10/30/99 saturday
"the belle of orleans" [ Bally's Casino Lakeshore Resort ] is bally's riverboat, which actually cruises. except that this riverboat is located adjacent to an airport on a lake. a big lake. lake ponchartrain is one very big lake!
the six table poker room is located upstairs, ringed by slots, a bar, and the cashier's cage. they spread 1-5 stud and 1-4-8-8 half 'n' half (half hold 'em - half omaha high). there's one stud game in progress, with two seats open. just enough. nolan and i sit down.
the room rakes 10% to a maximum of $4. dealers here are experienced. cash does not play. seats next to the dealers are not no-smoking. they've got bad beat jackpots. players are rated for "bonus bucks" (one buck per hour for live play, and extra bucks for high hands, such as straightflushes, etc.).
nolan goes on a rush in this stud game, and wins about four stacks of whites. one disgruntled geezer next to me mumbles that nolan sure is a lucky player. i reinforce the image: "yup! he's the luckiest player i've ever met!" we exchange winks. ;) on the very next hand, i make a straight flush to the king on sixth street...and get four-way action!! too bad that two of 'em are all-in.
we help crank up the half 'n' half game. ninety minutes later, i'm up $81, and nolan hasn't given anything back. we cash out, and i exchange pleasant- ries with heath, shift supervisor. he didn't have any hats left (for my straight flush bonus), but offered a meal comp to the deli. no thanks.
the three of us go downstairs, and the dallas want to try the buffet. we learn that you can get one dollar off the cost of the buffet by joining the commodore club. it's around the corner, and joining is as simply as producing a driver's license. they get their dollar off coupon. i tell my story of the straight flush to the three nice ladies behind the counter (two black, one white). one lady looks at another. she looks at the third. they all nod together. one reaches down under the desk and pulls out a red, white, and blue "bally's of new orleans" baseball cap! i beam at them. i place the cap directly on the counter precisely in front of me....ceremoniously remove my "biloxi grand poker" baseball cap....and don the bally's cap. they cheer!! :)
after our meal, i put nolan and marietta on a plane back to washington, d.c. this was one great week!! too bad it had to end.
i'm heading to shreveport/bossier city!
i don't get past baton rouge. i've got laundry to do, some checks to send out, and this report to write. i'll be at the horseshoe tomorrow.
stay tuned!!
tiger
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Kenneth R. Churilla