The Division Bell

Last night felt like a good night for some poker. There's a simple beauty in a game of hold'em. A little simplicity is desperately what I need right now because my life is pretty fucking stupid (in the broadest sense - take that how you will). I was therefore disappointed to arrive at the Mirage at 8:30pm and find the game four-handed, with one player racking up and leaving as I watched. Late July tends to be a slow time -- after the WSOP ends most people don't want to see cards and chips for a few weeks -- but still, it was amazing to see the room so dead and the 10-20 game non-existent. Not wanting to waste a trip down to the Strip for the second time in a week, I popped across the street to Wynn. Same deal.

That left me with just one option, my last resort. I dislike the Bellagio's poker room but thought for sure I could find a game there. And indeed, there was one 15-30 table in action with two names on the list. Fine. I took a seat in the 4-8 game to wait it out. After about 80 minutes a second 15-30 table was started and I was called. That was at roughly 10:45pm.

The second table was a must-move into the main game and before the first orbit was finished, I was broken to the main game. Finally! I was guaranteed a game all night. Except not so much. After an hour the must-move was taken off. That ensured that my table was down to five players by 12:45am. There were three seats at the second 15-30 table -- the one I was originally at before the must-move was taken off -- and the four remaining guys at my table wanted to draw for those seats rather than continue to play five-handed. I drew worst out of the five and was therefore, once again, second on the list.

To recap: It takes me three casinos to find a game. I wait almost an hour-and-a-half to get into the game as third on the list. I'm broken away from the table that ultimately became the full table, play for two hours at the "main game" and then find myself second on the list again. It should be no surprise that I racked up and left.

Plus I played badly because my focus was MIA, as it has been for weeks if not months. Not the simple beauty I was looking for and not a great night overall.

[Aw hell. While I'm at it, this April 2008 post by JoeSpeaker never really got the love it deserved. I have read it more times than I should probably admit, lest Dawn Summers make another #gayftrainjoke.]