This is a little story about the adventure I had earlier this year.

To set the scene, I am a 25 year old blond haired, blue eyed, college educated, all american boy. I grew up in the midwest playing low-limit HE. Gambling was a large part of my existence, much to the dismay of my friends and family. My poker skills were a little unrefined at that time, so I rarely left the table with more money than I brought to it.

Well I met a girl and she was pregnant within the first week, oops! She wanted to move to Central Florida to be with her parents, so we packed up everything and made the move almost 2 years ago. We stayed together until this February, we decided it was not working and we went our separate ways.

I was working for a major Hotel chain and a position came open in Scottsdale, AZ. I put in for a transfer and I got it a week later. I could really have cared less about the job. All I knew was there was a great cardroom there, Las Vegas and LA were not far either. I read and studied everything about poker, and was using everything I learned to kill the $10-20 HE game in Florida. I was making a good income from Poker and the "job" word was slowly creeping out of my vocabulary.

The one drawback that was huge was the fact that I was leaving my one year old daughter. I used the excuse of my job transfer as the reason for me to leave, but deep down I knew I was just being selfish and chasing my own dreams and not my daughter's needs. I cried for about the first 300 miles and felt very guilty.

Well I hit the road about 10 AM and arrived in Biloxi, MS around 6:30 PM. It was Fat Tuesday in New Orleans so the roads were a little crazy with tourists. I go to the welcome center and they book me a room at the Biloxi Beach Resort. There should have been some warning signals going off in my head when a resort offers a $29 room rate even during Mardi Gras. But there was a bed in the room and a shower in the bathroom so I was happy.

After some delicious Taco Bell, I arrive at the Grand about 8:30 PM. This was my first trip to a real Casino and I was awe-struck, the place lived up to it's name. I find the poker room and get on the $10-20 list, there was a $4-8 seat open so I took it. It seemed like everyone knew each other and they were all very friendly. They were also all super-tight. I won many blinds here.

After about one round my name was called for the $10-20 game, I walk over to the table to find an empty #2 seat (my favorite seat), so right then I knew it was going to be a good night. An older Philippine woman from Pensacola had about $2000 in front of her, with the next highest chip count was $300. The guy on my left told me she had been at the table for 30+ hours and was playing anything. Now I really knew it was going to be a good night:). The rest of the table was made up of older gentlemen who you could just tell were waiting to pounce on the ladies chips. I played a total of 3 hands the first hour and was +$120, feeling a little cocky I loosened up a little and gave it all back in the next 15 minutes, with hands like A10, 89u and Q9s.

I took a little break to eat after that and then came back to find AA in my big blind. #3 seat raises, 4 seat calls, 6 seat raises, 7 seat caps it, 8 seat cold calls $40, Philippine lady calls, I call. WHEW! I'm really not liking my AA with this many callers but I figure I have the best going in. Flop comes 3d-5d-9h. I bet, 3&4 drop, 6 seat raises, 7 seat calls, 8 seat folds, Philippine lady calls (of course), and I just call. Turn card is a 6c (3d-5d-9h-6c). I come out betting to get a read on the #6 seat. 6 seat raises! 7 seat calls, Philippine lady calls. So now I really couldn't put #6 on a straight, since he raised before the flop, or a flush draw since he raised after the turn so it has to be the dreaded trips. I reluctantly call and pray for the miracle Ace. River card is the Ace of clubs. yesss! Phillipino lady comes out betting?????? She couldn't have played 2-4 or slowplayed 7-8, could she? I just call and #6 just calls, #7 folds. I think I set the guinness record for the number of heartbeats for a 10 second period at this time. Phillipino lady turns over A5 of spades, #6 turns over 99, and I catch the case Ace for a monster pot. I will never forget that hand!!!

I played for a couple more hours and then got into the $15-30 H.O.E game which was a great game, tons of action and a couple of jerks to make winning a little more fun:). I saw the phillipino lady cash out around 3am with five racks of red so she more than held her own. I cashed out +$890 at 4 am and headed back to the hotel. Poker in Biloxi seems very good and all the casinos are awesome, I can only imagine that the Beau Rivage is fantastic. Definitely a must visit for any poker player.

Well i'm on the road the next day at 1:00pm and arrive in Segovia, Texas around 1:00 am. Now I know where they filmed the Texas Chainsaw Massacre movies, yikes!!! The next day arrive at The Hyatt Regency in Phoenix at 8:30 PM, make all the phone calls, and then head for Casino Arizona. WOW! What a great place! The place is enormous with probably close to 60? tables. I get in immediately to the $10-20 feeder game. I'm $100 ahead after a couple hours and decide to call it a night.

The next day I head over to the Hyatt Regency at Gainey Ranch in Scottsdale to check out my new job. This resort is out of this world, it was really unbelievable. My job looks nice and everyone there was great, but it was the same thing I was doing in Florida and about the same money. Hell, I could have stayed in Florida with my daughter for this. The real reason I am here anyway is to see if I can play for a living. So back over to Casino Arizona I go.

Casino Az has a great atmosphere, great staff, some excellent players and some not-so excellent players. The $10-20 action was not the best, but the $20-40 was awesome. If your ever at Casino AZ the one thing you will notice is the quality of the dealers, they were all good (especially Brandon, Greg and Molly).

Pro Someday # 2 will be about Casino AZ, the Bellagio and the wipe-out:)

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