May 23, 2002

What if the world really wasn’t round? What if it’s an oval covered with green felt and those seated at the table are just the bottom feeders trying to move up? All right, let me skip right past that thought and don’t take offense because I sit at the green felt all the time so I’m included.

You should have figured out by now that it’s a ramble. The wine-drinking bitch is gone full tilt and wants to talk about poker and life.
My 1st game was $1-$5 7 Card Stud on table 29. My 2nd game was $1-$5 7 Card Stud on Table 29. No push, Silly. Somewhere, somehow, the line-up wasn’t programmed correctly and three of us never got pushed. Would I rather have spent my first hour in another game? Yes! Simply because the 7s was a retard and makes a lot of noise and slows the game down and, even after he’s been told 18 times, still can’t figure out that he’s not supposed to throw his chips into the pot. Add to that this is not the first time I’ve had to deal with/to this brain dead and there it is in a nutshell…the beginning of my night, did I also forget to say that the 7s never SHUTS UP?

The bright spot of this game was that Richard sat down in the 8s and we got to visit for a few minutes. Richard and Matt room together and have become two of my favorites in the card room. We’ve played against each other and I’ve dealt to them both for quite some time. They understand me and I understand them…we don’t have to play ‘the game’.

My next game was $8-$16 Holdem and then on UP from there. That was my last low limit game for the night. The Twilight Zone of high limit waited for me, lurking behind 30 Break.

Table 1 was $300-$600, 2 games, Ace to 5 triple draw and Deuce to 7 triple draw. My whole session was Deuce to 7. Doc was in the 1s and for some reason, tonight, he kept patting and rubbing the middle of my back. I’ve dealt to him for a lot of years and he’s never, ever, been anything but distant. Nope, it wasn’t my perfume, I don’t wear any. Go figure.

Table 2 was mixed games, the Deuce to 7 was $400-$800 but all the other games were $500-$1000. My friend and hiking buddy, Christoph, was in the 7s and he’d stopped by when I was on table 30 to visit for a moment. He’s been having a really rough time the last six days. They gamble gambled in this baby.

Table 3 was $400-$800 Pot Limit Omaha with none other than GEORGE Paravoliasakis , in the 6s. I have a horrible time with this game and I can honestly say I’ve always had a horrible time dealing a game with George in it. I deal PLO about 15 times out of the year and I do know how the betting structure works but when I’m actually in the dealer’s box and they’re throwing out chips, it’s another story.

The first hand I dealt, Sam Farha got on my case because he wanted to bet the pot and I failed to remember there were four players. Ugh! Yes, I need work in this area but what the hell is so tough about a player just betting the pot when he plays the game all the time and knows what’s in it? No answer needed here, he’s just trying to set the control tone.

George ended up waving his arms at me and talking to his wife about me by the end of my down. I’ve often wondered what it must be like to be his wife and sit and watch him behave like a monkey and throw away your mutual funds at the same time. A role I could never accept. The rumor was that he didn’t play yesterday because he was broke…by today he had found more funds to play with.

A wonderful man named Frederic was in the 1 seat. I’ve dealt to him a lot the last 3 weeks and he’s such a gentleman and gentle soul. I complimented him once away from the game. He greets me and I greet him. I like it.

The 2s was Johnny Chan but he was walking until the last few hands of my down.

The 3s was one of my favorites, Ben Roberts. He’s the kindest of the kind hearts when it comes to the dealer and their role in the game. We always speak and I first met him a year ago when he came for the WSOP. It’s always a pleasure to see Ben.

The Devil Fish AKA Dave Ulliot., was in the 7s and had won a pot so big, when I was dealing table 2, that players left my game to go watch the action.

My next game was $75-$150 Omaha 8 or Better with a 1/4 Kill. Eli Balas was in the 1s. By the end of my down, he was swearing and having a fit. No, this isn’t surprising because everything is someone else’s fault…definitely not his. He lost a pot to 4 Queens and then threw his small blind into my left hand. I fumed, “Jesus, Eli, you don’t have to throw things at me!”

He lost the next hand and threw his cards into the 4 seat’s chips. Thankfully he didn’t throw them at me. 🙂

When the next dealer pushed me out, Eli was talking to himself. He said something to the next dealer about, “…getting the witch out of here.”

As I left the box, I said, “Thanks everyone.” Then I turned and looked at Eli and said, “Thanks a lot Eli.”

Of course he looked away. I didn’t expect anything less or more although I still haven’t figured out why some players think I should feel responsible when they win or lose.

The next game was $30-$60 Holdem. Quite painless.

The next game was $20-$40 Omaha 8 or Better. Hot and noisy, it sits right on the rail so smokers can lean over the rail and share their bad habit with us. Ugh!

Table 7 was $300-$600 7 Card Stud then on to $80-$160 Holdem and $1,000-$2,000 Mixed games with none other than Annie Duke, Jason Lester, Johnny Chan, Gus Hanson, Chau Giang. and a few others. Gus really is a kick in all games and limits.

My last game was $80-$160 Holdem.

When I finally hit the clock out window another dealer said, “How did you escape overtime?”

I looked at him and said, “Shhhhh. Sometimes silence is the best way to get through the night.”

Satellites ran all night for Bellagio $10,000 No Limit Holdem event which begins next week. Noise and confusion tripled up and served as a ‘supreme’. It should be this way for the next couple of weeks. Yippee!