We have a strict gaming regulation on how our ‘fills’ (table bank replenishments) are supposed to be brought in…it goes like this: The $100 bills are counted individually and laid face up on the table, (in a fan if there are more than one), all other denominations are to be counted face down, (in the same manner as the $100’s). Each denomination stack must be clearly seperated from the other. The Chip Runner puts ‘lammers’ on the table (the same amount as the cash) and we are supposed to pick up the bills and hand them to the Chip Runner. When we take in the fill, we are supposed to look at the racks, note that they are equal amounts, and count down one tube in stacks of five, fanning one of the stacks so it is obvious that it has five chips in the stack. We then hand the lammers and the empty racks back to the Chip Runner. This was a ‘must do’ from the day Bellagio opened or we could be written up and given the day off…and the Chip Runner must watch us count down the fill or they can be written up and given the day off too.

As I waited for a dealer I was pushing to finish the last hand, the dealer pulled a $100 out of the rack, the Chip Runner dropped a lammer on the table and the dealer handed the bill over his shoulder to the Chip Runner – WHILE THE HAND WAS IN PROGRESS! Granted, this dealer’s only been there about six months so…maybe the rules changed but I don’t believe so.

I passed the dealer in the employee’s area a few days later and mentioned to him that he could get written up for taking in a fill incorrectly. He politely informed me that he would take his chances.

Then I visited with a dealer last night that parks in valet. Wow! Guess he never heard of employee parking.

This is why we will never have a standardized rule in poker. Sure, you could be thinking ‘they are dealers, what does that have to do with standardized poker rules?’ Well, kids, it has everything to do with it. Everyone thinks they are above the law and the rule that applies to you doesn’t apply to them.

Maybe I’m just a little rule nit but if you’re employed by someone, what’s so tough about just doing what they ask you to do? I don’t know what the answer is…I don’t even know if there’s a question. I do know that people always seem to think that doing it their way is best.

*****
I started in a six handed $400-800 Razz game. Lots of action. Sam G. was walking around the upper section, looking for? My guess was someone to put him in a game but I’m only guessing.

Next on the list was $300-600 heads-up, mixed, three games. Chinese Poker- deuce in the middle, Chinese Poker – regular, and Omaha 8 or Better. Brian and Randy. Brian was giving me glare devils and trying to scramble the leftover cards himself…after exclaiming that Randy had won every hand since I sat down. Randy was visiting with a ‘sweater’, amiable and relaxed, and kept me entertained with tales of his life. It really wasn’t a bad way to spend a half hour. Sam G. drifted over and sat at the table for a bit too. Damn…it just don’t get any better than this.

Then two $80-160’s, the first one was the main game. M.E. was in the 8s. She’s always cranky, looks like the last friend she had left town, and is ready to zing the cards into your hands or across the table so you have to practically stand up to snag them for the muck. I just try to ignore her when I know she’s in my line-up…sometimes she just goes away. But not this time.

One hand went into a raising war, she was in the Blind and calling all of it. The Flop was 2-3-4. Bet, raises. The Turn a 6. She checked, one bet, two callers, she check-raised. The bettor called, one fold, Mike was last to act. He thought about it for a half a second and said, “Put up a 5, darling. It’s the only chance I’ve got,” as he threw out another $160.

Bingo! A 5 peeled off on the River. It went check, check to Mike, he bet, M.E. and the other player called. He turned up 10-6 or something awful but he was playing the board. M.E. showed A-5. The other player had J-J. As I split up the pot in three stacks, M.E. said something intelligent like, “You boys can tip her.”

Yup! It’s a good thing the boys take care of me because that $3 I made off of her last year really doesn’t go very far.

But then I got to deal to a Phil Helmuth wannabe. He was in the 2s in $4-8 H. He had the look of a kid that had to sleep in the street if he lost his buy-in. And he was agitated…How Bad Could These Suckers Play looked like it was on the race track behind his eyes and it was losing.

He got involved with 8-3 Clubs only to run into an Ace high flush. When the 8s raised the River and the 2s did an exasperated call, showing his cards by holding them in his hand, the 9s asked the 2s what his problem was. The 2s threw his cards down the table and walked when he saw the Ace high flush.

The 9s told me that he had played cards with the 2s the night before and all the 2s did was berate the players when they beat him. I asked if the dealer ever interjected. The 9s replied, “No!”

The 2s returned a few minutes later, looked at his cards, and threw them into the 6s’s hands. Wow!

I left the cards laying where they were, turned to the 2s, and said, “You need to set your cards down here!” as I motioned to the spot right in front of him.

He acted so nonchalant, as if card throwing was something they did on Sundays back home as a contest. He said, “They’re right over there.”

I interjected, “You need to set your cards down right here,” as I sent his cards to the muck.

He replied, “It was an accident,” yet the look on his face wasn’t one of a person that felt badly for their actions or behavior.

I said, “You threw your cards down the table when you left.”

He acted like it was the norm, “WELL…when that happens…”

I jumped right in, “It isn’t going to happen. You need to set your cards down right here,” once again I motioned to the spot in front of him.

He never said another word. He bought more chips. I was courteous. When I got pushed, I told the incoming dealer that the 2s had been warned about throwing cards.

When I left for the night, the 9s was at the Cashier’s Window, ready to leave the room. The conversation went to the 2s and apparently he still had plenty of lip left for the players that beat him after I left.

Honestly…I can’t believe a dealer wouldn’t just tell him to put a lid on it…in a nice way of course. And if he didn’t ease up, just call the Floor Person. Here I go…being a little nit again.

A note to all the Poker Bloggers of the world – the “Poker Forum” has a section for…you guessed it…”Poker Blogs”. A great place to tell the world about yourself, your blog, and possibly give a little insight into poker from your angle. Be sure to stop in and register. **this isn’t an invitation to spam the board**

*****

Ron from Texas hit the room during the week. I managed to visit with him briefly a few times while I was working and one night when I opted to play on shift. The night I played, Ron was playing in a $2-5 NLH game and came over to sweat me a couple of times while I played $4-8 H. I was in the dead zone with cards and nothing was happening when he sat through the first session with me…of course he kept me constantly laughing with his banter and wit so the cards didn’t seem quite as hellaciously horrible. He came back again later to visit just before he had to leave for the night. He’s pretty damn funny and really upbeat. Wish he could stop by more often but Texas is a hell-uv-a long ways away. Ron brought me a bottle of wine last time he hit town, this time he brought himself and mega laughter…I enjoy both.

And while I’m on this type of thread, I met Greg, he introduced himself to me as I stopped by the table to talk to my friend, Vivienne. She was in a game seated next to him. I also met Jason, just after the new room opened. He waited for me to get pushed and sort of followed me out the door on my way to a break. We did manage a short visit and I thought I might see him the following night but it didn’t happen.

Sure…all three of them read here. That makes it really special for me, the fact that they read here and then take the time and energy to look me up when they are in Vegas.

*****
I popped into the $40-80 Mixed Game during the week and announced, “Time Pot!”

Adam, 7-s, threw me $56. I set it on the drop slot and sent it into the ‘black hole’. The next hand was an Omaha 8 or better and ended up with one high and three lows, one the lows went to the same player that won the high half of the pot. Adam broke it down, the player that won the high and part of the low had to pay him $38 and the other two owed him $9 each.

Hello confusion! I knew what had just happened but it went right over the 4s’s head. The Time Charge was explained as always by the plaque on the table. Each player had to pay $7. But these kids liked the idea of a Time Pot so much that one of them paid the time and whoever won the first pot with X amount in it had to pay them back. The 4s just didn’t get it and it was an ongoing noisy thing for about five minutes…even though the 4s didn’t have to put out a dime.

Adam cracked me up one night in a $30-60 game…I was laughing with another player and I stated, “I’m not here for the money.”

Adam jumped in with, “You’re just here to collect information for the blog.”

Hey…maybe that’s why I am there…

Bobby’s Room was quiet most of the week. On Friday, when I was getting the big E/O, a game was cranking up in there. I asked about the minimum limit requirements for opening a game in that room, $2,000-4,000 Limit or $100-200 Blind NLH. The person I asked wasn’t quite sure but thought that’s what it was.

*****
Ten Mile, I read your post about my site…I loved it! You managed to present the texture of getting to know ourselves, our friends, and the comfort zone somewhere inbetween. Thanks!

I recently heard a name paged for $30-60 H in the room. It went like this, “Mo-ron, your seat is open in $30-60.” I started laughing. Another player caught it and we did an eye contact, share the moment kind of laugh.

I do believe there are a few morons in the room but they aren’t only players…some of them work there. I guess the thing that always stands out in my mind is that anyone can play poker but not everyone can work in it and do the job well. Unfortunately there’s no magic scale to determine who should be there and who shouldn’t. I know that if I grew wheat for a living, I’d have the best machinery for harvest, the best equipment for irrigation and crop feeding, and whatever it took to make it work so that I got the huge XXX bushel per acre at harvest time. Not so in poker. But I can’t get into this right now or it will ruin my rosy glow so I’m drifting off to another part of poker.

Fright Night when I hit Table 16. $40-80 Mixed games. About 10 minutes into my down, none other than the slug, neanderthal, creep J.C.P. entered the game. That is Puggy’s brother, J.C. He posted the blind in Deuce, got through the first hand, and I said, “When you have the time, please take your chips out of the rack.”

I got the retard look and, “W-H-A-T????”

I looked right at him this time…God bless my poor eyes for having to look at the lifeless lump…”When you have the time, please take your chips out of the rack.”

I should receive the academy award of the day, each and every day, when I put up with people like him. He’s an eyesore, a blight, a nonliving thing that continues to roll into the poker room with his dark cloud of karma. I treat him as if he was a real human…it’s painful for me.

He waited about two hands before unracking his chips…just to show that he was in control…and then got called to the $20-40 Omaha with a half kill. Whew! He was gone. The air was fresher and the light was brighter.

*****

Earlier this week, $10-20 NLH. Insane game. The 4s raised almost every hand, to $40 usually, sometimes more. He had them right where he wanted them. He was playing the game, naming the tune, changing the beat, and they were all falling all over themselves to stay out of his way…and he had chips. I managed to score quite well in this game…dealer terminology…the 4s tipped on every hand. Sweet!

I got pushed into a $40-80 Mixed game. About half way through my down, huge noise and unrest on the game I left behind. One of the players in my game went up to see what was going on. When he returned, he said one of the players called an all-in bet but didn’t realize the guy he called had a $5,000 chip in his stacks. A big argument ensued. They ended up ‘running them’ four times.

I just can’t kick the thought that I was specifically told by shift supervisors that ‘running them’ twice was a gaming infraction and some dealers had been written up for it. I’m wondering why/how it could have even gone to a decision…most assuredly it did not, the dealer just went along with it…and it would be OK. This type of thing just makes me crazy. WE NEED A STANDARDIZED RULE! Everyone has to know what the rules are and stick to them. *heavy sigh* Will the day ever come????

*****
On another note. I promoted readers and responses to emails to the “poker clan”, a poker forum that I shared with another person that had two online poker sites. Things have changed. I believe there are never enough ways to discuss poker. For reasons that I do not care to disclose, I will no longer be a participant in the Poker Clan. I’ve chosen to move all my efforts towards unprejudiced posts at the IPF. The forum link is here and on the main page of my site…simply stated as “poker forum”. Please register and join me in a new and open insight, into the discovery of poker, without fear of having your post deleted or being chastised for your thoughts or being asked to apologize for your post.

An update on my young friend, Jason, the security guard at Bellagio that was in a motorcycle accident. I call him at least once a week, sometimes during our Pan/Big Deuce session on Saturday night and everyone talks to him. He’s still in San Diego undergoing rehab. I spoke with him and Anna, his girlfriend, yesterday on my way in to work. Anna is there with him for a week. They are moving into an apartment (part of rehabilitation) and Anna will learn to help Jason as he helps himself back into a structure of independent living. God bless them both.

He expects to return to Vegas around the middle of next week. I won’t see him until the second week in June because I have plans to leave town on the 1st of June and will be spending time with my two of my granddaughters. When he’s established, he’s coming back to play cards at my place…that’s how our relationship started.

*****
Two poker hands that left me shaking my head so far this week. As in WHAT WERE THEY THINKING? One of them unfolded in the $10-20 NLH game. Up front, close to UTG, the 3s raised around $80 (I may be off a bit by the $ amounts). The 8s kicked it up – I believe it was close to $160. Heads-up, the Flop brought an Ace and two small cards.

The 3s bet around $400. Without batting an eye or taking time to gasp, the 8s raised it $1,1?? more all-in. With very little ado, the 3s called. An Ace came on the River giving the 8s quads. The 3s showed K-K.

While I’m not an expert or the best player in the world. I really don’t believe I would have bet that much on the Flop or even called the raise. And Yes…I do know the 8s and he’s pretty damn solid so that may have been part of what left me scratching my head in a quandry of the 3s’s giving his money away.

The other hand happened in $8-16 H. The pot was raised pre-flop by Jerry. Nita bet on the Flop, K-Q-10, (Q-10 diamonds). Jerry raised, she raised, Jerry raised, she raised, Jerry called.

The Turn, a blank. She bet, Jerry raised, she called.

The River brought a King of Diamonds (three card Royal on the board). They went to war. I can’t even remember how many raises went in between them but I’m estimating close to six or seven. I think Jerry is the one that finally gave up. He said, “Ok, show me the A-J of Diamonds.”

He showed K-K for quads and Nita threw her hand away. Nita is pretty solid in her play and I couldn’t figure what she had that she could put that many raises into that hand. Sure, a full house would be the obvious but K-Q or K-J would beat any flopped pair full house so I have no idea what was going on in her mind as she was throwing raises at Jerry.

When the River hit, I thought Jerry must have a Royal as many raises as he put in but then knowing his play, I couldn’t figure out how he got to the River, especially heads-up. Chit Mon! Sometimes I can’t figure out where the hell people are with their play and why/how. Ok…I’ll stick to dealing and writing about it.

Sometimes the weekend leaves me feeling as if I need to go back to work to rest and catch up on taking the time to breathe. This past weekend seemed to unfold in a rush of activity, very little sleep, and before I knew it, it was early Monday morning and Sandman Land was calling. A few of us did the ‘cave hike’ on Saturday a.m. The cave sits in the wall of a canyon, hidden from view, in a canyon across from Red Rock Canyon. It’s touted as being the biggest cave in S. Nevada – it’s bigger than Bellagio’s poker room, even with the remodel. The moisture inside the cave was amazing…all that rain we had is still seeping down through the rock and earth. Flowers were in bloom everywhere along the trail which made the hike even more awesome.

I hosted my usual Pan/Big Deuce game on Saturday night, dinner on Sunday night to celebrate Chad’s Birthday, a few hours of sleep, and back to work.

Work!!! Sometimes I honestly feel as if it’s not work. I do enjoy my job. It’s sort of like watching a sitcom and I’m in the perfect seat to observe the show. The show started like this:

Table 2 – three players left in the daily tournament. David Levi and two unknowns. David went bust during my down and the other two, a guy and a gal (she had all the chips) were still dueling it out when I pushed out.

Table 4 – $80-160 H. Only a few familiar faces. Three $80’s were in progress and this was the main game. A war started on Table 5, directly in front of me, about contesting a seat change. The Floor Person had to be called for a decision. Somewhere in all the noise and confusion, the seat change issue was between Ritchie and Eskimo. After the smoke cleared, the game just dissolved into nothing. A few walked and others just cashed out. Hey…works for me. I thought I’d be sitting a ‘dead-spread’ when I got there.

I cruised through rest of the down and hit Table 5. For just a heartbeat, I thought I was going to get away without having to deal anything on that table. It had been a Mixed Game with a $100-200 limit. KEE-RIST! Here they come. Unknown – 1s, Minh – 3s, Vinny – 4s, Ritchie – 6s, Cuckoo – 7s (walking). They kept trying to hustle Bobby out a Deuce game on Table 13, (Tables 4, 5, 13, 14, and 15 are all ‘up top). They had to play a higher limit than the $80-160 Deuce that was going on Table 13 and Bobby semi acted like he would come over if they upped the limit. They decided on $200-400 straight Deuce and I called the Floor Person to bring me a game plaque and limit change. Bobby put a $5,000 chip down in the 5s and went back to Table 13. Vinny jumped into the 8s. While the Floor Person was looking for a limit sign, they decided to play $300-600.

They drew for the Button, I dealt. Minh was on a terror with raising every hand and drawing two and three cards. Ritchie was in stitches, continually making comments about Minh’s raising and how the limit was too low for Minh and he didn’t care about the money. Minh normally plays the Big Game limits.

Minh and Vinny went to war. Minh took three cards on the first draw, Vinny took one. Start the raising wars. Minh took one card and stayed pat on the last draw. Chips were flying, stacks of blacks were shoved into the pot and Minh turned over a wheel. I thought Vinny was going to go ballistic on me but he managed not to spit and go too crazy. He did throw the Button into the rack on the next hand when it was moving to the 1s. I cautioned him, “Don’t throw anything into the rack.”

The comedy starts here. A few hands later, on the first draw, as I gave Minh his two cards, one of them did a slight pop up towards Minh. He told me it was exposed and granted he was the only one that could have seen it but still…I turned it up and called for a decision. Hell, I have no idea what is supposed to happen there. The card was a King.

Ritchie and Vinny both had a bit of a fit, exclaiming that no one would have seen the card but Minh, it was ridiculous for him to say anything, that if it had been a wheel card he would have not said a word, blah, blah, blah. Skip arrived. I explained to him what happened. The argument was still going on with Ritchie, Vinny, and Minh about the card and who would have seen it and a few million other things. Minh’s English is very broken and not only was he right in the middle of the Dialogue Dance, he was kicking up the tempo.

Skip told me to shuffle the King and the rest of the deck. Vinny barked at him for his decision, Ritchie balked at it. I waited. Skip thought about it for a few seconds longer and decided to go get Pete (shift supervisor). I waited.

Vinny snorted at me, “What’s going on dealer?”

I said, “I don’t know.”

He barked, “You just cost me $3,000 and you don’t know?”

I looked at Minh, Minh returned the look and I swear we both shared the same thought…Vinny was losing it.

A minute or more went by. Pete arrived. I explained what had happened.

Cuckoo came back and sat down.

(tip – never venture from a page in wordpress without saving first. Woops! rewrite what you spent an hour on)

I explained the situation over again to Pete. His decision, since it was the first draw, the King would become the burn card and Minh would receive a new card. Done deal. Vinny, Ritchie, and Minh were at war in this hand. Minh won the next couple of hands.

Vinny exclaimed, “She likes you. That’s why you are winning.”

Sure kids. I control the shuffle master, the stars, the wind, the sun and moon. Need something done on the supernatural plane? Call Linda. She can get the job done. WTF!

My turn to retort. “Sure I like him but what does that have to do with poker?”

Minh jumped into action here. One of the things I love about him is that if he believes something to be so, broken English and all, he’s going to let you know about it.

“No…she love everybody. She love Chau. She love Chip. She love Doyle…”

Vinny interrupted him, “But she doesn’t love Cuckoo.”

I almost fell out of my chair on that one. Cuckoo and I’ve had our share of bad times but we manage to patch up now and then. I looked directly at Cuckoo, “We’ve shared hugs away from the table. Tell the truth, Cuckoo.”

His reply was even funnier. “Yes…but we don’t have to explain anything to him. He’s from Korea.”

Out of nowhere Vinny decided he wanted to touch the tattoo on the back of my neck. “What is that? A bird?”

“Yes.”

The game went on. Lots of raises from Minh. Chuckles and retorts from Ritchie about how Minh wanted to give his money away and the deck wouldn’t let him. Vinny won a few pots. I got pushed…thank you, God. I know you are always looking out for me. Come hell or high limit…er…ahhh…are they one and the same?

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Enjoy – Stop by often.

And last but far from least, one of my favorites:

Names have been changed and if a name appears to represent someone that plays poker anywhere in the world, it is strictly coincidental. Any reference to the Real World is completely unintentional. If you can’t stand reading about antics or behavior that resembles something you did, don’t read here or change your behavior patterns…as in get a life, get a job, get REAL!

The dreaded Time Collection. It comes around every half hour at Bellagio and from all reports by players in games, it is the most reasonable in the country. Yet a lot of players behave as if they had an appointment with the guillotine when “Time” is announced. Or they act like Time is supposed to be taken the way it is taken in other poker rooms around the country; or out of a pot that has $x in it, the amount dictated by the players; or on the 47th day of the month of No-Time-Ski; or any assortment of reasons for them not to have to pay Time.

Some of them even feel that if I do my job (keep in mind that I’m hired by Bellagio – not the players at the table) the way I’m instructed to, I can go on their stiff list. Wow! A novel idea. A stiff list! Wonder why someone else didn’t think of that about 20 years ago. Chit Mon, you are going to have to really work to come up with something I haven’t heard or witnessed before at a poker table.

I slide into the Box on Table 40. It’s $40-80 Mixed, four handed. A three inch by seven inch plaque has brown paper taped over it and is wedged right by the game limit sign on the left of the rack. It reads, Time $7, paid by each player before the first hand is dealt.

I cheerfully state, “$7 for Time please.”

I receive, “It’s taken from a Time Pot.”

As I set the old deck in the Shuffle Master, I motion to the plaque and state, “Not according to this.”

The 8s argues, “I guarantee you, Time is taken from the pot. We are not paying it.”

As I cut and get ready to deal, “I’ll find out.”

He persisted that they were not paying time individually as I called for a decision. I deal the hand, Skip arrives, I point to the plaque and ask him how Time is taken. He states that each player is paying $7 before the first hand. The boys cough up the Time and I finish the Down.

Umnhhhh! Now if the Dealers in front of me were doing what they were supposed to be doing, this would not be an issue. Wow! Another novel idea! I wasn’t ‘stiffed’ so that’s not an issue either.

For some reason in the $25-50 NLH game, all the players have the idea that Time is taken on the first pot that has $500 or more in it. That may be how it’s done in other parts of the world but not at Bellagio, yet it seems to surface all the time.

Players sitting down in a $30-60 H game with a new dealer coming in, always think they are exempt from paying $6 for the half hour Time charge. It just doesn’t work that way. Sit down, pay Time. It’s almost painful to watch them try to skip out of it…painfully embarrassing for them that is.

Of course in the ultra high limit, just push the pot and then ask the winner to pay $XX for Time…or a lecture is forthcoming from someone at the table. Even though we are supposed to take it immediately out of the pot, it’s just better to do it the ‘high limit’ way. And it’s actually easier than breaking down big chips and making the exchange from the pot to the rack.

Come to think of it, Time Pots can be horribly taxing for a dealer unless the dealer knows the nuances of the game they are dealing. A few examples:

$20-40 O-8, $5 each player before a hand is dealt.
$30-60 H, $6 each player before a hand is dealt.
$10-20 NLH, $7 each player before a hand is dealt.
$40-80 7 Stud, normally a $5 ante, goes to $10 ante with $7 taken for Time.
$80-160 H, after a Flop, a player with a ‘missed blind’ pays from their stack.

In Mixed Games and higher limits, Time is taken from everyone’s stack during the Stud rounds, whether they ante or not. In Flop games, they are dealt in unless they miss their blinds, Time is taken from the pot. Except in $150-300 and higher, it’s taken from the Blinds before the Flop.

Imagine new dealers coming in and trying to figure this out. It’s a labyrinth of limits and Time Drops.

I have a wrinkle in my brain about Time Collections. I’ve written about it in Poker Tales under the title, The Cost of Doing Business. I still marvel at players that think a casino owes the player the privilege of playing for free. Where, on Earth, can you set up any business and not pay some operating costs for that business? You can’t. Say hello to the dreaded Time Collection.

Supposing the 12th of Never really did show up…oh…never mind, it’s another Friday the 13th. I have plans for this day. Soon it will be sleepy time. My alarm clock will go off at 3 p.m. I will arise, wiping the sand from my eyes, race in to build my wonderfully, aromatic, incredibly taste bud tantalizing coffee, and check all the spam that floats into my ‘inbox’, sifting through the tangle looking for a few good words from a few good people as I sip.

Vivienne will show up at a predetermined time to go through a range of body torture led by me…in other words light weight lifting and aerobics. We will try to convince ourselves that exercise and diet are the foundation for a healthy life – easy for me to say, I’m on my second glass of wine and these are hellerly big glasses – as we visit and drive ourselves into a frenzy of dance and motion.

Then it will be shower time, race off to work, and scurry to sign the E/O list…hey, it’s Friday. I may sign the Play List too.

I’ve played on the last two Fridays. I crashed and burned in the Green Felt Wars two weeks ago and won last week. Last week was a lot more fun and I had to jockey around several games to get where it was more fun. I dealt the first few hours of my shift and then got out to play…no E/O on the horizon though, even though I was number 1 on the play and the E/O. We are always short of dealers. And ain’t that the sign o’ the times?

While I was dealing, I met the ‘Flor-idiots’. That’s people that aren’t born and raised in Florida – they move there. At first I thought Tracy said, “There are people here from Texas and there are four idiots.”

Tracy was a real kick. I managed to transfer to his game after several transfers through other games in my quest for a game where people were having fun and still putting chips in the pot.

So when I hit the room tonight, if I can’t E/O in the first few hours but get out to play, that’s the kind of game I’ll be looking for. I don’t want to play poker with someone that can’t take a beat and their life depends on a win or a loss – if that’s the case, get the hell out of the poker room and do something else. Leave us kids alone that want to play poker.

I have a few tales from the Dealer’s Box over the last five days but I’m really not in the mood or ready to dive into that side of it and since this is about me and where I’m at…patience, my friend. I’ll get there. It just ain’t going to happen today.

I have a hike planned to ‘the cave’ on Saturday a.m. with my hiking buds. It’s the largest cave in S. Nevada and sits in the side of a canyon wall across from Red Rock Canyon.

Then it’s Big Deuce and Pan time with my buds at my house Saturday night.

And last but close to the best part of it, one of my young friends, Chad, has invited me to dinner on Sunday night. While dinner may seem normal and ordinary, this young man has invited me to meet his family at dinner. That’s huge. When a friend wants you to meet their family, you/me…have achieved the ultimate in friendships.

My definition of immortality…held in the thought and heart of another person. I’m there!

Last night was a turning point for me in dealing ‘the big game’. First a little background on my personality…sure…as if you didn’t already have an idea of what I’m like but here it is:

Some years ago a person I loved very much owed me quite a bit of money and couldn’t find it in his heart or thoughts to help me out when I returned from Mississippi and was waiting for re-hire at the Mirage – Treasure Island had just closed their poker room and the dealers in that room had priority to move back to the Mirage before anyone else would be considered. My finances sucked – as in I had almost nothing left after the move back and getting settled. I worked the Gold Coast Open Tournament on swing and the Sahara poker room by day just stretching to make ends meet and recoup some cash.

The person I loved had a job. So did his wife. It was horribly painful for me that neither one of them offered me any help or even considered paying me any of the money owed when they both knew I was in a bind. Actually it made me quite angry.

One day I composed a handwritten note and delivered it to the person I loved. It went something like this:

***As of today, you no longer owe me any money. The debt is cancelled. I’m not doing it for you or to help you out. I’m doing it for myself. I don’t want to be upset with you when I see you or feel angry.***

There was more to the note because the person I loved and still love, is one of my sons. But as soon as I released what caused me anguish, I was ‘all better’. It was over with.

Of course the question of what does this have to do with ‘the big game’ must be a wrinkle in the brain by now.

It has everything to do with dealing $2,000-4,000 and higher to the same group of players day after day. And of course…it’s about tipping…money.

No one…no living dealer that I know of likes to deal high limit. There’s no reason to like to deal it – the general run of the game is very little of anything trickles into a dealer’s pocket. The only advantage to being a good dealer is they don’t bite your head off or even notice you when you’re in the dealer’s box…you’re just an automated body that’s supposed to perform a function.

Last night I cruised through the game and managed to receive two $1 chips as I pushed out of the Dealer’s Box. I’m not sure why but for some reason it really bothered me. Truthfully, I would rather have received -0- than to receive that. It’s embarrassing to think that that amount of money flows across the table, hour after hour, and the dealer is given less than a 1 cent toke for a half hour of service in comparison to the size of the chips and pots being pushed. While I don’t believe they are obligated to load the dealer’s pocket with chips, I do believe that tipping is part of the job and that’s why we are there.

I have devised a plan to save myself. I don’t want to feel angry or irritated over not receiving a gratuity when I deal that game. The plan: I’m searching for a worthwhile charity, like a children’s fund or a woman’s shelter or one that I feel committed to, and I will put the money I make each month – from that limit and higher – into that charity. One person that plays that limit, always takes care of me when I deal to him…I help him with projects away from poker so I’m going to exclude him from the chairty fund. Hey…I have to have a little bread too!

I’m releasing myself from expectation and frustration. I just wish I’d thought of it a few years ago. It would have been so much easier. And yes…if one of them threw me a $1,000 chip, it’s going into the charity fund too but then Hell would freeze over on that day and life as we know it would cease to exist.

I’ve released myself…damn! I feel all better now.

The first half of my life I listened to the old saying, “You can’t have your cake and eat it too!”

I managed to convince myself that that’s the biggest bunch of baloney anyone can listen to. You can have your cake and eat it too. The only glitch is that you can’t always choose the frosting or how thick it is. But it’s all doable.

One of the days that had a really skimpy spread of frosting and the flavor was completely different for the cake it was spread on, was spent dealing two $20-40 7 Stud games, back to back. The first game was short players. Ok…ugly…but I lived through it without a scratch or noise. I hit the second game and a few minutes later the first one was breaking down, they were drawing for seats in the game I was now dealing. No problem, right? Yeah…right!

Ray, one of our dealers, had put down chips in the weak game and went somewhere without playing a hand. That made him ineligible for the draw. He came back just in time to see the other players taking seats in my game and have his name put at the bottom of the list. There were three players ahead of him that drew for the list but didn’t get a seat. Here’s where the frosting turned into a weak, runny drizzle and left half the cake bare.

Ray came to my game and went into a run something like this, “I was ready to play! I told everyone I’d be right back.”

The 8s interjected with, “I’m leaving soon.”

Ray offered him $25 for his seat. The 8s accepted the $25 amidst noise from all of us, mostly me, that he couldn’t sell his seat, there was a waiting list. It took two to three minutes to convince the 8s that he wasn’t selling his seat because Ray was never going to get it. Ray demanded his money back. The 8s gave it back. All of this is going on while I’m still dealing the game and trying to call high card and make sure the bets are right.

The 2s said he would leave for $25. Ray gave him $25 and the 2s started to rack up. Same noise, same confusion. By now I’m screaming for a Floorman to straighten out the waiting list and convince Ray that even if both players left the game, Ray was not getting a seat. There were three people on the list in front of him.

Ray never shut up!!!! He kept standing over my game, making all kinds of noise about how he wanted to play but they wouldn’t wait for him to come back, demanding his $25 back from the 2s, on and on and on. WTF? He’s a dealer and he completely blew my game apart with noise.

The 2s and 8s both racked up and left (and Ray didn’t get a seat because of the list) but it didn’t do much for straightening out the game. The damage was already done. Three of my players were totally upset.

I wonder at times what a dealer is thinking when they do this…never mind…I might find out there’s NO icing on this cake.

*****
Shove that icing up your nose…an incident that left me marveling at the personality display I find in poker came from a $4-8 H game.

Cliff was in the 3s, lots of chips and that’s the norm for him, whether he buys them or wins them, unknown to me. Cliff is the subject of another post some time ago. He’s generally friendly, talks a lot, mainly about poker, leaves the table frequently to smoke, always has a couple of giant sized drink cups in front of him – like coffee, soda, perhaps alcohol in the mix. I’ve played against him and dealt to him for a number of months. He mentioned having been in the nightclub business from somewhere, possibly Florida, before he moved to Vegas and he talks about working on a business now.

Jim was in the 2s. He always seems to be angry. He may not be but his general countenance gives the appearance of an inner struggle and very little patience with anyone for any reason.

A hand came down with three-way action, raised pre-flop, raised on the Flop, and raised on the Turn. Cliff, the 5s, and the 10s. Cliff was facing two bets after having bet out on the Turn; he went into ‘think mode’.

Less than 40 seconds had passed when Jim demanded, “Dealer! Speed the game up!”

Cliff’s head jerked up, “You want me to hurry?”

I interjected, “He’s entitled to think about his hand.”

Jim made some comment. Cliff’s head dropped into the ‘bull seeing red’ rage as he glared at Jim. “Unless you want to see Bugsy Siegel resurrected, don’t fuck with me! You have no idea who you’re messing with here.”

They started to do a dialogue duel and I jumped into the middle of it. “Hey…come on guys, let’s just play poker.”

A brief skirmish of a few more words and I told them to, “Drop it!”

They did. The game went on.

Wow! Ease up on that icing boys. It definitely didn’t go with the flavor of the cake and the rest of the crew at the table.

*****
A $30-60 H game on down the line was just the perfect mix of cake and icing. It started when I teased the 8s about picking up the Button after I dealt the first round of cards. I told him that’s when I exposed cards…when a player started ‘button fidgeting’. If they just left the Button alone, I wouldn’t have a problem.

The 6s told the 8s I’d be writing about him in ‘the blog’.

The whole game was fun. And I made way more money in that game than I’ve made out of a $30-60 in a long time. The 3s gave $10 tips when he won a pot.

Woo hoo! Just the right flavor, just the right seasoning, and mix of cake and frosting. Eat it too? Hell…I was rolling in it.