APAT Glasgow: Sunday, 31st July 2011
Fortunately, the bear didn’t bring a friend this time although he still did his usual business. Feeling like seven kinds of crap, I was very slow in arising on Sunday morning. Not that there was any rush…nothing was going to kick off until 2.30pm anyway.
Normally, I would have been there early to lend whatever kind of help I could to the update team, even if it was only moral support.
With the technology issues they were having it looked like that moral support was all they were going to get.
I left the hotel with good intentions…I’d breakfast at the Tivoli and then head into the casino. Honest, that was my plan…but it didn’t last beyond me walking past the Scotia’s front door.
As I ambled past the cry of “PAULIE!” echoed into the street and, being the polite gentleman that I am, it would have been rude to ignore the plaintive cry.
Ian was getting some in early doors with another APATer (who I’ll apologise to now for forgetting who it was) and, as I’ve said, I had to be polite and accept the kind offer of a Stella.
Then, of course, it would have beyond the bounds of etiquette not to get a round in myself (sigh) and so it progressed.
Before you could say “Want another, Paulie?” we were fast approaching 2.30 and my compatriots wanted to play the 6-max side completion. We left the pub and headed up to the Gala…so much for brunch!
Wandering into the poker room I left my companions to go about their business and see how Leigh and Tighty are doing. Things haven’t changed much since yesterday, still no Wi-Fi but they are muddling through.
I catch up on the ‘Tighty The Greek’ saga and find out that Scouse and Suzanne are both nicely chipped up. I really feel that Scouse has an excellent chance of taking this one down…Lord knows he’s due.
So my activity for the day is to be railing the main comp (I decide to give the 6-max a miss). If I can lend a hand then that will be gravy.
I’ve been remiss in posting this up but I recall leaving for a while around 6pm to get some food down at the Tivoli (which included my first taste of haggis…which I liked) before coming back.
Suzanne had been aggressive early on but couldn’t make any headway and, eventually, had been knocked out.
The two most aggressive players were Scouse (of course) and Grant Spiers. I’d met Grant before on another foray over the border but hadn’t had gotten to know him much.
These two weren’t taking any crap from one another but weren’t putting anything on the line (as it were). Chips were certainly flying and this was intimidating the rest of the players into playing way too tight.
I can’t recall now at which point it happened by Scouse got ‘coolered’ by playing 69 suited and flopping the flush, only to run into a nut flush and was out. “Live by the sword, die by the sword” but disappointing for him all the same.
Of course, this left Grant with a mountain of chips and he continued to chuck them around the table with apparent abandon. I railed for quite a while and while it would be fair to say that he had his fair share of the variance it did seem that, when they were down to just a few, he was the only one playing any cards. The rest just seemed happy to ladder up.
Perhaps I’m being unfair but that is the impression I had. You knew he was either going to take it down or flame out in a major way. As it turned out he won it and having had the opportunity to chat with him over a beer or three a nicer fellow couldn’t have deserved it more.
Leigh and Tighty got on with the photos and write-ups while I adjourned, as you might expect, to the upstairs bar. I was joined shortly by the APAT update team, the Overtons and a couple of others.
We weren’t there long, most of us had an early start the next day, but Grant had generously let a few quid for some drinks which was gratefully received.
It wasn’t too long before the rigours of the weekend were catching up with me again so I bid my compatriots a good night and headed back to the hotel.
I checked the room carefully and made sure the bear wasn’t waiting for me before laying my head down.
Glasgow done and dusted….Nottingham next.
