Nov
23
by Katrina Lim
Just got back from a 3 day excursion in Vega$. Mom and Dad were itchin’ to get their gamble on and they hit the tables huge. We all played at Ballys cuz that’s one of my favorite poker rooms and I’m pals with all the dealers and the floor peeps there. I didn’t fare too well but I sure had fun! Our last night was best of all. I played with a few old fogeys that I knew were either gonna kill me or make me a lotta ca$h. There was one couple that stood out. Usually it’s the grandpa that plays and grandma will sit quietly behind him and observe the action. This time, both fogeys were playing and grandma even bought in fer more chips! I was playing $1/$2 NLH and granny bought in fer $200. Here’s where the fun started…
The minimum buy-in fer the table is $100. Grandpa only had $95 and fer some strange reason, he didn’t understand the dealer and chip runner when they constantly told him he needed to buy in fer the $100 minimum. Grandpa had to be at least 85 years young. He kept saying he just cashed out $95 at Three Card Poker. Yeah? So? You still gotta buy in fer $100, gramps! Ok, so now the table could tell gramps was a bit looney tunes. Even better! Easy money right?! So I definitely wanted him in the game so I threw him a $5 chip and told the dealer to buy him in fer the $100. Everyone at the table said that it was kind of me to donate and that it’s “good karma”. Let’s see, fools…
Hand after hand I saw my $500 stack dwindle down. Grandma not only took a huge pot from me, but she slow rolled me too! Old woman jank! I knew I was beat cuz she called my bluff, but when she saw my ace/rag, she shook her head no fer a few good seconds so everyone thought my ace high might actually be good until she showed her trip sevens! What a slow roll! Everyone started laughing. Even I laughed cuz I knew her slow roll was not intentional. She just didn’t know if her trip 7s were good?!?! Runner runner trip 7s no doubt! After I kept betting on each street too. Old woman jank killin’ me quick. This was a dream table, however, every hand turned into a nightmare when these old fish kept hittin’ the turn and river and taking down each hand every time. Classic jank at its best.
It was interesting to see the old fogeys stack their chips while the others just sat there surprised that the fogeys were constantly bad beating us. Amazing! Then I was involved in a pot with gramps when my pocket rockets flopped a set. The entire board had 4 diamonds and I held the ace of diamonds. Once the dealer hit the river diamond, gramps asked the dealer if he could ask other players or even the dealer himself if he could ask how to play the flush. Huh? Gramps checked to me and I bet $50 into a pot of $120. Gramps only had about $80 left in his stack so I was hoping he would just shove as he was calling with marginal hands prior and losing after taking down a few big pots with some bad beats. Gramps obviously had a diamond, but he was confused and didn’t know how to play the hand so he folded. Just my luck.
Gramps kindly asked me if I would show my hand. He asked me so nicely and politely that I told him because he was just so kind and that I respected him, yes, I showed him my hand. He was so happy. The table was so happy. Our table turned from a competition to a fun get together once the old fogeys sat down. The funny thing is everyone who played a pot with gramps or granny were scared because they just played so crazy! They would bet $7 into $90 pots and reraise wildly. Genius! It didn’t take too long to realize these old fogeys were playin’ us! But the wack thing is the rest of us liked it! Sick!
The funniest hand last night was when gramps finally got himself into a big hand and before deciding on his action, we watched him reach into his back pocket and pull out his own ALL IN button!!! The whole table erupted! I was laughing so hard I started crying! Even the dealer was laughing hysterically. I told gramps that made my night even though I lost most of my chips and threw him a $1 chip! This is the first time ever I’ve given chips to an opponent freely, let alone twice to the same person…while losing!
For the first time, it was nice to play poker without caring about winning or losing. Just going through the motions of betting and folding, but more importantly, communicating with my fellow man through a game. Strangers when you meet at the table turn into common friendly folk. I will prolly never see these old fogeys again, but I will remember their faces cuz they sure made a great impression. Don’t even know their names, but will remember the hands I played with them. They made poker fun for me that night instead of it being my job.
Other than that, we tried out a new bomb ass Korean BBQ buffet!! Sura Korean BBQ on Spring Mtn. and Arville!!! If yur gonna be in Vega$ and love to eat, you gotta try this place! All the bulgogi you can eat and it’s hella good!!! Very reasonable too! Trust me, I love food and this place is a new favorite. Let’s just say I’ll be going back every time I’m in Vega$ now. I also upgraded my Keurig at the lil condo. Returned the noisier one fer a quieter more sleek lookin’ one…I rule! Coffee rules! Everything at the lil condo is good too…just a real cozy place to just chill with the doggies…before heading down to the Strip. I even had dinner with Tracey one night while Pearljammer was online. It was nice to catch up with her. And I finally heard from lil sis, Anna, and she’ll be back in town in 3 weeks. So will head back to Vega$ the same week and hit the tables with her...prolly Bellagio and Ballys again.
So now I’m back in CA and lookin’ to play at Commerce tomorrow. Will play ca$h and maybe a satellite. Wanna play the LA Poker Open main event. Also still trying to qualify fer PCA and now Aussie Millions right here on Unabomber Poker! I’m gonna try some Guarantees too so see ya at the tables and drop me a note when you see Xsporean10!