The Bluff

One of favorite shows to watch on TV is the World Series of Poker. For some reason, I find it entertaining, not that I am a gambler.

The only time I ever gambled was when I was on a job assignment in Henderson Nevada, way back in 1985. Henderson was next to Las Vegas. After losing a few dollars on the slot machines, I was cured of any gambling addiction.

So, back to poker. The game that I like to watch on TV is called Texas Hold-Em. The dealer gives each player two cards and then deals 5 common cards .... (well, this could take me all day to explain the rules, if you are interested, I'm sure you can google it).

So, anyway, last weekend, I had some friends over to watch the NFL playoffs. My buddy Dennis had to work late, but when he arrived, the fun started.

He brought two cases with him (no, not beer). The cases were his GIANT fold-out poker board and a case of chips (no, not potato chips, but poker chips).

So, in between the NFL games, the four of us played a game of Texas Hold-Em. Dennis patiently explained the rules to me and Mark. Dennis and Marbert were already experts. The first game lasted about 20 minutes with Marbert winning. Well, the only thing he won was 'pride'.

It was a lot of fun.

After the 2nd NFL game went to halftime, we decided to play again. This time, we decided that the winner would get a free lunch. The three losing players would share the cost of the lunch. The poker game was exciting. Much better than the football game. In fact, we basically ignored the TV and concentrated on the poker game.

Mark was knocked out early. He trusted his pair of kings too much. I had a pair of aces and took all his chips. Dennis was my next victim. At that time, I had almost all the chips. Marbert was down to a handful. But, he got on a hot streak. After a few hands, he had back in the lead.

I thought I was going to be defeated. Marbert kept bragging how this was going to be the greatest comeback ever. But, I slowly started to win some hands. And then ...

On one hand, I was dealt 2 random cards (not a good hand). But, I decided to try something I had seen on TV. I pretended to have a strong hand and bet all my chips. After a long time of going back and forth, Marbert decided to drop out of the hand. Boy, was I glad. See, I was bluffing. I had no chance of winning.

The bluff allowed me to win the hand and subsequently, the FREE LUNCH.