A VEGAS ROLLER COASTER
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
by Bruce Harris
----------------------
     (The writer publishes articles on the gaming industry in several      
national magazines.  In the last issue of "Currents" we pubished the
first part of his account of a visit to Las Vegas for the twenty-fifth
World Series of Poker, first published in "The Card Player" magazine. 
Herewith we offer a further report on that trip, courtesy of "The
Northwest Gambler."  Mr. Harris has also published GAMBLING IN
PARADISE, a collectors' item guidebook to legal poker parlors in the
modern West, available for $10.95 from CARDROOM DATABASE, 1537A 4th
St., San Rafael, CA 94901.)

     Long-time readers of "The Gambler" may recall my "Bay Area Beat" byline,
which ran in this publication for nigh unto three years.  As a sporatic 
contributor since, I was flattered that our ever-ebullient publisher, Lydia 
Pollak, not only recognized my voice when I called, but agreed to sponsor me 
once more as an entrant in the Press Invitational (free entry) Tournament
held just before the $10K buy-in event, the no-limit Texas Hold'em match for
the World Series of Poker Champion.  This year, World Series host  Jack
Binion,owner of Binion's Horshoe Casino in Downtown Las Vegas, mot only
awarded the Silver Anniversary World Poker Champion a first prize of over a
million dollars in cash, but added the winner's weight in silver to the
purse.
     I didn't spend too much time at Binions.  The twenty other tournaments
held there in the month-long competitions schedule were beyond my means, with
entry fees of $1500-$5000, as were the big-limit "live" games spinning off
from them.  I spent my five days in Lost Wages prowling around the poker 
rooms in the casinos on the Strip, playing in six clubs, eleven sessions, two
to six hours.
     My second, most successful and disastrous, day began as an exercise in 
keeping cool on the long walk between my hotel and the Strip, two Las Vegas
blocks, about a half mile, or eight casinos.  I was going to meet a friend 
for lunch at the Mirage Casino's thirty-table poker parlor, and to try to get
back the $350 I'd misplaced there the day before.  By 10:30 AM it was already
well into the nineties.  I proceeded to wander in  and out of op-posite ends
of each casino, working my way door-to-door down the street, mostly in air-
conditioned bliss.  On the way, I put my only three quarters into a video
poker machine, and ran them up to $12.  At the next casino, I quickly hit a
jackpot that paid 590 coins for my 3-coin bet, and cashed in $135 to the good
walking to lunch.  A good day got better as I went up  against live opponents
in three real poker games, getting up from the last one ahead almost $500 for
the day.  Unfortunately, there was one more casino between the end of my walk
back to the hotel and the sanctuary of my room. Forgetting basic players'
axioms, to stick to your best game, and never play tired, I got into marathon
blackjack game, and ended the 24-hour siege reduced to $100 stucker than I
began it.  I don't know if any of the new theme parks going up in the desert
are going to feature roller coasters, but  after that expensive stroll, I've
already had my ride.
     Given the size and success of the Poker Room at The Mirage, and the
World Series going on Downtown, I was surprised at how busy the Luxor, MGM.
Excalibur, Flamingo, and the few other cardrooms I scanned, bud didn't 
patronize, were.  These latter poker parlors have from 5-15 tables, and were
running at 50-75 per cent of capacity. 
     Perhaps the most interesting game I played in was at the one table in
the Bourbon Street Casino at 120 E. Flamingo Road, next door to the Maxim.
The poker game, either 7-card Stud or Texas Hold-em $1-$4-$8, depending on 
players, is hosted by Mike Gwozdecke (pronounced just as its spelled).  The 
poker table is situated next to a craps table, with video slots on two other 
sides, and the dealer facing the pathway leading to the cashier's cage.  This
exposes a constant stream of casino customers to the blandishments of
Gwozdecke and his shift-mate (Bill or Bob), who trade off dealer and floorman
duties on the half hour.
     There are no plans to expand the operation at Bourbon Street.  Mike
makes the valid point that a poker game, situated, as this one is, where it
does not take much floor space away from either table games or slots, can be
as profitable per square foot as any other casino game.  In fact, one of the
quaint interruptions to the card game occurs when one of the dice flies over
the side of the adjacent craps table and lands under the poker table.    
     Mike Gwozdecke's background in poker harks back to playing in "home"
games in his home town of Paterson, New Jersey, and to the 1960's, a time
when I also had occasion to spend time in that small city.  This was a time
when Paterson, founded by Alexander Hamilton to be America's first planned
industrial center, was under the stewardship of Mayor Francis Xavier Graves,
and had a reputation as one of, if not the most, corrupt cities in the
country.
     Mike and I had planned a pleasant time reminiscing as he regularly
coaxed players with little or no experience into the game.  Most of the time,
the other players would be one or two locals, a few visitors from legal poker
states, such as myself, and, if needed, the floorman as prop.  The game
is extremely lively, both in action in the pots, and in constant reaction to,
and often ribald commentary on,the constant flow of humanity, passing closer
to the players than in other casino cardrooms, which are generally at least
railed off from other games and foot traffic.  This makes the game closer
to a raucous home game in atmosphere, even as Mike runs as professional an
operation as any other I encountered.  If he has to slow the game more often
to explain the blinds, or string bets, or other public cardroom rules to
kitchen table heroes, he and the other dealer make up for lost time with
fast, error-free performances in the box.  Bourbon Street's poker table
is open from 5 p.m. until dawn daily, although I'm sure Mike will arrange to
go 'round the clock if he has the players.  Play enough hours during your
visit, and you may qualify for the weekly one-table freeze-out freeroll
tournament, the details of which were being worked out during my visit.
     Stop by and visit Mike, Bob, and Bill at Bourbon Street and play a few
hands on your next trip to Las Vegas.  And be sure to tell them, _The
Gambler_ sent you.

       ...see also A Installment One