Vegas Trip...more

December 15, 2004 | 07:30PM  | maudie dot b - gmail d c | |

After a bite to eat, CJ and I headed out the door to do a walking tour of the Strip. Fortunately for me, CJ had visited before and was a great tour guide. We did not get hopelessly lost!

While we strolled the strip we talked and talked and talked - about this that and a little bit of everything. Walking down the Strip sidewalk I was oddly reminded of my visit to Lima, Peru in 1983. I was visiting a close friend over the Christmas/New Year holiday who worked for the State Department and was posted at the embassy there.

My first culture shock was the amount of out-right begging on the streets. I quickly learned to do the 'finger wag' which meant 'no' - unfortunately, if you were to give one solé to one person, then you would have been hounded relentlessly by the rest. So, I was instructed to ignore the beggars and wag my finger for 'no.'

On the Strip, I found myself doing the finger wag at the 'flier slappers...' Every few feet they would be there, thrusting a flier at you. BJ & I wondered at one point what kind of 'quality control' was enforced with these guys. Did management enlist secret tourists who'd walk the strip to be sure their flyer slapping employees were, indeed, properly slapping and thrusting fliers at the potential customer? Something to think about.

When we walked into New York, New York we were greeted by a casino host who said "Are you interested in..." and then he took a second look at us and said "Oh, never mind, you're not married." We walked on and, too late, I thought of the come back. I said to CJ, "I should have said to him 'no, we're not married, he's my boy-toy, you want to make something of it?" That was the first, and only, time all weekend I became conscious of a generational difference...

If I recall correctly, on the east side we stopped at The Tropicana, MGM Grand, The Aladdin, The Paris, and Bally's. Each one had a different atmosphere and energy. My favorite was The Aladdin. It was more subdued, less frenetic. The poker room has walls and was very quiet - and no smoking. So I will be real glad if we are able to get a tournament going there.

We crossed under the street to the west side and into The Bellagio and, oh my, Scarecrow, when we found the poker room it was poker celebrity city at The 5 Diamonds Poker Classic. CJ immediately spotted TJ Cloutier at a table with Ron Rose. We began to walk the perimeter and spotted Chris Ferguson, Tom McEvoy, Kathy Liebert, Phil Laak, Kirill Gerasimov, and Mike Sexton. Carlos Mortenson was in a heads up match.

While we were watching, this limey (and I mean that in every derogatory sense) sidled up behind us, pointed at Evelyn Ng and said, "She's not going to last much longer." Curious, we asked why he said that. Well, he launched into a diatribe as to why women shouldn't be allowed to play with the men. "They just can't measure up. They should have a table of their own. Very few women ever win." Of course he was too dense to understand that could be because there a far fewer women playing than men.

CJ said to him, "We just played a tournament today that was won by a woman who won over a world class poker player." Well, this guy wouldn't hear of that. He was about to get my elbow in his stomach when CJ wisely suggested we move on and see who else might be there. People like that I just want to stomp to dust. Jeez louise. And I do believe, Evelyn made the money in that particular tournament. Take that you ignorant dweeb.

In the high roller section was a table with Daniel Negreanu, Barry Greenstein, and Gus Hanson. Jen Harmon was at another table. This was truly exciting and we gawked appropriately like poker nuts we are.

We found our way out of The Bellagio and headed back to 'the big castle.' I was ready to play some more cards. It was a great walk and I had an excellent guide and escort - thank you, CJ, for hanging out with me. I hope we get to do it again sometime!

I decided to stick with the $1-$3 spread, this was a comfortable level for me to make my live poker mistakes with. I wasn't ready to risk more at this point, although I had brought enough of a bankroll to play up to $5-10, if the opportunity presented itself.

I bought in for a rack (notice the facility with the lingo, now) and was taken to the 4s at a near full table. Derek was there, I think, and another compatriot, who's name has totally escaped me. Several other bloggers were scattered about the room. On my left was the Cowboy Trophy Wife and next to her the Cowboy. The next two guys were collegiates, the name-that-escapes-me, Derek ? (I may be imagining you were there), and Baby Face collegiate. The 1-3s folks escape me - those seats changed over the most. But I believe there were a couple more collegiates and a cowboy on my right.

"What're yew doin' thar, woman?" Cowboy to Cowboy Trophy wife after she won a hand off of him.

I played very tight, and when I had a hand I didn't play around - unless I was in a hand with a collegiate. I figured they were internet players and had at least read a book or two. So it was a little easier to put them on a hand when they were involved in a pot. I had the advantage because I was wearing an OU shirt and so it was assumed I was there for the rodeo and not for poker alone.

"How do you get rid of hangnails?" Glassy eyed kid with sweaty palms.

For a bit, I wasn't hitting and got down by about $40-$50 when things turned around and I started getting hands. I also loosened up some as I gained a read on the table. Then I gained some 'respect' after I'd raised up the pot with KK and was called by one of the collegiates. He'd been playing fairly tight, so I knew he had something with that call.

The flop gave me a set of kings. This was probably the only time I slow played. I checked. He bet and I called. The turn came and I checked again. He bet, I raised and he winced. On the river I bet the max and he just sat there shaking his head. He said, "I have to see them," and he called. I flipped over the kings. I believe he had A-K. After that, my raises got respect - almost too much respect. However, I managed to turn that to my advantage by loosening up a bit and throwing in a couple of well timed successful bluffs. That was a treat. I was full of confidence, flipping chips, and mastering the one finger muck flick.

"You ought to play on the internet." Advice to me from a kid who replaced the Trophy Wife on my left.

I made a huge mistake in one hand when I had pocket tens. The pot was big by the time it reached the river - I'd been betting out maximum all the way. A queen hit the river and the guy on my right bet it. I screeched to a halt. I thought he'd hit a pair of queens, so I folded my tens. He was called by the other guy in the pot. He had A-7 and the other guy also had squat, zilch, nada. I forfeited a big pot by making a big, and stupid, laydown on the river forgetting I was in a $1-3 game, not a $50-100, like I've ever played $50-100, uhh-huh.

While I played on, one by one blogger guys stopped by the table to say hello, chit chat, etc. After a while I was getting some curious looks from some folks at the table. I just smiled to myself and contemplated mentioning something about my stable of studs... but I let the thought pass. After about 6 to 7 hours of play and more than doubling up, Maudie was "pau" and I called it a night. I didn't want to, but I just had no more energy. The smoke and fatigue had finally won the battle. I said my goodbyes to one and all. Big hugs all around. On may way to the room I ran into Eva & Grubby at the slots. Big hugs and more goodbyes.

I slept a couple of hours after getting packed. After sunrise, I went down to change a bunch of 'blind' quarters to dollar bills and believe I spotted Otis at a table - this was probably around 7 am. No doubt he'd been there all night. I did a little shopping in the gift shop - got my requisite Excalibur shot glass for my collection. And I discovered there were more eating establishments and shopping on the second floor.

Eventually I made my way to the shuttle and off to the airport. I grabbed a warmed over hot-dog from the Taco Whatever stand at the terminal. I was starved. I snoozed a bit until boarding time, overhearing this:

"Didja win anything?" "Naw" "Naw? How much dija lose?" "About a farm's worth."

I smiled quietly to myself. I didn't lose. I doubled up at the Excalibur and hit the jackpot with about 30 new friends.