Friday, May 14, 2010
I came down early tonight in hope of snagging some quality Mike time, but he’s been having frustrating troubles with his wheelchair lately, and he wanted to nap before Bingo. I told him I’d wander down to the Activity Center and wake him up in an hour or so.
There was only one person there, but I was thrilled to see who it was: my new buddy Ken, playing computer solitaire. We chatted for a few minutes, and then Gary came in and joined us. He said the Resident Council (of which he is president) wants to establish a poker tournament for residents (while there’s no gambling at the Soldiers Home, there are plenty of prizes, and investment-free chances to win them). We started talking about poker, and prizes, and I asked Gary whether they’d need dealers for the tournament.
“Can you deal Texas Hold ’Em?” he asked.
“Sure I can,” I said, possibly exaggerating a tiny bit. I’ve watched “Celebrity Poker” on Bravo, anyway. That should count for something.
But this obviously is not a job for amateurs, or exaggerators. There would be an audition, and it apparently would begin now.
“What do you call the last card you flip over?” Gary asked me.
“Ha! The river,” I said.
He looked surprised that I knew—but he didn’t know that was the extent of my Texas Hold ’Em knowledge. I had to throw a diversion.
“Why don’t we play a few hands?” Oooh. Sneaky.
It took a little talking, but then I sealed the deal. And as I stood to look for cards, I spotted a box I’d never seen before—and in it, a deck of used casino cards and hundreds and hundreds of poker chips.
We had 20 minutes until Bingo. And we had us a game.
I blew just about every phase of the dealing audition, and boy, did they both let me know it. I forgot to bury cards. I forgot who was bidding when. And then I lost all my chips. I felt like a dope, but we were all laughing, and it was really, really fun. And who knows? It might have been just the experience I need to land me that tournament gig.
I came down early tonight in hope of snagging some quality Mike time, but he’s been having frustrating troubles with his wheelchair lately, and he wanted to nap before Bingo. I told him I’d wander down to the Activity Center and wake him up in an hour or so.
There was only one person there, but I was thrilled to see who it was: my new buddy Ken, playing computer solitaire. We chatted for a few minutes, and then Gary came in and joined us. He said the Resident Council (of which he is president) wants to establish a poker tournament for residents (while there’s no gambling at the Soldiers Home, there are plenty of prizes, and investment-free chances to win them). We started talking about poker, and prizes, and I asked Gary whether they’d need dealers for the tournament.
“Can you deal Texas Hold ’Em?” he asked.
“Sure I can,” I said, possibly exaggerating a tiny bit. I’ve watched “Celebrity Poker” on Bravo, anyway. That should count for something.
But this obviously is not a job for amateurs, or exaggerators. There would be an audition, and it apparently would begin now.
“What do you call the last card you flip over?” Gary asked me.
“Ha! The river,” I said.
He looked surprised that I knew—but he didn’t know that was the extent of my Texas Hold ’Em knowledge. I had to throw a diversion.
“Why don’t we play a few hands?” Oooh. Sneaky.
It took a little talking, but then I sealed the deal. And as I stood to look for cards, I spotted a box I’d never seen before—and in it, a deck of used casino cards and hundreds and hundreds of poker chips.
We had 20 minutes until Bingo. And we had us a game.
I blew just about every phase of the dealing audition, and boy, did they both let me know it. I forgot to bury cards. I forgot who was bidding when. And then I lost all my chips. I felt like a dope, but we were all laughing, and it was really, really fun. And who knows? It might have been just the experience I need to land me that tournament gig.