Below the Radar - Cyprus Summer of '74

Chapter 16 : A Real Stud (The Joker)

An hour later, the ten lads from the two BG teams lazed outside their tents, having just finished off the evening meal. They'd shared a meal of six large Fray Bentos steak and kidney pies, simply emptied out of the round metal containers, mashed up and cooked to a near crisp in their mess tins. Add to this half a dozen large cans of baked beans and the main meal was complete. A simple dessert of a dozen tins of Del Monte pears and pineapple pieces followed. Simon and Will put on a brew for everyone, boiling the water in billy cans over rectangular solid fuel blocks. The fuel blocks sat in small, square crenelated metal frames held off the ground by feet on the four corners. Finally, once the steaming mugs of tea had been passed around, Kenny cracked out several large bars from their stash of local Greek Ion chocolate to share round. Luxury.

Meal consumed, it was still only 9pm, lights out at 10pm. Johnny H got the cards out. Johnny, 17, was a huge no nonsense lad from Ipswich who had a hard angular face. You really didn't want to mess with him. He lived in BG with his Mum and Dad, a sergeant in the RAF Military Police, along with his younger brother Paul, whose nickname was Boo, but nobody really knew why. Johnny's favourite pastime on a bored afternoon was wrestling with his mates, often taking on three or four of the other lads at the same time. Not once had they got the better of him.

Soon they were all playing three card brag for a few piasters, hands being won by most of the players and the little money being bet moving randomly round the group. Cards doesn't get much simpler than three card brag, but as always G struggled with what little strategy could be employed. He never really got the point of the going blind thing, but he pressed on anyway. After fifteen minutes or so, brag became monotonous and when Dan turned up a prial of sevens to beat Simon's little run and win the biggest pot of the evening, nearly two Cypriot pounds, it was time to move on.

So to seven card stud. They enjoyed the longer game format, more scope for bluff, tactics and therefore opportunity to blag a win. Rick, Kenny and Gordy decided to sit this one out, having had little money to start with and less now.

Four hands in it was Alex's deal. The first two had been won by Simon and Dan, both with two pair and the third hand by Will with three Kings.

Alex dealt two cards face down to each the remaining seven players. After everyone had inspected their cards, he continued to deal the first face up card to each of them. No-one bet first card round, all passing, so Alex dealt the second face up cards, deciding a little commentary was necessary to liven things up.

"Ok here we go then. So, the letter man gets a three to go with his ten. To Billy boy a six and his second heart. The yo-yo has a jack to go with his ace. Ooooh a pair of Kings to 'Love Story', looking good. Nothing to Dan the explanation man – come on, it's rubbish. Big John gets a tiny five to go with his piddly two, while the dealer gets the ten of spades to add to his queen. Getting interesting."

Ryan frowned as he looked at Alex, "What's all this letter man, yo-yo, Love Story lark?", as the others furtively check their two face down cards for the fourth or fifth time. The half-light of the humming lantern hung on the centre pole of the nearest tent now cast long shadows across the gathering. Though a variety of comical techniques were being employed to check their blind cards, each one appeared flawed, cards seemingly being instantly forgotten the moment they were turned face down again.

"Come on Ry, G's obviously the letter man. Simon's the yo-yo, one moment winning, then losing, always up and down. Dan feels the need to explain what he's thinking about every hand and each bet he makes. You of course are Ryan 'Love Story' Beale. Not quite O'Neal I know but close, get it? Bit naff, but I'd like to see you do better off the cuff?