A tournament setback from President Obama

This year I'm staying at Caesar's, a significantly nicer hotel than the Rio, but still frowned upon by my high-rolling friends who prefer the Bellagio or the Venetian. We make the quick drive from the Rio on the dinner break but quickly notice that there are cops everywhere--in the elevators, guarding the rest rooms, and by all the doors. It turns out Obama is staying here overnight and giving a speech on behalf of Harry Reid at the Aria. Well, Mr. Phipps and Mr. Rosenbloom, if it's good enough for Obama it's good enough for me.

On our way back the parking garage is snarled in motionless traffic. The police tell us we won't move for half an hour until Obama's motorcade is clear. We decide to walk back, but aren't allowed out of Caesar's except at the front entrance on the wrong side of the Casino. I bribe the folks at the head of the cab line $20 for their spot in line, but the taxi is immediately stuck on the strip. We pay him $5 and decide to run the mile or so to the Rio in 95 degree heat. We have missed the start time and are anteing $25 a hand, and paying an average of $50/hand in blinds. (These are tournament chips, but it's really costing us about $750/hour to be absent.) It's pretty stressful, but we both have lots of chips and we're laughing as we jog. Just as we get to Flamingo we can see them open the street to traffic so I buttonhole a woman who's driving with her 12-year old son and offer her $30 to drive us to the tournament. She's not sure what to make of us, but her son persuades her to take the money. We hop in, hit all the right lights, and make there only about 8 minutes late.