deardealer

Readers will have a hard time believing this one. Several years ago we moved from San Jose to Phoenix, Az. I was playing in a $100 buy-in L Hold-em tourney at “Casino Arizona” in Scottsdale. There was a very large man sitting to my left and playing very snug. He raised preflop with 9-9 and then two players called in front of me. I called with A-K off. I check the flop with no help and he bets with two callers behind, one of which is all in. I call with my big slick and then a J comes on the turn. Knowing that I want to call a bet with 2 overs (short stack), I just bet out hoping the guy on my left puts me on a J. With two players behind him, he lays down his hand. I have to show my hand to the all in player and I win. The 9-9 player goes ballistic. The next round puts him in the big blind and me in the small. I raise him all in and knock him out of the game. He gets up and kicks the chair into my arm really hard before he walks out of the door. The players are amazed and the dealer asks if I am alright. It hurts a little and as the hour progresses, it becomes numb.

I get knocked out of the tourney about a half hour later and go to security to file a report. They asked why I didn’t go to them immediately. Hey, I still had chips and it was a pretty big money tourney. They called their ambulance and then questioned weather or not I could just have my husband drive me. We tried to cooperate and I went to the emergency room at The Mayo Clinic. The nurse took my statement about my injury and said, “You should have come here by ambulance. It would have helped your case and you would be seen sooner”. I was diagnosed with a torn rotator cuff in my left shoulder. I couldn’t even get my hospital bill paid by The Casino Arizona. I sent them all the documentation and they sent me a letter of apology. Not needed, just take my hospital bill out of petty cash. Nope the wonderful American Indian gaming industry of Arizona didn’t think it was an issue for them. It was their property but they are not bound by the same laws of the state as a non Indian casino would be. They are not subject to the laws of the city or state. They have their own law and my injury just wasn’t covered by it. Many stories like this will never be read in any publication because it is just not good politics. My politics are just that of a law biding American citizen.

The only publication that I have read about cheating and real stories no matter how politially correct is my favorite, “Poker Pro”. This blog and that magazine are the homes of true grit. We choose to exercise our freedom of speech because after all what do we really have but free speech and the choices we make!

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