Friday, September 28, 2007

Chapter 25

Tricia woke up on Saturday morning and started to give Matt a call before she remembered that he would be up at the cabin and she probably would not get him. She took a quick shower and was soon dressed and walking toward the café where she had agreed to meet Kevin for breakfast. She was, wonder of wonders she thought, a little early. Kevin was there talking with a young couple.

As she approached she saw the woman hand him one of the poker magazines that were being given away free. When he signed it and handed it back Tricia supposed it was the one where she’d noticed his picture from the last circuit event before this one.

“Well good luck guys. I’ve got to run. Remember to check out that book. I think it will answer most of your questions.” Kevin said shaking their hands and turning to Tricia just as she got to him.

“Well good morning Sunshine. You look like you got a good nights sleep.”

Tricia smiled. “I did.”

Gesturing toward the couple he’d been talking to, “Part of your fan club?”

Kevin shrugged. “They wanted to say hello and had some questions. I was killing time because I was early anyway. It still feels odd to have people want my signature and to recognize me like that.”

“I’d think you’d be used to it by now.”

“You’d think so wouldn’t you?” Kevin said holding her chair for her as the hostess showed them to a table. “We’ll see how you handle it when it’s your turn.”

Tricia laughed. “I doubt that day will ever come. I’m just an interested amateur.”

“We’ll see,” Kevin said, pausing as the waitress took their order, then he went on. “Are you planning toplay more of these or is this a one shot deal for you?”

“I hope to play more,” Tricia said. “My husband seems to be ok with the idea which is actually surprising.”

Kevin nodded. “You know that Jaime told me about your history together. I sort of figured that maybe you would not be able to get to these. You also have a child right?”

“Matty, he is six.”

“Your husband is taking care of him while you’re here?” Kevin asked.

Tricia snorted. “Yeah right. Matty is with my parents while I’m here. Matt is not the most hands on father there has ever been for all that he is the one who really wanted to have a baby.”

“Mmmm ok,” Kevin said.

“Do you think you’ll try to come to circuit events on anything like a regular basis?” Kevin asked. “The reason I ask is that I think if you play regularly, even if it’s only four times a year, with occasional trips to your closest local casinos, I think you can really improve. You’ve shown me a lot that I like in your game.”

“Well thank you,” Tricia said, pleased. “I would like to be able to do this regularly I think. A lot will depend on Matt. He’s been acting strange this whole time and honestly I can’t say what he will be thinking when I get back. Right now he seems to be encouraging me but that in itself is strange.”

“I don’t want to pry into your personal life Tricia. I would like to see you at more of these. I think you have a lot of promise. It will be tough on you though juggling a marriage and a child and these tournaments. At least you seem to be looking at it realistically.”

“This has been the best time I’ve had in a long time,” Tricia said, reflecting on just how true that was. “I’d sure like to try.I’m flattered that you think I have some promise. I’ve been surprised at how well I’ve done. I hope it’s not just beginners luck.”

Kevin chuckled. “You’re not exactly a beginner. I can tell from having watched you play that you’ve not only played a reasonable amount but have done some reading. We’re going to have to get you out of those boring little $4/$8 games soon though.”

“I happen to like those. Maybe I’m chicken but I do well in them and I’m not greedy. Right now I don’t want to risk more of my bankroll than I can help. I’ve actually grown it a good bit on this trip. I’m happy.”

“Mostly I’m teasing but not completely,” Kevin said. “You have to play in your comfort zone but you also want to maximize your potential. That’s not really what I wanted to talk about this morning and we don’t have a whole lot of time.”

“Well what’s on your mind then?”

“A couple of things. I wanted to see what your plans were for the future. We covered that. Now I want to talk about today’s event. Why aren’t you playing?”

Tricia shrugged. “I don’t want to just buy in and I didn’t get a chance to play enough satellites to win my way in. The ones I played just broke even.”

“Can I ask how much you have in your bankroll available for poker?”

Tricia shrugged and told him.

“The way you play I don’t think the $1000 buy in is too much to risk from that but I can see why you’d feel that way,” Kevin told her. “You said you’re playing the ladies event?”

Tricia nodded. “I am but I sort of fell into that. I met this couple. Gary and Sandy. I guess we’ve gotten kind of friendly. The came up to me yesterday and Gary said he wanted Sandy to play the ladies event butshe was afraid to. He was going to buy her in and then offered to buy me in too because she said she would play if I did.”

“How much of your action did he want?”

“Huh?”

“How large a percentage of your winnings do you have to give him if you don’t mind telling me.” Kevin asked.

“Well he started out at 50%  but Sandy talked him down to 25%. It seemed pretty reasonable to me. It won’t cost me anything to try and I could make a bundle if I do well.”

Kevin shrugged. “So you’re not opposed to a deal?”

“Did you have something in mind?” Tricia asked. “Something like you have with Jaime maybe? Is that what you offered Rick?”

Kevin laughed. “Slow down. We’re not quite to that point yet but I do have a deal for you. How about a save?”

“What is that?” Tricia asked. “I’ve heard the term but am not sure what it is exactly.”

“What I’m proposing is something I usually don’t do but I would like to see you get the experience and think you just might do very well. I’ll split the buy in with you. All I’m asking in return is that if you cash then you give me what I paid of your buy in back. If I cash and you don’t then I’ll pay the other half of your buy in so it will cost you nothing as long as I cash. The worst part of this deal is for you if we both cash but you only cash near the bottom, you’d just break even. That would apply to me also except I’m not paying my own buy in. The upside is that you get to play a $1000 buy in tournament with a chance for a good cash and I’m not asking for a percentage of your action. Normally I’d want 50% from a new player if I put up 50% of your buy in.”

Tricia was nodding,following what he was saying. “That’s a save?”

“Well strictly speaking, no. A true save would be between two people who both buy in. The deal there is that if one cashes and one doesn’t then the one who cashes pays the one who didn’t back half their cash up to the full value of a buy in, everything over that would be profit. Make sense?”

“I guess but you’re saying you’ll put up $500 of my buy in and all I have to do if I cash is give you the $500 back?”

Kevin nodded, “Plus if I cash and you don’t I’ll pay the other half of your buy in for you.”

“That sounds like an awfully good deal for me and not that great for you.”

“I told you it’s not a deal I’d give just anyone. I’ve got an ulterior motive.” Kevin said with a smile.

Tricia’s eyebrows rose as she looked at him.

Kevin chuckled. “I don’t care what you may have heard I’m not trying to get you in bed but believe me if Jaime wasn’t a good friend that might not be the case.”

Tricia felt herself blushing. That was what she’d been thinking but hearing him talk about it so matter-of-factly was something she wasn’t used to and it had her feeling a little flustered. Had he just told her that he would, in fact, like to sleep with her?

“Earth to Tricia,” she heard Kevin say. She looked at him and he was smiling at her.

“My ulterior motive is related to the fact that I really like you. As a matter of fact I gave this same deal to Jaime shortly after I met him. I would like nothing better than to have you cash in a big way and really build your bankroll. Even if you don’t though I want you to see that you can play on this level. I hope in the future you’ll remember this and be willing to make deals with me that would be very profitable to both of us.”

“Whatever happens Kevin I won’t forget it.” Tricia told him.

“So you’ll accept the deal? It could still cost you $500.”

“I don’t see how I can turn it down,” Tricia said. “I know it’s a long shot for me to cash but I’ve been doing pretty well and like you said I could get a really good payday for a risk of only half a buy in.”

Kevin nodded. “Ok then, let me pay this check and we’ll go get you signed up for today’s event.”

No comments: