Taj Mahal: revisited

THIS IS A PICTURE OF THE "REAL" TAJ MAHAL IN INDIA, NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH THE "TRUMP" TAJ MAHAL IN ATLANTIC CITY. THE OUT-DATED RESORT AND CASINO SEEMED TO BE UNDER MAJOR RENOVATIONS. LAST TIME I WAS IN ALTLANTIC CITY WAS FOR THE HOT 97 CELEBRITY POKER TOURNAMENT. (SEE BLOG: GG DIDDY) THIS TRIP HOWEVER WAS A BUSINESS VENTURE CENTERED AROUND THE "U.S. FOODS" FOOD SHOW, ALSO HOSTED BY TRUMP TAJ MAHAL.


UPON ARRIVING AT THE HOTEL, THERE WAS AN ENORMOUS LINE FOR CHECK-IN, WHICH CAUSED MY COUSIN PAUL AND I TO BE LATE TO THE INITIAL COCKTAIL RECEPTION. WE DIDNT MIND THAT WE MISSED ALL THE FOOD, BECAUSE WE RECIEVED A FREE UPGRADE TO A PRESIDENTIAL SUITE. AND PLUS, THERE WAS STILL 45 MINUTES LEFT AT THE OPEN BAR. AFTER GETTING SETTLED IN THE ROOM, WE MADE OUR WAY TO THE CASINO. I FLUCTUATED MY CHIP STACK AT THE ROULETTE TABLE UNTIL I DECIDED TO WALK AWAY EVEN MONEY. THEN WE MADE OUR WAY TO 3 CARD POKER. I PLAYED ONE HAND FOR AROUND 45 BUCKS AND I SPIKED TWO JACKS AS MY HOLE CARDS. ANYONE WHO KNOWS 3 CARD POKER KNOWS THAT ALL THE DEALER NEEDS TO QUALIFY IS A MEASLEY Q HIGH, SO WHEN I SAW HER LONE ACE APPEAR, I INSTANTLY KNEW I WAS A WINNER. SO WE WALKED. PAUL AND I THEN MADE OUR WAY TO THE $15 MINIIMUM BLACK-JACK TABLE, AND CONSOLIDATED OUR MONEY. A FRIEND OF OURS FROM THE INDUSTRY "MISCHA" FOUND US AT THE TABLE AND BROUGHT OVER A LOVELY IRISH LADY WHO NEVER PLAYED CARDS FOR MONEY. WE EXPLAINED TO HER "THE ONLY WAY TO LEARN, IS TO JUMP RIGHT INTO THE FIRE." THE TABLE WAS HOT! FOR ABOUT A HALF HOUR STRAIGHT, IT SEEMED LIKE EVERYONE AT THE TABLE WAS WINNING AND CHEERING. WE TRIPPLED OUR MONEY, AND THEN I DRAGGED PAUL TO THE REAL POKER ROOM. I PLAYED TWO HANDS, AND WON THEM BOTH. THE FIRST HAND I WAS DEALT, REALLY GOT ME GOING!

I RAISED IN MIDDLE POSITION WITH Ad-6d, AND THE TWO BLINDS CALLED. I WAS ACTING OBNOXIOUS AS USUAL TRYING TO GET UNDER MY OPPONENTS SKIN. I MADE SOME SORT OF COMMENT TO THE LITTLE BLIND, "YOUR GOING TO CALL MY RAISE KNOWING YOUR OUT OF POSITION...?" AND THEN I ROLLED MY EYES TO PAUL, WHO WAS SITTING NEXT TO ME OBSERVING. THE FLOP CAME OUT: 2-7-8 RAINBOW. THE LITTLE BLIND BET THE POT, THE BIG BLIND FOLDED, AND I THOUGHT. AND THOUGHT. I KINDA FELT I WAS BEAT, BUT I WANTED TO FIND A REASON TO RAISE, ANY REASON. I COULDNT FIND ONE. AFTER ABOUT A MINUTE, I MADE EYE CONTACT WITH HIM, AND MY PLAN WAS TO ASK HIM MY USUAL QUESTION "DO YOU WANT ME TO CALL" HE SHIFTED HIS MOUTH AND SAID "I DONT THINK SO" FROM THAT VERY INSTANT, I SENSED WEAKNESS, AND BEFORE THOSE WORDS WERE FINISHED RESONATING ON HIS TONGUE, ALL MY CHIPS WERE IN THE POT. HE HESITATED, AND SAID "WHAT YOU GOT, JACKS?" AND THEN HE FOLDED. I TOLD HIM HE COULD PICK ONE OF MY CARDS, AND I WOULD SHOW. OF COARSE I SHOWED THE ACE.

BELOW IS A PICTURE OF PAUL, MISCHA, AND THE "LUCK OF THE IRISH LADY" AT THE BLACK-JACK TABLE. BTW- BIG UPS TO PAUL WHO SWEET TALKED THE WOMAN INTO GIVING US THE LARGER ROOM!

BTW: THE IRISH WOMAN STARTED WITH $15 DOLLARS IN CHIPS, AND WALKED OFF WITH OVER $200