I’ve been a Kevin Smith fan since Clerks. Not to a religious degree or anything, there are still movies of his I haven’t seen, but I have been reading his blog for a couple years and following his discussion boards for almost as long, and listening to his podcasts with Scott Mosier since they started about a year ago. As I have followed each of these I have been so impressed with not just his knack for turning a phrase or spinning a tale, but his honesty and raw candor. I can understand if his flicks aren’t someone’s preference, but flat out undeniable is that’s he’s good people.
Well, to get on with it, Kevin quite enjoys playing poker and he regularly holds a friendly little game, usually at his comic store in Red Bank, New Jersey (Jay and Silent Bob’s Secret Stash). The best part is that the game is open to pretty much anyone and limited in numbers – the Stash can only hold three tables, and barely. I’ve been hearing about these games since last Fall, but until now the timing never was right. Cue a free Saturday in July following my birthday and this time I was in luck. D and I decided to make a fun weekend for us both out of it. We’d get a room in NYC, and she’d shop in the city while I went to the game in Jersey.
D and I started the trek about 6:00 after work on Friday. By around 2 or 3 in the morning we were most of the way through Pennsylvania and exhausted. We crashed in the ‘tek at a rest stop for a few hours and hit the road again around 7. We made it to NYC before noon, got through the Lincoln tunnel without incident (very creepy if you’ve read The Stand), found ridiculously priced parking, and were checked into the New Yorker by noon. We walked around a while, grabbed a good lunch, and stopped in the Manolo Blahnik store (a very nondescript store from the outside with pairs of shoes running over $1k inside). After I ushered D outta there it was about time for me to head back to Jersey.
I had no problem with directions and got to Red Bank about an hour before the game. I spent some time checking out the Stash (they have some sweet merch and props) and bought a set of Hold’em McNeal poker cards as a fitting souvie. Then I walked over to the bar across the street to meet up some of the other players already waiting and grab a drink.
We walked back to the store about 6, milled around a bit, Kevin showed up a few minutes later and we began setting up the tables and chairs. So it was three tables (with custom Chasing Amy inspired felts, by the way), 10 seats each, and it was tight – barely enough room to walk by the tables. Kevin and a couple guys took several minutes getting chip stacks ready (all custom chips, by the way) while his assistant got the game software going on his laptop. Kevin did a role call of sorts where he gave each player a name badge and our seat location while we bought in. The buy-in by the way was not ridiculous – just a little more than a neighborhood game I play in. Kevin’s very cool about not throwing his movie money around.
I didn’t end up at Kevin’s table for the tournament – a mixed blessing because I know he has some skill. I was at the center of the side of my table and informed that all the dealing would be alternating between me and the guy across from me, rather than passing it around to harder to reach players. More effort than I bargained for, but no problem, it was cool running the cards for one of Kevin’s tables – even after I was knocked out. Speaking of which happened about an hour and a half in. By 8:00 my pocket rockets got taken down by a pocket pair of 7’s that turned into a set on a lucky flop. I wasn’t the first knocked out, but I was the first at our table. I felt in better company when Kevin was the 6th person knocked out just a little after me.
By about 8:30 there were enough of us out to start a cash game at Kevin’s table while the rest of the tournament continued (and continue it did until around 1am). I grabbed a seat one away from the boss man, and bought in again. I played there for the next seven hours. They had some modest munchies to keep us going. Soda, beer, several pizzas, cookies, etc. There were a good mix of players at the cash game; a few newbies like myself and some regulars who were unexpectedly knocked out of the tournament early. A couple of the guys were locals and long time friends of Kevin. They talked about so-and-so from high school and what they’re up to lately, and stories dating back to when Kevin worked at Quik Stop (long before the world saw it in Clerks). There were stories about Affleck and Jason Lee. Talk about sci-fi/action movies coming out next summer. And some long, spirited discussions about music, especially old school rap. Much of the talk (like debating the impact of Run DMC versus the Beastie Boys) could have easily fit into any Smith film.
By about 3:30 my stacks had dwindled, along with my alertness, and I knew I needed to head back to midtown to get some sleep before the long drive back. I chatted with Kevin for few before taking off, he signed my Joker, and I headed out. By noon, D and I were checked out of the hotel and enjoying a final slice of NY pizza and hitting the road. All together it was about 1500 miles and several expensive tanks of gas, but I’m already looking forward to the next time I can get out there.
Tags: poker
