A Shark Tale

Just got back from Spirit Mtn Casino. Quite an adventure trying to get there. Pops was nice enough to let me drive his '92 Lexus SC400 to the casino. Smooth and slick car and great ride. I always thought the drive to Spirit Mountain being I was always the passanger, but driving that beast would definitely made the drive faster. Only about an hour and half away. Unbelievable thing was that he was trying to give me directions and screwed up twice. You figure someone that goes to Spirit Mtn 2 times a month should know his way around. Hopefully, he "Johnny Chan" of Pai Gow Pokah would hit it big at the casino.

I get to the casino and hit the pokah room right away to check out the action. Amazingly, the room wasn't full. I look around the table to see if my mentor Stevie "Shark" H. is around. Looked at hats and baldies but no match. I leave my name on waiting list and come back in 5 minutes. Low and behold, I see a bald guy at the counter and it is the big Shark himself. Great guy; nothing I expected him to be but after reading his bloggies, I should have known better. He and his lovely wife, Patti (hope I am spelling this right) invite me to the buffet. Last time I had the buffet at Spirit Mtn. things weren't pretty or at least the food wasn't so kind to my stomach. So far so good. No "barfing down" this time.

During grub, Shark uses his charm with the the hostess, waitress, and wife. My favorite had to be talking about Evelyn Eg and Isabelle "No Mercy" Mercier (even smelly feet Annie Duke). There is nothing better when you can talk about hot women and boobs in front of your wife and get away with it. I wonder if Shark will be in the sleeping on the couch after this at the hotel? Better make it up at the poker table.

Off to the poker table. I got a 10 seater with $2-4. Lots of family pots and 2 donks to my right. Things appear to be decent. Chick next to me wins first two pots with K-K and K-10 (2 pair in end) and is immediately up big. Ok. Good cards on my side of the table. Things are bound to be good for me right? You guessed it... I should have been playing at a Blackjack table. I manage to win a semi-big hand with Q-8h. Four player and flop came J-8-5 with 2 hearts. On the button, I continually bet it but ended up missing my flushy and checked down at river just in case some1 had a Jack. No Jack and I am up about $15 after pot.

I see Patti walk by my table and ask her how she is doing? She said that she was getting killed at her table. Sheesh, that is no way to treat a pretty lady guys. About 30 minutes or so later, Sharky comes by my table and tells me that shes is "rasinhavok" and tearing up the table. You go girl!!

Back to me. Cards would just get worse. Janet Reno-god awful hands: most common hand of night had to be 3-7 (4 times). Dear Lord! Dealer after dealer; junk after junk. Dealer Mike, I think the best hand he dealt me was a 10 high! Damn, I'd seen better hands on one of Jake Hannah's endangered turtles!!

Ok next dealer after Mike (some hard to pronounce name) came and 4th hand in, dealt me A-A on the button. By this time I was slightly in the whole. It is raised early and folded to me in which I re-raise. Guy re-raises again and I just call (already saw A-A cracked by junk but was sure he didn't have 3-4os) Flop comes all rags. He bets and I call. Turn is Queen: he bets and I raise. He calls. I was sure that he either had KK or JJ and since he didn't raise back, I was pretty sure he had JJ. River came duece. Check-bet and I show the Aces and he mucks. So down $8 to about up $20.

No bad beat stories to tell tonight. How can I with all the Gus-like hands I got?

Total: ended up $18. 3 times in Spirit Mtn, 3 times up between $10-$20 in $2-4 FL games in 2 or more hours. I gotta lot to work on.

All in all a great night. Even if I lost money, the price was right to meet Mr. and Mrs. H. Steve is a great and down to earth guy and a kid at heart, and his beautiful but deadly at a poker table wife Patti. Wish I could have seen her take a bite at the table.