this week, I did a breakdown for someone of what I think is one of the greatest poker songs of all time - Townes Van Zandt's "Mr. Mudd and Mr. Gold" - here's the song with my comments in bold

it's a song about a poker game with cards taking on personifications - the cards are actually the characters in the story, not the players -

Well, the wicked King of Clubs awoke; it was to his Queen he turned,
His lips were laughin' as they spoke; his eyes like bullets burned.
"The sun's upon a gamblin' day." His Queen smiled low and blissfully.
"Let's make some wretched fool to pay." Plain it was she did agree.

the K and Q of Clubs decide it's a good day to play poker

He sent his deuce down into diamond, his four to heart, and his trey to spade,
Three kings with their legions come and preparations soon were made.
They voted Club the day's commander. Give him an army, face, and number;
All but the outlaw Jack of Diamonds and the aces in the sky.

he sends out emissaries to the other three suits, 2 to Diamonds, 4 to Hearts, and 3 to Spades, - just like a King calling his nobles out to the battlefield with their soldiers - The K of Clubs is the leader on the battlefield and all the cards are there....all EXCEPT the J of Diamonds who is mysteriously a black sheep to the family of Diamonds, and the Angels (i.e) Aces in the sky.

Well, he give his sevens first instruction: "Spirit me a game of stud
Stakes unscarred by limitation 'tween a man named Gold and a man named Mudd."
And Club filled Gold with greedy vapors 'till his long green eyes did glow.
Mudd was left with the sighs and trembles, watchin' his hard earned money go.

he sends out the 7's to find the guys for the game - the game is 5 card stud - 1 card down, 4 up - between two guys - Mudd and Gold - and Mudd ain't doing so hot.)

Flushes fell on Gold like water; tens they paired and paired again,
But the aces only flew through heaven and the diamond Jack called no man friend.
The diamond Queen saw Mudd's ordeal; began to think of her long lost son,
Fell to her knees with a mother's mercy; Prayed to the angels, everyone.

Mr. Gold is kicking ass - but there are no Angels (aces) or the J showing up on the board. - the Q of Diamonds sees Mudd getting his butt kicked and he reminds her of her son , the prodigal J of Diamonds, so she kneels and prays to the angels (Aces), on behalf of Mr. Mudd like a devoted mother praying for her son

The diamond queen, she prayed and prayed and the diamond angel filled Mudd's hole
Then the wicked King of Clubs himself fell face down in front of Gold.
Now three kings come to Club's command, but the angels from the sky did ride;
Three kings up on the streets of gold; three fireballs on the muddy side.

the scoop - - Mudd has 4 Aces - the Diamond A in the hole, and Gold has 4 Kings with the K of Clubs - the bastard that started all this - on Gold's side in the hole)

The club Queen heard her husband's call, but Lord, that Queen of Diamond's joy
When the outlaw in the heavenly hall turned out to be her wanderin' boy.
Now Mudd, he checked, and Gold bet all; Mudd he raised, and Gold did call
And his smile just melted off his face when Mudd turned over that Diamond Ace.

last two cards - J of Diamonds for Mudd, Q of Clubs for gold - you know at this point who won the hand - the prayers of the Q of Diamonds brought all the unseen participants into Mudd's hand -

Now here's what this story's told: You feel like Mudd, you'll end up Gold;
Feel like lost, you'll end up found, so Amigo, lay them raises down.

take what you want from the moral...it's an underdog song)

---------------------------------------

for some reason, I find this thought to suddenly be totally comical.

All over the world, two bit dumbasses are thinking how tough they are. How they're the card player. Thinking they're some samurai or gunfigher and the cards are their weapons - and what if it's entirely wrong.

What if the song is true....what if we're pawns to a group of characters who's sole purpose is to use us as tools to play poker. What if we're the pawns assisting the warriors on the battlefield - playing right into their hands....LOL - I love it and I love this song....anyone dumbshit can write a poker song or a song about poker (and many dumbshits have) but to take the POV of the cards - and to turn it into a struggle between the K of Clubs and outlaw prodigal Jacks and Angels from heaven, that's just fucking brilliant.

------------------------------------------

I also think Poker is gonna get so big they're gonna teach college classes on it at some point....THEN it will have gone too far, unless it's a math theory class.

------------------------------------------

no further updates right now....no poker really this week cause of an overabundance of live music showcases - later

RB