Monday, October 15, 2007

Chapter 32

Carolyn leaned over and gave Jaime a kiss on the cheek then went off in search of Ruben. As he watched her walk away he saw Tricia talking to Kevin and then saw Kevin gesture toward the entrance to the bar. As Jaime wondered what was up and whether he should go find out Gary stopped at the table.

“Mind if I sit down?” Gary asked.

Jaime gestured at a chair. “Be my guest.”

Gary sat down looking a little uncomfortable. He looked around and finally said. “I feel sort of like a party crasher. I don’t know that Sandy and I belong here.”

“Why not?” Jaime asked.

“You all are the real players. I just do these things for fun and hope to do well sometimes.” Gary said. “I look around and wonder what I’m doing here. I see people I know from TV an people I’ve read about.”

“Well I feel that way myself at times,” Jaime admitted. “It took Kevin a while to drum those kind of thoughts out of my head.”

“He’s something else isn’t he? He’s being really nice to Tricia. I like the way I’ve heard him encourage her.”

“Kevin is a great player but he’s probably an even better teacher and coach. He’s helped me along for a while now. He’s great at developing new players.” Jaime said.

“Does he ever make deals with you or any of the other players he helps?” Gary asked then before Jaime could answer he went on, “The reason I ask is that I’m feeling a little guilty about the deal I had with Tricia.”

<PCLASS=MSOBODYTEXTFIRSTINDENT style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 6pt">Jaime looked at him quizzically. “Why? The way I heard it you offered to pay her full buy-in for 50% of her action then your wife talked you down to 25% right?”

Gary nodded.

“Tricia is, or was, an unknown quantity really, especially to you. You knew she is a rookie. You must have figured the chances she would cash were not good.”

Gary shrugged, looking sheepish. “Well yeah. To tell you the truth I thought the money was gone. I just wanted Sandy to give the tournament a shot and she said she’d feel better if Tricia played too. Why I’m not sure since I told her they would not be playing together.”

Jaime smiled. “I don’t think I’d look too hard for the logic in it. Besides you got what you wanted. Did Sandy have fun? Think she’d do it again?”

Gary nodded. “She seemed to really have fun. She will never like it like I do but I wanted her to try it. I think she will do small buy in tournaments back home some now.”

“Well then you got what you wanted and you got some cash on top of that. What are you feeling guilty about?”

“I didn’t plan to take over $2900 from Tricia! I feel like I cheated her somehow.”

Jaime laughed. “How do you figure that? You could have taken a true 25% some people would have made her pay them on the gross since it was never specified. It was good of you not to. I see nothing to feel guilty about. I think I know Tricia well enough to know that if she felt cheated you’d know it.”

“I got the impression you two had a history. Did you teach her to play poker?” Gary asked.

“I thought Tricia talked to Sandy about all that. She didn’t tell you?”

Gary shook his head. “I guess it was something Sandy felt Tricia didn’t want her to share. I didn’t ask but if it hadn’t been something like that then she’d have just told me. If it’s something I should not be asking about I’m sorry.”

Jaime took a deep breath and said. “It’s something Tricia has to tell you about. If you ask her I’m sure she’ll tell you. If she says you have to ask me then tell her I told you to ask her.”

Gary laughed. “Maybe I should just drop it. I like her a lot and if she wants to tell me she will in her time. If not then it’s ok too.”

“Up to you,” Jaime said. “I did not teach her how to play. Until a few days ago I’d not seen her for the past eight years. I knew she played. I’d seen her online although she didn’t know that. I also knew she had a lot of promise.”

“Well she sure seems to,” Gary said. “That was the easiest $2900 I’ve ever made. I love no-limit cash games and I’ve made that much and more and lost that much and more but never made that much with so little risk.”

Jaime chuckled. “Yeah I know what you mean. I’m glad you made that deal with her though because if you hadn’t then she might not have played and then she wouldn’t have had this success under her belt.”

“I wonder if she is going to play the main event?” Gary said. “You’re in right?”

Jaime nodded. “Part of my sponsorship deal. Are you in?”

Gary nodded. “I had lousy luck in satellites but had good luck in cash games so I bought in. I’ve never cashed in a tournament over $500 yet and I’d love to make this my first one.”

“Well good luck.” Jaime said.

“So do you know if Tricia is playing?” Gary asked again.

“I don’t know. I have mixed feelings about her buying in. I know she hasn’t won an entry.”

“Why do you have mixed feelings after the way she played today?” Gary asked.

“I’m not sure she’s ready and I would like to see her end on a good note. If she busts out too early from the main it would leave a bad taste in her mouth.”

“Why aren’t you sure she’s ready? You’re not trying to tell me she got second in the ladies event on luck are you? That it was a fluke?”

Jaime shrugged. “No, it was not a fluke but it was in large part due to good cards that held up. Granted it takes that to win most tournaments but there were spots I saw and others I heard about where her play was a little ragged and her inexperience showed.”

Gary was frowning at Jaime as if he disagreed and didn’t like Jaime saying it.

“She’s got a lot of skill and she’s got plenty of heart,” Jaime said. “I saw some great plays. I also saw some that, against a different player, could really hurt her. She’s not reading players that well yet. I saw some plays at the final table that showed me that. She will learn but I don’t think a $5000 buy in event, her first one ever, is the place to try that.”

“Well maybe,” Gary said, not looking convinced.

“If she asks me I’ll tell her that she has done phenomenally well in this tournament series both in the tournaments and in cash games. I’m impressed with her limit cash game play as well and look forward to seeing her move up if she is comfortable. On the other hand she needs to study both tournament play and cash game play more. Hell we call can use that. This is practically her first live tournament experience. She can take this and build on it. I’d like to see her watch some of the main and play some more cash games. I’d also like to see her spend some time with Kevin if he is willing going through her game a bit.”

Gary shrugged. “I guess you could be right and you know more about it than I do.”

Jaime saw Tricia come back in chatting with Kevin. He thought she looked happier than she had when they’d left and wondered what they’d talked about. Kevin pointed toward Jaime and they began to move that way when Sandy called to her and motioned her over. He was too far away to hear but could tell that she had just told Kevin that she would join him and Jaime later. She went over and slid in next to Sandy in one of the U shaped booths where she was sitting with Rick.

Kevin walked over and sat down and looked at Jaime and Gary. “What’s up Gents. Solve any of the worlds problems while I’ve been gone?”

Gary squirmed a little uncomfortably and Jaime answered with a smile, “One or two.”

“Well good job.” Kevin said clapping Jaime on the shoulder with his hand. “And while you were doing that did you two drink up all the booze or is there any left for me?”

Jaime, chuckling, caught the eye of a nearby waitress. “Christine, we have a beverage emergency over here.”

The waitress came toward their table. She was typical of what Jaime thought of as the prototype cocktail waitress for this casino, young, busty and friendly. “Oh Christ, what did you spill this time?”

Kevin laughed out loud and looked at Jaime. “She’s got your number doesn’t she?”

Jaime more or less discretely made a rude finger gesture that could have been aimed at either Kevin or the waitress of both. He was smiling though, as were they. “The beverage emergency is that the sponge here is drying out. Would you be so kind as to get him something to wethis whistle so he won’t be so cranky.”

The waitress leaned against Kevin looking down at him and said, “Aww he’s too cute to ever be cranky. You should be nice to him.”

“I thought you were on my side Christine?” Jaime said.

“I am the one who tipped her mate. Didn’t I darlin’?” Kevin grinned, looking at Jaime and then up at Christine.

She made a seductive motion that ended in a brief hug and said, “You took care of me very well sweetie. Now what can I get for you?”

“Johnny Black and water again please.”

After Kevin ordered the waitress looked at Jaime and Gary. “Can I get anything for either of you?”

“I’m fine,” Jaime said.

“I’m fine and I think I should get back to my wife,” Gary said standing up. “If you’ll excuse me?”

“No need to rush off on my account,” Kevin said.

“I really should get back,” Gary said moving over to the table where Sandy, Rick and Tricia were talking.

When he was gone Kevin looked back from where he’d watched Gary walk to his table. “He seems to maybe be miffed with me. Did I say something while we were taking care of Tricia’s financial business that put him off? I can’t think what.”

Jaime smiled and shook his head. “No. I think you intimidate him. He told me when he came over that he feels like he’s crashed this party. It’s all you big rock-star type poker players making him feel like just a rank amateur.”

“Oh bullshit!” Kevin said. “I’m not like that. Am I?”

“No,” Jaime agreed shaking his head. “But he doesn’t know that. I suspect he’s been exposed at one or more table he’s been on to some of our more flamboyant colleagues who ARE like that.”

“I hope you set him straight,” Kevin said. “I’ve played a cash game with him a time or two and he’s not a pushover. Besides he was smart enough to back Tricia in that tournament.”

“What did she want anyway?” Jaime asked. “She looked like she had something on her mind.”

“Pretty much what you’d guessed she would ask one of us tonight.” Kevin said. “I convinced her to sit out of the Main.”

Jaime nodded. “How did she take it?”

“Actually she was greatly relieved although I believe she was trying not to look that way.  She had already thought it through but was thinking about doing it so we would not think she was  a wimp.”

“Told you so.” Jaime smiled.

Kevin smiled, nodding. “Indeed you did. You appear to know the lady as well as you said you do. She really likes you, you know. When your name came up her eyes would sort of sparkle. The way yours do with you pick up a big hand.”

Jaime, who had been taking a sip of his drink, almost choked. “Bullshit!”

“No mate she really does like you.”

“I meant the part about you finding that obvious a tell in my play!” Jaime said.

“Why do you think I always beat you mate?”

Jaime laughed,shaking his head. “You’re really full of it tonight.”

“Do you really think you can make this just friends thing work?” Kevin asked. “It’s never worked that great for me.”

“Well then I could ask you the same thing.” Jaime said smiling at Kevin. “You obviously intend to mentor Tricia to some extent. Do you intend to do it just as a friend?”

Kevin took a deep breath and nodded. “Yeah. I know it’s failed a time or two in the past. It will be easier with her because as far as I’m concerned she’s yours.”

“You mean you want me to mentor her?” Jaime asked.

Kevin rolled his eyes. “Think Devlin…think.”

“Oh,” Jaime said getting Kevin’s meaning finally. “No. She is not mine. Not any longer and really she never was.”

“So it doesn’t bother you that she’s spending time with Mr. Fannin over there?” Kevin said gesturing vaguely toward where Rick was sitting.

“Not really.” Jaime told Kevin.

“I think that’s bullshit,” Kevin said. “Should I cut him loose? Does it make you too uncomfortable having him around?”

“No Kevin. I don’t want you making business decisions based on what you think my personal situation is. I’m telling you I’ll be fine. Rick is not a bad guy. Ok so I guess I’m a little jealous but it also looks to me like they’ve backed off some.”

Kevin shrugged. “She has the makings of a good player Jaime. To be honest she intrigues me.”

“How so?”

“She is so damned emotional at times. She sometimes seems like she’s almost always on the verge of crying and other times seems very happy. But not at the table. At the table she seems to set the emotion aside and just play poker. You know how hard that is to teach anybody to do. Hell I’m not sure I’m as good at that as she is.”

“I noticed that playing with her the other night” Jaime said. “She took some horrendous outdraws. You will in that stupid low limit game. She just shrugged them off. She even told the people that did it to her that it was a good hand. I don’t think she was intentionally playing them. I mean I’ve learned to do that to keep the fish in the game but she just did it naturally.”

“How unstable is her home situation? Do you have any idea?” Kevin asked. “Is there anything we can do to help?”

Jaime laughed. “Well I have a feeling if her husband knew I was within 500 miles of her you’d never see her at another one of these events so there is nothing I can do but try to stay out of the way. My only knowledge of him is really through her so it’s biased. He seems very controlling. She seems to think he’s acting strangely while she’s gone this time. I actually wondered if he might have followed her here or had her followed but by now if he had the shit would have hit the fan.”

“I would really like to see her play more events,” Kevin said. “She has the start of a bankroll for it and I’d be willing to do some backing. Do you think it would help if I visited her at home and met her husband? Do you think it would make him more likely to let her do it?”

“Christ I don’t know Kevin,” Jaime said, surprised. “You really want to see her play more don’t you. You think she could be that good?”

Kevin shrugged. “She can be good. How good you know there is no way to tell. I do know that just in the very short time I’ve known her I’ve seen her blossom some. She sure seems happier and more secure now than she did.”

“I don’t know what to tell you,” Jaime admitted. “I think you’d have to talk to her about it.”

“Well then lets do that,” Kevin said standing up.

“Here? Now?” Jaime asked, surprised.

“No time like the present and the booze may help all around.” Kevin said, giving Jaime a slight shove in the direction of the table where Tricia was still talking to Sandy, Rick and Gary and they were all laughing about something. “Besides it looks like they’re a lot more fun than you are.”

Jaime chuckled and took a slow mock swing at Kevin which he easily ducked, grinning.

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