How long will $10,000 last?

First things first.

Yes, Linda, my car sometimes --OK OK MOST of the time, resembles a garbage can. I rationalize it by saying that I don't litter. You will NEVER catch me throwing trash out the window as I cruise down the road. Boogers? Maybe. Biodegradables such as apple cores? Probably. Bonafied trash? Never! That said, I probably should clean it out more often. Especially when I may be providing limo services to you.

The Saturday gathering at Sam's Town saw my win streak come to an end. I lost $5.50. Hey, I can live with it. I'll just start another poker win streak the next time I play.

Work is still painfully s.l.o.w. The schedule should change within a week or so. The promotion blizzard, by all accounts, is about to begin. I've heard rumors about WSOP seats, aces cracked, splashing the pot with $50 or $100 at various intervals etc. etc. A "celebrity" host may be in the offing. Morning tournaments seem unavoidable. I have opinions about most of these, but I'll keep them to myself. I'll give credit where credit is due. We've got to try something--hell anything--to get asses in the seats.


A rarely enforced and little known bit of poker etiquette reared it's ugly head twice today. In one instance it basically broke up a no limit game. It's common knowledge that you can't show your hand to anyone else who has a live hand. It is NOT common knowledge that you shouldn't do this even if you neighbor does not have a hand. The underlying principal is that no player should be given an advantage by knowing what cards any other play has/had. If you are constantly showing your neighbor your discards, he has, or should have, a pretty decent knowledge of the types of hands you will/will not play. This does give your neighbor information that the rest of the table doesn't get. In real life, this happens so often that it is unbelievable. Because it is common practice, many don't know that it is in bad form. Only when a player complains is it ever an issue. Today, the 1s asked me to ask the 9s to stop showing the 8s his cards. I honestly hadn't even noticed it happening. I still made it a point to ask the 9s to cease and desist. "But he doesn't have a hand" was the reply. Doesn't matter was my response. About 4 other players chimed in that they had never before heard that. I assured them that they shouldn't be doing it. I even called the floor and he backed me up. So now you know. Don't do it. Do as I say and not as I do. Got it? Good.

On Monday as I was dealing a $2-4 game, the 10s frequently but discretely showed me his hand. Usually this drives me nuts, but if I like you, and each instance doesn't come with some venomous comment about me never dealing you a hand, I don't mind sweating you sometimes. It has no bearing on the game, but you subconsciously belive that we are in this together. On one occasion where he had bet and everone folded he gave me a glimpse before mucking. One of the players who mucked wanted to see the hand since he had showed them to me. I, rather sarcastically, stated that I didn't count. It's like him showing them to a chair or any other inanimate object. You can't look at me like a piece of furniture one minute and then suddenly decide that I am a human being the next. Can't have it both ways pal. I mucked the cards, shuffled and dealt the next hand.

Today I heard a story. I don't have much background except to say that the guy in the story has been described to me as once being one of the best, if not the best poker dealer in Nevada. The demons of drugs/alcohol/gambling addiction took it's toll. I don't know what the guy does for a living now, but he at least had a pay check to cash. The Palms has a promotion where you can win up to $10,000 just for cashing your check there. On Friday, our hero does just that. Cashes his check and wins $10,000. Fast forward 4 days. Today this guy had exactly $154 to his name. At least he had the presence of mind to prepay the next two weeks of his lodging at Budget Suites. $10,000. Four days. Must have been a wild 4 day ride......