CARDRUNNERS

What's Your Edge

gaucho2121's Poker Blog

September 04, 2007

Is going to 4 nightclubs and an after hours spot and staying out till 5 in the morning without getting tired at all possible (assuming no drugs, of course). Yes, if you are jet-lagged the "right" way in London. I actually never got into a proper sleeping pattern while I was over there because my trip centered around nightlife and the nightlife is London is pretty incredible. I went to tons of really cool clubs/lounges in London, if anyone knows them I went to Boujis, Cuckoo Club, Volstead, Hedges, etc. I stayed with my friend Marko and his brother Ivan in central London on Jermyn street, home of the tailors. I had a great time, seeing museums, walking around different neighborhoods, hanging out with old friends, meeting new friends, shopping, partying, and seeing the sights. London is a very international city and during the trip I found myself hanging out with Croatians, Hungarians, people from various countries in Africa, Americans, and of course, the English. I loved walking around the different neighborhoods in London--it's very much like New York in the sense that each neighborhood has a distinct feel and texture to it, and it's really cool to see the different shops and attitudes of each neighborhood. The nightlife in London is ridiculous. A lot of the better nightclubs are members clubs and they are difficult to get into. Fortunately, my friends from college were hedge fund ballers and party animals, so they were well connected in the night life scene, and we didn't have trouble getting in. The only time I had trouble was during the beginning of the trip when I wore my Nike Dunk Tiffany's to go out. The bouncers weren't having that, and I had to explain that Nike Dunks (or cool-looking sneakers) is what you wear out when you go out in NY, and they seemed to buy it so it wasn't really a problem (it helped that I was wearing a jacket, I think). In any case, the atmosphere of the clubs is interesting. I didn't like the music that much--the clubs play mainly techno and house, and the DJs in general didn't seem to have too much creativity. However, sometimes they threw in a few hip hop songs and in any case people in London dance like maniacs so it's fun overall. People in general are friendly in London, and by the end of the trip I had met some really cool and interesting people.

I also was able to do some shopping on Jermyn Street, which is the home of all the best tailors in London. I ordered 4 Turnbull & Asser shirts: http://www.turnbullandasser.co...6/shirts_classic.html

They are apparently some of the nicer shirts you can get, and I have to say, I am absolutely LOVE them. I thought, like many things, the hype would be greater than the reality, but these shirts are ridiculous. First of all they are incredibly thin and soft, they don't come untucked easily (they said they have some special extra long shirt-tail length), the buttons, the stitching, the collar is all of the highest quality. The patterns are classy and can function as both work and nightlife. I bought one off the rack and ordered 3 from their bespoke service, and I can't wait to get them.

I also got a chance to explore some of London's casinos. No, I didn't play any high stakes poker, but I fooled around at some of the lower stakes games. It's amazing that poker is legal in London. I wish it was that way in New York. By virtue of its legality, there are numerous casinos and poker clubs ranging from the high class gambling salons, to the run-down casinos on the outskirts of London where you can feel the degeneracy in the air. I must say, the play at these low stakes games is absolutely terrible. The average low-limit player in London is weak-loose, and will make bluffs in spots that don't make sense. That said, these were games where the buy in was 50 pound minimum, so the stakes were small and you can't expect everyone to play like Phil Ivey. There were also a few good players that I saw, who would definitely hold their own at a 5/10 game in the States. I'm not sure what to think about the fact that gambling is legal in London. I would think that proximity and easy access would increase the temptation to gamble in the average person, but then again, if a person really wants to gamble in New York he will find a way. It's a tough situation. In any case, it was funny to donk it up at the lower stakes, although I definitely need to be motivated to play my best if the stakes are lower than I'm accustomed to.

I also got to meet up with j4mbo from CR, Jamie Lillywhite, who I showed around when he came to NY. He returned the favor when I was in London, and he knows I love music so he asked if I would like to sit in a session with his Dad in the studio. I jumped at the chance. When I was in college, one of my favorite things was going to the studio and creating music (I used to write songs), and I've always loved watching documentaries of great artists working in the studio (Fade to Black comes to mind). Jamie's dad Steve is a very well known producer who has worked with u2, jason mraz, and Dave Matthews Band. He was producing a band called One Night Only, a rock band from England whose oldest member was 19. These kids had basically just hit the lotto. They had written a few songs, managed to somehow get signed by a major record label on the strength of a few shows and songs, and had gotten hooked up with one of the best producers in rock. They moved to London in a beautiful old townhouse recording studio and got to live and work making music every day. Sick life. I heard a few of their songs, got to see Steve working, and they definitely have at least one hit song, called You & Me. Check out their myspace page. Seeing Steve work was really inspiring. Steve looked far younger than his years, and really seemed to love what he was doing. He bobbed his head and tapped his feet to the music, made very subtle suggestions (he told the piano player of the band, a great pianist, apparently, that "I know you can do the fancy stuff, but just play it simple and short," and it sounded great and fit in better with the song. Seeing someone so passionate and creative in his daily work is incredible. I hope that I am the same way with whatever I wind up doing in my life...it keeps you young and makes every day fresh and unique. Thanks to Jamie and his Dad for letting me sit in on the session, and look out for One Night Only if you like melodic British rock music.

I also got to meet up with my friend Tamas from college, someone I had not seen in over 5 years. We were good friends in college and it was really great to reconnect. He is an absolute baller in every sense of the word. He is a member of the hottest private club in London, owns a 2 million pound flat in a posh area of London, in a beautiful townhouse. The apartment was sick. Two floors, hardwood floors, incredibly tall ceilings in the living room, a massive projection screen, intricate moldings, a 4-screen traders setup, a back and front porch. Just unreal. He actually just moved to Monaco to start his own hedge fund, and apparently he had been successful trading his own personal account. It's really great to see someone you were friends with do so well. He is an extremely nice and fun-loving guy, and it was very interesting to see him talk about the market. Describing his history, I was amazed at the similarities of the descriptions of the market and poker. The variance (he once lost 70% of his portfolio on ONE trade), the study and discipline necessary to be successful. And also the passion. He said that he views the market as a person, and is very aware of the market's ability to humble you. He also said that in every step of his career (he worked in banking, then at a hedge fund, and now he is starting his own) he grew into the role he signed up for. He said he didn't know if he would be ready to do any of the jobs, but he felt confident in his ability to learn and anything he wanted to do he figured the best way to learn was just to jump in and do it. I really like that philosophy.

I also had dinner with an ex-girlfriend who I had also not seen for a number of years. She had just moved to London to start teaching at a University, and it was great to reconnect and reminisce. Certain people have an amazing ability to focus in on what you are saying and get interested in whatever it is you are talking about. She is definitely one of those people. I think she just has a passionate interest in the lives of others, and when you think about it, it's a really nice way to live your life, because in general, everyone is interesting in some way, and that curiosity and sense of inquiry into the interests and passions of others is something I try to cultivate in my own interactions with people. I had a great time in London, and was lucky enough to be able to stay with friends (thanks Marko and Ivi) and enjoy the life. I want to go back soon.

Unfortunately, poker has been going horribly. I've been playing poorly and my results have reflected that. I am inflating pots on the turn unnecessarily and not finding folds when my instincts tell me otherwise. I had my first month this year losing money online. I am going to seriously retool my game and do some studying and hopefully I will be able to turn it around for the end of the year. I am starting work soon, and I'm very excited about that and can't wait to learn. I feel really lucky to get the job I got, and I can't wait to start.

Sorry for the lack of updates, now that I am home I'll be in a more regular schedule and update more frequently.

dp

Entry Tags: the, was, and, you, that, london