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The Credit Card Swap |
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December 2007
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Phil and I played one of the greatest practical jokes on our dear friend Michael Kelly, in the Turks and Caicos Islands.. We were there for the newly-added stop on the World Poker Tour. For those of you who have never been, I highly recommend. Unbelievable beaches. Wonderful people. Great food. Just a fantastic place to be.
Michael Kelly has invited Phil and me to a few of his parties and has been a very gracious host. It has been difficult to return the favor because most of the time we spend hanging out together is at HIS hotel in San Diego. I have spent numerous nights there and never once has he let me pull out my wallet. He is a very generous guy. (When you are in San Diego, check out the Ivy Hotel.)
Before Turks, we spent a few nights in Miami. On one of the afternoons we were chillin’ in the Jacuzzi when somehow we hypnotized Michael into making a cigarette bet with us. With the average person I would never bet over 5k because no one is willing to have a cigarette at those prices. With Michael (who is doing pretty well… to say the least… ) I wanted to bet HEAVY. My previous experience with cigarette bets has been that the quitees never succeed. They ALWAYS give in.
Michael had made a comment about wanting to quit smoking and somehow before you knew it we had a $50,000 one-year-no-cigaretteno- nicotine bet. As I write this it’s been 29 days and still no cigarette. Let’s just say I’m a little nervous about my bet at this point!
While in Miami, Phil and I beat Michael to the check at Prime 112 (a fantastic steakhouse in Miami). Upon arrival in Turks, we planned a huge dinner with the whole crew. Phil and I arrived early to ensure that we were going to get the bill. What happened was somewhat accidental but worked out to our benefi t HUGELY. Michael and I have the same type of credit card, and so if the waiter were to switch cards, he would never know unless he actually read the name on the card — which no one ever does.
I gave the waiter my card and said NO MATTER what our bill goes on my card. Phil and I knew that Michael would try and slip the waiter his card when he arrived. Out of nowhere, someone got the bright idea of letting him do it… but instead of giving him his card back and saying we beat him to it… to instead give him back MY credit card and let him THINK he paid for dinner.
And so we did exactly that… and let me tell you it was executed beautifully. The waiter was awesome. He took Michael’s card and at the end gave Michael MY card and MY slip (which I was nervous about because he is a VERY big tipper!!!). So there he was signing the check, THINKING he had outsmarted us in getting the check.
What followed was priceless. We were having after-dinner drinks at the bar and the banter was back and forth between me, Phil, and the waiter. Phil and I kept ripping the guy for not letting us pay. And Michael kept piping up about how no one beats him to the check and this and that. We filled Richard (Michael’s brother and partner) in on what was happening. He thoroughly enjoyed it. The best part was we let him go home with my card. The next night when he went to pay for dinner, we were going to just let him… he would be paying with my card again!!!
But we never made dinner the next night, and the following morning I will never forget when he came to my hotel and said, “Hey, Antonio — look at my new 45k watch. Thank god they take American Express!!!” He admitted we got him GOOD.
Thank you, Michael and Richard, for a fantastic vacation.
Antonio
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