Member Info for adoubleuk

JB,

"The issue being for me ,and also I suspect for you, is simply this................Once you are at an age of 60 plus your chance of succesfully fighting CV 19 are not the same as if you were 18 years of age.. "

I suppose statistically that's true. And equally I consider myself to be some sort of medical miracle passing my own understanding, in that despite my age I haven't had recourse to any sort of medical interventions for at least ten years (other than one physical accident which put me in hospital for a night with concussion), I don't go for 'check-ups' (if it ain't broke, don't try to fix it), and I CERTAINLY WOULD NOT call a doctor or go to A&E if I thought I had the 'flu. Instead, I try to stay warm at home and sweat the thing out. Like I did in December. 'Self isolation' is surely a natural reaction, isn't it? If you don't feel well, you don't go out, and you don't go to work.

(And if I don't feel well, I certainly don't play poker, 'cos I'm sure to lose. It requires concentration.)

But being quarantined or being TOLD to stay indoors by some sort of 'authority' is a completely different kettle of fish.

JB,

"Try and forget Poker for now, get your good self back to a bolt hole, survival is now the order of the day if over 60. "

No effin' way! As it happens, there was a local 'private' little poker-tournament this evening which I'm invited to, and I'd turned down the invite for today because I didn't want to have 'tournament' in my head just before going to Marrakesh for the cash-games. 'Cos I'm not a tournament player. But due to today's disappointment, I phoned the organiser, and yes, there was still a seat remaining. And probably due to my bad mood, I finished 3rd. Which has paid my groceries for the week.

Without being a 'stockpiler', I have enough in my flat to 'survive' for at least three weeks, though if the signs start going up I'll be paying a SERIOUS visit to the off-licence and the tobacconist.

But 'street scuttlebutt' in the delightful town I call home is that if there's some sort of call to 'quarantine' like in italy, it will be ignored and refused.

JB,

"CV19 is like a dream, but is real isn't it?"

Maybe. Please define 'real'.

Bugerov,

"Longwait - are you trying to make ADUK cry? ;)"

When I heard the news, I almost did. And not because of the airfare I've probably lost: I can probably make that up easily. But it's the whole principle of the thing. Most western governments have had their knickers in a twist for months about their economies because of the burgeoning number of retirees and pensioners who in this modern age seem to live older, and so on, and where will the money come from to support them, and then when a disease comes along which mostly targets the elderly (so might ease the problem a bit), they go into tailspin and prevent everyone from going to work, enjoying themselves as usual, etcetera. Also destroying the economy which pays for things like healthcare.

Yup, it's enough to make a grown man cry.

Longwait,

"Latest news:
'Bundesliga matches to be played without spectators'

I hear that the next measure will be
'Bundesliga matches to be played without players'
and
'Poker tournaments to be played without cards'"

Not funny. Try 'without players', instead.

I learned today that following the first CV-19 fatality in Morocco (in Marrakesh: a French tourist), the tournament week I was going to has been cancelled. Which is a bitter disappointment to me, because I've been looking forward to it for weeks.

Not that I was going to participate in the tournament, just the side-games. So for a few hours I thought of going there even so, just for a change of air, but decided against it because (a) there won't be enough action at the casino to keep me really interested and (b) I could get 'stuck' down there if further travel restrictions get into force. The cancellation was not of the casino's doing, but the Moroccan government.

Cancelled my hotel for free, but I doubt I can claw back my flight ticket costs. But that's secondary to the overall disappointment. Sounds like the WPT in Barcelona start of April will get scrubbed, as well.

Of course, the 'victim' having been a tourist may well mean she went into the crowded streets of the souks in Marrakesh's Medina district, so there could be a serious outbreak there. But I don't know a single serious poker-player who gets worried about catching a deadly disease, 'cos they know they already have one. It's called 'being alive'.

Me too, I've raided the piggy-bank once more for another top-up. Although unlike 'MakinHay' I wouldn't claim to have anywhere near a million shares! But at this SP, it seems stupid not too. Watching the TV news, it seems very likely that the KSA / Russia arm-wrestling match won't last long, the CV situation has got to retreat from the panic-stricken one it's at right now sometime, so surely there's got to be some profit to be realised.

DC,

"Possibly another partial offload."

A while back, someone here mooted that one (partial) reason for these partial offloads may be that by keeping w certain quantity of oil in the FPSO's tanks, it improves her dynamic behaviour during winter storms. I have no idea if this is true, but there does seem to be a certain logic behind the idea. Is there anyone here with experience of fpso's like the AM (ie not deepwater 'barges' like the Glen Lyon, which has a completely different mooring system and isn't a converted tanker) who could comment on this?

Longwait,

"I read that it is possible to catch it twice, which could be relevant in your case, Double."

So what? If indeed it was what I got in December, I'll recognise it again next time round. And lay in a big whisky-stock to 'self-isolate'.

"I'm not sure Dr Campbell would advise you to attend the tournament."

If you think I ask a doctor as to whether I go to a big poker-gathering or not, you're wrong. 'Cos it's not impossible I might meet him there, anyway.

Anyway, I'm not going there for the tournament. I'm going there to play the side-game cash tables to catch the people who've got knocked out of the tournaments and are on 'tilt'. Not the mega-star prizes, but a nice income. It's like a rock festival, in a way. I'm probably sure to meet at least a couple of dozen other people I know, even if it's on another continent.

Not many people keeping their heads to the grindstone about this. But The PetroAtlantic is now beside (or just astearn of) the AM, taking a new offload. Thereby seemingly confirming other 'shipwatchers' suspicions that the last was a 'partial offload' and that another one would follow soon, as is the case. Thereby also confirming that the Lancaster field is producing at a nice rate.

By the way, don't forget that Lancaster produces nice 38 API crude, comparable to Brent, suitable for refining into vehicle fuels and so on. KSA by and large exports heavy s**t which goes to making plastic bags, fuelling power-stations in 3rd world countries, and tyres to by put on cars of all sorts, including electric ones.

I got en email today from a fellow-correspondent here with some disturbing news. Said person being a fellow poker-player, about my own age, and seemingly with a somewhat devil-may-care attitude like my own, sometimes. Though these days probably far less devil-may-care than I remain, simply through having more family and responsibilities than I do.

Nevertheless, said poster passed me a link informing me that the upcoming event in the 'Barriere Poker Tour' at Rebauville (eastern France) has been postponed until an unspecified later date due to coronavirus worries.

I wasn't intending to go there, anyway, but it's a worrying symptom of the current madness and paranoia. I'm pretty dam' sure that the Moroccans wont try to pull the same stunt with the 'Golden Millions' starting on Friday, because people have already booked in en masse , most of 'em on cheapest-far non-reimbursable flights, so they'll be there anyway!

But the Bahrein GP without spectators? OK, that makes some sense. It'll be on the telly for the afficionados, and I guess it'll be nice for people like the Prince of Bahrein and Eric Clapton (both of whom fine gentlemen I'm sure will be there) to have their own 'private GP'. And the teams won't give a dam about the lack of public.

But this stuff about football matches 'behind closed doors'? Nope, that sounds utterly stupid.

We live in interesting times. And have every intention of being in Marrakesh on Saturday, but back in France on the 19th to catch the RNS about the annual financials.

But if I hear the CMD has been cancelled because of coronavirus scares, I might give up, cash in everything, and stay down south.

johnpwh,

" I admit I'm no oilie but would not like see further licences being abandoned like Whirlwind through the necessity to save on Capex."

Oh yeah? Like which? Also, the Whirlwind license relinquishment had absolutely nothing to do with 'capex'. Though I've no evidence to substantiate that statement. However, it was always an ugly duckling which will take ages to turn into anything even resembling a swan. What amazes me is that it took so long to shuck off Strathmore.

missdosh,

"For daily updates on the Coronavirus it's worth watching Dr John Campbell on youtube ."

Thanks. Interesting. Essentially, though, there were just a couple of things which really stood out. The Doctor's advice about Vitamin D supplements, which I fully endorse, even without the new virus for a reason. Have you people in the UK seen much sunshine recently? And the other being the last 40 seconds, and the notices he held up. I dunno if 'elbow-bumping' can be really be called 'cool', but it can become competitive and fun! (Though afterwards one tends to exchange handshakes or kisses on the cheek anyway... Or at least in the sort of dives I frequent.)

Luther101,

" As for poker chips ... I tend to regard them as the petri dish of all diseases, local to the venue."

You'd better believe it! I remember the topic coming up on two different occasions, in two different casinos in France, one of which was my erstwhile 'local place' at Chatelaillon, and the other in Lyons, when a player complained that one or two of his chips were 'sticky'. If such a complaint is made, one's quite able to get them changed for 'not-sticky' ones by the croupier, but they'll then be just put at the back of his rack!

It turns out that casinos don't actually wash / disinfect / steam-clean / pressure-wash the chips except at specified 'maintenance intervals', possibly just once-yearly. Though this only applies to chips used at the cash poker and blackjack tables, where the chips actually represent money of the same denomination. Tournament chips are seemingly treated differently, because they just have nominative value only (in general), and cannot be directly exchanged for money.

But let's face it, casinos are pretty unhealthy places anyway, unless they're in a warm country where the air-conditioning keeps the place cool. A warm environment, people sitting close together (or leaning over each other at the roulette), sometimes for hours on end, some of them maybe not washing their hands after going to the toilet, handling shared objects (the cards and chips), and so on.

But again, I don't know anyone who plays poker and who says they do so for their health, other than that of their wallet. Though in some ways it can sometimes be good for one's mental health, even if it might not feel that way if one's going through bad times!

And on the 'health' bit, there's an antiquated early 20th-century law in France which still subsists, which says that a casino (as such) can only exist in a seaside town, or a 'spa town' (with thermal springs, etc.). In the early nineteen- hundreds, people would only travel to the seaside or a 'spa' for 'health reasons', and such holidays were generally reserved for the better-off who could afford such distractions. And while the rich people weren't bathing in the sea or drinking mineral-water or whatever, they liked some games to play in the evening. This is why there's a casino in out-of the way places such as the delightfully-named seaside town of Pornichet (one of my favorites) or La Roche Posey (85 miles from where I live), but not a single casino in Paris.

OK, there can be 'gaming clubs', but they're different, with different rules. None of which are aimed at improving one's health...

while I'm playing DJ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDVdomcsjBA

JB,

Good to see the nightshift's still active!

"God Bless You AK, Carry on Sir!, but make sure you take some F...n, HandGel when handling Chips!

I have always been very careful about hygiene in casinos, because chips (like coins) are good disease-vectors, just like cash.

Have you recently purchased a Military Grade all in ONE Face Mask RESPIRATOR :O)

NO, and don't intend to do so. Where was that one made (as if one couldn't guess)? 'Military grade' but on sale via Amazon? Pull the other one, it's got bells on it.

But seriously, one cannot shy away from current reality,

(agreed, but please define 'reality')

"at least in the short term, we all need to just sit and ride the storm out."

Disagree. About the 'sitting' bit. F**k the 'storm'. If you've got to go on deck, you go on deck. Literally, mid-afternoon, I went for a walk by the river to see it in flood, and dropped into a cafe by its side for a beer. The owner is Moroccan. And there was an old couple (older than I) who entered into conversation with him saying how they'd cancelled their holiday to Casablanca because of this virus thing. Because one case has now been reported there. I couldn't help overhearing this.

OK, I guess they're in their 80's, so maybe 'at risk'. But even so...

I reckon I'm OK, though. It'll take a lot more than this stupid 'Coronavirus panic' to stop a lot of determined poker-players from all over the world descending on Marrakesh and then Barcelona for some pretty important games, and it'll take a determined sort of 'government' to stop the casinos from holding them.

If the current state of the world economy has convinced me of one thing, it's that it's being run and 'manipulated' by people who've got no balls. And by that, I don't mean women.

Longwait,

"'The difference is that you can get rid of an STD.'
(filtering it unfortunately leaves traces of the infection, and the administrators appear unwilling to eradicate it.)"

Oh, I dunno. Somehow I don't receive any of these 'green box' things which others have mentioned (which sounds like an uncomfortable problem, especially if one's a cricketer) , and I've found my perusing of this BB a lot more calm since taking that move.

JB,

"LW, 'China's recovery rate has reached 70.7 percent.'"

I reckon I was laid down low by the thing in late December, following a poker-game which included a Chinese guy who was sniffling and coughing, and whose parents had come to visit him and blamed their own symptoms on 'european weather'.

For two days (especially Dec 31) I thought I might die, and could hardly breath. But wasn't going to call an ambulance 'cos that sort of thing doesn't bother me. I didn't need some 'authority' to tell me to 'self-isolate', 'cos I was pretty much doing so already!

Covid-19 only hit the news in January when a town in China recorded an unusual death-rate from the 'flu.

Interesting that now they're saying it's under control' there, but at the same time, the West (and its economy) is in tailspin, and (gullible) people are in panic.

OK, might just be a coincidence of course.

Longwait,

"Another concern, JB, is that France seems to be starting to catch up with Italy."

I effin' object to that! Try 'being dragged down to the same level' instead, and I might grudgingly agree.

However, this country is on possibly the least 'panic level' of any in Europe, possibly because it's already got the most robust health-system of them all. Even if a large number of A&G people are out on strike because of the pensions thing, and so on.

The first 'case' in the 'department' where I live was reported yesterday. But people haven't been going out to stockpile toilet-paper.

In fact, the reactions have been interesting to observe. Yesterday I drove to play poker at Royan. I'm known there. But the casino staff have been instructed not to shake hands with people known to them. Have to 'bump elbows' instead. One of the regular players didn't want to shake hands with the others, also. But yet sat down to play, handling the same cards as the others, and sometimes the same chips.

But there were notiecably fewer people in the casino than normal.

In the late-night bar I sometimes frequent ( and did, yesterday evening), and where most people are younger than I, nobody gives a dam about the whole thing, so we shake hands and exchange kisses on cheeks as always.

I've been reassured that the casino in Marrakesh isn't going to cancel the tournament in nine days' time, come what may, and that'll have people coming in from France, Italy, UK, and especially Spain. About 3000 or so, in close proximity, handling the same chips and so on.

Then at the end of the month, there's the WPT in Barcelona, which will bring in people from the States, Northern Europe, and so on.

You just cannot 'shut down the world' because of a new sort of 'flu virus. And some people don't care if they die tomorrow, anyway.

DC has mentioned a few 'conspiracy theory' ideas, which I myself expressed a while back. Someone else here suspected me of being Tom Clancy in disguise!

I don't in fact think there's any deliberate 'conspiracy', but the way this new bug has been mediatised appears to me to have played into Chinese hands and particularly those of the Russians just beautifully.

Someone else here mentioned the 'worldometer'. It's worth checking out.

So is this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-h0MDpnKIE&list=RDF-h0MDpnKIE&start_radio=1

yrs from the bunker,

AK

DC,

"I don't think there can now be any doubt that the 9th was a partial offload. Shame the gamble did not pay off."

What gamble? Just seems like an operational decision to me, for whatever reasons I don't know, but there were probably many.

Cap'tSwag,

"awk - trice reading the boards to learn about his field - that made me chuckle and there isnt usually much on here that does!"

Glad that it did that. But at the same time, I hope I didn't upset 'Sailplane' too much by having posted. I was in two minds about doing so, because at least he'd got out his calculator and done some sums. However, he came up with the same sort of answer which the company has been telling us has been the case for a while now, which although encouraging, is not really 'news'.

Also today, another poster PM'd me (he's got a copy of the EIS in pdf rather than my printed version) with more stuff about flaring vs flowrates, which has been recent conversation. For which I thank him, but again, the bits quoted showed that there are so many variables that one can't be hard-and-fast on that, so best wait and see.

If there's one thing I hope for regarding the upcoming CMD, it's that the speaker (Dr T) / speakers don't linger too much on what's been done over the last year, and especially not the background, but instead where we are now, and what they're planning. Though at the same time have listed assorted 'Doubtful Thomas' rumours that have spread over the last few months, and will address such 'issues' in hopefully an aggressive manner from the get-go, and thereby dismiss them from discussion if they indeed have no substance.

At the least, that'd make 'question time' easier.