I hit the room tonight with the intent of meeting my friend, Greg, for a brief visit before work and in time to sign the E/O Play list before the line is drawn…that’s at 6:45. I made it in plenty of time and spent about 20 minutes visiting with Greg in the quiet area off the Sport’s Book which is an employee’s area. Greg deals at Harrahs and is one my Pan playing, hiking buddies…although work has gotten in the way of both lately.

I hit the room at 7 p.m. donned my dealer’s apron and name tag and dealt three games. Break time. When I returned from break I was out to play but couldn’t E/O. I was second on the E/O list and really wanted to hit the night air and leave the poker room behind but it just wasn’t to be until around 1:00 a.m. I planted my tush in a $4-8 H game and basically never won a pot.

I did split one that was good sized but only one person was trapped in the middle and it didn’t begin to cover my losses. Hey…I can’t beat A-Q with A-K suited, nor can I beat J-7 Off with A-10 Off when the flop comes A-J-3 – nothing on the Turn – J on the River. I managed to run K-Q into chip hell when the Flop came K-Q-7 and the other player had 7-7. Then it’s sit and fold for three weeks…never folding a winner because nothing I fold ever comes on the board. I know it happens all the time. Only problem is it’s been happening to me for about a year and a half. I used to live to play poker and now I can barely stand to look at two cards…in anyone’s hand. But I won’t dwell on that. Everything changes and I hate whiners so on to room happenings and poker.

On Thursday night I dealt a little $4-8 H game in which the player in the 5s said she had asked the previous dealer for a set-up but they never got one. We were back in the corner, in a section that’s extremely difficult to be heard from and I belted out, “Set-up, Table X.”

She said something to the effect that I could be heard everywhere and I started laughing. “That’s from raising three sons by myself.”

She then told me I wouldn’t get a set-up since no one had replied. I said, “Yes I will, I always get what I want.”

Her eyebrows went up and she said, “It must be nice.”

I replied, “It’s easy…I don’t want much.”

That’s the key. I want the real things in life, the things that are simple and make life so wonderful. And yes…I dream. I dream of things I want in the future and even though some of them are unrealistic dreams, I still dream them because I believe they can happen and if I don’t dream them there is no floorplan or blueprint. And without that construction never starts.

Today my dream is a dream for health and wellness for everyone in the world, world peace, and the warm comfort of “I love you” shared with people and family close to me.

And for a neverending river of people walking through the door to get on the list…