Tonight is an ‘End of the year/beginning of Marie and Gary getting ready to head back to Iowa for their summer escape from Las Vegas,’ part of the old Pan Game grazing and playing card parties. G&M have opted to host the shindig at their place. It’s going to be a ton of fun, not only because a few of our errant crew are back in town and will attend, but also because these people are dear to my heart. A few of us met last week (or was it the week before?) and went to Jubilee and played poker afterwards at Ballys.

A follow up on that poker play is in order. I forgot how wonderfully fun these small room games can be. Everyone is loose and relaxed, a few are tanking down the drinks, and the gamble is on. I picked up Aces, on the button, in the first orbit I played and barely managed to get the last raise in – and the dealer tried to miss it *shit* – but the long and short of it is that I won a huge pot with four way action.

The board had K-5-little-blank-5 on the river. And the youngster at the other end of the table, that had so much to drink his eyes were swimming in his head, threw out a $6 bet. I raised – if he had a five, he had a five. He picked both of his cards up and looked at them and Wayne (standing behind him), and Marie (sitting beside him), could see his cards. I never looked at either of them and they never flinched or changed their expression (I love people in the poker business that know what they are supposed to do during a hand because I don’t want an advantage or need someone giving me information). I stared straight at the youngster as he tried to focus on his cards, and then on me. He said something like, “She bet it…” as he looked in my direction, and called me.

At that point Wayne said something meaning that I won the pot, but only after the call was made. I showed Aces. The youngster showed 10-6 offsuit, no pair, 10 high. YIKES! No, I didn’t give him back a bet, I don’t believe in that. But these games are loose as hell.

One hand that mystified me (I’m mentally challenged by bad play and lack of logical thought) – I was in middle position with K-J. The button raised. Me and a few others took the flop. J-7-3. I checked and everyone, including the button checked. The turn was little, no straight, no flush. I bet, everyone folded except the button, he called. The river was a blank-little. I bet, the button called and showed a set of sevens. WTF? Happy he saved me money, still confused as to what he thought I had that would beat him. I had raised on several other hands pre-flop and showed down big hands, but he was the raiser in this hand. Go figure.
I felt really bad about one thing that happened in the game though. Marie managed to move down next to me, she was in the 8, I was in the 9. Wayne got a seat in our game and he was in the 10. Melody was in the 6 and the 7 seat offered to change with her so we could all sit together and chatter box it up as we played. The very first hand dealt after the change, the 6s picked up Q-Q and made Quads for a high hand of the day worth $245. UGH! Nice that the 6s offered the seat change but shitty that it had to be that hand because it felt like it just cost Melody a lot of $$ to change seats. I opened my big yap and said, “I’d give her part of that for changing seats with me,” to the 6s. The 6s did give Melody two $5 chips which was very nice. I would have given anyone half of it if the same circumstance happened to me, but I’m a weird-tard. No one was unhappy.

We had a great time, everyone got to visit, and I’m not sure how everyone did in the game. Wayne stayed at Ballys as the rest of us headed for home. I made a cool $100 profit after tipping. Nice!

And we did see Dave, he dealt to us. Nice!

Out the door to see my pals…later!