Sister Mary Card Shark - To the Tune of $500,000 or More
READ THE WHOLE THING.
The first three cards were red, probably diamonds. Maybe hearts, but this was in the spring of 2011, years before anyone thought to make permanent note of such things. Definitely red, though, and definitely the same suit, and one was a queen, because Jack Alexander had a queen-high flush on the flop, which is the kind of hand a man remembers.
Jack was in Father Jim's Saloon, which was neither a fully equipped casino nor a permanent establishment but rather the function hall of St. James Catholic School in Torrance, California, tricked out for the evening with hay bales and such to give the place a country-western theme. Jack was playing poker for charity, the charity being St. James School itself. Raising money for the school was practically an obligation, like Communion or confession. On his tuition check, Jack had added $500 to the St. James School Education Foundation, a hundred dollars to the Big Red Raffle, a hundred to another raffle, and $225 so his three kids would be allowed to raise more money in a jog-a-thon. And that was just at the beginning of the school year.
Sister Mary Margaret was at the final table again. In fact, it was just her and Jack left, probably more than $1,000 of charity chips at stake, and Jack pulled his queen-high flush on the flop.
Jack did not bet aggressively. He slow-rolled the sister, tried not to spook her into folding. She called.
The dealer turned over an ace. At best, Sister Mary Margaret had three of a kind, and that was assuming she had a pair in the hole. Another bet, more aggressive, Jack thinking, I'm gonna flush her out.
Last card. Another queen. Maybe she had two pair, queens and whatever she might be holding. Or she had a third queen. Neither one beats a flush.
“I'm all in,” Jack said.
As Jack remembers it, the sister didn't even blink. She smiled. “Me, too.”
Jack showed his diamonds, started to reach for the chips.
Sister Mary Margaret turned over an ace and a queen. Full house, queens over aces.
Jack stared, slack-jawed, at her cards. Man, he thought, this lady is one hell of a poker player.
The first three cards were red, probably diamonds. Maybe hearts, but this was in the spring of 2011, years before anyone thought to make permanent note of such things. Definitely red, though, and definitely the same suit, and one was a queen, because Jack Alexander had a queen-high flush on the flop, which is the kind of hand a man remembers.
Jack was in Father Jim's Saloon, which was neither a fully equipped casino nor a permanent establishment but rather the function hall of St. James Catholic School in Torrance, California, tricked out for the evening with hay bales and such to give the place a country-western theme. Jack was playing poker for charity, the charity being St. James School itself. Raising money for the school was practically an obligation, like Communion or confession. On his tuition check, Jack had added $500 to the St. James School Education Foundation, a hundred dollars to the Big Red Raffle, a hundred to another raffle, and $225 so his three kids would be allowed to raise more money in a jog-a-thon. And that was just at the beginning of the school year.
Sister Mary Margaret was at the final table again. In fact, it was just her and Jack left, probably more than $1,000 of charity chips at stake, and Jack pulled his queen-high flush on the flop.
Jack did not bet aggressively. He slow-rolled the sister, tried not to spook her into folding. She called.
The dealer turned over an ace. At best, Sister Mary Margaret had three of a kind, and that was assuming she had a pair in the hole. Another bet, more aggressive, Jack thinking, I'm gonna flush her out.
Last card. Another queen. Maybe she had two pair, queens and whatever she might be holding. Or she had a third queen. Neither one beats a flush.
“I'm all in,” Jack said.
As Jack remembers it, the sister didn't even blink. She smiled. “Me, too.”
Jack showed his diamonds, started to reach for the chips.
Sister Mary Margaret turned over an ace and a queen. Full house, queens over aces.
Jack stared, slack-jawed, at her cards. Man, he thought, this lady is one hell of a poker player.
Labels: Catholic Schools, Nuns
posted by jope @ June 08, 2019
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