Direct from Circus Casino: Dermot Dinan!

Please meet 10KingsPoker's expert blogger during Liverpool Winter Festival; Dermot 'Number Cruncher' Dinan!
This guy will praise, excite, provoke, critise - and 10KingsPoker is proud to have secured his services for the next few days while we bring the exciting game of poker to City of Liverpool.

Who is Dermot Dinan?

I am a 52 year old Irish born Wallasey man, although I have lived in London and Spain before returning to the Wirral in 1982, remaining here since then.

When did your interest for gambling start?

I started playing 3 card brag in school aged 11, frequently being punished for possession of 'The Devil's Bible' ! ... worth it though as 'ciggy' money was paramount in those days. After much dossing about in my late teens, getting married at 22 was a huge factor in getting only my second 'proper' job, as a Betting Shop Manager for Joe Coral in West London.I had been playing the horses recreationally since age of 15 with predictably poor results, and was sold on the idea of being paid to work in a place where I was spending too much time (not to mention money) anyway.

Dream job, eh?

Allan,listen. It's worth pointing out that back then (1978) the betting shop environment was totally different to today. Never any more than 2 afternoon meetings + 1 dog meeting, closed for night racing in the summer, open at 1030am and finished by 6pm at the latest. Yeah, it was a dream job. No all-weather nonsense and profit levels were more than acceptable. I only visit shops now under sufferance and even though they are virtually empty, the non-stop cacophony of 'cartoon' racing, American rubbish, dogs at all hours, all-weather, Lucky Balls every 15 minutes, and a minimum of 4 all-singing all-dancing roulette type machines..... as you can see,it really cracks me up!

It’s 24 hours business these days, mate. Times are changing…

Anyway, the cost of living enticed me to move back to the Wirral in 1981 and I went to work for an embryonic Stanley Racing .Most of their top-level management cut their teeth at Ladbrokes and after Stanley failed in some of their ambitious expansion plans, I was persuaded that Ladbrokes provided more opportunities for me. This was a big mistake and I can safely say, that a more immoral collection of yes-men and business graduates with no bookmaking experience, would be hard to put together in one company. What a complete shower they turned out to be! After 6 years of trying to do it their way I ultimately chose the highway.

You have never left the betting industry?

No, since then I have been on the periphery of some serious independent gambling circles where I got an invaluable grounding in spread-betting on eg, Winning Distances for Horse Meetings and the Bookings market in Football. As the Spread firms became educated over the years so indeed did the perceived value in both these markets eventually disappear. Not before I was able to flag up 6 consecutive winning years and a a very cheeky profit ‘thank you very much’ .... aaahhh those were the days!

Speaking about gambling circles… When did you enter the world of poker?

I learned to play 5 Card Draw at 15 but 7 Card Stud soon became the game of choice. Regular home games were the thing and although pubs didn't encourage us, the local snooker club saw some very tasty amounts change hands in the mid-70's ie £200 -£400. I was soon able to recognize the stronger players and made every effort to avoid them, the trouble was there were never any really weak games.

When did you first try online poker?

About 5 years ago I think, but it was definitely a small Sit & Go on Will Hill. I was a complete technophobe and was hoping for a gentle introduction as I wasn't sure about the buttons to call/rais. I was first to speak after the flop which came 777 ... all I could see was my KQ (I know, I know) and completely panicked unable to see the 'Check' button. I bet max instead much to the delight of the only other player left in who duly called with his A 7.....Ooops- ahem - bye! If I congratulated him on his Quads? Ahh come on, I couldn’t even find the chat box!

During Liverpool Winter Festival week you will face some of the young online poker Scandics. What do you think about them?

Overall I think the standard has improved across the board. While I feel it is wrong to generalise, the Scandys have certainly made their mark haven't they? I also think they have gone a long way to put to bed the argument that they "won't be able to get away with that in a live game",usually referring to a strong move out of position, UTG for instance seems to be a particular favourite.

I am also amazed at those who can play upwards of 6 games at once although that multi-tasking skill is not owned by just the Skandys.I can just about manage 2 games but always feel I'm missing something.

Looking forward to the Liverpool Winter Festival?

I really do! I love the buzz of a live event and having played the 10KingsPoker Invitational at Circus Casino last October I urge everyone who reads this to give it their support. As you know I will be trying to qualify for the Main Event via satellites so it suits all pockets. The Circus card room management are top-notch too, thanks in advance to Kevin, Paul and Ged.

How is the poker interest and knowledge on Merseyside?

Like a lot of cities poker in Liverpool has been around since before the advent of Hold-em, but it is television that stimulates the interest of non-players. Usually the basics of poker are taught at home but I suspect this tradition may not be as strong as it once was. The top TV tournaments covered by Sky still create talking points among sports fans though. Let me also say that there are some very good poker players on Merseyside, and this festival will be great venue for these to shine.

What are your poker strengths?

Unfortunately for me, outweighed by my weaknesses but I am much more patient in poker however, than I am in life. I do feel I am able to 'get away' from big hands in certain circumstances. I'm no graduate of M.I.T. but the old-fashioned method of settling bets I was taught by Joe Coral has meant that I had am a player who is strong percentage play. Stats are essential in evaluating most spread betting scenarios and have been known to unearth real value.

Any bad beats?

I'm bored listening to them so I try not to tell them but I like the story of the guy in Vegas who charges $50 per 15 mins to listen to your unlucky stories about any game... He charges double for losing Keno stories! Ha-ha.

Any bragging stories?

Quite a few! None that relate to gambling though…

Dermot, you have followed 10KingsPoker.com since early Summer, and you know our team well. How can we be successful in the long run?

I hate all the 'business speak' crap... you know .. blue sky this, out of the box that. It's just laziness in my opinion. I suspect you already know the answers but for what it's worth Allan, you can't do any more than market an honest, ‘value for money product’ that people find easy to consume/navigate. Word of mouth is still a very powerful selling tool, even in this multi-media market of today. Speaking about the Liverpool Winter Festival, you may not reap the benefits of your association with the City of Liverpool for many months but yes I would say, 10KingsPoker is on the right track.
Ok, enough talk. I will see you all down at Circus Casino Wednesday night for the LIVE satellite (£30 Rebuy + Add’on) for Main Event which starts Friday.

Dermot Dinan will keep you informed all festival long, and blog live from Circus Casino. And he does it 'Dermot-way'! 10KingsPoker has given him full freedom to write and say whatever he wants. We can guarantee more action from DD in a few hours...