Poker Cheerleaders?

While at the Borgata in Atlantic City recently, my opponent moved all in for $5,500 on a board of K-Q-8-2-2. I had Q-Q, and $40,000 in chips in front of me, which made for an easy call. But I looked into my opponent's menacing clear blue eyes and asked, "Bluffing, Coach?" "Coach" peered down at his holecards, exposing them to the four beautiful cheerleaders in full uniform standing behind him.



Suddenly, the cheerleaders stepped into formation, and began the following cheer: "Pocket kings, pocket kings, go kings!"



On cue, I looked away from the cheerleaders toward the dealer, and said, "I fold," while throwing my queens faceup on the table. Then, I quickly turned back to the cheerleaders and said, "Thanks, ladies."



Coach, NFL legend Mike Ditka, then said – perfectly on cue, and dripping with anger – "Don't you girls have a game to go to?" I laughed as I watched Ditka turn his pocket kings faceup on the table.



"That's a wrap; put it in the can," said the director. Ditka, Ron "Jaws" Jaworski, a bunch of Arena Football League (AFL) mascots, and I all relaxed and waited for the crew to set up the second commercial shoot.



Could I really have folded pocket queens under those conditions (minus the cheerleaders' help)? Heck no; I would have called the $5,500 so fast it would have made your head spin! The call would have been especially easy with $40,000 in chips in front of me.



Ditka was there as part owner of the AFL team the Chicago Rush, who were one field goal away from playing in the Arena Bowl – the AFL's Super Bowl – which is held in Vegas each May. Ditka does play hold'em in his restaurant in Chicago ("Ditka's"), usually in an eight- or nine-player tournament format in which first and second place get paid. I found Ditka to be a good guy, and extremely funny. He doesn't like to wait around, and on several occasions he shouted to the director, "C'mon, let's go!" (I could just imagine him shouting at his football players!)



He told me he has a 5-handicap in golf and does not give or take strokes from anyone. He said, "Poker Brat, you can play me straight up!" Uh, no thanks, Mike; these days, I cannot break 90! So, I cannot beat Ditka at golf, and he cannot beat me at poker, but we did agree to play one game when next we meet: gin.



"Jaws" was there as president of the AFL team the Philadelphia Soul – the team that rock star Jon Bon Jovi just bought the majority interest in. He also works for ESPN five days a week for five months, and travels every weekend during those five months. Of course, Jaws is a hero in Atlantic City and Philadelphia, as he was the longtime quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles. He is another humble and good guy.



I wound up shooting three commercials for the AFL, the Arena Bowl, and NBC – one of which involved the mascots knocking over my chip stack with a football!