Playing poker....

I remember two different times in my life of playing poker.  First, I'm not a serious Vegas or Texan Hold Em pot limit kind of player...  but I like playing serious poker for fun.  Years and years ago, I use to play every Friday night at the VFW in Plainville, CT.  It was a funny game that was a long standing staple on Friday nights.  For months and months, it was the same guys every week (before I started playing).  I seem to remember the game being mostly quarter-half, pretty much straight poker games, 7 card stud, five card draw or if they wanted to build a pot, jacks or better, trips to win and of course, 7 card high-low was very popular.  Over time, the stakes rose a little, especially when the newbies started playing.

It got to a point that you had to be at the post by 6:00 or you were on the waiting list of players.  It was amazing over the number of people that wanted to play.  The games stayed about the same, the stakes were raised to quarter-half-$2.00 on the last card.  Pots could be healthy.  I held my own, often played all night, some times seeing the sun rise and peek through the back room door.

I remember Peggy, nice lady, donated a lot week after week; Kathy (sometimes called "Red" for the red hair - she was a good player I think normally did OK for herself; Eddie, not as good as he thought; Dick - he was fun to play with, could read him like a book....  story about the 4 kings hand in a minute; Jimmy the pizza guy and his brother - Jimmy was the better of the two.  I wish I could remember all the names.  Another lady, mother of a girl close to my age but younger - fun, but she donated a lot too.  A guy who always kept him bills in an envelope in his shirt pocket...  oh my, I think he lost his pay check every week, terrible player that had a neon sign on his forehead.

I ended up divorced.  I played cards...  others just played.  Perhaps mistakes on both sides.

In Arizona, we started playing with friends too, it was pretty good, fun poker, but not the serious poker of the VFW and wow, did we play crazy games....  typical home poker games.  Baseball - 3's and 9's are wild, 4's you pay extra into the pot and get extra down cards and 7-27 - this was the pot builder, hard to explain.  Bob would bring a case of beer - all for him and drink it all.  Shauna, Troy, Robbie, Butch, Bridget...  those were good time, lots of laughter...  everyone really liked each other and we had fun.

Today, I rarely play...  in fact, I don't remember the last time I played.  Life has changed.