The 18:30 Club

Home
CEWAP
Mark Thomas
18:30 Club
GM Food
Car
Cats
Links The Poker End

The poker end is where money usually changes hands of an evening, though we have been known to play cards without the gambling bit. Max and I in fact play an extremely adventurous brand of Bridge! Cribbage, Blob and "Silly game" are not unheard of if we don't have enough people to play Poker.  On very rare occasions, we don't play cards, but this is usually only when we haven't got any cards to play with or if there is only one of us on the train.

The Poker end stars

"The Duchess", aka "Tombstone", aka "B" - The only nobility in the buffet, "The Duchess" is rumoured to be related to Ulrika Johnson.  The Duchess is a very canny poker player and will quietly sit there watching the money pile up on the table next to her, hoping that no-one else is noticing.  "The Duchess" drinks only coffee on the way home as she needs to keep her senses finely tuned to the card game in progress.  This is one of her winning tactics that seems to pay off, particularly when playing with the rest of the crew who have had a "meeting" during the day.  Basically, beating a bunch of p***ed-up banking, insurance and IT staff at poker is like taking candy from a baby for "The Duchess" in this situation.  On rare occasions when the opposition is too drunk to even stand or speak without slurring (that'll be most Fridays, then), "The Duchess" has been known to indulge in a sneaky can of Stella.

Mr Grumpy - whilst not being a permanent feature of the 18:30, this man plays a mean game of poker, fixing you with this very steely stare while pretending to hold a hand of more than a pair (he rarely does).  He's something big in the insurance world apparently, but who cares?  Unfortunately, he's Welsh and hails from Plymouth (eh?), but we can't all be perfect, can we?

"M" - In a rare view shown here, M is pretending to show us some of his winnings.  In fact he had just taken the money out of his wallet to go to the bar to get some more change so he could carry on losing at, sorry, I mean playing poker.  M's most notable ploy is in "The Winchester hand", where he will invariably bet the maximum stake no matter what he has in his hand and no matter who is still playing.  This mad man will even do this when "The Duchess" is still betting!!  M is a self confessed film and cricket buff (though not often at the same time) and often uses this knowledge at Sunday night Pub quizzes.  Inveterate Bass drinker, Max is my regular bridge partner and is often confused by some of my more adventurous bidding tactics.  He hasn't spotted yet that I have absolutely no idea what I am doing and I invented my own Zen bidding conventions.  He hasn't even spotted the reason that we often end up in 2 hearts is because I think hearts are pretty and I have got two of them (sometimes as high as a nine or ten) in my hand.

Captain Y-Fronts - Ohmigod he's back (No he's not, he's gone again, but he may be back again soon, aargh)!! What can I say about this man?  Nothing nice, I suspect.  This comic book superhero does NOT like winning a hand of cards while the train is still in Waterloo.  He thinks it will bring him bad luck on the rest of the journey.

Papa Smurf - An "occasional" traveller these days, this jovial fellow spends so much time globe-trotting and "working from home" (I bet!) that we rarely get to see the colour of his money these days.  When he is on the 18:30 he is a devilish poker player and one of the shrewdest (and occasionally foolhardy) members of the school.  He always has a story to tell and a very interesting one too usually.  Papa has such a good job that he can avoid travelling on SWT about 90% of the time...lucky bastard!

Fivers - Not strictly a fellow traveller, but the poker wouldn't be the same without the regular rehousing of fivers followed by much merriment and ribbing of the unlucky loser.  Shown here are a fine pair of the beasts that previously belonged to M, being held by Captain Y-fronts in a blatant display of unashamed mockery.

Mole - Seen here watching yet another cab fare home go astray, Mole is the life and soul of the party that is the 18:30.  A self-confessed serial (and crap) gambler, Mole brings a certain "je ne sais quoi" to the game of poker, which is directly related to the amount of money in his pocket.  Subject of much ribbing, he is dearly respected in the poker school as he has an uncanny knack of raising the stakes at the very point at which someone else gets a better hand than him.

Plucker "the webmaster" - I suppose I'd better put one of me up here (don't ask!)... I'll let someone else fill in the description.  Offers, anyone? (I promise not to censor it!).

Bob the builder - A mean poker and Brag(!) player, with a wicked giggle, this bloke often bets on and on with hardly a high card in his hand (and certainly not a pair). And this man is a Pompey supporter(!), I'm surprised certain people even talk to him!

Big 'Tache - He's bluffing, I tell you! Not sure if Bob or Big 'Tache is the bigger bluffer when it comes to poker (and Max gets pretty close at times as well). The 'Tache is often heard discussing the Saints' latest victory (OK, make that "seldom heard"...) with the Duchess and the current state of Le Tissier's Burger King sponsorship deal.


Home CEWAP Mark Thomas 18:30 Club GM Food Car Cats Links		The Poker End

		The poker end is where money usually changes hands of an evening, though we have been known to play cards without the gambling bit. Max and I in fact play an extremely adventurous brand of Bridge! Cribbage, Blob and "Silly game" are not unheard of if we don't have enough people to play Poker. On very rare occasions, we don't play cards, but this is usually only when we haven't got any cards to play with or if there is only one of us on the train.

The Poker end stars

"The Duchess", aka "Tombstone", aka "B" - The only nobility in the buffet, "The Duchess" is rumoured to be related to Ulrika Johnson. The Duchess is a very canny poker player and will quietly sit there watching the money pile up on the table next to her, hoping that no-one else is noticing. "The Duchess" drinks only coffee on the way home as she needs to keep her senses finely tuned to the card game in progress. This is one of her winning tactics that seems to pay off, particularly when playing with the rest of the crew who have had a "meeting" during the day. Basically, beating a bunch of p***ed-up banking, insurance and IT staff at poker is like taking candy from a baby for "The Duchess" in this situation. On rare occasions when the opposition is too drunk to even stand or speak without slurring (that'll be most Fridays, then), "The Duchess" has been known to indulge in a sneaky can of Stella.

Mr Grumpy - whilst not being a permanent feature of the 18:30, this man plays a mean game of poker, fixing you with this very steely stare while pretending to hold a hand of more than a pair (he rarely does). He's something big in the insurance world apparently, but who cares? Unfortunately, he's Welsh and hails from Plymouth (eh?), but we can't all be perfect, can we?

"M" - In a rare view shown here, M is pretending to show us some of his winnings. In fact he had just taken the money out of his wallet to go to the bar to get some more change so he could carry on losing at, sorry, I mean playing poker. M's most notable ploy is in "The Winchester hand", where he will invariably bet the maximum stake no matter what he has in his hand and no matter who is still playing. This mad man will even do this when "The Duchess" is still betting!! M is a self confessed film and cricket buff (though not often at the same time) and often uses this knowledge at Sunday night Pub quizzes. Inveterate Bass drinker, Max is my regular bridge partner and is often confused by some of my more adventurous bidding tactics. He hasn't spotted yet that I have absolutely no idea what I am doing and I invented my own Zen bidding conventions. He hasn't even spotted the reason that we often end up in 2 hearts is because I think hearts are pretty and I have got two of them (sometimes as high as a nine or ten) in my hand.

Captain Y-Fronts - Ohmigod he's back (No he's not, he's gone again, but he may be back again soon, aargh)!! What can I say about this man? Nothing nice, I suspect. This comic book superhero does NOT like winning a hand of cards while the train is still in Waterloo. He thinks it will bring him bad luck on the rest of the journey.

Papa Smurf - An "occasional" traveller these days, this jovial fellow spends so much time globe-trotting and "working from home" (I bet!) that we rarely get to see the colour of his money these days. When he is on the 18:30 he is a devilish poker player and one of the shrewdest (and occasionally foolhardy) members of the school. He always has a story to tell and a very interesting one too usually. Papa has such a good job that he can avoid travelling on SWT about 90% of the time...lucky bastard!

Fivers - Not strictly a fellow traveller, but the poker wouldn't be the same without the regular rehousing of fivers followed by much merriment and ribbing of the unlucky loser. Shown here are a fine pair of the beasts that previously belonged to M, being held by Captain Y-fronts in a blatant display of unashamed mockery.

Mole - Seen here watching yet another cab fare home go astray, Mole is the life and soul of the party that is the 18:30. A self-confessed serial (and crap) gambler, Mole brings a certain "je ne sais quoi" to the game of poker, which is directly related to the amount of money in his pocket. Subject of much ribbing, he is dearly respected in the poker school as he has an uncanny knack of raising the stakes at the very point at which someone else gets a better hand than him.

Plucker "the webmaster" - I suppose I'd better put one of me up here (don't ask!)... I'll let someone else fill in the description. Offers, anyone? (I promise not to censor it!).

Bob the builder - A mean poker and Brag(!) player, with a wicked giggle, this bloke often bets on and on with hardly a high card in his hand (and certainly not a pair). And this man is a Pompey supporter(!), I'm surprised certain people even talk to him!

Big 'Tache - He's bluffing, I tell you! Not sure if Bob or Big 'Tache is the bigger bluffer when it comes to poker (and Max gets pretty close at times as well). The 'Tache is often heard discussing the Saints' latest victory (OK, make that "seldom heard"...) with the Duchess and the current state of Le Tissier's Burger King sponsorship deal.