Or am I so far ahead in the future that the past hasn’t caught up yet? Is there a way to catch up or is there a way to slow down and allow everything to catch up? The answer is there. Right in front of me, lingering for a brief instant while it plays with my realities. I’m sure that the day the answer is clear, the question will be playing with my realities and I will be deep in the perplexity of trying to grasp where it all started.

Since I can’t figure out if I’m behind or ahead, I’ll just take off with a few twists and turns in life – and poker.

I still race through the door of Bellagio and sign the E/O-Play list every night. I’m generally in a game within a few minutes and play until my supervisor says I can escape or until I can’t stand to look at any more hands.

Of all of the years I’ve played poker, I’ve never had this happen before when I was in a hand. I was in the 2s, looked down to A-K, raised, and the 8s UTG, called my raise. The weird part of the whole thing is that he fumbled one of his cards when he called the first $4 bet. I saw the QD. It didn’t pop up, just the way he fumbled it, I could see it. The flop brought A-5-6. He checked, I bet, he called. The turn brought an 8 and he fired. I raised. He called. The river brought a 9. The 8s had only been in the game for a few minutes and he was my age so I couldn’t give him Q-7, a few other people at the table I could definitely give them that hand, but not him. He checked, I bet, he called and showed A-Q. I stacked the chips and didn’t even feel guilty about it.

If I fumble one or both of my cards, I just pitch the hand. If I was sitting next to someone and they kept exposing their hand to me when they looked at it, I would tell them about it and ask them to protect their hand. I’ve even gone so far as to tell people when they are shuffling their cards, over and over off the felt, when I can see their cards.This isthe only time I can ever recall, in my playing career, having seen one of my opponent’s cards and it still makes me feel a little strange.

*****

Look at the character in this woman’s face:

I was in a game with her a few weeks ago. She played every hand. One hand, UTG, she played 9-5 off, the flop brought 6-8-7. I had 9-8S on the button.It was four or five way action to the river and a 5 peeled off. She gave me ‘the fist’, like shook her fist at me because I drew out on her and she had to split the pot with me. WOW! A few hands later when I picked up K-K she showed me how strong 5-2 was. What a little, feisty character she was, slamming and jamming chips like crazy. I haven’t seen her since but I’d love a rematch and I promise I won’t shake my fist at her.

*****

Sam Grizzle was playing $40-80 Mixed shorthanded tonight. He was in the 2s, had a ton of chips and cash in front of him, and was demanding (in his twangy Sam drawl) that the floor man be called because he had never heard a woman use more swear words than a man. *LMAO as I walked by* The only woman in the game was Lisa. The dealer was a woman. Sam appeared to be having the time of his life, laughing, gloating, and stacking chips.

Last night he looked like he wouldn’t make ituntil morning as he silentlyglared at his table mates in a $5-10NLH game.

Last week he was holding down a chair in the Sport’s Book right outside the poker room. What was he waiting for? Go figure.

*****

Wayne’s parents were in town for a week. They found time for me – nice – and we had dinner at the Macaroni Grill. I was the only one drinking. Don’t think for one half of a second it bothers me to drink alone, it doesn’t. The only thing that was creepy about it was the first wine glass had a shade of lipstick on the rim that wasn’t my color. Wayne saw it before I did and I didn’t have to try to blend and match, the glass went back. I really enjoyed the meal and the time with them and I had one helluva time getting them all in the same mode for a picture – one smiled, one closed their eyes. I took several but this was the best one and doesn’t do them justice. Next time? The Murphs:

*****

Right this minute, I don’t think I’m behind or ahead, I’m right where I should be.