The Upper Hand #5

I’m in Galway for the Irish Poker Tour.

My first ever gambling trip was to the Galway Races.

I was 17.

Full of hopes and dreams, I’d saved up a little over €500 and was fully convinced I’d be turning that into many thousands.

Best mate from school made the trip wtih me carrying a similar amount of cash.

Suited and booted we made our way to the course on Day 1.

Walking in - I handed €50 to my mate - “Hang on to this - JUST INCASE”

He handed me €50 too “That’s not a bad idea - JUST INCASE”

Giggling like fools, we soaked in the electric atmosphere, real life bookies shouting odds, everyone dressed up to the nines, getting served pints without ID - MAGIC!

Then, it was game time - €100 down on the favourite.

The excitement was almost too much to handle until I watched the donkey running like it had a parachute strapped to its back.

The following hours passed in a hazy blur.

Five bets, zero winners, not even a sweat!

I reached into my back pocket - the safety €50 - THIS IS THE BEGINNING OF THE COMEBACK! I WILL TELL MY GRANDCHILDREN THIS STORY!!

Listen, I shouldn’t have gambled it BUT my mate had my €50, so technically I’m betting my money here.

My last hope lay without another favourite and I’m not fucking around here, the horse was SO SLOW, I’d have outrun the thing!

6 races in, I was broke.

I booked a hotel for 2 nights, there was 2 more full race days to go.

Sheepishly walking back to our meeting point, I watched the favorite win the last race of the evening.

Preparing my apology as my mate approached, he just blurted out “I lost everything man, even the back-up cash”

We were fucked.

There wasn’t a word spoken between us on the walk back to the hotel, nor when our fake ID was rejected with the €14 we pulled together trying to buy cans to cheers us up and to top it off we sat in silence for the entirety of our train journey home that night.

There’s a lesson buried in there somewhere.

I couldn’t tell you what it is but it’s good to be back to where it all began!

Talk tomorrow you beautiful fucks!

<3