Give Me Strength

Was there a full moon? I don't know.

Last week started on a high note when I dealt a heart royal to a player within my first hour of dealing. Within the first thirty minutes of that day I also dealt a four of a kind. I've been dealing three years, three months and 7 days (but who's counting) and I believe this to be only the sixth or seventh royal that I have ever dealt. In this case it paid a $1,098 high hand bonus to the player. He was extremely excited and extremely generous. Thanks T*****!

Somewhere buried in last week was the Super Bowl. Would someone please remind me to take that day off next year? It's near impossible to run a game when everyone is watching the football game and not paying the least bit of attention to the poker game that they are supposedly involved in. If I said "The action is on you" once I said it 300 times that day. Brutal.

As the week progressed I became less and less able to laugh at the problem children. Why can't some people just play cards and for that matter why can't some dealers just deal them while simultaneously keeping a neat and orderly box and running the game? I sure as hell don't have the answer to either of those questions.

I know that I have my quirks, but work with me here, alright?

Stacks of 18,19 or 21 chips? Higher demonination chips in the outside tubes? No lammers at all? Games totally out of control? Players discussing and showing cards while the hand is in progress. Players "checking out"? Players throwing cards and cussing the dealer? This list is endless.

I stood at the podium with a veteran dealer (not from our house) and watched another dealer deal a hand. The veteran dealer turned to me and said... the dealer only rolled the deck 20 times during that hand. TWENTY TIMES.

Give me the strength to dig a hole in the sand just large enough to fit my head into it. Give me strength to just do my job and ignore the circus that rages around me on a daily basis. Give me strength to just keep my damn mouth shut.

I've nearly given up on improving my surroundings. Just let me focus on me. Let me run my games the best way I know how and let everyone else wallow in their own apathy.

By (my) Friday I was fried.
Toward the end of my day I was on table 6 and there was an unknown in the 10 seat. During my second hand the 10 seat got all in only to be drawn out on. A gut-shot straight no less. He tossed out something like "you're fuc%$&* terrible" directed toward the lady who drew out on him. I discretely leaned toward the 10 seat and whispered "I understand the frustration, but please don't berate our players." He stated that he really wasn't directing it at one player, they all were terrible. I then said, alright then, don't use the F word. He took it pretty good and I thought that I handled it in an acceptable manner.
I don't know what the 8s thought I said to the 10s but obviously he perceived it as my consoling the 10s because he got drawn out on (give me a break).
Then the 8s started saying something that I didn't quite understand but I instinctively knew, based on said players history, was a swipe at me I stopped the game. I asked him to say what was on his mind. He stuttered through something that basically said I had no integrity I simply yelled FLOOR and let her deal with his ramblings.
The 8s claimed that a "few weeks ago" I had pushed into the box of a no limit game and proceded to tell the 1s that I was going to put him on a rush and that he would get all the chips. Are you kidding me? I've NEVER in my life said that to a player. First of all it would be unbelievably unprofessional. Secondly, I don't have those kind of powers thank you very much.
He then tried to tell the floor that he was trying to give me a compliment on how I handled seat 10. Sorry, you can't wiggle out of this one 8s. You just didn't think I would call the floor on you. I'm just supposed to sit there and let you question my integrity. Isn't that what you expected? Ah, sorry, NO. Not that day and not tomorrow either.


On my last table of the day and week I did receive a sincere compliment from a stranger in the 10s of a no limit game.
Six simple words.
"Murph, you run a good game".
Thank you, thank you very much.

Bookend the week with high notes.

Today starts another week in the box. I can't wait to find out what's in store for me this time around.

Give me strength.