Ladies, put on your poker face

Johnnys, ladies, snowmen, cowboys and bullets have ruled my nights as of late.
I’m not having hallucinations, I’m talking about poker. To be more precise, pairs of jacks, queens, eights, kings and aces.
Since handing over the reigns of Women’s Times a few months ago, and the cushy daytime schedule it provided, I’ve found myself more immersed in the game of luck and skill.
Being on the news side of things can make for some pretty late nights, so I’m usually just getting home when Poker After Dark comes on NBC. For those of you who aren’t up, that’s 2:05 in the morning.
I love what I do, so I’m always wide-awake and ready to watch the unspoken dynamic of the game. It’s fascinating, though I’ll have to admit the amount of money bet in each hand makes me cringe.
I can’t believe more women aren’t playing this game. Men and women bluff, bully and trap each other all while having a friendly conversation.
It’s right up our alley.
They wear hats and sunglasses to hide any tell or hint that they have a strong or weak hand.
The flexing of a muscle can give you away to the trained eye.
How’s this good for women again?
Well, how many times have you asked your guy what he was thinking? Come on, you know you do it.
It’s a skill of the game, to know whether the other players are holding a better hand. Or even better, to know what they’re thinking. I’m not being sexist and saying we should only enjoy the game because it gives us a window into the heads of men. I’ve seen some very skilled women wipe the felt with the best.
However, getting sucked into a game can keep me up much later than I should be.
There’s another problem with my newfound fascination. Women aren’t generally invited to poker night and I won’t play on the Internet, so that leaves me in a bind. Though I suppose actually playing poker into the wee hours of the morning wouldn’t provide much time for beauty sleep either.
Guess I’ll stick with my nightcap of Poker After Dark stars and calling it a night, morning — you know what I mean.
Kara Covington is the assistant news editor at The Daily Times. She can be reached at 981-1198 or e-mail kara.covington@thedailytimes.com.