10 Point Pitch

Let me make one thing perfectly clear. I am not a card player. I do not play card games. And up until two years ago I had never played cards except grudgingly and with little joy. For twenty years I was married to a man whose family enjoyed playing cards and board games. I could tolerate, say, team Trivial Pursuit but when it came to any variety of cards I always bowed out. I don't know if it was simply a lack of interest on my part in the same way that watching sports on television as an activity completely eludes me. I just didn't think playing cards was any fun. Then my friend LeeAnn needed a sub for her cards group. The game was 10 point pitch. It was easy, she said, didn't require an enormous intellect or skill level. I wasn't sure if she was trying to put me at ease with my tiny brain and abilities or if she was insulting me by ackowleging my tiny brain and abilities. I now know that she lied to me! 10 point pitch involves paying attention, bidding, a poker face, and a chilly demeanor. With great trepidition I agreed to play. Mostly because there would be food and wine involved and she was designated driving me. And I was acquainted with most of the people in the group so I would be socially at ease. The first time was confusing and I wasn't sure exactly how to bid and played cautiously. Over time my confidence grew and I learned to read the other regular players in their bidding process and their body language. I now play with a reckless bravado that for the last two months has made me the high point player. That means I get to take home ten dollars! We all throw in a buck at the beginning of the evening and the low point player suffers the additional humiliation of having to throw in a second buck at the end. Tonight I am hosting this rowdy bunch of card players so I need to go vacuum and make room for card tables and throw together some food. I wonder if I'll scoop up the ten dollars at the end of play tonight for an unprecedented third time in a row or if I'll be somewhere in the middle of point accumulation as usual. So far I haven't been the low point person, my luck has carried me that far. And let me make one thing perfectly clear. I'm still not a card player! But I do enjoy an occasional evening of 10 point pitch.