BELIEFS … We all have to believe in something. Not the “they say or second-hand stories, but truth by seeing or participating. Is there a gin god that we can pray to? Or do we need a psychic astrologer we can communicate with in problematic times? Let’s face it, I am one who believes you are born a player, with card sense, a card player who takes to card games like a fish takes to water.
Most people, however, must learn through trial-and-error. Only after a short venture into any card game will a person know if he or she has the talent and understanding for the games. The description “natural talent” is good for golf, tennis, or any type of sport. The best talent one can possess for card playing is a photographic mind. He who retains the whole picture is gifted beyond belief.
All great athletes have to work at being good. How do you work at card playing? Do you do it mostly through reading (and understanding what you read), osmosis, or playing with the best and learning their style and techniques?
Gin rummy is a fine recreational game that is played daily at senior citizens centers, country clubs, and various private clubs throughout America. I have been playing for more than 50 years. Believe me when I say the game takes more concentration than meets the eye. I have met different folks with different strokes (sounds like golf). For example, my old dentist loved to play gin on his days off. He knew the basic concepts, but that was all. Another recreational player never paid attention to the cards that were discarded, thus he never had a hot card. Still another player was overly safe. All cards were “hot” until he figured they were dead safe. He constantly broke any pairs he had until he had a safe card to throw. I think he enjoyed going to the end of the deck and then starting a fresh hand. A combination of these different types would jell into your “average” player. My hope is the cards will break even. Of course I also hope for good luck, important in any game you choose to play. It seems that skill and dexterity usually have trouble overcoming a lucky player!
GIN TOURNAMENT RESULTS FROM THE RIO HOTEL & CASINO … With $40,000 in prize money, eight players survived the two days of qualifying matches. The eight finalists were: Bubba Bailey, Larry Brill, John Lantgen, David Herman, John Hainline, David Kundert, Howard Markowitz, and Tommie Roddy. Two from California, two from Texas, one from Minnesota, one from Alabama, one from Nevada, and one from Illinois. Markowitz set some kind of record in the last two games. Playing to 400 points each game, he won the semi-final game 400-8. The final match score was 400-78. In the best-of-the-rest consolation tournament, Martin Kremerman from Mexico City won over Howard Holdemess in a closely-contested match.
The Rio did an excellent job in providing food, drink, and a playing area for the three day tournament. My next gin tournament is scheduled for October 18-23.