French people tried to kick me out of their club, Paris trip report
 

I took my girlfriend to Paris for the weekend for her 18th birthday. I reserved the trip before I got robusto, so I ordered the cheapest hotel I could find that was centrally located. I will not do that again. Squeezed between strip clubs and brothels, new dirty towels (seriously) every day, the same dirty sheets and blankets the whole stay, and worst (for me) the promised wifi does not work [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]

A busto hotel is not the end of the world, though. We had a good time. Disneyland on friday. Lines were not as bad as I had feared, but it didn't matter because the rides were no fun. I had expected that obviously, but had hoped there was at least one that would have a good amount of acceleration. But my girlfriend liked it, and the trip was for her after all. I bought her a pink minnie mouse blanket. From then on we could sleep and sex in the bed without it being totally gross. Think picture with the dogs and the puking.

Saturday - standard tourist behaviour. Looked at the arc de triumph and the eiffel tower and bought ridiculously expensive things from fashion stores.

Sunday - We have tickets for the Moulin Rouge at 11pm. The theater is located in the sketchy part of town, so only 5 minutes to walk from our hotel. During the day we walk down Champs Elysees and I suddenly notice that I'm standing right next to the Aviation Club. I had not intended to play poker during this stay, but recent reading on 2+2 about the soft games in Paris and this little coincidence makes me go over and ask the bouncer about dress codes, just in case I get a chance to come back in the evening/night. He says I can't come in because my shoes are ugly. Fine. I go across the street and buy a nice pair of shoes for €400.

Now my mind is working on how I can get to play some poker. The shuttle from our hotel leaves at 5am monday morning, so I could possibly get in a little over two hours between when the show is finished and my girlfriend goes to sleep (around 2am), and when I have to take a taxi back to the hotel. Two hours is not enough, though, so just as we are about to get seated for the Moulin Rouge I manage to persuade my girlfriend to leave. I tell her it sucks that the show is in french and that it lasts two and a half hour, and that dancing ladies are generally very boring stuff. I think all of this is true, and I was relieved when I didn't have to sit through it, but my girlfriend knows my agenda and I'm not feeling proud of myself as we walk out. The final argument that tipped the scale was that if she wanted to leave I would buy her something else for the €150 the tickets cost, so that made me feel a little less like a d-bag. I still feel like one, though and I buy her some overprized roses from a guy right outside the theater.

Back at the hotel around 11:30. We are far from finished packing, and my girlfriend is very tired and I think quite bummed that she didn't get to see the show. I agree to let her go to sleep now and that I will come back at 4am to pack all our things before I wake her. Now straight to the aviation club.

I was sure I had brought a nice shirt, but as I ever more desperately search through my bag, I realize I haven't. I head to the aviation club dressed in very nice shoes, pants and belt, and a white t-shirt that is not even 100% clean. I'm worried. As I walk in, the guy that is supposed to take my passport/register me tells me I can't go in dressed like that. I'm not happy. I smile at him and tell him I have really nice shoes. I think he can see how sad I am, and he says he will make an exception for me just for tonight. Ok good. There are aveilable seats in both €2-2NL and 2-4NL holdem, I go to the cashier and try to get €500 to play 2-4. Credit card declined. I'm having a lot of trouble with my credit card, it sucks. I tell the cashier to try €300 and she looks at me painfully and says "no, it will be better if you just leave". These french people sure are eager to get rid of me. I feel really embarrassed and am quick to pull out the €200 in cash I have in my pocket and get a seat in the 2-2 game. I sit as far away from smokers as I can, but the smoking still sucks. Smoking allowed is the worst part of the club by far.

The players are really awful and passive, which is good. But everyone buys in short (between the €30 minimum and €100 generally), which is bad. They were willing to bust fast and rebuy a bunch of times, though. The language issue is not a problem. The dealer is helpful and I quickly learn the important words (the low even numbers, the words for call and fold).

Most interesting hand of the night, I am not involved: Huge LAG and short stack that seems to suck less than the other players get it in on a 2xxx turn with two hearts. Short stack has 22 and LAG has 2h6h. LAG sighs as the cards are turned over. The river bricks and dealer shoves LAG the pot. Short stack mucks. The table breaks out in a huge argument (that I don't understand because it is in french like everything else). Me, shortstack and LAG are the only ones that don't participate. After a good 5 minutes the argument dies down, the play resumes and LAG still has the pot. Weird stuff.

I run good and I don't lose a single showdown after putting money in postflop. I pick up and leave after three and a half hour with a €460 profit. Payed for my shoes and taxi and still €40 left over. Not bad.

Back home in Norway 12 hours later. Next trip is Las Vegas and Boston in 4 days. I am such a baller, I will fail all my exams this year.

Re: French people tried to kick me out of their club, Paris trip repor
 

You go to Paris and your first stop is Disneyland? Um... I'm shocked.

Re: French people tried to kick me out of their club, Paris trip repor
 

Nice trip report. next time try not to make the girlfriend cry.

Re: French people tried to kick me out of their club, Paris trip repor
 

I could not agree more with TT here. Perhaps because you are european yourself, the novelty of Paris is diminished, but Disneyland?

You've got a pretty understanding girlfriend, by the way.

Re: French people tried to kick me out of their club, Paris trip repor
 

[ QUOTE ]
I took my girlfriend to Paris for the weekend for her 18th birthday (+3)

Disneyland on friday <font color="red">(-2)</font>

He says I can't come in because my shoes are ugly. Fine. I go across the street and buy a nice pair of shoes for €400 (+1)

just as we are about to get seated for the Moulin Rouge I manage to persuade my girlfriend to leave <font color="red">(-2)</font>

I pick up and leave after three and a half hour with a €460 profit. (+1)


[/ QUOTE ]

Your balla balance sheet is almost in the red. But you show huge potential. We look forward to a full out rockin' effort in Vegas.

Re: French people tried to kick me out of their club, Paris trip repor
 

[ QUOTE ]
You go to Paris and your first stop is Disneyland? Um... I'm shocked.

[/ QUOTE ] My girlfriend wanted to go and it was her birthday trip.

Re: French people tried to kick me out of their club, Paris trip repor
 

Your girlfriend also wanted to go to the Moulin Rouge and it was her birthday trip.

Leaving was veeeeeerrrrrryyyyyyyyyy bad for your long term happiness. I predict that this comes up in numerous arguments in the next months / years.

Re: French people tried to kick me out of their club, Paris trip repor
 

[ QUOTE ]
so just as we are about to get seated for the Moulin Rouge I manage to persuade my girlfriend to leave. I tell her it sucks that the show is in french and that it lasts two and a half hour, and that dancing ladies are generally very boring stuff.

[/ QUOTE ]


this is beyond pathetic.
Wow.


I don't have a problem with the Disneyland thing though.
If you're in Europe already then I'm guessing the Euro-Disney version is more convenient for you than hiking all the way to Orlando or California.
If she wanted to go see Disney than Paris is the way to go.


But convincing her to ditch the show?
Again, this is awful.
I can't see any way this relationship survives if you don't do a better job of getting your priorities in order.

Re: French people tried to kick me out of their club, Paris trip repor
 

OP's girlfriend is insane; attempting to infer what effects the Moulin Rouge decision will have on their future is futile.

Re: French people tried to kick me out of their club, Paris trip repor
 

Ok, seriously. I tried to not try to make myself look better than I was, but I can see how I look worse than I was now. I have no problem admitting this was a dick move on my part, but here's a little defence. She was the one that first brought up that she did not like that the show lasted two and a half hour while we stood in line, and she said she was probably going to want to leave an hour early. The line lasted a good half hour and this was where all the discussion happened. When we were getting seated we saw that we had to sit on opposite sides of a table and with 4 other people, and that's when I told her I would buy her something for the cost of the tickets if she wanted to leave.

I did not outright persuade her to leave, it was more like I made her want to do it. I knew there was a good chance she would regret it, though, and I think she did.

NAZIS
 

I vish you vould have von 460,000 euros, all from zee French.

Re: NAZIS
 

my shoes had better give bjs for 400 euro

Re: NAZIS
 

Don't do that to your girl again. Poker will always be there.

Re: French people tried to kick me out of their club, Paris trip report
 

Maybe you can make one of these meetings on Thursday.

THURSDAY

Hamar G.A.
6:30 - 8:00 PM
Skapelsgate 2
frivillighetssentralen
Hamar, Norway
Phone: 99 33 35 71

Moss G.A.
6:00 - 7:30 PM
Vaerlegate 34
Moss, Norway
Phone: 94 35 38 92

Oslo G.A.
6:00 - 7:30 PM
Sotamyggen barnehage),
Valerengagata 27
Oslo, Norway
Phone: 95 81 09 34

<font color="blue">frivillighetssentralen? </font>

Re: French people tried to kick me out of their club, Paris trip report
 

It's not the best show in Paris but it's usually pretty good, and it's topless.

Re: French people tried to kick me out of their club, Paris trip repor
 

Nice one. I've never concealed the fact that I have an unhealthy relationship to gambling. I would not want to see Moulin Rouge if the alternative was something else than gambling either, though. And my girlfriend knew she would be bored too. We were going mostly to be able to say that we had been there, and I don't think that is much of a reason.

W/e. I agree that I did not act my best in this situation (like why order tickets for the Moulin Rouge in the first place if I was so opposed to see it), and I'm certainly aware that I have gambling issues, but I'm not really that horrible. I did take her to Paris [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]

Re: French people tried to kick me out of their club, Paris trip repor
 

[ QUOTE ]
I did take her to Paris [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]

[/ QUOTE ]

No, you took her to Disneyland. I suggest you take her to Paris when she becomes old enough to appreciate it.

TT [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]

Re: French people tried to kick me out of their club, Paris trip report
 

Pics of your girlfriend?

Seriously, if the trip was for her, treat her like she should be treated.

Re: French people tried to kick me out of their club, Paris trip repor
 

You probably have no idea if you would be bored or not.
You didn't even see the show.

Good of you to be critical of yourself though.

When she's feeling a bit iffy about the show you can try to be encouraging about it...and also agree, "Well, if it doesn't kick ass we'll leave early."

You could have always gone to hit the poker AFTER you left early, right?


Hey, I did some pretty screwy selfish things in previous relationships too.
You were probably pretty tired too because all that touring around, etc can actually wear you out pretty hard. So if you're a bit grouchy and then feeling some gambling-bug and then you're just all snippity about being in some silly dance thing that you don't want to see then I can see how all this could happen.

But I think the key is trying to learn from the mistakes here.
She ends up being less-than-thrilled afterwards for you talking her out of it or however you want to describe it. And she's left wondering what she missed regarding the show.

And you come off looking like a total gambling-degenerate which probably isn't a good thing either.


Went on the Party-Poker cruise and GF and I went to see one of the shows on the boat with singing and dancing, etc.
And it was freaking AWFUL.
We were both laughing about how bad it was...and to this day I can sing a few words of one of the worst songs they did and make her laugh.

So all that kind of stuff doesn't even have to be about the quality of the show. It's about the spending time with each other I think.
She is REALLY not going to feel comfortable sitting there alone and watching the show. She pretty much needs you there to be with her for something like this. And you should have done it in my opinion.

Re: French people tried to kick me out of their club, Paris trip repor
 

Thanks Microbob. Good post. I think you are more or less spot on on all accounts. I thought it was a little ridiculous at the time to pay for the tickets and then leave after 15 minutes or w/e, but I'm pretty sure it would be better than the route I took.

TT: I will. I failed to mention it in the OP, but she is not 18 quite yet so our options on what to do are somewhat limited.

Re: French people tried to kick me out of their club, Paris trip repor
 

You're coming to the US anyway? Shoulda just booked 3 days in Orlando while you're here and skipped the trip to Paris. You'll get the poker you want in Vegas, coulda gotten the REAL Disney experience in Orlando, and not had any Moulin Rouge regrets.

Re: French people tried to kick me out of their club, Paris trip repor
 

[ QUOTE ]

I failed to mention it in the OP, but she is not 18 quite yet so our options on what to do are somewhat limited.

[/ QUOTE ]

Is this an alias account for Sklansky?

Re: French people tried to kick me out of their club, Paris trip repor
 

nice to see the french arn't just dicks to americans... i guess all foreigners get the "special" treatment.

Re: French people tried to kick me out of their club, Paris trip repor
 

Hey buddy, I was kind of half joking - but I am glad you can use the opportunity for self examination. I understand your situation and you have received some excellent advice in this thread. Making sure to respect gambling and its place in your life is important, and can be difficult at times.

Best to you.

Re: French people tried to kick me out of their club, Paris trip report
 

[ QUOTE ]
I took my girlfriend to Paris for the weekend for her 18th birthday.

[/ QUOTE ]

This thread is worthless without pics.

Re: French people tried to kick me out of their club, Paris trip repor
 

[ QUOTE ]
nice to see the french arn't just dicks to americans... i guess all foreigners get the "special" treatment.

[/ QUOTE ]

'Oft misunderstood or just bandwagon jumpin'....I've (Florida Cracker) been to Paris twice and had a great time each trip, wasn't once treated rudely, but I also spoke a bit of French, so that helped. Amazing what a little give and take will yield!

Re: French people tried to kick me out of their club, Paris trip repor
 

You showed up wearing expensive shoes and a dirty T-shirt...and you wonder why they "tried to kick you out of their club"?

Did you even inquire as to the dress code, or did you just assume that all you needed was nicer shoes?

They made an exception for you, and you post here as though they treated you poorly.

Re: French people tried to kick me out of their club, Paris trip repor
 

[ QUOTE ]
you wonder why they "tried to kick you out of their club"?

[/ QUOTE ] Obviously not. It was pretty clear why they tried to "kick me out" [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]

and I was not treated badly except for by the cashier.

Re: French people tried to kick me out of their club, Paris trip repor
 

[ QUOTE ]

and I was not treated badly except for by the cashier.

[/ QUOTE ]

I don't think you were treated badly at all, even by the cashier. If anything you were given preferential treatment; they made an exception for you and allowed you into their club despite your clothes.

Add to your appearance that your credit card was rejected; would you expect the cashier to think you're a high roller or just some kid with nice shoes who somehow managed to get in? Cashier probably thought they were doing you a favor in helping you to save face. Maybe the cashier thought, literally, that you had already "lost your shirt"?

Re: French people tried to kick me out of their club, Paris trip repor
 

Off topic but Microbob, I am glad to see the length of your replys returning to their former stature. I felt cheated with your recent run two or three line replys.

Re: French people tried to kick me out of their club, Paris trip repor
 

Steam -

You're welcome.

- Bob

Re: French people tried to kick me out of their club, Paris trip repor
 

yeah, have to agree.

It sounds like they were being quite accomodating.

you show up not looking as presentable as is typically expected there and then you don't even have much money on you and then your CC isn't good.

Looking less than presentable and not having any (or 'much') money is probably not the way to go in a private-club like that.

Re: French people tried to kick me out of their club, Paris trip repor
 

I don't think it was necessary for her to ask me to leave. She could have just declined to try the credit card for less and not said anything else, or suggested that I went to the atms outside the club.

As letting me in with less than par clothes, I agree that they did more for me than I could expect. That was not her area, though.

Re: French people tried to kick me out of their club, Paris trip repor
 

any reason why you are coming to boston?

Re: French people tried to kick me out of their club, Paris trip repor
 

Ja. I'm visiting Ghazban after we go to Vegas.

Re: French people tried to kick me out of their club, Paris trip repor
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
nice to see the french arn't just dicks to americans... i guess all foreigners get the "special" treatment.

[/ QUOTE ]

'Oft misunderstood or just bandwagon jumpin'....I've (Florida Cracker) been to Paris twice and had a great time each trip, wasn't once treated rudely, but I also spoke a bit of French, so that helped. Amazing what a little give and take will yield!

[/ QUOTE ]

haha really? I went to Paris and tried to speak a bit of French and one waiter actually just turned around and left. Was somewhere else and spoke English and the waiter turned around and left. And the funniest part is that when we got the food, none of it was that good...IMO the food in Brussels was far superior minus the attitude.

Re: French people tried to kick me out of their club, Paris trip repor
 

[ QUOTE ]

haha really? I went to Paris and tried to speak a bit of French and one waiter actually just turned around and left. Was somewhere else and spoke English and the waiter turned around and left.

[/ QUOTE ]

Insert lawyer joke here.

[ QUOTE ]
IMO the food in Brussels was far superior minus the attitude.

[/ QUOTE ]

Brussels is a great place for food, no doubt.

Re: French people tried to kick me out of their club, Paris trip repor
 

I agree about the restaurants. The waiters generally had a poor attitude and the food was not good. They did lighten up some when I tried to stutter a few phrases in french, though, so I think that helps.

Re: French people tried to kick me out of their club, Paris trip repor
 

I'm sorry, I couldn't get past the first few lines:

1) you were robusto and yet you stayed in a dingy hotel??? WTF?

2) You took your GF to Paris and you went to....DISNEY WORLD??? Seriously?

Holy cow.

Re: French people tried to kick me out of their club, Paris trip repor
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
You go to Paris and your first stop is Disneyland? Um... I'm shocked.

[/ QUOTE ] My girlfriend wanted to go and it was her birthday trip.

[/ QUOTE ]

if that's the case. you coulda just taken her to Orange County, dropped her of at Mickey's, and gone to the Commerce.