Hanging Out with Friends 01.10.08: The One With All the Poker
Posted by Jerome Cusson on 01.10.2008
See why this is one of the best episodes of season one and why Ross really does like Rachel, as if you didn't know that.
Jennifer Aniston-Rachel Green
Lisa Kudrow-Phoebe Buffay
Matt LeBlanc-Joey Tribbiani
Matthew Perry-Chandler Bing
David Schwimmer-Ross Geller
Courteney Cox-Monica Gellar
Beverly Garland as Aunt Iris
Written by Jeffrey Astrof & Mike Sikowitz
Directed by James Burrows
Original Airdate: March 2, 1995
There are a lot of episodes that I either like or love, a few that I hate, and one or two I despise. The ones I despise are usually clip shows, but I’ll save that rant when it’s more appropriate. “The One With All the Poker” is truly one of the best episodes of Friends ever produced. I could very easily make this a review a series of quotes taken from the show and call it a night. You might laugh a little more, but I think it would take away some of the impact.
For anyone who thinks of Friends as just another sitcom, I will point to this episode as to why this is not true. There really isn’t much of a plot, just a whole lot of poker and even more funny. The only aspect of this episode that feels dated is they are not playing Texas Hold’em, which at this point has become the sheik card game to play among gamblers.
I would also say this is where the show really begins as much of the last few weeks has been about establishing all the characters and putting them in very sitcom-y situations. I guess you could say this is very sitcom-y too, but the idea of putting the six of them in a room alone usually translated to the very best episodes. Ross is attracted to Rachel, this much we’ve known since the first episode. Rachel spends much of this episode trying to find another job so she isn’t called “Excuse me.” The two are merged into a beautiful ending that shows (no matter how much I complain about Ross being whiny) that Ross really is a good guy.
The gang is spending the pre-credit sequence folding and sorting out Rachel’s resume while whistling the “Colonel Bogey March.” According to the proofread version, she has very good “compuper” skills. Ross, Joey, and Chandler teach the girls how to play poker and dominate. Even after the girls learn some more poker tips from Aunt Iris… they get smoked again. And to think nowadays all they would have to do is turn on the bajillion ESPNs to get some poker tips. Just before the last hand of the last game, Rachel discovers she didn’t get a job at Saks 5th Avenue. Even though he likely has the winning hand, Ross lets Rachel take all the money.
The “How you Doin’ moment?”Funniest Lines/Moments: There are almost too many to count here, but since I’ve used a version of this line many times when playing poker myself, I’ll go with this one.
Joey: Ah, I fold like a cheap hooker who got hit in the stomach by a fat guy with sores on his face.
The “Oh no!” moment (weakest moment of the episode): Marcel has a cameo. We had to ruin the perfection somehow.
FRIENDS TRIVIA REVEALED! Rachel interviews for a job in fashion. This idea comes back in season three when Rachel quits her waitressing job.
The 411: If you haven’t checked this one out in a while, do so. If you’ve never seen it, then add it to your Netflix queue. I don’t know what else I can say about how great I think this episode is. The only odd thing I noticed in this viewing is just how much hotter Rachel was with her old nose. Plastic surgery: not always a good thing.
