“We’ve been together a long time, Linda.” from Doug Dalton, the director of Poker Operations at Bellagio, as we sat in his private office on June 13th.

“Yes we have. But we’ll be seeing each other. I’ll be around,” I said as we talked about my resignation that was on his desk. Doug stood to give me a hug, and I went out the door to deal for next few weeks until my final date arrived. It has. Last night was my last night in a Bellagio dealer’s uniform. For life I hope, but I did leave the door openthat if I had to return to deal tournaments or if something happened that I needed a full time job again, I hoped I would be accepted back.

I turned in my resignation to Pete Popovich, my swing shift supervisor, on the night of the 11th, giving two weeks notice. I have to admit that I felt a bit emotional about it when I hugged Pete and we talked for a moment. After all, Pete and I have known each other since he was a chip runner at the Mirage. He’s often joked about his move up in position and still refers to himself as ‘the chip runner with keys’ now and then. I love Pete’s heart. And I consider him to be a good friend.

I asked both Pete and Doug to keep it confidential because I didn’t want a lot of noise or comments and I felt that I might get emotional with some of the people I work with when it came time to walk out the door and leave them behind…I’ve worked with some of them for 15 years. I told a few people during the first part of last week. I told a few others on the night I left, most of them won’t care anyway and I don’t care if they care so there’s no need to say anything.

Suzie Lederer was our supervisor on Pete’s days off this week. Tuesday night she was so busy that I didn’t get a chance to speak to her. Wednesday night when she came out to the tournament area, I was sitting a dead spread and she was going to reroute me. I told her then. She asked, “And you waited this long to tell me?” I love Suzie. Everyone loves Suzie.

I felt a little misty when I spoke with Karen Vanhorn, now Karen Sexton, last night and she jumped up to give me a big hug and well wishes. Sometimes the nicest people make me feel the most emotional. Thankfully a player came in that needed her attention and I was able to escape without breaking down.

Tom Harper was doing the line-up last night and I walked up, leaned over, and whispered in his ear, “Tonight’s my last night.”

His eyebrows went up as he whispered back, “You mean without giving notice…?”

I laughed and explained. I asked him to please not route me through Table 1 for my last night, that game was already cranking. Whew! It wasn’t in my line-up.

David Hutton gave me a giant hug. Nice. We’ve worked together since the Mirage days.

I broke down and told Valerie, our phone girl, she’s someone that I treasure as a friend. She had a downhearted look, and I finally coaxed her into wishing me well and giving me congratulations. And we talked a lot off and on in between games. I will miss seeing her on a five day a week basis. But it’s not goodbye.

I stopped to tell Skip I was going, he’s been great to work with. And then Wan, she’s leaving soon from what I hear. Wan and Skip both work the high limit area and we’ve been together a long time.

The whole affair was pretty hush-hush. I had signed the E/O with a big ‘Super Friday’ after my name. Several dealers queried me on what was going on. I just told them I was taking some time off and left it at that.

I dealt $100-200LH, then $25-50NLH, then $10-20NLH and the $10-20 was the onlygame that I said anything about my going. A player that I’ve dealt to for a long time, Ken, came in from a must move game, and I told him. We have a nice mutual respect for each other and always exchange hellos.Ken asked me when I would deal my last hand, I told him I had no idea because I’d signed the E/O. We said ‘goodbye’ but not ‘GOODBYE’. I’ll be around, so will he.

One of the players (darn it! can’t remember his name)in the same game with Ken,came in from a must move, and immediately asked me if I had the blog. He recognized me from the picture on the website and had only read one post. Obviously, we all know what it was, ‘BEHIND THE NOISE’. He was young and cute. Funny.

My next game was $100-200LH, a must move, I believe there were three of them running in the room. It was a horrible game, people walking, four players, bet, fold, deal, one player sits down, another takes a walk, three way action, bet, fold, deal, a few intermittent hands with action but a horrible down and a horrible game to end my last night on. If I’d known this was going to be my last down, I would have focused on the last hand as I got pushed so I could have recorded it here. But alas…the game was so bad that nothing stands out.

I was on break and went to Pete to see how the line-up was running. I said, “I must be the first Friday to go since it’s a Super Friday.”

He said he knew there were some Saturdays and Sundays in the line-up.

I said, “Those jerks, what are they doing working their days off.” *laughter*

I left the room for a few minutes and when I returned, Pete asked me what break I was on…someone was taking my place. We went to the time clock – when I clocked in in a line of dealers, Pete was standing there, as I swiped my card and hit ‘Accept’, he said, “You did a good job, Linda.” I smiled and went on. As he clocked me out, we chatted for a minute about my plans and we both know we’ll be seeing each other again.

That was it. I quietly escaped, walking past all of the people jamming chips into the pot, and the noisy confusion of body heat and warring microphones, weaving my way through the human door that blocks the entrance to the room at the front podium. WOO HOO!

When I passed Mangia in the employee area, Carmen Bates and Robin were finishing their lunch break. I sat with them for a bit and we chatted. Carmen said she remembered me being the first person that came up and said hello to her when she went to work at the Mirage. It was pretty funny. We recounted a few tales and made plans. She’s promised to take a trip up North with me sometime to the reunion. And we will hopefully find a week or even a few days to take a road trip with the Silver Steed and the Coach. I treasure her as one of the people that I can meet, hug, laugh, and be totally open with, any time, any where, even if we don’t see each other for awhile, it’s always a feel good situation.

I hiked up ‘heart attack hill’, probably the second to the last time if everything goes as planned. I still have to go to uniform control on a week day during daylight hours to turn in my shirts and apron, then hit employee services to finalize paycheck, 401K, etc., and that may be my last trip up the hill. Then I was out the employee entrance on Frank Sinatra Drive, stepping into the heat of the night, and heading for the employee parking garage.

Ladies and gentlemen, Linda has left the building!