Card School
I think it is time to write this post because I was asked to be a friend on Facebook the other day. I realised then that although I knew his Christian Name, I didn’t know his Surname. My brother and one of our mutual friends were going most weeks to a club and playing cards. I was working in security at the time. My shifts were 7 nights and 2 days every fortnight. I was included one week when I needed to see my brother about something.
There was usually 3 games of Tesla’s Holden no-limit Poker, and a game or 2 of Chase the Ace to end the day. A takeaway delivery was made towards the end of the night and we had 2 or 3 drinks during the evening. There was one rule about being allowed into the School – losers were welcome but winners had to return the following week to give the other players the opportunity to win their money back. As I worked nights every other week, I was given special dispensation, I could return every fortnight. This I was happy to do.
The buyin was £5 for each game – All the Chips were split equally between all the players. I think we usually stated with about 30 or 40 chips depending on number of players. The chips were different colours but each chip was considered equal value. The small blind started off as 1 chip for the Small Blind and 2 chips for the Big Blind. After all players had been the dealer, or one of the players had been knocked out the blinds went up in vale. The Big Blind became the new Small Blind and the Big Blind was the addition of the previous 2 Blinds. The play continued until there was only 2 players. At that time the pot was split between them 60/40. Or if all the other players were taken out in the same hand, the remaining player took the whole pot.
The takeaway was ordered by one of the players that had been knocked out of the last Poker game of the night. After we had eaten the meal, the game was finished. Then to round off the night we bought out last drink and played a game of Chase the Ace. With this game each player starts with 3 lives and is dealt a card. Then the 1st gets the opportunity to pass his (or her) card to the next player, as long as they didn’t have a King. After every has passed (or not) their cards. The player, or players with the lowest cards loses a life and pays a £1 into the kitty. When the player has paid all 3 coins into the Kitty, his game is over.
I used to go home with my brother and his friend. They were neighbours. I lived fairly close but in a different direction but we used to share a Taxi home. On these occasions I was taken home 1st and in the opposite direction when my brother was working. I don’t think I went when his friend wasn’t available, which is just as well because he owned the Poker chips.
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Read it humm…not anything I understood. Poker? I know what a straight, a flush, a royal flush, and three of a kind…and whaa…laaa that is it. Thanks for sharing.
And thanks to you both – I hope my stories (memories) are interesting to other people as well as me – but I have in a vested interest in my own memories.
I thought a poker was something you use in the fireplace. Only partially joking. I understood most of what you said. I looked up the rest and then re-read it. Thank you so much for sharing. I am not sure if you meant five dollars or what. if all the chips were the same value why not divide them among the players by color? One gets all the reds, another all the blues, etc. I have no idea how many colors might be involved. You can tell, I have no idea what I am talking about. I enjoyed reading your story… twice.
TexasJane, thanks for you comments. I live in the UK and we use the £ (Pound Sterling) – the £ is a similar value to the $. Not sure how many different colour chips were in the case, but the numbers varied from week to week, between 5 and 8 – after the game started the number and colour of chips would change as the players won (or lost) hands. And the odd chip did get lost.
Oh and before I go – What’s a fireplace ?
In the states, we have places built into walls where we stack wood logs and burn them. They are usually brick and have mantles over them where children put their Christmas stockings. There are different tools used to maintain the fireplace. I small shovel, and at least one poker with a sharp spear at on end to use to move hot logs or coals in the fireplace. Not sure if I explained that too well. You might find it helpful to search, “fireplaces” in your search engine. You will get to see many variations.
Sorry my humour is sometimes subtle and that was meant as a joke.
We used to have a fireplace to burn Coal or Coke but that was over 30 years ago and seems like a distant memory. Now everything seems to be central heated and heated by Electricity or Gas although that is in part due to our unions wrecking the Coal Industry. But thanks for reminding me that there are still areas in the world that Gas (you need pipelines) and Electricity (you need cables) aren’t viable options.
We have lots of fireplaces throughout Texas. Not only in our homes but in our ‘cabins’ in the woods. I do not currently have one but I think I grew up with at least one in every house. I will have to watch out for your jokes. I also knew poker was a card game. LOL