No limit satellites were running in the ‘pit’ area and that’s where I started my night. It was havoc and ruin on the pocketbook…mine that is. There were so many breaks in the line-up in that section, I dealt/sat five satellites in five hours. The upside is that I got to visit with a few people I really enoy and normally never have time to kick back and just ‘talk’ with.

One of my satellite deadspreads found me with Mark, a long time player from the Mirage days and frequent visitor to Bellagio. He spent some time talking about the early Atlantic City Poker Days and Foxwoods when it opened. I’ve never been there but have heard about it from other people’s POV and it’s interesting to say the least. To play poker under those circumstances, you have to have the heart of a lion and patience of God. Anyone of you that played there in those days would know what I mean.

Another satellite deadspread found me with Ed, mentioned in other posts, from Seattle…now a Vegasite. Ed’s a lot of fun to visit with, sparky, young, energetic, and almost naively quizzical in his approach to life. He hasn’t played much in the last six months because he’s working on a book. Of course it’s about poker.

*****

One of the satellites I dealt was heads-up when I sat down. Mike and Justin. Justin is the original “Mr. Boooo-waaaa-haaaa-haaa” that used to laugh so loud in the $80-$160 games that the whole room could hear him…he’s in past Tango posts.

They were working on a deal when I tapped Nita out and the clock was stopped for that purpose. Justin was asking for a large amount of cash even though he had about one eighth of the chips that Mike had. Mike offered him $400…the buy-in to the satellite was $285. Justin was outraged over the amount feeling he should get a lot more.

Justin did a, “Fuck! Let’s just play,” when Mike wouldn’t budge. “I don’t need your fucking $400.”

A small crowd had gathered and David, (a young, noisy player over the last year), had been coaching Mike on the amount he should be willing to give Justin.

Justin, drinking a beer, wild eyed, and irritated, was the show. Justin looked around the crowd and exclaimed, “If I lose this, I’ll go kill myself!”

Mike was funny. He countered with something like this, “I’m Budda so I can’t play anymore. I can’t be responsible for your death.”

Everyone laughed…except Justin.

They played five or six hands and Justin went all-in and lost. After he stomped off, David and Mike were talking and laughing about the offer and why Mike should not have given Justin anymore than that amount.

An appropriate silence came in their laughter and I exclaimed, “Stop laughing. There’s a man on his way to commit suicide right now.”

The whole thing was pretty funny.

*****

I hit Table 1 along about midnight. It was half Pot Limit Omaha and half Pot Limit Omaha 8 or Better, $100-$200 Blind. George P. (the Greek) was in the 9s and the way he was announcing things to Nita (the dealer I was pushing), I could tell he wasn’t happy with her as a dealer or he’d been losing.

He was snapping orders at her to be sure and tell me what game I would dealing and how much the Time collection was…like it’s not on the Game Plaque and I can’t read. It didn’t have anything to do with me, it’s just his way of being rude and overbearing.

I managed to get through this without any bruises or scratches. There were several large pots and George won one of them, Chau won the other.

Chau is pretty funny at times and he’s always good to me…not necessarily in the tipping sense but in his behavior with me at the table. He had the table and me laughing…except for O’Neil…in one hand that he was heads-up with O’Neil. Chau was in the 1s, O’Neil in the 4s.

The game was Omaha 8 or Better and it was raised preflop to $800 by O’Neil. Chau called. I left the $800 in front of each player and put up the Flop. O’Neil checked, so did Chau.

The Turn came, O’Neil checked, so did Chau. O’Neil bet $1,500 on the River, Chau thought for a few seconds and called. O’Neil is a little hard of hearing but at times it’s overly exaggerated. O’Neil looked at me and asked, “What’d he do?”

I said, “Call.”

O’Neil repeated the query, even though he could see the chips in front Chau and knew Chau called the bet.

I said, “He called,” a lot louder this time.

Chau exclaimed, “I called!”

O’Neil asked again.

Chau stood up, leaned over the table with his hands cupped around his mouth like a microphone and yelled, “I called!”

O’Neil threw his hand away and I pushed the pot to Chau while everyone cracked up.

*****

I dealt one more game and escaped early to hit a ‘mandatory’ party at Tommy Rockers. Suzie…our group leader and instigator of the party, was a ‘no call, no show.’

*****
I was part of this project. Sweet!
Howard Lederer’s ‘Secrets of No Limit Holdem’