I Was on the Right End of Some Bad Kardma at Bellagio

by , Apr 16, 2007 | 11:08 pm

I was at the Bellagio the past four days or so. I came in 24th in one of the events … just 23 players away from more than $300,000…almost enough to get Dan some new sex toys a personality a haircut and a new wardrobe.

Anyway, I was playing in this $25/$50 no-limit hold’em cash game when it happened. The Bellagio’s poker tables have a yellow betting line. If while placing a bet, the chips or money do not cross this line, it is not considered part of the bet. That would have been nice to know. However, anyone who plays the game with good intentions doesn’t take advantage of such things and wouldn’t call it on another player when it’s obvious they intended to raise.

The guy to my right was in the big blind. This is a reference few people know, but he looked and dressed like Leon Redbone, a strange old singer. I picked up two $100 chips to raise, to make it $200 to go. I just happened to be sitting in the 2 seat. The line is much farther away from the end seats requiring the 2 and 8 seat players to lean way over to get the money within the line. (And who says poker players aren’t athletes?) It just happened that one chip made it inside the line and the other one was just low and outside. Immediately, the guy in the big blind says, “both chips didn’t go over the line, so that’s not $200”. I said, “Are you kidding me? I made a forward motion and intended to raise. Fine, then it’s only a call.”

The one seat said, “No, it’s a raise to $100.”

I was getting a little irritated and replied, “Listen, it’s either one chip or two chips, two chips is a raise, and everyone knows that one chip is only a call if I don’t announce raise.”


He had the floor-man come over to make a decision and he made the right one. He stated that he was going to use some common sense and judgment. Tom intended to raise, therefore it stands.

Here is the dumb part. It gets folded around to the idiot and he now makes it $1,000 to go. Why would he make such a big deal about it and then raise? There are several reasons, but I made the call, because I thought he might be steaming some vegetables. The flop comes 10-10-4 rainbow. Not bad for my little holding of J-10 suited. He bets out $2,000, and I raise him his remaining $3,500. He calls and turns over two kings. I’ve always wanted to felt Leon Redbone.

I’m sure several questions come to mind. Why did I call his raise with that piece of crap? At the poker table, I almost always receive instant Kardma…yes Dan I know its spelled Carma, Camera, Carmen. Oh and maybe I was a little steamy too and wanted to bust his ass. Why was I raising to begin with? I don’t know. Read someone else’s blog if you want to hear about guys starting with premium hands. Right Dan?


10 Comments to “I Was on the Right End of Some Bad Kardma at Bellagio”


  1. Jason
    says:

    Read someone else’s blog if you want to hear about guys starting with premium hands.

    Easily my favorite quote of the day.


  2. Short-Stacked Shamus
    says:

    Instant Kardma knocked him right on the head. BTW, if this story were told on Beyond the Table, you’d never get past the word Redbone.


  3. Falstaff
    says:

    Can you give me a list of those blogs where people start with premium hands? The bloggers I know all play crap hands, but with style.


  4. Fresh Princess
    says:

    Seriously, premium hands like 72o?
    I’m flying out Thursday, Dan has me bringing you a Pokerati Penis Cap.


  5. jackie trehorn
    says:

    I would have called too, figuring the guy had nothing and was being a jerk thinking he would show me up when i folded and flip 9-2o or something like that. Besides that i CANT STAND leon redbone or his moustache.


  6. hailming.com » Instant Kardma Smack Ya Right In The Head
    says:

    […] think. Anyway, he wrote up an interesting little diddy about an angle shooter going down in flames. Instant kardma. […]


  7. Venita
    says:

    Reminds me of a firsthand story I heard about Kenna James . . . a girl I met at the Bellagio told me this story — she was in the game I’m talking about below.

    There was a raise, and it was Kenna’s turn to act . . . he had been doing a chip trick at the time — with several high-value chips — with his hand leaning out over the table. When it was his turn to act, he fumbled and dropped several of the chips over the betting line. The raiser immediately got excited and said it was a raise since the chips were over the line — and he called.

    Kenna had the nuts and busted him.

    P.S. Leon Redbone is COOL!


  8. DanM
    says:

    Falstaff, those blogs are out there, but nobody reads them.

    ZeeJustin’s blog might be an exception.


  9. Karridy
    says:

    I think Kenna had it figured out.


  10. Pokerati | Texas hold’em blog » Blog Archive » I hereby dub the “Kid Pyrite”
    says:

    […] Update Before I could even publish this, I see that Tuan Le doubled through Pyrite. Love the semi-instant kharma! […]