Dealing poker is like being part of the Matrix. You plug in when you walk through the door and unplug when you walk out, remembering all the time that you’re there that there really is no spoon. At times it seems bizarre to watch people walking through the door, finding a game, buying chips, settling into the table routine, relaxed and calm, laughing when they start out winning, and watching them turn into a demon from hell when they take a few beats or get low carded two or three times in 7 Card Stud.

Nothing brings out a person’s true personality like watching their money being pushed across the table to someone else…well maybe if you screw with their kids or mate but money places huge in the overall scheme of things. Other times the whole poker scene appears to be completely natural and a normal part of life. That having been said, I’m now ‘unplugged’.

~~~~~

A question that always comes to mind when a player never tips more than 50c – why in the hell don’t they just buy a roll of halves and quit with the crap of ‘chop’ when they throw out a $1?

First, it appears that they are trying to show everyone at the table that tipping 50c is cool and inflation hasn’t struck the poker room.

Second, they are slowing down the deal and the game by expecting the dealer to stop and break a buck down. Yes, I feel that it slows down my game.

Third, there are a lot of dealers that will never order halves when they take in a fill and will drop them into the rake if they are in the rack because these dealers don’t want to accept 50c for a toke. They want $1 or nothing.

I say screw these dealers but I still have to follow their arrogant asses in the line-up which means no halves in the rack. So…if you’re one of these 50c for life tippers, just order a roll of halves when you get your chips. Simplify it for the rest of us. Oh…and stop pointing out to the guy that gives $3 to $4 a hand, that he can tip us 50c. For hell’s sake, I don’t cut into your action so don’t cut into mine.

~~~~~

Several funny things at the table. Simon, a young, exuberant chase the Sheilas and smoke too many cigarettes, $4-$8 Holdem player, here for a few weeks to mess with the locals minds, was asked if he was married. He said, “No! I’m going to find a woman in her forties that I hate and buy her a house!”

Another one was a woman new to poker playing $4-$8 Holdem and several times a player at the table said, “I’ve got the nuts!”She had no idea what that meant. Someone explained it to her and a few hands later, she bet and said, “I’ve got the balls!”

*****
This post is done by Chanzes – during the time period that I took a break from posting in the Diary.