David Rabbi was at the first tournament table I dealt. And, true to form, he acted like a jackass. I haven’t dealt to him in quite some time but there’s one thing I’d make book on and I never bet on anything besides a poker hand, I’d bet that for the rest of his life, he’ll always believe that he could have excelled if someone else hadn’t stopped him from doing it. Namely poker dealers…we are the reason that he can’t overcome poker.

David raised, 1 out of the big blind, everyone folded and the Button, Mori, raised. David called. The Flop was A-A-little. David bet – Mori called. The Turn was a middle card. David bet – Mori called. The River was a King. David checked, Mori bet, and David called, mumbling something about A-K.

Mori showed A-K and David zinged his cards into the rack with a sarcastic, “Thank you!” aimed at me.

I ignored it and pushed the pot to Mori.

David muttered and mumbled something about ’10 years’, when in reality I’ve been dealing to him about 12 years and it’s way too long. He’s still a classless, slime trail in the live action and tournament trail of poker.

The next hand found David in the big blind, he went all-in, heads up, and won the pot with A-K, no pair. He didn’t thank me then. What’s up with that?

He was completely 86’d years ago from The Gold Coast Poker Room for shoving a dealer into a wall when she went past him on break. Why would he do that? She’d dealt him off in a tournament – stupid bitch! Didn’t she know who he was and that he’s always supposed to win? There are countless tales of his abuse aimed at dealers over the years. He’s part of the reason that tournaments have ‘sit out’ rules.

Someone else sent him packing about 45 minutes after I left the tournament table…positively had to be the dealer’s fault.

*****

The $1,000 – $2,000 Game was up and running as usual. Color me jaded here but sometimes it’s so hard to gear up to deal these thankless, stress filled games.

Two guys in a $4-$8 Holdem game towards the end of my night kind of refreshed my whole attitude about poker. They didn’t know diddly squat but they are what poker’s all about.

I pushed one of them numerous pots and never got tipped but it hardly mattered. They were in the 2 and 3 seat. I asked the 3 seat to push his bet out because I couldn’t reach his chips and showed them both how to look at their hole cards so they didn’t have to lift them up a foot off the table for a peek. They both exaggeratedly pushed their chips out for me after that.

One of them called down with Jack High, no pair and the 10 seat won the pot with an exclamation, “He didn’t even have a pair.”

Quietly I said, “Don’t remind him, he just wants to play.” Everyone got the picture and play they did.

When I left the game, I walked around behind both of them and scratched their backs for a minute and said, “You guys are doing just fine.”

They both said, “Thanks, Linda. We’re just killing time and want to play.” *big smiles*

I couldn’t agree more. I love people like this. No hang-ups, no headaches, no ego, no bullshit – they just want to play.

It’s hot as hell in Vegas and so is poker, NOT! Bellagio is quiet. The $1,000 – $2,000 crowd is always there though.

Satellites were running for the #3, Limit Holdem Event during the evening.

Although the room is quiet, the games are still strong and easy to deal. There are some pretty big poker jackpots around town right now and as soon as they are hit, we will have most of the action again. After all, we are the best of the best in Las Vegas poker.

*****

I’ve watched some amazing poker hands and play over the years but one hand in particular in a $4-$8 Holdem game still is popping into my thoughts. George, a longtime Mirage/Bellagio player won the hand. He’s poker savvy and plays a lot when he’s in town. He’d won a few hands previous to this one and was one off the button. The pot was raised to him and he came in with 9-4 Clubs. It was 6 way action.

The Flop was 4-3-2 with 2 spades on board, it was bet and raised before it got to George and George raised it. One more raise was taken by the original raiser and five players took the Turn. It was a 9. The original raiser bet, George raised, three callers, the raiser raised, George raised, three callers, and the original raiser got the last raise in. The River was a 4. The bet/raising never slowed down.

Go figure. Two perfect runners gave George a huge pot. He played the hand as if he had X-ray vision and knew exactly what was coming or as if he was on great drugs and wanted to donate all his cash to the poker players of America. I know he wasn’t on drugs….

A friend of mine came into the room on Wednesday night, the 12th – Jon. I was out on a “play” and we visited about life in general, poker, where we used to be and where we are now. Two other people that I really enjoy are here also, Ralph from Florida, he’s promised to hike with me when he comes back in January, and Frederic from the Belgium Consulate in the Congo, he’s the subject of a post in 12/9/2000. Funny how poker explodes into your life and you either stay in it or eventually move on to other things…the best of it is that you make some great friends along the way and they stay with you.

*****

I dealt the $1,000-$2,000 mixed game on Table 2 – one of the games was Deuce to 7, Triple Draw. Normally the game is played seven handed because of the Deuce to 7 game and the 1st player out of the big blind, is dealt out in each hand. Not enough cards. Upon occasion, an exception is made and it’s played eight handed, unless a player/players object. When that happens the 1st two players out of the big blind are dealt out of each hand. When I got into the game, it had just gone eight handed to allow Curtis B. a seat.

I asked if “time” would be taken from the pot or if the winner would pay it. The discussion began about how the dealer normally would get $25 for dealing the game and $70 would go into the “time” drop. Since the game had just gone eight handed, they discussed the fact that “time” would be $80 and the dealer would get $20 instead of $25.

Eli E., a bonus to the game from my standpoint, said, “Linda’s going to object to Curtis getting a seat because it costs her money.”

I started laughing, “You damn right I am. I just got the bad beat.”

John H. came back from a cigarette break and threw me an additional $10, said he didn’t want me to get stiffed. He’s now known as Johnny World. Not a name I gave him, just a handle.

Curtis said, “I’m really glad you guys made it eight handed for me. I’d rather be sitting here stuck, than waiting thinking I could win.”

The whole game was relaxed, fun, and easy to deal although Curtis stepped into the subject of tipping and what he thought the dealers made in most games and how he felt we did better in the bigger games. He mentioned hearing dealers talk about not making any money out of some games.

I said, “The dealers that complain about not making money during a down are usually the ones that aren’t doing their job well all the time.”

He agreed with me. I do not agree with him about the big games and tipping. We make much better money from most $4-$8 Holdem games than we ever do out of a big game – this game happens to be an exception since they initiated the $25 going to the dealer in the “time” pot. But most big games are not good money for a dealer, they are just part of the shift.

*****

I dealt a four handed, $200-$400 Razz game…it was dull and lifeless but they say Razz players eat their dead so that would explain it. A player I haven’t seen in at least five years was in this game, Al. It would be all right with me if I never saw him again too. He’s no bonus.

My next game, unusual in the respect that it was single draw, $200-$400 Blind No Limit, single draw, Deuce to 7 was running short handed. Bob Stupak was in the game and he’s always up and down and in and out. He’s the reason the game would start but he’s also very hard on a game.

*begin tipping follow-up* On the subject of high limit games and tipping, I made $4 from the $200-$400 Razz Game and $2 from the $200-$400 Blind No Limit, Deuce to 7 Game. No, I’m not complaining, just following up with a point from my earlier conversation on Table 2 with Curtis. I had a very good money night due to other games and other players. *end tipping follow-up*

*****

My last game was $1-$5 7 Card Stud, all guys, and five of them were friends. One of the five was watching the game as he had gone broke earlier. It was hysterical. The 4s played off his last $7 in a hand without looking at his cards because he’d picked up nothing to play for an hour. He was really funny. He didn’t look at his cards until the hand was over and he rolled them one at a time…he was open ended for a straight but didn’t make it. His buddy in the 8s won the pot.

Then the 4s started goading the 3s, another buddy, about putting his last $13 into the next hand without looking…they were ready to go for the night. The 4s did and the buddy in the 8s won that pot too. They were all laughing and roaring, I was too. They went home for the night and so did I.

Unfortunately summer’s here, it’s hot, and poker is slow. The WSOP takes its toll on everyone’s spirit, mental and physical stamina, and bankroll and the games quiet down.

It’s nice to go in and be able to hear and visit with some of the regulars/locals. I like most of them. They pay my bills every month and the majority of them are easy to get along with, understand poker, and show up for their job just like I do for mine.

The tournament schedule for Bellagio’s Tournament has changed. (that link changed with the server change and is not available now) The Satellites keep changing as far as buy-in and number of players so if you’re coming in, call the poker room and check to see what’s going on in that area.

*****

I played on shift three nights last week, 2 wins – 1 loss. Visited the Orleans Poker Room on Saturday night for about an hour. I hit there about 1 a.m. and the smokers roll in on graveyard and that is 3 a.m. I gave up after an hour with a small loss. I truly didn’t want to sit through another hour and feel compelled to get my money back and try to breathe the cigarette smoke from a player next to me.

On the 1st of this month, it’s been one year since Bellagio and Mirage went nonsmoking. What a wonderful relief. Saddest part of it is that now I can smell everything, B.O., bad breath, etc.

I’m fading a software problem on my pc and expecting a call from Microsoft Tech this p.m. so…this is it for the day. Back soon.

Even though the room is fairly quiet around 7 p.m. when my shift starts, new games start throughout the night. More middle and low limit games are running right now which never hurts any dealer’s feelings.

Bellagio is starting a weekly tournament beginning July 12, 2002. It’s called ‘Five O’Clock Fridays at Bellagio’.

A recap…the room is quiet but George (the Isle of Crete) is still here. Someone said he bought a house in Vegas. I have a friend that plays Pot Limit Omaha in London all the time and we chat online. My friend told me that George had been playing a lot in London and bought a house there too. All in all, I hope he goes somewhere soon. I dealt to him a few nights ago and he muttered and mumbled at me and gave me the look until the end of my down when I pushed him several large pots but don’t worry, he didn’t give me credit when he won…only when he loses. Good job, George!

Tonight I dealt a three handed game on Table 1, $1,000-$2,000 mixed games with Jennifer, Eli E., and Gustavo AKA Gus, (winner of the First World Poker Tour Tournament hosted by Bellagio). At the very end of my down, Todd B., and Freddie AKA Kassem, (3rd place in the World Poker Tour Tournament), came skipping up from Table 4, where they had been playing with George, and joined the game. They both stated that George told them they were cheating.

Of course they broke the game on Table 4 when they left and George had no choice but to join them later if he wanted to play…and he did. Poor George, being cheated and all that and then having to put up with us bad dealers that deal the cards right off the top of the deck. Hell…what that poor man goes through just to play poker.

*****

A few nights ago I dealt $4-$8 H and the player in the 3s was convinced that everything was my fault. He won a huge pot with a set of Queens and I guess I was ‘OK’ then but I lost my status in the next few hands. He flopped Kings and 4’s with K-4 OFF and lost it because the board paired on the River and the real hand, A-A, won the pot. He did the ‘she put up the God Damned pair and cost me the pot’ over and over as he gestured wildly at me.

It was his small blind and he sat back in his chair, arms folded across his chest, and glared at me. I asked for his small blind and he continued to glare. I said, “Glaring won’t change a thing, it’s still your small blind.”

He said, “I’m not looking at you, I’m looking at him,” as he pointed down the table.

Yeah right, Buddy.

He threw in the $2 and then sat back in his chair again with his cards up against his chips. When the action returned to him, I waited a moment and then asked, “Sir, would you like to call?”

He sat there, resolute in his insanity that I had really put a bad beat on him. The player next to him asked him if he wanted to call. He sat there.
I said, “Please push your cards in if you’re not going to call.”

He flicked them 1/4 of an inch and sat there. The 3,4,7, and 8 are the hardest seats to reach in a Holdem game.

I said, “When I deal, I deliver your cards to you. When you fold, you push them into me.”

I smiled right at him as I said it. In a huff and with exasperation, he pushed them at me.

Still looking at him, I said, “The only one that you’re making look bad here is you, so settle down and play the game.”

He did. Damn, I don’t know why I don’t get paid extra for babysitting and psychology lessons.

My first game was $4-$8 H and Earl was playing in the 9s – although he was walking when I sat down. His chips were in general disarray, as if he’d pulled in a huge pot and just walked off, so when he came back a few minutes later, I looked at him and demanded, “Earl, clean that mess up!”

Everyone laughed.

Earl is a very different poker personality. I’ve never seen him sober so I have no idea what he’s like in that state. He’s funny. He never cries or has a fit when he loses; he just gambles like crazy. I’ve dealt to him in $20-$40 and $3-$6 H at the Mirage and he just never changes. He uses the term “doink”. When he says “doink ’em”, he’s raising. He slows the game down a little because he likes center stage when he plays, but as a dealer, he’s a refreshing treat.

Everyone in this game seemed to enjoy having him there.

He made some comments about women players and a youngster named Damon, tackled him in mid-sentence. Damon told Earl that women should be shown the respect they deserve and should be left alone and allowed to play poker. Damon was cute and stood his ground. Even though Earl tried a quick rebuttal, he couldn’t win. Damon was too quick for him. Everyone at the table laughed at the verbal duel. Damon and Earl ended up going out to the bar to have a drink together.

There were 2 women in the game, Tootsie, a woman I’ve dealt to since Bellagio opened – she was having a lot of fun in this game, and a new found friend, Christine.

About 10 minutes into my down, Christine looked at my name tag and asked, “Are you Linda G.”

I said, “Yes.”

She said, “I know you.”

She reads this page. I got out of the line-up to play after that down so we spent some time visiting…it was great.

We walked over to watch a few minutes of the Bellagio Five Diamond World Poker Classic. Impressive, the seating for the audience, the stage, lighting, and the cameras showing the player’s faces and the board cards during the hand. There were three players left when we were there, John, Gus, and Kassem. Kassem took 3rd place while we watched.

Christine’s intelligent, has a very spicy personality, and warmth. Nice addition to the world of poker and my collection of friends.

The BIG event takes place tomorrow – six players battle it out in front of cameras and an audience to claim prize money that includes an entry into a $25,000 buy-in tournament to be hosted by Bellagio next year.

*****

Gus is one of the final six. I love Gus, Gustavo to the rest of the world. He’s the chip leader at the end of day four. I get a huge kick out of Gus and his happy go lucky attitude whenever I deal to him and see him. He’s like an injection of “I don’t give a damn what the rest of the world does, I’m having a hell of a good time”. Everyone should take a double dose of that injection every time it’s offered.

I have to say that out of the final six, there are three of them that I truly treasure. I deal to them on a regular basis and they are fun, witty, always pleasant, and easy to get along with. I wish all six of them the very best. What a great event for poker and what a truly outstanding statement for Bellagio to host the first and the last tournament of the World Poker Tour. *applause*

*****

On the dealer side of the world. Last night George had a vase with flowers in it on the table in front of his chips as he played. Apparently it was a night for Sammy F. and The Devil Fish to duke it out verbally. I missed all of it…heavy sigh of relief.

*****

Tonight I thought I’d die laughing. Carmen raced into the office while I was on a break. She was looking for masking/duct tape. She wanted to help with a bet that had been placed in the George/Sam/Devil Fish game in which Sam had been overly talkative and everyone was tired of it. The bet was that his mouth would be taped and he would be quiet for XXX amount of hours.

After I’d left the room for a few minutes and returned, Carmen said, “Look at Sam.”

I walked up to Table 1 and touched Sam’s arm, he turned around with a piece of slot machine tape sealed across his mouth that read, ‘out of order’.

He pulled one side of it free and said to me, “All the dealers are safe tonight. I’m not saying a word to any of them or I’ll lose the bet.”

He was laughing and so was I. Hysterical…did “out of order” say it all or what?

*****

My night was fairly simple, just deal and move to the next game. The room was much quieter. Looks like summer sizzle and slow games are looming up on the horizon.

When I came in, the Bellagio Five Diamond World Poker Classic was just in the process of breaking down for the night. It begins again on Saturday at 2 p.m. in one of the Ballrooms and the public is invited to attend. The final six will be there when it begins. There are 24:36 minutes left at the $1,000 ante (each player) and $3000-$6000 Blinds. I say be there. It’s going to be quite an event.

*****

Earlier this week, I finished my night in Deuce to 7 Triple Draw. It started out heads up and eventually became four handed and at that time the limit jumped from $100-$200 to $200-$400. About twenty minutes into my down, I noticed one the cards had a crease down the middle that was obviously there because a player bent it. I pulled out a new deck, spread it, scrambled it, dealt out the first hand, and on the draw, while dealing the second player three cards, I saw a green card in a brown deck. Funny because I normally would’ve seen this when I turned the new deck face down and scrambled before I shuffled and dealt. I did not.

The Supervisor was standing by the table and I stopped everything and pointed out that the deck was fouled. One of the players said we’d been playing with the deck for half an hour and he’d lost at least $10,000. Hysterical! He was joking but sounded so damn sincere. Everyone got their money back and we put in a new set up.

*****

Earlier I dealt to O’Neil L. I’ve been dealing to him for a good many years and I find his character to be very interesting. If you’re playing NL or PL with him, get ready to put some chips in the pot or he’ll blast your socks off with his raises and reckless attitude for chips. That is not to say he’s a bad player but he’s not afraid to stack off.

On the character side, sometimes while he’s playing, he sings, “I’m sorry but I didn’t know the gun was loaded.”

It’s tuneless, or appears to be, and I have no idea if he made it up or it’s part of a song. It’s as if he’s warning you not to mess with him while he’s in a hand.

He likes to order hot chocolate with whip cream. On occasion, when I look over and see that he’s got the whip cream stuck across his upper lip, I will wait a moment and then put my hand in front of him to get his attention, (he always acts as if he’s hard of hearing, some say he has selective hearing), then I point to my own upper lip as I look at him. He gets the message and the funniest part of it is that he always blushes. In the crazy, wacky world of poker where nothing is sacred…he blushes.

*****

I dealt a $30-$60 Holdem game in which Gabe occupied the 10s. He’s a doll, nice mannered, great looking, and always says, “Hi.”

He motioned to Boba, the Holdem Brush, got Boba’s attention, and pointed to another game. Boba acknowledged.
I asked Gabe, “Now you use sign language?”

Gabe said, “I’m speaking Boba now.”

It’s funny. Boba is a unique character, very good at his job, appears to be rough and grouchy most of the time but he really isn’t, it’s just his way of communicating.

Table 27 was the beginning of my night. It was a Bellagio Five Diamond World Poker Classic Tournament table. There were eight players, the ante was $200 each and $800-$1600 Blind. At the time I began my down, the announcement was made that they would play another 100 minutes or until they lost 1 player – that would put the contestants for the title at 36.

Unfortunately, Doyle B. “Dolly” was the one that ended the tournament for the day. Eli B. was on the button and raised with A-3 Clubs, Doyle, in the big blind, called all-in with A-9 Off and Eli flopped a pair of treys to send Doyle and everyone else home for the night.

Previous to this hand, Doyle had mentioned that he hoped someone would put him out of his misery so he didn’t have to come back tomorrow with a short stack and try to play through it. I like Doyle. I’ve dealt to him for years and I find him to be a good man with a good heart. I get a kick out of him…when he’s having a bad day; I keep my hands up because the cards may go sailing down the table. But he’s not throwing them at me.

After all the chips were counted and verified and everyone else had left the table, Eli B. looked at me and said, “Thanks for not busting me.”

I should have just let it go but I can’t. Too many years of the same B.S. and I say what I think so I took off with it. “I never bust you.”

“You never break me?” with a look.

“I never take credit for your wins so why would I take credit for your losses?”

“You break me when you deal to me.”

I said, “You get mad at me for something I have no control over. All I do is deal the cards.”

He managed to get out the fact that he got mad at poker, not me, just as the next dealer pushed. Gee, wonder why in the hell he doesn’t throw his cards at ‘poker’ instead of at me when he takes a beat?

*****

After the next 2 games, the rest of the night was high limit. Yes, I dealt $200-$400 Blind Pot Limit Omaha to the usual suspects…George was one of them. I managed to leave the box unscathed and even knew what was in the pot at all times. Whew! George didn’t go broke during my down, which was really nice for me. I didn’t have to ‘listen’ to any of it.

*****

Table 4 was $75-$150 Omaha 8 or Better with a 1/4 Kill…or so it said on the Game Plaque. However, the dealer I pushed told me they were actually playing $100-$200 limit with a $150-$300 Kill. Ugh! As soon as a limit is changed, the dealer’s supposed to call the Brush and get an OK and change the Game Plaque. I did.

A little altercation…Shuen was in the 8 seat on a kill hand and put in $50 because he was talking to his sweater. Jimmy G. was in the 9 seat and raised it. I got Shuen’s attention and he tried to take back the $50…he finally called and everyone else folded. Shuen began making a deal with Jimmy to get his money back and let Jimmy take the blinds. Jimmy said ‘ok’ but then asked me to put out the flop so they could see what they might have made. I did.

Then Jimmy was expected to put the Kill on it and he didn’t think he should have to. I called for a decision. It was long and ugly but the decision was that Jimmy would have to pay the kill.

Jimmy kept trying to get Shuen to pay half of the kill since Shuen got his money back. None of that happened so Jimmy ended up paying the kill. Shuen left the game a few minutes later and most of the players were glad that he went. No splits and no deals in a hand when the ‘kill’ is on it, they all know that.