8 Comments
User's avatar
Daniel Nest's avatar

Not to brag, but I've won my share of Texas Hold 'Em sit-n-gos. I even won a 2-dollar buy-in online tournament with almost 1000 entrants once.

Sure, I lost way more than I'd won on average, but that doesn't count right?

Expand full comment
Andrew Smith's avatar

I really do love holdem. I probably need to write about this too. We should play some time!

Expand full comment
Daniel Nest's avatar

Why not. Gambling with friends is technically NOT gambling, I guess?

Expand full comment
Andrew Smith's avatar

Especially with like a $20 buy in.

Expand full comment
Andrew Sniderman 🕷️'s avatar

My only good gambling story was a Texas Hold’em tournament. It was a ‘morale’ event for my larger group; maybe a couple hundred people staged in a big conference room, yes in Texas, Houston I think—at the Four Seasons. There were maybe 20 tables; I’d never played before but got lots of help and kept winning. After a couple hours it was down to 1 table and my big boss had both hands on my shoulders yelling something about me being his ‘horse.’ Drinks were plentiful and free at morale events too. Big boss hands on me made me nervous so I think I was the fourth to drop, but I won one of those suitcase’s of chips and such that looks like it’s holding a high powered rifle, and was a bitch to get home on the plane.

Expand full comment
Andrew Smith's avatar

Oh wait, like one of those silver-colored casino chip holders? I ended up owning one of those when someone left it at my house, I think.

Expand full comment
David Perlmutter's avatar

I've been encouraged not to gamble, so you would never see me at a casino in "The Meadows" (what Las Vegas means in English, though I doubt there are too many left, and none on the Strip). My family is concerned enough about me not spending money recklessly, and ever since I read Dostoyevsky's "The Gambler" (which is somewhat autobiographical) I fear becoming ruined by it.

Expand full comment
Andrew Smith's avatar

Good for you to avoid danger spots. For me, I feel it was necessary to become who I am today... but also, things could have gone very differently.

Expand full comment