Top 10 Moments of $10 Poker

10/  It's the girls.  Yes, in the movie Hook, Captain Hook says we are all here because we love the same woman.  In this case, we are all here because we love the same two women, Rosie and Kerran.  It is true.  Every night, I never wanted to go.  I was always too tired and just didn't want to go.  Andrew would always say he wanted to go to go support the girls.  So, we went.  It turns out it was just moral support we provided.  No financial support whatsoever.  The girls did this for ten years, despite all the frustration, all the countless hours, and literally made nothing.  Personally, I think my partner and I wouldn't last one weekend, but their relationship flourished and they got engaged last winter.  The girls made the experience for me and I know for many more.  The amount of laughs we shared was priceless.  Thank you both for being such role-models of relationship maintenance. 

9.  And speaking of role-models, how about Tim winning the Royal Flush pot twice?  Truly, a role model of a poker player.  Even keeled and just a gentleman all around.  I told him that I was so happy that he was the deserved winner of the two big pots because he was always positive and never said a bad word about anyone, he said I had never heard what he said under his breath.  The best thing about Tim was that if he won or was first out, he had the same demeanor.  Just never took it too seriously.  It was just $10 poker.

8.  And speaking of role-models, we also met a bunch of people that were the worst examples of poker players.  Celebrating winning a hand like they won a Monster Truck race or jam or whatever it is.  Showboating to the extreme.  Not realizing for them to win a hand on the Assiniboia River, someone else lost that hand.  Too many guys who modeled themselves after Phil Hellmuth in terms of etiquette and arrogance.  Unethical behavior like signing a whole bunch of people in so that people in line didn't get it and other examples.  You would have thought we were playing for WPT bracelets and not $10 poker. 

7.  One of my favorite moments came from a young drunk guy who was playing in his first time at $10 poker but listed his resume as winning in several venues and making lots as an online player.  This same guy spent 10 minutes arguing that his bicycle straight was better than the 2-6 straight because he had the ace and that was the highest card.  Security needed to be called. 

6.  Yes, security was called virtually every night.  We actually got to know the security by name.  Although we got to know the security the best, they just represented ASD staff.  Always professional and the bartenders made the best caesars.  All the staff put up with us and I don't think the Downs was benefiting too much from our presence.  I think we were a headache to them, yet they treated us kindly and with respect.  I lost my water bottle every night and they never tired from finding it.  They also won a lot of us over.  The ASD is a great venue and has a lot of neat things going on.  We have patronized them and although I don't understand horse racing, I still continue to attend events, which are fabulous.  We were also treated to hot poker on the third floor.  Just like hot yoga only with poker.  Again, people expected perfection for playing $10 poker and demanded fans, etc.  We were taking up so much space yet people still felt like it was their right to be completely comfortable. 

5.  The Re-Buys.  Remember the time when there was three re-buys per table per hand?  Wait.  That wasn't a top 10 moment, that was every night.  And, despite all the shouting for re-buys, I will never forget Kerran saying encouragingly, "better luck" and Rosie saying, "this is your last re-buy.  Make it to break." 

4.  Over the last year, we also witnessed the incredible shrinking woman.  Kerran has become a model.  She maintains it is from working out and eating healthy.  I will chose to believe her and hope that it was not from stress.  It is so lovely seeing a beautiful soul shining so brightly on the outside.  Sorry, Rose, but now Kerran has become the "hot" one. 

3.  The haters.  For some reason, there were some.  At other venues, I have heard all about what the girls have told him from a guy that carries his own couch cusion with him.  I call him cushion guy.  He clams the girls told him this, the girls told him that.  Well, I have never beheved him because the girls are two independent women.  It took me a while to realize why there were haters   And, I know now.  They look at Rose and Kerran and see everything they have, and are jealous because they will never have what they have.  Also, they would never be so strong in holding themselves up proudly in situations that others would never have the guts to do.  I just pity the haters. 

2.  And, despite, all the fights, all the "incidents" and all the hours and hours spent behind the scenes, I could always count on several laughs a night from the girls.  The beauty of being friends with Rosie and Kerran is that you get three relationships out of two.  You get a relationship with \Kerran, a relationship with Rose, and a relationship with them as a couple.  I can't tell how many friends I have met and maintained just by saying, "I am friends with the girls."  And, when people said that to me, I made a special effort to get to know them and was always happy that I did.  That includes you, Sonny. 

And, the top ten moment at $10 poker..........

1.   It is this song which says it all.......

I want to linger
A little longer
A little longer
Here with You. 

It is such a perfect night
It doesn't seem quite right
That this would be the
Last with you

And as the years go by
I'll think of you and smile
This is good night
And not Good-Bye.