We'll always have Paris...

I've been hanging out in Paris with a lot of the big names in a very cool poker club called The Aviation Club De France. Peter Roche has been showing me the ropes over here and helping me with game. He has been cleaning up in the cash games, seemingly without trying. While I've been, well, not cleaning up. Lets just put it like that. I've also been having rows with the floor managers here as they seem to have a rule that if you are french, you win. That at least simplifies things for the rest of us.

Let me give you the example that made me get up and leave a game in disgust for the first time in my life. An annoying arsehole who has been extremely rude all night acts out of turn. He throws in 8 euro ahead of Tony Kendall from Blonde Poker. Theres a bit of awkwardness so I cut to the chase and ask the dealer if the money stays out (arsehole has reclaimed his chips at this stage). The dealer confirms that the bet stands. just as you would expect. Tony raises to 20 and arsehole mucks his cards. When we all point out that he owes 8 to the pot he point blank refuses. The dealer, who is his mate, also refuses to do anything about it and denies he ever said the bet stood. Much all our amazement. I ask for the floor and the dealer starts to shuffle. I ask again and then pointedly say "I want Bruno to come here and rule". Bruno is the head floor man and the chances of him coming to make a ruling on a 2-2 NLH game are zilch but they all know we're press and I'm name dropping to prove I'm serious. The floor manager on call arrives, has a swift conversation with arsehole and then, without really getting the other side of the story says "Jeuer!" I ask for an explanation in English and it perfectly good english he says "I'm sorry, I don't speak English". At this point I got up, patted him on the shoulder and left with my stack saying "I'll go play in Joe's".

Let me explain Joe's to you. Joe's is another smaller card club that has sprung up in Paris. Its the opposite of the Aviation club having only a few (huge) games of dealers choice going. Its smokey (you can smoke at the tables) and its up an unremarkable flight of stairs and behind a big thick steel door. It reminds me of nothing so much as Bugsy Malones speak easy. Here's the kicker... if you are found to be playing there, you are barred from playing in the Aviation Club. No, I'm not kidding.

Can you imagine? If Luke Ivory himself  came up and told me that I couldnt play in the Merrion or I'd be barred from the Fitz, I'd turn on my heel and leave and never return. Just think how laughable that scenario is! Its inconceivable isnt it! But its true here.

Sacré Bleu.... C'est incroyablé!!