Wayne had a request. He wanted to give a dealer/friend some reciprocal dealer/player appreciation and suggested that we go to the Monte Carlo, plus it had been some time since Wayne had been to the Monte Carlo. Color me in that graph – like eight years since I walked through there and that’s what I did, a walk through, I didn’t stop to look around.

You could be wondering how that happens, living in Vegas and being a poker player, you’d have to think that I’ve been everywhere and visited all of the casinos. Your thinking may be correct but the answer is…NOT! I’ve had casino burn out for years. Once you visit one, they all pretty much look alike, some of the bells and whistles may change but it’s still the same background – machines, lights, more machines, lights, repeat, repeat – and even if there’s some spectacular scenery or some added attraction, you still have to fade the bells and whistles to get there and then leave through said bells and whistles. UGH! And keep in mind that I’ve worked inthem – and been in lots of them -since I started doing big tournaments in Nevada in 1987. Of all of the casinos I’ve ever seen, I believe the Mirage was designed, engineered, and constructed with the most extraordinary vision.

I feel the need to do a little Mirage pimping right now so step back Monte Carlo.

Over 50,000 people, from around the world, applied for jobs at the Mirage. They hired approximately 6,400 of us. I was one of the elite -so I was told – and if you ever sat in a group of 2,000 plus employees (that’s how they brought us into orientation then – 2,000 at a time) and listened to Steve Wynn speak, you could understand how Hitler had the control he had over people. Steve Wynn is the same way (let’s not take off on the big toke splittingissues at The Wynn right now – I’m back in history…remember?) and he made each and every one of us feel as if we were the only person in the world considered for the job. It was unbelievably exhilarating to hear him speak.

There are a few facts that I wish I had written down but I’m dragging them from the 16 years of casino news and noise in my headto throw them out now. If anyone out there has the bottom line onfacts, please send them to me.

• At the time the Mirage opened, there were something like30-40 master chefs in the entire world, the Mirage had one.
• The test volcano built between Caesars and the Mirage cost over $6M, but they wanted to test it to make sure it worked before building the ‘big’ one.
• Siegfried and Roy were brought in from the Stardust at an incredible amount of money for a guaranteed (I think it was four years) term and then had renewal options each year after that. I can’t even remember how much the showroom cost but it was in the M’s of dollar range.
• When the ‘real’ volcano blew every 15 minutes to half hour, it burned more gas than 30 homes did in a month. The Mirage petitioned the federal government to allow them to change the smell of the natural gas emitting from the volcano. Instead of having the smell of rotten eggs drift over the crowd, the crowd was allowed the aromatic delight of pina colada. There are also sensors in the water and area around the volcano, if a human (not a bird – they just fry) or larger bodied animal was detected, the volcano will not go off.
• There was a palm tree in the arboretum that was over 200 years old. And the trunk of most of the palm trees you see now, are the same as they were then. They are a shell, but the top of the palm is an actual growth.
• I heard it rumored that the sharks in the tank behind the registration desk were force fed daily by specialists so the sharks wouldn’t rip up other fish in front of the guest’s eyes. True? I have no idea. It sounds great on paper though.
• Cirque Du Soleil first appeared in a giant tent behind the Mirage. I went, and took guests, to that show four different times. I thought it was the most incredible show I’d ever seen – and I believe it still is the most incredible show I’ve ever seen but Mystere at Treasure Island is close to a tie. Damn…I loved those clowns in Cirque Du Soleil.
• The Mirage built its own concrete factory on the grounds. I believe that is common place now but not so in those days.
• The cabanas in the back were reserved for high rollers; fixed up with everything including nanny quarters, and each had a private swimming/spa area. And I heard they were never rented out, only kept for certain people that frequented the high limit areas in the pit. I did get to tour them though before opening. AWESOME!

I know there are more facts and figures but I need to find my old cheat sheet. So fade back Mirage, focus on Monte Carlo.

The Pan Game crew seems to diminish to a solid Marie and Linda duo. We are the only two that I know for sure will show up. I had maybes and nos from some people but Marie and I were going. I picked her up and we cruised. If you take Monte Carlo Drive, right off the strip, and park in valet or self parking, the first door – on the right – that you can enter is right beside the poker room. Nice! Restrooms are conveniently right beside the poker room also. We bypassed the room and headed for the buffet. We waited outside the buffet all of five minutes before we decided the hell with everyone else and just went inside. Mark AKA Kram was going to meet us, Chad was a ‘sounds great, call me on Friday’, Greg was waiting for Amy to finish work, Wayne had to work and would show after fading the Palm’s time clock, Carole and Gordon had a previous dinner engagement, Viv was hanging out with hubby, so…

I’m not a huge buffet person. A $4.95 salad or decent steak makes me pretty happy most of the time. As buffets go, I really liked the food and variety offered at Monte Carlo. We were grazing and gabbing when Mark called. He was on his way, bringing his cousin Dottie (I don’t think she’s really his cousin), and would be in shortly. He was. Dottie is just the coolest, not only is she a little ‘hottie’, she has a great personality and the ability to reason. I really like that in people. She used to deal, turned pro small blind NLH player and now is seriously considering the dealer’s box again due to a great amount of insight on her part. She isn’t burned out but she knows there are dangers to one’s spontaneity and spiritual growth when one becomes a self absorbed ‘grinder’. That’s something thatshe and I emphatically agree upon. It’s been my take for years after watching some of these people lose themselves in the player’s chair…that is really the death of a player in my eyes. They can no longer relate to anything except a win or a loss and everything is a bad beat.

Dottie:

Dottie is a NLH player – as is Mark. It’s a totally different ball of wax. We spent a bit of time talking about the differences between the games and Dottie decided that she would play LH with Marie andme when we returned to the poker room. Finishing up the meal, we skated towards poker, poker, poker.

I never heard anything from Chad…bad Chad…bad Chad. I did hear from Greg. Amy was tied to a time clock and they were planning on a quiet dinner, away from the noise of the city, and if we were going to be playing late, they would stop by. Silly me. I told him ‘no’, we wouldn’t be out that late…another time.

Marie and I landed in a $3-6H game. Mark and Dottie bought into an ever starting NLH tourney. Or Mark was in the tourney and Dottie was in a NLH game…not sure on either count. Mark never did play with us – no big deal either way since he prefers NLH and we prefer limit. Dottie did join us later when a seat opened.

I was a little amazed when the brush/list person brought my chips and I tried to tip, I was told, “Thanks, but I can’t take it.” I know they don’t make that much in a standard shift rate,which always brings me to the question of why anyone would want to be a shift manager or brush other than it looks good on a resume.

Our game was a semi piece of shit for the first few hours. The dealer was someone that I remembered from a short stint at the Mirage (they dealt a short stint there) and I found it quite irritating when he slid into the dealer’s box and had to make a comment to the player in the 4s. The 4s had two nuts (that screw on to bolts) welded together, lying in front of him, used as a card cap. The dealer said, “I see you brought the real nuts to the table.”

Woo Hoo! HA HA…really funny and original.NOT! The player and dealer weren’t new, it was an old saw and wasted on anyone and everyone, including Marie and I since we were the only females at the table. A few minutes into the down, everyone folded and blinds were chopped, the game sucked, and once when I moved some of my chips, one of them rolled down the table in front of the 6s (I was in the 3 – Marie in the 2). I couldn’t reach it and didn’t even try. The dealer dealt out the cards, picked up the chip and lofted it in the air at me. It struck the top of my hand. The dealer exclaimed, “I almost got you with it!”

I replied, “You did!”

He responded, “I was trying to.”

I said, “Good job. You get an A+.”

He hit me with the damn chip and didn’t even apologize. Why do dealers have to throw things at players?

The downside to playing small rooms is the rake and the jackpot. Unfortunately, there is no way to beat this game. The rake is 10% – $5 max. Add the $1 jackpot drop to it and you’re looking at $6 from each pot if there’s any action. Aside from that, I had a great time.

Dottie found the 4s on my left later in the night. She played LH quite well. The only problem that I saw in the whole tapestry was that at one point she had amassed a nice amount of chips and she went to war with the 5s. I really wasn’t paying a lot of attention to the hand but at the end of it, she threw her hand away, proclaiming that she played the board. Huge discussion/argument ensued. The dealer pushed the pot to the 5s, the argument went on, Dottie explaining that she had stated she played the board and should receive half the pot, the dealer stating that she had to have a hand to state she played the board, the 5s stating she didn’t say it until she threw her hand away. I can’t help but always do the logical thing…I asked the dealer to call the floor for a decision. The decision was that Dottie had to have her cards in her possession to stake any claim to the pot – playing the board or not.

I’m not sure what happens to a person at a key point in game play, but it was as if Dottie went into steam mode at that point (maybe not, maybe she had very big hands and just didn’t win the pot with them) but she left us shortly after that and went back to the NLH game.

Funny – Wayne had arrived and the dealer dishing out the news to Dottie, on playing the board,was the reason that Wayne wanted to play at the Monte Carlo. I knew the dealer also, he used to play at Bellagio a lot, perhaps he still does it’s just that I’m not in the dealer’s box to notice. Ray was by far one of the best dealers that hit our table during the night.

On of the true delights of the evening was Judy. She took the 1s and I knew that I knew her from either playing with or dealing to her at Bellagio. As the game progressed and Marie and her and I visited, I knew she was a ‘keeper’. If she lived in Vegas I’d have her on my ‘Pan Game Plays’ list. Not only did she step right into our circle of poker play and gabbing lifestyle, she knew how to play and had a lot of moxie. She’s also a blogger, although she feels she doesn’t fit into the ‘poker’ blogging mold, she’s a player and adds a nice dimension to all realities, including poker. Of course she hates this picture – but that’s the way most of man/womankind reacts when they are faced with their own image. I think she’s a beauty.

Wayne hung out behind Marie and I while he waited for a seat. We visited about some of the pictures on the wall. The room, in general, is quite dark and somber, kind of like a morgue in my opinion. The bright spot is the ceiling lights and the players/staff/dealers. The room hosts nine tables (I think) and picks up action in a sporadic manner, lose a game, start two games, etc. A few of the pictures on the walls:

I did take a picture of Mark – he was giving me the “NO” look just before I snapped the shot but I know he’s secretly a ham and wants everyone in the world to have his picture and know he’s a stud. Since he doesn’t want a link to his blog, how about this?

This was the line-up of our $3-6H table – the 8-9-10s. They were there when Marie and I joined the game, and there when we left. I have to question how they fade the rake and the jackpot drop. The 10s really had a great interaction with Dottie when she was in our game – I felt he was a regular – and played to her tune in every hand. He commented on a win or a loss or the play of the hand to her, whether he played it or she did. Cute!

Judy left us – see you soon we hope. We played way late into the night – Greg and Amy could have joined us. Marie got stuck and I believe she got unstuck before we left. I ended up beating that game for a whole $20 and quite a few glasses of wine. Wayne was still playing when we cashed and asked Dottie if she wanted to join us for food at the coffee shop. She did! Wayne said he might join us for coffee! He did!

I cannot go back there and play. Ray, you are an exceptionally good dealer so that’s not the problem. The room seems to be ran as it should be run. The dealers, in general, resemble all of the other dealers in Vegas poker rooms, that’s not the problem. New faces and games are good, that’s not the problem. The problem is $6 a hand. Can’t fade it.

Wayne, Dottie, Marie, and I enjoyed the fare at the coffee shop, Mark played on and Dottie had left her chips on the table so she rejoined a game in progress when we parted for the night.

G’nite Pan Game.