While I’m impatiently waiting for FTP problems with the new server to be resolved – so a post that shows as being published is actually on the menu and readable – a few honorable mentions from dealing the tournament in Fontana.

Each day of Bellagio’s Third Annual Five-Star World Poker Classic brings a new NLH Tournament. The day before each tournament, satellites begin. Each tournament plays down everyday until there are nine players left or 3 a.m. arrives, whichever comes first. When the new NLH Tournament begins at noon, the final of the tournament from the day before unfolds at 3 p.m. Keep in mind that while dealing in Fontana, it might be a satellite, the final of the day before, or the day’s tournament, or a super satellite for the final event.

While cruising through the line-up in Fontana, I dealt to Jon Juanda at three different tables for the same event. I was waiting to push into the first table and Jon was in the 10s, stacking a mountain of chips. The 4s was berating him. “You call yourself a world class player, making a fucking play like that. How the hell can you play that fucking bad?”

Jon never looked up or flinched while he was getting the trash talk from the 4s.

I was amazed that the dealer didn’t say anything…after all profanity and bad behavior is definitely not allowed in tournaments.

She’s one of our regular dealers. I hate to even mention her name here because I hate to deal to her too. She plays $4-8 H and behaves like a high limit player trapped in a $4-8 bankroll. She’s the subject of other posts where players specifically ask to play in ‘her’ game when she’s in a player’s chair…give you an idea of the level of play?

After she left, the 4s snipped the cards into the rack once. I was prepared to give him the ‘Set them down!’ warning. But he eased up and the game went on.

On another note of the bad behavior, while dealing a six handed final table of a super satellite, the one seat flipped the word fuck out like he was trying to wear it out.

I gently said, “Hey! No potty mouth.”

He declared, “We can swear if we want to.”

I replied, “No! You can’t.”

His reply, “Yes we can. This is just like California.”

“No it isn’t! I don’t want to call the Floor Person but I will if I have to.”

The 4s looked at the 1s and said, “Get mad at me if you want to, but leave her out of it!”

Hello Chivalry! Yippee for the young men of the world that know what’s right!

The 1s gave it up. I didn’t hear another peep out of him.

One hand that still leaves me slightly boggled, mainly because I deal to two of these players but don’t know their names, was played in a daily tournament when there were four tables left. Granted they were not close to the money but the play of the hand is what had me in shock.

SB – the 6s, unkown to me.

BB – the 7s, ongoing history with him as far as playing different levels of poker and limits, not that he’s got a bankroll or is a credible, make my living playing poker person.

The 3s – plays intermittently in the $10-20 NLH and was two off the Button.

The Blinds were at $600-1200 Antes $100.

The 3s smooth called the BB. The SB went all-in…somewhere around $5,000 or so. The BB barely thought about it and called a little short of the SB amount. The 3s did a nonchalant kind of thing, having them both covered, and said, “Well…I have to call, I have Aces.”

Sure enough – as advertised – the 3s turned over A-A. The SB turned over K-K. The BB turned over 10-10. Amazingly (Hey…I know it’s supposed to happen this way but seldom ever does when I’m playing) the Aces held up.

The SB raise all-in, I understood. The BB call, I did not. Color me weird or super stupid here but just from watching the play the short time I was dealing the game, I would have been ultra leery of the ‘smooth call’ from the 3s and the raise all-in from the SB.

Another update shortly…now that I know my posts are logging on the new server. Check back.