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Poker, Star Wars and Scared Money




Before leaving the Veneto casino it was important to check the high rollers area and the poker room. In Vegas you find High Stakes areas, here they will define them as VIP rooms. In one of them Baccarat seems to be a game of choice. Ample room with new carpet and top service on the drinks. Weekends are when most of the real action takes place. Big money my friend. The poker room was visited before and a month later one seems to find the regular players with one or two newcomers. 

As we look around the table I know I am at the bar of characters in Star Wars. On the button, Chinese #1, let's call him Li. Always chewing on a straw, he must be a victim of the smoking ban. Li has about $300 in chips and seems to be the tightest player on the table. Next to him on the small blind is an Italian guy that must sell furniture. Flashy shirt and can't stop talking. Luigi can't be trusted, not even with an old tire. He has about $400. To his left is a Panamanian / American guy in his late 20's that probably went to school at Texas A&M. In front of him, this ¨rabiblanco¨has about $ 500 in $25 red chips. As we continue around, we have ¨Sleepy¨, its only 8:30 pm but this guy is crashing, wants to play and is really pushing the game. As he raises continuously, I wonder how he would play if he was straight. He has about $750. Barely tolerating him next, is a picture perfect Jewish young man, quite young. His buddies in the back are enjoying the action and continuously talking in Hebrew with Spanish. He plays well and is not afraid to call strong bets. Probably about $800 in chips. ¨

Tex¨ is next, he drinks more than pots he plays. In his late 40´s he is probably from the southwest, he talks and dresses the part, handling a small stack of chips. Chinese #2, Yao has order some food and is handling those chopsticks like crazy. He says something with his mouth full and Li replies, then Luigi goes: Oye Chino no jodas, no hablar chino !!! , El habla ingle...yo hablo chino, replies Yao No es lo mismo chino pendejo....Ingles es Ingles, Chino es Chino........ The lady next to Yao is coming into ¨la tercera edad¨, cannot determine where she hails from. Dresses with a combination of Hindu and western. Does not talk much, her big stack does. 

An overweight man sits sideways next to the dealer. Has about $600 in front of him, and I have seen him just buy chips with his credit card. A true regular with unlimited bankroll. Maybe On the other side of the dealer is Pedro o Jose, it does not matter. He is way out of his element and is true ¨Dead Money¨at this table. Blinds are equal and friendly, $5. That may be correct if the buying max was $100 but you add up anything you want. This is Panama papa. $45 is a pre-flop raise by the Fat man, Luigi throws $35. Dealer says $45. Luigi claims he could not hear correctly. He has second thoughts, will not play. There is trash talk around, maybe too much. I am thinking after watching about 10 hands, I can handle these guys.......!!! ??? Next hand the lady raises $50, fat guy follows, so does the idiot on the other side of the dealer. Li folds, Luigi is still talking about previous hand, he folds. Texas A & M calls and is also ordering some food. Sleepy moves and raises to $100. Next guy is out. Tex is out so is Yao. Lady re raises to $150. Fat guy looks the lady over, calls. Idiot follows, he is a calling machine. Rabiblanco will not play, he folds. Sleepy calls.

Flop is J Q 6 rainbow Sleepy pushes with $50, the lady calls, so does the calling station. The turn brings a 2. It can't help anybody. Sleepy pushes a red one, the lady raises to $100 Fat man is out. Jose calls. Sleepy hesitates, he wants to raise, he just calls. Off to the river. Its a 7. There is no option for a flush on the table. Sleepy checks, the lady fires up $100. Both players do not hesitate and call. WTF. What do we have? Dead Money shows a J with 10 kicker, out to lunch .....sleepy has J Q, 2 pair with a 4 kicker. The lady has a set of sixes as she shows her pocket pair. Nice pot. Can't get in. I would be scared money.

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