Thanks for the kind words about PFS to Lucky Le Ru, Matt, and B MED. . . . Calling Ellix with queen high was obviously a blunder on my part; he got to me, plain and simple. . . . Mr. Silverman's suggestion that I can't beat one of the two home games I play in is absolutely true. The Thursday night Glenview Donkey Festival, sometimes known as the Juan Valdez Local, in which we play selective showdown for what amounts to pennies and nickels given the income of the players, is the one I can't beat. Another reason I can't beat it is that Mr. Silverman's blase dealing style rattles me so much that I often can't concentrate for three or four hands after he deals. I once called him down with a nine high, for example, and he showed me a bleeping straight flush.