Poker Face

By James Taylor

Kenzie Dark is a professional poker player living in Las Vegas.  As such, she discovers she has little time for personal relationships.  Shaun Tyler is an executive in the marketing department of a new hotel in Las Vegas.  Her task is to help a TV producer get a show on the air featuring female poker players.  Her hotel also wants a female player to sponsor in order to get their logo in front of the camera in tournaments.  Kenzie Dark is the woman they want.  Kenzie Dark is the woman who refuses.  She has had previous experiences with sites wanting to sponsor her but subsequently dropping her when she refuses certain stipulations.  Shaun is determined to get Kenzie's co-operation.  How far will she go to get what she wants?

• Language: English
• Publisher: TSJ Publications
• Release date: Jan 1, 2010
• ISBN: 9780988595422

James Taylor

James Taylor is a writer, podcaster, and jack-of-all-trades media producer. Over the years, he's been a barista, a professional gambler, and a tech support phone jockey. When he's not tucked into a corner at a random Starbucks working on Trouble, you can find him road-tripping around the west coast, drinking a pint of Dunkel by a fire pit, or playing video games in his office when he should be doing something productive. He lives in the Golden State.

Book preview

Chapter One

Kenzie folded her hand and tossed the cards across the poker table. She stifled yet another yawn. Her eyes burned and her skin felt gritty. Time to go. It had been a profitable night, but she knew she was losing her edge.

She stood up. I’m out. A chip runner magically appeared beside her. He racked her chips and started for the cashier’s cage. There were a handful of chips left over, and she picked those up. She tossed half the chips to the dealer. Thanks Donna.

The dealer rapped the chips against the edge of the table before dropping them into the tip box. Thanks Zee. You had a good night, she said.

Kenzie smiled. Yeah. See you tomorrow maybe. She turned to the table then. Thanks for the game guys. She left amid a chorus of farewells from the table full of men. Some of them were locals and some were tourists wanting to play against the big names of Vegas so they’d have something to tell their friends back home.

You should have seen the hand I played against (fill in the blank) on my last trip to Vegas. That kind of thing. She loved them. She treated them all with respect. She made her living playing poker with them.

Here you are, Ms Dark. The chip runner handed her a stack of hundred dollar bills.

She gave the remaining chips in her hand to him. Thanks.

Thank you. The young man grinned and pocketed the chips.

Even though it was the wee hours of the morning, the Las Vegas strip was still going strong, and she turned her car onto Paradise Road, the parallel street to the east. Residents of Las Vegas knew better than to drive the strip. She lowered the windows and breathed in the crisp night air. It was refreshing after so many hours in the stale air conditioning inside the casino.

A few minutes later she swung into the parking lot of a one story brick building. The neon sign spelling out Saul’s BBQ on the front was now forever dark. She drove around to the back and hit the button for the automatic door opener. She was easing her car up the concrete ramp even as the big overhead dock door rumbled upward. Home, sweet home, she murmured out loud.

She entered the former restaurant and dropped her keys onto the counter. She needed to check in with a few of her business interests on-line and then she’d get some sleep. There was a poker game going at the Bellagio later that night in Bobby’s Room, and she wanted a seat in it. It was rumored big money guys were coming in from L.A.

Bobby’s Room meant Bobby Baldwin, the man who won the 1978 World Series of Poker. Bobby’s Room held only two tables and the stakes to join a game there were extraordinarily high.

Chapter Two

Shaun Tyler paused outside the Aria Hotel & Casino in the newly built City Center to admire the view. At the center of the driveway, a water feature shot bright vibrant colored arcs and twisting ribbons of recycled water into the air. She knew the same company that boasted design ownership of the Bellagio fountains and the volcano at the Mirage had created the water features. It was just so odd to see that much water in the middle of the desert.

She smiled as she entered the three-story lobby. The space was filled with natural light and complemented by lots of reclaimed wood and natural stone. This was the largest hotel in the world  to earn  a Gold Certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.

She was proud to be a part of this hotel group. Being employed by an environmentally conscious hotel made her job in the marketing and promotions department easier. She waved greetings to other employees as she made her way to the staff elevator and up to her floor.

As she rounded the corner, she literally ran into David Cooper. He grabbed her to keep her upright and then grinned down at her. Well, this is a nice surprise.

Hi David, she laughed. Nice catch.

Where’s the fire?

Meeting with Trigger, she answered with a smile. She extracted herself from his grip, knowing he was using her stumble as a reason to keep his arms around her and his eyes on her cleavage. David had made it clear he was interested in dating her if she would just say yes. She had a problem with that though as she was a confirmed lesbian. She couldn’t help it if guys just didn’t pick up on it.

Thanks again. Gotta go. She straightened her jacket and continued down the hall and into the conference room. Everyone from Marketing was already gathered around the oval table. Henry Triggeria, President of Marketing and Promotions hadn’t arrived yet, so she helped herself to coffee before taking a seat.

What’s on the agenda today? She asked the others. The room was full of ‘I don’t knows’ and other negative answers. They were tossing out speculations when Henry arrived.

I see we’re all here, he said by way of greeting, and they all fell silent. He dropped a thick file at the head of the table.

Henry was in his sixties. A ring of white hair was covered with a blue beret today. He sported a mustache that always seemed in need of a trim, and he had gold-rimmed glasses worn down on his nose. He was the epitome of a kindly old grandfather. However, looks were deceiving. Inside the white haired head was a mind as sharp as a tack.

I know you’re wondering why we’re here today so I’ll get right to the point. He opened the file folder in front of him. It seems as if we’re behind the curve in promoting our poker room. In fact, it seems we’re behind in everything regarding our poker room. He looked at them for a second. So, as of right now, our focus is on poker. He passed papers down along the table for each of them. These are our objectives. I know you’ll be able to come up with something truly outstanding to get our name out there. He looked down the table at Shaun. Ms Tyler, I have a special assignment for you so if you would please stay behind, I’ll give you the specifics.

She was surprised but didn’t let it show as she nodded. The meeting continued for another half hour before Henry dismissed everyone. Shaun stayed in her seat as the others filed out. When they were alone, Henry got up to get a cup of coffee. He brought the pot back to the table, refilled her cup, and returned to sit across from her. Ms Tyler, I’ve been told you know a bit about playing poker.

Well, I’ve played some poker, she answered. I’m not good enough to make a living at it though. She waited, knowing there was more.

No problem, he smiled. I’m not suggesting you do that. But, as I said, we’re behind in the branding of our poker venue. It seems every other major casino has a known poker player wearing their brand, or they host a poker tournament known the world over. Everybody knows where to find Doyle. He even has his own on-line poker site. The Bellagio has the big game in Bobby’s Room. Even the Indian Casinos around the country have professional poker players fronting for them. The Rio holds the World Series every year, and the Venetian holds the Deep Stack Extravaganza. He looked at her. We need to get our name out there.

Yes sir, she nodded. How can I help?

He smiled. That’s what he loved about Shaun, she was quick to grasp the problem and wanted to know what she could do to help the company. We need a professional poker player to sponsor. It has to be someone good enough to make an impact, someone we can brand.

And you want me to find this player?

That’s one of the things we want you to do, he nodded. We’re also going to be working with a TV producer who wants to put on a weekly show featuring women poker players. He picked out a page from his papers and continued. His name is John Malcolm. He works for the network that lost the High Stakes Poker show. The ratings were down, and they thought the poker boom had reached it's peak and was on the way out. They thought wrong as it turns out. So now they’re trying again. We’ll get the advertisement for holding it here at the Aria Casino, and that’s a good start. This is the opportunity to get Aria’s name out there as the place for poker players.

We need to get the best of everything then, she said with conviction, already envisioning the scenario. We’ll need to interview dealers and players both.

And we’ll need to get a set built, he nodded. The rest of the team will handle that. They will also help Mr. Malcolm with interviews of potential dealers and players. He looked at Shaun with a grin. I’m going to put you in charge of this endeavor.

Shaun sucked in a quick breath. She was in charge? Sir, I don’t know what to say.

Say thank you, he laughed.

Thank you. I’ll do my best, sir.

I know you will, Shaun, he said. I think you’re ready to handle more responsibility. This is your chance to prove that I’m a genius.

Yes sir, she grinned back at him. "You are a genius."

Mr. Malcolm will be your contact from the network, and he’ll be in town Monday. We’ve got a meeting scheduled for four that afternoon. He handed her a page from his stack. Here’s his itinerary and all his numbers. We’ll meet in here. He closed his folder. In the meantime you can get started on finding us a player.

Yes sir, she was already nodding as she rose from her chair.

Henry met her at the door and put an arm around her shoulders. Shaun, I want you to know that I have all the faith in the world that you’ll be successful at this. And it will go a long way in moving you along on your career path.

Shaun floated back to her office on his words. Henry Triggeria was taking her under his wing. She would do a brilliant job, she vowed. She was stoked!

She went to work researching all the poker tournaments and the big name players. It was late when she heard her cell phone ringing in a desk drawer. It was her friend, Chad. They were pals and often hung around together. Despite the fact they were both gay, rumors persisted that they were a couple and neither one of them made an effort to correct the mistake.

Hi Chad.

I thought we had a date for dinner tonight, he said. What’s up?

Oh man, I’m sorry. Trigger called a meeting and then gave me this gigantic project. I’ve been doing research ever since. She gave a mental sigh. Have you eaten yet?

No, not yet. Why don’t you meet me here at the Bellagio and we’ll have dinner together.

Okay, she immediately agreed. She packed her laptop and papers into her case and headed downstairs to the employee parking garage. She locked the case in the trunk before exiting the garage and going back into the Aria Resort and past the Beso restaurant to the outdoor tram station. The tram ran twenty hours a day and a car stopped every seven minutes. It would stop at the Bellagio Spa Tower, and she’d be close to the Sensi Restaurant where she hoped they would have dinner.

***

Kenzie took the elevator up to the second floor in the Bellagio Casino and walked over to the entrance of Bobby’s Room. She had gotten six hours of sleep and felt refreshed and ready to play some serious poker. She entered the anteroom and saw Jack Moon at the concierge’s desk. This was good. Jack was from California, had more money than brains, and fancied himself a consummate poker player. These were all good things for Kenzie. She smiled and slapped him on the back as she came up beside him. Jack, good to see you.

Jack turned and gave her a big toothy grin and then looked her up and down. She was not offended because that’s just the way Jack was with women. It didn’t matter that she was a lesbian. To him, she was still a woman. She wore black pants and a cobalt blue long sleeved v-necked cotton shirt. Jack’s eyes came back up to rest on her cleavage and Kenzie just laughed. Did you come alone tonight? She knew he hadn’t but asked anyway just to be polite.

No, he shook his head. Nam, J.C., and Tran are here too. We’re in town through the weekend. Are you playing?

If there’s room, Kenzie told him. I’d like a chance to get some of my money back from last time you guys were here. It was a lie, but they were poker players, and that’s what they did.

Jack laughed loudly. I don’t plan on leaving any of my money here, he told her with false confidence. I’ll buy you dinner with my winnings.

Kenzie laughed with him. He had conveniently forgotten how much of his money he’d lost to her the last time he and his friends were in town. You’re on.

She handed the concierge her account card and said she wanted to buy in for the minimum of $200,000. While he ran the card, she looked past him into the room. Along with the California contingent, she saw many of the locals milling around the room, talking and laughing with each other as they waited for the game to begin. The hotel kitchen staff was busy setting up the complimentary buffet service. Players could choose everything from salads to steaks cooked to their specifications. The concierge gave her the card back and a slip of paper. She thanked him and went through the door. At the cashier’s cage, she exchanged the slip of paper for $200,000 worth of chips.

She reviewed the open seats at the table and chose the best seat available. It was on table one, seat four, the fourth seat to the left of the dealer. It was a good place for her. She liked the position it gave her to the rest of the table, and she saw that Daniel had claimed the chair to her immediate right in the three spot. He was extremely aggressive, and she liked having him act first before she committed any of her chips to the pot.

She wandered around the room greeting the others as the room filled up. Word of the California money coming in had gotten around, and more players than the room could accommodate had arrived. Those that missed getting a seat in the game made themselves comfortable on the couches and chairs scattered around the room. They would wait for a player to bust out and then take their place.

Kenzie played with concentration and focus, and at the end of three hours her chip stack had increased by thirty per cent. She folded the next hand and stood up. She stretched until she felt the vertebrae re-align along her spine with a small pop. She strolled the length of the buffet table, adding a little of this and that, before going back to her seat. One of the female attendants set a fresh bottle of water on the rolling tray between her seat and the next and Kenzie gave her a chip for a tip. She then casually leaned back in her chair and watched her walk away. The woman was voluptuous, wearing a long black gown with a plunging neckline and heels. Diamond earrings sparkled in the light. She put an extra sway in her walk because she knew Kenzie would be watching.

Thank you, Kenzie called and heard her soft laughter.

Down girl, Tom said from across the table with a grin. She won’t give you the time of day outside this room.

Yeah, it’s your money she likes, Steve added smugly.

Kenzie grinned, not offended in the least by their comments. Don’t I know it. What she failed to point out was that she received better service because she let her appreciation of women show instead of just leering at their breasts. She couldn’t help herself, she liked women, and it showed.

Two hours later she took another break. The room had emptied somewhat as players figured their chance of getting a seat at one of the tables that night were poor and left. She noticed a gorgeous blond standing near the small bar. She stood out even among the beautiful attendants. Her hair was thick, with streaks of sun-bleached white mixed in with the natural honey color. She had high cheekbones, a straight nose, and chocolate brown eyes. Her lips were full and tinged with just a hint of lipstick. She wore only a minimum of makeup and her teeth were straight and white when she smiled. If her facial structure was beautiful, her body was to die for. Kenzie continued her perusal. Long shapely legs and the hint of cleavage showing made Kenzie’s mouth water. She-was-hot. Kenzie also thought she detected a ping on her gaydar but released that impression when she saw she was with the tall man on her right. He had on a suit but his baby face and spiked hair made him look too young to be in the casino. The woman turned then and met her eyes. She smiled, and Kenzie felt a tug deep in her guts. It surprised her. She hadn’t felt anything like that in a long time. She smiled back, and the tug turned into something stronger. They held each other’s eyes until her companion spoke to her and she turned away.

Kenzie shook off the impact of the woman’s gaze. But damn, it was a shame she was straight. Kenzie could definitely get into something like that. She went on to the buffet and chose some strawberries. She ate while playing, the pot quickly totaling over $25,000.

She held a large strawberry between her teeth as she raised the tips of her two hole cards to peek at them once more. They were playing Texas Hold ’Em poker, and there were three diamonds on the board after the fourth card, or as it was more commonly known, the turn, was dealt. The player in seat one, the Asian from California named Nam, checked to her. She thought he would bluff at that board if he had nothing, so she now adjusted her thinking, putting him on top pair. He had a hand and wanted to get paid off. However, when she pretended to check her hole cards, he looked down, to the left, and swallowed. He wasn’t happy. That meant he was vulnerable to a flush. She bit into the strawberry and looked at the pile of chips in front of him.

Top pair? She asked innocently. Her opponent kept his eyes down, refusing to look at her. She finished the rest of the strawberry with her left hand while counting out chips with her right.

Twenty thousand, she said. She pushed a stack of chips forward. It was an amount that could represent either the flush or a bluff. She kept her eyes on him until she saw his jaw bunch ever so slightly. She turned away then and selected another strawberry. He was looking at her from under lowered eyebrows, and she knew she had him. She popped the berry into her mouth and chomped it in half, much like what she’d just done to his chip stack. She heard him sigh and knew he would fold. He did and the players around the table began talking once again. They usually gave players the courtesy of silence when there was a big hand going on. She scooped the chips and began stacking them.

Did you have it? Nam asked. She said nothing as she continued to stack his chips in front of her. Did you have the flush? You had the flush, didn’t you?

She looked at him finally and smiled. Of course I had it, she told him.

This prompted a table-wide conversation about whether she had the flush or not, each player having made a determination as the hand played out. Through it all, Kenzie kept her mouth shut and smiled. She always wanted her opponent to think he’d made a good lay down. It encouraged him to lay down good hands to her in the future.

She relaxed and reached for her water only to find it empty. Before she could scoot her chair back, a fresh bottle appeared on the table. She handed a chip to the attendant and got a smile in return. Kenzie once again watched her walk all the way back to the bar.

Shaun watched Kenzie watch the server. Who’s that? She asked.

That’s Zee, she answered with a fond smile. She’s the best, she added with a giggle.

Her real name is Kenzie, one of the others offered. She’s a fantastic player. She usually wins when she plays up here.

She was watching you, Chad told the first woman, when you were walking away.

Yeah, she nodded and all three women laughed. She, uh-likes women.

Hey, it’s no different than the men watching, the third woman said. In fact, she treats us better than they do.

Yeah, I’d rather serve her than any of them. She’s very charming.

He looked at Shaun, but she was watching Kenzie play poker again. He nudged her. She’s gay, he whispered.

Shaun didn’t even look at him. The tall dark woman with the incredible blue eyes and the muscular body entranced her. As if sensing her scrutiny, Kenzie turned and met her eyes. She smiled, and Shaun felt her gaze like a caress across her body. Her face flushed warm, and she had the fleeting thought that nobody had ever looked at her quite like that. Chad nudged her again. What?

She’s gay, he repeated.

Well, duh, she laughed. Her reaction to Kenzie’s gaze was something she’d have to examine later. She leaned toward the hostess again. Who’s that? The one with the cap?

That’s Steve. He’s a nice enough guy.

He doesn’t ogle us, the other one put in, but he doesn’t tip very well either. They all started talking then, keeping it quiet, but giving her the scoop on each of the eighteen players at the two tables. Shaun asked in each case if they were aligned with any other casino. She was getting great information. Thanks so much, she told them with a smile. How long will they play? Her eyes strayed again to Kenzie.

Oh, they’ll be here until the California guys run out of money, they laughed. It could go on for days.

Chad sighed with relief as they left the high-stakes poker room. Why are you so interested in the high stakes game all of a sudden?

It’s part of the new project Trigger gave me, she told him. I need to find a player to represent the Aria, and  also to play in a new TV show he’s going to host there.

The Aria Hotel is going to host a TV show? His eyebrows shot up in surprise. Since when? I haven’t heard anything about it.

I just found out today, she told him. And I don’t know if it’s supposed to be common knowledge yet, so keep it to yourself. Okay?

Yeah, sure, he nodded. Wow, a TV show. Cool. Is it going to be about the hotel?

Partly. We’re trying to brand the Aria name, and some TV guy wants to do a poker show. So everybody gets something. She covered a yawn. I’m tired.

Do you want me to take you back to the Aria?

No. I’ll take the tram. I’ll be fine, she assured him.

Chapter Three

Shaun was at her desk early the next morning. She booted up her computer and discovered an e-mail from Trigger with a cc to all the people who’d been in the meeting the previous day. It informed them that Shaun was now in charge of the Poker Push as he called it and that he knew everyone would give her their utmost respect as well as their best effort.

She’d drawn up a list of some of the female poker players she would like to see on the upcoming TV show and e-mailed it to her new group with the caveat that they exclude no female poker player they could think of. She then scheduled a meeting for her group on a daily basis at ten o’clock in the morning until they had a firm handle on the project.

With that done, she started to research John Malcolm. The network seemed

Reviews for Poker Face

[margarida gomes · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Nice book ! Interestant story. Easy for read. and a happy end !