The Vegas Trip

December 13, 2004 | 10:46PM  | maudie dot b - gmail d c | |

Friday - 3:30 pm (CST) 1:30 pm (PST): Waiting to board the plane to Vegas while it offloads the latest round of folks coming back from Glitter City. Lot's of K'boys comin' home from the rodayo. One feller told those awaiting to board "Don't bother goin' - ah wun all thuh money!" We laughed because he was so witty. While I wait, I'm wondering what's ahead. Will I make it out of McCarron airport and to the hotel with any kind of grace? I look around at my fellow travelers and note we are a varied mix. Cowboys and socialites; retirees and frat boys. And me. Maudie. Ready to soar into a new adventure. Drinks all around.

"Lou-Dale, we're not gonna let choo take no nayap."

Cowboy Santa Clause is in the back of the plane and very happy. A handful of 'young guns' - frat boys, replete with shades and attitude all ready for the poker rooms, make their way down the aisle. Excitement permeates the cabin. This is a happy plane.

Somewhere over New Mexico: What the hell am I doing? Can we turn the plane around?

4:45 pm (PST): Decent. The first landmark I spot is The Stratosphere - wheels glide onto the tarmac - there's Mandalay Bay, Luxor, MGM Grand, and my hotel The Excalibur. We disembark and I enter the terminal - this is over the rainbow, Dorothy, sinfully over the rainbow.

Standing in the cab line: I'm in a fucking movie!

The cab picks, ducks, slides and rams it's way through rodeo traffic to The Excalibur. I'm dumped unceremoniously on the drive just as Pauly calls. "Maudie, where are you?" "I just got here," I shouted while attempting to maneuver the phone, 3 bags and dodging the vehicles wanting me out of their way. He tells me they are in the poker room and they'll look for me. I drag myself and luggage into the hotel - no doorman, no assistance - not even electronic - with opening doors. I pass a long line of people waiting for cabs, presumably to get to the rodeo.

This is not your normal hotel. Actually, it's not a hotel. It's a massive casino with a bunch of rooms attached. The accommodations take a back seat to their raison d'etre - which is to get you gambling as fast as they can. I wandered around for about 5 minutes before I found the check in desk. Stood in line for another 5 - 10 minutes and then was checked in. I mentioned it was my first time in Vegas and asked if I may have a room with a view. Well, yes I could! For $10 more per night. I said, "No thanks, I'm on a budget." He punched some more keys and said he had one in Tower 1 on the 21st floor with a partial view of The Luxor and the strip. I got my Fun Book, Spa Pass and hotel map and brief directions to Tower I.

I had to maneuver, again, through the casino and go on blind faith I was headed in the right direction. I was and eventually got to my room. The view was partial, as promised, but still Vegas! I quickly dumped the bags, ran a brush through my hair, a toothbrush across my teeth, grabbed my bankroll and made a beeline to the poker room. Well, a bumble bee line - you know how they zig and zag and seem to have no direction.... the casino was a maze.

I found the poker room at last and immediately spied Pauly (I'd seen his picture), sitting at a table playing. I went to the counter, however, and asked them to page Dr. Pauly. The guy said, "Dr. Pauly? I know where Dr. Pauly is..." and he took me to Pauly. And it begins. I got a big hug from Pauly, then I spied something out of the corner of my eye - someone stood up and yelled "Ant Maudie!" - and there was Al, arms outstretched and a shit-eating grin on his face.

I walked over and gave him a big hug. I looked around the table and saw Felicia and I walked over to shake the hand of my inspiration. Glenn was there and I shook his hand, too. My adrenaline was pumping at light speed - this made it real - meeting the folks who had previously existed as bits & bytes of electronic matter, were now wonderfully there - flesh and blood before me.

Then Otis was there, giving me his card and a big hug. There's talk of going for Sushi and I am beyond being able to make any type of decision. I'm on the tide and will go where it takes me. I sat and attempted to watch the O-8 game they had going but I couldn't sit for long - too excited. I wander over to Pauly's table and he asked if I wanted to play. Well, hell, that's what I'd come to Vegas to do. I bought in for $30 and got a seat at his table which was $1-$3 spread. The other folks were ready for Sushi - they went on and I stayed to play. Pauly was Mr. Host, answering his phone, making introductions and greeting folks as they arrived - one after another I met more and more of our community - Mrs. CantHang, BG, Bill Rini, CJ, G-Rob, Bad Blood, Hank, Derek, Daddy, Mas - and they kept coming.

We played for a while - and I honestly don't remember a single hand of that part of the session. I was down nearly all my buy-in and re bought for another $20. By the time we decided to break for dinner, I was down 50 cents. Pauly, Bad Blood, Derek and I opted for the restaurant by the poker room. We ate and talked - it's a blur - I still hadn't calmed down. After dinner we went back to the poker room. I bought a full rack ($100) and returned to the $1-$3 table, Pauly sat next to me. Other members of the gang were scattered around at various tables.

We'd played for a while when this guy comes up to us, squats down between Pauly and me and says, "I just wanted to tell you guys I'm a big fan of both your blogs." I was stunned, who knows how this guy pegged us - probably one of the other gang - but what are the odds that a reader would be in the same poker room at the same time as a good chunk of the poker blogging community? (EDIT: Okay - the Iggy is out of the bag - it was himself in the flesh....) I shook his hand and thanked him, I didn't quite get his name - Don, Tom or John - (I'm a little hard of hearing) - but anyway - if you're reading this - thanks again for making us feel like celebrities - lol.

I played for several hours until I could barely think. I mostly folded. I was astounded at the stretch of cold cards - 9-2, J-3, T-4 and on and on. Cowboy Tom to my left was warning folks at my end of the table that the guy at the other end (Pauly - who'd been table hopping and had returned to this one) that "that feller over thar will play Ace King 'n, well Ace-King..." Pauly was wiping up. I continued to play tight and do my best to maximize my good hands. I was liking live play a lot! When I stopped for the night, I was up a whole $7! I cashed out and joined Pauly and a couple of others for a chat at the bar. I would have loved to have stayed up with them and talked 'til the sun came up, but I was flat out of steam. I said my goodnights and went to my room.

I phoned in a wake up call for 7:30 am - 3+ hours away. I did the clock math and by the time my head hit the pillow, I'd been awake for a full 24 hours...

Stay tuned for the next installment....