Nov 13, 2021

Week 10: Are you ready to rumble

 Ahhh  the 2015 trip.  This was an amazing trip. Small group of 5, with no golf and a ton of gambling where Wiz and I killed it.  One of the largest winning trips that I’ve had.  We had a great bowling contest and outstanding dinners.   This was also a trip where we almost had two fights in the casino.  

First fight:

Got up from my nap/sleep - maybe slept a good 2 hours or so - and found Wiz and Layup at their usual position, the UTH table. Not sure where Don/Mike were (nap? Spa?).

As soon as I arrived at the table, Wiz starts laughing and trying to tell a story about Layup. Our pal Dan, the pit boss, soon joined in.

"You won't believe what happened! Layup got into a fight!"

What? I looked a Layup...he rolled his eyes.

Dan started talking. "Yes! He stared down this Texas guy and made him back down!"

I will get this all wrong, but apparently what happened while I was napping is that Wiz, Layup and this texas guy were playing UTH; Layup folded and was out of the hand...but still was trying to force Wiz into losing. Wiz had a flush with 4 on the board; the Texas guy congratulated him on the winner....until the dealer turned a higher card over and beat him.

Wiz is pissed, but then I think Layup started to mouth off ("that's why you don't celebrate") and the Texas guys said something about the trips; Layup may have said "why don't you leave" and then the Texas guy stood up and went around Wiz to confront Layup.

I guess those two stood eye-to-eye for a few seconds before Dan came over; I'm not sure what exactly happened after that and how the Texas guy backed down....but he did pick up and head over to the other UTH table to play.

I was surprised and a bit in shock. When did this happen?

"20 minutes ago. Cmon, you going to join us?"

Sure. Should I sit here? Is this the Texas guy's seat?

"Yeah - that's where he sit. Sit down!"

I did, and the seat was cursed. A bad session.

Dan made up this "prize" for Layup for winning the Saturday afternoon Prize fight.


Later that evening Wiz got into the action

 We had one final run to the craps table. We all fit on one side, and I think the order was Layup, Don, Mike, me and Wiz. Things were going ok for a while at the table...lot of strange people on the other side, but nothing stood out until we saw $100 hard ways coming up in the middle of the table.


We all noticed about the same time - there was an old white guy - about 6'1", 250 pounds, about 60 years old in a white buttoned down shirt and jeans with a John Deere hat on. He was obviously drunk. Next to him was a black guy - about 30 or so years old - and it wasn't clear if he was with him or not, but he was giving the John Deere guy some advice. The $100 bets were coming from John Deere. Most did not win.....but every once in a while he did win - and when he did, he said nothing.

The bets started increasing - $200, $300 on the hard ways, $1000 on the field. The field seem to be winning for him. The dice passed to Layup - and he did not vary from his usual results: maybe 4 rolls and out. Thanks a lot. John Deere was not happy.

The dice passed to Don. John Deere now had $1000 consistently on the field. Don started rolling well - made a point and was hitting some numbers. Everyone on our side * was making some money. Then we were all rendered speechless....

"$500 on boxcars" came the bet from the other side.

Don rolled a 9. "Dammit".

"Do it again - $500 on 12". The purple chip was tossed.

Don rolls........a 12. I can't believe it. No one can. A $15,000 winner.

John Deere said nothing. The dealers - who seemed to know him and were pissed off - quickly paid him in 3 orange $5000 chips.

Two rolls later, the same bet returns. "$500 on 12". Don rolls a 4.

"God dammit, you suck!" And he was serious!

All of us were winning money, but we couldn't take our eyes off the car crash of John Deere throwing $500 chips around. He started putting $5000 on the field, and hit the double a few times, making all the workers pissed off. We picked up shortly after and headed to a new table.

(* - Don did not make any money on his roll; not sure why not. He was not betting big and did not change his betting style as he was rolling better and better. Thanks for taking one for the team, Don!)

 OK, one last UTH session for the night. We head out there, sit down and join Don and Mike, and play for a while. After about 20-30 minutes, Wiz starts looking over at the craps table.

"He's still there! What an asshole!" He's talking about John Deere, of course. "I gotta do something about this".

Wiz gets up, and heads over to the craps table. I'm not sure what he said or did, but then we look - and John Deere has picked up and moved to another craps table, away from Wiz ----- and there goes Wiz, picking up and following him. This went on for about 10 minutes - with John Deere finally arriving at an empty craps table and the limit going to $100.

Wiz returned, defeat. "he's a dick. Afraid of me". "He's like the white rabbit - we're all chasing him but we can't catch him".

We went to bed that night - saw the John Deere white rabbit playing $10 blackjack at the CSM table.

And here are some additional comments on John Deere man;

Eric, you forgot about a couple of things. Wiz yelling at John Deere right after Don's roll. "He just made you $17k, so shut the fuck up for Christ sake." And since it was my roll right after Don, I received a polite request from Wiz to hit John Deere with the dice. After my incident with the TX man earlier in the trip, I was sober and did not want to particpate in causing another scene as well as I was on "Rolling time out" so I declined. That's when Wiz made it his mission to hit John Deere with the dice. But little did we all know, John Deere liked to jump tables after each roll, so we watched John Deere move tables and then Wiz jump from table to table to catch up to him. Very funny to watch from the UTH table.

 Eric, didn't we roll with John Deere late night, where now he had almost an entire row of $10k chips. He had a younger black guy next to him now who was skimming money off of him. At one point, he had $5k on the field and then walked over to the handicap BJ table and trip to play a $5k hand there as well. He was the craziest player I've ever seen.

I remember this so clearly, since I was sober apparently.   This guy was insane and these recaps don’t do him justice.  Every craps dealer hated him.  Everytime I think I have a gambling problem, I think of John Deere and realize that I’m still pretty safe.  Onto the games.

 

TB @ Redskins +9.5:  Love the skins here.  TB on the road is just not the same.

Lions @ Steelers +6.5:  The Steelers needed every call to win against the lowly Bears.   Wish it was 7, but will be taking the Lions here

Browns @ Pats -2.5:  Been losing money betting against the Pats. Like the Browns here, but will just stay away

Jags @ Colts -10.5:  I have no clue.  Think the Colts will blow them out, but also expected the Bills to do the same last week. 

Falcons @ Cowboys -8:  Cowboys bounce back. Everyone and their mothers love the Falcons here. 

Saints @ Titans -3:  Love the Saints as an underdog here.

Bills @ Jets +13.5:  Love White at home almost getting 2 touchdowns.  Think this will be close.

Vikings @ Chargers -3.5:  Hate both of the these teams.  I guess the Vikings, but come on…I’m done losing money on Zimmer.

Panthers @ Cardinals -10:  Why am I going back to the well again with the Panthers.   Think there is a letdown with the Cardinals.

Eagles @ Broncos -2.5:  I don’t know what to do here.  Hate both of these teams

Seahawks @ Packers -3:  Must win for the Seahawks.  Wilson is back.  Will take them on the road in a tight one

Chiefs @ Raiders +2.5:  Fine, I’ll take the home dog in a divisional game. When will Vegas realize how bad the Chiefs are?

Rams @ 49ers +4:  Another home dog in a divisional game and I will take it. 

 

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