This baby is about three weeks long – or so it seems. Grab a brew, relax, kick back, and I’ll paint the picture…enjoy.

Mark AKA Kram called the spot for our weekly tour of Vegas Poker Rooms. He picked the Plaza. My last journey to the Plaza was to play Pan with Wayne – I think. I rarely go downtown and the main reason is that I just don’t care for the whole area – it’s kind of dark – and spooky – and somehow reminds me of a sci-fi scene where people are racing hither and yon and have no idea where they are going or what they are doing as the lights keep flashing and cars/taxis keep spinning by.

But aside from all of that, the Pan Game will be playing places downtown as we explore more poker games.

I picked Marie up at North Valet at The Mirage. Gary was going to play $20-40 and would join us later at the Plaza. We arrived at Valet around 6 PMish. The Plaza – right next to the Bus Depot – has its own ‘local’ charm.

I originally thought that a Pan game was in progress when we entered the poker room – but later found out that it was a NLH table. I just glanced at the section the Pan tables were normally in and really never thought any more about it. We weren’t there to play Pan, we were there for poker, so why look? NLH and $2-4 H were in progress, with an interest list for $3-6 H. Marie and I put our names on the interest list, there was one seat open in the $2-4, it was decided I would take it and she would go on the list. I got a phone call. I dug into my pocket and handed her a wad of $20’s asking her to take $200 and buy chips for me. I walked out of the area and finished the phone call. When I returned to the table, Marie was taking a seat and putting her and my chips down next to each other. She told me that ‘they’ said that I had way too many chips for the game. I laughed and replied, “Hey, I’m just giving you the opportunity to win money when we get into a hand.”

The boys in the game were quite an assortment of ages and general dress and attitude. The game is played nine handed and the nine seat looked like he’d weathered a million years or so of poker and life. I was in the 7, Marie in the 6. A NLH tournament was starting and we were losing several of our players to it. Mark arrived, found the 1s open in our game, took a few hands, and disappeared to play in the tournament. He was back shortly. He went bust on an open ended straight flush draw. Although it was a re-buy tournament, he returned to our game. Good thinking on his part.

We had several more seats open and the whole complexion of the game changed. A woman that looked like she just came in off of a farm in Iowa (not that that’s a bad thing – just establishing a generic description) and left because she’d been married to the same guy, doing the same thing for 40 years, took the 3s. Mark moved over to the 2s, and Lee (didn’t know his name or him before this outing) soon arrived and took the 1s. Mark and I put the ‘live straddle’ on the BB more than once. We semi had the table gambling. Playing with Mark is always a form of gambling. He can show you the World’s Fair or absolutely nothing. I called him down with a pair in one hand where he kept swearing to me that he had me beat – super FAILED bluff on his part. But I also check raised him with bottom pair when he flopped a set – I made two pair on the River and bet into him and called his raise as he announced, “I told you what I had. I told you on the flop…” Yeah right! I don’t mind paying off…

And ladies, he’s single, clean, neat, great sense of humor, attractive, and just the right age to give you…never mind – you figure it out! He celebrated another year of life – March 26th.

While the game was short, we got a real cracker jack in the 4s. He was somewhere around my age, nonstop talk, that never went anywhere. He got up occasionally and walked – either to smoke or snort or spit or whatever the hell it was that he did – and his nonstop chatter really never pertained to anything. He just talked to the air. He did say something at one point that struck Mark: “…poker is like a slot machine…” Marie really didn’t care for him but I thought his personality type was quite fascinating. The need to communicate…but with what? Self probably. And a problem in dealing with others in the world so the easiest way to communicate was to continue to prattle and the easiest place to do it is…WA-LAH…a poker table.

Betty was our Floor Person. She was attentive, helpful, and willing to check out any questions we had. I called her over and explained why we were there. I asked her if I could take pictures. Keep in mind that with the Sony, I could rotate the lens and do a lot of photos without anyone ever knowing I was taking a picture…but the new camera? Has to actually go to my face for me to see through the viewfinder. Betty told me she would check with Bob, the shift supervisor, and get back to me. Bob was running the tournament and quite busy. When Bob did arrive, he gruffly said, “You can take pictures over there,” as he waved at empty tables, “But you can’t take pictures of a game in progress. It’s a gaming thing.”

Kee-rist! Get over the fucking gaming thing. Being my usual smart ass self, I replied, “No, it isn’t a gaming thing. But thank you.”

We got a new player in the 8s – a gent that seriously looked like he was ancient, and asleep somewhere, but not in our realm of life. He never responded to a comment or made one. But he did put chips in the pot. He managed to beat the other elderly gent in the 9s enough times that the 9s racked up and left.

Greg and Amy arrived. Greg snagged the 9s. The 8s ended up leaving, when I was away from the table. I don’t know if he busted out or just ‘left’. Greg moved over by me.

I went into the dead zone of poker hands. I played too many hands – even the bad ones. Two other ladies sat down – from someplace that Marie knew about – hell if I can remember, they were in the 4 and 5. The best part of the game was that the women, other than Marie, never ‘played’ their hands. They checked and called, never tried to steal, but if they bet, get the hell out of as fast as possible.

New player in the 9s. I later learned his name is Doug and he works in a local casino. He was hard to shake a little noise out of at first. Believe me, I tried to ‘shake a little noise’ out of everyone.

I watched these three ladies – with two men, keep tripping back and forth around the poker room. A third man was in the tournament. We thought one of them just got married but who could tell. I asked for their picture. They said yes. I told them I was going to put them on the Blog. They didn’t care. The guys wanted to know if I wanted their picture. Hell no! They thought it was funny.

There’s no way I can ever skip around Lee – 1s. He was up and down, the $20 buy-in thing, lose it, buy more, run it up, lose it, buy more. I hassled him every chance I got…hey…that’s my role in life at times. And I’m damn good at it. Lee on the left – Mark on the right.

Lee was in the gamble mode anyway and he fit right in to the schedule with Mark and me. He started a rush. Before I could blink, he had about $200 + in front of him and continued to ramble at me, “Linda…”

I would ask what, his reply, “I can’t win unless you raise.”

After a bit of time, he would just say, “Linda…” and stare at me. I quit asking what…he was D-R-U-N-K. I have no problem with the drunken part. Sometimes there just isn’t a reason to try to go where they are. Once when I raised, Lee asked me why, and I replied, “Because I have a hand.”

I looked at Doug and said, “Tell him I could have a hand.”

Doug had stayed completely out of the table conversation but when I prodded again, he said, “She could have a hand…but I doubt it!”

Kee-rist! I had popped it up with 9-9. Ok…Doug was funny. My card run wasn’t. I sort of watched chips go skittering here and there and everywhere except back into my stack. One hand that still has me slightly baffled, I raised with A-6C, and the 4s (one of the women that was from somewhere that Marie knew of), called my raise. The flop was J-J-7 with two Clubs. I bet, she called. The Turn brought a Jack. I bet, she called. The River brought a 7. I bet, she called. I turned up my hand, she turned up 6-5S. Wow! Guess she figured I had five high and all she had to do was beat it. But how can you not like a game life this?

So…onto other matters. Hell yes, I took pictures. The new camera has an ‘auto’ setting in which it adjusts the focus itself, and flashes numerous times to set the setting. The flash went off so many times that I figured someone, perhaps the God of Security, would descend on my head and tell me to get the hell out. And perhaps even grab my camera strap, try to tear it from shoulder, and smash it as they shoved me out the door. No one appeared.

Sylvia arrived – one of my co-workers at Bellagio – and dear friend. Hey guys, she’s single too!!! She stayed long enough to visit and have a glass of wine. Left to right – Sylvia – Amy – Me.

Betty drifted back around numerous times. She was ‘customer oriented’ and it was a pleasure being there. And our cocktail waitress – nope, none of that young raving beauty thing – was incredibly wonderful. She appeared continuously, never pushy or bothersome, she just did a great job. I can’t leave dealers out of this either. Our first dealer, I missed his name, seemed to managed the game and get the cards out without any mishaps, but he wasn’t with us very long. The next dealer was definitely new. He had a horrible time trying to open a roll of quarters, and I even offered to give him instruction on it, and dealing…ok, I was laughing along with him – but he had a great attitude and was quite willing to learn.

We had Chester, Al, Eli, J.T., and those are a few of the names I remember. I asked J.T. how long he’d worked there, “Three years.” He did a very good job mechanically and ran the game without being pushy. Eli was also an excellent dealer, he’s waiting for the Series to begin and only works extra board at The Plaza…and seems in no need or rush to secure a full time gig anywhere.

Al…he was a little bit pushy – in more ways than one and had a slightly condescending attitude towards us…all of us, not just the Pan Game players. I brought a pocket full of Bellagio $1 chips with me…mainly because I just stuck them in my pocket when I left from my last play, instead of cashing. I used them for tips at The Plaza. When I won a pot and threw Al a Bellagio Blue, he did a, “A Bellagio chip? I never go there. I never go to any of the Strip casinos.” I can’t quote the rest of it because I can’t remember exactly how it went, but he took off on a spiel about how high and mighty they all appeared to be…and it was really negative.

I bluntly snapped, “Well now that we have that out of the way, take it to your Main Cage, they’ll cash it for you.”

I sort of dissed him after that – there’s just no need for negative comments about other poker/casino establishments – especially from the dealer’s box. Most of the other dealers seemed to get a kick out of getting Bellagio Blue’s rather than the customary $.50 tip they got from the other players – I’m not including the Pan Game players in that $.50 tip thing.

My ‘dealer donk’ goes to Chester. Chester sat down, painstakingly counted out every quarter, ever chip – by the stack, and the cash. Along about five minutes into his down, while he was still counting the quarters, I laughingly asked, “What time’s the next hand start, dealer?”

Just dead assed serious, he replied, “Well…if I’m short, are you going to make it up for me?” His voice was as slow as his movements.

Just as dead assed serious, I replied, “If you make a mistake, Chester, no. But if you need help, yes.”

From here on out, it gets funny – in a sick sort of way. Mark returned to the table with the Button to his left. He posted. There was a lot of noise going on and Mark was ordering from cocktails when the action got to him, Chester went right on by him. The Button folded, the SB called $1 more, the BB checked, and Mark came up for air. “I raise,” as he released chips.

Chester informed Mark that he couldn’t raise. Mark said he could. Chester argued that Mark wasn’t in the blind. All of us that knew better sort of chimed in. The only thing that Chester did right was to call for a decision as he continued to argue with Mark and the rest of us.

When Bob arrived, Chester explained, Bob gave the correct ruling, Chester blurted out, “Just let the players do what they want then. You guys change your mind all the time…” (that was referring to Floor Decisions).

Betty stood behind the 5 and 6s listening to the decision, Mark raised, Bob walked away, and Chester continued to mumble that the rules changed all the time and that’s not the way the rule is supposed to be, Betty was sort of trying to get Chester to SHUT UP without being obnoxious about it, I was ready to die laughing…maybe you would have to be there! The only thing wrong with the decision is that the action had W-A-Y passed Mark when he tried to raise. That could have been a real issue because significant action had happened. But thankfully no one thought about that but me…I think.

I asked the next dealer if Sylvia could play my chips for a few hands. I don’t even remember who it was, they said, “No.” I said, “Ok.” But then they informed me that I could have plenty of time to go eat if I wanted to…I told them I wasn’t going to eat, I just wanted a few minutes away from the table. My crew was sort of grumbling by now…no pictures…no one can play your hand…too many rules. It was sort of ludicrous for a small poker room…but they did allow ‘buying the Button’.

We jammed. We gabbed. I snapped pictures. And couldn’t stack a damn chip. Neither could Mark. Gary called and he was on his way. Wayne called and had a headache and was heading for home. Sylvia left before Gary arrived. When Gary showed, I told him to play my chips, he did. The dealer never said a word. Mark and I walked out to the street for more pictures and just fresh air in general. It was a great night – a brisk, warm breeze was whipping through the streets of downtown Law Vegas. I like to think of it as blowing the stink of humanity out into the atmosphere…but that’s my simplistic way of dealing with the fact that I sometimes loathe being human because humans are such animals…the scariest of all the animals on the face of the Earth. Woops! Sorry for derailing, that’s a topic for another day.

During our time at the table, I told everyone that we were cruising the poker rooms of Las Vegas and I was writing about our forays at the green felt – here – on Tango. I handed out business cards to more than one person. Lee was one of those people. When Mark and I returned, Gary had been playing my chips for over a half hour, I sat back down in the game for a brief flicker in time, and everyone in my group was getting ready to hit the road. It was after 11 PM by now. I took one last bathroom run before picking up my chips. Lee caught me on the way to the Ladies’ Room, handing me back my card – the one I’d given him. This is written on the back – and I blurred his phone number just to give him a small amount of privacy…yeah, yeah, yeah…I know his picture’s up but that’s his problem.

He handed it to me with his writing face up – I looked at it – laughed – and said, “I don’t do that,” as I headed for the bathroom. I’m still chuckling over it. It’s a compliment…I think????

When I got back to the game, everyone was ready to bail. Betty arrived and gave all of us comps, including Amy and Amy had sat behind Greg and not played a hand. Sweet! We talked Doug into taking our picture before we headed out…ain’t we cute:

We headed for the snack bar on our way out and blew off our comps on ‘take out’. The Plaza has great customer service. They have some dealers that need a lot of work but where do you go that some of the dealers don’t need a lot of work? I didn’t win. *sniff – boo hoo* You can be included in our journey to all of the Vegas Poker Rooms. Just send an email and let me know when you are coming into town or when you can make it. Where we will land next? Time will tell.

BTW – those of you that are wondering…no…I didn’t call. And I won’t. It just ain’t my bag.