My Mama Played Cards

Now and then during a poker game, I will ask another poker player how he or she became interested in the game. It always makes me smile when many of the players tell me their mother played cards.

Yep, Mama has a decided influence on many of the professional poker players you find in Las Vegas, Reno, Atlantic City or even the Caribbean.

My mother was a card player. And a horseplayer. And a numbers player. I think if there had been marble shooting contests in my hometown of Sutersville, PA., she would probably shot marbles.

Her favorite card games were euchre and canasta. She and my dad taught me and my brothers and sister how to play euchre and canasta. We even competed in the weekly euchre contests at the Moose Club, where they gave away three cash prizes to the winners.

When someone at the Moose Club decided to defy the law by adding slot machines to the entertainment, Mom and my Aunt Annie used to slip away to try their luck at the slots. In those early days, a winner collected coins, not pieces of paper good for redemption.

My mother was a passionate card player. Her partner in euchre was usually my father, although sometimes she agreed to take me on as her partner even though she wasn't thrilled with my card-playing abilities.

But we had fun. The games would often last into the early morning hours. Nothing thrilled Mom more than playing a winning hand. I am sure my passion for playing poker originated with my dear mother who I still miss terribly after her passing.

In her later years, my mother's physical condition deteriorated. She spent most of her time in bed suffering from terrible abdominal pain that she tried to keep hidden from my brothers and me. But when she was feeling up to it, she would play a game of euchre. And when we played, the game didn't end until Mom said it was over.

'Mom,' I would complain. 'It's 2 a.m.' She would ignore my suggestion and continue playing. Finally, around 3 a.m., she would get up and bid us all a pleasant 'Good night' before heading off to bed with a smile.

I sometimes find myself wondering if Bennie Binion's mother played poker or shot dice. That would explain a lot of things. Have a great week.

Author: Geno Lawrenzi Jr.

(Geno Lawrenzi Jr. is an international journalist, magazine author and ghostwriter and poker player who lives in Phoenx, AZ. He has published 2,000 articles in 50 magazines and 125 newspapers. If you want to share a gambling story or book idea with him, send an email to glawrenzi@gmail.com ).