Paranoia and Indifference in Las Vegas Pt. 1

I recall feeling nervous as my plane came in sight of Las Vegas. The petite skyline surrounded by desert was a bit disconcerting. For some odd reason I was having second thoughts. Listening to a book on tape (Barry Greenstein's incredible Ace on the River) I suddenly had developed a paranoia that I was fooling myself into thinking this would be good for me. I was a Native Cincinnatian who couldn't beat the local $1-$3 No Limit game or the $3-$6 Limit game. I regularly stomped on my friends at the local home game, where a nightly win was never more than $300. Here I was, flying into the Capital of Pokertown, USA with $300 in my pocket for the intent of gambling, with an additional $200 in reserve if I felt I needed the cash to get in a good game. I was arriving to a gun-fight with a nail file.

My first gambling adventure in Las Vegas began at the baggage claim. One bag checked, one bag claimed. I think that counts as breaking even. From there my parents picked me up and we drove off for food and then down Boulder Highway to see some of the casinos. Instantly these types of Casinos stole my heart. They were simple, inexpensive and had that little hint of old Vegas. Sam's Town was my favorite, it's little waterfall and nature show was a bit on the creepy side but the Roulette was a blast. A close second would be Arizona Charlie's where I played Pai Gow for a half an hour and won like $15.

My first poker venture was at Binion's on the famed Fremont Street. I sat down at the $1/$2 No Limit Hold'em game with $100 and a table fool of old regulars. I was definitely not a favorite as I proved to myself by slowly bleeding away every single dollar. It was a let down as the poke room was small, sparse and violent. Lots of the regulars were yelling and threatening each other and all the dealers would just assure them that they were just making fun and not serious. I was frightened when a tight-aggressive talker began bragging about knocking pros out of tournaments and an older black man with a Cadillac hat on told him to shut the fuck up. He did not oblige. It escalated into a yelling match and I saw Cadillac's fists ball up. I thankfully was on the other end of the table but I was worried that a brawl in Binion's poker room would not look good on my arrest record, which is a bit full as it is. Thankfully another local man, a friend of Cadillac's, calmed him down and the game continued. I lost my biggest pot at Binion's when a straight hit the board and I led out to bluff out the pot. my opponent re-raised my $25 to $65 and I called, having seen him bluff with A-Qo in the same spot. He showed me a King high diamond flush which i had not even considered. Shortly after I attempted to double up with Jacks only to be called by Queens.
As only an idiot would do, I found myself wandering into Glitter Gulch, the infamous strip club on Fremont. I was tired and adding two beers to the mix which would turn into a devastating concoction. I was approached by a beautiful Korean woman wearing a bikini and stiletto heels. Her attractiveness did not go unnoticed in my stupor. She took me to a booth and I bought two dances, $40 apiece. I wish I could say it was good but for some reason I was not aroused. I was uncomfortable with the contact. It wasn't intimate, it was very... practiced. I left $100 lighter and unsatisfied. It seems that even the closest facsimile to love can be bought, but not guaranteed.

When we arrived back at the timeshare/hotel room, I was exhausted and chalked it up to my lack of sleep before, during and after my flight, most of which added up to less than 5 hours. I had been up since 8am the day before and it was nearly 4am back home where my watch said 1am. In 44 hours, I had slept 5. I suspect my cognitive abilities were impaired but I sat in the game anyway, because it was there. If nothing else, Binion's taught me a few things I need to fix in my game, primarily Concentration and Self-Management. I had let my concentration faded when I misread the board and misplayed a few hands, which stemmed from my inability to recognize when I am in no condition to play.

Next Time: Sahara, Rio, Palms and poker at the Orleans and the Bellagio!