Meathead

Rod jogged a memory of a poker game out of me... Meathead was involved...

The game was in Jackson, Tennessee back in the early 70,s.. A friend of mine, Tommy G. ( a bookie and notorious high stakes poker player ) liked to drink, and after he had a few, he would always juice the game up a notch...

Seated in this game were some of the best poker players around at the time...T.A. Preston ( Amarillo Slim ), Johnny Moss, and Puggy Pearson to name a few...

The game was no limit holdem and the stakes were high, everybody had $20,000.00, some had much more in front of them...

Meathead and Tommy had been sparing back and forth in several hands, with neither getting the best of it.. Then a pot came up where Tommy raised it up $500.00, Johnny Moss called the raise and so did Puggy. When it got to Meathead he reraised it another $2000.. Back around to Tommy and he played back at that and made it $10,000 to go.

Well Johnny thought about it for a few seconds and decked his hand, Puggy did the same, now it's back on Meathead who says, "Well let's just get it all in there Tommy!" and he moves in another $23,000.00. Tommy says, "I call!"

Now there is $71,000.00 in this pot... That's a lot of gitty-up in the 70's even for this group...

The flop came A/6/4 The turn card was a duece, the river card was a Jack...
The board was A/6/4/2/J rainbow...

Meat says, "What you got Tommy?"

Tommy says, "9 high"

Meat says, "9 what?"

Tommy says, "Oh no Meat!" then proudly turns over 9/8!

Tommy drags in the pot and tells Meat, "Next time get yourself a kicker!"

Meat had 9/7...

Moss claimed two Queens and Puggy said I had A/K!!!

The game was on!!!

Tommy G.

Tommy G.

Tommy G. met and married his young bride all in the span of a couple of months. They moved into an apartment and Tommy hit the road, no honeymoon, not much fanfare, he just packed a bag and kissed his lovely young bride goodbye...

He told her he would be home as soon as he pumped up the bankroll...
Two weeks go by and Tommy is still looking to make a score.. He doesn't call home because when he left, they didn't have a phone...

Another two weeks goes by and still Tommy can't buy a win, he's close to going busted..

Finally he makes a decent score playing poker in Hot Springs, Arkansas and heads home... He's been gone 5 weeks and when he'd left they were newlyweds...

He opens the door to the apartment, and there is his lovely young bride, moving towards the front door, suitcases in hand...

Tommy doesn't say a word... He just goes to the bedroom and starts packing another suitcase with all his belongings...

She comes into the bedroom and says, "Just what do you think you're doing?"

Tommy said, "I'm packing, I don't know where you're going, but I'm going with you, I'm not letting you break up our happy home."

They stayed happily married for many many years until she passed a few years back... She was stricken early in life with MS... Tommy never wavered in his care and love for this woman... He meant what he said...and that kinda makes Tommy a hero in my book...