Like Mother, Like Son

Before he even looked, he steadied himself, preparing for anything. He pressed his lips together tightly knowing his smile would deceive him if given any opportunity. He wouldn’t look at me fearful that a glance would entice the smile to creep out. With pursed lips, serious, focused eyes, he stared and said, “I’ll keep ‘em.”

I laid out three cards on the table between us and waited. He tried to hold his face as he looked again at his cards and said, “I’ll keep ‘em.” I dealt out another card and then finally the last. His face, unnaturally contorted as he tried to remain serious and untelling, starts to crack as he consults the reference card he has at his side. Without warning all emotion releases in a great outburst as he flings his arms into the air and waves them wildly shouting, “I have a FLUSH!!!”

Calmly, I watch his celebratory couch dance. After some time, I ask, “Would you like to know what I have?”

Realizing his glory dance might have been premature, he becomes completely still, awaiting the verdict.

“I have a pair of Kings.”

He waits for a moment, consults the reference card once again, watching my face to see if I’ll give any clues as to the meaning of my words, if I’ll translate that into a verdict for him.

He finally lights up again and says, ‘I won! I won!”



Thoughts race through my head that perhaps teaching him to play one of my favorite card games was a bad decision, perhaps he will take poker too seriously.

The next hand goes remarkably the same. A puckered up face that tells more because it has been obscured than if it had been left alone. Throughout the play, he continues to declare confidently that he’ll keep his cards, barely allowing his mouth enough flexibility to speak. Finally, as the last card is played, he throws his cards down on the table and says, “I was just bluffing.” I look down at his cards and say, “Nice bluff. But you don’t have to bluff when you have a Full House.”

“I have a what?!?” “I won! I won!”

Yes, I think I have created a poker monster.

Please send all correspondence to me c/o Satan in Burning, Hell.