Tweet
This story isn't about my main job.
Every Thursday I play poker at our local VFW, and once a month I run the tournament. It's free poker - you don't have to put money in to play, though it's encouraged that you get food and/or drinks (I do both). It's really designed to be a fun game, and good entertainment, though if you get 1st place, you win $80.
Well, last night, I don't know what was wrong when I was running it, but I think some people forgot to take the barbed wire out of their rears, and were in a foul mood, when I was running the tournament (when you run it you can't play, and it's a volunteer job, you don't get paid doing it). Also: the Tournament Director's decision is supposed to be the final word on any matter involving the play of the game.
There is a table of people who like to play together. I call it the "Old Table". Most of the people are older, but they can be a bunch of crotchety jerks (If you've read Irv's "Senior Days" stories, you know the type I'm talking about). These people have annoyed most of the people running the tournament, and have even pissed off the bar staff. The waitress who normally works Thursday's (who is sweet as can be) is giving up working that night, mainly because of them. She does one hell of a job, & I told her last night I'll miss her working Thursday's.
Enough BG, on to the suck.
The first incident happened when another table screwed up, and flipped over the wrong card. They called me over there. The whole table agreed what went wrong, and the proper solution to the problem was to hide the wrong flipped over card, and flip over the right card. I agreed, and they did it (it was the river card and all betting was done). All of a sudden, a member of the "Old Table" chimed in, in a screeching voice, that my decision was wrong, and the offending cards were supposed to be re-shuffled, and re dealt.
Normally I get along with this person just fine (and did the rest of the night after this), but that really rubbed me the wrong way. First off, she wasn't even at that table where the problem happened. Second - I had made the decision and the hand was done. Everyone who was involved (players at the table) agreed with my ruling. I told her, that the hand was over, and done with. She was quiet after that, and calm resumed.
Till....
We have a final table that consists of 10 people. The person who goes out in 11th is called the bubble. When that person looses out final table is announced. One of the 2 tables left was the "Old Table", and another. Thankfully most of the "Old" people had lost out and left. However one was left watching at the table, but out of the game.
When the person went out at the other table I announced final table and directed the players to head over, and draw seats. The "OT" people had their blinds out and started dealing before the announcement. They, however, had a miss-deal, and the table asked me what to do. I told them that if they wanted to play the hand out they could, but we did have Final Table, and they could pull their blinds back and head over. It was their decision.
They chose to pull their blinds back and head over to Final Table. Well the "old" person watching flipped a tit over that. She started yelling and screaming that they were "required" play the hand. Now I was too busy getting the people seated and get the FT running to respond right away. When I got it running I heard her still bitching about it to someone else. I tried to explain my decision to her, and she yelled at me, in the most bitchy, nasty, screeching voice "I WASN'T TALKING TO YOU".
I let it drop at that point, and she (thankfully) finally left.
About half way through the Final Table, I decided to let the players take a quick break when we were coloring up the chips. The 2 members of the VFW, who started the tournament, wanted to know what happened, and I told them what happened. They were pissed at her behavior. We're probably going to add something to the starting announcements stating that the TD rulings are final, and if there's a problem with the ruling, that the person who has a problem is more than welcome to volunteer to run the tournament.
Fun night.
Every Thursday I play poker at our local VFW, and once a month I run the tournament. It's free poker - you don't have to put money in to play, though it's encouraged that you get food and/or drinks (I do both). It's really designed to be a fun game, and good entertainment, though if you get 1st place, you win $80.
Well, last night, I don't know what was wrong when I was running it, but I think some people forgot to take the barbed wire out of their rears, and were in a foul mood, when I was running the tournament (when you run it you can't play, and it's a volunteer job, you don't get paid doing it). Also: the Tournament Director's decision is supposed to be the final word on any matter involving the play of the game.
There is a table of people who like to play together. I call it the "Old Table". Most of the people are older, but they can be a bunch of crotchety jerks (If you've read Irv's "Senior Days" stories, you know the type I'm talking about). These people have annoyed most of the people running the tournament, and have even pissed off the bar staff. The waitress who normally works Thursday's (who is sweet as can be) is giving up working that night, mainly because of them. She does one hell of a job, & I told her last night I'll miss her working Thursday's.
Enough BG, on to the suck.
The first incident happened when another table screwed up, and flipped over the wrong card. They called me over there. The whole table agreed what went wrong, and the proper solution to the problem was to hide the wrong flipped over card, and flip over the right card. I agreed, and they did it (it was the river card and all betting was done). All of a sudden, a member of the "Old Table" chimed in, in a screeching voice, that my decision was wrong, and the offending cards were supposed to be re-shuffled, and re dealt.
Normally I get along with this person just fine (and did the rest of the night after this), but that really rubbed me the wrong way. First off, she wasn't even at that table where the problem happened. Second - I had made the decision and the hand was done. Everyone who was involved (players at the table) agreed with my ruling. I told her, that the hand was over, and done with. She was quiet after that, and calm resumed.
Till....
We have a final table that consists of 10 people. The person who goes out in 11th is called the bubble. When that person looses out final table is announced. One of the 2 tables left was the "Old Table", and another. Thankfully most of the "Old" people had lost out and left. However one was left watching at the table, but out of the game.
When the person went out at the other table I announced final table and directed the players to head over, and draw seats. The "OT" people had their blinds out and started dealing before the announcement. They, however, had a miss-deal, and the table asked me what to do. I told them that if they wanted to play the hand out they could, but we did have Final Table, and they could pull their blinds back and head over. It was their decision.
They chose to pull their blinds back and head over to Final Table. Well the "old" person watching flipped a tit over that. She started yelling and screaming that they were "required" play the hand. Now I was too busy getting the people seated and get the FT running to respond right away. When I got it running I heard her still bitching about it to someone else. I tried to explain my decision to her, and she yelled at me, in the most bitchy, nasty, screeching voice "I WASN'T TALKING TO YOU".
I let it drop at that point, and she (thankfully) finally left.
About half way through the Final Table, I decided to let the players take a quick break when we were coloring up the chips. The 2 members of the VFW, who started the tournament, wanted to know what happened, and I told them what happened. They were pissed at her behavior. We're probably going to add something to the starting announcements stating that the TD rulings are final, and if there's a problem with the ruling, that the person who has a problem is more than welcome to volunteer to run the tournament.
Fun night.
Comment