“Look, “ Bill continued “If you improve go. If not well it’s up to you.”
Jimmy picked his three other cards up.
‘A six and two Kings’
Kings and nines!
He put the cards back down and pushed his coins in. Don jutted his chin out but his eyes were giving away nothing. He quickly pushed more coins in, trying to appear hasty to put Jimmy off. Jack shook his head and threw his cards in. Jimmy looked at his small, remaining, stake money. He was annoyed at his brother for advising him to go on improvement. Don obviously had him beat and Jimmy couldn’t afford to lose much. He reached for his cards to stack them.
“Pay to see him,” Bill insisted.
“What’s the point. He’s got more than me.”
“See him anyway.”
Jimmy put the coins in.
“I’ll call.”
He turned his cards over.
“I’ve got Kings and nines.”
Don smirked as he threw his cards in. Everyone looked at them.
“Sixes and fours,” Don said.
“Told you,” Bill said as Jimmy punched the air and raked the pot in.
“I don’t think you should be allowed to interfere,” Don said to Bill.
“He’s not been playing for long. You tried to bluff him and besides he is my brother.”
“Very well but I did say let’s keep it friendly.”
“Then don’t try to bluff.”
Don pushed the pack of cards over to Jimmy.
“Winner deals.”
Jimmy picked them up and gave them a quick shuffle.
Jack Meadows was the first one to go bust. He refused the offers of a loan and left to make more petrol flavoured tea. They had been playing for an hour. Jimmy had had some success and felt he was getting much better at poker. He was certainly taking more risks, adopting a strategy of always going if he could beat what was on the table, calling Don’s bluff on a few occasions and winning. Now Jimmy had dealt again. Face up he had a King, a nine, a seven and a four. He picked up his three other cards. An Ace and two more fours. He tried not to let the excitement show and nervously glanced at the others in case his reaction had given him away.
No?
Good!
They were all concentrating on the cards. He looked at the pot. It contained a pile of coins of various denominations, some of them German and Arabic as well as English. There was a handful of cigarettes, a lighter, an old watch. For these young men that was a lot to play for. Jimmy slid a few more coins into the middle.
“I’m open.”
His brother Bill looked at his cards and folded. Don checked his cards. He had nothing. He had bluffed too many times today and lost, so he folded. Tommy Burke had a straight, three, four, five, six, seven. He gently put his cards down and looked at his stakes. Like the others he had some coins but not much else of value. He watched Jimmy, trying to read him. But jimmy was giving nothing away. Finally he looked at his cards again and pushing more coins in he said.
“I’ll raise.”
Jimmy studied Tommy’s cards. He had nothing obvious showing. No pairs. Just two hearts, a diamond and a spade. The hearts were the three and five. Jimmy decided to chance it. He called and raised. Tommy was surprised at the raise but had seen Jimmy call bluffs all day.
“I’m in,” he said pushing the majority of his coins across.
“Me too,” Jimmy quickly pushed the last of his stake money in. Now he had nothing left in front of him. It was all in the middle. All on this one hand.
“Are you not seeing me?”
“No,” Jimmy shook his head.
Bill looked at his brother.
“You’re not calling him?”
“No.”
“But you have nothing left.”
“It’s all right I know what I’m doing,” Jimmy was convinced that his confidence would scare Tommy into giving him the pot. Tommy didn’t have enough left to call either.
“I don’t have enough to call,” he said looking around the faces at the table.
“Then the pot’s mine.”
Jimmy stretched forward to scoop the winnings.
“Not so fast!” Tommy grabbed him by the wrists. Jimmy moved back. Tommy reached into his trouser pocket and pulled out his old battered leather wallet. He fished around inside it and pulled out a photograph of his sweetheart Mary and placed it in the middle with the last of his money. There were a few whistles from the men around the table. They had seen the photograph before. Tommy’s love, Mary, was the most beautiful girl any of them had ever seen. She was in the R.A.F. stationed as a radio operator at Biggin hill. In the photo she was saluting sexily while blowing a kiss at the camera. She was in her R.A.F. uniform but her hair was loose, long dark curls hanging down her shoulders. All of them were jealous of Tommy for having such a beauty. Jimmy took his eyes off the photograph long enough to speak to Bill.
“Lend me the money Bill please.”
Bill tore his eyes away from the beauty.
“You’ve lost. May as well accept it.”
“Please lend me the money.”
“You won’t win.”
Jimmy showed him the blind cards.
Bill nodded.
“It’s not enough.”
“I think he’s bluffing again.”
Bill shook his head.
“I don’t think he is.”
“He must be. He would never risk that photograph unless he was sure that he would win.”
Jimmy was staring at the beautiful face in the picture.
“Lend me the money please brother. I must have her.”
Bill sighed.
“Very well but I did warn you.”
He found the money, put it in the middle and then sat back resigned.
“Okay,” Tommy said “You show your cards first.”
Jimmy took his eyes off the photograph.
“Three fours,” he said spacing them out.
He glanced nervously at the photograph again and then stared at Tommy Burke.
Tommy winked at him and moved the three and five of hearts apart. You could cut the air with a knife, the tension was so high. Everyone watched Tommy as he picked his cards up and very slowly, almost painstakingly turned them over and laid them down face up.
‘4,6,7’
A straight!
The table erupted into gasps. Jimmy sank back in his chair, his eyes closed. Tommy reached out and scooped the pot.
“I think I win,” he said. He picked up the photograph of Mary and kissed it, “Welcome back darling,” he said teasing the others.
Jimmy opened his eyes, shaking his head.
“I don’t believe it,” he said. He’d wanted to win that picture so much.
“Well I did try telling you,” Bill said ”You need to listen to me a bit more little brother.”
“I thought he was bluffing.”
“He’d never let that photo go ever.”
The first of the aeroplanes engines started up, gaining their attention.
“All right lads playtime is over,” Captain Witherington with Wigmore joined them at the table, “To me gentlemen please as quickly as you can.”
He waited for the thirty or so pilots to group around him.
“We’ve received reports of an aerial convoy off the coast….” he spread out a map…”Here,” he pointed.
“How far away are they sir,” someone asked.
“Approximately fifty miles.”
“What are we up against.”
“They’re bombers. Presumably looking for targets of ours. I must warn you though gentlemen. They will probably have an escort of fighters. These will be your objectives….”
The pilots listened with excitement. The card game forgotten already. Captain Witherington briefed them, there was a buzz of excitement. The chance of some real action at last.