The drive to California was interesting. I stopped for gas in Barstow and my car would not start. After the third try it fired up and I was on my way to Redondo.
What a refreshing change from Vegas. The constant 110+ degree days were starting to get to me. 83 felt like Antarctica. It was nice to be able to be outside for more than a few minutes.
Poker in California is different. I was shocked to find out about the massive rake and low maximum buy in that casinos in California offer. They are pulling $6 out of a $7 pot and some casinos have a max buyin of only 33 big blinds. I’m glad I will be focusing on dealing and not playing. I find these restrictions on the game to be completely insane for someone trying to make money at the lower stakes. I definitely won’t be spending any time playing poker in a casino until I have enough money to play medium to high stakes games where the rake and buyins are in the realm of sanity.
Less than 24 hours after arriving in California I was in line at the Commerce Casino for open auditions.
The line stretched around the entire second floor of the casino. More than 300 people were there for auditions. It was brutal. After 9 hours of being in line, they closed auditions. I did not get to participate.
Determined to make some progress I scanned the first floor, where the poker room is located.
The picture is the low stakes poker area, but on the other side of the casino was the high stakes area. That’s where I found Richard. He is a shift manager at the Commerce. I explained to him about my journey and the frustrations I was facing with simply getting the opportunity to audition for a job.
Richard seemed like a genuine and compassionate guy. He walked me over to HR, but they had already closed for the day. He took my information and told me that he would personally talk to HR on my behalf and that I would get an audition. He estimated that I would hear from HR within a couple of days, and they would schedule an audition with me.
I was beyond delighted.
The next day, I gave my buddy a ride to his work.
Porsches are like Hondas in Beverly Hills. They are everywhere, and after the 20th time you see one they are no longer impressive. I also saw Lamborghinis and Ferraris. I would love to find some home games to deal in Beverly Hills, the place is dripping with affluence and money to burn.
The next day disaster struck.
The ignition problems I had in Barstow had returned. I took my car to the nearby Pep Boys. After keeping my car for a half day they shrugged their shoulders and conceded defeat. They had no idea what’s wrong with my car. They recommended that I take my car to the Mitsubishi Dealership in Cerritos.
I scheduled an appointment, waited a week for my turn, and successfully limped my car the 18 miles to the dealership. It was stressful. The 405 in LA is not a place you want to be driving an unreliable vehicle that could die at anytime. There was an accident, which made the commute about an hour. I can’t believe I made it.
I never heard back from Richard or the Commerce, but I haven’t followed up with them either. Having no reliable transportation has effectively stalled my job search. The Hustler Casino, which is less than 5 miles from where I am staying is hiring full time dealers and just posted on Indeed.com. I am currently sitting at a Starbucks about .8 miles from Cerritos Mitsubishi awaiting a verdict on my car. If all goes well, I will be back in action tomorrow, ready to hit the Commerce for a second time and the Hustler for a preliminary scouting.
This has been the hardest and most stressful week of my journey yet, but I will find a way to go on, and I am still determined to find my dream job.
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