The Joker

I was at my local casino and as I sat down, the guy sitting next to me calls over to his friend at another table, leaning back on his chair said “see the batman film?” and nodding “secretively” at the direction of our table, says “the joker”.

I only saw him out the side of my eye, but was that directed towards me? There was only 4 of us at the table, and I didn’t note anyone else who would even remotely fitted that description. Now I'm not saying  I look like the joker but I do have a similar hairline, pale complexion and dark eyes, so maybe I don't not look like the joker. And which joker did he mean? I've googled a few pictures since, and you know, maybe. On one hand, I don’t want people to think I look like the joker, but on the other hand, what a cool poker nickname that would be.

There was also a poker regular at my table, I had previously made the mistake of equating “poker regular” to “good player”, well he must be, he’s here all the time, or so I thought. Having only seen him about, I'd say he looks a bit like Meatloaf so he's recognisable, but I had never actually seen him play until our last meeting when my hypothesis about “regular players” was blown out the water when I witnessed him limp calling pretty much any two cards for multiple levels.

So back to last night. It’s a £10 tournament, starting with 4000 chips, we’re still on the first level so blinds are 50/100. I’m mid position and look down and pocket rockets, OH YEAH!

Hmm… now, if only I could get some action here, I could destroy someone. Under the gun raises to 300, excellent… next to act reraises to 1500, perfection. Folds to me, I have 3500 chips left and I go all in, I’m sure I’ll be heads up against the reraiser, and then Meatloaf goes all in too! A raise, a reraise, an all in, another all in with the original raiser and reraiser still to act. At this point I become worried, it’s the first level and I’m going to need my aces to hold against possibly 3 other hands?! After a while the initial raiser decides he can’t possibly be ahead and folds, leaving the action 3 way all in preflop when the reraiser calls and shows his pocket jacks, I show AA, then Meatloaf "says rather sheepishly "I'm a bit embarassed" and turns over J4 unsuited. WHAT?! my god. This, of course, was brilliant for me though, I was expecting AK or something similar but he’d left the jacks drawing to a 1 outer, couldn't have went any better, as the flop, turn and river were beautifully blank.

The guy sitting next to me must have been talking about Meatloaf when he was pointing out the joker at the table.