Quote Originally Posted by supahaole View Post
I love the name. Hope business is good!
Thanks, me 2!!

OK, so I was dreading this business trip (math geek conference) first week of January. It's the first week of classes, and I've enjoyed some time off, so working extra to get ready and leave town - no joy.

It's New Orleans, cool, but not gonna be there with anyone I would want to go to Bourbon Street with, so good food, some cheap booze, do the conference and get out.

THEN I REALIZED GAMBLING'S LEGAL THERE!!

Now I'm thinkin' the trip might not be a bust. Checked out poker rooms, found that Harra's New Orleans is 3 blocks - only 3 freakin' blocks from the conference center. The conference hotels had filled up, so they had their $99 rate available at the Doubletree which, since the stars are aligning, is across the street from Harrah's.

Z. O. M. G.

Now, gotta get some cash to play. Called Harrah's, asked for the poker room, and they've got $1/2, $2/5 and $10/20 nlh tables, with 100xSB minimum buyins and max buyins up to the largest stack on the table (at $10/20, there's no limit at all). Next step, get at least one buyin OK'd with the wife who is a wonderful woman who's actually glad I play poker as my main hobby rather than golf or hunting or season tickets to a sports team or some other activity that would keep out of the house all the time. We discuss the finances, and decide a $200 early birthday present is appropriate which, since I checked ahead of time, is one 100bb buyin to the game I want to sit in.

Oh, yeah, and if I win anything, we split the difference above $200 and put the $200 back into the family budget and I get a real birthday present in February. If I lose, no harm, no foul and no other birthday present. Sort of like a backer. She's probably happy I'm heading for the casino in New Orleans rather than the strip clubs, Bourbon street and whorehouses. I'm not much into that scene, but a walk down Bourbon street is always educational, even if you're with a bunch of math geeks, most of whom seem to have more of a theoretical knowledge of life rather than much experience living it (me included, though poker keeps me in touch with real people, somewhat).

So...that's me, having played live poker exactly once in the past 20 years, off to the casino next Wednesday with $200 burning a hole in my pocket and about 10 hours to go busto.

WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!

If I'm done in 10 hands, it's back up to the room for $2 Heads Up SNG's on the hotel's free WiFi, an good night's sleep, and a sad flight home the next day. If I'm up a BI, that's me playing until dawn, gettin' hammered and flying home tired and drunk as hell.

Oh, yeah, and the whole trip (except the $200 gambling money) is paid in full by the university I work for. Thanks, guys.