Vegas -- In search of a bracelet

I've gotta ask you for a favor. Let me go my way here. This truck's my responsibility, and now that the car's hooked up to it it's my responsibility too.

Do you think I'm stupid? Just answer that question first.

Look, I don't know nothing about you, you don't know nothing about me. I don't know if you're stupid, or some kind of genius. All I know is that I need to get out of here, and you got the gun. So I'm asking you for the second time, let me go my way here.

I'm gonna grant you that favor, and I'm gonna expect you to remember it if we ever meet again. But tell me this, are you asking me as a sign of respect, or are you asking because I've got the gun?

Man, the world ain't supposed to work like this. I mean, maybe you don't know that yet. I'm supposed to be able to do my job without having to ask you if I can. That dude is supposed to be able to wait with his car without you ripping him off. Everything is supposed to be different than it is.

So what's your answer?

You ain't got the gun, we ain't having this conversation.

That's what I thought, no gun, no respect. That's why I always got the gun.

--Grand Canyon


LAS VEGAS -- I began my day looking for a WSOP bracelet.

Yeah, yeah. This year's WSOP events were over. But the Dec. 13 issue of Card Player tells where one is available -- Pioneer Loan & Jewelry. Someone likely very much in need of money pawned his vintage-1999 World Series of Poker bracelet.

The article wouldn't say which of the 13 event winners that year pawned it, but it did mention that Mike Matusow has his. Didn't Josh Arieh win his limit bracelet that year? (He's previously told me during an interview two years ago that he has his in a safe deposit box).

So that's two down. The pawn shop is a little bit of a hike from downtown, so lucky I had a rental car. I finally found it, parked my baby Grand Am next to two run down cars with "For Sale" signs in the windows (someone pawned these??) and went inside.

I would say my only real "leak" is memorabilia. Not that I own much of it, but I was hard pressed to come up with reasons why I shouldn't own a 1999 WSOP bracelet. I even came up with a thought that I would gladly sell it back to its original owner, provided I get first rights to buy it back if the owner had to pawn it again.

I even thought it out that I would be willing to divert future bankroll earnings to it, maybe a few hundred a month, until the $2700+ price tag is paid.

But alas. It was not to be. Someone bought it two days earlier.

Two days ago, I still had a chance. I picked up the new Card Player Wednesday night but typically I like to save new issues for the airplane ride home. I just happened to be reading one when I was in Binion's Coffee Shop last night...

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Today I donned the young gun, the Sabre-Toothed Lime T-shirt. Not wanting to make any mistakes this time around, I wanted the future Hall of Famer to be playing during a peak time. He's performed well so far, in both limit and NL, winning at the Excalibur, Bally's (twice) and the Flamingo. The Bellagio was too crowded to even attempt playing in this afternoon, but I saw Scotty Nguyen and Men the Master posing with some dude for a picture inside the O's excellent "Snacks" snack bar.

I'm up about $500 for the trip, nearly what I lost in the robbery, which seems so distant now that it's nearly washed away from my mind. The fact that it's so easy to make money playing poker proves to me it's no good to fret over spilled milk. Give to Caesar what is Caesar's, or whoever has the gun. No need to die over something that you can make back if you had three more days to live.

The robbers could have helped themselves by putting away their weapons and learning their starting hands. They could have taken those terrible Emory Game players for months, earning thousands in the process. You know, like Amarillo Slim always said: "You can shear a sheep many times; you can skin it only once."

PS: In about 2-1/2 hours, I'll be 35. Wish a cat a Happy Birthday and throw a chip my way.