by AdamtheExpert » Sun Dec 26, 2004 3:27 am
The scene is Iwo Jima, 1945 during the epic battle for the Island. Charlie's grandpa, is a gunner on a B-29 superfortress. His plane is damaged on a bombing mission, and must make an emergency landing, on the Airfield of Iwo Jima. The battle is still raging, and the marines are barely holding onto the field.
Now, first you should know something about Grandpa Elmo. His father, taught him to play poker, back in 1926, when Elmo was only 6 years old.
He fell in love with the game, and became a VERY good player. Inspite of the heavy shelling, Elmo just HAD to try to get a game going. Well, he did, and the action was unbelivable. You see, men who realize that they stand an excellent chance to die, will bet like WILDMEN!! Elmo always did have a way of creating the best games, by seeking out people who just did not, or could not . . care about their money.
Anyway, after playing for 19 hours straight, Elmo's b-29 was finally repaired. He won about 700 dollars in the game (a huge sum in those days) and was about half-way back to the bomber, when he saw one of the Marines waving him back.
So, he headed back, and just when he reached the Marine, a Japanese artillery shell landed RIGHT on his station (the tail, Elmo was a tailguner)
The plane errupted in fire, and Elmo and the Marine raced back, to try to save his crewmates. Elmo manages to pull out his pilot, and two others, receiving third degree burns on both of his hands. As did the Marine.
On a hospital ship, Elmo asked the Marine "what did you want, anyway"
"Well, I had this C-note, but it was too big to spend, so I wanted you to change it for me .. . AFTER ALL, YOU HAVE ALL THE MONEY.
They became good friends during their recuperation, and Elmo of course, changes the Hundred for the marine.
After all, had he not been called back, he would have been blown to pieces. So, he considered that hundred dollar bill . . . . "His lucky C-note"
The story of Elmo's heroism and the lucky C-note, traveld back to his hometown, of Tulsa, Oklahoma. Everyone knew how important that C-note was to Elmo.
So, partly to honor their war hero, and partly because they knew that Elmo would NEVER part with that bill, Varios people in town allowed Elmo 4000 dollars credit to buy a house and start a business . . . With only the hundred as collateral!!
One night, in a five card stud game, Elmo won over 4500 dollars, so he immediately got his C-note back.
Over the years, When times were hard Elmo could always get a few thousand in loans, only putting up the C-note. Everyone knew, that he would NEVER forfeit the bill that saved his life.
And, this fact was also known to his poker opponents.
Well, eventually, Elmo got successful enough, to never have to use the C-note as collateral again. So, he made a card protector out of it ( I think Grandpa Elmo, invented that concept. He took two 1920 silver dollars ( the year of his birth) wrapped the bill around it, and wrapped cellophane around that.
He would always cover his hole card, with this protector.
One night, the richest businessman in Tulsa, got up a no limit hold em game. This was in 1956, right about the time Doyle was working the Oklahoma and Texas circuit He challaged everyone, to buy in for the most they could. Now, hold em was very new for Elmo, being a 5 card stud man himself. But, being a solid player, he at least knew the basics.
Elmo bought in for 20,000 dollars, and put his little homemade lucky C-note on the table.
Anyway, they played on, for almost three days straight. Then, the hand of a lifetime came up. Elmo was dealt pocket kings, and made it 2000 to go. At this point, he had built up his stack, to over 60,000, with most of that coming from mr Rich man.
The rich guy, reraised to 6000, and Elmo called.
The flop comes down A K 10, and Elmo figures the rich man, for trip aces.
Mr moneybucks, bets 4,000, an obvious "suction" bet. Elmo is about to fold, when Mr. Moola says " by the way Elmo, Since your C-note is legal currency, I must inform you that ALL CASH ON THE TABLE, must play!!!!!
Suddenly, Elmo has an inspiration. You see, my dear readers, sometimes in poker, one must wait YEARS for specific knowledge to be useful. Elmo actually ALWAYS had plenty of money, and only did the "C-note for collateral" routine, . . . . AS A LONG-TERM "set-up" play.
There was not a single person, in all of Tulsa, who would think that Elmo would EVER in a million years, risk his Lucky C-note that saved him from being blown to peices. Over the years, people even tempted him, offering up to 3000 dollars for it. . . as It kind of was like a mystical symbol of bad fate-averted. Of course, he never even considered the offer.
Anyway, Elmo calls the 4,000 hoping for the case King . . . . . . or
Here is comes, the board pairs with 10's Making the board:
A K 10 10. Mr Rich bet's 6,000 now, into the 16,000 pot. After pretending to think for five seconds, Elmo Raises, putting in his 40K, and sets the C-note on top of all the chips.
Now, he KNOWS that richguy has aces full . . But, he also knows that he knows how special, how REVEERED this means to him.
"Ha ha, Elmo, I'm not paying you off" Four tens are good! No way you'd risk losing your Lucky C-note without the absolute nuts.
Elmo never shows the hand, and to this day, EVERYONE still thinks that he had the four tens.
Elmo is 84 years old now, and still plays, dreaming of another chance to make the "lucky C-note" play again.
Maybe if he lives to be 100 . . . . . . . .
(The above, was ATE's first "attempt" at poker fiction)
I hope you liked it. Remember, I have ZERO training as a writer, so EXCUSSSSSSSE me, if it was not great.