A poker room, like any other place, is full of characters. The locals, the regulars, all know each other and everyone’s familiar with this guy’s habits, that one’s tendencies, etc. There are quiet players, talkative players, funny players, lousy players, good players, unpredictable players, and obnoxious players. They’re all out to take each other’s chips, […]
At a poker table, the “muck” is the pile of cards that players have folded as a hand progresses. Everywhere I’ve played, if you toss your cards face-down and they land in the muck, your hand is dead — you have folded, given up. Everywhere except one. Several years ago, I was visiting a friend […]
Over the years, I have compiled a slew of stories from poker games I’ve played in, and several friends have suggested that I write them down and share them on this site. I promise that all of them are real, although I have changed the names of the participants because I’m not out to embarrass […]
A few other random observations from my Vegas trip last week: The Aria is the only place I’ve visited in years where the Close Door button in the elevators actually closed the door. In most elevators, that button is as effective as the button on the sidewalk at an intersection that’s supposed to change the […]
On vacation in Vegas last week, I walked into the room at Aria and turned on the light in the entranceway. The rest of the room was kind of dark because the curtains were closed (keeping out the oppressive Vegas sun on a June afternoon), so I went to turn on the desk lamp. Nothing […]
This summer, I kept a diary of my trip across the US with my daughter to start her freshman year at college in New York — and my return trip, too. At this point, I’m still in Ohio… After last night’s disappointment (a losing session in a game that didn’t even last four hours), I […]