Friday, January 12, 2007

Oh soooo close

I could see it already, $3,400 being handed to me, going into the bar and buying beer for the entire bowling league. It was a done deal... only the pins wouldn't cooperate.

They have this little deal at the bowling alley, called the High School Jackpot. Costs 50 cents to play, half the money goes to some high school or other, the other half builds into a pot until someone wins it. Only no one ever wins it.

The way it works is you pick up a slip based on your average and you have to get a strike in every frame that's marked. The higher your average, the more strikes. For me, that meant a grand total of 18 strikes in the marked frames. I play often and I've never made it through the first game still alive.

Until last night. Clean through the first game (222) and then clean through the 2nd game (242). 3rd game I need strikes in the 1st, 4th, 6th, 7th, 10th, 11th and 12th (have to strike out the tenth to finish, sheesh).

Got the first... got the one in the 4th. Up in the 6th, still feeling good. I let it fly, the ball heads down over the 2nd arrow, skids down a ways, the turns left and drives right into the pocket. I start my fist pump and blam!

7-10 split. Not even a wiggle. Just the 7 pin and the 10 pin. I am dumbfounded. It's over. 1 miss and you lose. I see the money waving at me as it flies away, giggling. There goes being the hero in the bar. There goes the PS3. There goes a trip to Vegas. All in a flash. I feel bad.

I ended up striking in the 7th, 10th and 11th before getting 8 on the last ball. In all I got 16 of the 18 strikes I needed which nets me exactly zero dollars.

Oh, and the 7-10 also cost me 700 as I finished with a 220 for 684. At least I'm starting to bowl well again. I guess I'll try it again Saturday night.

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