Thursday, December 22, 2005

Hells Bells! Christmas is not only looming over the horizon, it’s on a fuel injected, head on collision course with our lives. But this isn’t about Christmas (that little bit of wordage will appear in the very near future, probably about the same time that Christmas hits), it’s about the shock factor that it’s already here and that means another year has slipped off into the ether regions of time.

A recap of the week that’s slipped by also:

I went back to my friend’s house on Tuesday before work for more computer issues. The time factor in life oft strangles me. Still running on very little sleep and knowing I was probably going to fade my full shift, this computer detour takes an extra two hours out of my day. No complaints on helping, just whining about the time factor. That’s generally one of my biggest life issues – time. How can I cram all the things I need and want to do, into the time I have left on Earth? If someone could invent a way to bottle and sell time, my credit cards and pocket book would always be maxed out. Anyone?

So…after the computer detour, I hit the door of the poker room, it was full – all except for Bobby’s Room. I started on Table 40 – $20-40 OM8 with a Kill. It was fairly easy to get through and even though it was full, it was boring and dull…not a lot of action. A break and then one table of the daily tournament and I was out to play. Hell yes – I signed up to E/O and play. I got out of the line-up, jumped into a $4-8 H game, posted, picked up 8-5H and flopped a four flush. It was five-way action on the Flop, dropping to heads up, the BB and me on the Turn. The Turn gave me a straight draw also. I hit a Flush on the River, the BB bet, I raised, and he called. I stacked. And as I stacked, I listened to the old saw about ‘chasers’ and ‘getting there on the River’ and all that retarded shit that the people that REALLY know how to play lay on us idiots that are just there to donate. *snicker*

Just as my Blind was coming, I heard, “Linda Geenen to the Page area,” over the PA. I jumped up and reported in to find out that I had to go to Table 4. I didn’t go back to collect my chips, just headed for that game. It was a new Must Move $10-20 NLH. It took a few minutes before it filled up but it turned out to be quite active. I knew one of the players, Montana Mike (doubt if he lives in Montana anymore because he always seems to be around Vegas but I’ve known him across the table for one helluva long time).

One huge glitch happened in this game. The UTG player made it $80 to go and managed to get around five callers. I can’t remember the Flop but that’s when it all went sour for me. UTG bet $300 and the players went into auto fold, like the domino effect. I looked around the whole table, positive there was another hand out somewhere that I was missing but I couldn’t see anything. I dropped the deck. UTG pushed his cards in, I pulled them into the muck as I pushed him the pot and then…only then…the 4s miraculously produced a hand. It was hidden between several uneven stacks of chips and the rail. He was ready to go all-in.

To say I was flabbergasted would have been an understatement. UTG pushed the pot back out onto the table, I said I had to get a decision. Mike was a complete blessing here as he firmly trounced the 4s for keeping his cards concealed…unfortunately the 4s had a foreign accent and was new to the room. But UTG, the one I pushed the pot to, was new to the room too…ugh! They just sort of sat there. No one was offering any deals or talk of splitting the pot or anything that would make the whole thing easy.

I called for a decision. As Skip appeared, the 4s was pulling his chips into neat stacks against the rail and had his cards clearly visible…which is not the way they were before. I explained what happened to Skip. As I explained, the table started discussing an equitable solution. Someone suggested the 4s get his $80 back and UTG take the rest of the pot. The 4s said he was going to go all-in – he had flopped the nut straight. UTG said he had top pair and kicker and a flush draw. But they were all amiable and still talking a way to work it out.

Skip had formulated what had happened and told UTG that since he didn’t have any cards, he didn’t have any claim to the pot, his hand was dead. The 4s was last to act, that’s the bad part of this situation. If he’d been in front of the crew as they started folding, his hand would have been dead because of action behind. Ouch! I felt it was my fault. I said something like, “Oh no!” quietly to Skip.

Poor Skip. He asked, “Well, what am I missing?” and ran through all of it again to make sure he made the right decision. While he was doing that, the 4s agreed to take $80 and give up any claim to the rest of the pot. Everyone was happy. Skip walked away. I looked at the 4s and said, “I’m really sorry. But please keep your cards in front of your chips so I don’t miss your hand.”

The 4s was completely relaxed with it all and agreed. The game moved on and so did I.

Skip came up to me later, when I was on a break, and explained that the ruling would have been that UTG’s hand was dead, he didn’t have one. And that it was the player’s responsibility to know what was going on at the table too, not just mine. In the long run of it though, it still boils down to my error. I felt there was still another hand out there, yet I couldn’t find one by looking. I should have went with my first thought and taken another look or asked if anyone else had a hand. Damn it!

The rest of the night was deal and manage to escape somewhere around 1:30 AM.

Wednesday was Bellagio’s Employee Christmas Festival. I have to admit that while the food possibilities are endless, it’s not quite as good as it used to be. Time does change everything. I made it into work in time to enjoy the taste of my food before it hit the back of my throat and dropped into my stomach. I signed the E/O Play and was out to play within the first hour. It was a no win on the game play. I sat for hours and pitched; picking up Aces once and having them hold up was probably the highlight of my game play.

The players in the game have to be a report for another time. They’re worth mentioning, in more ways than one. Check back.
And on the Blogger side of life, another WPBT attendee has reported in with email and a picture so I know whom I’m looking at and for. And Brian, I do have several shots of you. Thanks for the email and letting me know who you are.