Hustled at Bowlplex
Thursday, March 13, 2008
A number of months had past since the previous BNI Dolphin Poole social evening so when our events coordinator Mark James of Top Class Mortgages suggested 10-pin bowling the members signed up with vigour and in anticipation of wining the bubbly.
Another member John Cooper of Edward Jones Financial Advisors and Stock Brokers suggested the local bowlplex and said he could get us a good discount, been as he’s married to the manageress (in hindsight, we should have smelt something fishy at this point!!)
The grand evening had arrived. With 12 members in attendance a plan was hatched; one game to decide the partners for the second and prize-winning game. Teams were devised upon scores from the first game, pairing 1st with 12th, 2nd with 11th, etc. and just happened to bring together the aforementioned Mark and John, now otherwise known as “Groucho” and “Gringo” the bowling bandits of Poole.
All was rolling along nicely, a strike or two here, a spare or three there. Much drinking was done by all with chicken in a basket to see you through the night. As we peered up at the monitors it soon became apparent we’d been hustled. Gringo John bowling 7 strikes, and 2 spares to rack up an amazing score of 209 and Groucho Mark following up with 3 strikes and 3 spares to score 143, elevating them from positions of 6th and 7th in the first game to 1st and 2nd in the second.
The prizes, alcohol of course though I do think tequila might have been more appropriate than bottles of wine were grudgingly passed over. Winning speeches were given, muffled by ponchos and sombreros and congratulated Mark upon a fantastic evening.