Weekend with Dad

8 AUG 05

What a great weekend!!

My dad and his girlfriend stayed with us and we taught them Texas Hold ‘em. We played low or no stakes and had a terrific time listening to Dad, who was a steady poker winner “back in the day” tell us that Hold ‘em is all about luck. He maintained that people only play it because it’s an action game. When confronted (by me) with the fact that the same group of about 30 players are winning consistently on the WSOP and WPT, he dismissed it as a fluke.

Then I took his money. Again.

It’s strange beating your Dad. He’s a great sport, but he and my wife both gave me grief when I sucked out with my 72o against my wife's AQs when I flopped a 7 and went all in against her short stack.

So of course we had to try a “real” game. I thought we were going to play stud or draw, but we switched to 31 for a dollar a point. This is an insanely mindless game of chance where you each start with three chips and then you each get three cards. You take turns drawing and the one closest to 31 (Ace and two face cards) “knocks,” then every other player gets to draw one card. The lowest pays one of their three chips into the pot. All four of us exactly broke even, but we actually had an entertaining 3 hours in the meantime.

I dropped them off at the SeaTac airport last night and stopped into the Silver Dollar Casino by the Airport for a quick round of 4/8 (a game I am coming to hate).

First hand: JJ. I bet and get 8 callers (I friggin’ HATE low limit!)

Flop: A J 5 (I LOVE this game!!)

I check. MP bets. I call and 7 stay for the turn.

Turn is a 5 (FH baby!!)

Can you say Check-Raise? I knew you could.

Three stay to see the river which was a blank. There were two diamonds on the flop. One was staying for the flush (too bad it didn’t hit) and the other flopped 2 pair that he couldn’t get away from.

First hand of the night – about $120.

I didn’t play another hand and went home after one loop (with much scowling from the various characters at the table). It was a great hit, but 10/20 is a MUCH better game.

You should be reading: The Onion and The Onion AV Club

Final thought: I can resist anything but temptation. - Oscar Wilde, Lady Windermere's Fan, 1892, Act I