22 years since I drove to Las Vegas, walked into the Golden Nugget, and applied to deal the last Grand Prix Tournament hosted there?  I chatted with Frank Cutrona and Jimmy Knight, Jimmy was the day shift supervisor, and he sent me to the dealer’s box to audition.  He got called away and had a full time dealer watch me deal a few hands of Omaha 8.  When I got out of the box, he called me over and showed me how to put up the flop Vegas style.  Hell…I was from Montana where the ‘splat’ – ‘spread’em out’ was ok.

You can’t believe how hard I worked on getting my flop down into one smooth spreading motion, I never gave up and reverted back to the old style although I watched other dealers do the splat flop over the years.  I didn’t work with Jimmy during that tournament because I worked swing shift.

I really never worked with Jimmy Knight.  I dealt to him a lot later on.  We both went to the Mirage when it opened, he was again day shift supervisor and I was on swing shift.  Jimmy eventually quit to play poker for a living – if I remember correctly.  I left the Mirage in ’93 and went to Mississippi to open the Gulf Port Grand.  Somewhere in that time after Treasure Island opened, Jimmy became the card room manager of the TI.  I believe he resigned and returned to playing poker.

I seldom saw Jimmy for long periods of time, I believe he was in CA playing cards.  I dealt to him infrequently at Bellagio after it opened.  He always had a hello for me and called me, “Linda,” not, “dealer,” as some seem to forget you have a name once they sit on the other side of the table.  I dealt to his wife Anni also.  I believe the last time I saw him was a year ago at Betty Hiller’s retirement party from the Mirage.

Now I will never see him again.  It’s a strange feeling.  Poker has a way of bringing people into our lives and death has an even more pronounced way of taking them out of our lives.  I don’t know if Jimmy had been suffering from a long illness or not, all I can say is I’m very sorry that he’s left us.  He was, in my opinion, a poker icon.

For those that can make and would like to attend, a celebration of life will be held at Steve Z’s home on Saturday

Anni Knight & Jimmy’s Family invite you to

“A Celebration of Life”

Jimmy Knight

1944 – 2009

Who left us on Monday, April 6, 2009

Saturday, April 18, 2009

at 2:30 P.M. until…

Steve Zee’s

3515 E. Rochelle

Las Vegas, NV 89121

(off Pecos – between Flamingo and Harmon)

702.898.3346

The event is casual; and the family is requesting

that in lieu of flowers, Donations be made to:

Solari Hospice

5550 S. Jones Blvd

Las Vegas, Nevada 89118

Everyone is welcome – come share your stories of Jimmy.