Wednesday, December 14, 2005

The Game is Dead to Me

I had read my friend Parkers post the other day about his favorite poker moments in the shed. For those of you who don't know what the shed was, it was a 14X8 foot sorry excuse for a building that housed the greatest poker moments of my life. The inside walls were covered in plywood, with playing cards stapled around the 3 windows. It was cold as hell in the winter, but we had Mr. Heater to keep as warm, and almost make us unconscious from his toxic fumes. We would smoke cigars until we had to open the door to vent the cloud.

In this reminisce about the shed it dawned on me that my favorite poker memories have nothing to do with the hands that were played, but the guys that I was playing them with. We once had a guy who had been grazed by a bullet show up for poker. And people sell books so they could play. We started everynight with Hank Williams Jr. On vinyl of course. We had characters there, guys you could set your watch to. Guys you could count on. We were poker before poker was cool. And all we had was an extention cord from the house and a light clamped to a 2X4 beam.

I write this to say I now know why the game holds no magic for me any more. The characters are gone.

So goodbye Pegg, goodbye Masterson, Parker, Corey, The Janey, Patrick, Furey, Samwise, River Phoenix, Skinner, Shane, and any other poor sucker we let in that joint.

Most of all goodbye poker...You are dead to me.

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

Who knows, maybe something new will come along. Not the same as the shed, but good in it's own way.
THERE IS ALWAYS HOPE!!! NEVER GIVE UP!!! NEVER SURRENDER!!!!

Anonymous said...

Its true what they say...every damn word of it is gospel...never again will those days be.

Anonymous said...

Sad to know I came a few years late. And while the game is not dead to me because I'm constantly perplexed by it and always looking to know more, I understand where you're coming from. Now I love playing with the guys and girls around Radford. But the main reason I'm looking forward to this Christmas season is to go home, get the fellas together and play some cards. Not because we'll be playing cards, but because of the guys I'm doing it with. So, poker isn't dead to me, but I sure do miss those days playing back in the day.

Hahn House said...

MR. HEATER.....
EEEEEEGGGGGGHHHHHHHHEEEKKKKKKKK!!!!
How could I have forgotten to mention him. But Aaron you are right, I with you %110 on this. Those moments are what I long for everytime I come back to Radford, not the actually game but the fellowship. Now I think we can find that with a fireside chat, glass of scotch and a cigar. I love you guys all of you!

Jeremy said...

those were great times. what happened? even the man room is no more.... yesterday i was down there because our furnace was being repaired and i looked up and saw a beam with the words "Alan" and "Jesse" written in chalk... with smudged check marks next to each of their names.

the poker table is still down there with the felt on it but covered by electronics boxes.

remember what we did to that basement parker? i think i want to try and revive the man room and give mr. heater a new home. it would be the next best thing to the shed which was not called the man room by the way.

anybody remember what it was called? my poker chips (my nice ones) have a clue on them....

pegg

DrD said...

I talk a lot with several patients of mine about poker, guys that play in the local casino. They are always wanting me to come play cards, but like you Aaron, it is not the game that attracted me so much, as it was hanging out with the guys. I played in the shed once and in the Man Room once (have a great picture of Cranston and myself down there). Wish I lived in Radford to have had more of those good times.

Hahn House said...

Pegg's Poker Parlor...and Pegg I would want nothing more than the next time I am home to play a game down there with Mr Heater, the gang, and Mikes Pizza (despite the ban). If I remember Alan and Jesse are each only one strike away from banishment and johnathan did get #3. Pegg we hammered that out in a morning, drinking High Life at 1030 just to finish it. give me this Pegg. Remember stealing the white leather chair from the porch and cleaning it! MONEY!!!!

DrD said...

Parker, next time you plan on being in Radford, you let me know. I want in on that myself.

Anonymous said...

why were you guys playing no limit hold 'em for real money for so long? Some of you could have saved a lot of money.

Hahn House said...

anonymous is an idiot

Anonymous said...

Anonymous...I wanna punch you in the neck...and then run you through...

you see? that was so much funnier at a poker table.

i say we just give up on the idea of playing cards ever again. Instead lets start having Chutes and Ladders night. In the man room. Paradoxal yes. Contradictory No. Gay sex ensuing...possibly.

Anonymous said...

Samb, you sick freak. You guys should just start playing D&D.

+6 experience points
+4 armor for this post.

Anonymous said...

I used to watch you guys in the shed. A LOT. But noone ever noticed. One time my friend Craig beat me with a 9J suited. I don't remember what I had. Hey, what's the dillyo?