It Ends Tonight

Wow, what a difference a day makes. Everything that I was worrying about these past few days seems to be coming together.

First of all, I found out that tonight will be my last night dealing in the pit. No more blackjack, no more Pai Gow, no more dice, and definitely no more Let It Ride! Once Monday rolls around, I'm officially on vacation for the entire week, and I report back to the poker room on Monday, June 9th.

Yes, I lose my benefits, yes, I lose my seniority, yes, I lose my fully-paid vacations, and yes, I'm taking a huge gamble. But you know what? I should've done it three years ago. But even though I'm giving up much, I'm also gaining better control of my income, getting a raise yet having more free time, I won't have to deal with smokers, and I'll be working in a more congenial atmosphere.

I won't have to put up with whiners complaining that I took their rent money, I won't have people using my name 26 times a minute, asking me to give them good cards over and over again, and I won't feel the frustration that comes with dropping over $500 in tips at night and coming back in the next day to find out that my share was $119. Sadly, I won't have Kimmy delivering drinks to my table, either.

But last weekend I thought about it long and hard, weighing all the pros and cons, and I'm not only comfortable with my decision, I relish it. I know that going back to Extra Board is not always easy, and there may be some lean times ahead, but I've been there before and I think I can handle it. Besides, lean times aren't so bad if you really enjoy what you're doing. Now, don't get me wrong, I really liked the job I've had for the past three years, but there are days where I just hated it with every fiber of my being. Those days where I got stuck in the $5 pit all night were just pure hell. Spending every weekend of 2006 dealing Rapid Roulette tested my patience to no end. And those random nights where every loser that you just hate to see approaching ends up sitting at your table for the entire shift--believe me, I had a few of those. I'm not gonna miss any of that.

I've mentioned it before, but I also think that once I get good and comfy with my abilities dealing the game, my own personal playing skills will improve if only because of observation. I try to watch other players and pick up on things when I'm playing, but it's tough because I'm a social character and I'm willing to talk to other players and crack jokes and such, but when I'm dealing, I pretty much have to shut up, especially if there is action. And everyone knows you pick up a lot more when your mouth is shut. It's amazing how many hands I read correctly when I'm dealing. If I could just hone that skill and transfer that ability to my game, I'd be lethal.

It's nice that my vocation will allow me to become better at one of my favorite hobbies.

Anyhow, I'm excited for the new challenges that lie ahead of me, but at the same time, I feel a bit melancholy about what I'm leaving behind. It's not like I'm leaving and won't be seeing my friends, but it'll be different. On my shift, I was kinda like teacher's pet and leader of the pack all rolled into one. I usually got my way with a lot of stuff, and the bosses always cut me a lot of slack because I was a good dealer fundamentally--they didn't have to worry about me causing a huge 'jackpot' where I f*ck something up and the house gets burned. My co-workers liked me because I always dropped more than my fair share of tokes, and the players, for the most part, loved following me around and playing at my tables. But now I'm going back to being an 'extra board toad', like a break-in right out of dealer school and I'll have to prove myself all over again (although, I've done that well enough so far to be the only guy they hired without needing an audition or an interview).

So tonight I've got one more shift in Chinatown ahead of me, and then I'm free at last, free at last for an entire week. If I were a man of means, I'd probably head back to Nashville for a few days of family-style buffoonery, but I can't afford that. And even though I've had a great week, financially, all that money has either already been spent or is earmarked for upcoming expenses, so it's not like I can sample a lot of diversions that this town has to offer.

My plans are fairly simple--I'm going to clean house and get organized, preparing for the move. I'm gonna get some sun and some pool time. I'm gonna go to the gym a few times. I'm gonna have pizza and beer on Tuesday with Lars, on Wednesday night I'm gonna play poker and flirt with Kathy, and on Thursday night I'm gonna play tour guide with Courtney. I'm gonna do a little writing, a lot of packing, and a whole bunch of relaxing. I'll probably put a significant dent in my rum stocks and smoke a few cigars, too.

It should be a good week.

And when it's over, a new chapter begins.

Mikey