Being the underdog at every card game

Card games were pretty much what our time "up on the hill" (Meme and Poppy Rumker's) was centered around. It has taken me years to finally admit, but my cousin Beth is the master when it comes to cards. We still have our bantering back and forth sessions about who will win the next match, but about 98 percent of the time the win is hers.

Here are a few things to give you insight into why she is seen as the master of cards in the Rumker family:

1. After a while, Meme refused to play against Beth...especially after she realized her "hex" on her opponent wasn't working.
2. Meme made many rules to make it easier on us kids, but the best and most memorable was when Louie and Jon Paul cried because Beth would go out before everyone at the table was able to play during Phase 10. From then on, Meme said that no one was allowed to go out until everyone got at least one turn on each round. Oh, and she also didn't believe in skips.:)
3. Beth knew how to gloat without actually having to gloat. She would win a hand and have a smirk on her face while gathering her cards...not one word came from her mouth unless you said something first (which was almost every time) and even then it was a calmly stated, sarcastic remark in which you had no words in reply.

Now, even though Beth was seen as the best, there was always something so great about being the underdog.

When the underdog won a hand, that person was given the free reign to gloat as loud and as long as they wanted. There was no "Now be nice." or "Sssshhhh...not so loud." OH NO. So, this makes losing a little easier to take.

Plus, it was like getting a trophy when you won and got to place your star on Meme's calendar. Memories...