A Surprise With a Happy Ending

On a recent poker cruise, I was fascinated as I sat listening to Barbara Gilbert tell the story of how she had tricked her husband of 51 years into taking a poker cruise. This is the story in Barbara's own words:

"Our story starts sometime this past August when Hank came home with the most current copy of Card Player. He was thumbing through it when he came across an ad for a poker cruise. He mentioned that he would love to go on one of those cruises someday. I'd heard this same story from him for at least seven years. When he went to work the next morning, I took out the magazine and read the ad.

"Hank is a senior vice president stockbroker, and as you know, the last two years have been difficult for that profession. Life in Florida is good, but at our ages, many people feel great one day and are gone the next. I decided to follow up on the cruise, because I thought Hank could use a good morale boost. I called the Card Player Cruises office in Las Vegas and spoke to Fred, got information and prices, and decided that we were going on the December Mexican Riviera poker cruise.

"Next, I called Terry, Hank's manager, and told him I planned to take Hank away for two weeks so that we could also visit my brothers in California. I asked him if he could arrange backup for Hank, and if he could help me keep this a secret. Terry agreed to my scheme, and the whole office became part of the plan.

"The really big problem now was how to get Hank to California and on the ship. I called Jeff, one of Hank's closest friends who lives in Los Angeles, and he became a major player in my plan. I asked Jeff to call Hank and tell him that he was getting married on Nov. 30 and he wanted Hank to be the best man. I knew Hank would never let Jeff down, and would be there for him. Hank decided he could get away for four days; we could see my family the day after the wedding, and then he had to get back to the office.

"I started sneaking good shirts and slacks out of Hank's closet so that he would have clothes for the trip. Hank has a favorite white cotton "lucky" jacket that he loves to wear. I spent three days cleaning it, as it was a built-in grease and stain magnet. He kept asking for his lucky jacket, and I kept telling him that it was in the trunk of my car, in the wash, and other excuses so that he wouldn't get it dirty before the cruise. Anyone on the poker cruise would recognize the jacket, because he wears it almost every day, even with its chocolate stain. Remember, Hank thought he was going to be gone four days, so his packing consisted of his good suit, a tie, shoes, one pair of jeans, and a few golf shirts. I had the rest of our clothes packed in two large suitcases that I'd kept hidden in my closet. My clothes were on top of his just in case he opened the suitcase.

"The night before we were scheduled to leave, we put our two carry-ons near the front door. When Hank woke up the next morning, I had all of the luggage sitting by the door. He almost had a fit when he saw the luggage. He ranted about how much stuff there was for a four-day trip, that I should know how to pack by now … blah, blah, blah. Not wanting to argue or spill the beans, I told him that I was unsure of the weather and what type of wedding it would be. I explained that I had packed three dresses, which meant that I needed three pairs of shoes, three purses, and so on. Case closed! So, off we went.

"Oh, yes, I forgot to tell you about the passports. I had no clue where Hank keeps them, and had hunted all over for them, to no avail. I wanted them for the cruise, but didn't want to ask Hank about them, so I called one of my daughters in Maine and asked for her help. We developed a plan: She would tell her father that she had been watching television, and they had been giving tips for Thanksgiving week travel. Supposedly, if you showed your passport, you would still have to wait in line, but you wouldn't be subject to body or carry-on luggage search, and it would be faster. Hank thought this sounded a little strange, but he got me the passports, nevertheless.

"We arrived in California and were met by the "happy couple." Jeff's entire family participated in the surprise and played along perfectly. That night at the rehearsal dinner, I brought the wedding present into the restaurant. When it was time to open it, I handed it to Hank. He was stunned, of course. I then handed him a letter that read:

Dear Hank,

In case you haven't gotten a clue,

I'll tell you now, I've been lying to you.

A girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do!

Jeff and Linda went along with my plan,

I'm sorry to say, they don't need a best man.

I needed to get you to Southern Cal,

So Jeff got you here, he's such a great pal!

Remember my motto, right to the end,

"When money gets tight, just spend, spend, spend."

In this box, there's many a clue,

If you're as smart as I think, you should get it in two!

Love,

Barbara

"Hank didn't "get it" until he opened the sixth clue, which was a picture of the ship and the Card Player Cruises schedule for the week. He just couldn't believe that he was duped like that. He truly had always had a dozen excuses for why he couldn't get away for so long to take his dream vacation. Well, here we are, having the time of our lives, drinking cocktails and playing poker on the high seas. It's such a great feeling to pull off a surprise like this, and it's even greater to do so for the greatest husband ever. I'll tell you one thing, though – Hank is going to do his own packing for the next cruise!"

Now, let's play poker!

Note: Michael Cappelletti has been added to the impressive list of speakers for the third annual World Poker Players Conference. For complete information on speakers and topics, please see the ads on Pages 73 and 103, or go to www.CardPlayerCruises.com and click on the WPPC link.

Last call for Alaska! A few cabins are left. Please call the Card Player Cruises office today at (702) 655-0919 or (888) 999-4880 and book now.