Jacked

Ok, so it is now monday afternoon and I'm at the office playing tournies. I actually started this post last night but got a call in the middle and I just didn't feel like continuing to tell the story. I will finish it now.


Good morning kids. As you know, it doesn't have to be morning for me to use the phrase "good morning", but the time now is 1:54am so I suppose it is morning. What I'm about to reveal in tonight's post is shocking. I never thought this would happen though I always knew the threat was there.



This afternoon I played several satellite tournaments to try to get into some high buy-in tournies cheaply but despite getting my chips in as good as a 12-1 favorite a few times , I got crushed. I thought for a bit and decided that what I needed was some live action. During my satellite frenzy I received a text message that the straight flush jackpot at the Black Stallion game was $5700. Well, that's quite a chunk and since I hadn't played at that location in a while, since before I broke my arm, I figured I'd take $400 and play a few hands.



So I arrived and I had quite a good time sitting at table 2. I bought in for $200 and had worked my stack up to $600. The night was going well and I was very happy with my decision to go. It was even cold in the house and I was pleased to be wearing a jacket. I love jackets and coats and anything relating to cold weather.



I'm not sure what time it was but for the sake of the story I'll take a guess. I had arrived at about 7:30pm and I'll say it was about 11:30pm when there was a knock at the side door where all players enter the house. Queen, who is the girlfriend of one of the hosts of the game and the waitress as well, asked who it was. I heard the door open and then suddenly it sounded like a scuffle of some sort was taking place in the kitchen. I actually thought it was a fight but when I stood to go find out I saw a sight I've never seen in my life and hoped I never would.



Through the door way to the kitchen I saw only an outstreached hand, cover by a blue surgical glove, holding a gun. My first thought after looking back at people in my room who had a better view, was that the cops were busting the game. But then I heard voices filled with hostility and quickly realised that these intruders were not cops, but robbers. That's right, tonight, I was robbed at gunpoint. Not just me of course, but quite a few people I've come to know over the past couple of years.



My first reaction lasted for only about 3 seconds. I felt terror. I had no idea who these people were, what their level of experience was, or how they would handle the situation. After that initial shock, a calm took over. I heard the demands. They were to give up the money and take our pants off. Ok, these guys wanted our pants. Forgive me readers, but this story is a bit hard to tell. This happened only about 2 hours ago, and It's like a cloud in my mind. I remember looking over and Queen was being held by her hair and a gun was held against the back of her head. From that point, all my fear was for her. She is a very sweet girl and always an absolute delight to have around the game. The piece of shit who was holding her was acting a bit maniacal. He was threatening to "blow her brains all over the floor".


It seemed chaotic. There was yelling. There were guns being pointed and waved around. I've never had a gun pointed at me and I've never seen a friend with a gun held to the back of her skull. It just doesn't happen. When the tall guy came into the room with a garbage bag, I reached into my pocket and pulled out about $220 and placed it on the table. I then took the time to untie my shoes before removing them and my pants. The guy took the money and left my pants. He did take a few pairs of pants along with the $2300 roll of the player to my right and $1000 from seat 8. They left the ipods and the $130 headphones, and there were several o f each on the table. A blink of an eye later, they were gone. I only saw 2 robbers.

That is the story from my limited perspective. Once the maelstrom was over I learned of the events in the rest of the house and from other perspectives. It turns out that 6 robbers came to the door. TheTank, after hearing what sounded to him like a fight breaking out, jumped up from table 1 in the other room and looked around the corner. He then turn back and said "gun" at which point everyone in room 1 bolted for the front door. All but one that is. One guy headed for a back bedroom and dove through a storm window, badly cutting his finger. He ended up in the ER at the end of the night. So where were these other robbers while the 2 I saw were getting the loot? I figure it this way. These guys had a plan. They entered the house and once they realised that half of the population of the game had bolted through the front door, they knew they didn't have control, and the plan was fucked. At that point, all but 2 aborted the mission. The 2 I saw decided to stay and get what they could. They didn't get the jackpot, they didn't get the safe, they didn't get the money in play because the host had gone out the front door, through the woods, and to the main highway leading to the game, and they were in a big hurry now. Those of us in room 2 had no escape. By the time we realised what was happening, it was too late.

Make no mistake dear readers, I am very pro-gun. I believe in freedom. I believe in what this country was founded on and I believe in our right to defend ourselves, our families, our friends, and any other innocent person who's life might be in danger. Had Queen not been in the picture last night I may have reacted differently. If she wasn't there and I had been armed, I'm pretty sure I would have acted differently. I was involved in an iccident once where I nabbed a car thief. I chased and tackled the guy and held him for the police. After that happened I held a new found confidence in how I would ever handle such an event. I was impressed and proud of the way that went. Last night, I had the presence of mind to do something, but I didn't because of the danger that others were in, namely Queen. I could have easily disarmed the tall guy that was standing directly in front of me, inches from my face. I did the right thing though given the circumstances. Let it be known that in the very near future I will be obtaining a license to carry and conceal a firearm.

I think that everyone who was there last night is, or should be, angry. I'm angry. But believe it or not, if that was gonna happen, I'm glad I was there. I will carry this experience with me forever, and the next time a gun is pulled on me, it won't be the first time. I believe in freedom, I'm honest, and I believe in what's right. I would never intentionally harm another, nor would I ever steal a penny. I didn't deserve to be robbed and my friends and fellow players didn't deserve to be terrorized. I feel very sorry for Queen. I asked her if she ever thought the guy was gonna shoot her and she very bravely said "I don't know, I was prepared for anything". Of everyone who was there, I hope the most for her, that she will not let this negatively affect who she is and how she lives.

Strangely enough, I don't feel like I want vengence. I believe that these guys will pay for what they have done. That is out of my hands. My only hope now is that everyone who has a game will beef up security and that all the poker players in G-vegas will continue to come out and play. It is worth it.

It's a time wrought with fear
It's a land wrought with change
Ancestors could hear
What is happening now
They would turn in there graves
They would all be ashamed
That the land of the free
Has been written in chains