Playing on Other People's Money

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April 22nd, 2018
Back Playing on Other People's Money
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On a Saturday morning in Las Vegas, I woke up ready to play poker.

The temperature was in the high 80s as I parked my car in the parking garage at Binion's Horseshoe. Although it was just 10 a.m., the tables were already filling up but Jim Albrecht, one of Benny Binion's trusted poker executives, managed to find me a seat at $-8 Texas Holdem.

Although I was familiar with most of the players, two were strangers to me. They were Vietnamese and they looked enough alike to be brothers.

On the first hand, the dealer presented me with pocket kings. I won the pot and it just got better after that.

By 7 p.m., my winnings totaled more than $600 which wasn't bad at all for a $4-8 game. As I stretched back in my seat, I felt a light tapping on my shoulder.

The tapper was a good looking light-skinned black man. He was well dressed in a suit. He introduced himself as Daniel Kirk. He handed me his card and said, 'When you get a break, I'd like to talk to you.'

I had been playing steadily for more than eight hours and felt I could use a break. I got up from the table and followed Kirk to the rail. On the way I read his business card. It gave his name, phone number, a P.O. box number in Las Vegas, and it stated, 'The only friend you will ever need.' I smiled at the statement.

'Okay,' I said, 'what's on your mind?'

He said, 'I play poker on other people's money. I'm a dealer at another casino on the Strip. If you lend me $40 for a buy-in, I'll return the $40 to you and give you half of what I win.'

His request caught me off-guard. But I had to smile. I liked his style. I wasn't sure I could trust him, but I went on instinct. I reached into my pocket and gave him the money.

'Normally I wouldn't do this, but I'll take a chance on you,' I said. 'If you aren't straight, your bank is out of business and our business relationship is terminated.'

He smiled. 'I'm straight. Thanks for the loan.'

He went to sign up for a game and I returned to my table.

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For the next several hours I played and won more money than I lost. It was near midnight when I decided it was time to catch some sleep. I felt another tap on my shoulder. It was Kirk. He wordlessly handed me an envelope and smiled.

The envelope contained $320 and his card.

'I told you I was straight,' he said. 'Thanks for the loan.'

Kirk and I became good friends. He usually had a girl or two with him when he entered a poker room. Some of the other players and dealers thought he was a pimp. That wasn't true. Kirk was just a nice guy, a gentleman, who had a good gift of gab that women loved.

He explained his philosophy on playing poker with other people's money.

'It gives me extra motivation when I don't have to risk my money,' he said. 'I win a lot more than I lose and generally, the outcome is good for me as well as the lender.'

Kirk was always impeccably dressed. When I discovered he liked horses, I took him to Mr. Charleston for some horseback riding. Afterward, we had lunch at the Mt. Charleston Inn.

That initial meeting happened over 10 years ago. On my last trip to Las Vegas, I was playing Omaha High-Low at The Orleans Casino and Resort when a familiar face came into view. It was Dan Kirk. He had gained a little weight, but he was still well dressed in a suit and tie. We shook hands and gave each other a hug.

'Do you still play poker on other people's money?' I said.

He smiled. 'As often as I can,' he replied.

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