Yesterday, after that first epic post about going to the poker room, my mind was racing and I knew that my comments section would have some activity. So I woke up after just five hours of sleep, logged on to the computer, read everything, and set out to typing again. And as soon as I finished up and sat down in the magic sleepy-time chair in the living room, planning to watch Around the Horn and Pardon the Interruption, I totally dozed off.
Thinking it was a good idea to get some sleep, I woke up long enough to turn off the TV and shuffle back to my room. I laid down on the bed, and put my cellphone right next to my head, just in case the poker room called again. Not twenty minutes later, my phone was ringing.
I checked the caller ID--nope, not the poker room--it was Dougie. So we chatted for a few minutes before I tried again to get a bit of a nap. I must've just dozed off, but maybe fifteen or twenty minutes after that, the phone was ringing again--this time I saw that it was work calling. I did my best to not sound too groggy, but the voice on the other end of the line was the poker room manager asking me if I could get down there ASAP. I said to give me 45 minutes so I could shower and shave, and he said to just take my time and be there by 5:00 pm--it was 4:02 when I hung up.
So I sprung into action and got my ass down to the casino as quickly as I could. I stopped by the uniform room to see if they had a poker dealers shirt in my size, so that I wouldn't stick out like a big shiny sore thumb and wouldn't have to answer the same question over and over again--Mikey, why is your shirt different?
Luckily they did, so I changed and headed out to the poker room about ten minutes to five to start my shift. The room manager told me that I sounded like I was asleep when we talked, so he set me in the rotation to have the first break, just in case I was late. So he told me to go get some dinner and come back at 5:30. I had no problem with that.
I went back to the dining room and had a nice leisurely dinner of a grilled chicken sandie, a bit of salad, and some peaches. Most of my peeps have Tuesdays off also, so there really wasn't anyone there to talk to. Except that I *did* run into the casino director, and I asked her if she'd gotten the message from my boss about me working in the poker room and what I should do about my schedule for the weekend and just who to sign in with and such. She just told me to sign in with whatever department I was working for each night, and "do whatever I have to do" and she'd take care of it with payroll.
Nice. As long as I can say "Hey, the casino director told me it was ok", I can pretty much ditch the pit and deal poker all week. Gotta love that!
Anyhow, I could tell that Tuesday night was not nearly as busy as Monday night--in either the pit or the poker room. (By the way, for eight hours in the pit Monday night, the dealers share was $181. I got one hour's worth of that, but made even more than that for just five hours in the poker room!). Anyhow, we had five tables going, but it was more of a grind this time around. And like a total dumbass, I completely forgot to take the rake on the first hand I dealt. Doh!
But the games were much easier this time around, and I was not the least bit intimidated. And I never had a problem of any type that required me to get some assistance from the floor. So my night went pretty smoothly again. And I got word that they are looking to hire poker dealers (the position was posted internally, but it's not on the website available to the general public yet), and a couple of the regular full-time dealers encouraged me to transfer over.
I told them I didn't want to starve on extra-board again, but they said that their extra-board is getting four days a week. Honestly, if I were dealing poker four nights a week--and staying the entire shift--I'd be taking home more than I am right now in the pit. So I think I'm going to pursue it further. We'll see how that goes. I can tell already that I'm gonna be totally bummed when this rush is over and they send me back to the pit--I don't want to go back!
The room got down to just three live games at 11:00 pm, and I got cut loose with six hours under my belt. I didn't quite make $200, but I *know* I did much better than those clowns in the pit with only half their games open. And when I was cashing out for the last time, I heard those magic words--
We'll probably call you in again tomorrow night, so get some rest.
Oh hell yeah!
Of course, that'll be seven days straight at the casino, and these past two I have actually been, you know, working, so I'm pretty fatigued right now.
Once I cashed out and signed out, I went looking for my 'real' boss to say Hey, I'm the poker room's bitch this week, y'all need to adjust your schedule..., but I couldn't find her anywhere. I circled the entire casino once before running into my gal Michelle in the back hallway, bitching up a blue storm about something to do with her job. I let her rant as we made our way back to the uniform room when I finally broke in and said Are you DONE yet? You feelin' ok? Of course she suddenly realized we'd walked the entire length of the beige mile and she had yet to come up for air, so we got a laugh about that. We said goodnight at the entrance to the ladies room, and I went to the uniform room to see if they had another shirt for me to wear tomorrow, or if I should just take home the shirt I was wearing and launder it myself.
While I was standing there waiting for the gal to go searching for another shirt for me in the bowels of the uniform shop, I heard that familiar, lilting Hey Miiiiikeeeeey! that makes me turn to mush every time I hear it.
Yep, it was Kimmy, back from her vacation, coming back to get a sweater and I just happened to be there at the uniform room at the same time. She was making a great effort to make sure things were normal between us, and I appreciated it. Again, all the awkwardness I thought I would feel was on my end. Because apparently, I am a huge lovesick dork.
She asked me what I was doing there on a Tuesday night and I told her about my last two nights in the poker room. She remarked that she while she knew I was interested in dealing poker, she wasn't aware that I actually knew how to do it.
So the last thing I said to her was one of the better lines I've come up with in weeks--
I've got a lot of magical talents that you don't know about. Yet.
She smiled and gave me That Look--the one that keeps me hangin' on, and instead of hanging around and likely saying something even more foolish, I said goodnight and headed for the door. Smoove. That's me, baby.
Thus endeth my Tuesday night. It was certainly better than watching a Deadliest Catch marathon and getting my ass kicked at the Silverton poker tournament.
Mikey
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