Daddy Taught Me Poker

Harlem Nights, produced and directed by Eddie Murphy. Call  some friends, put something on the fire, and enjoy a buffet of talent, fashion and pure evil.

What is a poker face?

I don’t know what it is because I’ve never played poker before. All I know is that it’s a game of cards because Baba (daddy) taught me how to play it. It’s called ‘cards’ where I was born.

“Where’s your father?”

“He’s playing cards with the next-door uncle.”

Is that poker? I don’t know. Baba taught me the basics. There’s a queen, a king, an ace, spades, diamonds and what? I think I’m forgetting something. These cards have a hierarchy with points attached. The queen and king of the castle are important obviously, but that little guy, the ace, is lord of the manor. Yes. The British even have a proverb: he has an ace up his sleeve. Example? Donald Trump has the U.S. Supreme Court up his sleeve. A tried and tested winner.

I thought Baba was the greatest thing on earth, followed by my mother’s eldest brother. One. He was a carpenter and taught me how to design window covers called pelmets. He taught me the type of nails to use, how to cut maisonette with a saw and paint the finished product.

Secondly.  It’s the way Baba shuffled the cards, real shuffle, shuffle, shuffle then he would cut the pack in half. He would hold both halves, flick his fingers and the cards would go pr, pr, pr, pr, pr and come together again. Daddy was something else. In hindsight, I think he did that to see the adoration in my eyes.

I thought about Baba today when we were waiting for service in one of these food establishments that have large screen TV’s on the wall (it’s a hockey town). There was no game on. Some guys were playing poker. It looks like the same pack of cards Baba and I used. They were also hiding their cards. He told me that was super important. The other player must not see your cards.

I can’t call him and ask him if poker is the same as ‘playing cards’ because he’s on the night shift. The Commodores have an ever-green song called Night Shift. I guess people on the night shift are ancestors.

Nonqaba waka Msimang

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