High limit and Santa Claus is in town…you’d have to be a dealer to know what that means. Our Santa Claus is Adib M. He’s the Santa of any sweater that sits behind him also. Every time he wins a pot, the sweater gets $25-$50. It’s almost a war to see who gets to sit with him. He is the poker dealer’s dream…he’s playing higher than normal and everyone wants a chance to deal to him – even the players. If he takes a walk during my down and comes back to see me leaving the game, he gives me $200 just for showing up. How the hell can’t I want this guy to win every pot.

This really isn’t about him…but he’s playing the game that this post is all about. Even though I love to have Santa in my game, I know that he’s only there a few times a year and I have regular players that must be dealt to/with and I have to do the best job possible or I’m going to suffer in the long run.

The game is $300/$600 stud…ante $75.00 and the bring-in is $100.00. The game normally runs eight handed but tonight it’s nine handed…why, you ask? Because if a real ‘live one’ shows up, an extra chair is pulled in for them, even if there’s a list, they take precedence over the list. Hey and you thought that them that has the gold don’t make the rules. Yeah, baby!

This game is a firecracker. One pot is six way action with all the raises – three way action on 6th Street – a bet, raise, and re-raise on the river. The pot’s so big that I couldn’t shove it with a snow plough. Don’t worry, I get stiffed. Santa raised on the river and got re-raised and shown a full house. That pot could’ve been worth $200 or more but it’s worth zip where it landed.

But still this isn’t about tipping…it’s about doing my job and doing it well. One hand comes to 6th street with three players involved. It’s been raised, re-raised, etc., etc. all the way down. The Cuckoo has been high all the way with an Ace high showing – on 6th, he loses that status to an Ace with a higher kicker.

I called the high card and Cuckoo checked, (even though he’s not high). The high card, (Santa), checked. The next player checked and now the Cuckoo tried to bet. Luckily the shift supervisor was standing behind me. When the Cuckoo tried to bet, I said, “You checked!”

He started in with me.

I said, “You checked out of turn, they checked, it’s a check.”

He looked over my shoulder at the Shift Supervisor for verification and got it. I burned and turned the last down card to each player.

The long and short of it, Cuckoo had three Aces and won the pot.

I got pushed by the new dealer. Stiffed, Yes? Did I do my job well? Yes.

Two nights later, I walked through the casino, returning from a break. Cuckoo passed me, mumbling, “…check, I checked!”

I said, “Get the hell out of here, of course you checked.”

Does this mean that when it’s in your favor, I’m supposed to forget the rules and when it’s not, I’m supposed to remember them? Yeah, Baby! Not in this lifetime.