It's Christmas in June!

Hey poker fans! I'm in Vegas at the World Series of Poker. Sorry, it's been so long since my last poker blog, but I just haven't really been playing much.

I showed up Tuesday morning in Vegas to take a shot a a real bracelet - the one you gotta have to be considered a great poker player. I played in the $1,500 No Limit Holdem Event along with over 2,900 other players. The day further cemented my love-hate relationship with this blasted game.

I played absolutely "lights out". But, everytime I got into a big pot with all of THEIR stack in the middle, they would suck out. In the middle of the 6th level, I had 60k in chips when the average stack was right about 10k. I lost a 70k chip pot with AA on a AKQ rainbow board to another player with KQ. No problem, I still have almost 3x the average stack, right?

I go back to work and build my stack back up playing small pots. I then get all of an opponents sizable chip stack in the middle with KJ on a J78 board. He had made one of those "I just got sick of you" shoves that I seem to get a lot. He had 89o and of course hit the T on the river to make a straight.

I could keep going with 3 or 4 other hands just like these, but that doesn't do either of us any good. I'll just go to the last hand of the night. I had played for almost 12 hours and there was probably 20 minutes of play left for the night. We had worked down to about 350 players. I had just lost 40k of my chips (ON THE RIVER, of course) and was down to about 45k - average stack was about 36k, blinds were 500/1000, so I was still in good shape. I raised from middle position with AJo and got called by an European guy behind me. A good flop for me of Jh2s4h hit the table. I lead right out with a 4k bet because that's what I pretty much always do - bet, bet, bet. The European guy very quickly shoved "all in" with a stack bigger than mine. I said out loud, "damn it, why do you guys always do that with a draw? I call..." As expected, he had 5h7h. Black card on the turn, heart on the river, cuss word as I hit the door. Sigh.....

I headed back to the room really angry and dejected, but then I started thinking back on how well I played. If I could have won just one of those big confrontations along the way, I would be starting Day 2 in great shape. If I would have won half of those confrontations (when I was supposed to win 75%), I would have 300k and would be on the front page as the chip leader. So, I turned around and walked back to the registration cage and signed up for the next event. It wasn't "meant to be" today, but who knows what tomorrow might bring. I might be the one catching up from behind to get an undeserved monster chip stack.

Despite all of my whining, I know I shouldn't be the guy complaining about bad luck. My life has always been amazing. God loves me!!! He loves you, too!!