Nowadays, I tend to stick to playing free poker online, but years ago one night during a poker tournament, I got lucky and won an event and quite a bit of money.
When the smoke cleared, it was 2 a.
m.
or 3 a.
m.
, and I got paid my $1,000 in prize money.
I felt great, but I had one small problem.
Even though I was staying at the Four Queens, I didn't have a safe-deposit box there.
I did, however, have one at the Horseshoe, which I kept all year long.
It saved me the time and trouble of obtaining a safe-deposit box every time I came to play in a tournament at the various casinos in Vegas.
So, not wanting to keep about $1,000 in my pocket, I knew I had to walk across the street to the Horseshoe to put my money in my box.
Nowadays, that wouldn't be a problem, but as I said, at that time there were lots of undesirable characters inhabiting Downtown, and let's just say that there was little or no security.
I didn't think much of it until I hit the street.
I then realized how dark it was, and with the street all torn up, there were no cars and virtually no people, either.
Furthermore, there was a light mist falling.
I was tired and thought, "Oh, what the hell.
It's only across the street - less than a block away.
" So, I started my short walk.
This was the point that I was wishing I was playing free poker online rather than being out in the streets like a crazy man! Just as I approached the corner, two big, tough-looking guys came around the corner.
Both were carrying beer bottles and appeared to be very drunk and looking for trouble.
As soon as they saw me, I knew what was coming.
I was sure that they were on the prowl for a handout or, with no one else around, maybe something worse.
As I kept walking, they approached me as if they were going to block what was left of the sidewalk.
When they got within a few feet of me, one of the guys asked, "Hey, you got a couple of dollars?" Now, I guess if I were an honest person, I would have said, "Well, yes.
As a matter a fact, I just won a big poker tournament and have about $1,000 in my pocket.
Will $2 be enough?" But instead, I stopped and said in a very loud and forceful voice, "Hey, don't - - - - with me! I just lost $25 in there!" They both looked at me and parted like pussycats as I walked right past them.
After marching on (and totally ****ping myself) I turned around and shouted a few more comments.
It was a great spur-of-the-moment bluff.
Oh, I could have said, "I don't have any money," or given a dozen other excuses, but I don't think that any of them would have worked quite as well as what I did.
The bottom line was that these fellows wanted no part of a guy who could be that angry about losing 25 bucks.
It had to be the best bluff of my life, because I am here today retelling the story.
If that bluff hadn't worked, well I'd be lucky to be even playing free poker let alone big money!
When the smoke cleared, it was 2 a.
m.
or 3 a.
m.
, and I got paid my $1,000 in prize money.
I felt great, but I had one small problem.
Even though I was staying at the Four Queens, I didn't have a safe-deposit box there.
I did, however, have one at the Horseshoe, which I kept all year long.
It saved me the time and trouble of obtaining a safe-deposit box every time I came to play in a tournament at the various casinos in Vegas.
So, not wanting to keep about $1,000 in my pocket, I knew I had to walk across the street to the Horseshoe to put my money in my box.
Nowadays, that wouldn't be a problem, but as I said, at that time there were lots of undesirable characters inhabiting Downtown, and let's just say that there was little or no security.
I didn't think much of it until I hit the street.
I then realized how dark it was, and with the street all torn up, there were no cars and virtually no people, either.
Furthermore, there was a light mist falling.
I was tired and thought, "Oh, what the hell.
It's only across the street - less than a block away.
" So, I started my short walk.
This was the point that I was wishing I was playing free poker online rather than being out in the streets like a crazy man! Just as I approached the corner, two big, tough-looking guys came around the corner.
Both were carrying beer bottles and appeared to be very drunk and looking for trouble.
As soon as they saw me, I knew what was coming.
I was sure that they were on the prowl for a handout or, with no one else around, maybe something worse.
As I kept walking, they approached me as if they were going to block what was left of the sidewalk.
When they got within a few feet of me, one of the guys asked, "Hey, you got a couple of dollars?" Now, I guess if I were an honest person, I would have said, "Well, yes.
As a matter a fact, I just won a big poker tournament and have about $1,000 in my pocket.
Will $2 be enough?" But instead, I stopped and said in a very loud and forceful voice, "Hey, don't - - - - with me! I just lost $25 in there!" They both looked at me and parted like pussycats as I walked right past them.
After marching on (and totally ****ping myself) I turned around and shouted a few more comments.
It was a great spur-of-the-moment bluff.
Oh, I could have said, "I don't have any money," or given a dozen other excuses, but I don't think that any of them would have worked quite as well as what I did.
The bottom line was that these fellows wanted no part of a guy who could be that angry about losing 25 bucks.
It had to be the best bluff of my life, because I am here today retelling the story.
If that bluff hadn't worked, well I'd be lucky to be even playing free poker let alone big money!
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