The Poker Player

This one occurred to me the other day while playing online poker:

SCENE: A SUBURBAN LOUNGE. WE SEE A SMALL CHILD PLAYING CHESS. HE MAKES HIS OPENING MOVE. WE THEN SEE THE POKER PLAYER: A COMIC-BOOK TEXAN REPLETE WITH HAT, SHADES AND OTHER PARAPHERNALIA. CHEWING THOUGHFULLY ON A TOOTHPICK, HE SCOOPS HIS HANDS FORWARD AND GATHERS ALL HIS PIECES, PUSHING THEM TO THE CENTRE OF THE BOARD. HE LEANS BACK.

THE POKER PLAYER:
Your move.

REACTION FROM THE CHILD.

ENDS

Perhaps this is only funny if you play poker. Not so funny on its own, but would be a recurring sketch, with the character playing different games in different situations, (e.g. Monopoly) each time shoving his pieces into the middle and saying 'your move'. Later sketches may feature responses from other characters.

Hi James

I thought that this was very funny. Nice descriptive writing and a good visual punchline.

Probably limited longevity as a running gag not unless it's developed into wider territory as the "your move" will become too predictable.

Mind you predictability doesn't stop a lot of current sketches on telly getting made.

Anyhoo. Yes I liked this a lot.

B

Me too - I liked it!!

like that.

I like it.
It's got a touch of the 'far side'(Larson) cartoonism about it.

I found that really funny, I play poker a way too much.

short and sweet.

Liked it a lot. Wouldn't it be better if rather than "Your move" he said "All in" though?

Liked that, good stuff. Well set up.

Quote: David Bussell @ November 16, 2007, 9:54 AM

Liked it a lot. Wouldn't it be better if rather than "Your move" he said "All in" though?

View original

I'll get the knit picker! (don't know what you're ment to say when you go all in playing chess)

I like the idea, think it's funny. I love poker and have been wanting to do some comedy with it. I agree with 'The Muscles from Bussell' that he should probably say: "I'm all-in."

I actually also really like the idea of it as a long-running gag, which is strange as I normally hate the idea of obvious catchphrases. Maybe just four different games and then one last ridiculous one.

Sexy: he's starting to have sex
Double bluff: he's playing poker

You should film it

Because you did rather a good job on the 'visual' set-up we'll all have something to say. Now I want the gambler to be shadily turning his pieces up to look at the bottom as if that's part of his decision making process. He hardly needs to say anything at all once you've established the game-playing differences between the characters. Congratulations, you've got something that works without the need for any dialogue at all in my opinion!!!

Haha, some great ideas there. If he's going to actually play poker maybe he should fold!

Even better!