I never thought I’d find myself in an actual poker room. After starting a small bankroll on PokerStars while I was deployed to Iraq a year ago, I figured I would be condemned to playing poker with the computer screen for all occasions other than the random party with a few interested friends. I moved to Tampa this August, and to my surprise found myself situated a mere ten minutes from Derby Lane in St. Petersburg. This peaked my excitement immediately.
I had played my game of no-limit hold ‘em in one casino near my home in Kentucky for my 21st birthday. It wasn’t a pleasant experience, and it didn’t help that I really had no idea what I was doing at the time. Walking into the poker room at Derby Lane, I was impressed. There were no clouds of smoke, no abrasive staff, and the folks there made it easy for me to acclimate to the brick & mortar scene. I took my $40 buy-in, sat down at the $1/$1 table, and knew that this was going to be my preferred place of business.
Jack 5 was dealt to me on my very first hand. I typically always play my first hand (at least on cash tables) just for the heck of it. The table observes its opponent, a trifecta of fishiness: young, dumb, and reckless. The table calls, the flop reveals, Jack 5 and something else I obviously didn’t remember out of sheer amazement at my luck. I bet a small amount. I am raised. I call hoping for the best, and in a couple of minutes, I’ve doubled my buy in and won more money at a $1/$1 table than I have in my entire career on PokerStars. The rest of the night went pretty well, and I met some great people along the way. I played a tournament earlier this week, and will be back again week. Well done, Derby Lane. You have me hook, line, and sinker.