Post by Allen Guiliano on Jul 24, 2009 17:17:00 GMT -5
The scene opens with the birds eye view of a spinning roulette wheel, the camera zoomed in just enough so only the spinning of the red, black, and green numbers are visible. Just as the motion of the wheel becomes nearly nauseating, a small white ball is dropped onto its surface and begins to bounce about, eventually setting on the outer part of the wheel. A couple of seconds go by before an unfamiliar voice announces “No more bets!” and the pill continues to spin as the wheel begins to slow. The speed of the white orb carries it back into the middle of the wheel, just before it bounces back into one of the awaiting 38 slots. The voice can once again be heard, announcing to the players what is now obvious to the viewer; “Black 22!”
A mix of cheers, jeers, and curse words fill the air as the camera pans out and reveals the throng of people crowded around the table. The croupier collects and distributes chips as necessary, most of them headed in the direction of the croupier. Those that remain around the table begin to place their bets once again; some with faces of strategy and concentration, others simply betting their lucky number or their gut instinct. As the wheel is put in motion and the pill dropped once again, a familiar face makes his way into view, the owner of the establishment and WCF superstar, Allen Guiliano. Guiliano makes his slowly over to the table and watches the action from over the shoulders of the guests before placing his hand on a gentlemen that now stands in front of him and whispers something into his ear before standing once again with a sly smile on his face. The pill drops into an open slot and the croupier announces the outcome; “Green 0!” This time only the frustration of a group of people who have just been defeated can be hear as nearly all of the chips are collected by the man behind the table, only a few select few collecting any money on the rare outcome of the wheel. As Guiliano begins to walk away, the man that he spoke with spins around and questions the owner of The Camille.
Man: How in the HELL did you know that pill was going to land on that damn zero?!
Guiliano: Zero? Roger, you had best get your ears checked, I whispered to you that I would’ve put my money on Red 3!
Oh, I know what you said, but how come you had to come over here and watch the wheel as it landed on that zero and you collected money from everyone at the table?
Guiliano shrugs as both men start to laugh and share a firm handshake. Roger Ryan had been a regular at the casino since its inception and was one of few small time gamblers that had been able to experience personal conversations with Guiliano. Ryan was a middle class businessman from the Midwest who had made most of his money during the “.com boom” and happened to strike up conversation with a man standing next to him at a craps table and shared his life story and how he had a son who was attending UNLV in hopes of making it in the gaming industry. The man had shared his story with happened to be Guiliano.
So how are the wife and kids back home in…Illinois is it?
Yeah, still living there in southern Illinois, same shit just a different day. Old lady is still doing well and both of us are looking forward to getting a start on an early retirement now that the kids are gone. One of them having kids of her own, the other just a semester away from graduation. Got a spot open here at The Camille that you’d like to give him? One of the best in his class at UNLV.
I will do everything I can to make sure that he finds a foot in the door out here in Vegas. Consider it returning a favor for that Green 0 you just had to witness.
The gentleman chuckle once again as a cocktail waitress rests an expertly manicured hand on the shoulder of her boss and asks Roger if he would like a drink. Allen nods to her and tells her to have the bartender mix up a pair of White Russians. She obliges and gives Roger a wink before turning away and sauntering back to the bar as Roger admires her well toned backside that hides just under a skirt.[/color]
Wow. That’s all I have to say to that. Where do you find these girls and more importantly…where can I find them or their phone numbers?
Oh, I have nothing to do with the hiring of those fine young ladies. That’s designated to one of my bar managers. I just have the luxury of telling him what a fine job that he has been doing. As far as getting the digits for you…I think you might be a little old for them Rog.
Roger was a good looking man, but was starting to show some signs of age in his 55 year old figure. His hair was starting to show more than just a bit of gray and his face looked worn from the stress of a salesman in a struggling economy. Despite the fact that he was nowhere near a high roller and only dropped $1,000 to $2,000 at the casino on his worst nights, Mr. Ryan dressed the part, always coming to The Camille in the same custom tailored suit and Rolex watch that gave him an appearance of a much more important patron.
Roger, as always, thanks for making the trip out here again this year. I know you always claim to be visiting your son, but this is time that you could be spending it with him and you chose to spend it here with us at The Camille. What is this now? About the sixth or seventh year in a row that you have been coming out here? I think your son going to college was just an excuse.
Ah, Allen you know me well. But here is one favor that I would like to ask of you. I know that you probably can’t help me, but I figured it was worth a try. You see, I’m kind of in a bind right now financially and, as you know, my son has one more year of college left. Well, my wife and I got divorced last fall and she pretty much took me for everything that I had and I can’t much afford to help Brady pay for his last semester at UNLV. Anything you could do to help me out?
Roger, you know that I’m a generous man, but when it comes to guys who can’t control their vices and continue to do it at the expense of their family, I’m afraid I’m going to have to say no. If you needed money that bad and were in such a bind, why in the hell did you make the trip out here to Vegas. Stay at home and get your affairs in order and then come see me. Looks pretty bad to watch you drop $200 on two spins of the wheel at the roulette table and then come ask me for money. Sorry, I know I may appear to be some kind of Godfather, but those days were a thing of the past once I came to America. Now before you say anything, have a good day Roger and let Brady know that he can call me anytime he wants if he needs help finding a job out here.
Allen, I’m begging you, is there anything you can do to help? Any good odds on a game? Any slots that are do to hit? A table that seems to be paying a little better than others? I just need some cash to get back on my feet Allen, that’s all. Hell, just give me a number on that roulette wheel to put my last few chips on…
As Guiliano begins to walk away from the begging man in disgust, he quickly turns on his heels and gives Roger a glare that he has never seen before and would never wish to see again. The WCF superstar reaches into his breast pocket and hands the broken man a stack of $500 chips and gives him once last word of advice before disappearing in an awaiting elevator.
Roger, I don’t know how much of what you are telling me is true and I usually don’t give advice, but if you are looking for good odds, I suggest you take that last stack of chips, look up WCF’s Ultimate Showdown and put it all on Slickie T. I don’t care if the numbers are 1:1 or 500:1, that is as close to a sure thing as you are ever going to get in this town. Now take care of yourself and the next time I see you, I hope you are back on your feet Rog, I really do.
Although there was a ruthlessness in Allen’s generosity, Roger Ryan took the stack of chips and noticed a business card had been folded and placed near the center. He slipped it from the stack and slowly unfolded it, making sure that Guiliano was well up the elevator before peering at the slip of paper. It was something that he didn’t want to see and nearly tore up on the spot, but had a sickening feeling the bottom of his stomach that he was being watched for that very action and if he did not heed the advice written on the paper that he may not be welcome back inside the doors of the Camille ever again. As the camera panned away from the stack of chips, it caught of glimpse of what was written on the card before Roger slipped it into his pocket. It read: Problem Gambling Center, with an unimportant address and phone number scribbled underneath.
As the camera once again found the current WCF United States Champion, he was headed out the back of the casino, his championship belt slung over his shoulder as an awaiting limousine sat with is rear door open. Guiliano slipped inside the door and shut it on his own as the vehicle began to speed away. The camera was unaware of the destination but continue to follow, inching closer and closer, until it ended upside the back seat, staring into the face of the man who was poised to defend his title this Sunday at Ultimate Showdown.
I’ve had some time to think about this week’s match after the events that occurred at Slam this week. I was saddled with my second loss here in the WCF and it came when I was out of the ring and my partner decided to tag himself in and cost me the chance at yet another victory. Why my future opponent didn’t want to see me fight my own battles and suffer my own cuts and bruises I will never know, or maybe it was just out of spite to get me off my game for this Sunday at Ultimate Showdown. Well, whatever the plan may have been, the loss didn’t affect me one bit. You see, even though my record shows 6-2, a respectable mark if I do say so myself, both of those defeats have come in tag matches and only once was I the one to fall victim to a pin fall. Mikami, you should feel lucky being as you are the only one in this match to see my shoulders actually pinned to the mat for a three count and only one of three in the entire federation to witness such a phenomenon. The match this week comes down to one simple thing, the numbers. All three of you are trying to decide what the hell I may be talking about. I’m not speaking of statistics or the “three count” that must be achieved in order to gain a victory, no no, I’m simply talking about the numbers that exist in this week’s match up. And as all of you should know, in the business that I am in outside the ring, the numbers are always in my favor. For those of you that are confused, and that should be all of you, let me break this down for you, number by number…
EIGHT:[/color] Let’s start with the number eight seeing as how this is how many matches are booked on the Ultimate Showdown card. The number eight also represents how many times I have stepped inside an WCF ring.
SEVEN:[/color] This one should be quite simple. It is the lucky number for most people and also the number that you need to see come up three times on a slot machine to win the jackpot. To relate this number to the WCF, you have to look no further than my match record, after the victory at Ultimate Showdown over my three opponents, that will make seven wins.
FOUR:[/color] Yeah I know, I skipped six and five, but those two digits never really had much importance to me anyway, except that I have been dubbed the “ACE of Hardcore” and the ace is quite a card to be holding when you are needing the best five possible cards to make a poker hand and it will be the FIFTH time in as many weeks that Mikami and myself will be stepping into the ring as opponents, BUT moving on. Four is how many opponents I will be facing this when I step into that squared circle which just happens to have four sides and four corners. Four is also the number of weeks that I have been the United States Champion here in the WCF leading up to Ultimate Showdown.
THREE:[/color] Perhaps the most important number at Ultimate Showdown for those who are after my United States Title. Three is the number of times the referees hand must hit the canvas in order for me to retain my title, three is the number of the opponents that I will defeat on Sunday, and three is the number of times that I will have defeated Mikami when this United States Championship is on the line. For those who are thinking about making a smartass comment about three, let me make this clear, it WILL NOT be the number of losses that I will have after this Sunday, but will it will be how many men are laying on the mat when my hand is raised in victory and that title belt lifted high in the air for THIRD time in my reign as champion.
TWO:[/color] Two, although, not as important as three, still represents a lot of things when it comes to this Sunday at Ultimate Showdown. It is the number of times that I will have defeated Ryan Daniels in my WCF, the number of successful title defenses I will have made since becoming United States Champion, and for the second time in as many weeks I have to square off against D-Day, Mikami, and the aforementioned Daniels. Two is also the most times that any of my opponents will see the referees hand fall when my shoulders are on the mat.
ONE:[/color] And last and certainly not least, the number one. Oh how many things this number can represent. Most importantly it will be how many men are standing at the end of our match at Ultimate Showdown. It can stand for many other things, such as how many times I will let my partner force a tag on me only to go and lose the match, or how many chair shots that Mikami will hit me with from behind, or a variety of other things. But as I mentioned before, the most important, ONE of us will emerge as the Unite States Champion at Ultimate Showdown and that ONE will be Slickie T, the ONE and only Italian. Ryan, D-Day, Mikami, get a good glimpse of that title belt when I bring it down to the ring and over my shoulder on Sunday night because it is the closest that anyONE of you will ever get to it. Forza Italia! Mi amore!
The screen fades to black as the limo speeds away and leaves the neon lights of the Vegas skyline in the background.
A mix of cheers, jeers, and curse words fill the air as the camera pans out and reveals the throng of people crowded around the table. The croupier collects and distributes chips as necessary, most of them headed in the direction of the croupier. Those that remain around the table begin to place their bets once again; some with faces of strategy and concentration, others simply betting their lucky number or their gut instinct. As the wheel is put in motion and the pill dropped once again, a familiar face makes his way into view, the owner of the establishment and WCF superstar, Allen Guiliano. Guiliano makes his slowly over to the table and watches the action from over the shoulders of the guests before placing his hand on a gentlemen that now stands in front of him and whispers something into his ear before standing once again with a sly smile on his face. The pill drops into an open slot and the croupier announces the outcome; “Green 0!” This time only the frustration of a group of people who have just been defeated can be hear as nearly all of the chips are collected by the man behind the table, only a few select few collecting any money on the rare outcome of the wheel. As Guiliano begins to walk away, the man that he spoke with spins around and questions the owner of The Camille.
Man: How in the HELL did you know that pill was going to land on that damn zero?!
Guiliano: Zero? Roger, you had best get your ears checked, I whispered to you that I would’ve put my money on Red 3!
Oh, I know what you said, but how come you had to come over here and watch the wheel as it landed on that zero and you collected money from everyone at the table?
Guiliano shrugs as both men start to laugh and share a firm handshake. Roger Ryan had been a regular at the casino since its inception and was one of few small time gamblers that had been able to experience personal conversations with Guiliano. Ryan was a middle class businessman from the Midwest who had made most of his money during the “.com boom” and happened to strike up conversation with a man standing next to him at a craps table and shared his life story and how he had a son who was attending UNLV in hopes of making it in the gaming industry. The man had shared his story with happened to be Guiliano.
So how are the wife and kids back home in…Illinois is it?
Yeah, still living there in southern Illinois, same shit just a different day. Old lady is still doing well and both of us are looking forward to getting a start on an early retirement now that the kids are gone. One of them having kids of her own, the other just a semester away from graduation. Got a spot open here at The Camille that you’d like to give him? One of the best in his class at UNLV.
I will do everything I can to make sure that he finds a foot in the door out here in Vegas. Consider it returning a favor for that Green 0 you just had to witness.
The gentleman chuckle once again as a cocktail waitress rests an expertly manicured hand on the shoulder of her boss and asks Roger if he would like a drink. Allen nods to her and tells her to have the bartender mix up a pair of White Russians. She obliges and gives Roger a wink before turning away and sauntering back to the bar as Roger admires her well toned backside that hides just under a skirt.[/color]
Wow. That’s all I have to say to that. Where do you find these girls and more importantly…where can I find them or their phone numbers?
Oh, I have nothing to do with the hiring of those fine young ladies. That’s designated to one of my bar managers. I just have the luxury of telling him what a fine job that he has been doing. As far as getting the digits for you…I think you might be a little old for them Rog.
Roger was a good looking man, but was starting to show some signs of age in his 55 year old figure. His hair was starting to show more than just a bit of gray and his face looked worn from the stress of a salesman in a struggling economy. Despite the fact that he was nowhere near a high roller and only dropped $1,000 to $2,000 at the casino on his worst nights, Mr. Ryan dressed the part, always coming to The Camille in the same custom tailored suit and Rolex watch that gave him an appearance of a much more important patron.
Roger, as always, thanks for making the trip out here again this year. I know you always claim to be visiting your son, but this is time that you could be spending it with him and you chose to spend it here with us at The Camille. What is this now? About the sixth or seventh year in a row that you have been coming out here? I think your son going to college was just an excuse.
Ah, Allen you know me well. But here is one favor that I would like to ask of you. I know that you probably can’t help me, but I figured it was worth a try. You see, I’m kind of in a bind right now financially and, as you know, my son has one more year of college left. Well, my wife and I got divorced last fall and she pretty much took me for everything that I had and I can’t much afford to help Brady pay for his last semester at UNLV. Anything you could do to help me out?
Roger, you know that I’m a generous man, but when it comes to guys who can’t control their vices and continue to do it at the expense of their family, I’m afraid I’m going to have to say no. If you needed money that bad and were in such a bind, why in the hell did you make the trip out here to Vegas. Stay at home and get your affairs in order and then come see me. Looks pretty bad to watch you drop $200 on two spins of the wheel at the roulette table and then come ask me for money. Sorry, I know I may appear to be some kind of Godfather, but those days were a thing of the past once I came to America. Now before you say anything, have a good day Roger and let Brady know that he can call me anytime he wants if he needs help finding a job out here.
Allen, I’m begging you, is there anything you can do to help? Any good odds on a game? Any slots that are do to hit? A table that seems to be paying a little better than others? I just need some cash to get back on my feet Allen, that’s all. Hell, just give me a number on that roulette wheel to put my last few chips on…
As Guiliano begins to walk away from the begging man in disgust, he quickly turns on his heels and gives Roger a glare that he has never seen before and would never wish to see again. The WCF superstar reaches into his breast pocket and hands the broken man a stack of $500 chips and gives him once last word of advice before disappearing in an awaiting elevator.
Roger, I don’t know how much of what you are telling me is true and I usually don’t give advice, but if you are looking for good odds, I suggest you take that last stack of chips, look up WCF’s Ultimate Showdown and put it all on Slickie T. I don’t care if the numbers are 1:1 or 500:1, that is as close to a sure thing as you are ever going to get in this town. Now take care of yourself and the next time I see you, I hope you are back on your feet Rog, I really do.
Although there was a ruthlessness in Allen’s generosity, Roger Ryan took the stack of chips and noticed a business card had been folded and placed near the center. He slipped it from the stack and slowly unfolded it, making sure that Guiliano was well up the elevator before peering at the slip of paper. It was something that he didn’t want to see and nearly tore up on the spot, but had a sickening feeling the bottom of his stomach that he was being watched for that very action and if he did not heed the advice written on the paper that he may not be welcome back inside the doors of the Camille ever again. As the camera panned away from the stack of chips, it caught of glimpse of what was written on the card before Roger slipped it into his pocket. It read: Problem Gambling Center, with an unimportant address and phone number scribbled underneath.
As the camera once again found the current WCF United States Champion, he was headed out the back of the casino, his championship belt slung over his shoulder as an awaiting limousine sat with is rear door open. Guiliano slipped inside the door and shut it on his own as the vehicle began to speed away. The camera was unaware of the destination but continue to follow, inching closer and closer, until it ended upside the back seat, staring into the face of the man who was poised to defend his title this Sunday at Ultimate Showdown.
I’ve had some time to think about this week’s match after the events that occurred at Slam this week. I was saddled with my second loss here in the WCF and it came when I was out of the ring and my partner decided to tag himself in and cost me the chance at yet another victory. Why my future opponent didn’t want to see me fight my own battles and suffer my own cuts and bruises I will never know, or maybe it was just out of spite to get me off my game for this Sunday at Ultimate Showdown. Well, whatever the plan may have been, the loss didn’t affect me one bit. You see, even though my record shows 6-2, a respectable mark if I do say so myself, both of those defeats have come in tag matches and only once was I the one to fall victim to a pin fall. Mikami, you should feel lucky being as you are the only one in this match to see my shoulders actually pinned to the mat for a three count and only one of three in the entire federation to witness such a phenomenon. The match this week comes down to one simple thing, the numbers. All three of you are trying to decide what the hell I may be talking about. I’m not speaking of statistics or the “three count” that must be achieved in order to gain a victory, no no, I’m simply talking about the numbers that exist in this week’s match up. And as all of you should know, in the business that I am in outside the ring, the numbers are always in my favor. For those of you that are confused, and that should be all of you, let me break this down for you, number by number…
EIGHT:[/color] Let’s start with the number eight seeing as how this is how many matches are booked on the Ultimate Showdown card. The number eight also represents how many times I have stepped inside an WCF ring.
SEVEN:[/color] This one should be quite simple. It is the lucky number for most people and also the number that you need to see come up three times on a slot machine to win the jackpot. To relate this number to the WCF, you have to look no further than my match record, after the victory at Ultimate Showdown over my three opponents, that will make seven wins.
FOUR:[/color] Yeah I know, I skipped six and five, but those two digits never really had much importance to me anyway, except that I have been dubbed the “ACE of Hardcore” and the ace is quite a card to be holding when you are needing the best five possible cards to make a poker hand and it will be the FIFTH time in as many weeks that Mikami and myself will be stepping into the ring as opponents, BUT moving on. Four is how many opponents I will be facing this when I step into that squared circle which just happens to have four sides and four corners. Four is also the number of weeks that I have been the United States Champion here in the WCF leading up to Ultimate Showdown.
THREE:[/color] Perhaps the most important number at Ultimate Showdown for those who are after my United States Title. Three is the number of times the referees hand must hit the canvas in order for me to retain my title, three is the number of the opponents that I will defeat on Sunday, and three is the number of times that I will have defeated Mikami when this United States Championship is on the line. For those who are thinking about making a smartass comment about three, let me make this clear, it WILL NOT be the number of losses that I will have after this Sunday, but will it will be how many men are laying on the mat when my hand is raised in victory and that title belt lifted high in the air for THIRD time in my reign as champion.
TWO:[/color] Two, although, not as important as three, still represents a lot of things when it comes to this Sunday at Ultimate Showdown. It is the number of times that I will have defeated Ryan Daniels in my WCF, the number of successful title defenses I will have made since becoming United States Champion, and for the second time in as many weeks I have to square off against D-Day, Mikami, and the aforementioned Daniels. Two is also the most times that any of my opponents will see the referees hand fall when my shoulders are on the mat.
ONE:[/color] And last and certainly not least, the number one. Oh how many things this number can represent. Most importantly it will be how many men are standing at the end of our match at Ultimate Showdown. It can stand for many other things, such as how many times I will let my partner force a tag on me only to go and lose the match, or how many chair shots that Mikami will hit me with from behind, or a variety of other things. But as I mentioned before, the most important, ONE of us will emerge as the Unite States Champion at Ultimate Showdown and that ONE will be Slickie T, the ONE and only Italian. Ryan, D-Day, Mikami, get a good glimpse of that title belt when I bring it down to the ring and over my shoulder on Sunday night because it is the closest that anyONE of you will ever get to it. Forza Italia! Mi amore!
The screen fades to black as the limo speeds away and leaves the neon lights of the Vegas skyline in the background.
