Friday, August 6, 2021
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Amy Thomas
December 9 at 7:58 PM ·
The dealers know him by name. He's played there for years on occasional weekends and in the quarterly blackjack tournament. "Hi Jerry! How have you been? Where's Bertie?" they ask, not knowing she passed away last month. His eyes drop as he tells them that she's gone. His eyes are tired and he's mentally exhausted, but he puts on a strong face.
I've wanted to play blackjack with my grandpa for as long as I've played. I've built him up to be a legend in the game-- a collection of memorabilia from winning tournaments fills the wall in his garage. This weekend I had the opportunity. The opportunity to see my grandpa in his element, meet his poker buddies and play a game we both love. I managed to come in 15th, just "in the money." I'm pretty positive this was an error in my favor, but I wasn't about to argue.
Though I came home with a little extra cash, the memories of this weekend with grandpa are priceless.