The Gambling Man

Untitled Part 1

The Gambling Man

Shane Boysen

As I walk away from the fish-scented docks without a shift yet again, I ponder how I will be able to provide for my family for another week. With no work, I have no idea how I will be able to support my family for another month. All of my utilities will be turned off tomorrow, unless I can come up with 25 more dollars. I have run out of option, and although I hate the idea of gambling, I believe I have no other choice but to put all of my money on the table and try my luck. I heard of a place down the street that runs a gambling ring in the basement of the shantee. My pops taught me how to play Hold Em when I was little just for fun and a penny or two, and I’ve become a decent poker player. Instead of going home to the disappointment by my whole family, ill go test my luck.  

I walk in the bar, and ask the bartender where I can get in on a game. He points to a rug in the flooring. I move the rug, which reveals a trap door to a stairway. There is another door at the bottom of the stairway, where I hear a lot of commotion coming from. I open the door and the commotion stops as everybody turns to see who I am. A dealer from one of the table signaled me over to an open spot at his table, and I pulled out a twenty dollar bill from my jacket. He gave me two stacks of red chips, and it looked right in the middle compared to everybody else. One guy had four and a half stacks, while two more had two and a half, one man with just one stack, and a lady with less than half a stack.

I came in with the players halfway through the draw, so I will have to wait until next turn to get in on the game, but watching will help me calm my nerves a little and I’ll get to see how people play a little. Two of them are in play, as the guy with two stacks and the guy with a half stack is the only ones who have folded. The river comes, and it’s an ace of spades. The leader ups the check to just enough to where the girl must play her last half stack, unless she wants to fold and lose the other half of her stack already in play. She calls, and she is all in. You can see the worry on her face, as she to is not playing for the entertainment, she may have her life savings on the line sort of like I do. The rest of the cards come on the table, both players show their hands. Both players have an ace in their hand, but nothing else to play on the table.

I remember my pops told me a situation like this goes to the other card in the hand, whoever’s is higher wins. The guy has an eight, the girl a seven, she lost. The woman instantly bursts into tears, as she runs out of the room, nobody bothering to look over their shoulders, as if they’ve seen this many times. They guy adds the stack to his pile, and asks to cash out. He had a full six stacks, which tripled his money. The dealer counts out sixty dollars, and the player is ecstatic. He obviously was set on getting a certain amount, and he must have got it and a little more. I could only imagine what turning twenty dollars into sixty would do for our family. That would set us up to be ok for another couple of months, even if I couldn’t get any shifts at the docks.

Without further anticipation, the dealer starts shuffling out cards. I’m fairing pretty well, through the first half hour, as I’ve gained about an extra half stack, but I find myself in a real pickle. I’m a little over a stack and a half in on my hand, and it’s not looking to good. The other person, a new person who just joined not too long ago, and he calls all in. With is two stacks in, this is a make or break situation for me. If I win, I can walk away with a boatload of money, but if I lose, I’ll be down to half a stack and risk walking away with nothing. I have two jacks in my hand, but nothing else on the table. Were down to the last card to be played, and I call, figuring I’m not going to get the money by just sitting here. Now that nothing more can be played, we show our hands before the next turn. I look at his hand to see he has two sevens, and there is a seven played on the table. He is sitting at a three of a kind, and I won’t be able to win unless a jack is played on the last turn. I’m shaking, and am getting hot flashes on the anticipation of the scenario I put myself in. The dealer grabs the card, turns it and puts it on the table. It’s a queen. I feel my head fall into my hands, as I cannot bear to think of what just happened.