About Time: Women Raised The Stakes

When you think of poker, what do you see? 

1. Lady GaGa in a metallic-blue leotard miming elaborately to her number one hit (you know the one).
2. A smoke-filled card room, bustling with big burly men seated at a table and playing a round of Texas Hold’em, rough-and-reckless.
3. Infuriating internet pop-ups advertising the latest online tournament at $10 a buy-in.

Sat in the beautiful Grand Connaught Rooms, home to the EPT London Poker Festival, next to some of the poker world’s leading women - one thing is immediately clear: poker is anything but the above. Taking my place at the table next to Fatima Moreira De Melo and Rebecca McAdams, the sports’ ‘High-Pair’ of female poker stars, I’m in awe of their presence alone. From their casual flick of the chips into the pot, to the tactical adjustments of slanted baseball caps, and the cold stare they give opponents as they glance across the table - nothing will stop them taking your money and leaving you down-and-out without a dime.

Confident and sexy, the women you see dotted around these tables are a man’s most lethal opponent, but with only a handful of women playing in the EPT, the game paints a huge gender imbalance and it’s hard to understand why. While I'm clueless on the matter of masterminding a game of poker, it took only 2 hours of an all-female tournament, to realise that it’s well and truly a woman’s game, with just enough strategic play from a bunch of female beginners to warrant male professionals wandering over to watch the action unfold.

Women such as Fatima Moreira De Melo and Rebecca McAdams are completely shaking up the poker playing stereotype and thrusting women into the spotlight – they’ve made the game relatable, interesting and lifted it from seedy high-stakes haunts to glamorous professional territories. Using their alluring charm and natural intellect, they’re confident in their ability to out-wit even the most ruthless players, identifying a host of advantageous methods to see us girls upping the ante and winning the jackpot.

Here are five top-tips they taught me to help beat the boys:

Learn Your Lingo

Before you sit down at any table you should freshen up on the rules of the game. It’s important to know your big blind from your top kicker and your river from your royal flush, so spend some time sussing out the hands and understanding the stakes you’re playing for. To really get to grips with the rules, pick up a copy of Rebecca McAdam’s new book ‘How To Become A Poker Queen’, as she reveals the secrets of a woman’s game.

Practice Your Poker Face

It’s no secret that men find it difficult to read women’s emotions without the obstacle of a poker table, so take full advantage of this.  When you peek at your cards and see two beautiful Aces staring back up at you, don’t give the game away with your reaction. Interestingly, professional poker players wait until it’s their turn to bet before actually looking at their cards. When they know all eyes are on them, they can start their story and get you to believe what they want.

Don’t Get Carried Away

It’s easy to forget that chips = cash. Even when your hand looks strong, don’t be influenced by your opponents and push all-in just because everyone else does. Often in poker, it’s the alpha-male who is unable to leave his ego at the door that’s made to look a fool at the table, simply because he can’t back down from a situation where he perceives he’s being taken advantage of. Stay calm, and let the men battle it out between themselves.

Play Honest Hands

A misconception about poker, is that it’s all about bluffing, and we never bluff, do we ladies? An important rule for new poker players is to play safe hands. About 75% of the game, you should be folding your cards, and if by some freak of chance, you do try a move and get caught out, make sure to look embarrassed and swiftly apply a fresh coat of lip-gloss.

Know Your Opponent

Poker is all about stories, and the more you play, the more you’ll recognize an opponent’s ‘tell’.  Why is someone raising you? Do they have a good hand, or are they bluffing?? Look for the signs from the outset, and remember it’s not just about your hand, but the hands of your opponents too. 

This article was written for About Time Magazine. 

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Review: Granger & Co, Clerkenwell

With a string of restaurants in Sydney and Japan, internationally renowned Aussie chef Bill Granger has added a second London restaurant, Granger and Co, to his repertoire in bustling Clerkenwell.

A stones-throw from numerous bars and boutique cafes that scatter the local area, and nestled in a lively, up-market nook of the popular Green – Granger & Co. stands dramatically out from the crowd. Boasting a modern exterior, the building cuts an impressive figure amongst rows of modest townhouses, with huge windows that span the length of the restaurant offering teasing glimpses of what lies within.

After you’ve climbed the floor-lit marble staircase that greets you at the front door, inside, the cream decor is unexpectedly sleek and simplistic, suitably matched by the casually dressed, friendly staff donning denim shirts and sneakers. Guests feel instantly at ease in what could have quite easily been mistaken as a fine-dining brasserie from the offset and one thing is immediately clear – Bill Granger takes you by surprise.

On first glimpse of the menu, it’s easy to think his dishes shouldn’t work. Ingredients are dramatic and often unfamiliar, taking great influence from Pan-Asian cuisine. Yet based on the full-house of happy diners that scatter the restaurant night after night, it seems that trusting in his brand, guests effortlessly find themselves returning.

Setting out cautiously, we chose a Pizzetta to start – perfect for sharing or as a light main for a single diner. Topped with bonito, take a bite of the flavours on their own and you’ll doubt the combinations. But layer the ingredients together elaborately with a forkful of meltingly soft tofu, thick potato wedges and shavings of parmesan, and it’s spectacular. In the same vain, the ‘Small Plate’ stone bass tiradito is smothered by a mountain of shaved fennel and soused onion that might seem overbearing at first, but put everything on your fork at once, and the sweetness of the sliced orange nestled within finds its place and galvanises the dish.

The ‘Big Plates’ are a little on the safer side, but are equally as distinctive when it comes to strong, pungent flavours. Nearly everything has an accompaniment that could cause you to wince, but the effects truly take you by surprise.  I chose the Shrimp burger, which comes wonderfully presented, towering epically over a side of crisp lettuce and thinly cut fries – but slicing into the tightly-bound patty, and you’re caught off-guard by a fierce jalapeno kick pleasantly blended with an equally hot sesame gochujang.

The chicken schnitzel is similarly delicious, encased in a parmesan crumb that’s mouth-wateringly tender – but what makes the dish take-off is the bed of creamed corn that sits beneath it, adding a surprisingly sweet and light edge to a simple dish.

Even the cocktails on offer here are unconventional, with a tiny asterisk alerting overwhelmed guests to the fact ‘classics are also available’. The sake, elderflower and vodka option is strong and smooth, elegantly draped with a shaving of cucumber in a martini glass for added refreshment. The house white wine is a fruity chardonnay, local to Australia, and cleanses the palate wonderfully between courses.

Bill Granger undoubtedly has a skill for creating great impact from few, simple and distinctive components. His supposedly ‘classic’ dishes are injected with excitement, and come together with surprising alignment, ensuring guests go-home with fond memories of an innovative dining experience.

This review was written for Eat Travel Live - check it out in all it's glory here. 

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Here I Am

It's been a long time coming!

From experimenting with beauty blogging (who was I kidding?), to displaying all of my poetry and literary venting on a measly webpage, I've finally decided to give in and store all my thoughts in one solitary place....right here on this blog.

I'll warn you nice and early that this is going to be quite a self-indulgent blog, acting mainly as a domain for personal reflection, new ventures, ideas and somewhere to store my freelance writing. 

You'll get my travels, adventures, likes and dislikes, and maybe a few fun photos, just for LOLs. Either way, I hope it acts as a pleasant read for anyone who's eyes might fall upon it.

Some things to note about me:

•  I'm a full time Film & Entertainment publicist and part-time freelance writer
•  I'm an English Lit grad, and now part of London's best book-club, entitled 'Chapter 6 Book Club'
•  I love cats and hate dogs 
•  I write food and lifestyle reviews for London online publications 
•  I'm a wannabe-fitness-fanatic and aspire to have abs like Ennis 
•  Travel is very important to me 

Starting a blog is something I've always wanted to do, but never got round to it. Suddenly, writing has become a big part of my life, and with my freelance career getting busier, I thought now would be the best time to document my days. Samuel Beckett, a literary fave of mine, said:

'I could not have gone through the awful wretched mess of life without having left a stain upon the silence'.

This quote has always stuck with me. I've only really scratched the surface of Beckett's works, but his constant contradictions, empty outlooks, yet poetically forced silver linings, is enough to want to document my every confusion on adult life, and where better to start than my problematic twenties.

So here it is, my little, insignificant stain upon the silence, my blog.

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