Getting Lucky

I was in Las Vegas over the weekend at a convention with over 3100 exhibitors spanning an insanely large area of convention real estate. Nero and I were doing recon for the Underpants Project. We approached software vendors, and asked them detailed questions about their architecture, source code, database structure, number of clients, biggest clients, employees, and pricing. We had badges that made us look like retail IT employees rather than competitors. Everyone was very nice, and very forthcoming. I imagine next year will be awkward when we are exhibiting next to these same people.

Saturday night, I was busy working at a Texas Hold ‘Em table, laughing at an Oklahoma retailers dumb jokes, when I was dealt an Ace and King of diamonds. I ended up hitting a back door flush, and triumphantly turned over my cards. The last remaining opponent had three of a kind. The dealer pushed the chips towards me, and mucked the cards. Then the table began discussing the hand, and came to the conclusion that my flush had, in fact, been beaten by a full house. I hadn’t seen a pair on the board indicating a potential full house, but I was also busy working, that is, drinking heavily with next to a potential client.

“Anyone can win with an ace-high flush,” I told the retailer, “but only people with true talent can beat a full house with an ace-high flush.”