The card table sat in the middle of the living room as they prepared to play. A deck of cards sat in the middle, a six pack on one side along with 2 ash trays and a full pack of smokes. It had been a long time since they played this game but it was actually his wife that suggest they get back into a regular Saturday night game.
"Tammy, you did remember it is five right?" he shouted upstairs. He was already dressed wearing the required pieces for the game. When he called up to her he was referring to the amount of cloths that were required to play.
"Yea... ok... I remember." she shouted back.
"I just don't want any cheaters." he called back.
"Yea, yea whatever." they said this back and forth in their normal playful sounding voices. He guesses it has been too long and they both needed this to relieve a little tension.
"I am ready when you are." he sat down at the table and pulled out the cards. He shuffled them after lighting a cigarette. This was gonna be good. He pulled 2 cold beers out of the little mini cooler they put next to the table. Neither one of them trusted each other enough to leave the table and get another beer so they decided on the cooler. The game only called for one six pack but they always kept 2 in the cooler just in case.
Her footsteps could be heard as she made her way down the stairs. She had on her regulation five pieces for the match. Those five pieces consisted of shirt, pants underwear (her bra and panties counted as one) shoes and socks (each pair was considered one) She grabbed her beer lit a cigarette and sat down.
"Ok... lets get this show on the road." she said with a puff of smoke.
"Are you so anxious to loose?" he chuckled.
"Oh no.. I can't wait to see the look on your face when I win."
"You are confident tonight dear." he said with a smirk on his face.
He shuffled a few more times as he finished his cigarette and took another gulp of his beer. Laying the cards on the table she reached over and cut the deck. It was time to play and they both were excited to do this again.
A few years back they came back from a party and were tired but not that tired. Being in a playful mood they laughed and drank some more. Sitting at the table thatnight very drunk he came up with this game. There was no way they ever would have done this sober, but now they looked forward to doing it. He called it "Stream Poker".
"You remember the rules are simple" as he dealt the cards out.
"Yep, 5 card stud nothing wild" she smiled a stupid smile his way.
"Ok... let the games begin." he cried.
They both picked up their first hand and neither of them grimmaced. They kept the best poker face they could. It was a few minutes of sipping beer and toking on a cigarette before he laid 2 cards down. She followed with 3.
"You must not have that good of a hand my dear to ask for 3 cards." he smirked
"Don't you worry about my hand darling." she picked up the 3 he laid down.
"Now my two." he laid out two from the deck and then inserted them into his hand.
They now looked over what they had. It only took a few seconds for them to figure out what was the best way to play their hand so they were ready.
"OK.. I dealt the cards so you go first." he said trying to peer at her hand.
"Well.. let me see..." she got them in order and laid them on the table. "3 Jacks"
"I see you haven't lost your touch." he laid his down. "A pair of Nines"
"Yes... I win." she said cheering. "I think I will take off my shoes first"
"Damn, you got a head start."
"Ahhh.. shoes off." she said. "Now I deal."
Obviously they came up with this backwards game while drunk but it just seems to work and that is why they kept playing it. Although the game has just started they both started to get a little excited with each hand.
Picking up the cards she dealt again they studdied them. He shifted in his chair and she figured his hand wasn't that great and he knew it. Another bottle of beer was opened now and it was 1/3 gone before he put it back down. He put down 2 cards and waited.
"Wow... only two?" she laid them out in front of him. "I will also take two" He picked them up and looked still keeping his poker face.
"OK big guy, I dealt you show this time."
"Sure baby" he said confidently. He laid down a pair of fives.
"Is that it?" she said almost giggling. Then he put down a pair of tens.
"Ohhhhhh..." as she slowly put down her pair of queens.
He jumped up very excited. A small victory dance as he took his shirt off.
"I told you I would not let you get away with this." he laughed.
"This is only the beginning my dear" she said.
It was back to him to shuffle the deck. The game wasn't a long one so they usually took their time in between hands to drink a little more and smoke another cigarette. One hand each, she was shoeless and he was topless. It definitely wasn't normal for the winner to take off a piece of clothing, but again those were the rules.
Ten more cards on the table and it could only get better from here. This hand was much faster than the last two. He put his cards down and said "I don't need any, how about you?"
"No way, your kidding." she said.