Smokin' Sam

Is that Sam Farha? No, no… not Farha.

The name’s Squid. Sam Squid. You guys play Texas hold’em, right? Deal.

Since dinner break Sam Grafton has been continuing to play mostly “mum poker” (as they say), keeping mostly quiet although occasionally engaging his tablemates in brief bouts of banter.

Over the last hour-plus an unlit cigarette, taken from the crumpled pack of Belmonts resting near Grafton’s chips and cup of coffee, has been dangling from Grafton’s mouth. Only when he talks must he remove it, though he’s been more content to keep it right where it is.

His stack has remained in the same place for much of the last hour, too — right around 45,000.