Tuesday, August 22, 2006

Group Nakedness

Group Nakedness

Check this out: From Cardplayer online:

195 Show Up To Paddy Power Strip Poker Tournament
John Young Wins and Bares More for Poker Charity

One day, many years from now, John Young will sit down and amaze his grandchildren when he tells them he once won the world’s largest strip poker tournament.

Young, of Slough, England, beat out 194 other hopefuls at the Paddy Power World Strip Poker Championships that was held at London’s Cafe Royal Saturday to walk away with £10,000, a specially commissioned Golden Fig Leaf trophy, and entry to the Paddy Power Irish Open where up to £2 million will be up for grabs.

In addition, Paddy Power promised to donate a further £10,000 to the charity of the winner’s choice, Cancer Research, after John, who was the last of the players to have any clothes, revealed all to the crowd.

The tournament kicked off at 1 p.m. as 195 hopefuls from more than 12 countries set out to keep their clothes on and carve themselves a place in history as part of a new official Guinness world record for the biggest strip poker tournament ever.

The event had originally been an April Fool’s story by Paddy Power earlier this year but, after receiving requests from all over the world to take part, the bookie decided to run the tournament for real.

Each player was given five items of clothing which they used to buy chips. As they lost their chips, they cashed in their clothes for more. Some even opted to strip from the bottom up and sat playing naked except for a cap.

The tournament may become a yearly thing.


OK, look at this. 195 people wanted the opportunity to play poker in public and lose their clothes. It was guaranteed that to have the best chance to win you would have to strip. And everyone but the winner would lose all their clothes -- that is how a poker tournament works. Then the winner took off his remaining garments for charity.

At least 195 people think differently about public nudity than we are taught.

195, that's quite a few.

Worth considering, next time the temptation comes to think people are all alike.

May you cherish your uniqueness.

Anna