Since TV hit the scene and poker’s become big time, there aren’t nearly as many card throwers and angry players on the scene. It’s great from the dealer angle but it makes for lousy writing. There’s nothing like stress and strife to fire up the pen and light up every adjective known to man/womankind. Lots of crazy things still happen in the poker room and a few people still get out of line, but it doesn’t happen nearly as much as a few years ago. Maybe it’s because there are more new players per capita and they are there for the dance and sheer joy of playing rather than believing ‘someone did it to them’ when they lose. So while I’m mulling that one around (there may not be a conclusion later) a few stories.

I played or tried to play poker again on Friday night. I know…I’m starting to sound like the live one. I just sit and watch them all throw all the bets in and the dealer spin the cards off and push the pot, repeat, blip, repeat, blip. I would have won three hands if I could have called a raise and stayed to see the River card, big pots too. But…as it was I finally got the big E/O along about 11 p.m. and left $90 on the table for the kids to fight over. Hey…I’m not giving up. It’s just time for me to work my shift and go play somewhere else on my day off if I want to play live.

I cruised the room on more than one occasion; maybe I was restless or maybe I could have cared less if I looked at one more 7-3 or 9-4 or whatever the hell the reason, I was on the move.

I saw Rene in the Friday $1,000+60 NLH Tournament again. He’s more of regular in the tourney than he is in the Big Game anymore. He won the tournament…I believe this is his second win. Good for him!

While I was strolling into the Poker Room from the Sport’s Book Bathroom, I passed a $10-20 NLH game. Randy was in the 7s and said hello as I passed. I stopped and gave him a mini-shoulder rub while I asked how he was doing. He said since I stopped by, he was going to raise it to $350…and he did.

J. Kwik was in the 9s and he said, “Linda, since you are lucky for me, I’m going all-in.”

Maybe my mouth fell open but I was aghast that I was in the middle of this little scenario so I politely excused myself with something like, “I can’t stay and watch the outcome of this hand.”

I have no idea whether Randy called, folded, or what the hell happened but I’m really not into that type of action. I know they weren’t laying anything on me but I felt uncomfortable with the whole thing. I escaped.

Funny but not funny, last week when I dealt the $10-20 NLH in which Manny was doing his best to extract tips, J. was in the 3s in that game. He put a good-sized raise on two hands back-to-back and ended up pitching by the Turn/River. The second time he looked at me and asked something like, “Are you my lucky dealer, Linda?”

It wasn’t a question that required an answer – but he wasn’t happy. And that’s another huge reason for me to find an immediate exit before the hand with Randy progressed any further.

What is that luck stuff anyway? Since I never had it, I wouldn’t know what the answer is to any of it. I just keep plugging away…knowing that at some point I’m going to win a hand…or get the E/O!