POKER GHOSTS AT THE RENO HILTON

POKER GHOSTS AT THE RENO HILTON

By Writer94566

This is a true story of mine that happened when I was playing in a large regional poker tournament at the Reno Hilton in Reno, NV called the Fall Pot of Gold Tournament. Today, it is the Grand Sierra Hotel and still a major player in poker tournaments.

I had experienced a really brutal bad beat in the previous evening’s tournament and had awoken with the thought that I would go for a short walk and would probably skip the morning tournament to just take a day off from poker.

On my way to enjoy a fine hand-made Cuban cigar during my morning walk, I ran into a friend of mine, Wayne Karcich, as I passed through the poker tournament area. Wayne greeted me enthusiastically and asked me if I was going to play in the tournament; I said no but Wayne encouraged me. So, I asked the sign up lady if I could have my “lucky seat’ and she asked why it was lucky. I explained that it was my wife had passed away and that her birthday was my luck seat (my wife’s date of birth, March 4th for Table 4, Seat 3); she just nodded her head and I was assigned Table 4, Seat 3. Sherry was born on March 4th, that’s the 3rd month and 4th day, so I thanked her (Today, everything is automated, so that could not happen ) and asked Wayne if he wanted to get some breakfast but he said he had to wait for Renee, his beautiful wife; we agreed to meet in 30 minutes and I went out for my talk to the poker gods while I smoked the remainder of my Partagas Series D #4; a absolutely great breakfast smoke and one of life’s little pleasures that everyone should try at least once.

During the third round of the tournament I heard my deceased wife’s (Sherry Lillian Crump Ballew) voice say to me, “Two of Hearts.” I actually spun around in my seat to look back but no one was there. I was momentarily stunned. The dealer said, “You turn, sir.” I just shook my head to try to clear the emotions and breathed a deep sigh of relief.

Then, I looked down to find the two of Spades and the two of Diamonds for a pocket pair of two’s as my hole cards. I just shook my head and thought, “What a weird coincidence.” Then I thought about being an old man in his rocking chair that was passing time watching people pass by; this old man’s best advice was “You will only regret the things that you don’t do, not the things that you actually do.” So I just smiled inwardly and took his advice as I called the bet.

A small nothing flop came up and I checked; my opponent on my immediate right bet half his chips, no one else had called his bet yet and now it was my turn. While the flop looked harmless, it was still three over cards to my low pair for me. I usually refrain from acting in a hurry, so I thought, “Did I really hear that?” I decided to make the call simply based on the theory that we usually regret the things that we do not do rather than the things that we think that we should do.

The turn brought another over card but not any paint. My opponent moved all-in and I kept thinking. The guy asked me what was taking so long and I told him that I thought that my deceased wife had told me the card that would come up and that if it did, that I would probably win the hand. He laughed in disbelief, so I called, turned over my pair of twos and told him that Sherry said I was going to get the two of hearts. No one could believe that I was that crazy to call off my chips as one smart aleck said, “That’s a first – A ‘Ghost Call’.” Several players laughed aloud while others just smiled and shook their heads.

The dealer burned a card, and then he turned over the river card – the two of Hearts!

Some of the players at the table actually said, “Good call.” I shook my head and said thanks silently to Sherry as I glanced up to Heaven where my angel was looking down, still protecting her family.

The next day, that same guy brought one of his friends over to me to have me verify the story.  I finished in fourth place in that tourney (a $20+$20 Buy-in event) out of 260 players and won $3,349.

Upon returning to my home in Pleasanton, CA I called Julie, my daughter. I found out that my daughter Julie and her husband Chris had both been laid off that week, so I drove the short distance of about 40 miles to Brentwood, CA to see her in person. Her wonderful twins were sleeping and we had some coffee. I decided to tell her my story about playing poker. I gave my daughter, Julie, the money and told her that it was a gift from her mother by telling her this story. My beautiful daughter Julie had tears in her eyes as she hugged me so hard that I knew she was thinking about her mother, Sherry.

Sherry always had a way of making me a better man and she did it this time, too. We all still miss her; still to this day her memory is alive in us.  I think of Sherry every day that I walk this earth because sherry gave me Julie and Nathan plus our loves still lives.

Family is not about “things” but rather family is about the intangibles of the soul and remembering our family members that are awaiting us in Heaven; as long as we live, Sherry will be alive in our minds and hearts. Sometimes, if we truly believe, we can actually hear them talk to us.

I still find this story incredible; but then I remember that Sherry did it for her daughter, Julie; I was just the messenger.

Taking a chance in 2011

My new year's resolution for 2011 is to be willing to take chances all year long because without risk, there is no growth and or reward!

I am currently unemployed but working hard daily to find a good job in the worst economy that I have ever experienced in my life; however, I found a positive in this situation.  I always wanted to be a writer and throughout the years, I have written stories and poems.  So now, I am working on being a writer by writing something every day - after my job searching, of course.

What have you always thought about doing?

Why not make it one of your 2011 resolutions to, as Nike says, "Just do it"?

Join me in continuing to take chances throughout 2011!

I believe that one of the toughest things to do is... Make a decision!

Why?  Different reasons for different individuals as that is a personal hang-up for all of us but... what's the worst that can happen?

Failure?  Nope, the worst failure is never trying!

How many different filaments did Edison try before succeeding with the light bulb?  Approximately 10,000! 

The point is that you are not a failure except when you quit on yourself or your dream!  So, ask yourself. "What is it that I am secretly afraid of?"

For example, I was secretly afraid to write because maybe my story would be deemed unworthy or worse, criticized by my friends; that is until I came to believe strongly in the "SW-SW-SW Theory"

Let me tell you a personal SW-SW-SW story:

This may be the best and most informative story that I ever share with you.  It comes from my heart and I hope that you will understand the concept that I was teaching my grand daughter, Alexis Sherry Ballew, nicknamed “Lexi”. 

I had the pleasure of taking my grand daughter, Alexis, on Halloween “Trick or Treat” nights for many, many years in her Brentwood neighborhood as we would call on some of her friend’s homes.  Alexis would go out “Trick or treating” with her parents, Gabriellė and Nathan, while I passed out candy at their home; upon their return, Nathan and Gabi would tell me where I could take Alexis.  It was a cool grand pa and grand daughter tradition.  One year, “Lexi” was either six or seven years old and I showed up to take her on our “Trick or Treating” Halloween venture in Brentwood, CA, which about forty miles from my home in Pleasanton, CA. 

I rang the doorbell and Alexis open the front door; I could tell that she had something on her mind.  As I always greeted my kids and grand kids on their level, that is, by getting down on one knee, so as to be equal in height with them.  I felt it was important to be loving and respectful towards children; so I immediately got down one knee to be on her level, as is my customary grand pa greeting and I hugged Alexis and gave her a cheek kiss.  Then I asked her, “Nice costume; but you look worried about something; can I help?”

Lexi took my hand and asked me to go to her room, so that we could talk in private.  OK, no worries.  After she shut her bedroom door, she look at me and said, “Do you like my costume?”

“Yes, Alexis.  Who are you supposed to be on this Halloween?”

“I’m going as Britney Spears.” (This was way before Britney shaved her head totally bald and went totally bonkers!) 

“Papa Bill, I am worried that some people will laugh at me because my tummy shows a little bit in this costume.”

I answered, “SW, SW, SW.”

“What does that mean, Papa Bill?” 

“Some will, some won’t, so what!”

I asked Lexi to repeat it out loud.  She smiled as she repeated our secret code: “SW, SW, SW.” We made a game of it. “Some will, some won’t, so what!”  We took turns repeating it several times.  We sat down on the floor and we talked about how it is important to always have fun in everything that we do, even when we go out and “Trick or Treat” in her neighborhood where everyone knows you.  Alexis was no longer bothered by any fear of acceptance but rather she was excited and in the moment as most children seem to be at Halloween; I think that God gave that ability to children as a gift.  Halloween was fun again as we were about to embark on another adventure of candy hunting.  This was a reward for being a grand parent and I love being a grand pa to all three of my grand children: Alexis, Hunter and Sierra!

I also told Alexis that it was important to do things that you liked to do like “Trick or Treat” but that some people did not like Halloween and so if they wanted us to ask for candy, their porch light would be on and that if a porch light was off, that we did not knock on that door because it was a secret code for “No candy.”  Kids are smart.  She understood. 

Then I said that the most important opinion on the costume was her opinion (and her father and mother’s, of course) but I asked if her tummy was going to be cold?  Alexis answered, “Maybe a little but I want to wear this costume.”

“Then remember what “SW, SW, SW” means and we said it out loud, again.  Lexi was happy and she had accepted the “SW, SW, SW” solution; quick and easy!  That’s what Grand Pa’s do!  Make life easy for our grand children to understand and enjoy; isn’t that the secret of love?  Acceptance.  Just being ourselves, with one another.

So the lesson is clear:  If you learn anything from this story and use it, then good.  Pass it on to someone that you love. 

Don’t let other people’s opinions of you become your opinion of yourself!  Be true to yourself. 

Some people learn from their mistakes while others learn from someone else’ mistakes.  No problem, what ever works!  Wisdom comes from mistakes; and what about what everyone else thinks?   No problem, I have an answer that works for our family; what’s your answer? 

SW – SW – SW

“Some Will, Some Won’t, So What!”

Write me back and let me know if you will join me on this 2011 Quest of taking a chance on a dream....

Thanks,

Writer94566