Touched by an Angel: How I Borrowed $120,000 in Cash on a Freezing December Night
The Scene: Atlantic City, New Jersey
The Date: December 5, 2005
The Problem: I need to raise $120,000 in cash by the following morning.
Sometimes, it’s a wonderful life. Other times, it’s not.
If you want to discover who your friends really are — try to borrow money. This is especially true in the poker world.
On a bitterly cold night in December of 2005, I was in a state of panic. I desperately needed $120,000 in cash by the following morning. The time was 7 pm.
At the time, I had about $150 in my pocket. That left me $119,850 short — give or take a few coins.
A bad situation was made much worse by several problems. First, this was a Monday night — the slowest time of the week in Atlantic City. Second, it was 20 degrees and snowing outside. Third, the Philadelphia Eagles were playing on Monday Night Football, which meant anyone I could conceivably shake down for money was busy watching the ball game. Finally — this was the deadest time of year, early December on the New Jersey shore. The place was a ghost town.
So, what does one do? Where does one go to raise $120,000 in cash when you’re desperate and failure is not an option?
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