A losing day in Central California

I did a bit of driving yesterday. My original plan was to just drive 150 miles to a casino south of Eureka. I arrived there at 2:30 in the afternoon. After parking and entering the poker room, I discovered there is no poker on Tuesday night in this Casino. So I began to drive south on the Avenue of the Giants through the Redwoods of Humboldt and Mendocino counties.

It took a little over 2 hours to go 40 miles because I was averaging 20 miles an hour in order to enjoy driving this scenic alternative to US 101. By the time I got to Willits, home of Black Bart Casino, I had driven 300 miles.

Then I discovered Black Bart’s didn’t have poker either.

Another 20 miles put me in Ukiah. We lived here in 1980-1983. We had some significant memories of our time then. We owned our first home, our son was born there, our daughter went to pre-school, and so on. After driving past the Church, where I was a pastor and then the area we used to live in, I thought “how did we ever live in such a small quiet place like this”?

I tried to locate a poker game in town. I saw a billboard for Robinson Rancheria Casino that offered poker but it was about 22 miles east of the direction I wanted to go. I pulled into a Wal-Mart to cook some dinner and do some thinking.

I called a little casino in Hopland, which is about 20 miles ahead. Even though it was more driving today, it was in the direction I was going. They did have a game, and I knew they had a parking lot where I could spend the night.

It was a very bizarre Poker game. It was 3-6 limit hold-em with 7 people. Everyone except me, played every hand, and bet almost every opportunity.(No raises, no folding, just bets and calls) At least 4 people saw the river every hand.

Five of them appeared to be migrant workers, three spoke only Spanish, two helped interpret for the other three. Four of them weren’t sure what hand beat what, and the dealer would have to help them at showdown. In most cases they didn’t know, if they had won or not when every body showed cards. But, they all had fun.

The game broke in about 2 hours because 4 of them lost all their money. But, they seemed to have a lot of fun at it, even when they lost.

I didn’t catch many cards but I still left up $40 for the couple of hours I was in the game.

The next morning I filled up with gas in Santa Rosa and toured Petaluma. We lived there in 1989.

I looked at our old property and met the current caretaker. She game me a tour and it hasn’t changed much except for the 20 years of tree growth. In 1989 I went through a deep period of depression and one of the things that helped me was planting trees.
So consequently I planted 18 redwood trees, 4 fruit trees, a weeping willow and an assortment of others. As you might imagine, these trees dominate the area around the modular home where we used to live. But, they do look beautiful.

I stopped in at Sonoma Joes Poker room in Petaluma. It is now called Casino 101. They had 6 poker tables and I was able to get into a No-Limit game after playing an hour of 4/8. I was outdrawn three times, and failed to catch a straight and a flush. I was chasing too much. I was down about $500 when I caught two big pair and they held up. I left about 6 p.m. only down about $150

I wish that was where it ended for the day.

But, no…. I wanted to get to the eastside of the Bay Area so I wouldn’t have traffic for tomorrow. I made my way across the top the San Francisco Bay, and crossed the Benicia Bridge into the East Bay area of Pacheco.

I located the Grand Casino in Pacheco and played 6/12 limit while I waited for a seat No-Limit Seat. I lost $300 there and finally my seat opened up in No-limit. I went up and down from 200 to 100 with my initial buy-in. Then four of us called a $25 bet. The button pushed all-in for $125. I had KJ Diamonds and would have thrown it away with one caller. I knew from the stack sizes if I called 2-4 others would also, go all-in giving great implied odds to a hand that would play well multi-way.

I called, and sure enough 4 others called resulting in a pot of about $600. When all the hands were exposed I liked mine the best. The first who pushed all in had A8 off suit. Another had A7, and another had K9 and then a 78off suit. Mine was the most potential outs. The A7 was hearts and he caught three hearts for a flush to win it all.

I was down and out. I had reached the maximum I allow myself to lose in one day, so I gave up my seat and left.

I drove across the California Delta Area in the dark which was an eerie experience.

There was no moon and I could just barely make out the murky water as I drove across the tops of levees and crossed drawbridges, many of which were a single lane for both directions. I was praying I wouldn’t meet a truck or another RV on one of these and my prayers were answered. I thought if I drive off what of these poorly lit, winding levees I will become a permanent part of the California Delta Waterway system and never be seen again.

In Stockton, I missed the turnoff for the Super Wal-Mart, and ended up driving 8 miles in the wrong direction before I discovered my error.

Oh well, tomorrow is a new day. I am looking forward to it.

P.S. Just when I thought I could not get any more unlucky today I awake at 2 A.M. to Pokey barking at someone who is approaching the van and trying to look into the driver’s side window.

Then I notice a yellow flashing light and realize it must be the Wal-Mart security person.

Now, there is a knock on the side door, as Pokey is growling and barking like a mad dog, as I try to locate my clothes and dress quickly in the dark.

I open the door and the security guard is telling me how sorry he is, but he has no choice.

He further tells me he doesn’t agree with the decision, but the manager called him and wants no one sleeping in the parking lot in their RV’s.

There are not a lot of us, only one other Class C and a Class A 35 footer. I guess Stockton is not most people’s vacation destination of choice.

I follow the Class C out of the parking lot. He drives across the street to the Home Depot lot and resumes his sleep.

I decide to go a few blocks further and find a side street with a number of truckers sleeping. I join them for the rest of the night and go back to sleep remembering the only other time we were run off from a Wal-Mart. It was in 2002, in Homestead, Florida at the entrance to the Florida Keys, and several police cars showed up like it was a major drug bust.

In this terrorist age, with repeat offender criminals, let out of prison daily, and serious crime at and all time high, you can sleep well, knowing there are a few brave souls on the frontlines, protecting this country in the middle of the night, by keeping seniors and retirees from invading your local Wal-Mart.