Hunted by the card sharks

"If you can't spot the sucker in the first half-hour at the table, then you are the sucker."
I'm 200 miles from home, in the heart of Michigan, and I don't know a soul at the table.
I can feel my heart thumping against the wall of my chest, and I imagine it's the same feeling that athletes get moments before running onto the field to begin a game.
Since telling my friend months ago that I'd attend his party, I've been waiting for this moment -- to test my skill, wit and trickery (or to see if I have any at all) against experienced players.
The game? Texas Hold 'Em poker.
"Texas Hold 'Em is the Cadillac of poker."
Ground rules
In Texas Hold 'Em, each player attempts to create the best five-card hand among two that he's dealt and five community cards spread across the table.
The community cards are shown in three segments -- three cards (called the flop), another card (the turn) and the final card (the river). Betting of the poker chips takes place before each segment is presented.
"Fold or hang tough; call or raise the bet. These are the decisions you make at the table."
The other four players at my table are passing around a bottle, from which I decline to share. One of them has an unlit cigarette dangling from his mouth. This is exactly how I envisioned a poker party to be -- full of character and characters.
Test drive
I don't have high expectations for my performance. I simply want to gauge what I've learned against fresh faces. In this game, reading the looks on those faces can be a determining factor in how long one lasts.
"Faces tell you everything."
The flow of the game eases the tension I had felt. I'm hanging around with a stack full of chips, and I realize that I don't have to play every hand. Don't be afraid to fold 'em, I tell myself. Why not let the other players beat up on one another for a while?
"You grind it out."
About 30 minutes into the game, I'm handed my first test of the night. My heart rate increases again.
Upon being dealt two 10s, I bet my poker chips strong. I consider myself a rookie, so I'm easily excited at the sight of a pair. As the community cards are produced, there becomes the possibility that someone is holding a straight. I'm stuck with my 10s and nothing else.
The player across from me hesitates. He pauses, with one hand over his mouth and his mind engaged in the critical thinking process.
"They wear their tales likes signs around their necks -- facial ticks, nervous fingers, a hand over the mouth, the way a cigarette is smoked. They're little unconscious gestures that reveal the cards in their hand."
Five minutes pass, and he decides to make the most dramatic move in Texas Hold 'Em. He goes all-in. With two hands, he pushes all of his poker chips into the middle of the table, and it's my decision to either match the bet or fold.
"The key to the game is playing the man, not the cards."
Gathering the courage
Sure, my cards aren't overly impressive, but why did my opponent take so long to make his decision? He could lack the confidence in his hand or he could be bluffing, using his delay tactic as a shield to something strong.
"You have to think of it as a war."
Concerned and overcome by nervousness, I gather enough courage to play. I push all of my chips into the pot and await my fate.
"Last night I sat down at this card table, and I felt alive ..."
My opponent has nothing. In his effort to create a straight that eluded him, he bet a good portion of his chips -- so many that he wasn't turning back. I beat him with two measly 10s.
I'm in the game for nearly two hours before being eliminated.
Although my night has ended, I've come away with the satisfaction of knowing that I survived numerous challenges and, because I outlasted one other player, I avoided the house's penalty: I didn't have to buy the pizza.
XQuotations used were from the movie, "Rounders." Brian Richesson is a sportswriter for The Vindicator. Write to him at richesson@vindy.com.