Conversations
Monday, October 10, 2011 @ 4:47 AM
This week continues to play out in the strangest fashion. Everyone seems cranky. More so the last two weeks than the previous two years, I find myself needing to raise my voice in order to be heard over players being childish and arguing. The source of any particular problem proves, increasingly, to be casino staff.
At least there have been a few comical conversations to break up the days...
Guest approaches the podium, glances into the room where we have a single table running. "Any open seats," he inquires?
"You'd be first on the list, sir. That game is $4/8 Omaha. Should I sign you up?"
"Omaha? I don't know how to play Omaha." After a lengthy pause, he continues, "I thought this was the poker room. You don't have any poker games running? Only Omaha?"
***
"Do you have any $1-2 tables," the gentleman asks as he nears the podium.
"No, sir, tonight I only have the $4/8 limit Hold'em and $4/8 limit Omaha games."
"I want to play no-limit, though."
"I apologize, sir. Unfortunately, I only have limit games tonight."
"Can I get a seat in a no-limit game, though?"
We reach the point in the conversation where I really want to be a smart-ass but the saner part of my brain kicks in and takes control. Instead of saying, "Sure, but you'll have to go to another casino to find that seat," I simply smile and say "Tonight, I only have limit games. We should have a no-limit game running in the morning some time around the 10:00am tournament."
He glances around the room, looks me directly in the eye, and asks, "So, I can't play no-limit at either of those tables that are running?"
I hope the scream I heard was inside my head.
***
Inebriated guy in the $1-2 game talks non-stop after his fifth whisky. He talks so much, I find I can only be near that table for short doses before my ears feel like they're going to bleed.
During one of my visits, said gentleman expounds on why, exactly, he is still playing poker at 5:00 in the morning. "I had to wait until my wife went to bed. No way was I going to bed first." *pause* "I made sure I finished after she did."
From the other side of the table, I hear, "That's the only time that'll ever happen." He & I both start laughing, even more so when we realize nobody else at the table got the joke.
The dealer, one whom seldom laughs while dealing, mutters with the faintest of smiles, "I go it. I'm running a professional game here, damnit. I'm not going to just start laughing at every joke."
***
Same game, same inebriated individual sitting behind a stack of chips at least three times that of the other two still in the game, checks down a hand after flopping the nuts and then explains "I didn't want to bet. I want everyone to get back to even. I'm not rying to win any more money."
The next hand, the 10-seat check-raises the big stack and scoops in a pile of chips after the big stack folds. He glances up with a smile, "I like your idea. I really want to help you get back to even."
Again, only he and I caught the reference.
***
That's enough for the day. Time to get back to working on the kitchen project...
Add comment
^_^
interesting
This is probably the best writing from a poker industry professional I have ever read. Cheers!
Hey Scott, I see some of my jokes are good enough for print. I'm happy to provide some material and wish I had gotten that guy back to even.
I'm sure that seldom-smiling dealer would've been happy to see you get that guy back to even as well ;)
