I waited more than two hours for a seat in the poker room that day. After wandering around to waste some time, I found an empty slot machine where I could wait and watch the action from a distance. There were one or two other females seated throughout the room, none waiting to play. I only had enough cash for a single short-buy, but I was feeling extremely calm and confident since interviewing Jennifer Harman. I could see the swirling vortex of emotions and felt predatory eyes upon me, but only jackpot vibes within.

The energy was far more intense than anything I had experienced in other poker rooms, but I knew how to use their aggression in my favor and soon got the chance. The details of the exact cards I held are fuzzy. What I know is that I held the best hand, knew my opponent would overplay his hand, and doubled up because he thought I was a dumb blonde. I also know that, a few hands later, using only slightly different tactics, I doubled up again thanks to the same aggressor. I stayed and played another hour or so more to show that I wasn’t afraid to put those newfound chips at risk… and went home with my biggest win to date in hand.

When I began my quest to photograph the energy of Las Vegas, I knew that poker room was one place I wanted to capture. It had continued to be the place I felt dark and light poker vibes were intense but beautifully balanced. Of course, previous photo shoots elsewhere had proven that casinos are not as accepting of professional camera gear to say the least.

Luckily, I now have even more friends and acquaintances in the game and, one night, after showing the Floor Supervisor and players the type of art photos I shoot, I got my wish… including the fact that Jennifer Harman was nearby. She contributed to my confidence the day of my “big win” and was serendipitously present in the swirl of poker vibes captured here. Without risking a dime to swim with these sharks, I can’t help but feel I won a few more jackpots.

Stay tuned to watch my fine art photo series capturing the energy of Las Vegas unfold. Leave a comment to help me pick the next photo shoot location.

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