Alabama Poker

 Friday, January 4, 2013

My son-in-law and I joined his dad and four other guys at a "lodge" or ranch house on a farm outside of Montgomery for their regular poker night.  Quite an experience!  The rustic lodge with large stone fireplace, big dining area, and card room, sits in the middle of about 600 acres a dear friend of theirs left to his family when he died a few years ago.  His will stipulated that the lodge was to remain available to his friends for their long-standing poker games as long as they could continue to enjoy it. It was remarkable to watch them go into action. Sam* had picked up steaks and salad ingredients.  By the time we arrived, "J", the grandson of the original owner, had started a fire with huge logs and charcoal lighter fluid in the fireplace, and began making slices of Texas toast.  Roy had already started a fire in the big, ol' oil drum grill, and then started making salad, chopping whole onions, red, green, and yellow peppers, tomatoes, greens, and jalapeños.  He filled a large stainless steel bowl with the colorful mix.  I set the table and put out ice and glasses for tea, unsweetened surprisingly, and Steve, a confirmed bachelor and cattle farmer, cooked the steaks from Derk's Filet and Vine, http://www.filetandvine.com/.  The steaks from Derk's arrived black with their special grilling rub, a jar of which sits in my spice cabinet.  I noticed J timing the browning of the toast to the salad making and Steve's arrival from the grill.  It all came together in moments and we sat down to a simple feast.  A couple of them had brought their favorite pints, Old Forrester, Jim Beam, or Jack and had a drink, maybe two, before dinner- I only noticed one after dinner. Sam kidded in the car coming home that you can't afford to drink and play because the games get too complicated!  Roy did chew during the game, and spit discretely into a Snapple Ice Tea bottle, which sat in his drink holder in the green velvet and wood trimmed card table. He'd take the cap off the bottle occasionally, spit, recap it, and set it back into the drink holder. It looked like a dark brown liquor growing in volume while he emptied his solitary drink over the course of the evening.   Good thing he didn't get confused!  Mark, a late arrival, and another cattle farmer, is a retired orthopedic surgeon who serves as an insurance company "gatekeeper" on patient procedures, imaging etc.  It was a very gentlemanly game.

It seemed like everybody won. I walked away with a few bucks.  I don't know how we all did it. I barely had a clue during the game and if it hadn't of been for some good natured coaching, I would have lost my shirt. 

We drove off into the rain and the night leaving the fire to burn out on its own. Their friendship glowed in the embers as we left. 

* Names changed to protect the innocent!