Server change, no email, and no FTP access has had me out of sorts and behind on posts. This post could be really long…as in trying to catch up for a week…or short because I don’t have the energy. Gamble! Gambling on energy.

Tons of confusion and lots of noise would be the best way to describe the mayhem of all the bodies and continual motion going on in the Poker Pit. There are actually 39 tables in the Poker Pit and 17 in Fontana.

The Poker Pit is filled with continual body movement and noise – a different kind of noise than regular room noise. For one thing, the warring microphones are carried into battle on Bose speakers. Imagine the clear, precise, ear splitting level of sound erupting continuously from them.

The second thing is the bass beat coming in from Caramel, (on the casino side), and Light, (on the Sport’s Book Side), coupled with the normal casino music and pages for people in the casino. Then add the chip clatter, poker chatter, to the movement of dealers, chip runners, cocktails, a neverending line at the Cashier’s cage, and people milling through the Poker Pit to watch the games and catch a glimpse of the STARS, and sweaters and people waiting to get intp games, and players in games.

The TV monitors overhead broadcast sporting events and the current stats for the tournament in progress.

The whole thing is a work of wonder. Yup…I keep wondering how I survive it day after day.

On a note that’s not funny but it is funny. If there’s no push on a certain table, there are so many new dealers due to the tournament, the Floor Person doesn’t even know who the dealer is that’s supposed to be pushing the line. Did they show Up? Who are they? Did they go to the wrong table? A lot of questions and not a lot of answers.

But that’s life in the fast lane…and The Poker Pit.

I spent most of Monday and Tuesday in The Fontana Lounge…nice. Don’t worry, I made two mistakes on counting down chips when an all-in player won the pot. I was quickly corrected…and I’m glad. I really don’t want to make a mistake. Hey! It’s a personal thing!

Wednesday I dealt three tables in Fontana and came back from a break just in time to find Harry Demetriou collecting second place from the final of Event One. Damn! I thought he had first place locked up. He was gracious enough to have his picture taken with me. He’s a cutie and great at a table.

Thursday found me in the line-up from hell. My first game was $4-8 H. No one knew why they were there…oh yeah…maybe they watched something on TV.

A $20-40 7 Card Stud game had me laughing my butt off. Robert was in the 4s. He’s been around since the Mirage days. Left town for a few years, came back, repeat, repeat, and everyone calls him George…except me. I call him Roe-bare. Well hell…that’s how he introduced himself years ago.

He had me in stitches during this down. He’s not always quite as humorous and talkative…at times he’s gloom and despair but he was pretty damn funny this time. Another player, Michael, was the brunt of all of Roe-bare’s noise. Michael is pretty funny too but he had to take a second place to Roe-bare. Michael beat Roe-bare in a hand and Roe-bare jumped up and put his hands around Michael’s neck to choke him. The dialogue was never ending and funny.

During this down Dave Kahn (reader here) walked up and introduced himself. I had the opportunity to visit with Dave on one of my breaks later in the night. Nice!

My next game was $300-600 Deuce to 7 Triple Draw. None other than the dreaded Vinny was in the 6s.

He was raging and snorting as usual. He ran out of black chips and called a bet with a $5,000 chip. I marked it up. He owed $1,000 on it at the end of the hand. He was heads-up with Tony and Tony just gave it back to him. Hey…I don’t know, he either owed Tony a $1,000 or they had their own gig going on.

But the next hand he owed a $1,000 on the $5,000 chip again. This time to Ritchie W. Ritchie had a lot of chips in front of him and I asked him if he would give Vinny change. “No. Call a Chip Runner.”

I tried three times, screaming for player’s chips that is. No one showed. While I exercised my vocal chords, Vinny threw the chip at Ritchie and demanded change. Ritchie refused.

Vinnie snorted, “Ok. I owe you a thousand!” and started to pick up his chips like he was going to leave.

Ritchie never moved or twitched…he never does but this time it was pretty spectacular to watch. The only thing holding Vinny together was his skin. Ritchie was sitting right next to him, staring straight ahead, somewhere in a zone that didn’t include Vinny.

A few of the players knew they didn’t want to lose Vinny…especially since he was going off and ready to blow…they chimed in and asked Ritchie to give Vinny change and then get a chip runner.

Molten potty mouth was spewing out of Vinny, aimed at Ritchie. “You think I fucking care. Fuck you! You don’t want to give me fucking change!”

Ritchie started laughing. I got pushed. Vinny was still a swearing, arm waving maniac when I walked away from the table to find someone to make the chip change for Ritchie.

No more gamble in my brain…I’m out of energy to finish this post. Tomorrow is another day.