The Return of the Home Game?

After not playing in my home game for about eight months, I was surprised to get an e-mail alerting me to the tournament that was played Friday evening. As best I remember, I had not played in the tournament since about last July. What had been a twice a month tournament had become a once a month tournament. Then it seemed like we had a hard time getting enough people, so we never knew when we'd have the next one. But after last July ... nothing. I thought that maybe the tournaments would continue once summer was over, but ... nothing. I began to wonder if I had pissed someone off and was somehow disinvited. I forgot about the home game since I was getting my live poker jones satisfied by Illinois Charitable Games. Then around Christmas, I sent an e-mail to one of the guys who ran the home game. I got back ... nothing.

As best I can figure, the guy who hosted almost all the games got the riot act read to him by his wife. No one else stepped up, guys got involved with job and family obligations, and the next thing you know -- no poker.

We actually got 10 or 11 people in for the game, a combination of home game veterans and new or almost new guys. Everyone was playing true to form, which usually meant that I would be cashing as one of the final three.

I was able to snag second place, so at least I went home with my pockets bulging just a little. The final three were Steve (the winner), Seth (his son), and me. We joked about how Steve pulled his drunk act. He starts drinking, then acts like he is wasted to sucker people into pots with him. He takes his time calling or raising (a huge tell for those who know him), and newbies think that he is too drunk to play properly. He was pretty much a luckbox this time, and it paid off as we were all getting a little tired after 1:00 am and got looser on our calls.

The plan is to play again in two weeks. Is the home game really back on track?