Poker Etiquette, Jack Daniels Style

What an honor to be quoted so extensively at one of the premier go-to sources in journalism.  No, not The Wall Street Journal.  Not The Washington Post.  Not even the Chicago Tribune.  I’m talking about the official Jack Daniels website, of course.

A writer from the Jack Daniels website called me recently and wanted to know something about poker etiquette.

Sure, I can answer that.  How about some kind of barter agreement?

The sour irony that the widespread popularity of the writer’s own product has been at least partially responsible for the subversion of etiquette in more social gatherings than just poker games wasn’t entirely lost on me.  Don’t get me wrong.  I enjoy an occasional drink, now and then, and relish the prospect of an open bottle of Jack Daniels and several shot glasses strewn out across the green felt of any table.  I say, deal the cards and let the free pouring begin.

That said, the cozy bond between your typical friendly poker game and the consumption of an adult beverage remains unbroken.  Who doesn’t enjoy a cold beer or a cocktail while playing cards among friends?  Even within professional poker circles including high-stakes games, I’ve always thought the cause-effect relationship between drinking and poor play was a bit overstated.

The classic best example of this was the almost daily routine of 1985 world poker champion Bill Smith, who I played with several times in private games back in Dallas during the mid-to-late-1980s.  Smith wasn’t just a chain smoker.  He was a chimney.  He also drank Budweiser beer like it was tap water.  Smith always had his private stash of “Bud Talls” in the fridge, which was the elongated 16-ounce cans.  He used to rocket ship the brew down his neck like he was competing in some kind of drinking contest.  Oh, and he was skinny as a pencil.  Go figure.  High metabolism, I suppose.

Anyway, Smith developed quite a reputation as a drinker and a poker player.  He famously was the “best poker player in the history of the world” between beers number 4 and 7.  In other words, Smith was just an average player when he first sat down and began playing and drinking.  But after about an hour, after downing 3 or 4 beers, Smith became progressively tougher and more creative as an opponent just as he became slightly buzzed.  Then, after a few hours and once Smith was well into his second six-pack (remember, his beers were 50 percent larger than the usual 12-ounce can), he deteriorated into the worst player in the game.  Unfortunately, I never saw this side of Bill Smith.  I always seemed to run into him on his fifth beer.  He once even angle shot me out of a thousand-dollar pot one time, which was every dollar I had.  What a snake.

Oh, wait.  I was supposed to write about “poker etiquette,” wasn’t I?  Well, go read the article for yourself.  John Geany did a nice job on the feature for Jack Daniels.  Check it out here:  Poker Etiquette: How to Play Well, Lose with Poise and Get Invited Back

I’ll close with two short references to Jack Daniels and poker.

First, one of my favorite cocktails is the Tennessee Highball.  It’s one of my “go-to” summertime drinks, although few bartenders know how to make it properly.  The key ingredient is the egg white, which keeps the froth alive.  Imagine a fusion between barrel-aged whisky and fresh orange.  That’s a Tennessee Highball.  One of these days I’ll drink a Tennessee Highball while playing California Lowball.  Sounds like a great drinking game, doesn’t it?

The second story was from last November when I was privileged to be the host for the 2014 Poker Hall of Fame induction ceremony.  Before taking the stage, WSOP Executive Director Ty Stewart made a wordplay on the two inductees — Jack McClelland and Daniel Negreanu.  He noted that we should all make a toast with shots of Jack Daniels.  Stewart’s thunder was too perfect not to steal, so I took the stage, ordered a shot, and enjoyed a sip of the Tennessee nectar.

Thanks to John Geany for the opportunity to be part of the Jack Daniels website.  Now, if someone would kindly introduce me to the winemakers of Gevrey-Chambertin, I’d really appreciate it.