Cherry Poker Confit
5 May 2006
By Mark Pilarski
Dear Mark,
Yes or no, would video poker on a machine be
considered a true "draw" poker game? Larry L.
Elitists of table poker would say, NO WAY. But
look at it this way, Larry: video poker is one
player against a machine that displays the
player's cards as graphic images on a screen;
the player still has to place a stake, is dealt
five cards from a standard 52-card deck, and has
an opportunity to discard any number of unwanted
cards, and to "draw" an equal number of
replacement cards from the deck.
Many I have debated in the past have dissected
the word "draw" to suit their argument, yet in
both table draw poker and video draw poker,
there is a second round of cards during the hand
where you are allowed to discard some of your
cards, and draw more cards with the hope of
improving your hand.
As for me, a connoisseur of any kind of poker, I
swallow yes, demi-glace with the finest Traverse
City dried cherries, red wine and shallots. If
it looks, walks and quacks like duck, it must be
a duck, even if your opponent is a cybernetic
one-armed bandit and not a big mouth mortal who
happens to have bad breath.
Dear Mark,
I was approached by a casino security guard and
asked to leave the casino (in Nevada) because he
thought I was walking through the casino looking
for coins left unattended in the trays of slot
machines. Is that illegal to do? Ralph G.
Even though Nevada is called the "Silver State,"
Ralph, you're not allowed to Sunday-walk the
joint silver mining. The practice of treasure
hunting for orphan coins, credits on a slot
machine, or even coins on the floor is illegal.
Gamblers who forget (there's a lesson here)
their stored credits or loose coins in the tray
are effectively donating them to the casino.
Such goodies are not considered coinage for
those with keen eyes circumnavigating the casino
floor to rescue someone else's poor left-behind
moolah.
Dear Mark,
I hope you don't mind me asking what could very
well be a stupid question, but what do you mean
by an "up card" when you have answered a few
different blackjack questions in the past? By
the way, I don't play the game. Jack L.
How's that old saying go, Jack, "the only stupid
question, is the one not asked." Gambling
questions of any kind are no exception, at least
here, that is. Anyhow, an up card is the face-up
card the dealer deals himself at the opening of
a hand of blackjack.
Dealers deal their own opening hands with one
card face-up and one card face-down. The card
dealt face-up is the dealer's "up" card, and the
card that is dealt face-down is said to be the
dealer's "hole card."
Gambling Wisdom of the Week: I've often thought,
if I got really hungry for a good milk shake,
how much would I pay for one? People will pay a
hundred dollars for a bottle of wine; to me
that's not worth it. But I'm not going to say it
is foolish or wrong to spend that kind of money,
if that's what you want. So if a guy wants to
bet twenty or thirty thousand dollars in a poker
game, that is his privilege. -- Jack Binion
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