It’s time to offload three barrels of value with Pratyush Buddiga blogging on fear and embarrassment, Dame Maggie Smith being outed as a Seven Card Stud genius, and the sad passing of UK poker’s Neale “The Wheel” Butler.
Fans of Avatar will be glad to hear that James Cameron is currently nearing the end of the writing of Avatar 2, 3 & 4.
There’s only one problem.
How to do you top Avatar?
It’s a problem that plagues us all in one way or another. It certainly affected Pratyush Buddiga.
In a new blog written on Medium, called Perfectionism and Fear of Embarrassment, Buddiga shares his vulnerability on how his life panned out after winning the Spelling Bee in 2002.
“It was the best and worst thing that ever happened to me.” Wrote Buddiga. “It cemented me on a path of perfectionism and anxiety that plagues me to this day.”
Buddiga takes you on his personal rollercoaster with a view of life at the top (winning tons of dosh as the protege of Timex), and a not so happy view of the bottom (a downswing leading him to wonder if he was a natural born closer).
It’s a beautiful tale of the truth. Buddiga credits fellow poker player Kory Kilpatrick as the young man who helped him realise that his angst went all the way back to that Spelling Bee victory.
Fans of the piece (which you can find here).
Will be grateful to hear that his opening up is all part of his strategy to learn to become ‘his own best friend’ and will be sharing more stories of vulnerability in the future.
I, for one, can’t wait.
Downton Abbey Star Enjoys “Wild Nights of Poker”
I am sure Dame Maggie Smith has also had her fair share of doubts, fear and moment of vulnerability during her 81-years on this planet. The two-time Academy Award winner is currently starring as Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess of Grantham, in Downton Abbey, and the cast have been sharing their experiences as the series reaches its finale.
Fellow Brit Jim Carter, who plays Mr Carson, has told USA Today, that the one thing he will miss about the show are the ‘wild nights of poker’ he enjoys with the Dame.
Carter told the news outlet how they would stay up paying seven-card stud all night.
“She’d be on the scotch. I’d be drinking brandy.”
Was she a winner?
You bet.
“She won all of the time,” said Carter, “She fleeced me of all my money.”
Let’s get her on the Shark Cage, PokerStars.
British Poker Player Neale “The Wheel” Butler Dies
We end this episode of three barrels with the sad news that British poker player Neale “The Wheel” Butler passed away on Jan 8, 2016. The public was made aware of his death via social media in a message from his brother Graeme.
“It is with deep regret that I have to tell you all that my brave brother Neale passed away peacefully on Friday 8th January 2016. Little Seren and I will be lost without you. Rest in peace little brother. Xx. Graeme.”
Poker players from around the world should print out this great piece from UK PokerNews Editor, Matthew Pitt, and pin it next to their laptop as a source of inspiration for when we start losing the gratitude plot.
Neale lived a very difficult life after back surgery left him confined to a wheel chair at the age of 12. He played online poker under the psuedonyms “SERENSTAR28” and ‘SUNSHINESEREN” – Seren being his sister’s name. His bankroll goal was to earn $10,000 so he could purchase an electric wheelchair.
He died of complications arising from cancer.
Our prayers and well wishes are with his family.
Here is a link to Pitt’s excellent piece.
