For some unknown reason, at the start of last year I decided to learn to play poker. I started as usual with lots of research. I bought & read a bunch of books, got some excellent poker software and checked out the UseNet group rec.gambling.poker. That trip was my first time playing for real/against strangers/in a casino/for real money.

On the first session, the time flew past and 4 and a 1/2 hours later I found myself winning by a handsome $1.75, so decided to quit a winner. The next day wasn't so lucky, I sat down at a short handed game with two others. Looked down at two black kings, flopped a set & bet the farm. Bad beat story, one of the others caught a runner runner double gutshot on the turn & river with cards which he had no business playing. Par for the course, but it cost me. Next day, I lost my buy in in less than an hour. Just as I staked my last, I learned that 8 of the other 9 were off duty dealers from other casinos; I never stood a chance. Fortuntely, on the fourth session things started going my way & I won a packet, am convinced that I could now do so regularly and am itching to get back as often as possible.