It’s a never ending stream of people flowing through the door. The heads bob up and down like waves on the ocean. The microphones and occasional burst of excitement or anger rip through the barricade of conversation and chip clatter that create an eternal roar resembling a building coming down around your head. The body heat and emotion is overwhelming. Where the hell is my medication????
*****
I dealt the $30,000-$60,000 game to Andy and Todd on Wed. nite. Easiest game in the house to deal, no rake, no time, just sign in like a tournament, sit down and deal…three chips for the small blind, two chips for the big blind.
No, I don’t know who was winning. I do know the Blinds would pay off everything I owe in life (except my house) and I’d have fun money left over. 🙂
I’m happy to be part of this experience, to witness it, deal it, approach Andy and Craig, and have them greet me with a warm smile and hello…it’s history. Just like dealing the WPT/Ultimate Bet Aruba event. I have something to share with my friends and family that most people will only hear about or watch on television.
*****
James Woods was in the room last night playing the $2-$4 Blind, No Limit Holdem game. I visited with him for a brief second…actually I jumped right into a conversation with him about poker screenplays and writing. He may send me an email…hope, hope, wish!
*****
One night last week, while dealing a $100-$300 Blind Pot Limit Omaha game, I made a HUGE mistake. I thought I would get my head ripped off by the players (verbally) but believe it or not, the coolest and calmest of the five players were Johnny Chan and Sammy Farha…
I allowed my concentration to lapse for that half a second that it takes to make a mistake. The wrong Game Plaque was on the table for the Blind Structure. The dealer before me should have called the floor and had it changed but…that would be too damn easy.
While dealing the hand, I looked over my shoulder to ask another passing dealer to notify the floor that the blind structure was wrong on the card. In doing so, I only dealt Klinger, the Small Blind, three hole cards and everyone else four.
Don’t worry, it went just like the nightmare that it’s supposed to be. Johnny raised, the 8s folded, and Klinger discovered that he had three cards. I apologized and called for a decision.
Tim (fairly new to the Floor position) came over, stumbled around with the fact that he thought it was a dead hand but couldn’t quite come out with a definite statement, finally said he’d better check and went to ask the Supervisor.
Between Sam and Johnny, the conversation went back and forth with the fact that they knew it was going to be declared a dead hand…only option open for Klinger was that the House might give him back the $100.
Klinger started to make a comment about the dealer making a mistake and Johnny jumped right in and told Klinger that it was up to the player to protect their own hand and he should’ve said something right away.
Sammy told Klinger that “IT” had already happened and there was nothing that could be done about it now.
WOW! I almost fell off of my chair.
The players opted to give Klinger back his $100 and the hand went on.
I’m still a little bit in shock over that whole experience. I know I made the mistake and should have concentrated totally on the game. The shock factor comes in when NOT ONE OF THEM pounded me with the fact that I needed to pay attention and they reasoned it out as to what would happen and then proceeded in a civilized manner.
There really is a Poker God and She was looking out for me!