When I Was A Donk With David Grey

David Grey

David Grey has been a part of the poker scene since the late ‘80s and was a member of the crew that beat Andy Beal out of millions back in 2004. Although Grey is primarily a cash game player, he has had some tournament success, racking up $1.6 million in earnings.

Grey has two World Series of Poker bracelets. He earned his first back in 1999 in the $2,500 seven-card stud event, and the second in the 2005 $5,000 no-limit 2-7 draw lowball event. In 2003, he made the WSOP main event final table, finishing in eighth place.

Here, Grey talks about a brutal morning session of craps.

I haven’t had any leaks since I moved to Las Vegas, but back before poker, when I was a racetrack guy, I would lose a lot of money shooting dice in Atlantic City. It didn’t matter how much I won at the harness track or at cards, I lost it all shooting dice. I never won. I think I might have been 2-82 in my dice career.

The last time I shot dice, back in 1984, I went with my best friend at the time and another friend of ours. It was one of the rare times I didn’t go broke right away when I got to Atlantic City. Back then the casinos would close at 4 a.m., or 6 a.m. on the weekends, and then re-open at 10 a.m.

So I somehow woke up with $7,000 or $8,000, which was surprising. We decided we’d have breakfast, play a little more, and then head back to New York. My friend was a bookie, and he wanted to be back in time to take bets before the games started.

We were in the Golden Nugget, and I was doing my usual losing. My friends were at the same table, and we always use to bet the line, and two come bets. I was down to my last little bit, and I remember I bet $75 on the line. The point was at six, and I took $375 odds and left my last $75 in the rack.

The guy with the dice ended up shooting for an hour and a half, and he never hit the six. One of my friends won $450,000, the other one won $350,000. Since the shooter never made the point, once he crapped out, I was left with my $75.

I had to drive my friends back home, with $800,000 in the car, and I had less than $100 to my name. That was the last time I ever shot dice, and I moved to Vegas later that year. ♠