Interesting times at the Pai Gow table

The Wizard wrote about meeting Colonel Rob Patton at the Pai Gow Tiles table at the Paris. What he didn't mention is that I was there, and we played some more tiles after dinner at Mon Ami Gabi after Colonel Patton and his wife left for the Rio.

At this second session, the Wizard was losing a lot of his bets, losing his cocktail waitress trivia bets to me (Sorry, Wiz! :p), and I think he had also ran out of religion questions to ask me. So he politely excused himself and went up to his comped room at Paris. I was breaking even or winning, at the minimum of $25 a hand, so I wished him well, and stayed on to play. At this point I had had a few Irish Coffees, but was still feeling okay.

Not long after the Wizard left, two friends came to play at the table. One was a Chinese gentleman who spoke perfect English. The other guy was white, and was with his wife. The Chinese guy took a marker for $10,000, and sat next to me. The Caucasian friend ("Stu") sat on the other side, and took $1,000 in chips from "John's" (Chinese guy's) stack. It soon became clear that the friends were business partners in a factory in Guangzhou, and that John was willing to bet a lot -- a lot -- more than Stu. Stu would bet only one black chip, and his wife would bet a green every once in a while. John had no problem betting stacks of black, and even the occasional yellow ($1,000) chip.

After a few hours, Stu was losing, John was breaking even or winning a little, and I was doing really well. I had turned over two pair three times, an extremely rare hand. (To demonstrate how rare, the Wizard had insisted on taking a picture of it when I got it the first time). Stu and his wife excused themselves, and left. John remained, and a couple more Chinese people took the other spaces. I was now the only white guy at a table betting $25 every hand, while everyone else was betting at least $100.

This is when things started getting serious. John called for a cocktail waitress and a wine menu, which came immediately (he had been tipping the waitresses $100 every trip, and the dealers $100 every push). He ordered a medium-priced wine from California called Cakebread, but he was rebuffed by the beverage manager. She insisted on providing a bottle of 2008 Opus One. This is one of the most expensive wines you can buy -- most restaurants in Vegas sell it for $600-$800 a bottle. The server brought a bottle, a stand for the wine, and glasses for everyone at the table. He asked, "What do I owe you," and the pit boss said, "Nothing. Just let me know when you are ready for the next one. I already have it comped."

So I was now drinking ridiculously expensive, ridiculously good wine, as well as winning money. The table got on some really good streaks, and when it got bad, we co-banked against the house and somehow turned it around. John pushed his bets up to $5,000 a hand. We needled the pit boss to raise the maximum to $10,000 (for some reason Paris sets the limit on tiles at $5,000), but he said to talk to his vice president. Meanwhile, they kept bringing more bottles of Opus One, which I kept happily drinking when it was offered to me.

Finally, at around 7:00 A.M., the table broke. It just wasn't possible to win anymore. We all cashed out a ton ahead, John at least $50K, and bid each other farewell. It is hard to replicate this kind of gambling session. I went back the next night to try and get on the game, but it was New Year's Eve and minimums were $100. I saw many of the same people playing, including John, but they didn't seem to have as many chips this time. Ah, for more winning nights...

Wow. That's a great evening.

But I gotta ask: Was the wine any good?

A bottle of 2008 Opus One sells for about $175
a bottle retail. The casino gets it at a wholesale
price, which is probably around $100. I used
to be in the liquor business. Cakebread sells
for around $50 for a good red, $25 to the casino
probably. You got the better of the 2 wines.

Quote: DJTeddyBear

Wow. That's a great evening.

But I gotta ask: Was the wine any good?

Oh, yeah. I've made amends to the Wizard for arguing that expensive wine doesn't taste any better.

The most amazing thing was that the wine literally changed as it was sitting in the glass. It was one wine when it came out of the bottle, and fifteen minutes later, it was something else and unbelievably more dense and complex. I was still tasting it the day after...

Quote: teddys

It was one wine when it came out of the bottle, and fifteen minutes later, it was something else and unbelievably more dense and complex. I was still tasting it the day after...

Thats why you let a good wine breathe before you
drink it, so it develops its real character. I drink
Ripple, screw cap. Just kidding, Gallo stopped
making Ripple a while ago.

Quote: teddys

Oh, yeah. I've made amends to the Wizard for arguing that expensive wine doesn't taste any better.

Yes, the irony is just sickening. At dinner we were arguing about wine. If I understand Teddy's position correctly, he was saying there was no correlation between price and quality. At least I got him to admit he was wrong.

As usual, I left just before things got fun.

May I post that picture?

Wizard's Postulate on Wine: quality =~ sqrt(price)

I had some 20 year old sherry years ago and have
never gotten over it. The flavor was so suble and
unique, I wanted to drink a quart of it.

Teddys, are you saying this game was more fun than our video blackjack sesh at Vegas Club? I'd say close second at best ;)

Here is Teddy with his two pair. Note he had both the high and low sixes. Sorry for the blurry quality. You'll have to take it from me that Teddy looks like a young Tom Cruise.

Sounds like a lot of fun. I would love to be sitting at a table with somebody playing that much and being that generous with the staff. It makes them much more attentive to everybody and everyone has a really good time.

Nice to see a two pair... I hope it won. Last time I had two pair (mixed 8s, chong), it pushed to a gong/Gor pair.

Quote: Wizard

You'll have to take it from me that Teddy looks like a young Tom Cruise.

What is he, mid 30's? I dunno, a young Jonah Hill, maybe.

Quote: Wizard

Here is Teddy with his two pair. Note he had both the high and low sixes.

I take it that's a good hand?

Quote:

You'll have to take it from me that Teddy looks like a young Tom Cruise.

Oh, no. He's much better looking than that. Nicer, too.

Quote: EvenBob

What is he, mid 30's? I dunno, a young Jonah Hill, maybe.

For what it's worth, I think Jonah Hill is a much better actor than Tom Cruise. You can take this prediction to the bank: Hill will win an Oscar by the time his career is finished. I fear Cruise's time has passed. In my opinion, his best chance was for Rain Man. He outperformed Dustin Hoffman in that movie. Jerry Maguire and Magnolia were good, too. His last movie, Knight and Day, was literally painful to watch.

And I'm closer to Hill's age than Cruise's.

Cruise is 50, Hill is 29. You could be mid 30's and
still be way closer to Hill.

Quote: teddys

For what it's worth, I think Jonah Hill is a much better actor than Tom Cruise. You can take this prediction to the bank: Hill will win an Oscar by the time his career is finished.

Hill was nominated for an Oscar today for "Moneyball." My prediction may come true sooner than I thought ... :)

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Ted - it was great to meet you and sorry we couldnt play too long. Defiinitely glad to read about your win and wine!
Hope to see you again (even if you are caucasian - lol) and we can enjoy some good times and good drinks at our next table.

best wishes from the one, and only, Colonel Rob

That sounds amazing, long winning sessions with good table group dynamic, are a fun time it's hard to explain to those who don't play.

Well put Dave!