I Am Not Making This Up

When I first checked into the hotel on Sunday, I noticed that across the hall from my suite was a door marked “Maintenance Office”. I had an offhand thought about it being odd to find that on the 3rd floor–you’d think it would be on the first floor, or possibly in the basement–and thought no more about it.

This morning as I was leaving, on my way to work, I passed the door again, except this time the door was open as a gentleman was leaving at the moment I was passing by. I had a clear view into the room for a moment as I passed, and I was incredibly amused by what I saw there.

At 8:30 in the morning there was what appeared to be a raging poker game going on in there. A card table was set up in the middle of the room, with 3 guys in blue uniform golf shirts and a woman in a housekeeping outfit each sitting front of a large stack of chips, with chips and some discarded hands in the center of the table. From the state of the room, it was obvious that this game had been going either for several hours, or else in a chronic pattern over several days. No one in the room was speaking English.

I love the idea of this game going all night, with people dropping in and out as their shifts end, or as they had to answer maintenance calls, etc.

I love the idea that no one in management has any idea that this wild game is going on right under their noses.

I’m less thrilled by the idea that people who might have a serious gambling problem have a pass key to my room, but I’m not going to let that get in the way of my appreciating what’s going on.

I’m tempted to knock on the door tonight and see if a gringo can get in the game.