Student Publishing Program ::

Francis Chen

It’s All Luck

In this games of poker,
I taught you well
How to bet, fold and call.

I played this game
For many years.
You’re out of your league
If your trying to challenge me.

You had a good hand;
I could tell it from your face.
I called your bet
With my pocket of ace.

The pot was twenty.
Your hand was worse than mine.
Slowly as the card flipped,
Time had slowed down.

The flop was ace, king, and queen.
Shocked, I caught a triplet.
Very calmly I rolled my black chip in my hands,
Thinking of what you could have.

Everything was frozen like my strawberry shake.
I took a sip and went all in.
The pot was now fifty.
You, already in for twenty, shaking your hands, called.

We both flipped our cards,
You had pocket kings,
But I had the aces.
I knew I had won so I, I sat back and let the next card flop.

The river was quick,
But my reaction was slowed.
A king came up and I lost.
No way could another ace come up in time for me to win.

I jumped up, everything and everyone was silent.
Sweat fell from my brow,
Fell to my eye.
It is as if I cried.

I was nervous and
Very confused, until
The final card
Came to the table.

The card flipped
Rather slowly.
The room was so quiet that
Even the mice were looking.

As the card hit the table with great force
I could not bear to look.
You yelled,
I thought you won,
But I was wrong.

Another ace came up!
I leaped for joy.
I caught a four of a kind,
And you lost!

You played well,
For a beginner.
I cashed out
With my chips, because I won this tournament.

Like I have said to you,
Just to be fair,
You were out of your league
When you tried to challenge me.

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