The Big Gamble

Spying on Stu Unger's techniques at the Dune's 25/50 Texas Hold'em game, I played at the adjacent 5/10 limit table against less skilled players whom I could consistently beat. The year was 1980 and I was a Vegas man-about-town winning at all LIMIT games which I dared to play. I was fortunate to have played against Puggy Pearson, but dared not take on Stuie, the reigning World Champ; I only wanted to watch him and learn how his magic worked. I avoided the 3/6 game at the Bingo Palace where I watched a loud irreverent Asian fresh off the boat, Scotty Nguyen, who played an A3 of hearts to catch a back door nut flush for the largest 3/6 limit Hold'em pot I'd ever seen; but I never sat in the game against him because he played so recklessly that I was unable to devise a plan to counter his play. Another game I avoided was the Circus Circus 1-5 Hold'em where another unknown young amateur called Johnny Chan kept beating me with something like AK high, no pair. The only other game I eventually began to avoid was The Frontier spread limit hold-em $2-5-10-10 where a 300 pound young kid would grin at me through his glasses as he'd scoop up my chips.

Therefore with my confidence soaring I sought out all poker opportunities between the small towns of Laughlin and Mesquite. Almost every poker table in town saw me sit-in for at least an hour; even Joe and Pam Giolli's tiny 1-3 stud at the Nevada Palace.

The most intriguing game, which really lured me in, was the 1/2 blind pot limit game at the Silver City with the old west 'down home' atmosphere. There was no poker-room there -- only this one game, right next to the front entrance. This lone poker table with usually four decked-out semi professionals (some in cowboy hats) and about four obvious tourists, immediately caught the eye of every tourist as they crossed the threshold into the main entrance of the Silver City, directly across the street from the Stardust on center Las Vegas Boulevard. Most poker was played in rooms at the edge of the casino floor and poker wasn't as common back in those days. For each tourist it was usually his first sighting of a live poker table. The rubber necked lookers-on were usually two to three deep observing all those chips on the table. Each hour some brave tourist would set-in, who'd never played Texas Hold'em before. This provided a steady supply of fresh-fish profit into the game keeping us experienced players in the winning category. But being the gamblers we were, too often we'd buck each other and the chips would flow to the more experienced pot-limit players - not necessarily my stack.

I had been able to beat the $1 blind pot limit at the Sundance late at night, when the drunks played. I'd take my winnings from there to the Sliver City game and struggle, often unsuccessfully, although I'd usually get out with a small profit and frustrated because I couldn't score a BIG WIN with all the easy money that flowed into the Silver City game. There was no one to teach me anything about "pot limit". I had read the scarce poker literature that could be found back in those days. The table was so wealthy that my limit-hold-em skills allowed me to also play this pot limit without big losses. I continued learning pot limit the hard way -- trial and error. My pot limit game was far from perfect, e.g. Instead of playing more aggressively as Doyle Brunson preaches; I played more cautiously because I knew I could suddenly be tapped-out when holding anything but the stone cold nuts. Still I feared no players in the game and became obsessed with moving up in the poker world by beating this Silver City pot-limit game. . . . . Meanwhile I had a love affair going with the most beautiful poker dealer from Sam's Town Casino - Debbie! One of our heart-to-heart talks came out like this:

I was saying, "I have everything I really need. What da you want Debbie? Maybe I can help ya with it?"

She answered, "You! That's what I want. And to get more of you, I wanna be there when we fulfill one of your dreams. You always figure out how to get what you want. You've got the skills now to win at cards, you've got your beautiful family, and you've got ME. What do you want next? I'll help you with it if I can, because you've got my heart. What do you really want next?"

"Gollie, Deb, I dunno. There's still a lot of things I want. . . pause . . Tell ya one thing -- I don't want t' lose you. . . we hugged for a while . . What do you think I want?"

Debbie answered, "A BIG GAMBLE that's what you want. Lets spend every day this week on some kind of BIG GAMBLE. We'll start by cracking that pot-limit game at the Silver City". She was right without question.

The next afternoon we began the week of the BIG GAMBLE at the Silver City's 1/2 blind pot limit game, as she was offered a chair to sit behind me at the table. Her presence plus my biggest buy-in yet at that game for $200 rendered me more respect than normal. Other players folded more quickly and my stack began to look pretty good. As early evening approached the live onstage lounge entertainment began giving Debbie a monster smile as she told me she'd seen this outrageous entertainer before - Wild Bill Cooksey. She was right. He encapsulated more shock value than even Kinky Freidman. He was so great that I almost lost focus on the game. His trademark was a song called "My Heart On" - he strapped on a red valentine over his privates - ("heart on", get it) as he played the guitar and sang. Most of the customers were shocked just like me. But I said to myself keep it up Wild Bill, Debbie's getting so turned on that I'm going to 'cash in' good tonight!

When he took a break Debbie actually walked over and spoke to him. She came back and told me that Saturday he was performing at the Oasis Casino kitty cornered from the Sahara. To prolong our BIG GAMBLE she wanted us to go see him on Saturday night. The Oasis was a very small Casino with two Hold'em poker tables I'd played at last month. I clearly remember one of the tables closing down when some young blond kid won eight hands in a row. Late at night it was like the Sundance -- easy to beat with all the inept gamblaholics doing their nightly drinking while playing 2/4 limit poker before beginning their minimum wage jobs the next morning. Last month I had paid to see the X-rated star, television's Ivory Soap Girl -- Marilyn Chambers, do her solo performance in cut off jeans strutting and talking about being a Sexual Surrogate.

To prolong this week of THE BIG GAMBLE, Debbie and I came up with the idea to make us each a flashy pincushion like red heart that we could strap on. We would wear long black overcoats and flash Wild Bill Cooksey while he was singing. Underneath the long black overcoats I would wear black coveralls, but we just had to exploit Debbie's sexuality by her wearing a black teddy with black fish net stockings and spike heels. At 5'8" in those 4" spike heels she was taller than me and striking. I bought her a black robin hood looking hat with a red feather in it. The predominantly black outfit contrasted her long blonde hair and peachy white skin. The Red lipstick and the feather were perfect to set off the red heart as we both posed for each other while getting dressed. We vowed to come back to her place and X X after shocking Will Bill.

The Oasis Casino's showroom was a curtained off area with a dark atmosphere in which the usher used a flashlight which provided a elegant effect for the small showroom of about 30 tables. The show had just begun as we arrived fashionable late. The showroom was nearly full but my eye spotted an empty center stage table up front with a white RESERVED sign on it. I slipped the mait're d a twenty and said, "Well take that table." As the usher escorted us to the designated table, heads in the audience turned as we were obviously out of character in our long black overcoats. Debbie towered over the usher and me and was striking in her spike heels long blonde hair, red lipstick, and red feather in her fancy little hat. As we took our seats and ordered the required minimum drinks I could overhear whispers as to, "Who is the prestigious couple at the reserved table?"

Even Wild Bill's attention was directed to us and shortly his humorous jokes in between songs were directed at us in our mysterious long black overcoats. He didn't slander us, but began to question how the KGB or the FBI was checking him out and apparently two of their agents were sitting front and center in the audience. Everyone knew who he was talking about us. Debbie raised her hand; then Wild Bill said, "Do you have something to say young lady?"

She replied, "Yes. We're here to entertain you."

Wild Bill took the bait and responded, "Well then get your butts up on the stage with me." Straight away we hopped to our feet and proceeded to the steps at the side of the stage. The audience cut loose began ranting as we strolled up next to Wild Bill. Debbie stood between us. Wild Bill said, "You're already entertaining me lady and rubbed his crotch as he handed her the microphone and he said, "Go ahead."

Debbie passed the microphone to me. I said, "Play your Heart On song, Wild Bill" then passed the microphone back to him.

Without ado his band began to play the introduction. The audience was well aware that this song was his trademark. They were clapping and cheering before he even began to sing. From watching his performances at the Silver City, we had his routine memorized. Just as he got to the explosive line in the song where he straps on his valentine heart, Debbie & I jerked open our overcoats wide and our bright red hearts sparkled on the shadowy stage. Will Bill could barely hold his composure as he was obviously shocked, but he did a good job and kept on singing. As he was ending the song, I dropped my overcoat as Debbie was still holding her coat unashamedly wide open. I began sliding off the coat from her bare shoulders to leave her standing like a showgirl in the fish net stockings and her sultry black teddy. Wild Bill asked us to introduce ourselves. We told the truth about us being Vegas nightlife locals and had planned this escapade a few days earlier. While our welcome was still warm we picked up our things. Then Debbie gave Wild Bill an extended long good-bye French kiss. We waved to the audience's applause all the way to the exit door where we walked across Las Vegas Boulevard over to the Sahara and hopped into my new Thunderbird.

We knew that the two of us possessed an identical sense of humor timing and cooperation and had done everything superbly. Still decked out in our overcoats, we wanted to stay in the public eye longer by stopping at the Pepper Mill restaurant directly across the street from the Stardust - a part of the L.V. Strip where hookers were sometimes seen. Debbie's outfit was perfect for her body and I was surprised that she was such a knockout. I told her that she could draw more attention than the best hooker in town. She admitted that she loved the response she'd got from her first stab as an "entertainer", but she doubted that she could ever pass as a hooker. I pushed the issue and offered her a $50 bet that if she walked, not even a block, but just walked along L.V. Blvd. next to the parking lot in front of the Pepper Mill that she would be propositioned.

She laughed and said, "Not that quickly. Don't forget who you're talking to. Aren't you taking this BIG GAMBLE to the extreme?" But she surely wanted the $50 I had bet her so she took me up on the bet, admitting that she relished the attention of being "looked at" only minutes before at Wild Bill's show.

I parked next to the sidewalk and remained in the car as Debbie walked out onto the sidewalk and began walking the length of the parking lot - about 30 yards. In the background of the black night with all the cities' flashing lights she began her striking strut wearing her long black overcoat, with her black stockings and heels below, and her cute hat with the red feather on top. Before she completed her walk she was propositioned 3 times. When she got back into the car, we were both dying laughing. She took $50 from her overcoat pocket and handed it to me and said, "You win - I'm too sexy for my coat. Now take me home I want my money's worth." This BIG GAMBLE attitude of ours was turning into a classic memory. . . . .

The next day we continued our BIG GAMBLE by making another stab at the Silver City's pot limit Texas Hold'em game. Again Debbie was given a seat adjacent to me just behind my right shoulder.

Frank's wife Mary was dealing. He was the most aggressive player on the table, as usual, with the largest stack. The game was excessively aggressive, with big pots pre-flop. I had bought in for $150 and picked up a couple of pots now & then as my chips grew to $250.

Then it 'hit the fan", it was capped before the flop, even before the action ever got to me, causing me to instantly fold my pocket threes. The flop came K Q 8 all clubs. An 8 of spades was the turn card followed by a 10 of clubs on the river. Frank and three other players were in the hand to the river. Except for Frank, they were 'all in". Frank turned up his pocket kings for the winning full house. The three losers immediately left the table and three new tourists promptly jumped into the game.

North Denver Johnny (NDJohnny), Frank, and I were the only locals remaining in the game. Frank had over a thousand dollars. NDJohnny & I had close to $250 each. Also playing were four tourists with about $100 each.

Frank's big win, with kings full, had transformed the players into a bunch of scaredy-cats. Pot after pot was being taken down by whom ever bet first (usually Frank or NDJohnny) with no one calling to the river. The big blind had come around twice since I'd seen anyone called 'to the river' and revealed their hole cards. With seven players at the table, that means fourteen hands had come and gone since anyone had been called down. I knew there was massive bluffing going on tonight. Being out played and out bluffed, it was apparent to me that I had to change styles or continue getting run over by the most aggressive players here. Debbie was frustrated too; as she watched me and the tourists getting smashed.

She whispered to me, "Honey, this night is not like we planned. Remember it's supposed to be the last night of our BIG GAMBLE. I know you haven't gotten any cards for a long time, how about playing the next hand in the "DARK"."

She'd given me just what I needed - blind logic to get myself busted. (ha, ha) But it also was correct advise, in that it was the logic that would be a definite winner in renewing the BIG GAMBLE I'd been on almost a week now.

I whispered back to Debbie, "all right Baby, next hand I'll be in the small blind anyway. You're getting what you asked for. Just sit there and let your heart pound. The BIG GAMBLE is back alive."

Frank was UTG and quickly raised the $3 pot to $9 to go. Everyone else folded - (I think Frank had an invincible image). I called without ever looking at my hole cards. The tourist in the big blind folded. The flop came Kd 9d 8h. Frank bet $19 (the pot); followed by my call still not knowing what cards I was holding. The turn card came Jh. I checked. Surprisingly Frank only checked. The river card was a deuce which obviously helped no one. The pot was now $57. Frank had slowed down showing weakness on the turn. This told me he was likely bluffing AGAIN and I should attempt to "steal" the pot. Oh how I loved the situation, still playing my cards "in the DARK" and enjoying my BIG GAMBLE, so I went ahead and bet the maximum $57.

Frank paused a long time, then said, "There's only one way to keep my winning streak going - call you." Which he did.

Finally, I looked at my hole cards - 6 6. I turned them up and said, "BEAT THEM SIXES!"

Frank turned over an 8 3 for a pair of eight's beating my sixes and $85 of my stash.

Even though I'd lost the big pot I felt great. First off - I was back into the BIG GAMBLE attitude. Plus I was only down $10 at the table for the night. Mainly I'd found that Frank was playing like a maniac by betting the bottom pair on the flop and then calling a full pot size bet on the river with a measly bottom pair.

In my mind my play didn't count against me because I had played it BLIND. As an ole poker platitude says: If you're getting outdrawn then you know you're in the "right game".

The very next hand NDJohnny raised the pot to $9 to go. Two tourists got caught up in the pot and called. Being on the button I decided to play one more bet in the DARK - this was it - the last bet I was going to play in the DARK, so I raised the maximum $39 to play. Only Frank in the BB called, while all other players folded. The flop came T 8 4 two diamonds. Frank checked to me, apparently because I had put in the $39 pre-flop raise. I squinted at my hole cards to see Q2 of clubs. Without having even a draw I also checked. The turn came 6 of diamonds. Frank checked to me again. Still having nothing I checked also. The river card was the 2 of spades. Frank came out betting the maximum $106. Since neither of us had dared make a bet since the pre-flop and the deuce was unlikely to give him two pair, I figured he was stealing the pot. I wanted to call but had only a pair of deuces myself.

Then he goaded me on, with a loud grinning mouth, as he said, "BEAT THESE DEUCES!"

He was too good of a player to give his hand away, especially with only a pair of deuces. He had to have a pair of fours or better. Then I thought if he does have deuces it must be A2 or K2 suited to have called my $39 pre-flop raise. Which means he would beat my Q2 even if I called. Debbie had seen my hole cards and she knew my hand was almost worthless. Therefore, just before folding, I asked her, "What should I do?"

She surprised me by answering, "This is the last night of the BIG GAMBLE honey."

After that statement, I just couldn't back down. So I called by going all-in with $101. He turned over 7 2 of hearts. Still holding my cards, I temporarily halted play as I stared at his kicker studying if he'd squeezed out a straight. But he didn't of course. I had clearly beat his pair of deuces with my queen kicker.

I had paused so long without flipping over my cards, he again said with a loud confident voice, "BEAT THEM DEUCES".

I flipped over my winning deuces with my queen kicker. The dealer raked $3 from the center pot, pushed the side pot of $5 to Frank, and $305 to me. Other players couldn't believe their eyes. The only sounds were those of gasping.

Frank's house - kings full - fifteen minutes earlier had the subliminal effect of stopping all action for a dozen hands. Conversely my winning loose call in the last hand against Frank had demagnetized the competition to loosen up the table like a pressure-cooker boiling over. The bubble had burst like I'd never seen. No one respected Frank or me any longer. Now every pot was suddenly being called to the river often by more than two players. The chips were moving from player to player fast and furiously. The tourists were winning some pots too because the game had loosened up completely. Frank still had over a thousand in chips and the tourists began to rebuy after they would get tapped out. Most pots saw 5 players still in for the flop. Any bet which I made got no respect; instead I got callers galore. Now the game was easy to beat by employing another ole poker platitude from my limit Hold'em skills - "When in a loose game, play tighter". So I entered the furious combat only with quality cards and relished the action I would receive. Within an hour I had won a couple of thousand dollars - the finale of the week of the BIG GAMBLE.