Beginners’ Texas Hold ‘Em Night at Pedro’s Inn

I want to know what this worldwide poker craze is about.  How can people play this game for hours and hours?  How can people watch that BORING coverage on ESPN in the middle of the night?  Is it just a way for pseudo-math nerds to congregate and act social?  I just didn’t get it.

So we organized a learners’ night at Pedro’s Inn.  Pedro’s hosts a poker night twice a week.  Mondays and Wednesdays at 7pm is for the pros…the high rollers…the big dogs.  So Wednesday at 5pm was the perfect time for the rookies to learn from the experts’ dealer, Ayana.

Poker is all the rage right now in Belize.  Bob Bounahra is the first Belizean player ever to make it to the finals of the World Series of Poker (the final 9). http://www.wsop.com/2011/  This is a big deal down here.  And everyone is waiting for the November series to air on ESPN.  Bob is a national hero.

Yesterday evening, we had five players.  Here is our crew.   

Top row from left: SanPedroScoop.com, Barbara (visitor from California, guest of Pedro’s Inn), Betty and Eiden.  Bottom row:  Ayana (our dealer, who showed incredible patience) and Jamie (a regular in San Pedro).

No money was involved…we were really starting at the lowest level.  Take a look at the cheat sheet we were working with.  It is tough to maintain a poker face when you need to check this paper every few minutes.

Peter the owner of Pedro’s Inn is so vain that he actually has his portrait on the poker chips.   (Though not vain enough to make his teeth white rather than grey).

In the end, we learned the ridiculous terms like “small blind” and “big blind”, some silly knocking on the table and other basics…but Ayana needed to coach us the whole time.  Even one hour into it.

Game plan going forward?  Continue this beginners’ game.  Play for a little money…maybe $20bzd MAX and set a time limit.  1-2 hours.   Get all of us ready for the big leagues.

I thought it was fun…and everyone seemed to agree.  Betty was quite the card shark.

Here is a picture of Bob B. from the WSOP.  Look at that Belize hat.

And here is Jamie taking the game equally seriously.  She actually threw her $3.50bzd A&R Tinkerbell watch in the pot at one point.

Action shot with Ayana and Eiden.


I’ll definitely let you know when next week’s game is…bring your money BABY!  2012 WSOP here I come!

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