Just Poker Talk

[This is part two of Job Searching. To read the first part of the story, click here: Job Searching (Part 1)]

I sat down near the dealer, who had on a black vest with a patch that said, “Morongo Casino,� in hot pink. Chili ran down the wall, which was yellowed from cigarette smoke. It looked fresh and I followed the dripping mixture of beans and ground up beef down to the blue carpet. The stuff, looking like vomit, bubbled. It interrupted the up and down pattern of little stars that lined the carpet. Star. Star. Vomit. Star. Star. I wondered what the story behind this chili stain was. What kind of bad beat caused someone to launch their food into the wall?

“This is 80/160NL, kid. Are you sure got the right table?� said the dealer. One of his front teeth was missing, and he had a thin mustache that curled at the ends. “Sure you’re not looking for 1/2?

I told him I wasn’t and put my money on the green felt. Money speaks louder than words. The dealer shrugged, and started counting the money. I could hear him, under his breath in a whispering grunt, counting 1,2,3.

“This guy’s a pro,� said a man in a yellow polo shirt with a beer in his hand. He was talking to his buddy, who sat on the other side of the dealer.

“How do you know?� he asked. “You sure, Mike?�

Mike shook his head.

“What you can’t tell? Champ over there, he’s a shark. Just look at him.� said Nelson. Nelson, he dressed like a street bum. He wore a blue beanie that had little twigs sticking out from the wool. His green jacket had holes up all over. “Welcome to the table, Champ.� He raised his hand up, and held out it over table. “High five, man.�

I gave him a high five.

“The name’s Nelson. Probably the only famous Nelson you know.�

“So this guy’s really a pro?� said Mike’s friend.

“Can you guys shut up? I’m trying to read here,� said a man, who wore a cowboy hat. He was reading from a book called,
“How to make money: Selling/Buying on EBay.�

The dealer shoved fifty green chips over to me, each worth $80. I started stacking them in piles of five, while the dealer dealt the cards. I threw in two chips because I was the big blind. Playing with chips instead of cash took away some of the pressure of losing money. It was psychological. It didn’t seem like losing money at all.

I peeled my cards up on the edge, just enough so that I could see the number and the suit. Qs-8d.

Nelson called, throwing two chips into the center.

“I raise. Eight chips.� said Mike.

The guy in the cowboy hat folded. He continued reading, only looking up to check what cards he had had. I folded. I made up my mind that I wasn’t going to force things. Although that was contrary to my style of play. I liked seeing flops and bluffing. Playing the man as they say.

The flop came up 2h-Js-8h. Mike shoved into the center a tower of eight chips, and Nelson called without much hesitation. He just counted out the chips in his pile and threw them in. The next card was a six of hearts. Again it was checked over to Mike. He rubbed his nose, and I could see his sweat stained armpit. This time he bet sixteen chips.

“How many chips is that?� asked Nelson. “Sixteen, huh. Hmm. I call.�

The way he called, with this aura of confidence, made me think he had hit his flush. Mike seemed to know, but bet anyways. I looked over to his chip stack; he had about half left and I couldn’t see him folding if Nelson bet on the next card. And that was exactly what happened. Nelson put him all in, and he called. Nelson with the flush and Mike with two pair, Aces and Jacks.

His face turned red, and he held the bottle as if he intended on throwing it at the wall. He shook his head. “SHIT man, how could you play that hand. After I raised!� said Mike. Only a few hundred bills left in his wallet. Not enough to play in this game. “Hold my seat. I’m going to the atm. Don’t leave, alright. I want to get my money back.�

We played a few more hands with not much happening, just trading money back and forth. I had not played a hand yet. Still nervous. $4000 was a lot of money to lose. And in poker you can’t play scared; you have to attack and be aggressive. During these hands Nelson dropped $3000 to Cowboy, who had a pair of Aces and then big slick.

At the button I was finally dealt a decent hand. Ah-Qh. Without talking I shoved in ten chips. Mike’s friend called me.

“I fold to the Champ,� said Nelson, who laughed as he mucked his cards.

Everyone folded. The flop came up Qc-4s-8-h. I bet twelve chips this time, and he called me. I played the hand on instinct. I didn’t even think about it. If I were tell you what I was thinking at that moment, I couldn’t tell you. The next card came up a blank, and I pushed all my chips in. He folded. I had luck on my side. He could have had any number of hands that could have wiped me out and sent me home. Like trips or two pair.

“Nice one, Champ.�

When the dealer pushed all the chips to me, my confidence boosted. There was no other job in the world, that I could think of, that allowed someone to make $2000 in a matter of minutes. I started to think that maybe I could do this. I tried to hide my smile. Not get excited.

We continued to play and I watched as Nelson won a few pots. His style of play was very aggressive. He bet when people checked it to him. He reraised people. He played without any abandon. His chip was stack rising. With a player like this you just need to be patient and wait for a big hand.

I got my first opportunity to win some money from him, when I was dealt a pair of Jacks. He ended up calling me after I raised. On the flop were low cards. He bet, and I raised him, thinking that I got him.

“I’m all in,� he said, right after I raised.

I didn’t even think about it. Not even for second. I felt like I had him, so I called. He flipped over Kings. My only hope was if a Jack came on the turn or the river.

Watching him rake in all those chips devastated me.

“Sorry Champ. Just Lucky.�

When I was winning I felt invincible. I had all the confidence in the world and that confidence caused me to lose more than I should have. Just like that I was poor again, down to $3000. I started to get more aggressive, but Cowboy caught me with a pair of Queens.

I counted my chips. Only $2000 left. I was unable to do anything against these guys. I told myself to calm down and not force anything. So I folded the next few hands. Nelson continued to lose money back and forth, but his stack was slowly building towards ten grand.

Mike, down to his last $1500 went all in. Cowboy folded and it was my turn to act. I peeled over my cards; I had A-9 of spades. I called the bet, shoving in most of my chips. I didn’t think about it, I just did it.

“You got Aces? I fold.� said Nelson, tossing away his hand.

Mike flipped over a pair of tens. And I flipped over my cards. I couldn’t help but think that I was about to lose $1500 and a total of $3500 in an hour and a half. The dealer burned a card and turned over 5-8-A.

Mike looked on in a despair. Both of us were desperate, down in money, and I ended up winning it. When you win a pot like that you have no remorse for the guy that should have won. Even though, to be nice, you say, “Sorry� or “I got lucky there.�

“Nice one, Champ,� said Nelson.

It was down to four handed and I hit a nice rush. Winning a few $1000 pots to put me at around $6000. Nelson had $9000. And the Cowboy was steadily building up to at $8,000. The other guy playing at the table had $1000 in chips left.

A few hands later, I was dealt a pair of Aces. Stay calm. I looked the cards for a split second, and then acted as if my cards were nothing special. I bet eight chips, and Nelson called me. “I call Champ.�

On the flop came 5d –3d- As. At that moment I knew I had him. I decided that I would check it to him. Maybe he’d bet at
me. Nelson checked.

The turn card was a 7 of clubs. I checked, tapping my finger on the felt, twice.

Nelson peeked at his cards for long time and then said, “I bet 18 chips.�

“I’m all in.�

“I call.� He turned over his 6-4 off suit with a smile on his face. “Sorry, Champ, I got lucky again.�

I thought about how I didn’t want to be like my dad. All these addicted gamblers that say that they do this for fun. It’s only a few bucks they say. Which turns into hundreds of dollars. Then thousands. Then you’ve lost so much you’re in debt.

Maybe I’m following in the footsteps of my father.

The dealer shoved the chips towards me, and Nelson said, “Fuck! You gotta be kidding me.�

It turned out that on the river a three of hearts came out, which gave me a full house. Lucky me. It was funny how fortunes could be changed with just one card. One minute I was ready to take that dishwashing job, give up on all my dreams, and then bam, back on the road again, headed towards Vegas with twelve grand in the glove compartment.

poker, fiction