Poker Night

When Phillip and I were dating and for a long time after we were married, he and his childhood friends would gather and play poker almost every weekend. Sometimes I dreaded those games, because (1) I was the only female and (2) it would get boring after a while watching them play for hours on end. For the first year after we were married, we lived 3 hours away from New Orleans. When we came into town (again almost every weekend), I had the option of going to the games or sitting at home with the in-laws. I choose the poker game. After we moved back "home", the games moved to our house. That was not so bad as I could find entertainment at my own house. Once we moved "across the lake", the games stopped as we were a distance away and the guys had other interests as well.

Ten years ago, Phillip and a couple of friends started a monthly neighborhood poker group. They take turns hosting and usually have 5-6 guys attend each month. This group does not have the sentimental value as the old group of childhood friends, but it is a great group. Several years ago, they decided to run for the neighborhood board. They all won their prospective positions and had board meetings at the poker games. They made some controversial improvements to the neighborhood and the next year, another group decided to run against the "poker group" running the show. The poker group didn't want another term, so it all played out to everyone's liking. Every once in while I hear a story about those "poker guys" who did this and that. I just smile and say "Yeah, I heard about those guys."