Holdem!!

A little over a year ago, I joined Facebook. My husband followed and found a game called Texas Holdem that he had been playing on his cell phone. I started playing as well and could not believe that I was going to absolutely LOVE playing it as much as I do. I made a few very nice people and my poker buddy list grew each time I played, now having approximately 900 poker buddies. When I played more often, it was not uncommon for the room to be full and other poker buddies chatting from the "outside". We often said we needed bigger tables :)

A year later, I still love logging onto Texas Holdem and can sit for hours on end playing one game after the other. The thrill of waiting for the cards to flop has only increased with time. Many stories and feelings have been shared during our long evenings and nights at the poker tables and bonds have been made that will always be remembered and cherished.

In December of 2009, our County voted on table games. This was the second time we voted on them and we were thrilled that the they passed. After being laid off of my part time job, I really missed working and even more, I missed socializing. The thought of me becoming a dealer at the track was entertained and I started to seriously consider it. Who wouldn't want to play cards and get paid for it?? ;)

I went for an interview and immediately purchased clay chips to start practicing. A couple of weeks later, I had my background check, credit check and drug test completed. Of course I passed, and I started my Intro to Casino class on 2-1. Four hours for a class sounds like a long time, but the time goes by very quickly for us. While we are practicing, we sit around the table and share bits and pieces of our lives and we help each other out if we figure out ways to explain a technique in a different way that may click better for someone who is having difficulty.

Tomorrow is day 3 of the class, as we were snowed out today. Yesterday, we had to take turns sitting at the table in the dealer spot and we had to riffle, slide and cut our deck and then deal to poker chips (called checks in our casino) placed at each seat. The object was to hit each poker check. I made my way into the back of the others and eventually took my turn. I was 5th from last.

Our instructor told us that we must get used to people staring at us... tournaments, guests, bosses and there was no time like the present :) I sat down and saw nothing but the cards in my hand and the table around me. I spun off the hand of two cards and my instructor nodded in approval and I had to spin off two more cards to join the others. After I finished, he told the class that I was the best at that point and that I deserved a hand. I immediately felt my face turn red and I was bursting inside with such pride and happiness that I simply accomplished what I was asked to do and obviously that time, was better than anyone else.

Wish me luck!! Tomorrow is another day~~~