Ashes to Ashes and Stardust to Dust

It looks like the Major Poker Room FreeRoll has been approved and the contract signed. The details have not yet been released. Think huge committment in terms of hours played and a cool $1,000,000 or so in prize money. The million takes care of the fortune. Television coverage will take care of the fame.
Get ready kids, this should be VERY interesting.
From what I have been able to gather this could either be the best promotion ever or the world's largest flea circus. I'm hoping for the best option.

*****
Molasses. As in slow as. On a January morning in the mountains of Western Maryland.
There are a few players that could kindly be described as deliberate with EVERY move they make on a poker table. Less kindly they could be described as old and painfully slow.

Yesterday I am dealing to a table containing one of these players. Painful begins to describe it. His skill level (non-existent) somewhat offsets the aggravation for the players. For me, there's no bright side.

Yesterday, within 5 minutes, I had two issues with said player. The first time it was three handed and he was in last positon. First position bet, middle position called and the action was with speedy. He looks at first position and I understood him to say "did you call?". This question makes no sense since first position BET. First position heard "call" and turned his hand over. Whoops. I defended speedy by saying that I did indeed hear him ask "Did you call? I had no idea WHY he asked the question, but that is what I heard.

Maybe two hands later there is a bet and a call and the action has stalled with speedy. He said a single word, raise, and set out $8 (which was the amount of the call only). The next player threw her hand away upon hearing raise. I looked at speedy and told him that he needed to put out $8 more. He then claims that he didn't raise. I heard it, the entire right side of the table heard it. The floor asked him what he had said. He claims that he said NOTHING. I guess we have all had a word or two slip out of our mouth but he clearly said something that either was raise or something very close to it. He was adament that he had not said anything.
The floor told him that he had to raise. He mubled something about everyone wanting his money. (Isn't that why we play poker?) He lost the hand and stormed off. It was a slow, rolling type of storm, but a storm in any case.

****

"I can never win with this dealer" she says to anyone who will pretend to listen as I push into the box. In reality, she doesn't care if anyone else hears it. She know that I hear it. That's what it is all about.

My mental response is "It's a miracle that you win with ANY dealer. You play anything and everything. If you get there, good for you. If you don't, don't blame me."

This was on Sunday and during that down I decided to keep track. She played every hand, except one (this single hand was thrown away on the turn), to the river. On Monday I again paid special attention during my 30 minute visit with her. This time I just made a mental note of her seeing flops. She saw all but one flop. I can't help but wonder what two cards she deemed unworthy.

And you think the dealer is to blame? Funny, funny stuff.

*****

Murph, you look older. Are you catching up with me?
This comment came from a player who I haven't seen in a year or so.
I simply said that I was 40 and that whatever age difference there was between us (he's 59)would never change. (until you die )
I then laughingly said that dealing poker was an extremely stressful job. It takes it's toll.
I left it at that.

*****

The Stardust ends a long and storied run today. Out with the old and in with the new once again.
I hadn't planned on returning to the 'Dust but I knew that I had to head over there one last time this morning.



















The chip dated 1958-2006 was the last one ever issued by the Stardust. The other one is circa 1960.

For whatever reason, blogger isn't letting me add any more pictures to this post. I'll post a few Stardust pictures soon.