Please note the propstion here. This is not “Poker AS Life” or “Poker IS Life”, I think that topic’s been beat to death. Instead let’s consider just some of the ways in which our poker prowess, or in some cases lack tereof, can influence our everyday lives. For the positive this time.
Prime example : Last Friday.
Friday was Otis’ last day at work. He and I have been co-workers for the past 5 years or so. In fact, when I came to Workstation Alpha, it was Otis who gave the grand tour. We wheeled around the small town that was the focus of his bureau job inside a sbo black Honda with a green Hawaiian lei on the mirror. For some reason he still remembers what we had for lunch that day, I think it was instant Otis love.
To be fair, that love quickly faded when the powers-that-be decided not to give me Otis’ old job, but a better one at a much higher salary. This was a sore point for Mr. Dart for a very long time.
But I digress. Friday was my good friend Otis’ last day at work and we had be plans to celebrate.
As “Luck” would have it something else happened that same day. I’ve been the lead “employee” on a major developing “story” for better that 4 years now and Friday, at 5:15 PM that “story” broke big. (I’m getting worse and worse at disguising the secret identity, c’est la vie)
Management was on tilt. I could tell that on the phone. While I took the older daughter to her gymnastics lesson I had a half-dozen frantic messages on the cell and home phones. But what to do? I had longstanding drunk on deck with Otis. Nobody kills this town like we do and we’d built up an aura around THIS night. I wanted that…not a long not of, ahem, “story”.
POKER TO THE RESCUE
First, I counted the outs. I had several.
I could “Forget” to call back.
I could go on in to work and likely stay there for a very long time.
I could call back and plead my case. They know I’m tight with Otis.
I could call back and offer to give as much help as possibly…by phone…but not go in to help.
I count 3 outs with the ultimate loss being the trip in for work.
Still that gives me 1 beat in 4 calls so the odds are nice.
Then, lets look at the hand.
I had a read on the pesky producer who kept calling. She was bluffing at needing me there but something told me she didn’t have the management mandate. This was a tough play. If management told her to call me in and I refused, I’m in a world of crap. She was certainly representing the backing but something about her delivery said “bluff”.
Her tell, she bet too big into the flop. No way she had the nuts. Her second message on the cell phone said she, “assumed I knew I needed to come in to work”. She wanted to say she had management support early without saying so explicitly. “She’s on a draw,” I thought.
So, I knew I had the goods.
I called and went with the “help on the phone” option. At that point I had the nuts and figured I could bet just enough to win the pot. (The night out with Otis without trouble at work). If I ignore the call altogether I chase her out of a pot I could win clean. If I come in to work, I’m folding the best hand when I know I’m good. If I call to plead my case wihtout offering to help, I’m showing weakness that she’s sure to raise.
The OUTCOME?
Last thing I remember was slow dancing with another very pretty producer a few minutes before last call. BadBlood then drove me to a “local establishment of ill repute” but THAT’S when I folded. I still have my poorly disguised day job to protect.
Poker is a life skill people…it’s never just a game.
