POKER FINAL

(left to right: 3rd place Max, Winner Ash and R/Up Aaron)

Saturday the 27th December saw 12months of tournament poker come to a head in a mega cash finals night. With over £1500 in prize money up for grabs tension was running high. 6 poker stars had already guaranteed their spots on the final table, knowing the worst that could happen is that they bust out 8th and last but still walk away with 80 smakers! For the 6 players that had only managed to qualify for the play-off table in the regular season, this seemed a long way off. With 6 players needing to be wittled down to just 2 the stakes were high, no-one wanted to go home with Diddly-Squat. Like usual on Pot Black Poker nights there were hands a plenty, full-houses, flushes even 4 of a kind's. After a couple of hours play young Jordan and Ash managed to survive to join the big boys at the final table. For Ian Kinnear, Chrissy, John Gower and Wally the dream was over for another year.

So to the serious stuff with prizes ranging from £80 for 8th to £340 for the winner, everyone was hopeing for lady luck to be on their side. Pre-table talk was that the youngsters would attack the so called 'wrinklies' to knock them out first, I agreed that this was a plan only to realise that I was the 2nd oldest at just 28!!!!!! With Nigel just a couple of months my senior, we joined together to hopefully reverse the tactics.

1st out was Jordan who came to the table with the fewest chips, beaten by a full-house he couldn't really complain with his nights work. Nigel who didn't have much to play with all night and early chip leader Sam soon followed. I was next out to my Nemesis Aaron who seemingly is unable to be beaten when all-in (usually with the worst hand!!) The money was getting steeper and steeper by now. The regular seasons highest points scorer Jason was next to leave in fourth earning himself a lovely cheque for £200. Max who scrapped well all night without ever really having a comfortable chip stack must have been pleased with his 3rd place finish, which left us heads-up with Aaron 'All-in' Cooper and play-off qualifier Ash Moore. These had been the two most aggressive players of the evening and so perhaps deserved to be our finalists. Time was getting late and the beers had been flowing for a few hours now and it seemed to affect Aaron's play, getting more and more impatient he tried his usuall tactics of just pushing with any two cards but finally got caught. So Ash was our Pot Black Series of Poker 2008 Champion! Scooping £340.

And now to the coming year, Oh Yes! we haven't called a day on this successful tournament, it's back for another year. We have tweeked a few of the rules to hopeful enhance the experience for you and there is even talk of Joker Nights, where by prior to the night you can declare your Joker, then any points you obtain that night will be DOUBLED so don't dispair if you are trailling in points during the season because this tool could change everything, potentially 20 points can be won on any one night.

LOOK OUT FOR THE NEW RULES GOING UP IN THE CLUB AND ON THE BLOG A.S.A.P!!!

POT BLACK XMAS HAMPER

The write up for the Pot Black's annual xmas hamper competition can be viewed in the Pot Black Internal Snooker link available on the right hand-side of this page.

DREAM TEAM

Hi dream-teamers hope the festive period has seen you teams amass huge points total. Star players of late have been Robinho, Lampard and of Course Gerrard, although if the Sun is anything to go by Gerrard may be in for a lean spell on the points front, the spell being approxiamately 5 years! not easy to score from behind bars!!!!

XMAS SEA FISHING MATCH

12 of the Club's saltest Sea Dogs & Three Pups descended on Pakefield Beach to brave the elements with the expectation of catching a fish or two!

Gavin (Chillo) phoned in late as he had to take a trip to Yoxford to pick up his cheap bait, I don't know about you, but £2 off his hundred lugworm don't quite look such a good deal after a sixty mile drive!! That lightweight Wayne Moore turned up with nothing but just himself! Not a single piece of gear at all and still had the cheek to moan about the tackle I lent him! Typical!!! The other usual suspects were two Yarco's, Mark(I've been banned from every fishing club in East Anglia) Coleman and Yarmouth's resident Mayor Bob Morris. Two Ipswich fans Mick & Ethan Mills and another father-son pairing Colin(skinge) Catchpole and soon to be a lookalike Steve. We also had the honour of Lowestoft's resident professional fisherman Martin (dingit) Waters with his up-and -coming son prodigy Kierron. Sadly, Banjo, one half of the usually inseparable twins had arrived, as his other side-kick had to do his community service at Naarwich City Football ground! The last group was lead by Pakefields own celebrity, the holder of the 2008 Monday Night League, the one and only (listen to the fanfare)Kelvin (tapered-leader)Chilvers and his two apprentices Jack and Louis.

The weather was kind and for some anglers the fish were kinder! Spawny Wayne Moore fluked a fluke(Flounder) first cast, when he was fishing so close to the shore(showing his inability to cast out) that his bait could be seen every time a wave went back! Little Kierron had a fish every cast to get right up his dads(dingits) nose so daddy then had to start dropping his bait right beside him but still couldn't catch anything!!! Mark (the sneak) Coleman was noticed dragging fish up the beach hoping no one would notice, but subtlety was never one of Mark's strong points.

My beach Buddy(tent ,to people not in the know) was stoned by Bad attitude Morris, Chillo, decided he was hungry and disappeared to MacDonalds but left all the rubbish with me and to cap it I had to listen to Wayne Moore running on all day about his flounder!!! The Beach telegraph had reports of Banjo catching a nice codling and with dabs and whiting coming out at regular intervals the weigh-in round Keville's would certainly close. As it was everyone managed top bring fish to the scales EXCEPT THE RESIDENT PRO MR. DINGIT and the weights were as follows:-

WINNER MARK COLEMAN 6 LB 15 OZ

R/UP BANJO 5 LB 5 OZ

3RD KEVILLE 3 LB 2 OZ

4 TH WALLY 2 LB 10OZ

BIGGEST ROUND. CODLING BANJO 2 LB 6 OZ

BIGGEST FLAT FLOUNDER WAYNE 9 OZ

BEST YOUNGSTER KIERRON WATERS 2 LB 6OZ

(the other photos will be published as soon as rene comes back with her camera after her 60th birthday celebrations(keep it quiet) down the RIVER NILE)

WEEKEND SPORTSMAN IN GOLFING SHOCK!

Well you guys were probably thinking that I was dead but NO I just momentarily lost my mojo, but now I'm back!!
On sat arvo I was having a routine round of golf (a few half decent shots hidden amongst a lot of s**t ones!) the sort of play that has brought about compliments on a Sunday morning ( after serious alcohol abuse on a sat night might I add) such as ' worst player in the club!' and 'place your bets?' I then approached the 9th my playing partner was up 1st he struck a beauty which i didn't mind but what followed was sheer arrogance took his glove off put it in his back pocket all smug just turned away thought he was Tiger Woods landed about 6 foot away! cocky little s**t! you may have already guessed yep F**CKIN GOTTS!!!!!!!!!! well I was fuming I stepped up and in a very out of character manner struck a good shot! looked it up and down, posed a bit in order to bring that Gotts down a peg or 2! it pitched then.....................? a startled little Tiger wannabe looked my way and in a very sheepish manner and questioned me! 'did that go in'? I remained calm (very cocky I know)' I think so' I said in reserved fashion, off I strolled chest out, head up, a little swagger almost, up to the green to confirm the unimaginable! yes A HOLE IN ONE FOR THE WEEKEND SPORTSMAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and no I declined to enter the bar afterwards. I hope you all read this carefully because by the time you see me after a few pints the shot will have become a low punched grip down cut shot holding against the breeze with back spin pitching exactly where I wanted it to!
Paul 'weekend sportsman' Harrod
( Destined to underachieve at everything he tries!)

CHRISTMAS OPENING HOURS

Here is a run down of when we will be open over the festive period and What's On!


So don't blame us if you turn up and we are SHUT!


SATURDAY 20TH DEC - CLUB OPEN AS USUAL, XMAS SEA FISHING MATCH AT PAKEFIELD BEACH. OPEN TO ALL MEMBERS, GOOD-ANGLERS, BAD-ANGLERS AND EVEN WAYNE MOORE!!!!

CLUB XMAS QUIZ 8PM START, VARIETY OF XMAS QUESTIONS, RECORD-INTRO'S, PICTURES AND SPOT PRIZES COMPRISED BY DAVE SALMON AND READ BY YOUR RESIDENT QUIZ-MASTER CHRIS EGGHEAD READ.


SUNDAY 21ST DEC - AS PER USUAL 11 TIL 10.30PM

MONDAY 22ND DEC - AS PER USUAL, 11 TIL 11

TUESDAY 23RD DEC - AS PER USUAL, 11 TIL 11

WEDNESDAY 24TH DEC - XMAS EVE DAY TIME PARTY
HAPPY HOUR FROM 12 NOON TO 2PM,
ALSO £5 FUN XMAS POKER TABLE STARTING 12 NOON
£1 POOL COMPO , £20 WINNER, CASE OF BEER R/UP
£1 QUIZ SHEET, TEAMS OF ANY NUMBER
XMAS MONEY DRAW AT 3PM. FREE FOOD + SILLY GAMES
COME DOWN, ITS A GREAT WAY TO START YOUR XMAS

THURSDAY 25TH DEC - XMAS DAY - SORRY WE ARE SHUT

FRIDAY 26TH DEC - BOXING DAY - SORRY SHUT, WE ARE STILL EATING AND DRINKING + TRYING TO GET RID OF THE HANGOVER!

SATURDAY 27TH DEC - POT BLACKS 2008 POKER 'TOURNO' FINAL,
£1535 IN PRIZE MONEY, BETTER THAN THE TELLY!!!

SUNDAY 28TH DEC - AS PER USUAL, 11 TIL 10.30

MONDAY 29TH DEC - AS PER USUAL, 11 TIL 11

TUESDAY 30TH DEC - AS PER USUAL, 11 TIL 11

WEDNESDAY 31ST DEC - NEW YEAR'S EVE, CLOSE AT 6PM!!!!!
WISHING ALL OUR MEMBERS A SAFE & BRILLIANT EVENING

THURSDAY 1ST JAN 2009 - NEW YEAR'S DAY & A HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU ALL !!!
IT'S POT BLACKS HAIR OF THE DOG DAY!!
SILLY GAMES, FOOD AND A DRINK OR TWO!


FRIDAY 2ND JAN - AS PER USUAL, 11 TIL 12

SATURDAY 3RD JAN - £5 SNOOKER COMPO, 7.30PM START, FREE TABLES, CASH + PRIZES FOR WINNER AND R/UP

Whatever you do this Xmas have a great one and we hope to see ya all at some point!!!

Merry Xmas from All at the POT BLACK

DREAM TEAM 9/12/08

Hello Dream Teamers. Here is the latest table, notice how I'm making a bid to finish bottom, I'm well and truly on the slide. Cat is flying high with a team of consistant point scorers. People making a move up the league are Simon Blyth who has Van Persie, Ashley Young and Tevez to thank and also Ryan Lincoln who has Me, Hooky and Harrod to thank!!! (we helped him do his transfers, bad move!)

SCRATCH KNOCKOUT

The Annual Scratch Knockout Snooker competition which finds the Club Champion for the year has just been completed. Be sure to read the write up in the Internal Snooker link.

CUSTOMER PROFILE

This weeks customer profile comes from the other Pot Black Darting team, with Captain of the Super 'B' side Tony Atkinson in the hotseat (See Pot Black Darts Link for why we had to provide a seat!!!) Tony until recent injury playing badminton of all things has lead the B-Team to there most successful start to any season, they have been decribed as the Hull City of the festival darts league this year, currently sitting a lofty 3rd in the league! Quiff also captains one of the Cyder Cup teams each year tackling Wally in what has become more legend than the actual serious sibling, the Ryder Cup. Lets see what he has to say (seeings as he has nothing better to do at the moment!)

NAME:- TONY ATKINSON

AGE:- 45

TIME A MEMBER: 20 YEARS

1.
WHATS YOUR DRINK OF CHOICE?

Like many other regular darting lager louts it has to be Carling Extra Cold, although I have been known to enjoy grapefruit juice and soda.

2.
WHATS YOUR FAVOURITE FOOD?

Anything non-healthy, non-vegetarian and non-diet! Probably Satay or anything Chinese or Thai, although I love a Sunday Roast.

3.
WHO ARE YOUR SPORTING IDOLS AND WHY?

Bobby Moore – an inspirational leader who helped West Ham win the World Cup in 1966.
Ernie Els – how can you swing a golf club that easily and hit the ball so far?
Ian Botham, Jimmy Connors, Eric Bristow, Jimmy White – all legends who had unique attitudes to their respective sports and made them more exciting

4.
WHO WOULD YOU MOST LIKE TO HAVE A DINNER DATE WITH?


Keira Knightly – absolutely gorgeous AND a West Ham fan!
Ian Botham – would be great company and probably drink me under the table.
Cheryl Cole – who wouldn’t?
Lucy Verasami – watch the weather on Sky Sports News.

5.
NAME THREE THINGS YOU WOULD TAKE TO A DESERTED ISLAND

Sun cream, insect repellent and a hat!
Would have to be the golf clubs, MP3 player and a boat! (assuming I couldn’t persuade Keira, Cheryl and Lucy)

6.
WHATS THE BEST THING ABOUT THE POT BLACK?

The members and the staff. My definition of a “local” is the place you can walk into on your own at any time and feel at home and the staff and members make the club what it is. Also the camaraderie, competitiveness and banter – where else can you go to get the p!*s taken like that!

7.
WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE IF YOU MANAGED THE POT BLACK?

I’d put a ramp in instead of the steps into the club to assist disabled members who want to go in and out for a fag, and provide something to sit on when they get there! Yes, recent circumstances have alerted me to this problem.
Fine people for breaking wind in the bar (Oz). We can’t smoke any more and it never used to smell that bad. Send them outside!

8.
A PART OF YOUR BODY YOU WOULD CHANGE AND WHY?

Would have to be to lose weight as it goes straight to my neck and face. It would be nice not to have more chins than a Chinese phone book. And a new Achilles tendon!

9.
WHATS YOUR MOST EMBARRASSING MOMENT?

Probably the day it finally dawned on me exactly how much of a fat git I really am. At a friends barbecue and enjoying the outdoor life in the garden, I managed to sit awkwardly on a plastic garden chair only to see the legs splay out and collapse completely from under me. Fortunately, the friend in question was Hidesy so good job there was no-one there to laugh or take the piss!!

10.
WHO ARE YOUR FAVOURITE POT BLACK CUSTOMERS AND WHY?

All the boys in the darts team as we have a great crowd and loads of laughs
Darren Hoskins for his ever-smiling happy demeanour.
Billy Bennett (Mr Nicknames) always ready for a laugh and someone I could probably beat at snooker!
Ready, someone I could probably beat at darts!
(I wouldn't be so sure Atko, I have been known to beat players with one leg before!!!)
11.
HAPPIEST SPORTING MEMORY?

Personally, winning a big pool competition in Ipswich and going to Majorca to play in the JCW International pool finals (both back in the 80’s when I could play the game).
From the professionals, West Ham winning the FA Cup in 1980 and Bothams Ashes in 1981. Recently, out-singing a bunch of Aston Villa fans outside a pub in the centre of London whilst on the way to Wembley to watch Lowestoft (we’re going to Wembley, you’re not!). Mind you when they were singing “who are ya”, it was a serious question! But best of all has to be this years B Team victory away at the Home Guard (yes!).

12.
SOMETHING YOU WANT TO DO BEFORE YOU DIE?

Would love to visit New Zealand and Canada, play golf at St Andrews and get my handicap below 8. Beat the A Team at darts, just once.

13.
CHRISSIE OR RENE’S ROLLS?

Impossible to decide but would have to go for whoever makes them on the Fridays when the queue is out of the door at the KFC.

14.
ANYTHING YOU’D LIKE TO SAY?

The club is a terrific place to go with a great atmosphere which is always welcoming. I don’t wish to appear to be sucking up to the boss (cue a bit of sucking up to the boss) but Wally deserves great credit for the way the club is run, particularly with the events and trips he organises for the members. There is always something going on for everyone and never a dull moment. The web site and blog facility is a great idea and gives everyone a good laugh. Long may it all continue!

25 HOUR SNOOKERTHON

WE'VE DONE IT!!! We being Peter 'BEAR' Clements and Chris 'SNAIL' Read. We finally finished our gruelling 25 hour Snookerthon @ 6pm on Sunday Night. Exhausted both physically and mentally but totally worth it as we managed to raise a substantial amount of money for Cha-ritieee. Early indications are that we have raise in excess of £600 which is excellent so we'd like to thank everyone who sponsored us with their hard earned, especially in the current Credit Crunch climate.

Over the course of the 25 hours we managed to amass 8550 points in 96 frames! with Snail scoring 6959 of them and Bear 1591. Therefore the two cash prize winners were the very generous Steve Cook who sponsored us £20 and the lovely barmaid Stacey who paid for the T-Shirts that we wore.... see good things happen to good people! Although winning on the Snookerthon and the Lotto in one week can be considered as reasonably spawny Stacey!!!!

Special thanks has to go to the members of the Footy team. They had one of their seasoned Footy Dues with Killer Darts a Quiz and Table football competitions, all of which saw money flying in the bucket from the winners. Overall nearly £200 was collected during the 25hours, a large proportion of which was collected Saturday night at the Due so THANKYOU!!!

One last thing, Bear is Trying to sell a snooker cue, 1 previous owner, only used for a 25hour snooker marathon, HARDLY USED, AS GOOD AS NEW!!!!!!

Fair play to the man, I don't think many players could lose 94v2 and take it as well as him, we applaud you Bear!