10/19/99 tuesday
like the place in vegas, sam's town really looks like an old-time town in the wild west. however, when i get there, sam's town registration desk doesn't have my reservation. :(
while i'm speaking with lauren, a woman gets up from the 4/8 hold 'em game, and I see it's my friend joann from baltimore, who's a regular at the trop- icana in atlantic city! she's also on a poker tour of the south, but not nearly so long as mine! she's having fun, too! :)
meanwhile, bad news. lauren tells me that the poker room has no record of my reservation.
"wait a minute. sunday night, about 6 pm, i spoke with phil. he took my name and address, and told me that I had a room here for two nights!"
she tells me that she's sorry, but that there is no record. and phil won't be in today.....she also tells me that the hotel is fully booked because of a slot tourney, and that they won't be able to give me a room now. however, she smiles sweetly and tells me that she might be able to contact the gold strike to try to get me a room.sorry lauren. *i* can get me a room at the gold strike, and i don't need your help.
so i go back to the gold strike
newjane1 is a delightful brunette with glasses and an apparently unlimited supply of energy! from jumping up from her seat behind a stack of whites (she tells me she's stuck, but i don't believe it) in a 4/8 hold 'em game, to giving me a big hug, to calling her husband bruce, to arranging comps for the chicken 'n' ribs buffet, all while carrying on a non-stop conversation that goes in at least three different directions! jane is terrific!! we get to the buffet. bruce joins us after a few minutes. he's about six feet tall, balding, glasses, with a big booming laugh that springs from his ever-smiling face at least once a minute! what a great couple!!
after dinner, jane and i are seated at the same 1-5 stud game at sam's town. the room has about ten tables, both stud and hold 'em. generally, they only seat 7 players at a stud table. the rake is 10% max of $4 - hold 'em rake is 10% max of $3. on weekends, when they spread a game of 10/20 or above, the rake maxes out at $2. cash plays. they have bad beat jackpots, plus an hourly "spin to win" bonus giveaway. the seats next to the dealers are not no-smoking. this poker room has no rulebook available for players, and the supervisor on duty didn't know the origin of their rulebook. there is free coffee, soda, hot dogs, chips, and sometimes popcorn available in the room. of course, the decor of the place is the old west, and the murals on the walls depict various poker games in progress.
jane sure likes to play! she's in a hand and makes a running pair of tens. "woohoo!" awwww....nobody calls her bet. :( it doesn't faze her one bit! "i missed my calling! i'm going to become a professional stud player!" a few hands later, one old geezer pairs his door. jane laments, "oh...he's got a pair of queens!" but she calls anyhow.... :( i win a few whites, and say goodbye to my old friend whom i've just met. we hug and promise to meet again at barge 2000. :)
let's check out the grand casino
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Kenneth R. Churilla