I can't think of my college years without thinking of poker which, if memory serves, we (men and women) played every day. I can't imagine how we got through school. One particularly vivid memory is the game we played by candlelight during the 1965 east coast blackout.
Love the humour, Bryan. I was reminded of that hilarious movie, The Odd Couple. In it, Oscar Madison (Walter Matthau) delivers moldy sandwiches from under his arm pits to his fellow players at the smoked hazed poker table in his very messy apartment. As an aside, in my family the women were the better poker players. Just sayin'.
Great story. I thought of my uncle, Edgar Kaplan, one of the greats of bridge. At 72, he was dying of cancer but still insisted on playing in tournaments. His body had disintegrated but his fierce mind was as sharp and focussed as ever. His beloved game was keeping him alive. May it be the same for you and your poker friends.
Great piece, Bryan! I know most of the boys and am living most of the same impediments of age. Great voice and great power of observation both fact and feeling!
Haha, this is great! I dealt (tournament) poker for two years in a charity room. Most of the players were young but there was a core of 60+ who played every night. The punks ganged up and tried to intimidate the old timers relentlessly. And guess what? At the end of the night, one or more of the seniors always placed in the money. And they tipped better.
Interesting take on the female players. I didn't like dealing to most of them. I visited a couple of home games and women weren't particularly wanted there, either... the fun stuff happened after they left for the night. (I was a friend of the host and came over to deal once in a while, the men didn't like that either, except they knew me from the room and knew I could keep my mouth shut.)
I miss dealing poker, I'm a lousy player, but still try every once in a while. I started late in life so all I try and do is stay in action for a few hours, to get my money's worth.
Loved this piece. Humorous and hopeful. As a budding writer since age 62, struggling to learn the craft, I appreciate the opportunity to apply some of my remaining executive functions.
I can't think of my college years without thinking of poker which, if memory serves, we (men and women) played every day. I can't imagine how we got through school. One particularly vivid memory is the game we played by candlelight during the 1965 east coast blackout.
Fabulous piece that gives me hope that I can still be creative (executive function in my world) whislt the routinised domestic phase goes AWOL.
Love this piece, Bryan! Like Paula, it reminds of Walther Matthau in the Odd couple. Another good one, Alice-- thank you.
I loved this piece, Bryan. I chuckled out loud as I read it.
Love the humour, Bryan. I was reminded of that hilarious movie, The Odd Couple. In it, Oscar Madison (Walter Matthau) delivers moldy sandwiches from under his arm pits to his fellow players at the smoked hazed poker table in his very messy apartment. As an aside, in my family the women were the better poker players. Just sayin'.
Great story. I thought of my uncle, Edgar Kaplan, one of the greats of bridge. At 72, he was dying of cancer but still insisted on playing in tournaments. His body had disintegrated but his fierce mind was as sharp and focussed as ever. His beloved game was keeping him alive. May it be the same for you and your poker friends.
Great piece, Bryan! I know most of the boys and am living most of the same impediments of age. Great voice and great power of observation both fact and feeling!
Haha, this is great! I dealt (tournament) poker for two years in a charity room. Most of the players were young but there was a core of 60+ who played every night. The punks ganged up and tried to intimidate the old timers relentlessly. And guess what? At the end of the night, one or more of the seniors always placed in the money. And they tipped better.
Interesting take on the female players. I didn't like dealing to most of them. I visited a couple of home games and women weren't particularly wanted there, either... the fun stuff happened after they left for the night. (I was a friend of the host and came over to deal once in a while, the men didn't like that either, except they knew me from the room and knew I could keep my mouth shut.)
I miss dealing poker, I'm a lousy player, but still try every once in a while. I started late in life so all I try and do is stay in action for a few hours, to get my money's worth.
Nice article. I loved it.
Loved this piece. Humorous and hopeful. As a budding writer since age 62, struggling to learn the craft, I appreciate the opportunity to apply some of my remaining executive functions.