Up, Then Down

Our Wednesday began with Helen and I watching part of "The Sopranos" reruns that show here at 9 a.m. every weekday.

Then about 9:40, we left Tony S. and his boys so I could take Helen to her 10 a.m. Bible Study Class at the Lakes Lutheran Church. While she was studying the gospel, I was studying the blackjack table at the Red Rock Casino. I settled into a $5 game and played for about an hour, winning $15.

One of the highlights of this session was talking with a dealer, Steve, who grew up in Grand Rapids. When he learned I was from Traverse City, he remembered playing against the Trojans ("Coach Ooley, right?") while he was in high school. He asked what I did for a living and I explained that I was retired, but still doing some freelance writing. In fact, I told him, I write a casino entertainment column for the Booth Papers, including the GR Press. He said he reads Mlive all the time and will look for my writing in the future. Small world...

I picked Helen up at 11:45 and we came back to the apt. to eat lunch, Middle Eastern fare of hummus, pita bread, tabouli and lebne.

Then it was time for Helen to visit the "Desperate Housewives" so I headed over to the Suncoast to see if they were still giving away money. That was not the case. For almost four hours, I struggled in a $10 game and came away a $70 loser. The cards were just not falling and I could have lost a lot more, if not for a couple of fortunate doubledowns that went my way.

Anyway, one of the guys at the table claimed he was a golfing buddy of poker stars Phil Ivey and Eric Lindgren. He was telling us how Ivey made a $9 million moneyline bet on the Patriots to win the 2008 SuperBowl. Whether or not it's true, this guy claims Ivey is still making payments on the losing wager.

While I was gone, Helen kept busy reading "Murder By Manicure," a mystery in which the heroine is a Florida hair stylist. I got home about 5:30 and recycled our Italian sweet sausage and rice for dinner. It was still pretty tasty and filling.

Now we're watching some TV and relaxing. Another great day in Las Vegas where tomorrow our adventure will continue...