In honor of the 13th anniversary of National Treasure, I decided to clear up (with educated guesswork) the infamous lemon mystery. Why is a scene involving lemons infamous? Having lemons in a refrigerator is nothing groundbreaking or worthy of internet snark. It is the way the lemons are presented that has confounded audiences for well over a decade. The issue the nitpickers have revolves around the lemons resting nicely in a big bowl in the middle of Jon Voight’s refrigerator. It is a one-second scene in a two-hour movie that has joined the ranks of world-famous mysteries like Bigfoot, The Loch Ness Monster, and magnets.
Watch the clip to get a feel for the scene
In my quest to be more like Benjamin Gates I’ve watched the scene over and over and did some lemon research to best guess why he had those lemons in a bowl in the middle of his refrigerator.
Here is how the scene plays out. Nic Cage and crew steal the Declaration of Independence in Washington D.C. and make their getaway to Philadelphia to hideout in Jon Voight’s house. They realize they need lemons for the declaration and the scene starts to take place.
Here are the clues I’m working with:

They start their drive from Washington D.C to Philadelphia well after sunset (7:30PM) around 9:00PM.
Mr. Voight has a sizable bar that looks to be loaded with cognac, gin and Irish whiskey. Also, to the left of the bar there is a decanter filled with a mystery booze.
If you look to the left of the characters during the clip you will see several glasses filled with iced tea and lemon.
When Harvey Keitel is at the house later on you will notice there is a half-filled iced-tea pitcher.
There is a bowl of apples and bananas in the same place where the iced tea glasses are
There is a massive library inside the house
Next to the apples and iced tea glasses there are poker chips.

Here are the Benjamin Gates style deductions:

They arrived in Philadelphia around 12:30AM which means a late night lemon pickup was pretty impractical. Also, the van they were driving in was being searched for so they would want to keep it off the road. This means the lemons had to be in the house.
Before they say “we need more lemons” they already have a cut up lemon in a tiny bowl. This means that they must’ve found the lemons in the refrigerator, taken them out of the bag and placed them in a bowl in the middle of the refrigerator. Nothing in his refrigerator looks organized, so I highly doubt that Voight would organize them in a bowl.
After looking at various retailer websites it seems that there are approximately ten lemons in a two pound bag that is commonly sold. Due to the contents of his fridge it seems clear that he would rather grab a bag of lemons then pick them individually.
Due the contents of the refrigerator and the large pizza box I’m guessing that Voight rarely cooks. Thus, I don’t see him making lemon chicken or anything of the sort. Also, you won’t see him making any lemon cheesecake bars.
There were no lemons in Harvey’s iced tea. Thus, they were all used or Jon Voight straight up dissed Harvey.
The inclusion of poker chips means that Voight most likely has a weekly game with several of his friends. The lemons could easily be used with iced tea and various drinks.

Lemon hot take: After several discussions about the lemons I’ve learned there is a small group of people who believe Voight placed the lemons in the bowl himself. The reasoning is he decided to wash all the lemons at once instead of cleaning one at a time. After the cleaning he placed them in the bowl. This would make it easier for him to access. I think these people are delusional.
Why were the lemons in the refrigerator?

The loaded bar and empty contents of a wine bottle suggest that Jon Voight likes the occasional drink. I didn’t see any mixers in his bar or house so it looks as if he likes his booze neat or on the rocks. Lemon may seem like an odd garnish but it combines nicely with a whiskey hot toddy or gin/vodka tonics.
During the inspection of the declaration I’m deducing that Voight set them up with a nice pitcher of caffeinated iced tea. It was already late so they needed something cool and refreshing to keep them up. The fact that there are lemons inside the drinks show he is used to entertaining people (Poker) at his house and has no problem using lemons in their drinks/cocktails.
He has a massive library and since he is eating dinner at 12:00AM I’m assuming he likes to stay up late and read. Since he loves making iced tea, he most likely enjoys brewing tea. Perhaps he likes to make lemon tea (needs half a lemon for squeezing) or cuts up a piece of lemon for his tea. The lemon has a nice detoxification element and helps with immune system building and digestion.
After researching lemon drinks in Philadelphia I found a treasure trove of articles talking about drinks and lemons. People love their iced tea, lemon shandys, and lemonade. Also, I managed an annual event in Philly and many of my volunteers could be seen with half gallon iced tea jugs from WaWa (they were obsessed). Thus, the dude loved his city and embraced drinks that could benefit from a lemon.

Conclusion: The lemons were already at the house and were most likely used for cocktail garnishes and iced/hot tea flavoring. They were in the middle of the refrigerator because Nic Cage pulled the lemons from the crisper and placed them in the bowl for easier future use. The mystery has been solved (or potentially creates more mysteries….)!
A Quick Pitch: If National Treasure 3 is ever made I think it should be about Nic Cage and crew rescuing a kidnapped Kurt Russell (dude is a national treasure).
If you liked this post make sure to check out my other “dumb data” posts! Also, a big shout to Wired and Brian Raftery for profiling me about this data. I’m stoked that I’m their radar.
JCVD and his splits
Matthew McConaughey's massive jump in Reign of Fire
People love a beard Kurt Russel
Tracking the Merman's Murderous Journey
How fast can Leatherface run?
Michael Myers road trip in Halloween H20
Stellan Skarsgard's journey in Deep Blue Sea
Jet Ski Action Scenes Are the Worst
A Closer Look at Movies That Feature the Words Great, Good, Best, Perfect and Fantastic
An In-Depth Look At Movies That Feature Pencils Used as Weapons
Cinematic Foghat Data
The Fast & Furious & Corona
How Did the Geologist Get Lost in Prometheus?
How Long Does it Take Horror Villains to Travel From NYC to San Francisco
Michael Myers Hates Using His Turn Signal
Can Jason Voorhees teleport?
How Long Did the Joker Need to Setup the Weapon Circle in Suicide Squad?

Bonnaroo poker chip! Me and some other people from my groop were handed these at childish, does anyone know if they mean anything or has anyone ever gotten one before?

What meaning came first? ‘Chip’ in ‘Chip in’ or ‘Chip’ in ‘Poker Chip’?

Just a thought that would be cool if someone could estimate... About 7,000 people played in this last world series of poker -- meaning a single chip is transferring from person to person at a crazy rate. Take any one chip and follow it the tournament - how different people have owned it?

Can anyone tell me what this poker Chip is for? I got these a few years back and I don't know what double s means.

Congress: The Rights Guaranteed by the Constitution are Inalienable, Which Means They are Non-Negotiable. You are Not Free to Use Them as Chips on Some Political Poker Table

What are casino chips does that mean poker chips ?

I work at a crooked casino. You don't gamble with money here.

Hi, everybody. My name is Sid, and I’m an addict.
It took me a long time to accept that. But when you take a job in a casino just so that you can be there all the time and try to gain an edge, you’re an addict. It’s obvious even to me. More so to my family and friends, who I barely see anymore.
It’s not pills or coke, booze or heroin that I’m hooked on. I’m addicted to gambling.
The casino that made me so obsessed is not an ordinary one, though. It’s far from ordinary.
You don’t play for money at Fantasy Casino. You play for your dreams.
I hear you laughing.
But have you ever had a really, really great dream? One that got so good you snapped awake the second it started to get really excellent?
Well, imagine that times a thousand. Times a million.
A dream so real and so perfect that all of your fantasies become reality. Time stretches out. You feel like you are there forever. A lifetime passes before your return.
Infinite wealth, the ability to fly like superman, you’re surrounded by sex and beautiful people all day as you relax in a palace built to your mind’s most exacting specifications of perfection.
But then you wake up, and in an instant it is gone.
The power, the wealth, the endless sex and supernatural powers.
Everything is suddenly NORMAL again.
And so you go back to the casino.
I went back to the casino.
But the problem with gambling is that you don’t always win. And when you lose, suddenly the winnings are gone as well, vanished without a trace. All I knew was that I had to have that feeling again.
So I went inside the giant building and then followed the secret signs which led to a door that led to a staircase going downwards.
I went down the stairs and knocked on the door marked “Private” and waited for an answer.
“Password.”
The voice on the other side of the black door waited for my response.
“Seramth Gin.” I said the unnatural words carefully and deliberately, still not knowing their meaning.
A friend had told me the password, a fellow gambler who I would later find dead in his apartment. His corpse white, bloated, and maggot-infested.
His eyes were black and filled with blood which streamed from his eye sockets like tears. He had bit his tongue clean off and his fingernails were found lodged in various surfaces throughout his apartment. Like he had been trying to claw his way out of a steel box that only he could see.
But I’m getting ahead of myself. That was later. At this point I was still hopeful for another wonderful dream. Still thankful for his advice to seek out the place.
The door opened and I walked inside. It was the same as it had been the day before, only less busy at this time – still early afternoon.
I approached the table I had been sitting at the night before.
Poker – Texas Hold ‘em: Ten dream limit – the sign read.
The rules were simple. You got a stack of chips. If you doubled them, you received a dream. If you lost them, you lost a dream.
I wasn’t concerned about losing dreams yet, I still didn’t understand exactly what that meant.
When I lost my first stack of chips, I quickly bought in again. And again. And again.
Pretty soon I realized I had lost eight dreams with no winnings whatsoever. I was in a slump. A losing streak.
I decided to go home and count my losses. Literally, since I had no idea what that even meant.
As I got up to leave the table, the dealer looked at me. His eyes were remorseless and cold.
“See the cashier on your way out,” he said, handing me eight black chips.
I gulped and walked over to the glass window where the cashier sat waiting. Handing him the eight chips, he raised his eyebrows and clicked his tongue.
“That’s a shame. Hold out your hand please.”
Two men in black suits came up behind me suddenly and stood on either side of me, intimidating in their stature and demeanour.
I did as he asked and held out my hand with the palm facing up.
The cashier pulled out a strange-looking device from beneath the counter. It had a vial of vermillion-coloured liquid at the top that was attached to the rest of it which resembled a gun with a hypodermic needle at the end.
I screamed and tried to pull away, but the two men grabbed me and held my arm through the window. Thrashing and elbowing them, I tried to get away but it was useless.
The cashier injected the stuff into my veins quickly and it felt cold and slimy going through my system. I could feel it suddenly in my heart, turning it cold and then up into my mind and my lungs and all extremities causing me to shake and violently seize. I writhed on the floor, blood pouring from my ears and my eyes.
Finally the feeling settled down into a numbness that prickled the insides of my blood vessels. It wasn’t until later, once I realized what the casino really was, that I found out what they had done.
I went home with the certainty that they had injected me with something. If winning had resulted in the greatest dream I had ever had – essentially an almost never-ending fantasy – what would happen after a loss?
Nightmares. That was what it would be. I was sure of it.
I settled into bed that night and closed my eyes, drifting off to sleep quickly after such an emotionally exhausting afternoon.
As soon as my eyes closed, they opened again and it was morning.
It felt as if I had not slept at all. My mind was fuzzy and it was difficult to focus. My eyes wanted to close again but my alarm was telling me that it was time to get up for work, so I hit the “dismiss” button and hopped in the shower.
I threw on my clothes and went out the door. At work I noticed a few people looking at me strangely, but I didn’t realize until someone pointed it out to me that my shirt was on inside-out. At this point I was still working in an office doing commodities trading and such lapses were frowned upon.
If you couldn’t focus enough to put your shirt on properly in the morning, how could you focus enough to get the work done in such a demanding environment? Millions of dollars changing hands with each transaction meant that such trivial things were put under a magnifying glass and coupled with other subsequent mistakes each following day after that, I found myself in the boss’s office by the end of the week being handed my walking papers.
Desperate for rest after days of not feeling any benefit from sleep, I went back to the casino.
They knew just by looking at me how to dig their claws in further. After a couple hours I had managed to win myself a dream.
They handed me the complimentary cocktail as they had the time before. I hadn’t realized the significance of it and still didn’t, despite the unusual vermillion colour of the drink. I swallowed it in one gulp and went out the door practically dancing and clicking my heels, ready to go home and feel rested again.
My dream that night was wonderful. Everything I had hoped for in many ways.
But not as good as the first time. I wanted that feeling back again.
Knowing that it was a dream the whole time and realizing that it was going to end seemed to shorten the fantasy, made it seem hollow and manufactured.
If I could win again maybe it would be like that first time, I thought.
The casino drew me in again and again. I found myself a zombie most days, exhausted, at my wit’s end. Ready to call it quits for good and say goodbye.
But then I would win again and it would all seem to be alright for a while.
My debt kept growing and growing with nearly every trip. The hypodermic needle would be plunged into my skin and every time they had to hold me down. Every time I would feel a little more empty. A little more hollow.
Waking up every day began to feel the same. Nothing had definition or purpose.
“You’re here all the time,” one of the goons whispered to me as they shot the needle into my vein the time after that. “Haven’t you figured it out yet? You should just get a job here and then at least you’ll be in on the secret.”
I applied the next day and got an interview with the boss. I would find out later that if you got someone to apply there you got a one dream bonus.
In his office, the well-dressed man was sitting behind a massive polished ebony desk. The room was adorned with paintings, sculptures, and other high-priced artwork. He had photos everywhere of himself shaking hands with world leaders, new and old, for hundreds of years.
His face never changed. Never aged.
“So, you want to work with us? Tired of dreamless nights without end? You want to have some relief, is that it?”
“Yes. Please. Anything. I’ve been coming here for so long and it’s an endless cycle. I want back what I’ve lost but I keep finding myself more and more in debt with each visit.”
“Ah, so do you understand it now, then? What the ‘injections’ are?”
It finally dawned on me, sitting there. Not injections at all. They weren’t putting something in us. They were taking something out. The vermillion-coloured liquid in the vials – our dreams.
“If I take a job with you, will the same rules apply? Will they still take my sleep, my rest, every time I lose?”
“Yes. We can’t have the employees living by different rules than everyone else. But we will give you an alternative injection, so that you feel well-rested when you come in for your shift.”
“I’ll do it. I need to rest. I need to get some meaningful sleep. My life has been miserable ever since coming here.”
“Well, I can’t promise that this will help,” he said, getting up from his desk with a hypodermic gun in his hand. The vial of fluid sitting atop this one was jet-black and looked evil and poisonous. He rolled up his sleeves as he primed it and I watched a few beads of it drip oil-like out of the tip of the needle.
“What the hell is that!? I don’t want that stuff in me!”
“But you need to sleep, my dear worker. I can’t have you passing out at the blackjack table like a narcoleptic! You agreed to this, after all. You wanted to rest, and the only way for that to happen is for you to have SOME sort of dream. Not everyone is as lucky as you, you know. To have that wonderful vermillion fluid in your veins. Some people come to us begging to take it from them. Some of our employees for example, the ones who do the recruitment for us, are full of this black stuff.”
“What?” I had gotten up from the chair and was backing away from him towards the door. But I found it was locked as he approached.
“First you have to tell me the password, Sid.”
“Seramth Gin.” I said the words that I had said every time to gain access to the casino, only this time I pictured the letters and rearranged them in my mind.
“Nightmares.”
He smiled as he injected me with the vial of black hate, and it went into my veins feeling hot and unpleasant. I began to sweat and the beads of it turned cold on my skin as I shivered.
I’ll sleep tonight. I might even wake up feeling rested. But as long as I live and work at that casino, I’ll be afraid to dream again. Because now my unconscious hours are occupied by the most terrifying experiences imaginable. Nightmares beyond imagining in their awfulness. That is my fate.
Unless… Just maybe, I can win one more time.
JG
TCC

Fun (but complicated) boss fight I ran for the finale of my two year (level 16) campaign

First, consider this a template you can adjust to your needs. I knew the type of players in the group and what they were capable of, so I tailored the encounter to them.
Second, this fight is stupidly complex by normal 5e standards. I'm heavily influenced by MMOs, so I like crazy intricate boss fights. This is designed based on the assumption that the players will know everything she can do, so the puzzle is just executing rather than discovering how things work. I had a trusted lieutenant who'd been playing both sides for a long time, so he was my narrative excuse to give the players all the information.
Third, the environment was an enclosed tower, 45 feet across by 75 feet long by 80 feet tall. Four pillars stretched from ground to ceiling with torches of white flame on each, facing the center of the room. Torches were also spread evenly along the tower walls with flames of six different colors, two of each color. Here's a picture for reference (ignore the poker chips, we were just using them to track elevation): https://imgur.com/a/TJrSJoP. The use of these will be explained in the Lair Action section below. You can use whatever colors you want, but I used red, yellow, orange, pink, green, and blue.
The boss herself was Zariel, but I deviated quite a bit from canon lore. In my version, she was a mortal warrior who ascended to being a celestial before falling to become Archduchess of Avernus. As a result, she wavered back and forth between her forms, following a pattern of Devil, Mortal, Angel, Mortal, and then repeat. She has different abilities based on what form she is currently in, and the transformation takes place at the beginning of each of her turns. Rather than deal with minions to balance action economy, I just gave her four turns, one after each of the players.
Without further ado, here she is.

Stats
Size: Large
HP: 400
AC: 21
Speed: 90 feet (flying)
Primary Stats: Str +8, Dex +6, Con +10, Int +8, Wis +8, Cha +10
Senses: True Sight
Immunities: Devil form - fire, poison, necrotic. Angel form - radiant, poison. Mortal form - cold.

Passive Abilities
Note - When I say "round" in the descriptions, I mean a full set of turns, regardless of whether that is, for example, round 2 of combat or the second half of round 2 and the first half of round 3.
Regeneration: Zariel heals for 10 HP at the beginning of her turn unless she is at 0 HP or her healing has been disrupted. When Zariel takes on her Angel form, she will not heal if she has received necrotic damage in the last round of combat. When Zariel takes on her Devil form, she will not heal if she has received radiant damage in the last round of combat. When Zariel takes on her Mortal form, she will not heal if she has received force damage in the last round of combat.
Ascendant Rage: When Zariel takes damage, she gains one stack of Rage. She can only gain one stack per source of damage. (Not sure how to word this, but like Scorching Ray = 3 stacks, multiattack = 2 stacks, but attack + smite from a paladin = 1 stack. Generally, multiple rolls = multiple stacks.) Each stack makes Zariel deal 1 additional damage to any creature she damages and makes Zariel take 1 less damage from any source of damage. Zariel loses all stacks of Ascended Rage if she does not take damage from a hostile creature for a full round of combat.
Incapacitation Resistance: Zariel has advantage on any saving throws for which a failure would cause her to be incapacitated. (I did this to avoid her getting locked down too easily, but I didn't want full magical resistance to deny casters doing good damage.)
Legendary Resistance: The standard three uses.

Lair Action
Zariel expends the energy in one of the torches around the room, causing the torch to go dark and empowering Zariel in some way. The effect of each is as follows:

Red: When Zariel is damaged by a melee attack, she can use her reaction to counterattack with Corrupt Soul, Soul Judgment, or Whack, as appropriate for her form at the time. (edited after someone pointed out I forgot to mention the reaction cost)
Yellow: Zariel's AC is increased by 7.
Orange: Zariel's attacks automatically hit the target, regardless of her roll (even a nat 1). She can still roll to try to crit.
Pink: On a successful attack, Zariel's target must make a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw. On a failure, the target experiences the effects of the Confusion spell and can attempt the saving throw again at the end of each of their turns.
Green: On a successful attack, Zariel's target suffers a -5 penalty to their attack rolls and spell save DC until the end of their next turn. This effect does not stack with itself if the same target is hit multiple times.
Blue: Zariel casts the spell Sleet Storm, but she is not affected by the spell.

The effect can be dismissed by picking up the other torch of the same color and using it to color the 4 white flame torches in the center.* If successfully dismissed in this way, the colored torch the players were using goes dark, the white flames return to the center torches, and Zariel cannot use that effect again. If Zariel uses a subsequent lair action to change effects rather than having it forcibly dismissed, the power returns to the initial torch and it regains its colored flame.

* I allowed this to happen for free as long as they were adjacent to the white torch they wanted to color. This way, the players were only limited by their movement rather than action economy. Feel free to adjust depending on how much of a stickler you are for the rules.

Actions
Devil form

Multiattack: Zariel can attack twice with Exploit the Defenseless, twice with Corrupt Soul, or once with each.
Exploit the Defenseless: +12 to hit, 3d6+6 necrotic damage. This ability automatically crits if the target is Defenseless (see Angel form below).
Corrupt Soul: +12 to hit, 2d12+8 necrotic damage. On a hit, the target becomes Corrupted. Corruption can be cleansed by splashing the character with holy water or any other means the DM feels like allowing.
Wall of Fire: Just the standard spell.
Immolating Gaze: 120 foot range, 4d6 fire damage and ignited (1d10 fire damage at start of turn until fire is put out), DC 18 Wisdom save for half damage.

Angel form

Soul Judgment: +12 to hit, 3d8+6 radiant damage. This ability automatically crits if the target is Corrupted (see Devil form above).
Safe and Secure: Zariel removes any temporary afflictions or conditions ailing her and teleports to an unoccupied location of her choice within 30 feet.
Stupor: The target must make a DC 20 Charisma saving throw. On a failure, the target is charmed by Zariel, falls prone, and begins worshiping her. They are considered Defenseless. The charm and Defenseless conditions can be removed by speaking to the target and reminding them of an important moment, as an aid for them to recall their true self. (This was put in as a way to make my players remember stuff the other people had done during the campaign for the sake of reminiscing. It seemed fitting for the final session.)
Master of the Skies: Bolts of lightning arc out from Zariel toward all other creatures in flight. Targets must make a DC 20 Dexterity saving throw or be knocked to the ground, taking 2d10 lightning damage plus any applicable falling damage. On a success, a target takes only half the lightning damage and is able to remain airborne.

Mortal form

Multiattack: Zariel can use Whack three times, plus one additional time for each 100 HP she is missing.
Whack: +12 to hit, 1d12+8 whatever damage matches the weapon you want her to have.
Intimidation: Creatures within 20 feet of Zariel must make a DC 20 Wisdom saving throw. On a failure, the creature had disadvantage on all attacks made on Zariel, and Zariel has advantage on all attacks against the creature. Creatures who fail this saving throw can attempt it again at the end of each of their turns.
Imposed Bloodlust: The target must make a DC 18 Wisdom saving throw. On a failure, the target flies into a blinding rage, losing concentration and the ability to cast spells. The target immediately assesses the situation and locks on to the nearest living creature. The target must use its next turn attempting to do as much damage as possible to the target it locked onto.
Seismic Slam: Zariel flies down and strikes the ground with incredible force. Creatures within 15 feet of her impact position take 1d8 bludgeoning damage for every 10 feet Zariel descended (e.g., 5d8 if she flew down from 50 feet above the ground) and must make a DC 20 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone.

I think that covers everything, so let me know what you think or if you have any questions. Just wanted to share what turned out to be a fun fight for my group.

‘We just annihilated them’: Revisiting the 2000 Giants’ NFC title game rout - The Athletic

Ernie Accorsi is a wreck during games. The long-time football executive, best known for his tenure as general manager of the New York Giants from 1998 to 2007, can barely stand to watch the action on Sundays. “You’re helpless up there,” he says of watching games from the press box. “You’re totally helpless.”
Typically, during his most nervous moments, Accorsi would head down to the ground level of a stadium and walk the corridors, periodically peering in through the tunnels to check what was happening on the field — determining the rest by crowd noise.
Twenty years ago, Accorsi had the most relaxing fourth quarter of his life as an executive. During the NFC Championship Game at Giants Stadium, he ditched the sterile press box, headed down to field level and, instead of pacing, stood proudly in the tunnel taking in the scene. The Giants, underdogs that day, were leading the visiting Vikings, 41-0.
“Standing there in the tunnel, just feeling the electricity in the crowd because they knew it, they were chanting ‘Super Bowl,’” Accorsi remembers, “that was one of the great feelings I’ve ever had in my life.”
Entering the 2000 season, the Giants were nobody’s idea of an NFC contender. They had missed the playoffs the previous two seasons and five of the previous six. They hadn’t won a playoff game since Phil Simms and Lawrence Taylor wore blue, and head coach Jim Fassel was coaching for his job in his fourth season.
That tension reached its zenith the week of Thanksgiving. A promising start had crashed in back-to-back home blowout losses, first to the frontrunning Rams and then to the mediocre Lions. The morning before Thanksgiving, New York was 7-4, in third in the NFC East, and thanks to tiebreakers on the outside of the NFC playoff picture.
John Fox, defensive coordinator: The team was pretty low after that game with Detroit … I can remember at the team prayer after that game thinking, “God, we’re not very good.”
Fassel: Every team has ups and downs. It’s the way you handle it as a coach. You’ve got to have a, I don’t know, a belief to each other about what we’re going to do. I believed in those guys. I believed that we had that. I told the coaches that we’re going to remain positive.
In his Wednesday gathering with the media, Fassel expressed that belief memorably.
“If you’ve got the laser, put it right on my chest, I’ll take full responsibility. I’m raising the stakes right now,” he said. “If this is a poker game, I’m shoving my chips to the middle of the table. I’m raising the ante. Anybody who wants in can get in, anybody who wants out can get out: This team is going to the playoffs.”
The New York Times called it “a passionate, unsolicited and wholly uncharacteristic speech” from “the Mister Rogers of football.”
Bob Papa, radio broadcaster: Everybody viewed it as a little shocking, which gave it more credence. That’s something that (Bill) Parcells would do, or a coach with a different disposition would do. It was out of character for Fassel, and that helped it carry more weight and resonate with everybody inside the building.
Fassel: It’s our job (as coaches) to make the adjustments. That’s our job. So I put it on the coaches, and the players knew that I put it on the coaches. And I included myself, you know?
Accorsi: He put himself on the line. In a situation like we were in, I never worried about if somebody stirs something up. If everything’s going smoothly and we’re 9-1, don’t disturb the waters. But in that kind of situation, throw caution to the wind. I’m not saying that was the reason, but it turned out that it helped us because it got us stimulated. It caught everybody’s interest.
Fox: Our team did respond. It was like, “OK, our leader has said he’s all-in, so we better be all-in.”
Keith Hamilton, defensive tackle: He didn’t mess around. Him coming out saying that meant a lot to the team, it uplifted everybody. I remember practice was upbeat, and we took care of business.
Papa: I thought it was a stroke of genius by Fassel to do it as they were getting ready to play the Cardinals, who weren’t a very good team. It was the perfect game to give the team confidence. He pressed the exact right button at the right time.
The Giants beat backup quarterback Dave Brown in Arizona, 31-7, that weekend, then upset Washington on the road 9-7 the following week when Eddie Murray missed a late field goal.
Accorsi: If Murray makes that kick, I don’t think we make the playoffs.
The Giants stretched their winning streak to five to close out the season with victories over the Steelers, Cowboys and Jaguars. Thanks to second-half swoons by St. Louis and Minnesota, the Week 17 win over Jacksonville clinched home-field advantage for New York. The Giants dispatched the division-rival Eagles for a third time that season in the Divisional Playoff, setting up an NFC Championship Game against the Vikings. Although the road team, Minnesota was favored by two points.
“(The Giants) surprised me, I think they’ve surprised everybody,” John Madden said pregame on the Fox broadcast. “The keyword is they’ve done it as a team … Today they’ve got to do more than that.”
Jessie Armstead, linebacker: Going into that game, they were saying nobody could stop that offense.
The Vikings had a 1,500-yard rusher in Robert Smith, two 1,000-yard receivers in Randy Moss and Cris Carter and a Pro Bowl quarterback in Daunte Culpepper.
Fassel: I thought we could beat them. I thought it was going to be a close game.
Accorsi: If you look at that offensive lineup, I kidded John Fox: “The Vikings score 400 touchdowns between midnight and 8 in the morning when I try to sleep.” Fox turned to me and said, “We might shut them out.”
Fox: We matched up pretty good. Our defensive front was very good, so I thought we could handle the run game pretty well. They had two big wideouts, we had two big corners.
They had a little bit of a tendency where when they were in shotgun it would be a pass and when the quarterback was under it was run. So we had a couple of automatics in the game based on that backfield set that would permit us to play an extra guy in the box. That was pretty advantageous to us as well.
Fassel: I really thought in my head, these guys think they’re coming in here to kick our ass, and that ain’t gonna happen. I did stuff to jab our team. I wanted to make sure my team understood this is the highest scoring team in the league and everybody’s betting on them. To use that kind of thing. They’re betting on them, they’re gonna kick our ass. And had fun with it.
Hamilton: We knew they couldn’t beat us. The coaching staff knew they could not beat us. We were confident.
That confidence existed on the other side of the ball, as well. While the media posited that a characteristically cold and windy day at Giants Stadium would behoove the home team, offensive coordinator Sean Payton was praying for better weather. When he saw a mild forecast, he confidently told his offense it could hang a hundred on Minnesota’s defense. He dubbed it “Air Force week,” building a game plan around quarterback Kerry Collins’ arm rather than the team’s traditional running game.
📷Amani Toomer finished the game with six catches for 88 yards and a touchdown. (Stan Honda / AFP via Getty Images)
Papa: He thought the Giants could pass all over the Vikings. We started to get a sense they were licking their chops. Talking to the players, they couldn’t wait.
Fassel: I could see it; I knew we were good the way we warmed up, the way we talked. And it was good we could play at our place.
Giants Stadium was packed with fans waving white towels well before the 12:30 p.m. kickoff, riled up by honorary captains Lawrence Taylor, Harry Carson and Ottis Anderson — who spent the rest of the day on the sidelines with the team.
Accorsi: It was electric in there. It really was.
Fox: A lot of people don’t realize that’s way more electric than the Super Bowl. It doesn’t have the meaning of the Super Bowl, but as far as the stadium atmosphere with real fans, it’s pretty wild.
Armstead: You had all the legends. You realize you weren’t just playing for yourself. When you go to the sidelines, those guys were out on the field and you had to perform.
Hamilton: Looking at Lawrence Taylor and looking at Harry Carson, you can’t even make that up. They’re on the sidelines; that’s a dream come true. That’s everything. I don’t know how to put that into words.
It was the offense that set the tone, though. Winning the toss and electing to receive, the Giants marched 74 yards on four plays, culminating in Collins’ 46-yard vertical seam touchdown strike to Ike Hilliard. The Vikings fumbled the ensuing kickoff, New York defensive back Lyle West recovered, and Collins hit fullback Greg Comella on a wheel route for another touchdown on the next play. In 143 seconds, the Giants were up 14-0.
Hamilton: That gave us a jolt. We weren’t used to the offense doing too much.
Armstead: Our thing was, if our offense scores 17 points, we’ll win the football game.
Papa: Everything they talked about during the week was starting to unfold. But you were still incredulous because you kept waiting for the Vikings to get their mojo going, and it never happened.
Fox: It was 14-0 and I’m not sure anybody had broken a sweat yet.
“I don’t think in their wildest dreams could they have dreamt this,” said Madden on the broadcast.
The onslaught did not stop there. The Giants hounded Culpepper into quick throws and frustrated Moss and Carter with physical coverage. And the “Air Force” approach continued on offense, as Collins meticulously picked apart the Minnesota defense in a first half for the ages.
He hit Joe Jurevicius in the back of the end zone to make it 24-0 early in the second quarter. “This is unbelievable!” said Madden. Pat Summerall added, “I thought the Giants had a chance, but wow!”
📷Joe Jurevicius had just two catches for 15 yards but one went for a touchdown. (Ezra O. Shaw / Allsport)
With the seconds ticking down in the first half, Collins found Hilliard for a second time in the end zone for a 34-0 lead.
Collins finished the half 23-of-34 for 338 yards and four touchdowns — already a franchise record for passing yards in a playoff game (and 101 more yards, incidentally, than Collins combined for in New York’s two other playoff games that season). On Fox, Terry Bradshaw called it “the most impressive half of football by a quarterback and an offense I’ve ever seen.”
It was a validating performance for Collins — and for the team that signed him at his low point. He had been the fifth overall pick in the 1995 draft by Carolina, leading the Panthers to the NFC Championship Game in his second season. But by the time he was a free agent, he’d been waived by Carolina, had played poorly in a cameo with New Orleans, had battled alcoholism and been accused of racism.
Fassel got emotional talking about Collins’ performance that day.
Fassel: It was fabulous. I’ll tell you this: Some of this stuff coming back to me really means a lot. Kerry was out. People cut him, we picked him up, and nobody really thought Kerry Collins was going to be a great quarterback. He was just amazing. He came in and he was a leader. He played so confidently, like “This is my game, guys, I’ve got them.” And that carried to the whole team.
The 34-point halftime lead remains the largest in the history of the NFC Championship Game.
Hamilton: That was amazing. I couldn’t have been prouder of the preparation that went into the game, the things (the offense) did, and they excelled. They just took off.
Fox: Payton had said (before the game), “How many you gonna need?” I told him 31. Well it was 34-0 and we were running in and he said, “Is that enough?” I said, “Hell no!”
Fassel: I told Fox (at halftime), “If they score 35 points, you’re fired!”
Armstead: Nobody’s going to come back on our defense at 34-0. That’s impossible. There was no way with the guys we had on that defense that we’d tolerate 14 points, nevertheless 34.
Culpepper fumbled on the first play of the second half, with Collins throwing a fifth TD pass moments later, this time to Amani Toomer. “The Viking defense looks like it’s chairs,” said Madden. Later, he added, “The Giants have broken the Minnesota Vikings’ will.”
Hamilton: There’s no question. You’ve been fighting a man all day for a couple hours, the look in their eyes is a different look. Ain’t no colorful words for it. They know when it’s time to go home.
📷The Giants sacked Culpepper four times and intercepted him three times. (Ezra Shaw / Allsport)
Collins was replaced by backup Jason Garrett with 12:53 remaining in the fourth quarter; the Giants proceeded on a 19-play drive to run out the clock. It’s tied for the seventh-largest margin of victory in an NFL playoff game in the Super Bowl era. An underdog has never won by more.
Armstead: We were mad at Coach Fassel. We were like, “Hey, let’s get 50!”
Fassel: I don’t think I’ve ever been in a game like that … We just annihilated them. It wasn’t luck, it wasn’t like at the last minute. We just kicked their butt right from the beginning.
Armstead: You know how hard it is to win a ballgame in the National Football League, to be in the playoffs against a team that was predicted to be in the Super Bowl — to beat them 41-0 was the most amazing thing about it.
Papa: I’ll say to this day, it’s the greatest win and the greatest performance by a Giants team in the history of that stadium.
Fox: Watching them construct that stage at the end of the game, I can remember looking at my three sons saying, “We’re going to the freakin’ Super Bowl!” Everybody in the league — whether you’re a coach, scout, an administrator, an owner, a player — that’s your goal: to go to the Super Bowl.
Hamilton: Just to be a part of that, in that atmosphere, the fans were happy because they came to the game to watch a winner. I was happier for them than for me.
Armstead: We were on a real high. I wish we could have played that following week against Baltimore.
The high, of course, didn’t last. Two weeks later in the Super Bowl, Collins was intercepted four times and the Giants didn’t score an offensive point against the record-setting Ravens defense. They lost Super Bowl XXXV, 34-7.
Accorsi: As a franchise that has won four Super Bowls, that’s why that team doesn’t have a great legacy.
But for one day, they were as good as the Giants had ever been.
Fassel: One thing, as a coach, when the guys go out and play so good, you do have to think to yourself: I guess I handled them pretty good this week.

AITA for causing drama?

Valentine Gift for boring BF

why is this happening to me ??? should i play on another site .

Hello this is my first post . I play on partypoker my screen name is GWABWAZ89 . I am by no means a professional poker player, i dont depend on poker for income i enjoy the game and i'd just like to not be a losing player which for the most part my graph says that im right at even ive played about 500 tournaments in the past 50 days . I've finished 1 place in a $3.30 bounty hunter tourney , as well as a first place finish in a $11 bounty hunter mtt... also finished 2 in a $22 bounty hunter tournament.
soo all I'm trying to say is that I am not clueless about how to play the game ok... sooo in the past 72 hours I've been experiencing an insane amount of consistent bad beats too the point where I am messaging support and asking if im being cheated . I have accepted and came to an understanding of variance .
Just thinking about what happened to me in the past 3 daYS JUst makes me mental and my mood is raging i wanna punch a hole in the wall soooo freaking bad but then ill have to pay for the damages so i can't do that .
I constantly constantly constantly have my opponents in bad shape... Once all the chips get into the middle of the pot not referencing to a 50/50 coin flip situation. conservatively lets say I'm %73 favorite and my opponent is a %27 underdog ...... how long can i expect to be getting 2 outer' d on the flop / AJ SUITED UP AGAINST ANY 2 RANDOM UNDERCARDS ... PRETTY MUCH DEAD ON THE TURN .?
Also is there any online poker rooms that can offer players insurance mid hand if the players specifically opt in to have this kind of arrangement. Because i think that would be a great way for good poker players to settle the emotional wreckage that comes with playing well above the rim good poker ...? I unfortunately had to adjust my play to the point where I don't play at all deep into the mtt tournament( I sit out until i hit the final table) . Because I've been set up soo many times when I'm the chip leader . THIS IS HOW I WON 2 OUT OF THE THREE TOURNAMENTS I PLAYED ON PARTYPOKER . I am absolutely results orientated and if it means sitting out before the set up hand/ before the break where 2 players get dealt premium hands and get the chips all into the pot . I will do that . Party poker or online poker is making me nitty scared poker player because of the unfair gaming software internet poker has to offer . I have a Bicycle deck of 52 cards and ive running my own simulations manually just to see how many time 2 outers happen in real life not the RNG reallll actual life ... ok and to my surprise my bigger pocket pair vs. my opponents under pair hits after 12 full run outs hits 1/4 time so why is it happening to me 9/10 times . To close id like to know if i'm playing the game of poker texas holdem incorrectly this whole ... meaning is the goal is to get all the money in with the best hand!?!?! ... or is that a mistake should i just bluff non stop and take the risk of getting raised called with crap because nothing i seem to be doing is going my way and i feel like the site is trolling me after im down to like one big blind .. I get dealt pocket Q Q and then im forced to be all in and the RnG DECIDES TO FLOP ME QUADS ......when im drawning dead when it matters to two outers last 50 all ins . Please someone respond to me I don't see the point of buying a poker training course if I continuously get the chips in the pot with the best hand ... Unless theirs a specific course on how to not play freaked out when i get a premium hand and just fold because i dont wanna bust out . Party poker is making me a not even call a 2.5 open with pocket 44. so disgusting think about it i won the tournaments because i avoided the set up traps .

Ultimate Casino Cashback Guide - Earn over £500 - Every Offer Explained!

This guide aims to outline all of the best gambling cashback offers available over a range of sites, following this guide you should be able to make over £500 in cashback
Note - Cashback often takes a while to payout, bear this in mind when completing offers as you may have to wait to cashout your earnings
When completing these offers don't chase any loses as the cashback will give you a profit with nerly every offer
A short review of each site and some referral links
Topcashback - Cashback will show as tracked within a few days, can take a few weeks to become payable, in some cases even longer, asides from gambling they have great offers for car insurance and mobile phone contracts, worth taking a look to save some extra money!
Ref - Extra £5 when you make £10 cashback
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Quidco - Much the same as Topcashback
Ref
Non-Ref
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Ref - Extra £1
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Cashback Earners - A lesser known site in need of a fresh look, this site also has some bad reviews, referal income is paid to the site on a monthly basis with the dates for each site being different, offers don't seem to show as tracked until the website receive their payment, cashback should appear in your account within 1 month of completing an offer. Cashout amounts are specific, its best to build up a balance and then withdraw. Payment takes around 3 weeks.
Ref - Sign up bonus £6.5
Non-Ref - Sign up bonus £6.5
Minimum payout is £20
Payment Proof - Payments for all sites can be seen here, quidco isn't shown as i have signed up for all the casinos on offer through topcashback

How to Maximize Profit - IMPORTANT - READ THIS

For the majority of these offers you want to play blackjack following the chart found here
Any blackjack game will do, look for a normal version of the game at the site you are playing on and make sure it is a non live game as the hand sizes will be lower.
When playing blackjack there will often be more than one spot that you can bet on, allowing the player to bet more than one hand at a time, Its important to only bet on one spot at a time as it reduces the variance of the game and will ensure you get the maximum return possible from the game, stick to £1 hand sizes when playing and dont be tempted to bet larger amounts as you will be getting a nice amount of cashback from every offer
Through playing blackjack this way the player will get a return of around 98%, meaning for every £100 staked you will lose around £2. If you make a loss on a casino site after completing the required wagering amount, withdraw your remaining balance, don't chase loses as the cashback will make up for loses and give you a profit in most cases.
All offers are updated fairly regularly, make sure to check the terms for each offer as information in this post may become outdated. Also check for other offers every now and then as new casinos are added!

TopCashBack Offers - £400+ Profit

Topcashback Referral - Get an extra £5 - See the Ref Link at the top of the page!
If you dont already have an account at top cashback, you can sign up through my referral to get an extra £5 added to you account once you make £10 cashback
Lottoland - Cashback £15
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Betfair Casino - Cashback £70
Note this is not the poker offer
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Quidco are offering £100 for this offer
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Sign up to bingoport to get an easy £3
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Genting Slots - Cashback £25
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Referral gives an extra £1, sign up through the ref link at the top of the post to get the bonus!
Gala Bingo - Cashback £17.50
Deposit at least £5, you'll get a £10 slots bonus and 100 free spins, these carry hefty wagering requirements, Open any slot and play the minimum spin size, play until you lose all of the money in your account or complete the wagering requirements on the bonus funds. Withdraw any remaining balance.
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Deposit at least £15. Play 15 single £1 hands on blackjack following the strategy outlined at the top of the post, withdraw any remaining balance. DONT ACCEPT the welcome bonus from BGO.
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Quidco - Cashback £100+

Quidco don't offer a sign up bonus, find my ref link at the top of the post if you want to help me out!
All of the offers on quidco are much the same as topcashback, the only offer worth noting is the betfair casino offer which pays £100
Betfair - £100 cashback
Add £100 and play 100 single £1 hands on blackjack following the strategy outlined at the top of the post, withdraw any remaining balance.

Cashbackearners - Cashback £180+

Sign up Bonus
Get a £6.5 sign up bonus, think this works with or without the ref link, links are at the top of the post!
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All of these offers state that you only need to make a deposit, its best to play through the deposit 1x to ensure that the cashback is paid.
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Add £10 and play through £10 on any slot staking the minimum amount per spin. Keep track of spins and quit the slot after wagering the required amount. Don't spin the wheel that pops up after signing up or accept any other bonuses.
Thanks for reading, hope this of use to some people, happy earning!

A Mental Hand History - Learning to Fold

Hey all, bit of a long post here. I'm doing a little mental hand history as per the recommendation of Jared Tendler in his book The Mental Game of Poker. The idea is to improve a flaw in my game, in this case overcalling river spots. Thought I'd share my process as it will help me to do so, and maybe others. If not, I don't think I'm doing any harm. If you have comments, corrections, additions, I'm interested to hear them as always.
I start by naming the problem. Then questioning what mental reasoning/emotional ties create that problem. Then for each of those, I work out the flawed logic underpinning it. Finally, I create a few key statements to refer back to. This time I really dug deep, because I think the problem merited it. So without further ado..
The problem:
I call with hands I know I should fold on the river against opponents who are unlikely to be bluffing.
The reasons:
1) I am attached to the strength of my hand.
-> Hand strength is relative to all five board cards and the opponent's range. It changes with every street, and with every action by the opponent. Simple example: TT starts as a relatively strong hand, but changes in relative strength the moment someone cold 4bets. More complex example: AsJh on board Ac 3c 9s 5c 8d. Villain checks turn and overbets river. My hand is relatively strong when he checks, but when he overbets, it's strength suddenly polarizes.
2) I am attached to the size of the pot, the bigger the pot, the harder the fold.
-> The size of the pot has no bearing on whether or not I have odds to call, the decision should be based on pot odds and the information I have available. If anything, the relative strength of a Villain's hand increases with their bet size and the size of the pot. Even though this shouldn't be case, it generally IS.
3) I want to see the opponents cards to see if I was right/wrong
-> Being "right" in Poker is not about knowing exactly which two cards an opponent is holding. It's about knowing what their entire range is, and whether or not you had odds to call. Calling and seeing a hand shows you one tiny part of their range, and doesn't tell you whether you were right or wrong to call.
4) I want to see my opponents cards because I would rather lose and know, than never know at all
-> That's the game ;) But seriously, we can find another way to "know", which is to see their aggression on various streets using the HUD, and eventually gather enough information to make those calls when it makes sense to do so. Also, we already know! The pool underbluffs, and we can determine their range on that basis. The range is what we (should) care about, not whether they have or don't have a specific part of their range.
5) I don't like the feeling of being bluffed
-> No one does! However, opponents are actually unlikely to be bluffing. If they are bluffing and I fold a better hand, that's credit to their ability and is part of the game. I am only being exploited if I am being bluffed more often than I am being value bet. I am exploiting the opponent by overfolding, and denying them value. When they exploit that fact and begin bluffing huge pots, I can think logically about counter adjusting if it makes sense to do is. At the moment it is far me likely I am being targeted/exploited for overcalling, and opponents may even be betting larger sizes because they know I am likely to call!
6) I feel frustrated that I got so far into a hand with something marginal, and don't want to cut my losses
-> Betting or calling with marginal hands is done because they have enough equity or future fold equity to do so. That doesn't mean their equity or fold equity is always going to materialize. They should only materialize a certain percentage of the time, probably less often than I believe. Both of those types of equity can also change in an instant.
7) My thought process is halted by the emotionally charged nature of big pots
-> This relates to Unconscious Competence. I haven't practiced enough hand reading to be able to do it even when I am under stress, meaning it is not yet an Unconscious Competence. Meaning: More study needed off-felt for river decisions especially.
8) "Its only x amount more to call, and I can win the whole pot!" - thinking this would somehow avoid losing what I have already put in
-> Money/chips were put in the pot as a bet on equity. The second that bet is made, that money is gone and a new round of betting takes place. The decision is equity vs. pot odds, nothing else. Also.. in a vaccuum, folding is actually a 0EV decision. No matter how many times I catch someone bluffing, the fact of doing so may have been -EV anyway.
9) I think the opponent will overbet as a bluff because I do that myself
-> Everyone thinks differently. Part of the skill of Poker is using empathy to understand the thought process of other players. Underbluffing makes a lot of sense. Not everyone is rolled properly. Most people don't hedge their bets on an opponent folding to a large sizing when they have nothing, especially when they been burnt before by opponents who station them with 3rd pair! It is very hard to make big bets as a bluff that are +EV in the long run but feel terrible the times they are called. Most people are not capable of doing it even if they know it is correct. Its possible thats the reason they are playing the stakes they are and haven't moved up.

Short term: Logic injections
Hand strength changes with each action.
Decisions should be made using odds vs equity.
We are interested in range, not specific hands.
You're not being bluffed, you're being exploited for value.
Is it scary to bluff for this player on this board?
Long term:
Study more river spots to make decisions and hand reading an Unconscious Competence.
Recognize which of these emotions/thought processes are occurring every time I'm in a hand and make a bad call on the river. Write them down after the hand.
Anticipate that a stressful river decision may be approaching every time I reach the turn.

[Inception] The ending explained and what it means for Cobb.

Stories from 12 years of Casino Industry

I was asked to make a post about some stories within the Casino grounds so I thought I'd share. I have many so I'll do my best to pick the better ones.
Some back information: I've been a Casino Dealer for 11 years, I've been a supervisor for five years, and I've been a Surveillance Operator for one year. I've worked at three properties, none of which are connected or owned by the same company. I've worked on : Government/Private/Native American owned casinos.

From Hero to Zero.

At my first Casino, I was one of the first group of people who were trained to deal Roulette . After 4 weeks of working 6PM-3AM then doing roulette training from 3AM-8AM (Not paid) , I actually really enjoyed the game and after about six months I became extremely quick at the number game and the pace of the action was steady with very low margin of errors. Young man walks in, cashes in for $500. He buys in for $2 chips and just loads the board. After a few spins and pretty decent hits, he then changes his chips from $2 to 5$ then to $10 and racks his winnings up to $10,000. It was then, five spins in a row, he loaded the board with some pretty gross bets, and every spin I would hit the ONE number with either NO CHIPS on it, or maybe 1 chip , He lost all $10,000 in a matter of minutes. He leaves , and I go on break. After my break I was going back to the same table and wouldn't you know it, the same young man walks in and cashes in another $500. He tells me he just sold his car outside and this is all that he had left. So we do the same deal, buys in for $2 chips, then slowly starts betting $5 chips, $10, $25...and he makes $10,000 AGAIN. Within the next 25 minutes it was straight agony. Every spin, same thing, he would bet $2500 in chips, and win only $250, $400, and after about a half hour he lost it all . Never saw the guy again.
2) Man down
At this property, we are 24 hours for table games. It's currently 5AM , and I'm dealing some $25 Blackjack to this guy. He's probably early thirties , heavy guy. He's sober as can be, but right away I can tell he's been losing. We know how much you've bought in for, how much your down, or up, and I could see he was down $2000+. After about twenty minutes of pure losing, his temper starts to flare.At this point I now have two other guests at my table. Drinking coffee, not saying a word, just losing their money. After losing hand, after hand, this guy looks me straight in the eye, seized up, starts shaking, he can't move. He tries to punch towards me and smashes his stack of chips all over the place and falls backwards to the floor. I call for security, we cannot touch him due to liability . I can't move from my table because, well, liability / casino cash property, all I can do is try to talk to him. As I'm doing so, these other two woman who are sitting at my table just look at me and one says "OK, dealer, cmon lets go " as she taps the table telling me to start dealing and forget about the guy having a stroke on the floor. As security takes him to the ambulance out front, I had to stay behind for a couple minutes and give a statement. I go on break. I come back, and 45 minutes later, he comes right back in with a oxygen tank and keeps gambling for the remainder of the morning.
3) You get a dildo, and YOU get a dildo!
On a late summer Saturday night, we had a large event for these massive muscle guys/strongman competition type thing. After their show, I'm at the roulette table , and five of these boys come over to play. They were absolutely hilarious. They were feeling pretty good, cashed in somewhat large amounts and I could tell this was going to be a fun time. After about a hour of dealing to these guys, it's almost midnight, everybody is pretty hammered , I spin the ball, and all five of these guys take out these god damn (what I can only tell was) two feet purple dildos from inside their pants, and wiping them around in the air. The ladies were just loving it, one of the dildos landed in the roulette wheel and we had to shut the table down to re-calibrate the wheel to make sure nothing had been changed. I just remember that night was so much damn fun, I couldn't believe what I was seeing and I would never forget it.
4) Full Moon
On this day, I was actually training dealers / supervising them on small games like Three Card poker. We opened the table at 10AM, and this older man came and sat down . He played all day. The jackpot was $21,000 and that was pretty high for this table. He played, and played and played. He's one of the players where you know he's wearing a diaper because he's been drinking coffee/pop all day and hasn't moved in eight hours. As the day went on, this man never moved from his chair. Getting closer to midnight, he was aggravated and said "I need to go have a smoke, I'm getting killed in here". He left, and the very next hand, the lady beside him was dealt the jackpot . He didn't say much, but you could just tell he just hated life at that very moment because had he not gotten up, it would of been his hand. The man calmly took his cane , his hat, jacket, coffee, and left. The next morning I found out when he did leave he drove his car straight through his bank and was arrested.
5) Slick Robber
I actually give props to people who can actually pull this off. This story may confuse you so I'll try and explain things as best as possible. A lot of casinos have machines as soon as you walk through the front doors. A man walks up to one of these machines and sticks in HIS $100 bill. He doesn't gamble it, instead he hits the cash out button and gets a $100 TITO ticket where he then takes the ticket to the ATM machine to get his $100. Now remember, his Original $100 is in the slot machine. He then takes the $100 from the ATM and goes back to the same machine, and repeats this process over a hundred times. Essentially he's taking money from the ATM, and loading up the Slot Machine . Now he knows he can't do it too much because if the slot machine gets full of money, the machine will shut down and the slow attendant will have to take all the cash out. So he deposits over $10,000 , then has a small crowbar, he cracks the machine open and makes a run out the front door. To my knowledge he was never caught . But damn, that was pretty smart .
EDIT:
6) Mental Health is a thing.
10PM man walks in to play some high limit BlackJack. This guy knows the game and played well. Dressed nice, drank juice/tea , a little bit of a attitude, cashed in over $10,000. When this man was half way down his buy in, he said something a long the lines of "If I don't win here tonight, I'm going to go set myself on fire." I wasn't sure if he was serious because when people are down, they tend to say a lot of nonsense. I actually left early that night, and from a third party was told he did exactly that in the parking lot. The next day it was clear something terrible had gone wrong in the parking lot .
EDIT:
7) Nothing good happens after midnight
After a busy Saturday night, I was dealing a mix of games, and during this story I was in the middle of Blackjack. I had one young kid (probably 19) sitting in the middle, one older male probably in his later 40's sitting beside him on his right, and I had a really nice couple in their 20's sitting together at the other side. This young kid wasn't playing just sort of watching, and ever time the old man won he would give this young guy some of his winnings. The older man, was a wine drinker, and he had black between all of his teeth, I'll never forget. He's a little drunk but nothing terrible. As the night goes on, the older man goes and uses the washroom, at which point the couple asked the young guy "Oh was that your dad?" and the young guy says "Hah, no I wish!". The couple and I just looked at each other. This old guy, was in complete control over this kid. Absolutely disgusting. The night ends, and I find out the couple called a few of their friends, and they all waited outside by this old mans truck and beat the living hell out of him. 40 years old, sleeping with a 19 year old, completely brain washed . Very weird.
8) That one co-worker where you just wish they would quit.
One of our co-workers, nice guy but had a very big ego and we as employees just sorta left him alone. One day he had enough of the atmosphere and quit. Now usually when you quit, you cannot come back until you paperwork is finalized. How ever, HR was in that day, and he was given the paperwork the very next day. He came in, cashed in $1000, and made $50,000 in about a hour at the Baccarat table. My manager, was extremely annoyed, because now this guy is just mocking the casino and having the time of his life (Thanks for the big tip by the way :) ) and so he decides to call it quits. He wants to ban himself and he wants $50,000 in cash. The casino says Nope, we are going to give you a cheque. Now here's the thing, most business people will take the cheque, how ever you CANT CASH the cheque until the following monday because it's on that day where the funds are available. The casino on the other hand will cash their own check in anytime , because they want you to play. So this guy pretty much said go to hell I want my cash, and he called the police. Police show up, and management promptly gave him the cash.I though it was absolutely hilarious .

9) No good deed goes un punished
I was dealing Three Card Poker, and the jackpot was around $17,000. This old man (a regular) was sitting there all day grinding it out. Super nice guy, always a pleasure to deal to. Well, after hours of playing, he stands up and says "Hey john!, can you come here for a minute?" so his buddy John comes over. He says to John "I need to go take a piss real quick, can you play my card until I get back?" John agrees . John takes the chips and I stop him and explain he can't play his friends chips, he needs to cash in and play his own. And he does. Welp, second hand out and bam, doesn't he win it. The old man comes back and is so happy, he can't believe it. John, took his $17,000, didn't say a word to his "buddy" and walked away. I never felt so much hatred in all my life. Didn't give him a dollar, not a thank you, nothing. The old man sits back down again, the progressive resets to $2500, and he sat there grinding away again.
10) The Top Knot
I had this player , young guy, who was born into a fortune. One of his relatives passed away and left him a pretty big sizable amount of money, so he played poker every single day for the rest of his days. I will add, he IS a good player. I did not enjoy his company just because of the "Know-it-All" attitude, but he was good. We'll call him John. John is 5'10, and well build, with muscle. John also decided today was the day to show off his Top Knot. (google top knot if you're not sure what I mean) So he sits down, and he's absolutely KILLING the table. Every hand, after hand, after hand. And because he's in such a good mood, he's playing any two cards, calling any $500 bet, and he's just dominating. This one guy at the table decided he had enough. He got up, without saying a word and left. A moment later, he comes back in, walks behind John, and takes a pair of scissors , and cuts off his Top Knot. I for one couldn't believe it, dying laughing inside, and it just turned into one big brawl. That was a good day.
11) That one bad seed
One of my best friends who I haven't seen in YEARS ended up being part of the crew. Was kind of nice to catch up. We never really got along as we grew up because he has a very high picture of himself . He wanted that 10/10 woman. A mansion, and a new Corvette. So every month or so we would all go up to the other casino to play. I myself would bring no more than $500, but I couldn't understand how this guy (we'll call him Kyle) was spending THOUSANDS of dollars at the tables. So this wen on for a few months. Well, one day, as we're closing the casino, he and I are in the High Limit room and we're getting ready to close the tables. We are told to take the chips out, count them, put them back, sign this piece of paper and that's it. Well as the supervisor was locking the tray, the piece of paper fell to the floor, so she asked Kyle to grab the piece of paper. As he bends over, a great big $500 chip falls right out of his sock. Kyle was fired immediately , but it all made sense. They offered Kyle a deal where if he replaced all the stolen chips they would not make it public. Not sure how that turned out.
12) If I ever decide to write a book, this will be the last chapter: <3
After working at my first Casino for five years, I met a Indian woman who was visiting from another part of the country. During this time I was explaining a game to her, which honestly I don't think she even cared. She explained she was visiting and sight seeing , and that was that.Well, two years later I ended up moving to the other side of the country and transferred casinos, and low and behold she worked there as a Dealer. We got married , and it's been 5 years.
13) The Tip
One of our tables that we've had for a couple years had a progressive jackpot that had reached $100,000. The dealer at the table was sitting pretty lonely. Nobody really played the game because people knew it was extremely difficult to win the jackpot. My memory is a tad foggy, but you somehow needed to flop the royal flush. This young guy sits down and says to the dealer, we'll call him John. "John, if you pay me that jackpot, I will tip you $10,000" Well John started dealing, and about a half hour into his shift, he F*cking did it. He dealt him the royal. And you know something?This young lad, kept his word, and he made sure there was a audience, and he tipped exactly $10,000. That was a moment right there. That pay cheque was real nice. I think we all got about $500 more than usual. The moment that jackpot was awarded they got rid of the table because the money it was making was not near what the casino wanted. I'm sure there have been bigger tips at other casinos, but that was something special .
14) The Lawsuit
Now this story I'm going to have to beat around the bush a bit due to the nature of what happened. I can't won't answer any questions that you may have on this topic other than what I have to say because it had a lot of publicity . The waitresses at this casino had to wear very thin sexy clothes. Not borderline legal, but it was noticed. One day they called all the waitresses to come in and explained they were changing their outfit to something even more sexier. Now these new dresses were very very borderline legal . The staff said No way. We're not wearing that.So , friday night comes, and the staff work their whole shift, then at the end of their shift were called into a meeting and were all fired. Welp, one of those ladies father was a pretty big time lawyer. Brough the casino to court and won. They won big. Good for them. We had no waitresses for a couple days haha.
Thanks for reading along, I have many more I can add as the day goes on, those were just some off the top of my head. Feel free to ask any questions of the Casino industry. I don't really have many stories about the surveillance department because that's the one area where I can't really say a whole lot due to its privacy and contracts I was and still am under.

My story

So, I will preface this by saying that I don't go on Reddit much, but do read a lot of stories (mostly in youtube compilations). Also, I don't know anything about QAnon. But in describing... everything that happened with my stepdad, my fiancée told me I should post my story here. So that's what I will do. It's a long one.
So I have a lot of baggage. My parents (mom and stepdad; dad has been out of the picture for a long time now) were emotionally, mentally, and verbally abusive. Never physically, though. To this day, they gaslight and try to manipulate me, and I am sure this has contributed to my lost memories. I have trust and relationship issues now too.
It really started when my stepdad came into the picture. My father was angry, drunk, and did hard drugs. Refused to work or parent, just played Call of Duty and online poker. My mom was miserable, playing the buffer between us and him, worked the shit shift at a shit job to provide for us, and did her best to find time to be a parent to me and my 3 siblings around all that.
Then the divorce happened, and she was a single parent of 4 kids with an addict ex-husband who refused to (and still has not to this day) pay child support. Shortly after she meets my stepfather. He brings us all to his church (which he has since quit for being too liberal and money-hungry). It is all well and fine, for a while. He is really nice, mom is happy, we have a man taking up a fatherly role in our lives for the first time ever. Then things start feeling... off...
He starts making arbitrary rules and disciplining us with his fucked up mind games. I remember one time, to make me and my brother stop bickering, he threatened to make us stay in each others' bedrooms. Sleep in each others' beds. Not be allowed back to our own room. For a few days. Another time, he took my brother's door off the hinges and gave him zero privacy for backtalking him. Dishes HAD to be done by hand, no more using the fully functional dishwasher, for no reason other than he said so. We had to do it in a super specific way he showed us too. One time he sent me and my brother into our rooms for an hour to each come up with a written list on how we would punish ourselves if he ever caught us bickering again, and pray he approved it, because we didn't want to know what HE could come up with.
He had all of us pick out our 3 most favorite things we owned. Then told us that if we ever pissed him off too badly, he would throw away everything we owned besides our beds, clothes, our bible, and those 3 items we picked. He would steal small toys and trinkets we had from us so he could "surprise" us as adults with them unexpectedly. I have gotten a few long-lost beloved toys back already. I once got caught hanging out with a friend at her house one day. College classes let out super early and I wasn't keen on going home to my toxic house, so I hung out at my friend's until the usual time to go home. My cousin had spotted me leaving the college by chance and called my house to make sure I was meant to be out that way (it was a ways away from home, I was with someone he hadn't met, and he didn't know I was in college). When I got home, I was tasked with writing down every lie I had ever told, or else I would lose everything I owned besides my bed, bible, clothes, and 3 favorite belongings.
The stories go on and on, and I don't even remember a lot of them because I have apparently repressed a lot of memories.
We weren't allowed cell phones or videogames. Computer was for school work only and he would monitor all the stuff you did it administratively from his computer. If you were even one second late coming home, heaven help you. Not allowed to buy a car before the day I moved out. He would brag about planning on kicking my younger brother out on his 18th birthday. If you "messed up" and did anything wrong within a week of spending time with a friend, they were a "bad influence" and were never allowed to see them again outside of school. Unless the friend was useful to them, like one friend who gave me rides to and from college (I did a program where I took college classes while in high school).
He believed, and outright stated, that since he was a teenager once upon a time that he knew everything we thought. We made an innocent mistake, like forgot to check to see if any dishes needed to be washed before watching TV? No, we chose to do it intentionally as an act of rebellion just to piss him off. And we were liars if we claimed otherwise. Whenever anything bad happened and it involved us at all, we would get in trouble if we did not accept 100% of the responsibility and blame. Example: if there was an unexpected change in plans and it left us in a tight spot, it was our fault for not planning better. If we ran out of something we needed (for like cooking or school) it was our fault for not letting mom know before her last trip to the store.
He would use his religion as an excuse to rule over the whole family, including my mom, with an iron fist. What he says, goes. I remember one time he started screaming at me for wearing the same shirt to church every week (we were forced to go) and I said it was because it was the only nice dress-shirt-type of shirt I had. Mom defended me and said I didn't have any other "nice" shirts to wear. He called her a bad wife for arguing with him. To him, the man of the house was the leader. The wife and children are meant to be obedient, and obey everything he says without question. In turn, it is man's duty to lead and provide for the family. He, and my mom, believe that mental illness (such as ADHD, ADD, anxiety, depression, PTSD, etc...) are all made up by people who want attention and the only "real" mental disorders are the super bad ones like schizophrenia. Super convenient for a narcissist, right?
My stepdad is not only a narcissist, but also one of those crazy conspiracy theorists. Anti-vaxxer, flat-Earther, the whole 9 yards. We've never been to space or the moon. "They" are spraying chemtrails in the sky all day every day from airplanes. "They" (meaning "the bad guys" which may mean some or all of the following: the USA government, the satan-worshipping illuminati, the sheeple, the World government, the evil ultra-rich bazillionares who sold their souls for their success and run the world... you get the picture). The Catholic church is actually secretly the illuminati and the Pope is their leader. The Coronavirus is just a massive lie made up by Them so they could hard-reset the world economy and train us to follow orders and so They can see how far They can push us before we even notice or take action. The vaccine is evil and poison and may or may not contain a microchip. The "Mark of the beast" in the bible will be a government-issued microchip used to track you and assign you a social score and all that shit. They want to take out guns so we have no way of defending ourselves against Them when They send the military out. All of these conspiracies he gets from a mix of websites. I won't name any, but I know of a few. Because growing up, we were forced to "research" and read "news articles" off these websites daily. He flip-flops between singing Trump's praises and berating him as just another corrupt government official who lied his way into office with false promises to the "woke" people. But I guarantee you that he would applaud the insurrection that happened on the news today.
He started pushing all of his views onto my mom and siblings. With... mixed reception. All of us shrug off some of the really crazy ones, like how all celebrities make deals with demons for their fame. But my mom and 2 of my siblings have started believing a lot of what he says. Now they are also flat-Earther anti-vaxxers who point at clouds and cry "chemtrails!" I just try to avoid politics and any of these crazy theories whenever I spend time with my family. I don't do a lot of talking with them at all, actually. I am either lying and deflecting to keep them from prying too deeply into my life, or sitting quietly while my stepdad goes on a rant.
My stepdad can be really creepy. When I still lived there, I would occasionally sit on his knee (a habit I picked up as a kid, and I would still do it to be "affectionate" and fly under his radar, he loved and encouraged it), but when I got older he would start to rub my thighs, my back really close to my ass, and my sides close to my chest. Made me super uncomfortable so I quit doing that. Never went any beyond that, and I am not sure it was even intentional. I ask my sister (who still lives with him and my mom) every time I see her if he has ever done anything inappropriate or made her uncomfortable, and she says he hasn't. Also he has this weird obsession with my, my sister's, and my mom's feet? Mainly mine though, since they are the softest. That also weirds me out.
They have put me through Hell and back. This all kept up until I moved out at 19, and they tried every tactic under the sun to get me to move back. Mainly my stepdad was the problem, but my mom isn't innocent either. She let this happen. She went along with it. And she became part of the problem when she started supporting the abuse from my stepdad, and believing in his crazy conspiracy theories. Plus, she was homophobic and racist to begin with. Throw in a hefty dose of believing in and pressuring me and my sister into gender stereotyped roles (expects us to be homemaker housewife baby machines) and she adds her own problems into the mix. Also, she straight up ignored me and accused me of lying and saying hateful things out of anger the one time I told her that I hated my stepdad and what he put me through. I told her all this after the incident I described above, where I went to a friend's house instead of home when college let out early. She gaslights and manipulates me too. Mainly to feel small, scared, and like I need to run to them for advice and help. She wants me back under her thumb. She wants me to move away from my current house, because I am living with a roomate she hates (a "bad influence" friend and one whose house she is not welcome at).
Despite all of that, I don't cut contact with my family. I don't even argue with them. I spot manipulation when I can and acknowledge it internally. I don't call them out on it. I don't challenge or argue about politics, or these conspiracy theories, or their racism or homophobia. I don't rock the boat. Because at the end of the day, I still love my mom and siblings. Despite all their flaws. I would be devastated if they were no longer in my life. But it chips away at me, every minute I spend with them. Every homophobic comment I have to just swallow, because I know I could never tell them I am a lesbian and am engaged to a woman. It kills me to have to hide her away, like a dirty secret, and I know it hurts her too. But I don't know what to do from here. I feel awful not challenging my family, but I feel it is a lost cause. I could never change their minds, only lose them from my life. I know it is inevitable anyways, but I still don't cut my family out. Partly because the fallout would be NUCLEAR, and partly because I want to put it off as long as possible so I still have them in my life.
Anyways, I doubt anyone will see this. But it feels good to get this off my chest a bit. Thanks to anyone who did take the time to read this.

Turning Random League of Legends Champions into a DnD Build (Attempting) Until I've Done all 152 (and Counting) Day 8: Twisted Fate

If I’m being completely honest, Twisted Fate is probably the hardest time I’ve had trying to figure one of these builds and probably the least confident I’ve been on one, but mama didn’t raise no bitch and I’m shooting my shot.

Every champion in these posts is getting built to a level 20 fantasy, but that does not mean you have to be level 20 to enjoy most if not all the important gameplay mechanics of the champion
- Twisted Fate is completely enjoyable with most of his core mechanics by level 11ish. The high spell commitment is very restricting though
Basic Champion Information
- Image
  - Twisted Fate
- Lore
  - Twisted Fate is an infamous cardsharp and swindler who has gambled and charmed his way across much of the known world, earning the enmity and admiration of the rich and foolish alike. He rarely takes things seriously, greeting each day with a mocking smile and an insouciant swagger. In every possible way, Twisted Fate always has an ace up his sleeve. (Twisted Fate Champion Page.)
  - Twisted Fate’s lore has jumped around a few times, but he’s a swindler, a cardshark, a master grifter and a gambling man who in my favorite version, sold out his best friend and accomplice, Graves to acquire magical power.
  - TF’s only major cinematic appearance was in the 2013 trailer, A Twist of Fate but he also features very prominently storywise in the 2015 Lore. Destiny and Fate Double Down. I honestly think the 2015 Bilgewater event was peak League content.
Goals/Gameplay Mechanics we want to emulate
- Magical Projectiles with extra effects
- Divination
- Teleportation
- Sleight of Hand
Background/Race/Stats/Class
- Charlatan
  - Proficiency: Deception, Sleight of Hand, Disguise Kit, Forgery Kit
  - Equipment: A set of fine clothes, a disguise kit, tools of the con of your choice (ten stoppered bottles filled with colored liquid, a set of weighted dice, a deck of marked cards, or a signet ring of an imaginary duke), and a belt pouch containing 15 gp
  - Charlatan Feature: False Identity: You have created a second identity that includes documentation, established acquaintances, and disguises that allow you to assume that persona. Additionally, you can forge documents including official papers and personal letters, as long as you have seen an example of the kind of document or the handwriting you are trying to copy.
- Variant Human
  - +1Dex +1 Cha
  - Metamagic Adept: 2 sorc points, Subtle Spell, Twinned Spell
  - 5’11 Medium Sized 30 ft movement
  - Languages: Common and one of your choice
- Stats 15/14/13/12/10/8
  - 8 Str (You fight with your head not your hands)
  - 15 Dex (You know every card in your stacked deck like the back of your hand)
  - 13 Con (You’ve probably been roughed up on occasion for cleaning many a tavern out of coin.)
  - 12 Int (Can’t con people without brains)
  - 10 Wis (You’re a gamblin man)
  - 16 Cha (Lady Luck smiles at you for a reason)
- 18 Whisper Bard/2 Archfey Warlock reasoning
  - The best I could come up with was Eldritch Blast to flavor as a consistent magic card attack and due to the simplicity of TF’s basic spells, we can take the Eldritch Invocations: Lance of Lethargy to simulate red card, and Agonizing blast to make sure that our shifty shenanigans dont kneecap our damage. Also at level 11, Our eldritch blast can be cast 3 times to replicate Wild Card. Besides that, Warlock doesn’t have access to Teleport (the semiglobal jump part of our ult), Sorcerer doesn’t have Scrying (the vision part of our ult). Since we need a level 7 and level 5 spell from different classes but also need to play up stats important to the character, Bard with a slight Warlock dip seemed like a decent compromise. Bard has access to both spells, a good chunk of whatever they want and Power Word Stun… let me tell you getting Gold Card specifically is the most difficult part of his kit because of how high the bar to entry on Stunning is for non-monks (mostly 8th level spells). I swear if it wasnt for 5th and 7th spell level requirements though, TF would’ve been an Arcane Trickster 100%.
  - With that out of the way… Whisper Bards further fit the Charlatan aesthetic. Another big problem for sorc and warlock was that almost no subclass in either fit TF’s usual MO. Whisper Bards however use the positive connotation of bards to slip in, get important info and use it against people. It’s a way to get an upper hand, and “Cheater is just a fancy word for winner.”
- Warlock (all that being said, we’re gonna take those 2 warlock levels out the gate to get eldritch blast and avoid a downright horrendous early game.)
  - 9 Starting hp (8+con mod)
  - hp/level 1d8+con mod
  - Hit Die 1d8/level
  - Proficiency: Light Armor, Simple weapons, Arcana, Investigation
  - Equipment: Simple Weapon, Spellcasting Focus (Flavor as your deck), Scholar’s Pack
Lv 1 Warlock
- Spellcasting
  - Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier
  - Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier
- Cantrips
  - Eldritch Blast
  - Chill Touch
- Spells
  - (Lv 1) Charm Person
  - (Lv 1) Sense Emotion (Read that poker face)
- Otherworldly Patron: Archfey
- Archfey Spell:
  - (Lv 1) Faerie Fire
  - (Lv 1) Sleep
- Fey Presence
  - Starting at 1st level, your patron bestows upon you the ability to project the beguiling and fearsome presence of the fey. As an action, you can cause each creature in a 10-foot cube originating from you to make a Wisdom saving throw against your warlock spell save DC. The creatures that fail their saving throws are all charmed or frightened by you (your choice) until the end of your next turn.
  - Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a short or long rest.
Lv 2 Warlock
- Eldritch Invocations
  - Lance of Lethargy
  - Agonizing Blast
Lv 1 Bard
- Cantrips
  - Friends (you only need to keep your charades going until you leave with the money.)
  - Mage Hand (ngl I kinda took the subtle spell metamagic to see if I could pull some subtle mage hand shenanigans for pickpocketing or general cheating.)
- Spell
  - (Lv 1) Heroism (Massage the ego of a teammate with some temp HP so they’ll tank for you.)
  - (Lv 1) Distort Value (Distort the value of whatever bargaining chip you have to get others to bet for more than it’s worth)
- Bardic Inspiration (1d6) (Kiss one of your cards for good luck or play a song on the harmonica or something)
Lv 2 Bard
- Jack of All trades
- Song of Rest (1d6)
- Spell:
  - (Lv 1) Healing Word (You always know what to say)
Lv 3 Bard
- Eldritch Blast gets 2 shots
- College of Whispers
- Psychic Blades
  - When you join the College of Whispers at 3rd level, you gain the ability to make your weapon attacks magically toxic to a creature's mind.
  - When you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can expend one use of your Bardic Inspiration to deal an additional 2d6 psychic damage to that target. You can do so only once per round on your turn.
  - The psychic damage increases when you reach certain levels in this class, increasing to 3d6 at 5th level, 5d6 at 10th level, and 8d6 at 15th level.
- Words of Terror (Spook your opponents with a bluff they can’t ignore)
  - At 3rd level, you learn to infuse innocent-seeming words with an insidious magic that can inspire terror.
  - If you speak to a humanoid alone for at least 1 minute, you can attempt to seed paranoia and fear into its mind. At the end of the conversation, the target must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC or be frightened of you or another creature of your choice. The target is frightened in this way for 1 hour, until it is attacked or damaged, or until it witnesses its allies being attacked or damaged.
  - If the target succeeds on its saving throw, the target has no hint that you tried to frighten it.
  - Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a short rest or long rest.
- Spell
  - (Lv 2) Detect Thoughts
- Expertise: Sleight of Hand, Investigation
Lv 4 Bard
- ASI +2 Cha (18 total)
- Cantrip
  - Prestidigitation (Smoke and Mirrors)
- Spell
  - (Lv 2) Hold Person (About as close as we’re getting to gold card for a hot minute)
Lv 5 Bard
- Bardic Inspiration (D8)
- Font of Inspiration
- Spell
  - (Lv 3) Clairvoyance (our first vision spell)
Lv 6 Bard
- Countercharm
- College of Whispers Feature
  - Mantle of Whispers
- Spell
  - (Lv 3) Slow (Red Card as intended, but no damage)
Lv 7 Bard
- Spell
  - Dimension Door (baby’s first Destiny/TF Ult lv 1)
Lv 8 Bard
- ASI
  - +1 dex (16 total) + 1 con (14 total)
- Spell
  - (Lv 4) Freedom of Movement (It’s just too good)
Lv 9 Bard
- Song of Rest (1d8)
- Spell
  - Scrying (Destiny part 1)
Lv 10 Bard
- Bardic Inspiration (1d10)
- Expertise: Arcana, Deception
- Cantrip
  - Vicious Mockery
- Magical Secrets
  - (Lv 2) Misty Step
  - (Lv 5) Teleportation Circle
Lv 11 Bard
- Eldritch Blast gets 3 shots
- Spell
  - (Lv 6) True Seeing
Lv 12 Bard
- ASI +2 cha (20 total/capped)
Lv 13 Bard
- Song of Rest (1d10)
- Spell
  - (Lv 7) Teleport (Destiny part 2)
Lv 14 Bard
- Whisper Bard Feature Shadow Lore
  - At 14th level, you gain the ability to weave dark magic into your words and tap into a creature’s deepest fears.
  - As an action, you magically whisper a phrase that only one creature of your choice within 30 feet of you can hear. The target must make a Wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC. It automatically succeeds if it doesn’t share a language with you or if it can’t hear you. On a successful saving throw, your whisper sounds like unintelligible mumbling and has no effect.
  - If the target fails its saving throw, it is charmed by you for the next 8 hours or until you or your allies attack or damage it. It interprets the whispers as a description of its most mortifying secret.
  - While you gain no knowledge of this secret, the target is convinced you know it. While charmed in this way, the creature obeys your commands for fear that you will reveal its secret. It won’t risk its life for you or fight for you, unless it was already inclined to do so. It grants you favors and gifts it would offer to a close friend.
  - When the effect ends, the creature has no understanding of why it held you in such fear.
  - Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.
- Magical Secrets
  - (Lv 7) Plane Shift
  - (Lv 3) Fireball (Your choice honestly. I just picked Fireball for some accessible AoE)
Lv 15 Bard
- Bardic inspiration (D12)
- Spell
  - (Lv 8) Power Word Stun (FINALLY! THE TRUE GOLD CARD)
Lv 16 Bard
- ASI +2 Dex
Lv 17 Bard
- Eldritch Blast gets 4 shots
- Song of Rest (d12)
- Spell
  - (Lv 9) Foresight (When you see all the cards, Destiny is truly in your hands.)
Lv 18 Bard
- Magical Secrets
  - (Lv 9) Gate (Kind of an easter egg since TF’s ult used to be on his E and called gate. It however is very precise teleportation/plane shifting that can take you to a specific person. So you can pretty much go anywhere)
  - (Lv 9) Wish (When luck is on your side, it’s really more of a command)
Pros
- Tons of vision to play around
- Finding your way and tracking your targets shouldn’t be hard
- If you can’t beat your enemies, cheat them.
- Nice for roleplay
Cons
- Wonky Start
- Probably bad in combat
- I had a tough enough time thinking about this that I don’t think I very cleanly got him.
- Needing such high level spells to emulate Destiny while trying to maintain his talents and personality felt really restraining. Definitely the most difficult feeling build I’ve had so far.
As always, I look forward to your takes in the comments! Hopefully someone hits the mark on this one a little better.

Adventure: Ship (Ch. 17)

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An ocean of red surrounded him, stretching as far as the eye could see. The landscape was featureless, just a constant crimson that engulfed even the horizon. Picking up a foot he took a step forward, then he felt it, the feeling of something breaking beneath his feet. It reverberated through his leg, the ripples from the disturbed crimson surface spread outwards from him as the feeling spread inwards. He gritted his teeth, the feeling wouldn't relent, the ocean was draining away, a sense of dread filled him, he didn't want to see, he didn't want to know what he stepped on, but it just kept draining. He would see it soon, he would know, he didn't want to, he didn't want to, he didn't want to, he didn't want to, he didn't...
David woke with a start, he was breathing heavily and shaking uncontrollably in a cold sweat. He took a few deep breaths and rubbed his face to wake himself. Just a dream. He brought his breathing back down to normal and looked at the clock on the wall, It was early morning. David sighed and laid his head back down, he would doze a bit till it was a more appropriate time to wake. At least he tried to, he couldn't seem to get even a nap in. Cursing it all he just grabbed the controls for the entertainment system to find something to preoccupy himself.
He swapped through a series of shows over the next couple of hours. He watched recent news for a bit, then a couple of different nature documentaries on various planets, and then a brutal version of football where the players were all remotely piloting heavy robots they could slam around with impunity. Eventually the hospital came to life again and the Vildune doctor entered into his room.
It gave him a quizzical look before speaking. "Oh, you're awake, didn't expect you to be up this early."
David gave a smile in return. "Yeah I guess I'm just an early riser." He turned the entertainment system off so he could properly listen.
"Well since you are up, we could start your final examination so we can get you cleared to leave."
David perked up a bit. "Sounds like a plan to me." The doctor started testing his body, poking, prodding and recording his reflexes. He shined a light in his eyes and questioned it's reflective properties, to which David gave a summarized explanation. The doctor was intrigued but didn't push him for more details, instead continuing with the examination. He finished by having him stand and conducting a basic mobility test. David went through a range of motions and stretches to make sure everything was working as intended.
Content with the tests the doctor had David sit. "Looking good, everything seems to be in order. Do you feel that something's off or otherwise not operating as it should?"
David just shook his head. "No everything feels fine."
The doctor nodded. "Alright, once I submit this form you'll be cleared to leave, if you could just sign here, thank you, any questions?"
Something popped into his head that he had forgotten. "Actually yeah, where did my stuff go?"
"You mean your pants? We were keeping it stored for you after we had it cleaned."
"Was there a blue scale in one of the pockets, do you still have that?" David was getting concerned.
"Yes I believe there was, we stored it with the pants if that's what you are wondering about."
David let out a relieved sigh. "Thanks, I would like that returned to me please."
The doctor nodded. "Of course, a nurse will bring your effects as well as a new printed shirt and pair of shoes."
"Appreciate it doc, thanks again." The doctor gave him a smile then left to file the paperwork. David sat down on the bed again to wait for everything to be processed. It was maybe ten minutes before a nurse showed up to deliver his clothes. The pile was deposited on the bedside with a polite nod, then they left.
David noticed the scale on top and picked it up to examine it again, It still had its luster but the edges were scuffed and scratched now, a testament to its use in his escape. He smiled to himself, I should make this into a necklace or something. He set it aside while he stripped down and got his clothes on. After he was properly dressed he slipped the scale into one pocket and the credit chip into his other before exiting his room.
Stepping into the hall he inhaled deeply, enjoying the freedom that he had missed. A call from down the hallway got his attention as he turned to see Sky and Solomon sitting in some chairs, evidently waiting for him. He smiled and approached to pair who stood to greet him. "Morning Sky, Solomon, were you guys waiting for me?"
"Not for very long." Solomon responded. "We decided it would be appropriate to congratulate you on your release from the hospital."
David chuckled a bit. "Thanks, but it was just one night, no need to stand on ceremony."
Solomon did a 'shrug'. "Well it was that, and Sky here doesn't seem to want to let you out of his sight." Sky snapped to Solomon with a look of betrayal before looking at the ground embarrassed.
David laughed and ruffled his head feathers a bit. Sky actually flinched a little at that, and a needle of sadness pierced David's heart. "Don't worry Sky I'm not going anywhere fast. I got to contact my boss and let them know the situation, then I have to get a new ship, supplies, equipment and a general sense of what I'm going to do next." Sky just nodded and continued staring at the floor. "Well, I'm going to go send a message, so you guys can wait for me at the front if you want."
With a nod they left to wait and David went off at a brisk pace to the public terminals. Following the signs on the walls he found them fairly quickly and signed in to his account. Labeling the message as an emergency situation update, he summarized the events of what transpired to the best of his abilities.
Before he hit send, he hesitated as he thought about something. His boss technically did belong to a branch of the government so maybe they could pull some strings for him. He added a p.s. to his letter asking for a favor and sent off the message. With that done he signed out of everything and left to meet up with Sky and Solomon.
He found them waiting in the lobby and with a wave joined up with them. "Sorry to keep you waiting. So, what's the plan for today then?"
Solomon responded. "I was going to research where I may be needed as a doctor or if there was a hospital that could use my services."
"Well wherever you go they will be lucky to have you. I think I'm going to get a new ship first, if you find out where you want to go, I can give you a lift so you don't have to hire a shuttle."
Solomon raised a manipulator at him. "I don't want to impose on you more than I have already."
David scoffed. "Impose? Come on, you're not imposing. We can just take a jump gate and be anywhere with another orbital station, and even if there wasn't a jump gate it would still be no big deal. Just accept the offer already, you might hurt my feelings if you don't." David got him with that one, his manipulators slumped a bit as he was caught between a rock and a hard place, and he knew it.
"Twist my tentacles why don't you. Fine, I will graciously accept your offer."
David smiled a devious little smile at his success. "Excellent, lets meet up later tonight to talk about things. If I remember correctly, I think there is a bar on level 23 called Zarg's bar 'n grill, sounds plain but they fix up a damn good drink. Lets meet around seven, standard Terran time, tonight for a bit of celebration and planning."
"Sounds good. I take it you are going to stay with David, Sky?" Sky was still embarrassed and just nodded. "Well then, I will see you both later." With that he turned and left leaving the two of them alone.
David turned to Sky who looked at him finally. "Well we should get going and find a new ship." Sky nodded and followed slightly behind him as they walked. They found an unoccupied lift and David set in a command to take them to the market level. Sky was being quiet the whole time and David felt kind of awkward with the little guy just standing there like some kind of attendant.
David decided he should try and start a conversation. "So how are you doing?"
Sky looked up at him quizzically. "What do you mean?"
"I mean with everything that's happened. You doing alright?"
Sky looked back down apparently thinking about it. "I'm not sure, I guess I'm a little nervous. I've never been anywhere but the Dread Throne before, I have no idea what to expect or do."
David bobbed his head a few times. "I see, well don't worry, I think you'll like freedom more than you know." A soft chime sounded in the lift and the door opened to reveal the market, bustling with life as people went to and from different shops and stalls talking to the various vendors selling goods from their planets. The diversity of life in the crowd was always exhilarating. Many different species walking, sliding, crawling, and flying all over the place while talking to the vendors, haggling and buying what they wanted, was energizing to say the least.
David was about to step out of the lift when he felt a hand grab onto his pocket. David looked down to see Sky, wide eyed, staring at the crowd of people like a deer in headlights before blinking a few times and noticing what he did. His hand quickly shot back down to his side and he mumbled a quick "I'm sorry."
David gave him a soft smile. "It's ok, just stay close and you'll be fine." Sky nodded and they exited together. David started weaving through the crowd Sky kept close to his side as he did. David found Sky's reaction to be quite funny as he stared at everything, mouth slightly agape like a little kid. Sky's gaze lingered on a vendor who was selling some hefty looking alien fruits, and David thought he might have saw Sky gulp a little bit at the sight of them.
Why not. David weaved his way over to the vendor with Sky in tow. Stopping in front of the stall the vendor gave him a warm welcome and insisted they buy his merchandise. David, not one to disappoint, scanned over the fruits for a moment before he saw one with good size and color to it. Selecting it from the pile, the merchant presented a device to pay with and David inserted his new chip into it, then scanned his hand. A second later a green light came on and the vendor gave him a polite bow in thanks for the patronage.
David turned back to Sky and presented the fruit to him. His eyes went wide as he stared at it, mouth hanging open, and David thought he might start drooling. He reached for it but stopped part way, hesitating. He looked up and David and asked "Can I?" Icy cold needles of sadness were everywhere in his heart now.
David managed to keep smiling and replied. "Yes, go ahead." Sky grabbed hold of the fruit with both hands and looked upon it like it was the most valuable thing in the world. He opened up and sunk his beak into the fruits flesh, slicing into it with an ease born of his natural affinity towards it's consumption. A look that could only be described as ecstasy flooded across his features as he practically melted on the spot, savoring every ounce of flavor.
David just smiled at his friends, but the sadness ate at his insides. This was probably the first real fruit Sky had eaten since he was a little kid. Anger at the snake bitch rose from the grave, but with nowhere to go, it evaporated into the ether. "Can you eat and walk Sky?" Sky snapped out of his own personal rapture and took a moment to process the question before giving him a quick nod. David smiled and started walking again, making sure he kept an eye on Sky as he ate his fruit so he didn't wander off.
He found a directory at a junction and looked over it for the shipyard. Target located he headed in that direction and into an interior lift which he keyed the correct sub level to go to. Sky had managed to finish an impressive amount of the fruit by the time they stepped out.
The entire level was dedicated to the creation and selling of ships of all shapes and sizes. The reception lobby was all clean polished metal with a large desk manned by three individuals of various species. David walked up to the desk with Sky behind him taking in the sights as he munched on his food.
A polite greeting was had and they asked how they could be of service. "Yes, I'm in the market for a high end exploration ship, powerful scanners, good for long journeys, and preferably a method of self defense." No way was he gonna be caught with his pants literally down again.
The individual talking to him gave him a once over before replying. "Such a ship would be quite expensive sir."
David felt a twinge of irritation, he knew he didn't look great in his plain white shirt and worn pants, but he adopted a smug grin. Pulling over the credit scanner he inserted his chip into it. "Is this enough?"
David watched with immense satisfaction as their eyes widened in surprise and they tripped over themselves trying to apologize. "M...my apologize sir, please follow me we will get you a custom ship to your exact desires." They proceeded to lead the pair down a hallway and into a private room.
The doors money opens, David mused. He sat in a really nice leather chair, Sky just finished the last of his fruit as he sat next to him. The receptionist excused themselves to retrieve a representative that could help them. They waited in the room for a few minutes before the door opened again revealing a four armed biped, Quallexen David believed the name was, fifth seat of the alliance. The light green skin on its body was indicative of the foliage of its planet, it had skin that looked like a lizards, its slender form was incredibly flexible putting even the best of earth contortionists to shame.
It entered and raised an eyebrow at the two of them for a quick moment before adopting its practiced business face. "Hello, my names Cathol, I heard you would like to order a custom ship?"
David nodded. "Indeed, I'd like to see all your options if you wouldn't mind." Cathol walked over and handed them a data-pad prompting a holo-display to appear in the middle of the room, and then sat across from them. David examined the information on the pad, a complete list of ship types, features, and cosmetic preferences. David looked across at the dealer who was apparently not expecting much from the pair. David fought to keep the smug look under control and began to make his selections.
Selecting the newest line of Venture series ships he sifted through the options and saw an impressive list of function and comfort items. He began selecting some of the options such as, nice pilot seats, lounge, gym, fabricator, and fully stocked kitchen. This got another raised eyebrow from Cathol but David wasn't done yet. Moving on to the functional features he specified complete control of the ship from the cockpit, Biometric scanners, Reinforced doors, localized environmental controls for each room, customized suites with one set to the preferences of Aoulooron's and the others defaulted to human preferences, shields as heavy as were allowed on a civilian vessel and equally heavy armament, then finished it off with a few cosmetic changes.
Cathol was now quite surprised by all the selections, but to their credit they did a fairly good job at hiding it. He cleared his throat before speaking. "Well sir, if you are done with your selections I can give you a quote." He used a data-pad of his own and input a few things, then a number appeared that was quite large. David had the money most definitely but his mother would strangle him if he didn't at least try and haggle it down.
"Seriously? I know its custom but I could probably get this same ship at a discount at Atlas station."
Cathol's brow furrowed a bit "Sir I assure you this is an accurate estimate of the price."
Tough cookie huh. "Alright Sky come on, we'll try at the next station." Sky looked slightly confused at what was going on but got up anyway and followed him towards the door.
"Sir, please wait, I can maybe adjust the price a bit for you." He tapped on his pad again and the number was shaved down a little bit.
David walked back into the room a little bit but didn't sit down. "You have my interest, but not my business yet."
"Sir you must be reasonable, this is a tall order to fill."
"I'm not asking for much Cathol, just a price that we can both be happy with at the end of the day." Cathol stared at him for a moment but David was putting on his best poker face. With a sigh Cathol tapped once again on the pad and the number dropped a little again. David gave a smile at the new price. "There we go, that is a more acceptable number." He sat back down in the chair. "Now how soon can I expect this to be done?"
"We have a ship in this model ready, we would just need to add all your preferred features. It should be done by tomorrow afternoon."
"Sounds good to me, where do I sign?" A image appeared on his pad, standard agreement for this kind of deal. He gave a quick once over of the forms and then signed his name at the bottom. Cathol now smiled and stood to offer him a hand, which David took.
"Pleasure doing business with you sir. Your order will arrive at hanger C on the 54^th floor after midday tomorrow."
"Thank you Cathol, I will expect it then." Cathol escorted the pair to the exit and saw them off with a polite bow as the lift door closed. David released the tension in his body with a sigh. Sky was looking at him with a questioning look.
"What just happened?" He finally asked.
David chuckled a bit. "It's called haggling Sky, some places let you negotiate on the price, and sometimes you have to be aggressive about it." Sky just thought on it for a second before shaking his head apparently giving up on the concept for the moment. David chuckled again but turned his mind towards stocking his new ship and getting equipment. Time for some shopping.
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As usual let me know what you think down below and of anything that could improve my writing.

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New poker players might wonder: what are the expectations when it comes to stacking chips? Are there rules to follow, ... how players stack their chips is not without meaning. poker chips definition in English dictionary, poker chips meaning, synonyms, see also 'poker',poker dice',poker face',poker machine'. Enrich your vocabulary with the English Definition dictionary fish and chips definition: 1. fish covered with batter (= a mixture of flour, eggs, and milk) and then fried and served with…. Learn more. chip definition: 1. a long, thin piece of potato that is fried and usually eaten hot: 2. a very thin, often round…. Learn more. Standard Poker Chips Values and Colors Along with those playing cards, poker chips are a huge part of any game. Chips of varying colours can represent money in a cash game. They also use certain values during tournaments. It’s something most players take for granted. Players simply buy in and take a seat at the table. While there is no official rule for how chip values are assigned, there are common standards used for most poker events. A complete basic set of poker chips used in private poker games or other gambling games is usually comprised of white, red, blue, green, and black chips. Larger, high-stakes tournaments may use chipsets with many more colors. Synonyms for poker chips include chips, checks, counters, disks, tokens, discs, markers, jettons, pieces and men. Find more similar words at wordhippo.com! The value of a poker chip means the number of units it represents. The value or denomination varies as per the colour of the chip. There are standard definitions of the value of poker chips, with... Regarding this, we will find what is called Freezeout poker meaning, which comes to refer to those tournaments in which you can’t buy more chips or any kind of addition to the game. In order to understand better what freezeout poker is, you have to know that in many platforms the possibility of buying chips during the game is left open, in certain moments. This brings the total number of chips starting out on the table to 360 poker chips (36 X 10 players). As mentioned, players will often rebuy (sometimes many times) and players may be allowed to buy-in for more than 100 BB’s. This means we have to consider the extra poker chips needed for the game. The starting value of the chips on the table is $2000 (10 players X $200).

Chip Stacking Tips for the New Player PokerNews

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Dark skinned granny is banged brutally from behind. Bonfire Search man Keep in mind that allowing players to rebuy means that you will need even more poker chips than what was initially issued to each player at the start of the tournament, wallpaper Erotica 18 desktop Wallpapers. Incident and ...

Cards, poker chips, silver statue, what does it all mean? 🤔

In an effort to figure out the lemon bowl mystery in National Treasure I went full Benjamin Gates to solve the riddle.