It started off as a rainy Michigan day. Lori for my birthday booked a trip for 2 days at the Soaring Eagle casino in Mt. Pleasent, Michigan -- about a 2 hour drive from where we live.
We went on sunday the 15th on my B-day, and there was a poker tourney on monday.
We arrived, and it was a nice place for a smaller casino.
Then it became the tale of two cities. It was the best of times and the worst of times. . .
We checked in and got into our room. . .then I explored the casino. My Dad has a place not too far away so he met us up there for dinner. We hit the buffet. Which was decent. So decent that after I pigged out, I couldn't even finish my beer after the meal. And that's very rare.
This is a view from outside our room. . .
So now i am fed (so was the fictional horse) and ready to play. So I found the poker room.
The tourney was the next day, but I wanted to see if maybe there were some soft cash games going on.
You all have to understand that I hate slot machines and most table games -- I pretty much only play black jack (and that's even rare), or just find some entertainment.
I'm just a poker player on a horse.
Basically I was just getting the feel of the place. . . .
Lori and I enter the poker room. Maybe hoping to find a sit and go. We had even heard that the Heartland Poker Tour main event was ending that day. Well we missed that ending.
The room had 3 or 4 tables running. I think two were 1/2 hold em, one was 2/5 hold em, and one was that crazy game the garden gnome loves. . . Omaha hi/lo.
Then I look over at the 2/5 game. . .
Lori was clueless, but said to her: "Look over there!" Lori: "What???"
There was Greg Raymer playing in the 2/5 game. Shocked the both of us. Because we are out in the middle of nowhere, and we see him. Granted we have seen him a couple times before in Vegas. But this was no where area.
Then I had my "Rounders" moment. . .
I sat down at that game -- and took down Raymer!!!!
Okay, okay -- this is what really happened. I did think about about sitting in that game even though it was outside my bankroll, and the table was full at that point. Lori said do it!! So I waited a few minutes hoping that a seat would empty, because i was going to do it.
I figured I'd have a story to tell in my own weird horse kinda way.
Well a chair did open up -- fricken Raymer went to cash out.
So now we are there in the middle of no where in Michigan, and actually see a pro again. And both Lori and I acted like little school girls "You say hi, no you say hi"
Granted we both have meet most of the major Pros before --but, it was the perfect storm of being "Dorks"
So I said: "Well you have boobs -- say hi first"
And she did. We talked briefly, and i think he was slightly scared of us (being poker pro stalkers). But what are you gonna do?
So that was the fun in the first couple hours there. Neither of us ended playing cash games. The stacks were huge, and the tables were all regulars.
Then a new star was born. . . .
I'll write part two tomorrow
