[rowdyclassmate]

This story is at a blackjack table, rather than at a poker table. It happened at Harrah's in Joliet several years back. I'm sitting first base, drunk is second base and guy who is stuck a ton is sitting third base.

Drunk keeps hitting on 15's against the dealer's 6, etc. As a result, third base is literally losing every hand and boldly mentions to the drunk, "Why would you hit there? You just cost me a lot of money!" The hands are dealt again and the same thing happens. This time third base yells at the drunk to which the drunk exclaims, "Shut up!" Third base says, "Don't tell me to shut up, you tell me to shut up one more time and you will be flying out of here like Superman!" Next hand, same thing. Loses a huge split, double down hand. He yells some more and the drunk tells him to "shut up" once again. Third base yells "Don't tell me to shut up!" and at that time the drunk stands up, exclaims "Let's go!" and just blasts him.

Now third base didn't fall out of his chair or anything because the way he was sitting, he absorbed all 100% of the punch. You heard the hit for about a 30 foot radius, it was that loud. After the punch landed, third base got up and they just started exchanging punches. Chairs were knocked over, chips were all over, etc. At about this time, a 5'3 guy from across the room comes flying through the pit area to break the fight up. He stands between the behemoths trying to break it up as they are still swinging. A few seconds later, a bunch of security guards emerge and take control of the situation. One of the security guards has the drunk pinned against the wall and he starts to resist. The 6'5 280lb security guard locks his hand behind his back and doesn't stop applying pressure because now the drunk is wincing in pain.

After sanity was restored, one of the supervisors asked the 5'3 guy why he got in the middle of the fight to which he replies, "I used to be a bouncer."