Rogue Escape

The Team Game

"If we are going to be playing strip poker, I think I better turn up the
heat," Vicky said. As Vicky went off to make the adjustments to the
thermostats, I wondered if she knew that she had just said something
that could have a double meaning, or was that just my imagination.

"Let's discuss strategy here, Larry," said Betty, interrupting my
daydream. "Have you ever played in a small poker game like this?"

"Well...not exactly," I said. Actually, I had never played poker before
that first game at Sharon and Kristen's.

"Well, in a three handed game, any high pair is a good hand," Betty
said.

"Are we playing jacks to open?" I asked.

"I hope not," Betty said. "We'll be here all night trying to get an
opening hand."

Betty turned to the whole group. "Larry brings up a good point. In our
other big poker games we played jacks to open, but in a three handed
game, that doesn't really work. I propose a pair of anything as the
minimum hand to open."

Nobody had any objections, so Betty turned back to Kat and me. "We
have to decide what order we bet our clothes," Betty said.

"I think we should bet all of Larry's clothes, then all of Betty's, then
mine last," said Kat.

I smiled. "I was kind of thinking it was ladies before gentleman," I
said. "So you and Betty, should go first, and I'll go last."

"You two are being silly," said Betty. "We take turns betting one
piece of clothes each. I propose that Larry go first, since Kat and I
would have to show our breasts when we get down to one piece of
clothes, but Larry will not really show anything until he loses all his
clothes, so I think that makes it fair."

Certainly there was some logic to Betty's proposal. "All right, I
guess," I said. That meant I had to ante my shoes on the first hand.

"Ok, Larry," said Betty. "Since it's your shoes, you can play the first
hand."

I bent over and untied my shoes and held them in my hand.
Apparently the other teams had overheard Betty, or had independently
come to the same conclusion, since Jack and Joe were also taking off
their shoes for the ante.

"Ok, why don't we put the ante clothes in the kitchen," said Mary.

It wasn't exactly a kitchen. It was really a kitchenette in the corner of
the apartment, but we all knew what Mary meant. I tossed my shoes
onto the kitchenette floor and sat down on the floor next to the coffee
table, while Jack shuffled the cards and dealt out three hands on the
coffee table. I picked up my cards and looked at my hand. I had junk,
an ace, nine, eight, seven and a four.

Jack looked at me. "Up to you Larry."

"I pass," I said.

Connie, who was playing for her team, reached down and placed her
shoes on the table. "I'll open," she said.

Jack turned toward Mary. "Mary, we need your shoes to open," Jack
said. Mary already had her shoes off, and handed them to Jack to
place on the coffee table.

Without saying anything, Betty handed me her shoes, and I put them
on the table, then I took three cards. Connie took three cards too, but
Jack only took one.

I looked at my new cards. I had some higher cards, but still just junk.
Connie must have had a pair to open, and Jack might have two pair, so
I was clearly out of this hand.

Connie was staring at Jack. Clearly, she was wondering what Jack had
too. Jack could have two pair, or he could have been trying to fill a
straight or flush, in which case he might have nothing.

Finally, Connie passed. Jack looked at his cards again, and laid them
face down on the table. "Ok, we are going to raise by three, so one
piece of clothes each," he said.

Jack took off socks placed them on the table. Mary took off her socks
and Pam handed Jack her shoes.

I folded and it was up to Connie. Connie looked at her hand again,
then shook her head, and folded too.

"Alright!" exclaimed Jack, as he grabbed the clothes off the coffee
table. "I like this game already." Jack pulled his socks back on, and
handed Mary and Pam their clothes.

Mary pulled her socks and shoes back on. "Time to ante for the next
hand," she said. "Jack, ante one those pair of shoes for us."

Betty turned to Kat. "We need to ante your shoes," Betty said.

Kat did not seem at all upset by this, after all, it was only her shoes.
She pushed them into the kitchenette. Vicky tossed her shoes into the
ante for her team.

As I studied Jack, I wonder what he really had. Jack was the one who
thought bluffing was an important part of poker. Had Jack just bluffed
us into thinking he had two pairs by taking only one card and then
betting aggressively? Well I only had junk, so there was nothing I
could have done. I would have to watch Jack and make sure he didn't
steal the game.

I stood up and let Betty sit down to shuffle the cards for the next hand.
Betty dealt out the cards. I tried to get a peek at what she had, but all I
could see was some face cards. I had no idea what she had.

Joe had taken Connie's place, and he passed. Mary, replacing Jack,
also passed. "I can open," Betty said. "Larry, your socks."

I had forgotten that my socks would have to be the open bet, so it took
me a minute to pull them off and hand them to Betty. Joe took off his
socks to see the opening bet, and Mary put somebody's shoes into the
pot.

This time everyone took three cards. Since the other two teams had
passed, neither of them had a pair before the draw. Betty pulled her
socks off. "I'll open for one," she said.

Joe did not look very happy, and he laid his cards down. "I'll fold," he
said.

Mary was now looking carefully at Betty. "I'm going to raise three,"
she announced. "I'll need one piece from each of you," she said
turning to Jack and Pam. Mary put her own shoes and sock on the
table, then collected Pam's shoes and Jack's socks.

Betty never looked at her cards, but studied Mary carefully. "Ok, I'll
see that bet," Betty said. "I need one piece from each of you." Betty
pulled her tight fitting blouse off over her head. As the knit blouse
came up over her bra, her large breasts seemed to pop out into view
next to me. Betty's breast looked to be larger than any of the other
girls here tonight even with her blouse on, but now that I could see her
bra, I more fully appreciated just how large they really were. Kat
pulled off her socks and handed them to Betty. I handed her my
jacket, which was replacing my shirt for this game.

Betty laid the clothes on the table. "Ok, what have you got, Mary?"
she asked.

Mary laid her cards on the table. "A pair of queens," she said.

Betty scowled and dropped her cards. I could see a pair of jacks.

"Way to go Mary," exclaimed Jack. "I'm liking this game more and
more," he continued with his eyes fixed on Betty's bra, and a little
smile on his lips.

Mary sorted their team's clothes from the pile in the middle of the
coffee table, and handed Pam her shoes. Then she turned to Jack.
"Here, put your socks and shoes back on," Mary said. "You have to
play the next hand, Jack. Make sure you don't get so distracted by the
scenery that you blow it."

"I thought you said that we would trade clothes back and forth," Kat
said to Betty. "How come Jack's team keeps winning all the clothes?"

"Just luck," said Betty. "It's our turn to win one now."

"What about our turn?" said Vicky, breaking into the conversation.

"Ok, boys and girls," said Jack. "Time to ante for the next hand."

Betty and I both looked at Kat. "My shirt now?" Kat asked.