Well, it has been about 24 hours since I yelled…. I AM OUT… I yelled it loud enough so that Cathy could here me at the far end of our house. Poor Cathy, about every waking hour I call her name and she replies “what?” and I softly yell... I AM OUT...

I was lucky enough to win this years “The Chip Board King of Poker”. A 12 week Wednesday night poker tournament with players from this chat board and members of the Casino Chip & Gaming Token Collectors Club. We have a great group of fun and talented players (please join us next year). My goal this year was to really win and play for our group. We send the winner to play in a tournament with a purse of over $1,000,000. This year first place was $250,000. I was lucky enough to be our big tournament player. I just felt I was going to place in the money. I would get to keep 50% of my winnings and the top 8 of our weekly tournament would split the other 50%. I was READY, plenty of rest, food and drink by my side (non alcoholic) because to win, it would take over 10 hours. I played 33 and 99 early on for little risk hoping for the monster flop, and to show that I was a loose player, nothing there. I had pocket AA twice, once I bet it and had a questionable flop and once I slow played it, I won both hands with small pots. My 2 best hands were when I flopped the nut straight and doubled up in chips. The other hand was when I had QQ and another player was pushing with no over cards on the board. After the 2nd break (2 hours plus) I could not catch a hand. The blinds got to 800 – 1,600 or 2,400 a round with an $80 ante. I was down to around 6,000 and the blinds were a few doors down the street. I got AQ off suit with a few players behind me. The players in front of me all fold so I go all in hoping no one calls and I pick up the blinds. WELL as the short stack on the table commonly sees, someone calls. One of the guys behind me has AK off suit and calls. There was a few seconds of agony watching the flop, turn and river, all the time yelling inside QUEEN, QUEEN QUEEN…. No queen comes and I lose to the AK… and yell … I AM OUT.

I finished 617 out of 2,794. I beat 2,176 players and finished 227 away from the money.

I have said a few times to Cathy that at 617 I was ONLY 227 away from the money and she said it is a lot better than saying I was 391 and the BUBBLE BOY. One of us would have had to move out of the house for a few days… Does Cathy know me or what?

It was great fun, and in my option I played what was dealt to me and did not make any meaningful mistakes. BOY “O” BOY did I want to win something for the group. I am deflated but not depressed. Sorry it did not happen this year, so I am already looking forward to next year.