All-In Summarizer/Word Watcher
First, I would like to say that Leah is right. This book is amazing. I love that it is about poker and it’s a mystery.
Chapter 1 (Jimbo): In this chapter we are introduced to Denn Doyle. He is a seventeen year old who plays poker in Vegas. He must use a fake ID. We learn that he is a very good poker player. He wins a lot an gets a lot of money. But he does not take great care of it. One time Denn won a restaurant in a poker game. In a month he ran it down and had to sell it for “cheap” ($100,000). After we meet Den the book starts at the Sand Dunes. Here Den, Jimbo, Del the Cabby, Bill Frisk and Morty Deasel. Jimbo is a pro poker player. You probaly have seen him on TV. He wears the cowboy hat. A girl named Cattie is dealing. We learn that her and Den had a relationship. Den starts playing strong, winning most of the hands. While playing Jimbo (narrator) informs that in the last couple of weeks Den has lost some money. While the game is going on a pot thickens. Den goes all-in with a full house. Frisk goes all-in also. But Den knows that he won because the only hand to beat him is 4 of a kind. Though Morty folded a nine. So Den knew he won. But then the river card is a nine. Den was set up by Cattie, Morty, and Frisk. How did that nine get back in the deck. It was folded by Morty. Why would Cattie help set Den up? Den had lost all his money. He was furious. He screamed at Frisk telling him that he cheated him. Than Den is escorted out by security.
Chapter 2 (Denn):At the beginning of this chapter we are told that Den only has $100.87 left. He looks at his money and thinks about Cattie. He wonders why she set him up. Then Den thinks about moving back with his parents. He wonders if they would even recognize him. Even though it has only been a year. He reminds himself how bad it was to mow lawns for money and go to school. The chapter ends with Den driving off in his camaro thinking about what to do next.
Chapter 3 (Denn): During this chapter Den drives on while thinking about he first couple of weeks he spent in Vegas. He started off so well. Playing poker with the best players and winning. He remembers having fun.
Chapter 4 (Cattie):Throughout this chapter Cattie is explained and looked more into. It turns out that Cattie was a sad kid ever since she was born. She never had friends in school. Because of this she moved to California to go to school for poker dealing. Than she moved to Vegas to deal. After flashing back through Catties life the novel picks up with her and Morty in a restaurant. They talk about the setup and Morty asked if she wanted to do it again. She declines and leaves with the money Morty gave her for help with the setup. Why do you guys think Cattie help set Den up? I believe she only did it for the money. She seems very cold and willing to do anything for money.
Chapter 5 (Jimbo): This chapter was only a page. In this page Jimbo explains how luck works in poker. Some guys will be doing terrible and then he will go on a lucky streak. Than he explains how he thought that Den’s lucky streak would never end. Jimbo says that he was shocked when Den lost all his money. What do you think about luck? Do you believe in it?
Chapter 6 (Denn): In this chapter we are focused on Den again. He is driving in his car thinking about the first time he met Cattie. This starts with going to the Dunes on a hundred dollar entry. Jimbo sees him there and asks why he is in such a small tournament. Den tells him that he got the entry ticket for free from a guy who he met in the restroom. Denn makes it down to the final table in the small tournament. Then he notices the dealer, Cattie. She seems to be flirting with Den. This causes Den be distracted and make a call that he shouldn’t have. With this call Den goes out of the tournament in tenth place. After the tournament Den is hanging around the bar. He sees Cattie and they begin to talk. Than we are back with Den in his car driving in the desert. What do you guys think think we will learn next about Den and Cattie’s relationship?
Chapter 7 (Cattie): In this chapter we are looking through Cattie’s point of view. She remembers her first date with Den. On the date they have trouble on talking. To get a conversation started Cattie starts talking about poker. Then they tell each other about each themselves. Cattie says that she can’t be trusted. It seems that Den likes this. After the flashback Cattie talks to an unknown man about another set up job. Cattie said that she is interested. What do you guys think of Cattie? It seems the more we learn about her the darker she seems.
Chapter 8 (Denn): This short chapter is narrated through Den’s point of view. He has stopped driving and is at the Hoover Dam. He stands at the top thinking about the power and energy it made. He thought he was like this when he played poker, until he lost his money.
Chapter 9 (Jimbo): On this one page chapter Jimbo talks about love. He says that love can not exist in poker. He thinks that love for Cattie caused his game to slump. Do you guys think that love can exist in an activity that involves total emotional composer?
Words to Watch
So far there are not any words that really need to explain. Instead I will explain poker terms that were used that you guys might not use.
The river: This the last card flipped in a poker hand. Most players win or lose on the river.
Full house: This is when with your hand and the cards on the table give you a pair and three of a kind.
The flop: this is the second time a card is flipped onto the table. Three cards are flipped at the same time.
The pot: This is where all the chips are help. This is also all the money riding on the hand.
Flush: This is when you have five cards with all the same suite.
If you guys don’t understand poker terms ask me. I know a lot about poker.
-Julian Garcia
Category: Uncategorized 5 comments »
March 21st, 2009 at 7:28 pm
Yes I am right! Haha, I can tell that this is going to be a fun book to blog on and get some good coversations going.
Chapter 1- As for that nine getting back into the deck, Cattie had gone to special classes to get skills on dealing cards. There, she had learned a bunch of card tricks and schemes. Possibly, with that $10,000 that Cattie was paid, she could have been paid to cheat and deal Frisk a winning hand. Cattie had totally cheated Denn out. So I basically think that Cattie had done this for the money.
Chapter 2- Here is where I think we were supposed to pick up the fact that Denn thinks he is no longer wanted or welcome at home. This probably confuses him and reassures him that there is one less person who cares for him anymore.
Chapter 4- I agree that Cattie had probably only cheated Denn out for the money. There is no other reason I can think of. Just like Denn, she had been somewhat of a failure and made a stupid decision to leave home and go to school for dealing cards. She has to know that she wouldn’t get far in life by just dealing cards, so by making this exchange she can make a lot of money, in which she lives off of.
Chapter 5- I definetly believe in luck, especially in poker. Poker does not seem to be much of a mind game. You get lucky based on the hand you are dealt. The only time you can be stupid playing poker is by never quitting. So the luck factor is definetly in effect.
Chapter 6- I think that Denn and Cattie have an odd relationship. They haven’t known each other for long, so they are basically just on a flirting level. So for now it is hard to tell if Cattie actually had feelings for Denn or if she is just playing him, because she is finally getting attention.
Chapter 7- Cattie had seemed very suspicious throughout the story so far. I think that it was a dumb idea of Denn to tell Cattie that he was underage, especially after she had told him that she could not be trusted. She is yet a very suspicious character.
Chapter 9- If they really like each other, I believe that Denn and Cattie could have a relationship together. Like I said in my blog, Jimbo had said that you can’t bring love to the table. Denn definatly does this, and when he does he ends up being cheated and loses.
-Leah Sevco
March 22nd, 2009 at 10:12 am
I am pretty sure the money Cattie was paid was for cheating out Denn in the poker game, why else would Morty give her 10K?
I really like how the chapters in this book and inside the chapter of the book go back and forth from current time to flashbacks. That makes it seem more like a mystery because you are seeing only certain things about certain people so you only get to know so much, it’s interesting.
I still think Cattie might be a good person, but overall she seems untrustworthy and easy. I mean she will do anything to get what she needs, at least that is what is coming across to me while reading this book. Cattie did cheat out Denn for the money but what did she need that money for? She and Denn did like each other, I hope they did, maybe she is helping out Denn or saving him from something worse to come?
Luck only comes with simple ideas, wants, items, or emotions. If you want something big, like winning the lottery, it won’t come to you easily. Of course there are those people who we could call lucky because they won the first time they played but the whole thing is that in order to win the lottery you have to play- you have to play to win. Luck comes in many forms that we don’t see and I think we call things lucky that really aren’t because you can really want something one day, and then when you finally get it you see there is something wrong with – that’s unlucky. Overall luck comes to use when we aren’t seeking it or it is something simple and the event just fall into place.
I think we will see how their relationship started and how it went wrong, was Cattie using Denn to get money?
Love is complex and yet so simple on many levels. Playing poker and having your girlfriend deal doesn’t sound good to me at all. Love and poker do not mix and that is probably a reason for their break up.
Julian, I don’t know a lot about poker and I have never played the game, thanks for the word help =]
-Rebecca
March 22nd, 2009 at 2:48 pm
The nine was put back into the deck, becasue Cattie had great skills in dealing cards. She was a pro at it, becasue she went to school for it.
The acual question would be why not help set-up Denn? He was not dating her, and she was offered a lot of money. So if I were her I would take it, becasue she is not doing so well with money either.
I do believe it, becasue it is not skill to pick up a card. So when you pick up a card you get lucky if you get a good card.
I truly think not that much, because there is not that much detail now. If there was something major that happened, the author probably would have deatiled us in on it. I just think it really did not work so they broke it up.
She does seem like a dark person, but she is trying to live. the only way for her to make good money is to set-up people. She feels that it is right to do for her to be able to live.
I think love can exist, becasue when you love someone, it shouldn’t be affected by what you do. You should just embrace it, and let it in your life. I am sure that Poker players of today have girlfriends and what not.
Thanks for the knowledge of poker, but if you guys have any questions, there is a glossary in the back of the book.
-Alex
March 22nd, 2009 at 3:05 pm
Well duh, Alex! Hahaha,
Maybe that is why what happens inVegas stays in Vegas. Do you guys think having the story placed in Vegas makes the situation seem more innocent than if it were in another place?
-Rebecca
March 22nd, 2009 at 7:30 pm
Rebecca,
I think Cattie just wanted the money, simply to get money. It could be for something in particular, but we do not know that yet.
And Rebecca, maybe Cattie said all of those things to Denn to warn him what life is like in a Las Vegas casino. It full of cheating and unfairness. Maybe she is trying to warn Denn and send him away before he becomes to engrosed.
Yes, especially if your ’signifigant other’ is angry at you, it is probably not such a smart idea to be the causing variable if you win all of your life’s savings or not.
Lastly, I disagree, I do not think the setting makes it seem innocent. I think it suggests a more, risky and ’sitting on the edge of your seat’ feeling.
-Leah Sevco