Friends, "The One with All the Poker": It should be that simple

My review/recap of the March 2, 1999 episode after I throw away two Jacks because they didn't look happy.

What a simple episode that was very good. One main plot that incorporated two subplots. The group play poker, as Rachel keeps looking for a new job and Ross continues to have feelings for Rachel.

Rachel is getting tired and annoyed at working as a waitress at Central Perk and sends her resume all over the city. She gets an interview at Saks Fifth Avenue to be a personal shopper.

After the guys talk about their last poker game, the girls ask them to let them play. The guys end of teaching them how to play, but still end up winning. The girls are frustrated and Monica has her Aunt Iris (Beverly Garland) teach them more. The girls still end up losing their money to the guys. After a second lesson from Aunt Iris, the group plays again.

Joey and Chandler tell Ross that they know he still likes Rachel, but Ross tries denying it. He starts playing harder and is mean to Rachel during the poker game. In the middle of a hand Rachel gets a call from Saks, and she doesn't get the job. She takes her frustration out on the poker game and continually raises Ross's bets (higher than the initial limit). Ross calls her and Rachel reveals that she has a full house. Ross tells her that she won (even though we don't know what Ross had), because he saw how happy it made her, and thus confirming Joey and Chandler's belief.

Funniest parts of the episode:

• The guys trying to teach the girls how to play poker
• Aunt Iris's poker lessons

Definitely a good episode. It was a simple half hour that brought back the Ross and Rachel situation. It was an episode that didn't try to be anything more than it should have been. Every character was involved and had something to do. In Friends's case simple is definitely better.