Is Home Poker The Best?

It was a lazy southern afternoon in Charleston, S.C. Sadie, our intelligent Siberian Husky, was wrestling with Koko, our lovable Mexican Chihuahua. I was reading a book about Italian filmmaker Federico Fellini when my daughter approached me with a freshly made cup of coffee.

"Daddy, want to play poker tonight?," she said.

One of her boy friend's pals had invited us to their house for an evening of poker. Rossana said the guys were fun and friendly.

'"it's a tournament," she said. 'Just a $20 buy-in. You'll have fun."

That evening we drove across Charleston, with its trendy restaurants, Southern plantation homes and buildings, and found our way to a house on a side street in a tree-lined neighborhood.

Ken introduced me to four of his friends. They ranged in age from their early 20s to 40s. They addressed me with a polite 'Sir.'

I smiled. 'I understand you gentlemen think you're poker players," I declared. "Let's find out if it's true."

They grinned. We were off to a good start.

The refrigerator was full of cold beer and someone produced a pipe loaded with good herb. As it was passed around the table, I gave my approval.

'Now this is the kind of game I like," I said.

A good home poker game can provide a player with the best of two worlds. This was one of those good games. The homeowner provided us with venison stew, home baked apple pie, free beer and good herb. What more could a person ask for?

We shared stories, check-raised each other, and watched stacks of chips shrink and grow.

Ken, my daughter's boyfriend, turned out to be a good aggressive player who sometimes overplayed his hand. My daughter Rossana showed an improved game and hung in there until she ran out of chips. I was proud of the way she played.

I didn't win a hand for the first hour. When the evening ended around midnight, the host divided the money between two other players and me.

Home poker games...

...are a good way to test your basic strategy without jeopardizing a lot of money. They're friendly and give a player the chance to grow. I highly recommend them for beginners as well as veteran players.

As we got up to leave, the host said, "Enjoyed your company. We've been doing this the past eight years. You're welcome to join us next Wednesday for another game."

I wouldn't miss it for all the green tea in China!

Author: Geno Lawrenzi Jr.

(Geno Lawrenzi Jr. is an international journalist, magazine author and ghostwriter and poker player who lives in Phoenx, AZ. He has published 2,000 articles in 50 magazines and 125 newspapers. If you want to share a gambling story or book idea with him, send an email to glawrenzi@gmail.com ).