Community Corner
For Brick Seniors, Card Games are a Competitive Sport
But don't expect any Vegas-style tricks!
We all like to compete. Various sports and games have made up the majority of our recreational activity since our earliest days. Among these pastimes, card playing, for a great number of us, has emerged as a key component of our so called “fun time." Aside from games such as golf, billiards, bowling or bocce, most of us are not physically capable of playing or competing in the more physical sports, so we turn to a comfortable room, complete with an accommodating table and chairs, and we immerse ourselves in the one-on-one struggles that can only be found in a game of cards.
With the advent of “Texas Hold 'Em,” a variation of poker that has enjoyed such widely acclaimed success on the boob tube (TV), a plethora of seniors have found themselves spending more and more free time at the poker table. Card games such as bridge, canasta, and pinochle have also enjoyed a rebirth, but poker – especially Hold 'Em with it's constantly fulfilled promise of “action” – has shot to the top of the list.
Most of the senior communities here in Brick Township have card playing rooms or areas as part of their amenities, and at any time of the afternoon or early evening a card game can be found in full sway. Greenbriar II is no exception to this rule, as card playing is a very popular form of entertainment.
The Monday night Texas Hold 'Em crowd is a fine example of Brick's senior citizens at play. There are two groups, or two separate games if you will. The first group has been playing together for more than four years, and is comprised of both men and women, all of whom have developed a bond of friendship and camaraderie that goes beyond what is won or lost at the table. The second group, an offshoot of the first, is made up of a dour group (just kidding) of gentlemen who are much more serious about the game.
For the purpose of this article we will refer to the first group as the “fun table.” They bring snacks and soda almost every week, which they share with their fellow players. The talk is incessant and runs from cards to politics, to sports, and to all of the current gossip from the development. There are eleven players in the group but only ten of whom can play each week. Each of them have their own characteristics at the card table, and they are both interesting and befuddling. For the sake of anonymity, I will only use fictitious first names in this revelation. We have Mitilda, Donald, Generoso, and Alexander, all of whom play the game most seriously. They never make the wrong move (just ask them). Generoso, however, has developed a flip of his wrist which launches his two whole cards into an airborne spin that resembles an infield pop-up at Yankee Stadium. He does this when his cards are unplayable and he must drop out of the hand. Donald's wrist produces the same type of flip, but he releases his cards in such a manner that one would think that Derek Jeter has just lined a base hit to center field. Matilda merely tosses her head in utter disgust, and Alexander simply never goes out of any hand and therefore never resorts to any of these histrionics.
The other seven players are much less dramatic. Sheldon, the most mystifying player at the table, falls in love with whatever he is dealt, and always thinks his hand is good enough to win. Predictably, that doesn't happen for him too often. Betty's style is the same as Sheldon's, but she has much more luck and wins quite often. Jimmy is the gentleman of the game and simply comes to enjoy the friendship and the night out. His game is quiet, but most times efficient. Hortense and Ethel always seem to be in need of a winning hand, and their famous phase of “I need a pot," refers to a victory, and not something that they could use in the kitchen. Russell is the weekly latecomer. He has a dry wit and a good sense of humor. He plays his cards close to the vest and has gained the reputation of being the “flush man.” As for myself, I play too many hands and most times put myself in a position where I might stay in and contribute to the winner's profit.
No matter who wins or loses, however, our game is a lot of fun and we all look forward to Monday nights at Greenbriar II. One thing is a certainty, you will not be seeing any of us on the televised games that currently are coming to us from Las Vegas and Atlantic City. All of us, even that dour group at the other table, are just rank amateurs.
