Summer’s finally arrived. It’s too hot to talk about, just the thought of people talking and adding more hot air to the atmosphere is kind of scary. Ever wonder how in the hell they started the first casinos/hotels/establishments here in Vegas…long before air conditioning was a household word? I do. Those people had to be crazy…not only that, there was no bottled water. How the hell did they drink this water? The difference between then and now? Now the heat is at the tables in Bellagio’s poker room. There’s so much action it’s almost unbelievable – and plenty of bottled water but it won’t put out the fire spreading across the green felt. Be there, or be ‘un-kewl’.

A touch on a ‘laughable’. I got put in my place by a $2-5 NLH player last night. He was in the 3s, drinking, new to me but not necessarily new to poker, semi-running over the game with bad hands, and playing almost every hand. One hand, I mucked his cards, they were out into the table when the action came to him pre-flop. He had a fit, he had been talking to the cocktail server and looked back to see he had no cards. He jumped right into my face. I could barely get a word in – even if I tried to pry it in with a lubricated crowbar – and he was off and running.

I told him that I always dealt the cards to the player, I didn’t leave them in the middle of the table, and I took his hand because it appeared that he had looked at it and discarded it. No way that he was going for that. He demanded his cards back. They were already in the muck with other dead hands.

The player in the 4s interjected that the 3s had just won a big pot and his cards were out further in the table because the chips were in the way. (Ok…so I guess he pulled in his chips but failed to pull in his hand and take a look at it).

I apologized.

The 3s barked, “That’s bullshit! Pay attention to the game, dealer.”

I did a mock salute and meekly replied, “Yes, Sir!”

Jason was in the 6s and he was ready to explode with laughter. I went to the next hand, the 3s continued for a moment longer and I quietly said, “Swear to God, I’m going to start laughing if it doesn’t stop.”

Half the table was chuckling by now. There’s just no way to get around a Tin God. Best to ignore the smoke and noise and get right into the next hand. I did.

I’m on my way to Bellagio early today to donate blood for the Corporate Challenge. A very worth while cause no matter what your reason for donating. Take the time to share life with another person in need. Donate blood! You may be the one that needs it someday.

It’s Friday…mine too! Hello E/O list.