Maybe the Earth is in a cleansing stage – just like when we have a cold, our bodies sluff off via coughing, sneezing, snorting, and blowing – that’s what’s been going on in Vegas for some time now. Rain the last few days, gloom and dismal to the heart of the person that loves light, a teensy bit of sun around 10ish today, and this afternoon the wind moved in or rather is trying to move everything out. It’s not even gusting – it’s down right damn ripping through everything and sending it spinning down the street if it’s not nailed down. Whew! Thankfully I have the haven of my little house to tuck into and watch the mayhem from a safe place. Thank you, God!

*****

The business of poker.

Table 30 – $8-16 Holdem.

Jerry was in the 1s and he’s pretty much nonstop talk to the dealer, even though a lot of it goes unheard because he has a tendency to almost whisper as he looks at the dealer, even if he’s across the table – it’s like he thinks you can pick it up through sonic wave or something. I usually just nod. That’s the easiest way to deal with it.

Bill L. in the 3s doing his usual gab (he’s funny – keeps me chuckling but tonight he was a teensy bit obnoxious in his statements).

The 6s – a woman I’d never seen before, small build, blond streaked hair, with a strong face, somewhere in her 40’s would be my guess, was talking quietly with the 7s when I sat down. At first I thought they were together – not even as the down panned out – not that they were fighting but she was putting some horrific beats on him. She was on one of those Bad Card Rushes and played every hand, although I get the feeling that she played every hand anyway, whether she was winning or not. Everyone in the game was a little leery of being in a pot with her.

The 2s plays at Bellagio off and on and the rest of them were pretty much strangers to me – except the 4s comes in once in a Blue Moon.

One hand, the 6s called a raise from the 7s, with 9-4 off. She flopped a 4 and snagged a 9 on the Turn to beat his pocket Kings. He shook his head but took it pretty well. She asked him where all of his chips had gone and he managed a weak smile as he told her she had most of them.

Another hand, UTG, with Pre-Flop raises, she called with 7-2 off. The Flop was J-8-2. It was four way action and the 4s had pocket 10’s. He released them on the Turn. The 6s caught a 7 on the River and bet it. Jerry paid her off with A-8 off and was really disgusted that she had caught on him – I still haven’t figured out why he thought he had such a stellar hand, second pair does not the nuts make.

Bill couldn’t stand it. “Can you believe it, she called right up front with 7-2?”

As I pushed her the pot, I said to Bill, “Hey! That’s a name brand hand in case you hadn’t noticed. It’s called THE HAMMER!” I was trying to get him to clam up.

She just stacked up their chips, small smile intact, and kept stacking.

Bill kept it up. I asked, “Why do you want to educate the players when you’re at the table with them?”

We were chuckling back and forth as he explained how he always tried to make everyone aware of how they played when they were in a game with him. I continued, “Yes…Bill…you are a great emissary for poker.”

He yuckle-chuckled as he told me about an incident a few days ago where he insulted another player, that was younger and bigger than him, and how he got out of with his skin.

Then…all the talking and educating paid off for him…he beat himself in a hand. The 6s and Bill were heads-up. Bill was first to act and led the bet all the way to the River. He talked every Street – with every bet, asking her if she had a straight draw, a pair, etc., etc.

She never said a word.

He checked the River. She just reached for chips and fired at the pot. He turned up A-10 off and left it on the table in front of him for a minute as he went into a dissertation about his draws and how he thought he was going to get there and the outs he had, blah, blah, blah, finishing with “You take it!” as he released his hand.

She showed her hand to the 6 through 10 seats and pitched it. I mucked it, pushed her the pot, and the right side of the table started twittering…she bluffed him. Sometimes you’re just so damn smart you beat yourself.

I got a huge kick out of her game play and attitude. She had them spellbound – did it last? Don’t know. I was off to Table 1.

Table 1 was $1,500-3,000 Mixed, seven handed. I made it through that without any noise or confusion.

Table 2, four handed, half Omaha 8 or Better and Deuce to 7 Triple Draw. A little noise from Kian in the 2s but there usually is…as in I had only dealt him one winning hand in the last 30 years. I laughed and said, “That’s not true. I remember two.”

Table 3 was a little bit of mayhem. $10-20 NLH. Troy was in the 8s – with multiple sweaters – and left just before I arrived. He hadn’t missed his blind so he was being dealt in each hand. I collected time, dealt the first hand, his wife (one of his sweaters) leaned forward and looked at his hand.

I immediately called Skip (high limit brush) and asked him if it was ok if she took the hand since I had NO instruction from Troy that she could play his cards.

Skip asked the players if it was ok. Skip ascertained that it was ok with everyone and walked away. I got a deluge of idiot responses from some of the players I’d never seen before that was directed at me. “Of course it’s ok!” – “She’s been doing it all along, they’re married…” and a few other dumb butt things.

I said, “Look, I don’t care if Godzilla plays his hand. I do care about the fact that if she went broke, he might be upset with me and Bellagio for allowing another person to take control of his chips and cards.”

Some of them figured out what I was talking about…if permission isn’t specifically given – it shouldn’t happen.

Then the big wrinkle. Marlon and another player suddenly had their memory refreshed. Troy had taken a $5,000 chip off the table and all that was left in play was about $500. So….”NO, Linda, the hand is dead. She can’t play it!”

Sure glad we’re all on the same page here guys! Figure it out!

I believe the rule should be that NO ONE can play anyone else’s chips. It just alleviates the whole problem of people list hopping, hot water for the dealer for doing their job and not dealing a player in (in lower limit games where they aren’t dealt in even if they haven’t missed a blind), and the risk of retribution to Bellagio if the player’s pinch hitter did go broke and was playing without specific permission. There’s a lot of grey area in allowing someone to play another person’s chips, why even let that happen? Make it black and white.

It’s that time. Time to see if I can skate with the wind on my way to work. Wish me luck!