Bobby's Room and the Epiphany

This blog is part 3 of a 3 part series. Click here to read the first post, entitled Zion and the Narrows.

I haven't had much time lately to do writing (and just got through flying from Vegas to Buffalo for WPT Niagara with three stops) so I caught up then. All the posts are unique because of topic choice so I divided them accordingly. Enjoy and please send emails with thoughts to alectorelli@gmail.com

The following evening I found myself having nothing to do. Andrew's parents were in town and since I was staying with him at Sky I was left to entertain myself. I decided to head down to Bellagio to play some cash games. I called to see what games they were running. The floor informed me that they had a 25/50/100 game running I immediately grabbed my stuff and headed over only to find that when I got there the game had just broke. Tilt. I saw that a 10/20 game was running and decided to hop in. Just as I did so a new 25/50 game emerged. As I was leaving to switch tables the floor rushed up to me and informed me that Doyle Brunson had just brought three fellow businessmen (who happen to be inebriated) into Bobby's Room that wanted to play some high stakes.



"What stakes?" I asked.

"I don't know he urged. Big."

"Well shit, I only brought $40,000 I might not have enough to rebuy. Let me call Andrew."

"Okay I'll talk to Doyle I'll be back."



Now Andrew was at dinner at "Top of the World" the skyline restaurant at the Stratosphere and then was set to see Carrot Top at the Luxor with his parents (who he hasn't seen in 6 months.) I called him.

"Yo."

"Andrew if you ever listen to anything I tell you; make it this. Get down to Bellagio now" I explained the situation to him.

"I can't I'm with my parents at Luxor. I'm in the middle of a show."

"I don't care if your at your wedding. It can wait."

"I'll see what I can do. "



click.



30 minutes later… Andrew arrived.



The floor came back over to me and informed me that Doyle would spot me if I needed until back up (Andrew arrived).

"What's your best game?" Doyle asked me in his accent as I sat down at the table.

"I'm not good at many; but I prefer No – Limit."

"NO LIMIT!" expressed the Heip (one of the three businessmen). I want to play no limit with Doyle Brunson!"

Doyle peered over and asked me how much I had in front of me.

"40,000" I told him.

He threw me a cranberry and three flags.

"Just in case," he said.

"Oh I'm Alec by the way." I stood up to shake his hand.

"It's nice to meet you."



We waited around for what seemed like forever as the chip runners and floor exchanged the $25,000 increment Wynn chips that the businessmen (Heip, Sam and Steve) brought into Bellagio chips. The game eventually started and I had no clue what I was in for. By this time we were chatting a good amount and I had introduced myself to them. Steve, the man sitting to my right, kept informing me that this was his eighth time playing poker. "I guess that couldn't hurt my chances," I thought to myself. He would often bet 500, then put out 1,000 then 3,000 at which point the dealer would inform the player that it was a "string – bet."

"Just let him be," Doyle would chime in. Nobody said a word after that.

The five of us played for hours and talked, chilled and drank wine. It was looser than a home game. I learned that the businessmen were from Orange County and lived literally walking distance from my condo. They invited me to play in their home game to "teach them how to play."

"All we do is play poker and drink wine." Sounds like heaven to me. And they weren't lying. They ordered over $5,000 worth of wine over the course of the night and it was so ridiculous that Doyle drank for the first time in 20 years at a poker table. He informed the rest of the table (we had some newcomers including Guy LaLiberté's – the owner of the Cirque de Solilil shows world wide, that if they didn't drink they couldn't play. Naturally, nobody could refuse so everyone drank. Steve informed me that everytime he drank I had to drink. This was hard for me because I'm a huge lightweight and had to make big decisions. This seemed to have no effect on him (he actually seemed to sober up over the course of the night) while I was getting plastered. I tried to take precautionary measures but it didn't help much. I went to the bathroom regularly, ate constantly and drank espressos after every bottle to try and stay focused. I would even do jumping jacks outside Bobby's room to stay awake. I had slept only 6 hours the night before and I was going on 24 hours now. I didn't care. This was the sickest, biggest and most fun poker game I had ever played in. We were making small talk when the following conversation came up.



"So how long are you guys in town?" I asked mid way through the session.

"Well I have to go tomorrow," Sam exclaimed. "I have a lunch meeting in D.C."

"Oh do you work out there or something?"

"No I have to meet the President."

"Which one?"

"George. What do you mean which one?"

"Oh. Right. Obviously."



I guess that's when you know you've made it. We ended up playing all night until 5 am. I ended up ahead $35,000 or so putting me at up nearly a quarter million this week. Not much to complain about. It was a real honor to get to play with Doyle. I remember as a kid wondering what it would be like to sit with him or any of the pros and play against them. I read Super System several times as well as some other books Doyle wrote and considered his word gold. It was an amazing experience and he was such a pleasure to play with. The same goes for the three. It was a dream come true. I feel like i've said that a lot this past week. The triathlon, the tournaments, the cash game. It was all happening so fast. I'm just trying to enjoy it while it lasts. I exchanged numbers with Sam, Steve and Heip and promised to come play with them in their local home game.

"You better call me," Steve said as we shook hands and he left. "I have people that find people; but I already know where you live," he said jokingly.

"Trust me I'll call you. You have my word." If anything I felt I was the one that should be bargaining to play with them. Drink wine, play poker. It doesn't get much better than that. I left and as I waited for my car in the Valet line I reminisced over the events of the past week one came to mind in particular that was really changed how I look at things and made me a lot more grateful for everything.



"Hey your that guy from the balcony right?"

"Yea Hey! Tami Right?"

"Yea good memory."

Tami was a massage therapist at the Bellagio who worked the poker room. She worked on me several nights ago during the second poker tournament I played in as well as that day in Bobby's Room. She was just getting off her shift and we waited together in the valet line.

"How'd you end up in that tournament?"

"Great. I actually won both of them."

"Congrats. Looks like my massage helped."

"Yea I guess so. You know I've never seen them do that."

"Do what?" I asked.



<<<<<<<



I was on dinner break in my second tournament and while everyone else was out to dinner I (finishing early) came back to the poker room with 30 minutes left. I proceeded out to the Fontana Room balcony that overlooks the Bellagio water show only to find that the door was locked after 9 p.m. I headed over to the head floor Ron and asked him why they did this. He informed me that they wanted to keep players out of the Fontana Room (they had to walk through to get to the balcony) and keep them from distracting the players as the tournament progressed. During the day it wasn't a problem but at night they got a lot more traffic and drunk people. I was kind of bummed because I really enjoyed the water show (especially at night because of the lights) and often used it to distract myself during the day on breaks.

"No worries." I told him. "Thanks for the help. Can I just read at one of these tables then?"

"Yea anywhere you like."

"Thanks boss. Also, can I get a massage while I read too?"

"Sure I'll call a girl over right now."

"Thanks."



I went over to one of the empty table and started to read. Before I finished a page Ron came up to me and said you know what, I just checked with the Bellagio and they said we can open the Balcony for you and you can have your massage out there. Just come through the back door and you got the whole patio to yourself." I was taken aback.

"Sure sounds great!" I exclaimed. I compensated him accordingly.

I headed out to the balcony through the back room entrance and sat out there in anticipation of the next water show. Shortly thereafter, Tami (the massage therapist) came outside with an uncertain look. We got started and I just sat there in pure enjoyment. The balcony all to myself, water show playing 10 feet in front of me and getting a massage. That's hard to beat.



Snap back to reality.



I sat there dazed.

"ALEC!" Tami said.

"Oh, sorry. Was just remembering how sick that was. I guess they don't do that often?"

"As a matter of fact no. Never. First time I've seen it. They told me I'd be doing the massage out on the balcony. All they said was , "treat this guy well; he's a good guy."

I was kinda speechless. I murmured something and said goodbye as I got into my car.



Then it hit me.



I had an amazing life. So often, I would bitch about my misfortunes in poker and envy other people's luck or success at poker. It all seemed to easy to realize now that I had some of my own. The key I realized was to remember this on the rainy days (which are hardly rainy) and never be ungrateful. Here I was, 21 years old, sitting on the balcony of the Bellagio, enjoying the water show, my book and a massage. I had the floor giving me special treatment and bragging about me to the massage therapist. And then I sat back and thought, "wait a minute; I work here." This if my office. When I go on dinner break I do this. When my "boss" (the tournament clock) comes to a halt and they say "take 15" I go outside, read and watch the Bellagio water show. That's nothing to complain about. Most people save up only to visit this place; even just for a week and do something that I am fortunate enough to do day in and day out. Realizing this, was huge for me. It's easy to take thins for granted when you do them everyday no matter how awesome. Sadly, they become normal, even expected. Sometimes, I have to take a step back and find a dose of reality. Gratitude. The key component in one's happiness. I vowed then and there never to forget that. Anytime I feel down, I will always remember that moment on the balcony and be thankful.





Hope you enjoyed the three part series and feedback is always apprecaited at alectorelli@gmail.com