In this ongoing series I’m going to share anecdotes and observations from the casinos, usually for entertainment purposes only. I’m limited in what I can share in real time, so I might expand the column to guest contributors or non-casino material in the future. If you leave a comment, please reference the post number.
#2. [Posted 20200703]. Three years ago at a Midwest casino, I saw the worst-played hand ever. In Mississippi Stud, the guy had pocket JJ with a $10 bet on the Ante. On 3rd Street, he called $10. On 4th Street, he called $10. On 5th Street [go ahead and guess!] … he folded. I just shrugged my shoulders. You can’t save everyone.
#1. [Posted 20200625]. This pandemic just got real! Reminiscent of one of David Letterman’s “Brush with Greatness” sketches, I once ran into Vince Carter. I was at the Ritz-Carlton casino in Puerto Rico, maybe 15 years ago (maybe 20), and I believe the US team was in town for an exhibition tournament. Walking through the pit, Vince called out to a teammate, “I’m already down twenty bucks in this bitch!” I liked seeing his irritation from the loss of a mere $20. “Half-man, half-amazing”! That was awesome.
[#1] I forgot a minor ground rule that I intend to follow, at least to start (we’ll see how it goes): I’ll generally limit my celebrity stories to the positive or neutral encounters. I almost feel that there is a sanctity to the gambling experience (in the old days, hosts and bosses would address you like “Mr. G, what can I do for you today?”), and that I should only positively “dox” them. I was trying to edit a Comment just now, and accidentally deleted it. Feel free to re-Comment, but I might have to edit it. [I personally know a family member of the celebrity mentioned–and spent a fun night of wine and song with him on a balcony overlooking the water in 2019–so I was attempting to make the Comment nicer.]
1. “Spent a fun night of wine and song.” I thought you didn’t drink alcohol.
1. This pandemic just go real!
Damn Str8 (A,2,3,4,5) the pandemic got real, real stupid. What were suffering from is a pandemic of inept politicians. The virus is called D.C.-19. “District of Criminals-19.” When lowlifes at the casino test a poker player at the WSOP ME for D.C.-19 and they kick him off the table for a false positive it’s bull$hit! We know that C-19 isn’t real but D.C.-19 is the “real” threat.
https://sports.yahoo.com/poker-pro-disqualified-from-wsop-main-event-final-table-after-testing-positive-for-covid-19-032410422.html
https://www.breitbart.com/sports/2020/12/30/coronavirus-costs-poker-player-chance-at-1-5-million-prize/
[#1] Whatever. Don’t know if it was my “old Vegas” post that you are talking about — although it’s gone and it wasn’t doxing as the celeb died 26 years ago. And, the second part I didn’t post showed just how accommodating casinos could be. (I’ll email it for your approval as an old Vegas example if you wish). Could be someone else’s post. Had a funny one about Mr. LV too. Well, a few.
Old Vegas, in the 70s, was incredible. And it wasn’t just the casino management people that were very polite (and impolite at times). EVERYONE was polite. cab drivers, valets, most dealers. folk in general. Hard to believe, but It was a friendly city. Now, they treat everyone as a mark (well, they are). Never be a place like it again — even though there was a higher percentage of counters than now. If they had any damn sense, they would bring back the old days.
[#1] “Whatever. Don’t know if it was my ‘old Vegas’ post that you are talking about — although it’s gone and it wasn’t doxing as the celeb died 26 years ago.”
Whatever. (See?–I can play the Whatever Game, too.) Yes, “celeb died 26 years ago,” but his son is very much alive, and is a friend.
[#1] Ahh, sorry ’bout that. Never know who knows whom. Actually, my post put the guy that insulted the celeb in a bad light — not the celeb.
[#1] I was at Atlantis (Bahamas, not the mythological underwater city) counting cards when the largest man I’d ever seen in person walked by. Then I realized it was Shaq. I went back to extracting money from Atlantis.
[#1 and #2] Vinsanity!
[#2] Remember the ’09 WSOP ME where Phil Ivey mucked a winning flush when all he had to do was flip them over? All I can think of is a misread. It’s happened to pretty much every poker player.
[#2] Sounds like the kind of player you casually ask if they play live poker. One night a player left a 10-20 LHE to join the BJ game I was playing. He had a S16 vs a dealer 2. The dealer started to give him a card but he refused even after the dealer said Sir you have a 6 he was adamant he would not take a hit. I ordered Sklansky’s book on HE the next day.