What a ton of fun. If I could only put together a batch of poker hands that made playing enjoyable, it would be even more fun. Hey…let me whine for a moment. I’m sick to death of looking at 9-4 as the first hand dealt to me when I sit down to a new session. And then waiting for all of its disfigured cousins and distant relatives like 8-2, 6-3, 4-5, and more, to make their appearance and make sure that I know they are in the deck before I ever begin to find a playable hand. I did raise once with “THE HAMMER” suited in Diamonds and managed to make two pair. That’s the only time I’ve raised with The Hammer, and played the hand other than the night I beat Wayne at Bellagio in a $4-8 H game when Jim AKA The Monkey, and I were all sitting side by side a few weeks ago.
Damn it! If the deck won’t cooperate, sometimes you just have to manufacture a hand. Bastard Card Fairy! She’s been tinkering with my mind a lot lately when I’m sitting with leg irons, big enough to contain an elephant, strapping me to the table and forcing me to watch the game unfold – instead of allowing me to participate. The games are so damn good. I’m stuck in Bad Card Hell. The chips are rocking and rolling across the green felt. Kee-rist! But back to the Pan Game Gig:
Claudia was in town and so was ‘Nicholas in the 3Seat’ and they were going to show for the game. It is also Marie’s last play with us for about four months as she and Gary leave for Iowa on Wed., the 24th *big alligator tears* I will miss this woman so much. What a great friend. She called me a few days ago and said, “If you don’t call me every day…” I feel the same way.
*Begin back track*
I managed to fall down and almost twist my right foot off at the ankle. How? I was stone cold sober, broad daylight, reading an invoice that I’d just been given by the person that took my truck off to wax and wash it when I stepped up onto the concrete parking divider (didn’t even see it – don’t know how I stepped up on it as the invoice was in my face), and rolled off the other side, falling down onto the concrete sidewalk. I thought I was going to throw up – it hurt so bad. (When I told a friend of mine about it later, she asked, “Then what happened?” I replied, “Then I got up.”)
I hobbled into the car wash and checked to see if they had elastic bandages on their shelves. Nope. I bought a roll of electrical tape, wrapped it firmly (over my sock) around the ankle and arch of my foot, propped my foot up and almost did a brain blow-out as the pain raced in and out of my thoughts for the next hour or so. I went to Carole and Gordon’s house – they are my permanent address now that I live in a ‘trailer down by the river’ – and she had prescription strength ibuprofen and muscle relaxers. Home I went, taking one of each, putting an elastic bandage and brace on the ankle, I slept for about eight hours – off and on.
That was on Thursday morning. I was up way too early that day and I know that’s what happened. My brain was in shock over daylight and sunshine and couldn’t handle it…so I subconsciously chose to fall down so I would have to hibernate until nightfall. Amazingly, with keeping the ankle wrapped and not putting much stress on it, I have only an unsightly purple bruise just below the ankle bone and a small ‘line’ type of bruise up the calf. And it feels pretty damn good. Yippee!
*End back track*
Some of The Pan Game crew had arranged to meet for a sandwich before poker. Since I didn’t want to walk any further than I had to with a lame ankle (it was feeling fine except for being a little ‘tired’), and I had to park in the bottom floor of the garage for oversize parking, and it’s a million miles to the casino and poker room, I opted to wait at The San Gennaro Grill for the ‘hungry’ ones. Chad Patterson finally made an outing…love that kid…and he arrived for food. Marie was in the poker room already, had just posted her blinds and would show in a minute. Claudia had been over to my side of town and previewed my new ‘digs’ and she was on her way – going through valet. The four of us ‘dined’ (more like inhaled our food) and headed for the poker room.
There are more people, walking around the floor with headphones and name tags on – accomplishing less – in The Venetian Poker Room than any other place I’ve ever been in my life. We managed to get on the $3-6 H list, asking to all go to the same game. One floor person told us there were two tables with one seat open and one table with two seats open and they would move us ASAP. Chad took a seat in one game. Claudia took a seat in another and Marie and I headed back to the table that had two seats open. It did. But it was a NLH game. We went back to the floor person…confusion.
Esther Rossi was there (she’s a pro with a long list of wins and plays high), we said hello. LMAO when Marie and I told the floor person that the table they sent us to wasn’t the limit we wanted and we were told there were two seats in the same game – and Esther chimed in to the floor person, “She’s a VIP here. Show her to the table. Take her to it!”
Cute! But so is she.
*Post-poned due to work*