Day 1 of the Championship Event was broken into three flights, played on three consecutive days of play. Each flight ended at 10:00 p.m. or whenever the flight dropped to X amount of players…someone said 70 but I’m not sure of the amount…remember I’m the kid that took every E/O possible.

Championship Event, Day 2, took place on the 29th. I heard it started with approximately 200 players and when I came in to deal at 7 p.m.ish, it was already down to two/three tables, and broke down fairly fast to nine players. Jim, David’s friend, from the post on the 29th was one of the last nine. I went in for a moment and visited with him, wishing him luck. He ended up in that spot…but hey, what a payday and what fun! I honestly don’t think anyone that came to play could be too unhappy with that finish…unless of course they are a ‘top pro’. Yes, first place is always what we strive for but it never hurts to be happy with where you are and what you’ve accomplished.

That room was filled with spectators, cameras, noise, and lots of confusion. I started in the Buy-in Tournament room. Begin stress and frustration overload. This is the night that I had a super problem with FCF.

About half way through one of my downs, the 7S raised to $400. The 8 folded. The 9s made it $700 all-in. It was clearly announced by the 9s and by me, “All-in for $700!”

As everyone was folding around to the 7s, he threw out $100 more. The chip clearly left his hand and landed with his previous raise…but then just before the last player folded to him, he grabbed it back. I told him that I was sure the $100 had to stay but as he whenged and cringed, stating that he thought it was only $100 more, I told him I would call for a decision. I did. I got FCF.

The play and action was explained like this, “The 7s raised it to $400. The 9s raised to $700 all-in. The 7s threw in $100 more and then took it back just before the action got to him.”

FCF looked slightly confused and said, “It’s not more than half the bet…”

I truly thought FCF misunderstood the situation and I said, “This isn’t about a half a bet rule. The 9s is all-in and it’s heads-up.”

The 4, 5, and 6s were starting to twitch a little bit because they knew the rule and they weren’t going to let the 7s get away with retrieving his $100 chip.

FCF again stated, “Well, it’s less than half the bet.”

I couldn’t believe FCF really comprehended the situation when the ‘half a bet rule’ kept surfacing. I countered again, “This isn’t about a half a bet rule.”

FCF said, “Well maybe I should get another decision.”

I said, “Maybe you should.”

FCF left, Jon came to the table, I explained the same situation to him. The decision was the $100 had to stay. The 7s could call $100 and fold or call the additional $300 and play the hand. The7s elected to call the full raise and the hand played out.

I knew I was going to get heat. I did. It came at the wrong time and I wasn’t prepared for it. I was standing behind the next dealer, at the next table, signing the ‘down’ card, when FCF appeared at my left shoulder informing me that I shouldn’t say anything when a decision was made.

I said, “Ok.”

It didn’t stop there, increasing in volume, more blah, blah, blah.

My volume increased, “OK!”

More blah, blah, blah! Louder than before. This was so unnecessary…a control thing. The point had been made with the first statement.

I was irritated now and it seemed to be going on way too long so I exclaimed, “OK! FCF! OK!”

I jumped into the Box and dealt my next down. As I was getting pushed, Jon walked by and I told him I needed to talk to him. Just as I got started FCF jumped into the picture. Actually I wanted to talk to both of them at the same time so it worked out for me. My complaint was that I don’t mind the lecture but I don’t need it as I’m pushing into the box…make it away from the table.

I reiterated that the situation wasn’t about a ‘half a bet rule’ and that several players at the table were going to demand a second decision because they knew what the rule was. FCF’s complaint was that I was the only person FCF heard saying anything at the table and the decision…one really was never made due to my mouth…should have been final.

I followed with the fact that FCF clearly stated, “Maybe I should get another decision.”

The truth of the matter is that I should have just SHUT UP and let FCF make a decision. Even though we would have called for a second decision because the 4, 5, and 6s were never going to go with a ‘half the bet rule’, at least I would have done my job the correct way.

I believe the reason I didn’t let it ‘just happen’ was that I work with this person at Bellagio and I knew the rule and felt they should too. For some reason I felt obligated to point out that it wasn’t about a ‘half a bet rule’ and thought it would register with FCF that something else was happening here. Oh well! Slap my mouth.

The next game I dealt broke down due to tables being combined. Suzie asked me to go the Championship Event and deal it. I was on a break, talking to my friend Grace, when David appeared. He’s young, a tournament dealer, and plays poker at Bellagio from time to time. He jumped right into my conversation with Grace and wanted to know if I would trade him places. He was on 36B and was dealing the Buy-in Tournament room…where I had just left.

He said, “You’ll at least be dealing three tables and then take a break vs. dealing one table and taking a breaking in the main room.”

I think I laughed. I asked, “So what? Why would I want to trade?”

He went on to say that I would deal three games each session instead of one. Did this kid know that I took an E/O every chance I got and didn’t care if I got in more downs?

It registered with me that he really wanted to be in the action of the camera and the lights and I really didn’t care one way or the other. I told him to go check with Suzie and see if it was “OK” and if it was, I’d trade with him.

He came back a few minutes later, big smile…huge smile…and we traded. The Championship Event was playing down until there were six players left for the WPT filming the following day. He even told me a few hours later that he busted the seventh player. Cute! NOT!

I don’t believe the dealer ever busts anyone and I don’t go around telling people that I pumped someone up or broke them…honestly, I don’t have ‘jack’ to do with the game unless I make a mistake. But David’s young, highly energetic, and smart…maybe he’ll figure that part out as his career progresses.
*****
During one of the Ultimate Bet $500 Buy-in Tournaments, I had the misfortune to deal to John Bonetti. Over the years, I’d heard many dealers, players, and supervisors talk about his bad attitude towards dealers and how mean he could be. I figured it would go one way or another, he’d either be calm and collected because he was playing with a field of Brick and Mortar Green Horns, or he’d believe he was the only one entitled to win and show it. It was the latter…damn it! I hate it when it goes that way.

He was in the 2s and snipping cards at my fingers with the first hand dealt. He had a direct shot because the 1s was empty. I deftly dodged each ‘snip’ for the first five/six hands. He was in continual snarl and grumble mode, making statements like, “these dealers…” waving his hand in the air to show his disdain for us and the rest of the world. And then, even though I keep my hands clearly back of the box and the ‘war zone’, he hit me in the side of the hand with both cards…believe me, he was trying to hit me.

Calm as the eye of the hurricane, I said, “Just set your cards down.”

“W-H-A-T?” jerked out of his lips. He acted surprised that I would say anything.

I repeated, “Just set your cards down.”

“W-H-A-T?” Either there was no comprehension that I was serious or he’d gone into ‘broken record’ mode.

“You heard me. Just set your cards down.”

“What are you implying.”

“You hit me in the hand with your cards. Just set them down.”

By now his eyes were popping like Old Faithful and it looked like they were getting ready to blow. “I was just trying to get them in to you.”

I called for a decision. All of his statements were harsh and angry, he was definitely trying to get them into me…as in meld them into my body.

Jon came and I explained to him what had happened. Amazingly, the 5s, someone I’ve never seen before and hope I never see again, jumped into the conversation and told Jon that John was not out of line…he had seen John out of line and this time he definitely wasn’t. Thank you, Butthead! You’re not the one that was taking the cards in the hand.

Jon told John that he would have to set his cards down. As soon as Jon left, John did a, “I come all the way from Texas to put up with this?” still waving his hand and gesticulating at me like I was dried snail slime.

I called Jon back. “He’s still making comments to me.”

The 1s filled up with a little Asian cutie from a broken game and she said, “Oh my God! I knew I didn’t want to come to this table,” as she eyed John.

The 5s piped in again with, “You must not pay your dealers enough.”

Let’s clarify that one. There is no amount of money in the world that would make me be a willing backdrop for someone’s cards. I will take a card from someone when they’ve had an unexpected beat and it’s an explosion over the hand…never twice. I will not take a card from someone that’s malicious and aiming to get me because I’m a dealer. Don’t even bother dragging out your checkbooks, boys, cause you ain’t got enough money.

And on to the pay part. Ultimate Bet paid our plane fare and our hotel room (which I’m very grateful for and really think they did a helluva job for us) but as far as pay goes…we were paid from tournaments tips and a % withheld from the tournament buy-ins. It was enough to make me very happy…but we were not paid. It all depended on the total tournament take, not an hourly wage.

The 5s needs a clarification on what should happen at the poker table and player behavior…not on what HAS happened at the poker table.

Jon again told John that he would have to set his cards down and play poker. Don’t worry, as soon as Jon walked away, John started in again, “I’ve put up with dealers all my life…”

Oh my God! Poor man, forced to play poker and put up with us little dried slime trails. What a horrible life.

I called Jon again. I told Jon that John would not just leave it alone and that I wasn’t going to deal to him if he continued to behave in that manner.

Jon again went to John. John demanded to see Suzie. Jon told John that Suzie wasn’t running this tournament, that he, Jon, was the Director and John would have to speak to him. They stepped away from the table for a moment. I dealt John in while they spoke.

Jon came back to me and asked me if I wanted to be let out of the box and have another dealer come in. I told Jon that I was fine. I just wanted the 2s to stop it.

Stop it did! I ended up pushing the 2s several pots before I finished the down. I never slam chips at a player or act disgruntled towards them…so I gently slid the chips his way, in my normal ‘professional’ dealer mode…and John set his cards down like a good boy and stopped waving and foaming at the mouth.

As soon as I got to the next table, the one behind me was broken and the players moved to other games…yup…John moved right into the 5s in the my next game. Don’t you just know it! It’s Murphy’s Law of Poker Dealing. John behaved all during this down. No twitching, no waving, no stupid stares or idiotic statements. Just the way the game of poker was meant to be played.