Memorial Day Wrap Up

Memorial Day Wrap Up

For the last six years or so, Memorial Day weekend is when my high school friends, and I, and our wives have gotten together for a reunion.  This year it was my turn to host which was both good and bad.  It was good because I didn’t have to travel, but I had to make my house stay worthy, which was no small task.  The other problem, and the reason I haven’t hosted yet, is that I still live in the Chicago land area where we grew up.   So when my friends who live halfway across the country come to visit, their family thinks they deserve some attention as well.  Silly families.  Until now we’ve avoided the Chicago reunions so we didn’t have to deal with trying to make time for both.

It worked out ok though.  People came and went as family plans dictated, and in the mean time the rest of us did other things.  I’m pretty sure a good time was had by all.  

I must be getting old, though because I’m exhausted.  Its two days since everyone left and I’m still tired.  We didn’t even stay out as late, or drink as much as we used to and I’m still trying to recover.  How pathetic.

I won’t bore you with the rest of the details.

OK fine, there are one or two things that I left out that I know at least one person would want documented.  And its even poker related.  

The wives aren’t too into to poker, but they did give us a little bit of time play one evening.  We played some four handed dealer call it drunken poker.  It was mostly holdem, omaha, and pineapple with a few other random games thrown in.  I did get a round of Discard Jones in.  John kept calling a two card guts game which after a while I started playing blind every single hand in protest.  Maybe next year I’ll call heads or tails as my game.   I also tried calling razz and 2-7 triple draw, but its hard to explain games I don’t play when I’m intoxicated.  So I gave up.

Omaha killed me. I have a hard enough time playing Omaha sober.  After staying up getting everything ready the night before, getting up early that morning to go to the airport, and drinking heavily that evening, I was in no shape to play intelligent poker that required the use of more than two hole cards.  Yeah I should expand my skill set but somehow I don’t think that was the appropriate setting.  

At one point in the evening Derek mentioned that he wanted to play in my next Birthday poker spectacular.  The previous two are written up here and here.  Let me warn all of you.  Under no circumstances do you ever want to participate, much less organize a poker game where 95% of the other players have absolutely no idea what they are doing.  It sounds like fun in theory, but even if you do manage to make it out with your bankroll in tact, you’ll still regret it.  Don’t underestimate the frustration of trying to teach people that don’t really care if they get it or not the concepts of pot odds, the use of position, or actually betting when you have a hand, or any other semi advanced poker strategy.  It’s funny after the fact, but it’s painful during the event.  Trust me.

Just because I’m sure it’s his lifelong dream to get mentioned on the interweb and this site in particular, I will note that if we were keeping score, Derek would have won that evenings match, as he finished with the most chips while I had to rebuy more than once. Although my desire to beat him was sufficient motivation to not play like a donkey, I would also point out that my three buy ins cost the exact same as Derek’s one so at best he can claim a moral victory.  So way to hustle Derek.  We’re all proud of you.  

Next year there’s talk of going to some exotic location.  No matter what, I bet there’s a card game or too, and entirely too much alcohol for anyone’s good.  Good times.