"To err is human, to forgive is divine" - Huggy Bear, 2004

Now the thing about being a Lord in America, is that they don't really exist. In the words of Snoop Dogg the title of this first post is a quote from the 'greatest Mack of all', The Lord. The one and only Lord.. Omniscient, omnipotent and omnipresent!

 I'm not trying to say that I have some sort of divine powers and I'm not trying to start a cult following which might end up making the news for all of the wrong reasons, but what my title bestows upon me is a promise to a set of values, values that do not seem omnipresent in this great land.

 My Father, and his Father before him have said to me, 'manners maketh man'. I have yet to come across any member of the female species who doesn't appreciate a well mannered, well spoken, well turned out gentleman and yet they are few and far between on these shores. Granted, the Hollywood Park casino in the heart of Inglewood is hardly the home of many subscribers to  "Debrett’s Guide to Etiquette, Taste & Achievment”  and therefore may not be the best place to cast my net with such a generalisation of America. In time these writings will discuss the people, the problems, and the places of this fabulous continent, hopefully conveyed in an amusing way through the eyes of a sophisticated member of the English Nobility.

 I imagine the question on everybody's lips is: 'but why America, Lord Furnival?' and I can but answer - what a great place to start.

 I've never been described as much of a grafter, more Gatsby than Getty. In fact it could be argued that I never had much hunger for any kind of work, (an accusation at which I take umbrage, I just haven't found a travail that stimulates me enough!) Where I have never shirked from “grinding it out” however, and where I find my “strongest suit” is with people. So, imagine my joy and rapture when I discovered there was a way I could make money from people, specifically by beating them at cards. Ever since that realisation (and it was like a moment of divine inspiration) it has seemed like the obvious and natural route for me to head down. Imagine the consternation in friends and family when they discovered that Poker, or in their eyes gambling, was my chosen pastime. The risk, the ruin, everything at stake on the turn of a card, the luck. I'm not going to pretend there haven't been downs, because there has and there will be again, but over time and with the right tools at my disposal it will be possible to forge a successful living out of poker.

 What better place to start my quest than the home of Texas Holdem, well not quite because I'm in California, but pretty close!

 Its probably worth noting at this juncture, my inclination to gamble on anything with anyone, whilst trying to eek out any sort of an advantage. Whether this be winning dinner over the identity of the singer of a song on the radio, or one or two bucks on a round of golf on any of the fabulous courses over here, there is ample opportunity to gamble. (the golf hustle is another story for another blog, but lets just say I have yet to find one of these yankees who actually has a genuine handicap!!).

 As the old saying goes...'it's a hard way to make an easy living' is this poker lark, but if in the mean time I can find a way to amuse the readers of my blog then I will be achieving a little more than just the $ of my opponents.

Be lucky,

Lord F