5. Leaving the Game Early

When a good player must leave early and wants the game to continue, he minimizes any disturbance and resentment over his leaving by—

• announcing before the game starts that he must leave early
• announcing his last round before going, then quietly leaving without breaking up the game.

The Monday night game usually breaks up about four or five in the morning. Occasionally it continues into the next day. John Finn seldom leaves before the end… The longest Monday night game on record is twenty-seven hours (from eight thirty Monday night until eleven thirty Tuesday night). This is how John leaves after twenty-two hours:

At seven in the morning, Scotty’s wife chases the players from the house. Heavy loser Ted Fehr is playing with money from the second mortgage on his restaurant. He has $1000 left and begs everyone to continue playing at his place. The five players eat breakfast at a diner and then go to Ted’s barren apartment.

Ted continues to lose—slowly at first, then at an increasing rate. By eleven in the morning, most of his cash is gone. He plays carelessly and is involved in nearly every hand. He no longer seems to care… he even smiles when he loses a pot.

John Finn is a big winner, but avoids getting involved in hands with Ted. Yet, Sid and Scotty continue to beat Ted and win most of his money. By now, all of Ted’s cash is gone; he asks John for a loan.

“They’ve won all your money,” John says, nodding toward Sid and Scotty. “They’ll lend it back.”

By five-thirty in the afternoon, Ted’s bloodshot eyes gaze into space. He has lost all his cash and has borrowed over $2000. Now Sid and Scotty are running out of cash, even though they are winning.

“We broke the record—over twenty-one hours of poker,” John announces. “You guys keep playing, I’m leaving at six.”

After another round and in the middle of a big hand, John Finn silently leaves. He has most of the cash in the game and escapes without lending money to Ted.

At six-thirty, Ted asks for another loan. Sid and Scotty are out of money. The only person with cash is Quintin, and he refuses to lend Ted any more money. Then with trembling fingers, Ted writes another check. When Quintin refuses to cash it, the freckle-faced man sits in a stupor and stares blankly at him with his mouth open.

After a moment of eerie silence, Quintin stands up and says, “I’m going home.” After another moment of silence, Sid and Scotty stand up to leave.

“No, you can’t leave!” Ted suddenly screams, rising from his chair. The players start rushing toward the door. “You took all my money! Please don’t quit! I’m due for a comeback! I gotta win my mortgage money back!…I gotta!” Ted sinks back into his chair with his arms falling to his side as everyone runs out the door. Continuing down the hallway, the players hear him calling out, “Please, give me a break… give me a break like John always does . . . like my friend John!” No one ever saw Ted Fehr again.