Amazing! Spammers are now requesting a ‘read receipt’. There must be some sick kind of irony to whole thing, they are a disgusting, sickening breed of virus spreading, bad, repetitive news that clogs everyone’s ‘in box’ and they want us to let them know we got their slop. If I could send a ‘BONK’ back with it, I’d be more than happy to acknowledge.

I spent Monday night in the Dealer’s Box. It was unusual since I’ve been a ‘play baby’ for so long at work. At least I know I can still deal…phew! One has to wonder at times.

Some kind of conference was going on in Bobby’s Room with all the regulars when I arrived for work…no game. The Poker Room was fairly active and I started on Table 2, the final table of the daily tournament. I didn’t even look up to see what the payout was for the remaining players – or how many entries there were. Shame on me! Truth is, I concentrated as hard as I could so I wouldn’t make a mistake. Sometimes taking all that time away from dealing tends to make me a little shy and I don’t want to make a mistake. I didn’t.

My next game was $200-400 Mixed, six handed. One of the games was Badugi. I was one hand away from dealing it when I got tapped out. Shucks! I was kinda hoping I would get to deal it.

Two $4-8 H games were next. Two of our dealers were in the 1 and 2s of the second one. They were kibitzing back and forth, laughing at each other when one of them took a beat, and the 10s quietly asked me if they were playing partners. I almost spit. I replied, “No…as a matter of fact, they are making fun of each other when one of them loses.”

I dealt the hand and added, “If I thought anyone was doing that, I would be the first person to report them.”

He seemed ok with my answer, but obviously he didn’t know they worked there and couldn’t hear their conversation, he just knew they were talking to each other. I prefer that someone ask and have it clarified, and if they still have doubts, they should go talk to a supervisor…even if/and especially if the people suspected work there.

The game in Bobby’s Room started. I don’t even know who was playing – just saw people walking by and stopping to stare through the glass. Of course they get shushed away if they stand too long.

I was in the Top Section for the next game, $80-160 H, full game with a list. Table 4 was cranking up, they were starting a $50-100 NLH game with Gus Hanson in it…apparently he had an assortment of chips, including ‘pancakes’ ($25,000). The Top Section holds tables 4, 5, 13, 14, and 15. I was on Table 13, heading for 14, which was a $25-50 NLH. Table 14 was full until the game on 4 kicked off. By the time I got to it, it was six handed and getting shorter. Most of the players went to Table 4. Table 14 broke just a few minutes before the end of my down.

The $10-20 NLH on Table 15 was very active. O’Neil continually added a little fuel to the fire, pushing in a blind bet or a raise, in multi-way and heads-up play. He’s not particular who he scares the hell out of with a large blind bet before the Turn pops off. The 1s told me to come on and deal him some thing; he’d been waiting forever for a hand. A minute later, he was in the BB, no one called. The SB asked if he wanted to chop. His face was eight feet long as he reluctantly said, “Yes,” and turned over Ace-Ace.

Isn’t that the way it is? You’re running bad and can’t find a hand to play and then BOOM! You ain’t gonna play this one either, baby!

During my down in $10-20 NLH, Gavin Smith appeared in the Top Section. For some reason, the noise level went sky high. Everyone was talking and then trying to ‘out noise’ each other. Maybe it was Gavin’s fault. I don’t know if he jumped into a game or not, Table 15 puts the dealer’s back to the Top Section. It finally quieted down, just before I got pushed.

I like this picture – it’s so damn impressive:

Along with a $20-40 7 Stud game, we had a $50-100 running. After dealing a $2-5 NLH game, the $50 was next. Running five handed, the action was amazing in this game. Reminded me of the old days at the Mirage when that game ran every day and it was considered ‘big’…time changes everything. Don’t I know it when I look in the mirror – who is that person looking back at me?

I hit another $2-5 NLH game and one guy made the classic statement, “the right to bear arms without ammunition…” he went bust and left us.

When I hiked with Mark AKA Kram (on Sunday), he said he’d been playing at Wynn over the weekend and he’d heard there was a fistfight in Bobby’s room on Friday night. I did a “No Way?” kind of thing. He said that all the players were in a buzz over it, wondering who/what/why. Verified tonight that it was Big Al and David Oppenheimer…no details.

I made it through one more $4-8 H, a Must Move $10-20 NLH, and it was ‘bust out city’. I was out the door and heading for the Silver Steed. And now I’m heading for my pillow. Perhaps someone will come up with a cure for the common spammer by the time I wake up today.