House Rules

Poker was a popular pastime in the evenings at the Camp at Gohere Bay. There were a unique set of House Rules for card games built on the idea was that everyone at the camp was a friend and, as such, nobody wanted to be left in a bad way and fights were to be avoided. Being on an island, there’s not a lot of space to keep feuding people separated.




A generator arrived at the Camp shortly after Willard took over, so there was electricity. However, the fuel tank held only about twelve hours worth of fuel. Once breakfast was out of the way and guests were out fishing, the generator was started to complete chores such as washing clothes etc. This also allowed Willard to catch up on the news on the camp radio over lunch. As guests returned, they would listen to news and, as the sun set, strings of electric lights brightened camp walkways and cabins.



After dinner, and a little dock casting, poker games began. All games ended at the same time, in the same way, when the generator ran out of fuel. While the generator sputtered and the lights dimmed, then surged, everybody reached for their lantern or flashlight. When the lights went out, the hand was finished with hand held lights then everyone headed back to their cabins.



Stakes were low, pennies and nickels, and to avoid confusion, all cash was equal. There was no exchange rate between Canadian and American money.



There was no standard game played in camp. Each player got to call his or her favorite game and it was played once around the table. Then the next player would start another game and so on. When the hour became late and there was fear of the sputtering of the generator, a round was played where each dealer called their own game. In this way, new games were shared.



One of the most equalizing rules was the ‘high spade split’ rule. For each winning hand, the pot was shared with the hand that held the highest spade in an active hand. This created two winners for nearly every pot. The exception would be if the winning hand also held the highest spade, in which case they won the entire pot. This kept more hands alive longer and more people in the game longer. This also shortened the lifespan of decks of cards as the Ace of Spades inevitably acquired a folded corner or crease that would give away its location.



There were more than a few nights when stakes began to escalate and tempers began to flare. Typically, Willard would excuse himself to tend to some errand or another and the generator would begin to sputter and the lights would dim and surge and people would light their lanterns or ready their flashlights for the rule was clear, when the generator ran out, the game was over.



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