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I'm Filipino & i can play hold em, sort of

Filipino's are so ununique and uncreative, we have modeled everything from entertainment to fashion and to an array of many other things to the Westerners. Like for example there is yahoo.com so we have yehey.com, we have our own versions of "Who wants to be a Millinaire" and "American Idol" and anything else popular in the western world. The only original Filipino thing i can think of is "Kwuarta o Kahon" from the greatest Filipino Variety show ever "Eat Bulaga". That segment of the show is so funny its not even laughter that comes to mind when i think about it or watch it, it's tears. U have to be real old school to know this.

That aside, i have experienced a lot of poker tournaments from small home games to relatively large buyin tournaments to Casino sit & go's and tournaments. Poker is its own dialect, a dialect which can not be translated to any other language because it is unique as it is intricate. But have you been to an "all filipino" rookie home poker tournament lately? Well i must say filipinos put a different swagger to poker tournaments, this swagger both downright hilarious and sometimes completely and utterly stupid, but fun. I recently attended an all filipino family home tournament, this is the most fun i've had playing poker and not because i made a killing but just because of all the stupid things that occured. One player was expelled from the table by his own wife because he played badly and kept losing their money, i think it may have to do with his 1 year old child crying on his lap. A wife busted her husbands $10 in chips which she gave right back to the husband only to lose it to another couple (his parents), this stirred some unpleasant and bitter banter between the husband and wife but none the less fun. Can you imagine a filipino mom with baby in hand re-raising your bets seated next to her parents? Even if you have the nuts there's a wave of guilt after taking down a pot, i mean she just had a baby for crying out loud and your taking money from her. Haha well its for fun (small money) and no one is losing their life savings over these games.

Below are the filipino translation to some of our beloved poker terms

Set - Trio
Check - Pass
Fullhouse - Anong kicker mo?
Top two pairs - Anong kicker mo?
Bottom pair - usually ALL IN
Gunshot Straight Draw - I Raise or call if you go ALL IN
Flush Draw - okay to
Under the gun - Hoy ikaw na
Nut hand - Tindi mo
Big Blind - Sayo Mataas
Fold - Taob na ako
Raise - Ang galing

Posted by: Marc Gabay
Monday, July 25, 2005