This year we had a big get together the day after Christmas. Uncles, cousins, grandkids etc galore. I got stuck helping the youngsters put batteries into toys. But I could kibbitz a hotly contested poker game that was going on. Not big money, but some competitive folks. There were some pretty experienced players and some who thought they were because they watched the poker channel. Then there was my matronly aunt Matilda. Either she slips off to Vegas and plays professionally and was just toying with these guys, or God has a sense of humor. She simply cleaned these guys clocks. She bet according to "how cute the cards were". The one eyed jacks looked "shifty" so she would fold, but the diamond jack was "cute" So she went all-in. With a jack of diamonds high. She did all the cliches. Asking if it is good that they are all the same color when she layed down her flush. Or saying she had two pair, but both pairs were tens. I never laughed so hard as she got card after card. Didn't matter the game, hold'em, five card draw, seven card stud. It was like she could name her card at the river. I saw her with at least one straight flush, several four of a kind, and full houses all over the place. Anyway, I know in the long run poker is a game of skill, but for an hour and a half, a novice sure can get lucky. I thought several of my male cousins were going to implode. Good life lesson for them. Her saying "this game is easy" just made it worse.
