Better Luck Next Time

Good morning everyone (or good evening to everyone here on Pacific Standard Time).  The past couple of days have consisted of trying to get some of my stuff unpacked and semi-organized (when I left San Marcos, there were a lot of things that I hadn't even seen in the year since I had left Austin, and those things can just remain tucked away for the time being).  The new place is working out pretty well.  I gave away both of my t.v.'s to friends prior to leaving Texas, completely willing to live a caveman life consisting solely of internet access when I arrived in the desert, so having a mounted set with over 100 channels included in my rent hasn't been horrible. 

Today is supposed to be poker day.  Well, fortunately for me, there is no shortage of material since I moved, and there is an editing room floor in my head where many things will remain, due both to you not wanting to read novels every time that you visit and me not wanting to write them.

I have now met Rob and Serge, in addition to having met Carmel.  I feel that somewhere along the line, somebody forgot to present me with my honorary membership card for blogging about poker once a week, but I'm going to let it slide...  Both Rob and Serge were very cool, and not just because they're very cool.  When I joined them on the Strip, they were both sitting at the same 1/2 table, and after having played poker everyday the week before, I was just content to meet them and sweat their game.  Neither of them chastised me for being chicken (which I totally would have taken in stride), and I honestly enjoy watching other people play, especially when I know them.  To be honest, every time that I have come across poker on television since returning to Vegas, I have changed the channel.  I sincerely prefer railing live 1/2 or 2/5 no-limit hands as opposed to watching televised hands.  I will let my blogging friends detail specific hands from their session if they choose, and I will instead give you a couple of other hands from the Strip.

I saw both of these hands occur on Saturday night when I decided to explore after actually having STAYED IN on Friday night, diligently gearing up for my job and residence searches.  I had actually been writing down the names of a lot of potential habitats in my spiral notebook, and part of Saturday night's excursion was set aside for cruising neighborhoods after 3:00 a.m., when traffic would be thinner and I could see how liveable certain parts of town are in the very early hours of Sunday morning.  I may have mentioned this before, but if not, the place where I'm staying now is less than a mile from the place where I lived the last time I was in town.

Anyway, after parking at the Riviera and bothering my former co-workers once again, I walked to Treasure Island, the Mirage, Harrah's, Imperial Palace, the Venetian, Palazzo, Wynn, and the Encore before returning to the Riviera.  At the Wynn, I saw this occur at a 1/3 table.  This isn't really a hand write-up, it's just cruel and funny (and cruel).  After watching some 2/5 hands, I slid down the rail and landed between the 2 and 3 seats - the 2-seat was an attractive girl, and she had her attractive friend sitting behind her.  Let me note here that there were A LOT of short stacks in these 1/3 games at the Wynn, ESPECIALLY for the Wynn that I was used to before I moved.  Anyway, when the gentleman in the 1-seat rises to leave with his stack of about 60 bucks, the girl BEHIND the 2-seat (not the one playing) chirps, "better luck next time."  He walks off, they're giggling (the chirper moreso than the player).  They were saying they're local when the next player sat down, a guy who wouldn't stop talking and who I believe had a big part in chasing them off after 10 minutes.  The topic of them giving fake names at the table (the chirper first said she was Sarah, then corrected that, saying she was 'Sasha' - evidently, giving fake names had been part of their entertainment).  Well, this guy WOULD NOT let this fake name thing go, and he keeps annoyingly bringing up fake names for himself, OBVIOUSLY trying to hit on both girls, and I'm almost surprised that they didn't RUN from the table when they left (maybe it was the high heels)...

Speaking of high heels, I passed by 'The Nightclub at Encore' - people were just LINED UP to get into the club...  After passing a big chunk of partygoers dressed 'to the nines' (where did that saying originate?), I see the sign at the entrance:  Women $20.00/Men $75.00...  WOW...  Struggling economy evidently being a relative term...

Back at the Riv, I'm watching some 1/3 when the big stack at the table flat calls a raise before the flop.  I've seen an AWFUL LOT of this since returning to Vegas, so much so that it reminds me of the free poker at MSN - players limping in for the minimum, and being very willing to flat the raise to 15, 20, 25...  WHAT are you limping with, and WHY didn't you raise?!  Anyway, the big stack flats, and after a flop of 3 3 5, he check-calls the raiser's bet.  After an x on the turn (not an A or K - some random forgettable card) the big stack now bets out 125 (a little more than the size of the pot)...  It's about this time that...  CRASH!!!  For the second time in a week since I've visited the Riv, someone from outside the poker "room" has leaned up against this bookshelf-looking thing that IN REALITY has WHEELS, and has knocked it over...  On the "room" side of it, it is actually a cabinet, and all sorts of cupholders, lammers, etc.... come spilling out of it.  For the second time in a week, I help pick up the disaster.  And yes, I COMPLETELY MISS the rest of the most intriguing hand to occur since I returned to my starting point.  The dealer told me after his down that the original raiser disgustedly folded to the big stack's bet on the river, thus the big stack's cards weren't shown.  The big stack had about 700 in front of him before the hand began, and seeing me playing with my ever-present 3 chips that I carry around, coyly invited me to join the table when a seat opened...  As was the case a few nights earlier with Serge and Rob, I have to this point been very disciplined about playing only when I'm psyched up to, and not forcing things.  I live here now, and have games at my disposal whenever I want them...  ;)  Have a great day and I'll see you again on Friday!