"Frank, it's your rake", Jay said as he pushed the scattered blue cards towards the tall, skinny man seated to his left. "We'll play A.C." he said to no one in particular. He gave the red deck one more shuffle for good measure, and looked around the table for a receptive face. Jeff and P.J. were still splitting the winnings from the last hand. Artie was telling Vinnie how he should of won if only he hadn't gotten a lousy nine on the last card. Frank was drifting off, as usual, smoking his cigarette, fingering his meager supply of chips.

Jay placed an ante of one red chip and two white ones in the center of the table then turned to Joe and said, "A.C." Without confirmation he would not proceed. Once he exposed a card he would be subject to accusations that he had tailored the game to his advantage unless at least one player could back up his claim that he had called a game before dealing.

A.C. was their name for seven card stud with a high low split. They played it by the rules of the Atlantic City casinos, which meant there would always be a high winner according to the normal rules of Poker, that there would only be a low winner if someone had five unpaired cards lower than a nine, that there was no declaring your hand, the cards would speak for themselves at the end and that a straight or a flush did not disqualify a person from claiming the low. Ace, two, three, four, five was the best possible combination of low cards. It was an exciting game and the one that Jay almost always chose when it was his turn to deal.

Frank looked down and seeing the pile of cards in front of him pushed them away from himself.

"Frank, it's your rake", Jay said to his former coworker as he began to deal one card face down to everyone.

"What are we playing?" P.J. asked.

"A.C."

"What's the betting?"

"Five dollars"

"What about at the end?"

"At the end....five dollars"

"Come on P.J. this is Jay's game. Its always five dollars all around. You know that", Vinnie said. Then noticing the blue cards in front of him, "Who's rake?"

"It's Frank's"

"Oh, it's my rake?" he said and began assembling the cards from the last hand into a neat pile.

Jay was making his way around the table again giving each person their second down card. The card intended for P.J. slid across the warped wooden table landing closer to Artie then to P.J.. Artie's big hand started to reach for it. Jay knocked his fist on the table and told Artie to back off but it was too late. He picked it up and looked at it.

"Misdeal, misdeal", P.J. bellowed.

"Oh, what is the difference?" Jay moaned. "Here take this card." peeling the next card off the deck and tossing it across the table to P.J.

"No that's my card." he said indicating the one in Artie's hand.

"What is the difference? For all you know that could be a crummy card."

"Its not a crummy card" Artie smiled, "Not at all"

"Misdeal"

"This aint no misdeal" Jeff declared with the finality of a judge handing down a verdict. "And cut your whining"

"Well why can't he deal em right and Artie, why do you have to touch the cards before they're all dealt?"

Jay thought of Pop's remark before his job's new schedule had forced him to stop playing. He had reminded Jay that if each person at the table got to vote out one player there would be no one left in the game. Still, sometimes he wished he had a vote. "I need a drink", the small blonde man said "How 'bout after this hand we head up to Danny's Inn for a drink? Anyone want to go?"

"No way, Vinnie. Not again." Joe said "Every time you get a few chips in front of you you want to go drink."

"Besides you aint leavin here without paying me the twenty bucks you owe me." Jeff said.

"Or the fifty two you owe me." P.J. said.

"I have you down for eighteen." said Artie checking the scrap of paper in front of him.

"Vinnie pay, Vinnie pay, Vinnie pay" Joe started chanting. Artie joined in. And Jeff and P.J.

"You guys all suck." Vinnie grumbled.

Jay flipped up a card and dropped it in front of Frank.

"Four, nice low. Queen for Vinnie. Nine. Five another nice low. Seven. An Ace, you'll be the bettor and a King for me. Ace bets."

The dealer set the remainder of the deck down on the weathered table, cupped his hands around his cards and slowly curled back the corners of his two down cards with his right thumb. He would do this only the one time. He had trained himself to repeat the same routine on every hand so as not to reveal anything to his opponents. His heart quickened as he saw the black 'K's of two more kings peeking out from under his hands. "My chances to get a good low are shot to hell.", he thought to himself.

"Two dollars on the blind." Joe said as he tossed two white chips into the pot without looking at his two down cards.

Jay picked up a red chip, placed it in the pot and pulled back three white ones. There was no reason yet to raise the bet and indicate the strength of his hand. The guys would build the pot for him.

"What are we playing?"

"Just put in your two dollars Frank and don't worry about it."

"Who's got the pretzels?" Vinnie said looking around the table

"Meatball ate all the pretzels two hours ago." Joe answered.

"Frank we're waiting on you."

"We're playing A.C.?"

"Yeah and the bet is two dollars. Are you in?"

"Yeah, I'm in I guess."

"I'm gone." Vinnie said as he turned his queen face down "What about the sunflower seeds. Where are they?"

"Meatball ate them about an hour ago."

"Where's my lighter?" Frank said tapping his pockets. "Meatball ate that about a half hour ago." P.J. said "You in Meatball"

"I was in from the start" Jeff said.

"Good, make it three dollars."

"You and you're goddamned chinzy raises."

"Artie three dollars to you."

"Yeah I'm thinking."

"Tick tock, Artie, this aint brain surgery."

"O.K. I'm in."

"Pot's right?" Jay asked "Everyone call the dollar"

"I thought the bet was two dollars."

"It was until P.J. raised it a dollar. You good for the dollar?"

"All right. Who's got my lighter?"

Vinnie lit a cigarette and slid the lighter to Frank. The smoke hung in the air above them.

"If you guys are gonna keep smoking I'm opening this door." P.J. said as he got up and walked towards the garage door.

"No, man, my Mom will hear us." Vinnie said.

"Well then I'm opening the side door. No one touch my money" which was Jeff's cue to reach over and knock the stacks of chips in front of P.J.'s seat forward onto the table.

"Why you got to be such an asshole?" the muscular player asked on his return.

"Why you got to be one?. And shut that door, all the bugs will come in."

While they bickered Jay suddenly flashed on the night eight years ago when Frank had brought him to the game for the very first time, and those early days of becoming part of this unruly group. He remembered the impression the hectic, loud spectacle had made on him. Back then he thought it was because he was new that the guys seemed so disinterested in him, never inquiring about him or showing any interest in anything other than his money. Over time, though, he realized it wasn't because he was new and it had nothing to do with him; it was because they were there to play cards. It had long since stopped bothering him. Jay resumed dealing by turning up a three and dropping it on the table next to Frank's four.

"Excellent low coming here. Queen for Jeff, two spades."

"Oh no, my queen." Vinnie cried.

"Not anymore. I make it five."

"How about waiting until the cards are dealt."

"Makes no difference, I'm still betting five."

"Eight, help to the low. Pair of sevens for Artie, six, help to the low and dealer gets an eight no help. Five dollars has been bet by Mr. Patience."

"No, Its Arties bet." P.J. insisted.

"Fine. Artie, check or bet."

"I check."

Joe knocks on the table indicating that he would let his opportunity to bet pass.

"I check" Jay said "Frank check or bet."

"What's the bet?"

"You tell us."

"I bet two dollars."

"I make it five," Jeff said gesturing his arm towards the pot "There, you happy now?"

"I call"

"Artie?"

"I'm thinking."

"You knew he was betting five two minutes ago"

"All right I'm in."

"Call"

"Make it ten" Jay said throwing two red chips into the center of the table. "The price of Poker has just gone up."

"Oh shit"

"Check and raise. What kind of shit is that?"

"I call that Poker, boys. Who's in?"

Jeff's second red chip hit the pile as did Joe's.

"Frank it's on you"

"Five more to me?" he asked unhappily.

"No, eight more. You were only in for two."

"Oh yeah, that's right." he said with a sheepish grin

"P.J., five more to you."

"I'm waiting for Frank"

"Artie.."

"Yeah, yeah." he said looking over his two hole cards as if waiting for them to indicate their approval or disapproval. "I'm in." he finally said.

"All right we're rolling." Jay said. He slid the next card off the top of the deck with his thumb and forefinger and flipped it face up in front of Frank. "Six of hearts, beautiful low."

"You made yet, Frank?" said Joe's high scratchy voice.

"You'll see, you'll see" Franks smile widened.

"Jeff gets an Ace, Jack, two of clubs for Artie, ten no help and a four no help. Pair of sevens still high."

"Five" Jeff said looking admirably at his two hidden cards.

Vinnie leaned over to look at them but the big man's expression soured and he quickly covered them.

"Come on, Meatball, let me see 'em."

"No, you'll jinx me, you always jinx me. Stay away."

"Artie was supposed to bet." P.J. said as he tossed one of his many red chips into the growing pile in the center of the table. "Why can't you ever bet right."

Artie's gaze seemed focused a few feet above the table at nothing in particular. His massive fingers tapping slowly on his cards.

"Tick Tock, you betting?" Joe asked. The name that Jay had given him years earlier had stuck. "Well, here's my five." he said with a shrug.

"I guess." he said "You gonna raise again, Jay?"

"I could tell you but then I'd have to kill you."

"How you going to do that, you gonna to breathe on him, Baccala Breath?" Jeff said with a big smile. Vinnie hooted with laughter.

Jay's wife wondered what the attraction was to this weekly ritual. She didn't understand, asking, "But what do you talk about?" or "What do you mean you don't know what Joe does for a living?". He could not offer much of an explanation. Outside of the game he hesitated to call these men his friends. He almost never had any contact with any of them other than on Sunday nights. If he were upset and needed someone to talk to it would never occur to him to call any of them. And yet they shared this game that they all loved and he looked forward to seeing them.

Artie slowly slid his five dollar chip towards the pot and Jay threw in one of his own. Frank put in his last four white chips and pulled one back, setting it if front of him to indicate that he owed one dollar to the pot.

"Frank, you in?" P.J. asked.

"Yeah, I'm in. I'm light one.

"Oh, no. No going light." P.J. declared. "Why can't you guys bring enough money?"

"P.J., we been playing this way for eight years. Do you have to cry like a girl every time?"

"No, this sucks. Then, when I win, Frank ends up owing me money forever."

"I pay my debts."

"Maybe you do but how bout Vinnie? He owes me fifty two dollars for two years now."

"Pot's right, cards are rolling." Jay said with disdain. He slid his feet forward under the table and felt some of the pretzels that had spilled there two weeks before.

"I'll buy that fifty two dollar Vinnie debt off you for thirty bucks." Joe offered with a laugh.

P.J.'s eyebrow raised.

"I'll give you thirty five for it." Jeff stated.

"I'll give you forty for it." Vinnie said hopefully. Even P.J. joined in on the laughter.

"Ten for Frank, hurts the low." Jay continued " Eight of spades for Meatball, a duece for the low, three for Artie, six for Joe, and I'll take a four. Pair of fours new to the board. It looks like Artie's sevens are still high."

"Five dollars." Jeff said and turned to P.J. "Don't say a word."

Joe threw in a red chip.

"Make it ten." Jay said. He was now confident he was going to win this hand. Nobody was getting scared off by his strong betting and he wasn't worried. His full house was very powerful. Frank was showing low, as was P.J. and Artie. Jeff had a good looking hand but it looked like an Ace high flush which wasn't enough to beat him. It would take an Ace's full boat to win and Joe was also showing an Ace. Jay hoped that no one would pull a low and then the whole pot would be his but he knew that that was unlikely. Even so there were plenty of chips in there to share.

"Can I take back my five?" Joe asked with a laugh.

"That's why you gotta bet in turn." P.J. cried.

Joe threw in another red chip, as did Jeff.

"What's the bet?" Frank asked.

"Artie you in?"

"What you got? Anything?"

"I've got the balls to bet ten dollars, do you?"

"Jay's got nothing." P.J. said staring hard across at the dealer. Jay stared back without expression. "It's his blitzkrieg bluff. It's late, he's been losing. He's desperate. I'm in."

"Oh fuck," Artie mumbled. "What do I do?"

"Let me see." Vinnie said eagerly, walking around behind the big man. "With those cards, you are in, in, in!"

"You see why I don't show you my cards, Vinnie." Jeff snarled. "You got a big mouth." "I could be bluffing." he said weakly.

"What's the bet?" Frank asked.

"Ten."

"Who made it ten?"

"We all did."

"Jeff started it, Jay raised it." Joe explained.

"Let's see should I make it fifteen?" Frank mused.

"You can't bet if you're light."

"That's true Frank, you know the rules." Jeff said.

Frank reached out and pulled two red chips out of the massive pot and put them on his light stack.

"Well, boys we got quite a pot here. Nobody's backing out of this. Here it comes, down and dirty."

Jay took a deep breath. There was no feeling quite as good as winning at cards. It was invigorating. The constant bickering and the familiar banter grew tiring but the cards were pure. They dispensed their odds evenly and fairly to all their players and they rewarded intelligent play, and nothing made a man feel quite as intelligent as three kings to start a hand. He dealt one final card face down to each of the remaining players.

"Artie, your sevens are still talking."

Artie was beaming at his cards. Pushed back into his chair, he grabbed a red chip with his thumb and forefinger, looked cautiously left and then right as if checking for uncoming traffic, and tossed the coin into the center of the table.

"Should I or shouldn't I." Joe thought aloud. "Aw, what the hell, it's only money." and then sailed his five dollar chip towards the pile.

"Make it ten." Jay said without hesitation. Joe sunk a little and started shaking his head.

Frank pulled two more red chips from the pot and stacked them in front of him. Jeff threw his cards down in front of him announcing,

"Four cards to a flush, four cards to a straight."

P.J. placed his two red chips in the pile. Artie added another chip and Joe pushed his cards forward declaring an end to his involvement in the hand.

"King's full, gentlemen." Jay said laying his cards down face up for everyone to see.

Jeff's eyebrows stretched up towards the top of his head, "Oooh, good thing I didn't get my flush."

"I got a low." Frank said quietly.

"What you got?" P.J. asked.

"I think I got a good low."

"Let's see it." P.J. snapped. Frank started pulling cards out of his hand and laying them down one at a time.

"Let's see, I got a six....and an Ace.....".

"Frank put your cards on the table or I'm going to shoot you."

Artie was in shock, shaking his head and mumbling, "I'm done, I'm done."

"What you got, Artie?"

"He boated up at the end. Sevens and threes." Vinnie chimed in, displaying great pleasure at the turn of events. "Ha Ha, Artie, you got sqvished like grape!"

"Oh Artie, you had a boat, too? Boy, I'm glad I didn't get my flush."

"Ooh, this is a juicy pot. Who am I splitting with?" Jay asked.

"Me." Frank said. "Here, Jay, you get my light."

"I'll do it. You gotta deal." Jay started sorting through the pot, stacking the chips into red piles and white ones.

"Vinnie, it's your rake." Frank said as he pushed the scattered red cards towards the small blonde man seated to his left.