Poker!

Excerpt

SCENE—

A shabby front room in a shotgun house.

A door covered by dingy portieres upstage C. Small panel window in side Wall L. Plain centre table with chairs drawn up about it. Gaudy calendars on wall. Battered piano against wall R. Kerosene lamp with reflector against wall on either side of room.

At rise of curtain NUNKIE is at piano playing…. Others at table with small stacks of chips before each man. TUSH HAWG is seated at table so that he faces audience. He is expertly riffing the cards … looks over his shoulder and speaks to NUNKIE.

TUSH HAWG Come on here, Nunkie—and take a hand! You're holding up the game. You been woofin' round here about the poker you can play—now do it!

NUNKIE
Yeah, I plays poker. I plays the piano and Gawd knows I plays the devil.
I'm Uncle Bob with a wooden leg!*[Handwritten: Last sentence crossed out
in pencil in manuscript.]

BLACK BABY Aw, you can be had! Come on and get in the game! My britches is cryin' for your money! Come on, don't give the healer no trouble!*[Handwritten: last sentence crossed out in pencil]

NUNKIE Soon as I play the deck I'm comin' and take you alls money! Don' rush me.

 Ace means the first time that I met you
 Duece means there was nobody there but us two
 Trey means the third party—Charlie was his name
 Four spot means the fourth time you tried that same old game—
Five spot means five years you played me for a clown
Six spot means six feet of earth when the deal goes down
Now I'm holding the seven spot for each day of the week
Eight means eight hours that she Sheba-ed with your Sheik—
Nine spot means nine hours that I work hard every day—
Ten spot means tenth of every month I brought you home my pay—
The Jack is three-card Charlie who played me for a goat
The Queen, that's my pretty Mama, also trying to cut my throat—
The King stands for Sweet Papa Nunkie and he's goin' to wear the crown,
So be careful you all ain't broke when the deal goes down!
                              (He laughs—X'es to table, bringing
                              piano stool for seat)

TUSH HAWG Aw now, brother, two dollars for your seat before you try to sit in this game.

NUNKIE
                              (Laughs sheepishly—puts money
                              down—TUSH HAWG pushes stack of chips
                              toward him. Bus.)
I didn't put it down because I knew you all goin' to be puttin' it right
back in my pocket.

BECKERWOOD
Aw, Y'all go ahead and play.
                              (to TUSH HAWG)
Deal!
                              (TUSH HAWG begins to deal for draw
                              poker. The game gets tense. SACK
                              DADDY is first man at TUSH's left—he
                              throws back three cards and is dealt
                              three more)

SACK DADDY My luck sure is rotten!...