Yes. It has finally happened. I found Texas Hold’em Poker games every night of the week at clubs near where I live 
:D
How cool is THAT?
What happened is a few months ago I checked the Australian Poker League website but there were no games near my home. Last night I thought I’d give it another go (after seeing their advertisements played during the Poker I watch on Foxtel) and saw they now have MULTIPLE games near where I live, at multiple venues. Well, My Fridays and Saturday nights are taken with having Sienna visit and Mondays are bowling nights.. but Sundays and Tuesday to Thursday nights I don’t have anything else on.. so why not play Poker for free? 
I checked out a new venue to the south of where I have usually been playing. Unfortunately it was in the middle of the biggest storm I’ve seen in years. The lightning was blinding and the thunder so loud it seemed like someone’s car blew a tyre next to mine on the motorway. Under an overpass a ute had stopped so the guy could comfort his dog which was panicking due to the loud bangs. After driving for 15 minutes I could not see the road so took the next turnoff and parked the car in a residential area while it died down. I looked at my road map, figuring I should be rather close to the club by now and was surprised I hadn’t passed it as it didn’t look that far when I checked before leaving. I discovered that during the storm and all I had taken the wrong turnoff and was NORTH of the venue I have been playing at. The road I took is the turnoff BEFORE the one I wanted and it does go south but curves north. In the driving rain and storm I had not noticed this. I drove around in the direction I figured was the right way to go.. couldn’t read any street signs in the dark. They are not easy to see. I took a turn I thought might put me back on the right track and drove past the venue I usually play at. I then knew where I was and proceeded to drive straight south from there. Once I was far enough south it was a short 10 min drive east to where I should have been and I was there. Took 45 minutes to get there and 12 to get home again afterwards lol! Ah well.
The games are totally different due to the way they are handled by the APL. They have a laptop computer which counts down how long before the blinds are raised. I got there and signed in. Got my membership card (which can be used to purchase merchandise off the website when I get frequent player points) and waited for the game to start. We start off with one $500 chip.. four $100 chips and six $25 chips (If I remember correctly). At the other venue.. my usual one.. we play with eight $25 chips and eight $100 chips to make $1000.
I didn’t have a decent hand the whole night. In fact, in the end I decided to have a go just for the hell of it. The guy next to me checked all the way to the River card and then bet a $500 chip. I only had $625 in chips left and studied the board and guessed he may be bluffing. I called with my only $500 chip and found he had two pair. I had one pair, so he took it. Next hand I was the big blind and all-in for $125 (big blind being $150) and got out with a pair of 3’s. Still, it was a new experience.
