In 1833, an Ohio newspaper wrote, “Hoosier has been used in many of the Western States, for several years, to designate an inhabitant of our sister state of Indiana.”
That indicates the term “Hoosier” may have originated outside of Indiana. How? There are numerous theories, but none have been proven. One of the most popular is that “Hoosier” derived from cabin owners asking travelers, “Who’s here?”
I never really thought much about Hoosiers until about a week ago. I planned to play pai gow poker before visiting my friend, Ed. If you’re not familiar, it’s a slow-paced card game and a nice way to pass the time while having fun.
If you look it up online you might see something like this.
The object of pai gow poker is to create two poker hands, a five-card hand and a two-card hand, from the seven cards that each player is dealt. Each player’s goal is to beat both of the dealer’s hands. Additionally, the five-card hand’s rank must exceed that of the two-card hand, and it is for this reason that the two-card hand is often called the “low” hand whereas the five-card hand is “high”. The two-card hand is also physically placed in front of the five-card hand, leading to the respective terms “top” hand and “bottom” hand.
You must win both hands in order to be paid. If you win one and lose one, it’s called a “push”. Mathematically, forty percent of pai gow poker hands are a “push”. You don’t win, but don’t lose.
I planned to play a variation of the game called Face Up Pai Gow Poker. In this version you see a fully exposed dealer hand before you set yours.
As I approached the table I noted that it was just opening. I saw two women seated at one end and markers placed on two additional spots indicating that two other players had reserved seats. I took a seat at the other end of the table. As the dealer was giving us our chips, the younger of the two women introduced herself as Sam and asked my name.
“Bob.”
Sam followed the exchange with “welcome to the table”, and then she called out to a man and woman at a nearby slot machine. The two joined us and as they sat down the lady said, “We each won $20.00.” And the man said, “Yes, but I put all the money up. The $40.00 is really mine.”
I followed that with “Been there and done that. You should leave right now while you’re ahead.”
As they settled in, I discovered I was playing with a couple, Chuck and Cathy, their daughter, Liz, and their granddaughter, Sam. They were all very nice and were looking to spend some family time before Sam went off to college to begin her master’s degree. They’d come for the day from Fort Wayne, Indiana.
That’s when I said, “So, I’m playing with a family of Hoosiers.” I followed that with, “What’s a Hoosier?”
To tell you the truth, they didn’t have a great explanation. I didn’t push it, so we talked about other things while celebrating our wins and mourning our losses. It wasn’t long after we started playing that Liz mentioned I could become part of their pai gow playing family. I was flattered by the thought. I’d played with my own family dozens of times, and I got an invitation to join another. Very cool.
I’ve been playing cards for over fifty years in casinos throughout the country. I’ve played with hundreds of different people. I liked most and met a few that I hope I never see again. But on this day, I experienced something I’ve never seen before. When the cocktail server stopped by Cathy, Sam, and Liz each ordered a cup of olives. I thought I miss heard their request, but when she returned with their order, she offered an apology. They were out of olives. She found enough to place several in three different cups and charged them for one. It was $4.00 a cup.
Before she left the table, the server said they were expecting a delivery at any time, and if new jars of olives were included, she’d complete their original order.
I’ve been at tables when cocktail drinkers asked for extra olives with their drinks, but never a cup full. I’ve seen three olives become six. Four become eight. And, maybe, five become ten. But never by the cup. Chuck and I were sitting with three ladies that each wanted their own. He may have been used to it, but my mind was officially blown.
We played cards together for about two hours before I had to leave. I enjoyed our conversation and their company. We talked about Sam going off to school, me writing a blog, and a bit about their family. It’s been a while since I had such a good time with four strangers. Liz mentioned me possibly joining their pai gow playing family again some time. I told her that if I was around, I’d love to join them. They play as a group a couple times a year.
When I got home, I looked up the word Hoosier. The first part of this tale was copied from my google search. I also wanted to know how many olives were in a twelve-ounce cup. That was a greater challenge.
There’s no way to accurately compute such a number. It seems that each year’s crop of olives differs in size. Typically, they’re 0.8 to an inch wide. The weather and water influence their growth. According to my calculations, a twelve-ounce cup can hold anywhere from forty-four to ninety-two olives. That’s a bunch.
During my research I learned that olives are part of a group of fruit called drupes or stone fruit. They’re related to mangos, cherries, peaches, almonds and pistachios. I’m more of a cherry or pistachios guy. I know this may be TMI, but I thought I’d share.
I don’t know if I’ll ever see my pai gow playing, olive eating, Hoosiers again, but I won’t forget our time together.