t going to help him out twice.

Chris Moneymaker: No, though I quite like the guy.

Willie Tann: If he was skint, yes. So, definitely. I think I’d employ Rory Liffey to keep him away from the dice.

Phil Hellmuth: Yes, but I’d say no first, just for the laugh.

AC: Name 1 well known player you’ve never got on with?

PP: That Dutch guy Noah, whatever his name is. We had a bit of a falling out at an EPT in Dublin and I suffer from Irish Alzheimer’s. I forget everything except the grudges.

AC: Who are your best friend(s) in Poker?

PP: The ones who haven’t fucked me for money. Very few actually.

AC: If you won the WSOP main event then blew it all, would you sell your bracelet?

PP: My blowing it all is an even longer price than my winning it.

AC: You decide to set up a poker team similar to The Hendon Mob but called ‘The Guiness Mob’ – Which 3 other players would be in it?

PP: Scott Gray, Julian Gardner and Stevie Wonder. The first two for the party, and the last one so the other three don’t look too bad.

AC: Who is your favourite Poker journalist/columnist?

PP: Me. I don’t read anybody elses.

AC: Which poker friend would you be confident of being able to last the distance with you in a bar? And which bar/pub would it be in?

PP: Irish under the radar pro Thomas O’Riain. We’ve been practising together for twenty years, but my liver says it’s longer.

AC: Your annual charity poker tournament for the homeless in Dublin attracts well known players from all over the world – Which player would you most like to play that hasn’t participated yet?

Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome back to the stage…’Vince Morgan’…

Hey Alba,

This next story is probably the most embarrassed I’ve ever been at a poker table – it happened in my first year playing poker.

I’d been doing ok, winning a bit and I met someone at the ‘Big Slick’ (poker club in Purley) who invited me to a home game in West Wichkam.

I turn up a bit late and basically sat down as soon as play started. It was only a six seater game sat around a round table.

To cut a long story short, I was really nervous and about 10 hands in a big hand evolved between this Irish guy and the person who’d invited me to the game. Now the Irish lad was pushed all in for about a £600 decision, so he had a long think about it and started talking to find information.

…”Youve missed your flush lad, I’m sure you have”…Staring right at me.

I got a bit twitchy as I’d folded pre flop, so I reply, “Erm…I folded a while ago mate”, thinking he’d made a mistake.

He looked puzzled and didn’t say anything as I was squirming!!

After about a minute he broke the silence again…”Jesus, your pushing me off this hand and you’ve got F**k all – your eyes are giving you away”…Again leaning on the table staring right at me.

Now picture this in a high squeaky pubescent voice, I shove my chair back and say…”Look mate, talk to the guy in the hand with you – leave me the f**k alone”…

When he realised what happened he burst out laughing! He had a bloody glass eye!! He wasn’t staring at me at all! I was looking at an eye that couldnt move and it was locked on me…!!

I went bright bright red. Worst thing is, is my girlfriend came along and watched me play, to this day she never lets me forget what a fool I am…lol.

Vincey