It looks like I will be in the Philly area for the weekend of the 15th. I'll be driving out Friday morning, and coming back on Sunday - for the intervening time I will be completely at the tender mercies of the PA bloggers. Other than a desire to see Atlantic City, buy Al a SoCo and grab Riggstad's ass, I am open to any suggestions - do with me what you will *grin.

The fabulous Donkette has graciously offered me a place to crash for the two nights even though she doesn't know me from a hole in the ground, again proving that bloggers are the most generous and friendly folks. However, it could be part of her nefarious plan to take my money at the poker table rather than see it go to a hotel chain. It's a plan I can work with...I'd much rather donate to friends than give to corporate entities any day.

But there is a lesson to this; if there's poker and/or fun involved, I can afford it and have the time, I will take the most casual suggestion and make it happen.

So be careful what you say....you could find me at your doorstep one day.

****

Thanks again to Riggs, Jo, CK and Astin for the poker tips over the last week or so. I'm trying to stop playing optimistic and/or reactionary poker, and play smarter, more thoughtfully. At the club last night, I channeled CK when looking at my hole cards, Astin and Jo when deciding if they playable or not, and Riggstad when betting.

NO MIN RAISES!

It was all good, and had pretty much doubled up during the first orbit when my JJ became a jacks over kings full house. It was a beautiful thing. And it reminded me why I love being the only chick at the table...men will yap away to each other, completely ignoring and underestimating you. I've decided that I no longer mind them talking about me as if I wasn't there or making false assumptions. I will smile inside as they say things like "Oh, she must have read a book" while I neatly stack their chips into my piles.

I had won a few pots and was feeling pretty confident of going deep, but my focus lapsed. I could feel that tickle in my throat that meant one of the kids, aka "germ factories", had passed on a cold to me. Once the tickle starts, it always seems to move fast and that light-headed and wobbly-feeling wasn't far behind. Just before the break I was thinking how much it's going to SUCK if I'm sick for my 2 weeks off, rather than thinking about the game. Maybe if I was thinking about the game, I'd have seen that the new guy was in the hand (in my defense the cards were paritially obscured by dealer and his arm), and that it wasn't HU with me and another guy who raises with nothing and hopes he hits, but has a wicked tell when he doesn't hit. I'll admit to an "oh, shit" moment of surprise when the new guy called my post-flop raise, but forged on. Long story short, I tried an allin push with my three jacks hoping to scare him off with the flush on the board only to find that he had the nut flush.

As with many things, one moment of distraction and the effort of an hour is lost. Other than the flaw of wavering focus (oooo...shiny thing!), I discovered another part of my game that I need to work on.

I teach kids all day to take responsibility for their actions, but did not practice what I preach last night. As I left, I made excuses to Astin and Kevin - it's cold in the room, the table was distracting, the psychic ("I knew that was going to happen!") beside me was annoying, I'm getting sick, blah, blah, blah.

No. I fucked up. Done and done.

****

I was not in a good mood last night when I hit the girlie chat for a number of reasons, not all poker related. Life tilt + poker tilt+ health tilt. Sorry if I was pissy.